Heaton ready to leave Man Utd

Be careful which Owen you are using as your example!
Whether you think that £1m, say is more money than free or not, the priciple stands, that in order to not have a dip in team performance while youngsters make their final development expensive ready to play transfers are made and then have to be played to justify the outlay.
Ignoring the Buffon transfers, goalkeepers are generally cheaper than outfield players, so it would be wrong IMO to say that SAF has been particularly economical in his goalkeeping purchases. Indeed, given his failures, arguably he has been profligate!

ferguson doesn't spend a lot on goalkeepers. the most united have spent on a goalkeeper is about £8m (barthez) and van der sar cost a fraction of that, so you can't blame the young keepers' failings on the "expensive" players. if ferguson feels like a player can offer something then they'd play regardless of how much they cost. look at owen, a player who cost nothing, for example.

He is young for a goalkeeper so could become another one that got away.
The problem for the young, developing players at ManU is that their progress up the development ladder is inevitably blocked by an expensive import being parachuted into the club and then, because of the money spent, having to be played by SAF at the expense of the waiting hopefulls.

He is young for a goalkeeper so could become another one that got away.
The problem for the young, developing players at ManU is that their progress up the development ladder is inevitably blocked by an expensive import being parachuted into the club and then, because of the money spent, having to be played by SAF at the expense of the waiting hopefulls.