Man United transfers: Ferguson expects to be ‘competitive’ in summer market

Sir Alex Ferguson insists Manchester United will be competitive in the transfer market despite lacking the spending power of Chelsea and Manchester City.

The Red Devils cantered to a 20th top-flight title this season, with last summer’s big-name signing at Old Trafford Robin van Persie scoring 24 goals in the club’s triumphant Premier League campaign.

United have been linked with Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao and Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski in recent weeks, and Ferguson is adamant the Red Devils will look to strengthen.

“Hopefully the players we bring into the club in the next year or so will be of the quality we need. We’re competitive in the market – we’re not Chelsea or Manchester City in terms of money but we’re competitive,” Ferguson told Inside United.

“We’ve been doing a bit of work on that over the last three or four months, targeting who the players are that we feel could enhance us, make us better or help us maintain the level we’re at.”

Ferguson is also encouraged by the progress of United’s youngsters throughout their title-winning campaign, with other key players, such as Wayne Rooney, hitting their prime.

“You have to look at the structure of the club at present, in terms of the number of first-team players we have at 23 or under,” he added.

“David De Gea, Rafael, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Alex Büttner, Nick Powell, Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck. Shinji Kagawa and Chicharito are 24. Jonny Evans is 25 and Wayne Rooney is hitting his peak at 27.

“Older players like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand may be coming towards the end of their careers, but these younger players are the foundation for the next five or six years, irrespective of the players breaking through, like Adnan Januzaj, the Belgian boy, who’s really looking very good.”