Less than a fortnight after the biggest hiding he said his Manchester United side had received, Sir Alex Ferguson has responded in emphatic fashion. He has risen to 'the challenge' he felt Barcelona set the rest of Europe at Wembley that night, committing ?55million on three players with every intention of spending another sizeable chunk of cash before he is done. Young ones: Fergie has launched a new era at United with a summer spending spree He will not be able to create a side that can play like Barcelona because it is a unique blend that the Catalans possess in Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta. Theirs is a kind of football we have never seen before and, as Pep Guardiola is the first to recognise, we may not witness again. But teams have discovered a way of beating them when it matters most. Jose Mourinho managed to do so at Inter Milan and Guus Hiddink went painfully close during his brief time at Chelsea. Now Ferguson is trying to come up with his own special formula. It is an incredible response to a demoralising defeat in that Champions League final, and something that has succeeded in drawing the focus back to football when it should be on Queen's Club and England's cricketers. The big football names might appear to be congregating on the same beach in Barbados but the big numbers that separate football from every other sport in this country continue to amaze. The ?16million Liverpool have spent on Jordan Henderson is in addition to the fortune invested in January in Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez; albeit using money raised by the sale of Fernando Torres to Chelsea. At United, serious cash is being spent now. On Ashley Young, Phil Jones and David de Gea for starters with more expected to follow. Luka Modric, Samir Nasri and Wesley Sneijder feature on Ferguson's list of targets and he will certainly want to land one of them, if not two. Different class: Fergie admitted Barcelona handed United a right hiding With the retirement of Paul Scholes there seems a need to sign someone like Modric, and while Harry Redknapp might insist the Croat is staying at White Hart Lane, don't expect that to be the last word on the matter. Modric is in demand, with Manchester City and Chelsea keen. He would add quality to any of those midfields but at United you can see him slotting in seamlessly; a perfect partner for Michael Carrick or Darren Fletcher and also capable of providing ammunition to Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez. If Ferguson adds someone of Nasri's ability too, it would be fascinating to see United evolve under a manager who has this astonishing gift for rebuilding. But it would also be rather ominous for those who have just finished another title race in United's wake. Obviously, Chelsea and Manchester City possess the wealth to compete and at some point this summer - presumably once Hiddink is back at Stamford Bridge - they are sure to flex their financial muscles. But what of Arsenal? What does it say about their prospects when Kenny Dalglish appears intent on guiding Liverpool back into the Champions League places? If Nasri is among a number of players to leave the Emirates this summer, the pressure will be on Arsene Wenger to respond and it will take more than the capture of Bolton's Gary Cahill to convince supporters they are once again going in the right direction. Especially if Cesc Fabregas finally makes that much-anticipated return to Barca. Wanted: Wesley Sneijder is high on United's list on targets After six trophyless seasons, Arsenal do not want to be seen as a glorified feeder club; a team no longer able to keep their best players because of an apparent inability to end that search for more silverware. The club are bigger than that; but Wenger has to be less prudent in the transfer market and worry more about being left behind. Not that Arsenal would be alone. Roberto Martinez's decision to remain at Wigan reflects as well on him as it does on his classy chairman, Dave Whelan. But it also says much for the situation at Villa Park; the fact a number of possible candidates looked at that job and questioned whether the club have the ambition to break into the top four. When Randy Lerner brought in Martin O'Neill, that appeared to be the intention. When the American owner then allowed Gerard Houllier to break the club's transfer record to lure Darren Bent from Sunderland, it also suggested serious ambition. But a number of the managers who might have been on Lerner's radar see the sale of Young and possibly Stewart Downing as an attempt to simply recoup the money; a case of one step forward and possibly two back. Villa were left bruised by yesterday's events, and may yet regret bowing to pressure from fans not to recruit Steve McClaren. Too many hold what happened with England against him when they should recognise the quality shown to recover from that disastrous spell. He enjoyed success at Middlesbrough, and under Ferguson at United before that, but to bounce back and guide FC Twente to the Dutch title and into the Champions League is some achievement. They know their football in Holland and McClaren commands enormous respect, which is why they now want him back. By last night Villa had begun a new search, sparking more headlines and intrigue. Close season? In football these days there really is no such thing. Return of the King! Cantona set for Old Trafford comeback in Scholes' testimonial Young will wrap up ?20m move to Man United after scrapping weddingRevealed: Manchester United open talks with Nasri as Young deal nears completion Explore more:People: Martin O'Neill, Paul Scholes, Alex Ferguson, Harry Redknapp, Wesley Sneijder, Xavi Hernandez, Kenny Dalglish, Gary Cahill, Stewart Downing, Gerard Houllier, Michael Carrick, Jose Mourinho, Darren Fletcher, Darren Bent, Andres Iniesta, Luka Modric, Wayne Rooney, Dave Whelan, Steve McClaren, Roberto Martinez Places: Barcelona, Liverpool, Barbados, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Europe
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