SOCCER

Ferguson to cease summer transfers

07-14-2009 | AFP

Panama Star MANCHESTER. Sir Alex Ferguson claims that Manchester United's transfer business has finished for the summer, insisting that the market has in fact "caught fire".

Ferguson had been tipped to use all of the 80 million pounds that United received from Real Madrid for Portuguese winger 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.

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.”