PSV angered by Ferguson's actions

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has been criticised by PSV Eindhoven chairman Harry van Raaij for his role in the stg…

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has been criticised by PSV Eindhoven chairman Harry van Raaij for his role in the stg£19 million transfer of Ruud van Nistelrooy.

United tried to sign van Nistelrooy a year ago but the player's knee ligament injury put the deal on hold.

Ferguson wanted the Dutch international to have treatment in Manchester, a suggestion which angered van Raaij, and finally completed his English record transfer last week.

Van Raaij, who has accused Ferguson of acting like the "king of football" was quoted on the BBC Sport website as saying: "Ferguson played it well but not fair. His suggestion Ruud could recuperate in Manchester was scandalous.

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"He asserted it would be better if Ruud trained with him. Yet if he thought that he should have taken the financial risk and bought Ruud last year."

Van Raaij also claimed that Ferguson did nothing to help his new signing get over his injury, although van Nistelrooy has admitted the United manager visited him in the Netherlands.

"The only thing he did was call on the phone a few times," said van Raaij.

"And then he gets praised because he has been so good to Ruud. But we were the ones who did that. We even improved his contract.

"Van Nistelrooy cost us stg£1.4 million in salary and physical rehabilitation this year."

And van Raaij warned Ferguson he wants the transfer money in one installment.

"I want my stg£19 million pounds in the bank by July or there will be no release," he said.

"I don't want the same hassle as last year, that's why I have set a deadline and demanded the sum be paid at once."