Peter Schmeichel warns Manchester City scattergun spending will only buy problems

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has warned rivals City that their £300million spending spree has bought them nothing more than a dressing room of trouble.

Today, City board members will convene for a winter meeting in Abu Dhabi and are due to discuss coach Roberto Mancini’s January transfer targets. Mancini has already identified Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko, while the club’s scouts are also monitoring the progress of Newcastle sensation Andy Carroll.

However, Schmeichel - who played for United between 1991 and 1999 - believes that City’s approach to team building is wrong.

Keeping hold: Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko is top of Roberto Mancini's wishlist

Schmeichel, who also spent the 2002-2003 season at City, said: ‘If you see what they’re doing, they’re just buying, buying, buying and they’re buying problems. They have so many problems in that squad and that will continue.

‘We (Man Utd) don’t have that problem because we build a foundation and we build. That’s been going on for 25 years and that’s why we have that level of consistent performance. That’s the policy of the football club and I like that.’

City have been troubled with issues between Mancini and some of his most expensive players. Today is a scheduled board meeting in the Middle East and the club maintain owner Sheik Mansour is more than happy as City lie fourth in the Premier League.

They do not intend to spend widely in January and will concentrate on moving out fringe players on loan. Mancini will make a case for Dzeko, however, and is also keen to sign a central defender.

Warning: Peter Schmeichel fears Man City are buying nothing but trouble

Last night Schmeichel predicted that United will continue to prosper.

‘I would have loved to have seen Wesley Sneijder in the team or Mesut Ozil,’ he told the US website Beyond the Pitch. ‘But I like the way Sir Alex Ferguson is building for the future, he’s bringing in exceptionally good players.

‘Yes, five or six draws already is not great but we’ve had key players out, some players are not playing up to their top level, we’ve just come through a World Cup. It’s normal.

‘Chelsea are flying but they will probably hit the wall. If you look at Manchester United I’m very confident and I’m optimistic. We have the future there.’

Sir Alex Ferguson is looking to replace goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, and Schmeichel believes there is only one candidate.

‘I’m pretty sure they would go for someone like Pepe Reina from Liverpool.’