Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson poached French midfield starlet Paul Pogba from French Ligue 2 outfit Le Havre, under the nose of Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger. The 16 year old who has been a regular in the France under 16 national team had been attracting lot of interest from United, Arsenal and Liverpool.However, the arrival of United’s new 16-year old prodigy has created a bit of controversy. His current employers Le Harve have been frustrated at the way United have hijacked one of their star players. Le Havre claim that the 16-year-old was bound by an agreement with the club until at least the end of the 2009/10 season. But United offered big money for the youngster’s services, which forced his parents to cut short that agreement and send their son to England.
This news has also created lot of fire in England because one of United's fieriest rivals - Arsenal were also looking to get Pogba. But they could only watch one of their targets move to Manchester. This signing marks a triumph for Ferguson who hasn't been able to dominate the French market in the past few years due to Wenger's name and his contacts.
What might also frustrate Wenger is that Fergie is trying to add another French star to the squad. His name is Frank Ribery. Yeah, you read it right. United are in touch with Bayern over the transfer of Ribery. It seems United will table a bid of around 35 million for the French star. Although Bayern have so far rejected all offers for Ribery, but my hunch says that he just might choose United over other clubs. What do you think?
I was anticipating that Ferguson would make further signings in addition to Owen, Antonio Valencia and Gabriel Obertan, who joined last week from Bordeaux. Samuel Eto was supposed to sign a deal with the Red Devils, but United have distanced themselves from any such deal.
After giving Michael Owen the number seven shirt (vacated by Ronaldo), Sir Alex reiterated that his current squad is good enough to challenge for an unprecedented fourth consecutive league title, even though Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez have left. He also stressed that Daniel Welbeck and Federico Macheda will be given a chance to prove themselves by starting on a regular basis.
I think that Fergie is spot on and knows his squad is definitely competent enough to pose a challenge in England as well as in Europe. But somewhere I feel that there has to be a star signing, especially after the massive earnings through Ronaldo's sale.
What's your take?
Barcelona striker Samuel Eto has been linked with a move to Manchester United. The News of World reported that he is considering a move to England and is ready to accept a lower pay.
The Barcelona striker who was thought to be discussing terms with Manchester City, and a move to Eastlands has suddenly turned towards the red part of Manchester. And the biggest surprise is that the Cameroon international is now willing to take a substantial pay cut in order to continue playing his football at the very highest level.
Eto believes playing only for the best teams, be it in Spain, England or anywhere. And therefore he is avoiding a move to a mid-table side in the Premier League and opting for United as he is confident that he will win more silverware at The Theater of Dreams. The fact that a world class player like Eto is ready to play on lower wages only to ensure that he plays football at the highest level must be taken as a positive factor by Sir Alex.
It is thought that United are set to offer Eto'o a deal worth some £150,000-a-week. And I hope Eto signs on the dotted lines ASAP. His addition will not only strengthen the squad but will also add some pressure on the otherwise lazy Berbatov, and may be he might play better football this season due to the risk of losing his first team place.
The pre-season period is full of rumors, anxiety and shocking news. And the latest shocking news comes from The Theater of Dreams.Manchester United are trying to hire the services of Michael Owen. The ex-Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle striker has been a free agent since his contract with the Magpies expired last month. Having said good bye to Newcastle, Owen has been linked with teams in the lower half of the league.
His recent run with the injuries has made Owen's football a bit rusty. He is no longer the same Michael Owen who entertained everyone with his football when he was a 20 year rookie. His Liverpool days were the best days of his professional career and since his move to Madrid, he has been constantly delivering lackluster performances. And his frequent encounters with injuries keeps him out of the competitive football.
I don't know whether Owen will be able to produce the same form if he arrives at Old Trafford. But his linking to the English champions clearly indicates that Sir Alex is very anxious to get a quality striker soon. Having already missed on Benzema, who was hijacked by Real Madrid a few days ago; Sir Alex knows he has to act fast, very fast.
Will Michael Owen (just 28) be able to revive his glittering career if he moves to Manchester United? Have your say by sharing your views in the comments below.
A day after Cristiano Ronaldo completed his record transfer to Real Madrid, his ex-manager Sir Alex Ferguson has paid tribute to him. Sir Alex's love for CR7 was clearly evident during his United days, when he would be seen mentoring, coaching and even joking with the Portuguese winger.
The compliment comes after a statement on www.manutd.com stated that Real had paid the required transfer fee for Ronaldo. While Sir Alex was busy in making the deal for Antonio Valencia, he did have time to comment about Real's new player.
Sir Alex said
Cristiano has been a marvelous player for Manchester United. His six years at Old Trafford have seen him develop into the best footballer in the world. His contribution has been a major factor in the club's success in that time and his talent, his ability to entertain and his infectious personality have enthralled fans the world over. Everyone here wishes him well in his future career.Well, the debate about Ronaldo's class will last forever, I guess. While many people laud his skills, there are still some people who think he is a diver, a cheat and a shrewd guy. But, whosoever he is and however he plays, we gotta keep one thing in mind that he is the World Player and has done a lot for United. Both in terms of football, trophies, publicity, etc.
Good luck Ronaldo :)
