Old Trafford officials have finally confirmed that Bayern Munich and England international Owen Hargreaves will join Premiership champions Manchester United on July 1^st. Owen Hargreaves has been a long term target for Sir Alex Ferguson and Man United and now that personal terms have been agreed and a medical passed the 25 year old is set to sign an expected 5 year contract. Sir Alex has been chasing the midfielder since last years world cup but moves were blocked by Munich who had already offloaded Ballack to Chelsea.

The news from Old Trafford comes at the end of an eventful week and only 24 hours after the Red Devils also announced moves for Anderson from Porto and Nani of Sporting Lisbon. Ferguson is looking to strengthen his squad over the summer in order to maintain the supremacy of Manchester United on the domestic front and to progress on the European stage particularly in the UEFA Champions League. While no figures were mentioned in the statement from Old Trafford it is thought that Manchester United have paid around the £17 million mark for Hargreaves. Added to the sums already paid in the hope of acquiring Anderson and Nani the purse strings have well and truly been loosened for United with a projected £40 million already spent in the summer transfer market.

Manchester United dazzled in the English Premier League during the course of the 2006-07 season. Individuals excelled but the success of the club was due to teamwork. With top class additions to the squad and apparent stagnation at Chelsea it looks like Manchester United are favourites for the Premiership season 2007-08 before the first ball is even kicked. £40 million on new transfers is out of reach for most Premiership clubs. However, it is not expected to be the end for Sir Alex Ferguson. After acquiring 3 top midfield players he will also be on the lookout for a striker to add depth to the squad.