Sir Alex Ferguson returns to the transfer market with WORLD-RECORD buy

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 5 Feb 2024 19:06 GMT
• 3 min read

Sir Alex Ferguson may have retired as Manchester United manager in 2013, but he has returned to the transfer market in emphatic style this month.

The 82-year-old no longer dictates transfer activity at Old Trafford, however he remains a prevalent and important figure at the club.

Despite this, Ferguson’s latest transfer deal has nothing to do with football.

The former Man Utd boss has become a major racehorse owner since stepping down at Old Trafford and the Scotsman has now broken the transfer record for the most expensive National Hunt horse sold at a public auction in history.

The highly-coveted Caldwell Potter was the star attraction at the auction and a partnership of Ged Mason, John Hales, Peter Done and Ferguson spent a whopping €740,000 to purchase the six-year-old horse.

The final bid was actually lodged by famous agent Anthony Bromley, who bought Caldwell Potter for the aforementioned quartet. Caldwell Potter will now be taken out of Gordon Elliott’s yard and will now be trained by Paul Nicholls.

Caldwell Potter’s €740k fee eclipsed the previous record of £620,000 (€724,000) for a jumps horse sold at auction in Interconnected. On that occasion in 2019, it was Darren Yates who won the bidding.

Caldwell Potter has won three of his seven starts so far in his career, including in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas meet.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s transfer records

It is not the first time in Ferguson’s career that he has broken the transfer record. In 2002, he made Rio Ferdinand the most expensive defender in history following his move from Leeds United to Man Utd.

He also broke the British transfer record three times in just 15 months, with Ruud van Nistelrooy, Juan Sebastian Veron and Ferdinand all joining for record fees.

His most expensive signing as Man Utd manager was Ferdinand, who joined the Red Devils for €46m from Leeds in 2002.