Fergie's goal is to score with property

SIR ALEX Ferguson, the abrasive Manchester United manager, has put his name and several of his millions to a new property investment company aimed at luring soccer stars and other wealthy individuals into commercial real estate.

He was today joined by Andrew Vicari, the Saudi royal court painter and one of the world's richest living artists, in launching aAim - Active Asset Investment Management - which hopes to be 'the property investor of choice to the rich and famous'.

Young international players Alan Smith of Leeds and Aston Villa's Gareth Barry are among 20 individuals to have put up £50m on the way to getting together a £750m fund to be invested in 'high quality' office blocks, industrial property and retail units. The fund is being run by City wheeler-dealers Mark Tagliaferri and Robert Whitton.

Tagliaferri recently left financier Guy Hands' Terra Firms fund, where he was overseeing its troubled Meridien Hotels investment. He previously worked with Hands at Nomura on the Box Clever deal, the WestLB funding of which sparked a recent inquiry into the German bank's top financier Robin Saunders.

Whitton is thought to be one of Britain's top, secretly-rich property investors with a string of private directorships.

Ferguson was introduced to the fund through their mutual legal adviser James Chapman. It is being aimed at footballers because their 'high earnings over a short period of time pose particular financial challenges'.