Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson insists: I didn't bid for Holland star Wesley Sneijder - and I don't need him
Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed reports that he bid for World Cup sensations Wesley Sneijder and Mesut Ozil and insists that his current Manchester United squad is ‘stronger than last season’.
Ferguson jets out on Monday on United’s pre-season tour to Canada, the United States and Mexico content that he is already equipped with the players to land his 12th Premier League title and third European Cup.
He claimed to be bemused at speculation about his summer transfer dealings, in particular that he had bid £30million for Inter Milan forward Sneijder and that the
Dutchman had turned him down.
The United manager said: ‘I believe the squad is stronger than last season with the
younger players having another year under their belts. I don’t know where those reports about Sneijder came from. How can anybody turn me down when I haven’t even made a bid?’
Further suggestions that he had now turned his attention to Germany’s supremely talented young midfielder Ozil, who was central to the defeat of England in the last 16, were similarly discounted.
The United tour party will be depleted by the absence of all the players who have been in South Africa for the World Cup, the one exception being newly signed Mexico striker Javier Hernandez, 22, who will join up to play against his former club, Chivas of Guadalajara, on July 30.
Injuries to Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves keep them out of the trip but Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes lead a 22-man party on the five-match tour.
After training at their base in Chicago, United open up against Celtic in Toronto on Friday. They follow that with games against Philadelphia Union on July 21, Kansas City Wizards four days later then the MLS All-Stars in Houston on July 28.
They fly to Mexico to finish the tour before returning to prepare for the Community Shield against Chelsea at Wembley on August 8.