Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says it is time to forget about signing Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder.
With Luka Modric and Samir Nasri seemingly bound for Chelsea and Manchester City, should they eventually leave Tottenham and Arsenal this summer, Sneijder appeared the most obvious replacement for Paul Scholes.
Even though Ferguson denied having any current interest in the Holland midfielder on Thursday, there has still been plenty of speculation about a deal, including a claim that shirt manufacturers Nike may get involved to push it through.
However, when asked about Sneijder in Seattle, Ferguson's response was blunt.
'Forget it,' he said. 'We are looking at some things but I am not so sure Sneijder will be easy to get.'
If Ferguson has turned elsewhere, the options are not extensive.
Bastian Schweinsteiger has been mentioned and Valencia's Juan Mata has also come into the frame.
However, quality control at a side that has won four Premier League titles out of the past five and reached three Champions League finals in four attempts means most are dismissed as a waste of time.
'I could pick three or four players to come in but they wouldn't be good enough for us so there is no point,' said the Scot.
Indeed, with new boy Phil Jones able to operate in a midfield holding role, Tom Cleverley tipped for big things after an excellent season on loan at Wigan and big demands being placed on Anderson to finally fulfil his potential on a regular basis, Ferguson claims he would be content to face his championship rivals with the current group of players.
'I would be happy enough,' he said. 'Maybe I am a bit overloaded in the strikers' positions. The alternatives in midfield are not nearly as strong.
'But I have a good squad.'
That squad still includes Dimitar Berbatov, even though United's record signing has been the subject of intense debate since Ferguson did not even find a place for him on the bench to face Barcelona in the Champions League final in May.
The Bulgarian spent that unhappy evening in tears in the bowels of Wembley Stadium, barely able to comprehend his agony.
Staying put: Dimitar Berbatov (left) looks set to remain at United despite his Champions League final snub
Ferguson has not made a point of speaking to Berbatov about his decision, which looks even more damning when assessed alongside the knowledge that the man chosen in his place, Michael Owen, remained on the bench throughout the 3-1 defeat.
However, the United manager has not detected any lingering issues from a situation he feels is more commonplace now due to the massive squads big clubs have to operate with.
'Dimitar is fine,' said Ferguson. 'There is no problem. He has trained very hard.
'He was disappointed to be left out of the final but I was disappointed myself having to tell him.
'But that is the problem in football today.
'You get to the big games and you are not just disappointing one player, you are disappointing six or seven.'
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