MANCHESTER UNITED'S chairman Martin Edwards reluctantly conceded yesterday that he had all but abandoned his attempts to lure the cream of European football to Old Trafford this Summer.
After several weeks of frantic, but futile manoeuvring within the transfer market, Edwards seems resigned to accepting that collecting money is one thing, investing it quite another.
"I have offered a total of £50 million for six different European based players in recent weeks and got nowhere at all," he said. "We have been after the top names, but it would seem that no one wants to sell.
"I think we will now start the next season with the same squad we finished the last one with," he added.
The latest snub to the English champions came yesterday when Hamburg's Swiss international defender Stephane Henchoz insisted he would rather join Blackburn Rovers.
Although United agreed to match the £3.5 million bid which Blackburn's new manager Roy Hodgson had lodged last week, Henchoz refused to enter into any form of negotiation either with Edwards, or with his manager, Alex Ferguson.
Ironically, Blackburn have delayed completing Henchoz's transfer until after he has proved himself to be fully recovered from a longstanding ankle injury which recently necessitated corrective surgery.
United switched their attempt to Henchoz after failing to land Bayern Munich's Markus Babbel who pulled out of a proposed £5 million move to Old Trafford following a public dispute over personal terms.
Among the others to have rejected the chance to join United since the end of last season are Glasgow Rangers' Brian Laudrup and AC Milan's Marcel Desailly.
United's refusal to redefine what is a closely monitored wage structure is part of an agreed policy which is designed to ensure that the club is not held to ransom by foreign players seeking to exploit the Premiership gravy train.
"We sat down at the beginning of the summer and agreed just how much we would go to in terms of transfers, without blowing our wage structure sky high. But, whether it is because of the Bosman ruling or the television incomes, the whole transfer market has currently gone crazy," said Edwards.
Meanwhile, Premiership newcomers Barnsley have smashed their club transfer record by paying £1.5 million to Partizan Belgrade for Macedonian international Georgi Hristov.
The 21 year old striker will spearhead the Tykes attack next season as the Oakwell club bid to ensure their debut season among the elite doesn't turn sour.
Hristov has made 14 international appearances, scoring on his debut, as well as netting the winner in Macedonia's shock 3-2 victory over the Republic of Ireland in a World Cup group eight qualifier earlier this year.
The Macedonian has played alongside Aston Villa stars Savo Milosevic and Sasa Curcic at Partizan.
