Owners back Ferguson to spend well

Sir Alex Ferguson will decide how much of the world record £80million transfer fee Manchester United are to receive for Cristiano Ronaldo he wants to spend.

In the wake of United's confirmation that a bid from Real Madrid for the Ballon D'Or winner had been accepted, the Glazer family have pointed to their record of backing Ferguson in the transfer market throughout the four years since their controversial takeover.

And they insist that policy has not changed despite the ongoing credit crunch, with a spokesman saying: "The idea Manchester United are motivated by a debt burden is just not true. It is not an issue."

The spokesman continued: "The fact is Cristiano Ronaldo decided, after six years, it was time to move on and the manager said okay.

"Sir Alex Ferguson is in total control of his squad. He is empowered to make whatever decisions he thinks are in the best interests of Manchester United. That continues to be the case."

It means Ferguson is behind the concrete approach for Wigan's Antonio Valencia which Latics chairman Dave Whelan is expecting within the next fortnight, and he will be the one who decides if United should make Bayern Munich a "crazy" offer for Franck Ribery and the level they should ultimately go to.

Not that United are completely immune from the credit crunch, given corporate seats will be difficult to shift in their entirety in the coming season, even though the Red Devils are bidding for an unprecedented fourth consecutive league title.

However, the impact on Ferguson will be negligible.

"Only the paranoia of some supporters would lead you to believe the owners are not going to continue investing in the team," added the spokesman.

"A substantial number of world-class players have been brought to the club in the past few years and that will still be the case."