Manchester United Transfer News: Sir Alex Ferguson Losing His Recruiting Touch?

Sir Alex Ferguson always gets his man.

Until this transfer window, that is.

After signing Shinji Kagawa, the Manchester United manager has whiffed on his last two pursuits. His latest struggles to reel in the footballers that he’s fishing for raises the question: Is Furious Fergie losing his touch?

Probably not. It’d be foolish to doubt the man that led the Reds to a dozen Premier League titles—nine more than any other club. But the lack of completed transfers won’t help them win another.

Greg Stobert of Goal.com reported that Man U was forced to drop out of the race for Luka Modric’s services. They reportedly aren’t willing to pay the £40m price that Tottenham is demanding.

Modric would’ve been a huge addition to the Reds next season. He’s an offensive force and his lightning quickness makes him a game changer. But instead of the Croatian midfielder signing with Man U, he’ll likely land with Real Madrid.

Losing out on Modric is painful enough. But on Thursday, he wasn’t the only reported player that the Reds lost out on.

According to the Daily Mail, 23-year-old midfielder Jordi Alba decided to sign with Barcelona instead of Man U. Alba is one the players that has helped spark Spain to a European Championship Final berth.

Now, Ferguson is capable of making fans forget about the pair of losses with a single move.

Alex Hankin of the Mirror reported that he wants a new Cristiano Ronaldo-like competitor, and his name is Jose Rodriguez.

The 20-year-old Colombian phenom scored 13 goals in just 14 matches last year for FC Porto in Portuguese La Liga action. Throwing Rodriguez into the mix on the Reds’ already stacked roster would make Man U heavy EPL favorites for the 2012-2013 campaign. It’ll be interesting to see if Ferguson completes yet another juggernaut or if another one gets away.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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