Ferguson ready to swoop

Ferguson: Pursuing target

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Manchester United have lodged a bid for a player manager Sir Alex Ferguson admits will improve the Premier League champions "a great deal".

Ferguson did not confirm the identity of the transfer target, although United have been strongly linked with Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov, but hopes to have at least one new face at Old Trafford before the new season starts.

"We have made a bid for one player who would enhance us a great deal," he said.

"I have replaced Gerard Pique with Jonny Evans, so we are back to the same numbers.

"If we got one more it would strengthen us even further."

Fitness

United have already been boosted by the return to fitness of club captain Gary Neville, who missed all of last season through injury.

Neville played for 45 minutes in a pre-season friendly at Aberdeen last weekend and was included in United's 21-man party for their four-match tour of South Africa and Nigeria, which starts with a game against the Kaizer Chiefs in Cape Town on Saturday.

Important

"For Gary in particular this trip is very important," added Ferguson. "We could have played him at the end of last season but Wes (Brown) was doing so well.

"But now a new season is about to start and Gary will get his chance."

However, midfielder Owen Hargreaves has not made the trip after the tendinitis problem that dogged the England interrnational in the early part of last season flared up again at the start of pre-season training.

"We are trying to sort it out now with injections," said Ferguson. "That is what we did last November and it worked. Hopefully these work and by the time we come back from South Africa he should be okay.

"Owen is not written off for the start of the season at all. I am sure he will be okay."

Other absentees from the United party included Cristiano Ronaldo, who is recovering from ankle surgery, Anderson, who was involved in World Cup qualifiers with Brazil, and Euro 2008 performers Edwin van der Sar, Patrice Evra and Nani.

Louis Saha, who looks likely to be sold this summer, was also left behind to undergo treatment for an injury in France.