Manchester United chief David Gill says under private ownership the club can act quicker in the transfer market.

He said: "As a business, speculation and uncertainty are not a good thing. The speculation in the two years in the run-up to the takeover can't have helped both internally and externally.

"I think it is now recognised that if you're a sports club and your major competitors are private businesses it's better if you are too. It just makes life easier.

"We've taken out a raft of fixed costs.

"In terms of decision making it's quicker - if we are buying a player it's now just a question of making a call to Joel Glazer to see whether we can do the deal."