Sir Alex Ferguson insists he is not looking for defensive recruits
in January, despite Manchester United's 3-0 hammering at Fulham on
Saturday.
The result leaves them four points adrift of Premier League
leaders Chelsea and Ferguson is acutely aware that unless United's
form improves quickly, they can forget about a record fourth
consecutive title.
With seven senior defenders - Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic,
Wes Brown, Jonny Evans, John O'Shea, Gary Neville and Rafael Da
Silva - out of action, plus keeper Edwin van der Sar, it was felt
Ferguson may make an emergency signing, even though he had already
ruled out the possibility of out-of-contract Sol Campbell joining
the Old Trafford outfit on a short-term basis.
However, with the majority of his players due back at some
point in January, Ferguson will not be making any additions.
"That has not come onto the agenda," he told Key 103.
"We hope that Wes Brown will be back in a week or 10 days'
time, Rio Ferdinand is improving, Gary Neville is getting there and
Rafael Da Silva has now started training.
"We are not so bad and we are not looking at signing
players."
Under the circumstances, Ferguson is probably relieved that
United's Festive programme has been pushed back from the planned
timescale.
What would have been a Boxing Day trip to Hull will now take
place on December 27, with the home encounter against Wigan now not
being played until December 30.
The Red Devils should be confident of getting maximum points
from those two games, even with a weakened line-up, after which
they are not in league action again until January 9, when they face
in-form Birmingham at St Andrews.
Despite the denial, Ferguson continues to be linked with new
faces.
Fiorentina 'keeper Sebastien Frey is believed to be being
monitored by United, who have still not been informed by Van der
Sar whether he is going to extend his career by another season.
Frey does have a £17million release clause in his
contract. However, as he has already featured in this season's
Champions League for Fiorentina, who have booked themselves a
last-16 meeting with Bayern Munich, it seems unlikely the
29-year-old will move at this stage.
Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa is also said to be on
Ferguson's radar and is available following a bust-up with coach
Didier Deschamps.
Signing Ben Arfa would represent a gamble given his unhappy
disciplinary record, which includes having to be pulled away from
Djibril Cisse during a training ground fracas just a fortnight
after his summer arrival at Marseille.
However, having enjoyed so much success with Eric Cantona,
who hardly represented a meek presence in the face of authority,
that reputation alone is unlikely to deter Ferguson if he decides
to pursue the 21-year-old.
