TOON tycoon Mike Ashley is ready to flex his financial muscle in the transfer market in order to make a statement as owner that will rock the world of football.
The billionaire owner will continue to keep a low profile at the club and allow deputy chairman Chris Mort to run the show at St James’ Park, with chairman Freddy Shepherd still unwell.
Mort reveals his hopes and dreams today to the Chronicle – but another source close to Ashley admitted that, while United’s haul of four signings so far this summer is impressive, there will be more to come.
And that will possibly include the arrival of a big-name player that will stun the soccer world.
Ashley and his board will never go public on exactly how much they have in the transfer spending pot because it makes no sense from a business or football point of view.
But a quick glance at Ashley’s successful move up the business ladder underlines the fact that the new United supremo thinks big.
The source told the Chronicle: “When you look at the incoming and outgoing transfers so far this summer, Mike has only really spent £1.5m because Geremi and Mark Viduka came in on free transfers and Joey Barton and David Rozehnal’s arrivals have been helped by Scott Parker’s £7million sale to West Ham, so from a business point of view, that’s good business.
“We know that Big Sam would like two left-backs and a centre- half too, and he will listen to any other possible signings that the manager would like.
“The transfer deadline is not until the end of August and the feeling here is United could be about to pull out all the shots to land a big one.”
Meanwhile, with United’s current crop of players in Austria at a boot camp, new deputy chairman Mort revealed how he had been working closely with Allardyce to ensure the squad are in good shape to challenge in the Premiership next term.
In an exclusive first interview Mort told the Chronicle today: “Clearly the new season is fast approaching so we have to be comfortable where we are going and are working closely with Sam to make sure we have a squad that is capable of competing.
“I have been doing this now for just over a week, but before that time we were asked to approve the signings of Joey Barton and Mark Viduka, so it is already investment from our perspective.
“We are comfortable investing on the playing side. But we would be crazy to start talking about the numbers we intend to invest in.
“Sam is clearly going to run the playing side, but he and I are already talking closely about where we might strengthen the team.
“He is looking at every aspect of the playing squad and also the support staff.
“He and I are talking on a very regular basis, most days we talk.”
However, top London lawyer Mort emphasised he would not interfere with Big Sam when it comes to the footballing side of the club.
He added: “Sam is going to take the lead. He is well known in football for having a very good sense of who is out there and their capabilities.
“He looks at football in a very analytical way. He is going to lead the charge in all that and I am going to be in an approval role.
“I am not going to be sending him videos of players I want. He is quite obviously way ahead of me in that and that is clearly his strength and what he is here to do.”
Meanwhile, Mort also took a realistic line on the expectations on Allardyce today after former manager Glenn Roeder heaped pressure on Big Sam by insisting fans would be angry by his plea to remain patient.
He went on: “I wouldn’t want to get drawn on picking league positions we are aiming for.
“We have got a new manager and are perfectly happy with the choice of manager.
“It would be unfair on him to say this is where we will be next season or the season after.”
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