Neville's transfer heralds new policy

SOCCER: Alex Ferguson has been placed under far stricter financial restrictions than had been anticipated under the Glazer regime.

The official line from the new owners was that significant funds were available but, privately, Ferguson has been told the priority is to offload players, a policy that gathered momentum with the £3.5 million transfer of Phil Neville to Everton yesterday.

Despite Joel Glazer's promise that his family were happy to fund "another Wayne Rooney", a different impression was given to Michael Owen's representatives during their talks with the club's chief executive David Gill this week.

Rather than adding an £80,000-a-week player to the payroll, it emerged that United are seeking to reduce their wage bill.

To that effect, it has been circulated that Kleberson is available at £2 million, while Neville's departure will save the club £10 million in wages.

It emerged yesterday that one of United's favoured agents recently contacted Willy Sagnol's representatives to discuss the possibility of his moving from Bayern Munich, but not until the start of the 2006-07 season when the defender will be a free agent.

Similarly, they have been putting in place a deal for Bayern's captain Michael Ballack, who also has only a year of his contract to run. United would rather wait to sign him with the reason for doing so being described within Old Trafford as "saving £8 million".

Neville has signed a five-year contract at Everton and will make his debut in next week's Champions League qualifier against Villarreal.

Everton are also optimistic Tim Cahill will sign a new long-term deal despite the Australian recently rejecting an offer of £23,000 a week. Talks are continuing with the player's agent.

James Vaughan, who became the youngest goalscorer in the Premiership in April, is to sign his first professional contract at Goodison Park while David Moyes has inquired with Preston as to the availability of £1 million-rated midfielder Dickson Etuhu.

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger believes the transfer market has been split in two by Chelsea and that the situation has priced many of the champions' competitors out of signings.

The Arsenal manager claimed Shaun Wright-Phillips cost roughly double his real value.

"Do you really think Wright-Phillips would have cost £21 million had Chelsea not come in for him?" Wenger asked, before agreeing that the price would have been £10 million to £12 million.

"There's two markets," said Wenger. "One that Chelsea is in, which is quite lively and high. The one that Chelsea is not in is morose. You cannot take Chelsea as a reference for the market place."

Michael Owen has been one of the players linked to Arsenal. "I have nothing against Michael Owen. I love him," said Wenger before discussing why a potential pairing with Thierry Henry might not be sensible.

"Can they live together? I don't know frankly. Thierry is not yet the age to play a little bit deeper," added Wenger.

Owen would not have been guaranteed first team football at Arsenal and Wenger feels that to sign Owen without changing the situation he is currently in at Real Madrid would be "dishonest".

Having just been named as club captain following the departure of Patrick Vieira, Henry insisted his own commitment to Arsenal should not be questioned.

Henry said yesterday: "I am really happy here, things are going well for me and I've just been named skipper. Like I've said so many times - as long as they want me, I will stay here."

He also insisted wage demands would not derail his ongoing talks over a new contract. Henry has two years left on his existing deal.

The Uruguay goalkeeper Sebastian Viera, meanwhile, could sign for the club today.