Park aims to prove a point at United

THE Premiership’s first South Korean star is determined not to become a glorified clothes horse at Manchester United.

With no problem anticipated in obtaining a work permit and providing he comes through his medical without a hitch, Park Ji-Sung will add a new country to the cosmopolitan English game by completing a 6m move from PSV Eindhoven.

Park’s initial stay in the country is likely to last no longer than 48 hours and when he does eventually return on July 4, he will quickly be heading back to the Far East for the Red Devils’ four-match tour.

Even though United will not be visiting Park’s homeland during the 10-day trip which takes in trips to Hong Kong, China and Japan, Red Devils officials know his presence on the tour will only enhance their commercial prospects in the region, raising suggestions the 24-year-old’s vast marketing potential is the major reason behind his signing.

As a World Cup semi-finalist in 2002 and a member of the PSV squad which was unlucky to miss out on a place in Champions League final in May, Park does not believe there is any doubt over his talent.

But he is desperate to become Asia’s first major Premiership success story, just to prove he is more than a mere marketing tool.

“I want to show my value to United in terms of my ability, not for some marketing strategy for Asia,” he said.

Park admitted he had a brief conversation with PSV boss Guus Hiddink, the man who guided South Korea to the World Cup semi-finals in 2002, before deciding to quit, although by then his mind was virtually made up anyway.

Coupled with the arrival of veteran keeper Edwin van der Sar from Fulham, United’s squad already looks stronger than it has done for the last two seasons, which is just as well.

Though Malcolm Glazer has yet to reveal the precise business plan behind his 1.18bn takeover, it will not be based on sustained disappointments in Europe and the Premiership as United have experienced over the last two seasons.

More signings are thought to be possible, with England striker Michael Owen among those believed to have been inquired about.

With Glazer reportedly placing a £37m ceiling on Ferguson’s transfer budget, a move for the £15million rated Real Madrid forward could only be made through player sales, with Louis Saha likely to be the striker to depart if the United boss opted to pursue the Owen option.

The United boss will be keen to have next season’s squad in place prior to the Far East tour, during which the Scot will learn who his club’s opponents will be in the Champions League qualifying tie on August 10.

While the potential foes confirmed by UEFA include the usual mix of Eastern Europeans and Scandinavians, there are also potentially perilous trips to Spain and Italy.

Neither Real Betis nor Udinese could claim anything like United’s pedigree but Ferguson and Glazer will be keen to avoid either of those two unseeded sides when the draw is made for the third qualifying round.