United to spend 50 million

LONDON – Manchester United has only just won its record ninth Premier League title.

Now the Red Devils are set to spend about 50 million pounds to help win a 10th championship next year. Less than three weeks after the Premier League season finished with United six points ahead of Chelsea, the club said Thursday that it would sign Owen Hargreaves from Bayern Munich.The England midfielder’s arrival was announced just a day after the news that United had agreed to sign Brazilian midfielder Anderson from FC Porto and Portuguese winger Nani from Sporting Lisbon.Sporting confirmed yesterday that Nani will move for 17,3 million pounds, which is about what Hargreaves will cost.British and Portuguese papers reported that Anderson’s transfer was worth a similar amount.Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said last week that clubs needed to move fast in order to add top players to their squads for next season, and United is doing just that.United made just one big signing in the last off-season, paying Tottenham 18.6 million pounds for England midfielder Michael Carrick.Calming fans’ fears that the 2005 takeover by Malcolm Glazer had curbed the club’s largesse when it came to competing for the best players, United is now spending on the scale of Chelsea and its billionaire owner Roman Abramovich and doing it quickly.Nampa-ReutersLess than three weeks after the Premier League season finished with United six points ahead of Chelsea, the club said Thursday that it would sign Owen Hargreaves from Bayern Munich.The England midfielder’s arrival was announced just a day after the news that United had agreed to sign Brazilian midfielder Anderson from FC Porto and Portuguese winger Nani from Sporting Lisbon.Sporting confirmed yesterday that Nani will move for 17,3 million pounds, which is about what Hargreaves will cost.British and Portuguese papers reported that Anderson’s transfer was worth a similar amount.Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said last week that clubs needed to move fast in order to add top players to their squads for next season, and United is doing just that.United made just one big signing in the last off-season, paying Tottenham 18.6 million pounds for England midfielder Michael Carrick.Calming fans’ fears that the 2005 takeover by Malcolm Glazer had curbed the club’s largesse when it came to competing for the best players, United is now spending on the scale of Chelsea and its billionaire owner Roman Abramovich and doing it quickly.Nampa-Reuters