Ljajic deal - MUST response

[Duncan Drasdo]

MUST response to the news today that Manchester United have pulled out of the Ljajic transfer and rumours regarding the financial crisis at the club being responsible for the decision.

Note MUST is not advocating spending money on transfers for the sake of it but rather pointing out that given the revenues coming into the club it should be capabable, if so desired (and it may not be), to compete with the very top clubs for the very top players. Furthermore if these club revenues are not used to strengthen the squad they should be used to reduce the huge ticket price rises for loyal supporters or otherwise stay in the club to reinvest in other areas such as stadium development or youth development rather than be siphoned off by the owners.

Duncan Drasdo, Chief Executive of MUST - the Manchester United Supporters Trust said:

"Whatever the reason for the Ljajic deal falling through the fact is with the revenues flowing into the club Manchester United should be competing with Real Madrid and Barcelona for players of the calibre of Messi and Kaka but instead we have to carry the deadweight of the Glazers' ownership on our backs. It is no coincidence that the ownership model of Madrid and Barca is one of supporter ownership where every penny is reinvested back into the club rather than being siphoned off and that is why MUST sees supporter ownership as our long term objective.

The true picture will not be clear until after the January transfer window but with the 80m Ronaldo transfer fee plus the supposed 25-30m annual transfer kitty a spend of 100m would effectively be break even and supporters will rightly be asking where has the money gone when they've been forced to pay more and more through the huge ticket price rises in recent years. If that money isn't reinvested in the club, judging by the more passionate views expressed by supporters, many will see it as little better than theft and feel entitled to demand ticket prices are slashed to pre-takeover levels."