Fergie set to add to squad

Sir Alex Ferguson expects to unveil at least one more new signing next week.

The Manchester United boss admitted yesterday he was hoping to add to his squad after finally bringing in his first new player of the summer in midfield man Michael Carrick.

Villarreal’s Marcos Senna is the player most pundits expect to end up at Old Trafford, with the Spanish club’s coach Manuel Pellegrini virtually admitting he was resigned to losing the player.

However, while sources close to United have suggested Ferguson was gleefully suggesting a deal of some sort of has been done, the wily Scot has refused to go any further than admitting an interest in Senna, among others.

“We are looking at signing other players,” he said. “Hopefully, something will happen next week.

“There is interest in Senna but there is interest in other players as well.”

Carrick is expected to be handed his debut against FC Porto this evening as United open their four-team Amsterdam tournament campaign.

With Gary Neville, Gabriel Heinze and Nemanja Vidic missing through injury and Cristiano Ronaldo, Louis Saha and Mikael Silvestre not considered after only returning to training on Monday, Ferguson will be forced to rely on the majority of the squad which went to South Africa last month.

Notable additions to that party are Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Edwin van der Sar – who has committed himself to continuing his international career up to the 2008 European Championships.

However, less than seven days since his move to Real Madrid, it was another Dutchman – Ruud van Nistelrooy – who was the major topic of conversation.

Despite scoring 150 goals in five amazing years at Old Trafford, Van Nistelrooy was allowed to leave by Ferguson, with the striker admitting the relationship between the pair had broken down completely.

For the first time, Ferguson has offered his side of the story, revealing it was Van Nistelrooy’s reaction to being dropped for the Carling Cup final in February which triggered his untimely exit.

At the time, Ferguson claimed Saha deserved his place because he had played in most of the earlier rounds.

But it now transpires not only was Van Nistelrooy upset by the move, the 30-year-old allowed his resentment to linger.

“The big difference with modern-day football is now we have squads of players,” said Ferguson.

“It makes it difficult for a manager because every time you come to pick a team for a major game there are two or three players you are hesitant about telling they are out of the team either because they are great players, they have been great players in the past or you have a certain relationship with them.

“All you can do is hope they will agree with the reasoning behind your decision.

“Of course, sometimes a player doesn’t agree. I am happy with that.

“But it’s what happens after that, how they adapt to it is different with every player. Ruud was different in that way. That is exactly what happened.”