Drogba seals Chelsea move
Ferguson was involved in a spat with Mourinho following Porto's Champions League win over United last March when the Red Devils boss refused to shake his opposite number's hand, claiming his team had cheated.
The pair will resume their rivalry on the opening weekend of the campaign when United head to Stamford Bridge to face a Chelsea side reinforced by more big-money buys in the form of Didier Drogba, Peter Cech and Arjen Robben, a one-time target of Ferguson's.
However, while Ferguson accepts Chelsea will be among the challengers for the title again this term, he doesn't believe Roman Abramovich's millions will automatically see them lift the championship for the first time since 1955.
"Money isn't the issue," he smiled.
"Picking the right players is the issue. It could be a very interesting season because Chelsea have a new manager, as have Liverpool, while myself and Arsene Wenger are becoming the old fuddy-duddies of the league.
"I do see improvement in teams like Tottenham but essentially ourselves, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool will be the ones challenging."
Didier Drogba last night became Chelsea's record signing when he completed his transfer from Marseille, for a reported £24million.
Marseille initially had an £18m bid for the 26-year-old turned down, but the two clubs eventually settled on an improved fee earlier this week.
The paperwork of the three-year deal was completed last night and Drogba will jet off with the rest of the Chelsea squad to Seattle today for a three- match tour which will see the Blues face Celtic, Roma and AC Milan.
"I want to do well with my national team and my club, so I will do my best to be better than I was last season at Marseille," Drogba told Chelsea TV.
But the future of Portugal midfielder Tiago remains unclear, despite the 23-year-old having passed a medical, as he has yet to agree personal terms.
Mourinho has long been an admirer of Ivory Coast international Drogba, and first tried to sign the striker when he was manager at Porto two years ago.
With the Frenchman already in London to tie up the loose ends of the transfer, the Chelsea manager is confident he will have at least one new face on the plane to Seattle.
Mourinho said: "With Drogba I think it is hours until everything is resolved and it is a 99% chance he will go with us to the United States. But with Tiago, I don't know because I can't say he will be a Chelsea player.
"He is still a Benfica player. I understood some negotiations were made, but I am not sure about the end of them. So I don't want to talk about him."
The fee for Drogba, though, continues to cause debate. A £24m transfer would represent a British record for a striker, and as to whether it will prove to be money well spent, Mourinho declared: "You only know if a player is cheap or expensive at the end of the season, or at the end of his contract.
"Sometimes you pay £5m for a player and you think the player is very cheap - but he is the most expensive player in history because he never plays. So it depends and we'll see in the future."
"If Drogba helps us to get what Chelsea have been fighting for for many years, if we are champions or European champions and he helps us to arrive there, then I think he is cheap."
Meanwhile Eidur Gudjohnsen has signed a new four-year deal with the club.
Gudjohnsen, who joined the Blues for £5m from Bolton four years ago, had two years left on his previous deal but is now tied to the club until 2008.
*Chelsea have announced a new link-up with mobile phone network provider Orange. Under the three-year partnership, Chelsea fans will be able to access match highlights and player interviews on their handsets as well as news updates.
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