Cashflow concern for Fergie
There is a culture of instant gratification that can affect even the most experienced. Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to invest £27 million in the precocious talents of Wayne Rooney in August did not just bring British football's explosively exciting prodigy to Old Trafford. It restricted his spending this summer, too.
Everton will be paid a second £10million installment for the teenager, money that had previously been earmarked for Ferguson's 2005 budget. There is no such thing as spending on the never-never. Manchester United, for so long the wealthiest club in England, could be forgiven for casting envious glances at Chelsea. The suspicion remains that greater funds could be made available to Ferguson if David Gill is prepared to release them, courtesy of the huge United fanbase. Those funds have been augmented by the £1.35 million Aston Villa paid for Eric Djemba-Djemba. The double-barrelled midfielder's value halved at Old Trafford, but the early indications are that David O'Leary has still overvalued him. It seems likely that Kleberson - a living warning that the term 'World Cup winner' can lead to inflated prices - will follow along with Ricardo, a goalkeeper consistently ranked below Tim Howard and Roy Carroll. It is not coincidental that a central midfielder and a goalkeeper must be United's priorities this summer. But the question of the succession is troubling Ferguson. Who can replace Roy Keane, United's fiercest critic and competitor? Certainly not Kleberson or Djemba-Djemba, still less the bafflingly poor Liam Miller. Indeed, in a squad packed with central midfielders, Ferguson has still selected John O'Shea out of position in the centre of the park. There must be some wishful thinking in Ferguson's assertions that Keane can carry on for several more years. But Manchester United's captain has proved resistant to the passing of time and remains capable of exerting control against almost every opponent, especially domestically. The extra protection afforded to Keane by fielding three central midfielders has, if anything, increased his effectiveness. But Ferguson's unguarded admiration for his captain only toughens the task for potential replacements, exacerbating the differences between them and the Irishman. Perhaps it is not surprising that the unheralded Quinton Fortune, who has never been spoken of in such terms, has fared better than most. The prohibitive prices in the domestic market - Rooney and Rio Ferdinand have a combined cost of almost £60 million - may have deterred Ferguson from buying British, but Jermaine Jenas has been mooted as one summer addition. A Newcastle substitute may appear an odd choice, but Jenas has the maturity and capacity to adapt to a variety of roles to suggest it may not be so far-fetched. And he is a proven Premiership performer. The last midfielder Ferguson signed with the same credentials was another graduate of Nottingham Forest, Keane. Lyon's Michael Essien has excelled in the Champions League this season, but there is a more ominous omen for the self-confessed United fan; he impressed against Ferguson's side. So, three seasons before, did Djemba-Djemba in his Nantes days. But there was hardly an auction among the European elite for the Eric United prefer to forget. In contrast, admiration for Essien is more widespread. He has been linked with Arsenal and figured prominently on a list of players Real Madrid supporters would like to see at the Bernabeu. Essien would command a hefty fee, but cheaper alternatives have made a negligible impact.
