Why the New NFL CBA Is Bad News for Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson

As Manchester United prepare for the start of the football season, across the pond in the States the NFL lockout was finally lifted after players and owners came to agreement on the future of the sport. Whilst many UK football fans won't have batted an eyelid as to what American football fans have been going through for the last 137 days, with the American influence across the Premier League ever expanding, this agreement may have a huge effect on the English Premier League?

For Manchester United supporters, agreements made in the States could have a detrimental impact on the Champions and they seek to win a 20th league title and close the gap in Europe to Spanish giants FC Barcelona.

What is clear to those who follow both the EPL and the NFL is the Glazier family have underfund their NFL franchise, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in order to concentrate on Manchester United and establishing it as the most successful sporting franchise in the world as confirmed by Forbes Magazine two week ago.

Unlike the EPL, NFL franchises have not only a salary cap ceiling but also a minimum spend in order to ensure the competition is competitive. In the last few years, The Glazer's have ensured that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have regularly been in the bottom-five NFL teams in terms of total payroll spend on players.

The new CBA agreed yesterday has increased the NFL salary floor meaning the Glazer's must dip further into their pockets and find circa £40 million in order to comply with league rules.

It may just be coincidence, but whilst United have been away on tour in the States, the tone of message coming from Sir Alex Ferguson has changed in the last week after originally admitting that a new attacking midfielder was on the clubs radar. Wesley Sneijder, Samir Nasri and Luka Modric all valued around the £35 million mark were touted as potential replacements for the brilliant Paul Scholes.

Speaking before the MLS All-Stars game, Ferguson admitted he was content to try new combinations in midfield as he sought the right balance before the season kicks off in just over two weeks at West Brom.

Ferguson has always been excellent at handling the media and fans expectations even through out the vocal Green and Gold campaign, never wanting to criticise either the owners or fans.

What's clear is that since Manchester United were purchased by the Americans, the English Champions have been the focus of the Glazer family. Whether this will change now a new Collective Bargaining Agreement now in place is to be seen? The cost of the EPL in terms of wages is spiralling out of control particularly given the emergence of United's noisy neighbours City, who are willing to spend big in order to achieve. What is currently unknown and must be a worry for Manchester United is whether the Glazier family will be be able to afford to service the clubs debt whilst adhering to the new NFL wage bill structure?

What is comforting for United supporters is the Glazier family have sanctioned big money moves already this summer with the purchases of De Gea, Young and Jones. As the Oakland Raiders were the only NFL franchise to not vote for the new NFL CBA this clearly shows the Galzer's are happy to support the proposal's and feel capable of funding both Manchester United and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. United's Chief Executive David Gill has announced that United will look to make one further signing before the season starts

If rumours of Qatari investors looking at a bid to purchase Manchester United  are true, this could be the time for them to put an offer offer on the table to the Glazer's as they contemplate the financial position of both clubs. What is for certain, is that regardless of success in the Premier League and Champions League, United were still unable to cover the debt interest repayments last season. The Glazer's debt is increasing season on season and is a worry for all concerned.

Perhaps the NFL has just put paid to the Sneijder and Modric's of this world becoming the next new faces through the door at Carrington, only time will tell?