Man Utd Transfers: Is A Post-Ferguson United Still A Big Draw For World's Best?

hopeful of adding a recruit or two, before heading off on the pre-season tour of Asia and Australia. To date United have made no headway, other than the signing of the young Uruguayan full back Guillermo Varela from Penarol on a five-year deal. Moyes has it all to prove in the transfer market, can he work on an ample budget; be-littleing the shoestring budget he had at former club Everton. Another challenge, one that even Ferguson found difficult; is can the 50 year-old entice the top talents to join United? Sadly, the chance to compete at one of the top clubs in world football isn't and hasn't been enough to persuade these talents to leave their exotic surroundings like Barcelona, Milan, Madrid etc, to move to the wet, windy haven that is Manchester, wives and lifestyle choices and (sadly) money, are often the dominant factor when these players choose the next place to ply their trade. Reported target and a name that had the Old Trafford faithful foaming at the mouth was Barcelona and Spain under-21 hero Thiago Alcantara. According to many sources, including Spanish football expert Graham Hunter, all the t's had been crossed and i's dotted, all that needed to be done was get Thiago's name on paper. Things then seemed to drag on, former Barca boss Pep Guardiola reportedly called the 22 year-old on the phone and convinced the Italian born Spaniard to join him at Bayern; becoming the latest in a string of high profile players to snub a move to Old Trafford.

Perhaps realising he is not a draw for foreign talent, Moyes has turned his attention to players that he knows and players that know and respect him from the work he has done at Everton. An improved offer of £30 million, plus add ons for former Arsenal man Cesc Fabregas was tabled over the weekend, which would be a very attractive consolation prize after missing out on Thiago. Moyes confirmed to Sky Sports this morning that the chase was still very much on for Fabregas, even though Barcelona continue to resist offers for one of their many star players. Sources indicate that Barca would be unwilling to let the former Arsenal skipper leave before Vilanovas replacement is named. Another player Moyes is reportedly hot on the trail of, is last season's Player of the Year, Gareth Bale. Various sources have claimed United are readying a £60 million bid, which would completely smash United's record signing of £31 million for Dimitar Berbatov, who coincidentally also played for Tottenham in 2008. Is a fee of £60 million enough to to tempt the notoriously stubborn Spurs chairman Daniel Levy in to parting company with a possible Ballon d'Or winner of the future? I for one, am not convinced that fee will suffice to sign a superstar of Bale's caliber, especially as former World Player of the Year winner Zinedine Zidane, has claimed Real Madrid wouldn't think twice about paying £80 million for the Welshman. United fans will be hoping that Zizou and Madrid don't act on those words. In conclusion is David Moyes a big draw for these big names? Perhaps not, but then again even the Great Sir Alex Ferguson was rarely able to convince the great established players from abroad to move to exotic Manchester, instead opting for the best talents from teams within the Premier League for the most part (Cantona, Yorke, Cole, Ferdinand, Van Persie, Valencia, Berbatov), with the odd Veron and Van Nistelrooy thrown in. Perhaps the new United manager would be best advised pursuing players that know and respect him as a manager; Fabregas and Bale would do nicely for all United fans, I think. Wishful thinking perhaps.