Ferguson admits funds will be available to win back title for United

Manchester United have a significant transfer kitty to use this summer as they attempt to regain their place as Premier League top dogs.

The champions were dethroned by arch-rivals Manchester City in dramatic fashion on Sunday, with victorious chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak admitting the Abu Dhabi-owned club will continue their aggressive recruitment policy when the transfer window opens on July 1.

And that’s a belief shared by Sir Alex Ferguson, the United boss conceding in the wake of his side’s failure to retain the title: “We know City are going to spend fortunes, pay stupid money and silly salaries. We know that happens. We can’t do anything about that.”

However, the one thing the Red Devils can do is fight fire with fire and, with reports suggesting they are close to doing a deal for Borussia Dortmund duo Shinji Kagawa and Robert Lewandowski, United chief executive David Gill insists the club have the cash to compete with their latest Premier League adversaries.

“Funds are available without a doubt,” Gill said. “We can still pay very well in terms of wages and transfer fees.

“Clearly City have raised the bar. We have seen that with what they are prepared to pay for players and to them.

“But we need to move on. Financial Fair Play is just around the corner. It is a flagship programme for [UEFA president] Michel Platini and how that is implemented and the sanctions that are imposed are going to be interesting.”

Meanwhile, star striker Wayne Rooney is tipping his wounded side to bounce back next season, although he revealed they were still struggling to come to terms with the manner in which they lost the title at the weekend.

United had just won at Sunderland to go top of the table on 89 points, yet City staged a remarkable fightback against QPR to score two goals in stoppage time and steal the trophy on goal difference from under Rooney and Co’s noses.

“[Sunday] was a difficult day for everyone. One minute you think we have won the title, then we haven’t, which was heartbreaking,” the 26-year-old hitman said. “That is how it goes sometimes. We have to believe in ourselves.

“We have to look forward to next season and hopefully we can win some trophies next season. I am sure we will be back. We all believe in ourselves. We have to dust ourselves down and make sure we are in the right frame of mind.

“We’ve experienced players in the squad,” Rooney added of the likes of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.

“We all have to learn and be stronger. You have to be together during the good times and the bad.”