Ferguson intent on spending in January

Sir Alex Ferguson has this week declared his desire to expand the squad available to him at United in the next transfer window. He said on Monday, “I would like to do business, but only if the prices are right – and that can be a problem in January.”

In the summer Ferguson strategically withdrew from a transfer market he considered artificially inflated by the heavy spending of Manchester City and the returning Madrid president, Florentino Perez. Having sold Ronaldo for £80m and lost Tevez while spending less than £20m on Antonio Valencia from Wigan and Gabriel Obertan from Bordeaux, United’s manager now has leeway to recruit in the next transfer window. So, with that said, who should United be looking to sign – or moreover in which areas do they most need to strengthen?                    

Well with Van Der Sar nearing the end of his tether and Ben Foster failing to convince the majority not necessarily of his quality but more so of his character, the first port of call may be to secure the services of an internationally proven, world-class goalkeeper. And none spring to mind more prominently than CSKA’s young captain Igor Akinfeev.

Having impressed upon his sides’ recent visit to Old Trafford, garnering the praise of both Sir Alex and his current manager alike, Akinfeev would seemingly be the natural choice of many to replace Van Der Sar in the long term.                                                            

Aged just 23, Akinfeev has amassed 164 league appearances since he established himself as CSKA’s number one in 2003, securing the captaincy in the process. Nor is he a stranger to silverware or personal accolades.  In his time at CSKA he has won the UEFA Cup, three National Championships, four Russian Cups, and the Zvezda trophy, awarded to the best football player in Russia. He is constantly compared to the great Lev Yashin and has won the goalkeeper of the year award named after the Soviet legend four times.                      

Regarded as the Russian national team’s first choice keeper, securing close to 40 caps since his debut aged eighteen, Akinfeev is also established on the international stage and he will almost certainly be between the sticks in South Africa should Russia advance past Slovenia in their ongoing World Cup play-off.

Following his sides encounter with United at Old Trafford he was quoted as saying, “Not every team scores three goals at Old Trafford. At 3-1, of course you need to think about winning, but we have to be realistic. We played one of the best clubs in world football…Moreover, they had the crazy support of 74,000 fans who drove the team forward.”

Also good news for United should they pursue the young starlet, is that CSKA have signaled their intent to cash in on some of their premier players  if they fail to progress from their Champions League group and finish outside the top three in the Russian League. They are fifth domestically and would not stand in the way of star players seeking opportunities at bigger clubs, but they would seek more than £10million for Akinfeev.

However for the youth and yet stability Akinfeev would provide, along with his temperament, character and obvious ability, that may prove a steal.

Should Ferguson feel the desire to see out Van Der Sar’s years, and persevere with Foster and the able Thomas Kuszack though, he may seek to strengthen a defence which has seemingly weakened with age and injury. Ferdinand and Vidic have both been found wanting at times this season, also picking up niggling little injuries, and yet Ferguson is unlikely to taper with a defensive partnership which has arguably been the best in the world at times in past years. Add to that the fact that United have Jonny Evans, John O’Shea, the returning Wes Brown and even arguably Gary Neville, as able if not stellar (with the exception of Evans) replacements, and it seems more likely that Ferguson will bolster his attacking options before he confronts any defensive frailties.

In terms of the central mid-field, United are second to none in the league, as proved at Stamford Bridge most recently. For whilst a midfield trio of Anderson, Carrick and Fletcher may not seem to compare, (on paper anyway) against a line-up of Essien, Ballack, Lampard and Deco, it more than proved otherwise, demonstrating a mixture of creativity and guile to concern any side in the world. Add to that the effervescent Ryan Giggs, and the spark of genius remaining in Paul Scholes and you have a pretty solid mid-field five that is capable of adjusting to any contingencies that may arise in a game.

This therefore suggests that the only place for significant improvement would be the wings, and with Valencia gathering momentum on the right, that by default leaves a space open on the left.

Whilst Obertan has had some impressive moments since being introduced in the last month, and Nani has been given numerous opportunities to convince everyone, including himself it would seem, there is no-one in the United squad who stakes an out-and-out claim to United’s left wing. Giggs can no longer play the role of an orthodox left winger. It doesn’t appear as though Nani has the capacity to comprehend the role. And Park Ji-Sung, for all his effort and endeavor simply is not good enough. Tosic is developing, but he obviously isn’t ready or Ferguson would have played him more frequently.

So, with that said, it would appear United are in need of a left sided-midfielder with similar qualities to what they might seek between the sticks: someone who is internationally proven, especially talented and of a certain character. And I don’t feel too many would begrudge the sight of an understated match-winner like David Silva floating down the Old Trafford left.

 

Also aged 23, Silva is, like Akinfeev, arguably a natural addition to the United squad. Capable of playing on either flank, or transitioning between a traditional number 10 and supporting striker, the Spanish native is a fleet-footed visionary with the tactical and technical capacity to adapt to a range of formation changes.

In the 2007-2008 La Liga season, Silva established himself alongside David Villa as one of Valencia’s marquee players, picking up the accolade of top assist provider before furthering his reputation as a regular in the Spain side that won the European Championships of that Summer. He first made an impact on the European stage in 2007, when he scored a thumping goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League quarter-final stage, having scored against Inter at the San Siro the game before. However he was already well known in Spain having played for the national team at U17, U19 and U20 levels. In 2004 he was a European Champion at U19 level. And it was no coincidence that at the 2008 Euro’s, Silva was missing during his nations only defeats, nor that the only game he didn’t start during the tournament was the last group match against Greece, a game with nothing riding on it.

One stumbling block however may be the players’ insistence on remaining in Spain, despite stating his admiration for Ferguson’s side when asked about the possibility of a move to Old Trafford. Silva said in September, “It’s an honour for any player that a club of the prestige of Manchester United should follow them and that in itself is enormous praise…I know that the Premier League is a big competition and hard to resist”. This was followed up by his agent though, who added, “Silva doesn’t want to play in England because he is happy at Valencia…His family are settled and if he was to move it would only be to another Spanish club, like Real Madrid or Barcelona.”

With that said, Valencia’s well documented money issues may force the transfer of one of their two best players in the not so distant future, whether they like it or not. This may in turn require Ferguson to part with 20 + million should he really pursue his interest in the winger, but regardless it would appear that for his capabilities and his adaptability, Silva would be a wise choice to solve Ferguson’s left-sided problems.

In the instance that Ferguson rejects moving for a midfielder, preferring to reinforce a Manchester United attack that has yet to recover fully from the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, he could do worse than acquiring the services of one of the most prolific and yet maybe underrated players in Europe, Sevilla’s Luis Fabiano.

Boasting an international scoring record – for Brazil no less – which is quite frankly sensational, with 25 goals in 33 appearances, ‘O Fabuloso’ as he is know in his home country has transformed himself in recent years into one of the first names on the Brazilian team sheet. He won the Golden Boot at last summer’s Confederations Cup, including a brace in the final to see off the USA, and is assured to feature in attack for the Brazilians at next summer’s World Cup.

Since his move to Sevilla from Porto in 2006, the left-footed marksman has been able to recapture the form which catapulted him onto the European scene earlier in 2004. Having enjoyed a stellar few years at Brazilian side Sao Paulo, scoring an incredible 62 goals in 84 appearances, the sometimes quick-tempered star failed to impress at Porto, having moved for a reported 10 million euros, and was soon cast off to Sevilla. Since then however, he has averaged better than a goal every other game and many are tipping him to be one of the stand-out players in South Africa come June.

Other names are also reportedly being considered however, including the Uruguay international Luis Suarez, who at 22 already captains Ajax Amsterdam, having claimed 54 goals in 75 League appearances for the Dutch club and drawn comparisons to Ronaldo, due to his ability to play through the centre or on either flank.

Whatever way Ferguson decides to spend, don’t be surprised if come January a big name or maybe even two, are ushered fluidly into a Manchester Unite side which is nearing the Christmas period a gear or two short of full pelt but a mere 5 points off league leaders Chelsea. This may prove particularly bad news for a Carlo Ancelotti side who are undoubtedly playing well, but who face an impending ban over future transfers with an already ageing squad, and the distinct possibility that they may ultimately be able to improve no more.