Alex Ferguson will have set his sights on a new January transfer target after being rebuffed in his attempt to sign Louis Saha.
For the second time in 24 hours the Manchester United manager has come under attack for the methods he uses to lure players to Old Trafford, which will probably not bother the battled-hardened Scot in the slightest.
However, what will cause Ferguson concern is that his efforts to sign Saha have been firmly blocked. Such is the stinging criticism from Fulham owner Mohamed al Fayed over United's moves to capture their top scorer, the chances of the Cottagers selling to the Old Trafford outfit in the foreseeable future appear remote in the extreme.
"I am fed up with Alex Ferguson trying to disrupt my club and constantly trying to unsettle my players," blasted Al Fayed. "Obviously he needs a top quality striker urgently but he can't have mine.
"Ever since Fulham beat Manchester United at Old Trafford so convincingly earlier in the season, he has been showing signs of increasing desperation. But I have a clear message to Alex Ferguson and anyone else who is interested - Louis Saha is not for sale."
Ferguson is keen to recruit a striking reinforcement to take some pressure off prolific Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy and £8 million sterling-rated Saha was at the top of his shopping list.