Gill: Money still there for Fergie to spend

Alex Ferguson can still count on the £80m received from the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to spend on new players in the summer, according to Manchester United chief executive David Gill.

United’s owners the Glazer family counted the income from Ronaldo’s sale as contributing to their profits last year but Gill said the money was still there for Ferguson in the form of cash in the bank.

Gill also told the Red Knights group of wealthy fans they are wasting their time trying to buy the club.

He told the Soccerex conference in Manchester: “We are looking at players all the time, the money from Ronaldo is sitting there in the bank account, we have been clear on that.

“But Alex has been very clear he is not going out to chase and overpay for a player just because everyone else thinks we should. He’s a Scot, he wants value for money.”

Gill insisted the Glazer family do not want to sell the club, said they are running it “in the right way”, defended the owners’ £709m (€781m) total debt and questioned the practicality of the Red Knights’ plans for a takeover.

He also branded merchant banker Keith Harris, a key member of the group who has called for a fan boycott of United matches, as a “publicity seeker” and was scathing about his track record in football takeovers.