Manchester United Transfer News: Ferguson Reveals Transfer Plans for Summer

May 01, 2013 03:51 AM EDT

With the 20th league title sealed up, Sir Alex Ferguson is already making plans for next season, having identified the candidates that will give United the impetus to go one better next season, and also compete in the Champions League.

Ferguson believes United have a solid base of young players already in the squad, with the manager looking at a few quality additions to ensure United maintain their competitiveness next season as well.

The manager insisted United have the capabilities to be strong in the transfer market, and will look to continue to be aggressive after landing key players Robin Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa last summer.

"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," Ferguson told Inside United.

"David De Gea, Rafael, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Alex Buttner, 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.

"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.

"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."

Meanwhile, Ferguson has tipped four players to compete for the club's player of the season honors.

"I think we've got two developing players, first of all, in Rafael and David De Gea," Ferguson added. "They have had outstanding seasons.

"Then there is Michael Carrick and Robin van Persie. That is the four and I wouldn't like to choose between them. I think they have definitely elevated themselves this season."

Get the Most Popular Stories in a Weekly Newsletter
Array

Join the Conversation

  • Get Connected
  • Share
  • Like Us on Facebook
  • @sportswr
  • Recommend on Google
Real Time Analytics