Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson admitted that he could give up plans to buy players during the ongoing transfer season, Press Association said on August 6.

Ferguson was quoted as saying that "we might well start 2008-09 with largely the squad we had last season - and after all, they didn't do too badly […] We are still researching and looking but it is not easy and certainly we are not desperate […]I think we already have the men for the job."

"Ferguson has not added to his Champions League-winning squad, despite being linked with a host of big-name targets," the news agency said.

Bulgarian striker of Tottenham Dimitar Berbatov was still on Ferguson's list and discussions over other possible moves would continue until the end of the transfer season, but "despite a growing injury list that looks certain to keep Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and half a dozen other senior men out of the opening Premier League game against Newcastle on August 17, Ferguson may keep his cash where it is," Press Association said.

Daily Mail confirmed the information in an article with the headline "Fergie warns Spurs: I'm happy with my squad and may give up hunt for Berbatov".

The United managed might do without buying anyone in the summer, "which suggests he may be resigning himself to losing the battle to sign Dimitar Berbatov," the newspaper said.

It was believed that Ferguson has not given up on signing Berbatov, but the deal was becoming more unlikely with the transfer window closure nearing.

Manchestereveningnews.co.uk, however, shares a totally different stand, saying that pre-season "injury crisis" in the United team could force Ferguson to pay Tottenham's full £28 million ( 35.4 million euro) asking price for Berbatov. Wayne Rooney was unlikely to be ready for the Premier League because of a virus picked up in Nigeria. Rooney would join Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves on the bench.

If the on-off Berbatov saga did not come to a satisfactory ending, Ferguson was to lay an eye on Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz, who he could land for £15 million ( 19 million euro).

On the other hand, Spurs were "resigned to losing the striker and are understood to be willing to do business with United once they have a replacement secured," the newspaper said.