Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson refuses to spend big in the transfer market, despite complaints from fans.

Ferguson will not dance to anyone else's tune, as he hasn't for 23 years.

"It's not my way to buy a player for £60m," he declared to the Sunday Express. "There's no point pursuing that argument. I would not contemplate signing a player for that amount."

Not even Barcelona's little magician Lionel Messi?

"No," he replied. "I'd pay £60m to take Cristiano Ronaldo back. But that's it."

The conspiracy theorists regularly spout the line that Ferguson's reluctance to pay top dollar for Europe's A list players is protecting the Glazers, who are too busy refinancing their debts.

Ferguson countered: "The proof of the pudding is in the eating, isn't it? They have given me £20m for three players already (Chris Smalling, Javier Hernandez and Mame Biram Diouf). And any time I've asked for a Berbatov (£30m) they've supported it. There's no criticism from me because no criticism can be justified.

"The transfer market is inflated. Agents get in touch to say this player will take a drop in wages from £10m to £8m. Very good of them! Crikey!

"You could bring in a player for £40m but then there's salary and tax. You are then talking £80m.

"We like to get players who will develop at the club because the long-term view has to be important.

"People were worried last summer when we took Michael Owen (on a free transfer) and didn't spend £50m on some other player, but I wasn't prepared to do that."