MANCHESTER, July 14 – Sir Alex Ferguson claims that Manchester United's transfer business has finished for the summer, insisting that the market has "caught fire".
Ferguson had been tipped to use all of the 80 million pounds (90 million euso) that United received from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo.
But so far, his business has been limited to the capture of Michael Owen on a free transfer and the purchases of Wigan’s Antonio Valencia and Bordeaux’s Gabriel Obertan for a total of less than 20 million pounds.
Ferguson claims there will be no further signings at Old Trafford to bolster the Premier League champions before the transfer window closes at the end of August.
United were interested in signing French striker Karim Benzema but Ferguson was not prepared to match the 35 million Lyon eventually received from Real Madrid.
As well as Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery, Ferguson has also been linked with a move for 18-year-old Brazilian midfielder Douglas Costa.
Ferguson said: "I think that’s concluded our business. We’re in the middle of a difficult summer for football and there’s very little value.
"The numbers that are being tossed about are amazing. Everybody in Europe and England, their valuations have just shot sky high and I don’t think any of the transfers you say are realistic.
Ferguson maintains that he only moved for Owen once it became clear he would not be able to push a deal through for Benzema.
"We tried to get Benzema (…) but as far as we were concerned it was beyond the value that we thought, and if other clubs buy that it’s their business but we have to put a value on it that is fair and good value.
"Maybe Lyon thought we under-valued him but they’ve got 42 million euros for him and they’ve done well. It tells you we’re sensible," added Ferguson.
