Transfer Priorities 2023

[Jay007 3,379]

We only have a few games left before the January transfer window opens. I don't really expect to see anyone come in, but we desperately need a ST for the second half of the season.

We only have 3 players who can play there. I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't see Ronaldo play for us again, but we should be getting rid of him in January whatever the case. Rashford is much better from the left, and Martial's fitness is always a concern.

I'd happily take someone on loan for 6 months to see us through until the summer, but not sure who'd be available to bring in.

[O 20,435]

João Félix on loan with an option to buy could be an option. He's not happy at Atlético.

Memphis Depay could be available. Barcelona want to sign at least another CB now that Piqué has retired. They're down money without CL football.

[Jay007 3,379]

9 minutes ago, O said:

João Félix on loan with an option to buy could be an option. He's not happy at Atlético.

Memphis Depay could be available. Barcelona want to sign at least another CB now that Piqué has retired. They're down money without CL football.

Maguire would be a great signing for Barca. I'm sure they'll be happy to accept a swap deal...

[Eddie 607]

Well we'll certainly need a new forward January in the transfer window now. Ronaldo will likely be off! I'm not sure who's available as such. Gakpo is a player we've definitely looked at. Read links to United signing Choupo-Moting too, who's actually having a good season so far with Bayern.

We're also being linked to a couple of right backs. AWB will probably move either onnloan or permanently. EtH obviously has made Dalot his first choice, but he'll want someone to push him. Seen Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen being mentioned.

I'd like to see ten Hag continue to freshen up the squad a bit in January. I know it's difficult to bring in new players in general during this period. But if we can offload a couple more players in the squad who are pretty much 'deadwood', then sign a new forward & potentially a new right back, we'd be looking reasonably good for the next part of the season in my opinion.

[TheManc 4,052]

1. Striker by far, obviously. I top one.

2. Good CM to replace Fred. One that helps us dominate possession better.

3. Top class GK

4. Back up CB to replace Maguire/Jones/Tuanzebe

5. Back up RB, if Laird isn't ready?

These are basically the next positions I think we need to fill. Objectively, i think we'll do 1, 2 and 5 in the Summer. I reckon the others will go into 2024. We spent a lot in the Summer and it will hinder our spend in 2023. 

[Deez Nutz 340]

Every time I've seen Maddison play, he's been excellent, an upgrade on McFred, links midfield and attack very well and knows where the goal is.

 

[O 20,435]

2 hours ago, Deez Nutz said:

Every time I've seen Maddison play, he's been excellent, an upgrade on McFred, links midfield and attack very well and knows where the goal is.

 

Yeah, let's play a midfield three of Eriksen, Maddison and Bruno. Really balanced.

[aardvarked 11,010]

On 16/11/2022 at 19:34, O said:

Yeah, let's play a midfield three of Eriksen, Maddison and Bruno. Really balanced.

Garth Crooks approves this message 

[Deez Nutz 340]

On 16/11/2022 at 08:34, O said:

Yeah, let's play a midfield three of Eriksen, Maddison and Bruno. Really balanced.

Don't lower yourself!  you know Erikson is not a long-term solution and won't play every game, you also know we need more depth and competition for places.

[O 20,435]

4 hours ago, Deez Nutz said:

Don't lower yourself!  you know Erikson is not a long-term solution and won't play every game, you also know we need more depth and competition for places.

Eriksen has played the 2nd most minutes of any United player this season, and is one of the fittest players at the club.

He's not reliant on pace or speed, so he can play here for a few years.

Maddison isn't going to join United to play understudy to Bruno. He turns 26 next week. He's entering his prime years.

 

[TheManc 4,052]

Is there any chance we buy a replacement for CR7 in Jan? Even a cheap one?

I'm assuming we won't, and that we'll just see Rashford as back up striker, now that Garnacho is around more.

[TFIA 14,993]

11 hours ago, TheManc said:

Is there any chance we buy a replacement for CR7 in Jan? Even a cheap one?

I'm assuming we won't, and that we'll just see Rashford as back up striker, now that Garnacho is around more.

Nope.

He will stay and train with the reserves. The media have already been briefed that we wont release him unless he agrees to forego future earnings which isn't happening. The financial situation at the club is very bad. We already went way over budget in the summer. 

[1Day 115]

I’d take the Brentford striker in January,and try out for Nkunku in the summer.

[Albert Quixall 3,807]

On 20/11/2022 at 03:00, 1Day said:

I’d take the Brentford striker in January,and try out for Nkunku in the summer.

Toney? He knows how to score all right but Brentford would ask a fortune for him, especially as they know how much we need a striker. Also, they want to stay in the premiership and his goals are doing that.

[Jay007 3,379]

On 20/11/2022 at 08:00, 1Day said:

I’d take the Brentford striker in January,and try out for Nkunku in the summer.

 

39 minutes ago, Albert Quixall said:

Toney? He knows how to score all right but Brentford would ask a fortune for him, especially as they know how much we need a striker. Also, they want to stay in the premiership and his goals are doing that.

He also has a charge relating to historic betting violations hanging over him, so I'd think that would rule out a move for him in January at least.

[Sporting4Ever 634]

I've been thinking about posting again, but decided not to, since I thought the new folks might not get what I was saying, and take my words out of context as excusing Ronaldo or acusing the manager.
But after today's developments, both the termination, plus the most recent statement from United, I feel I can say this and not be (totally) misunderstood. 
Ever since leaving Real Madrid Cristiano had the goal to win another UCL, to prove to others (and himself) that he could be successful again in a 3rd club, in a different league.
In my opinion, Juve was a massive mistake. I get that winning another of the top leagues was also a challenge, but Juventus was on the way down, as are most italian teams, and the likelihood of him winning a UCL there were slim if any.
If Bayern wasn't really an option, he should have gone for PSG.
When he finally realised that, PSG was moving in on Messi, and not even THEM could justify that kind of wage bill and not be hit by FPP. Messi, Neymar, Mbappé AND Ronaldo? No way.
So if Bayern wasn't again an option, that leaves England, and lets face it, there were only 2 sides capable of having him AND in need of a player like him, Chelsea and City.
And that's where both Cristiano and United screwed up. If you want a UCL, you don't choose United.
Lets face it, United froze in time after Gil and SAF left. What Ronaldo said last week, lots of people have said before. Zlatan, Alexis, Mourinho, all have said similar things. They weren't on the payroll, but the words were the same.
So Ronaldo chose with his heart instead of his head, and United, who also didn't want Ronaldo back, only went for him to prevent him joining their rivals.
Which I get, but it totally made for a marriage of (in)convenience that neither party really wanted.
On top of all that we have the tragic events of April, which clearly affected him, since he hasn't really been the same since then.
The whole summer saga was weird on so many levels, then the whole "he plays, he's benched, he's subbed, he's snubbed" debacle that also doesn't help.
I doubt very much Ten Hag wants Ronaldo there, even if he said he was an important part of the team in the summer. And that's totally acceptable, he's in charge (kinda), and if he wants to build something new its understandable that he wants to cut ties to the past.

When I heard about the interview, and the contents of it, I immediately thought it was a mistake, especially as it comes on the eve of a major competition that's unrelated to his club problems.
However, I didn't see it as a tantrum, as an arrogant man destroying his legacy in a club that loved him so much.
I saw it as having two main objectives:

1st, to push for a release. He's clearly not happy to be there, the club isn't also happy with him, so the best for both is to part ways;
2nd, to shake things up. To use his massive megaphone to show how United are not what they should be, that a club as massive as this one NEEDS to CONSTANTLY be fighting for silverware, not 4th place finishes. That it NEEDS to again be a goal for EVERY player to play here, and not the PSGs and Cities and Newcastles. That atracts the best managers, that has the best infrastructure, the best scouting, the best training grounds, etc.
United is so big that it makes money despite what they play for, who they have in the squad, or in which competitions. The Glazers know this, which is why they don't care. And the best proof they only care about the money is that after having an accountant in front of the club for 10 years in which he won f*ck all, they replace Woodward with ANOTHER f***ing accountant!!
Today's announcements mean that his 1st goal was achieved, and his 2nd one could be in the cards as well.

Love him or hate him, if this interview manages to push Manchester United back to the place it should never have left, personally I think it was worth it.

 

 

Edited November 22, 2022 by Sporting4Ever

[O 20,435]

1 minute ago, Sporting4Ever said:

I've been thinking about posting again, but decided not to, since I thought the new folks might not get what I was saying, and take my words out of context as excusing Ronaldo or acusing the manager.
But after today's developments, both the termination, plus the most recent statement from United, I feel I can say this and not be (totally) misunderstood. 
Ever since leaving Real Madrid Cristiano had the goal to win another UCL, to prove to others (and himself) that he could be successful again in a 3rd club, in a different league.
In my opinion, Juve was a massive mistake. I get that winning another of the top leagues was also a challenge, but Juventus was on the way down, as are most italian teams, and the likelihood of him winning a UCL there were slim if any.
If Bayern wasn't really an option, he should have gone for PSG.
When he finally realised that PSG was moving in on Messi, so not even them could justify that kind of wage bill. Messi, Neymar, Mbappé AND Ronaldo? No way.
So if Bayern wasn't again an option, that leaves England, and lets face it, there were only 2 sides capable of having him AND in need of a player like him, Chelsea and City.
And that's where both Cristiano and United screwed up. If you want a UCL, you don't choose United.
Lets face it, United froze in time after Gil and SAF left. What Ronaldo said last week, lots of people have said before. Zlatan, Alexis, Mourinho, all have said similar things. They weren't on the payroll, but the words were the same.
So Ronaldo chose with his heart instead of his head, and United, who also didn't want Ronaldo back, only went for him to prevent him joining their rivals.
Which I get, but it totally made for a marriage of (in)convenience that neither party really wanted.
On top of all that we have the tragic events of April, which clearly affected him, since he hasn't really been the same since then.
The whole summer saga was weird on so many levels, then the whole "he plays, he's benched, he's subbed, he's snubbed" debacle that also doesn't help.
I doubt very much Ten Hag wants Ronaldo there, even if he said he was an important part of the team in the summer. And that's totally acceptable, he's in charge (kinda), and if he wants to build something new its understandable that he wants to cut ties to the past.

When I heard about the interview, and the contents of it, I immediately thought it was a mistake, especially as it comes on the eve of a major competition that's unrelated to his club problems.
However, I didn't see it as a tantrum, as an arrogant man destroying his legacy in a club that loved him so much.
I saw it as having two main objectives:

1st, to push for a release. He's clearly not happy to be there, the club isn't also happy with him, so the best for both is to part ways;
2nd, to shake things up. To use his massive megaphone to show how United are not what they should be, that a club as massive as this one NEEDS to CONSTANTLY be fighting for silverware, not 4th place finishes. That it NEEDS to again be a goal for EVERY player to play here, and not the PSGs and Cities and Newcastles. That atracts the best managers, that has the best infrastructure, the best scouting, the best training grounds, etc.
United is so big that it makes money despite what they play for, who they have in the squad, or in which competitions. The Glazers know this, which is why they don't care. And the best proof they only care about the money is that after having an accountant in front of the club for 10 years in which he won f*ck all, they replace Woodward with ANOTHER f***ing accountant!!
Today's announcements mean that his 1st goal was achieved, and his 2nd one could be in the cards as well.

Love him or hate him, if this interview manages to push Manchester United back to the place it should never have left, personally I think it was worth it.

 

 

You're naive if you think that the Glazers decided to put United up for sale after about 53 seconds of bad airtime from a 90 minute conversation.

If any sale is in the works, it's been going on BTS for months.

[Sporting4Ever 634]

2 minutes ago, O said:

You're naive if you think that the Glazers decided to put United up for sale after about 53 seconds of bad airtime from a 90 minute conversation.

If any sale is in the works, it's been going on BTS for months.

I don't, but I also don't think it wasn't a factor.
When a guy that has 500 million Instagram followers says something, people tend to pay attention.
Yes, the number of heavily loaded clubs that are now in the Premier League might be a factor, but another factor is their reluctance to actually spend money. Liverpool isn't owned by middle eastern interests, and they've been competitive. It's about actually having a Sports plan, not just a business plan.
For more than a decade United have been a money making company, not a sports clubs that fights for trophies.

[Albert Quixall 3,807]

56 minutes ago, Jay007 said:

 

He also has a charge relating to historic betting violations hanging over him, so I'd think that would rule out a move for him in January at least.

Would have thought that was an added attraction for the Glazers, who by the way and if the rumour is to be believed, are considering a sale. Anyway, maybe they'll get someone like Vardy to fill in.

Edited November 22, 2022 by Albert Quixall

[O 20,435]

6 minutes ago, Sporting4Ever said:

I don't, but I also don't think it wasn't a factor.
When a guy that has 500 million Instagram followers says something, people tend to pay attention.
Yes, the number of heavily loaded clubs that are now in the Premier League might be a factor, but another factor is their reluctance to actually spend money. Liverpool isn't owned by middle eastern interests, and they've been competitive. It's about actually having a Sports plan, not just a business plan.
For more than a decade United have been a money making company, not a sports clubs that fights for trophies.

Liverpool got lucky with an unprecedented run of transfer successes.

Gill and Ferguson made it work under The Glazers, and Edwards and Klopp were able to do something similar under FSG.

Liverpool, for all of their success under Klopp, still only have 1 PL and 1 CL to show for all of their hard work. They pushed City hard but couldn't get over the line enough times. Their peak Klopp era should have yielded more trophies. City are a machine domestically.

[Sporting4Ever 634]

3 minutes ago, O said:

Liverpool got lucky with an unprecedented run of transfer successes.

Gill and Ferguson made it work under The Glazers, and Edwards and Klopp were able to do something similar under FSG.

Liverpool, for all of their success under Klopp, still only have 1 PL and 1 CL to show for all of their hard work. They pushed City hard but couldn't get over the line enough times. Their peak Klopp era should have yielded more trophies. City are a machine domestically.

You're not wrong, but the simple fact that United hasn't managed to have a stable manager with a proper plan since SAF left tells you a couple of things, that the club didn't have a plan in place for when SAF left, and that the Glazers really don't care enough to give the managers they had the proper tools for the job.

That, and Bob, the guy in charge, was only concerned with how much money he made for the Glazers.

Because at the end of the day, it takes both money and the knowledge to properly use it. Can you really complain about the money other clubs spend when United paid 80 million for Maguire, 70 for Di Maria and 100 for Pogba?
So yes, I agree it won't be easy to compete with the oil clubs. But United isn't even trying. I mean, even the americans in front of Arsenal are showing some balls recently. Tottenham will continue to be shit, imagine spending that much on a(n amazing) stadium and have a bunch of losers playing in it.

As for Liverpool, they're not imune to blunders. 75 million for Núñez was another Mendes masterclass. I wonder how many times do big clubs need to be screwed by him until they finally get the message?

[O 20,435]

15 hours ago, Sporting4Ever said:

You're not wrong, but the simple fact that United hasn't managed to have a stable manager with a proper plan since SAF left tells you a couple of things, that the club didn't have a plan in place for when SAF left, and that the Glazers really don't care enough to give the managers they had the proper tools for the job.

That, and Bob, the guy in charge, was only concerned with how much money he made for the Glazers.

Because at the end of the day, it takes both money and the knowledge to properly use it. Can you really complain about the money other clubs spend when United paid 80 million for Maguire, 70 for Di Maria and 100 for Pogba?
So yes, I agree it won't be easy to compete with the oil clubs. But United isn't even trying. I mean, even the americans in front of Arsenal are showing some balls recently. Tottenham will continue to be shit, imagine spending that much on a(n amazing) stadium and have a bunch of losers playing in it.

As for Liverpool, they're not imune to blunders. 75 million for Núñez was another Mendes masterclass. I wonder how many times do big clubs need to be screwed by him until they finally get the message?

Liverpool spent that on Darwin because Edwards is no longer at the club. Ward replaced Edwards.

Half of the forum were desperate to sign him this summer. lol. Idiots like @hdcantona @TFIA

I don't rate him at all. Anything less than 28-30 goals is a poor return for that outlay.

[Sporting4Ever 634]

40 minutes ago, O said:

Liverpool spent that on Darwin because Edwards is no longer at the club. Ward replaced Edwards.

Half of the forum were desperate to sign him this summer. lol. Idiots like @hdcantona @TFIA

I don't rate him at all. Anything less than 28-30 goals is a poor return for that outlay.

This might look like bias due to rivalry, but everyone needs to know that benfica players have a massive PR machine behind them.

More often than not you're overpaying for a player that might or might not deliver, and Darwin is simply the latest one. Renato Sanches and João Félix before him were also seriously hyped and failed to deliver on their massive price tags.

And its not that they're don't have skills. It's mostly that they're pushed to a level they're not in, and not only will they flop automatically because of it, but also they're not mentally ready to be on the next level. They're sometimes even arrogant and think too highly of themselves.

António Silva is the next one, he's being pushed to a level he's not in yet, everyone glosses over his shortcomings and his mistakes, which are normal in an 18-year old, just so they can trick someone into paying outrageous amounts for him.

[O 20,435]

34 minutes ago, Sporting4Ever said:

This might look like bias due to rivalry, but everyone needs to know that benfica players have a massive PR machine behind them.

More often than not you're overpaying for a player that might or might not deliver, and Darwin is simply the latest one. Renato Sanches and João Félix before him were also seriously hyped and failed to deliver on their massive price tags.

And its not that they're don't have skills. It's mostly that they're pushed to a level they're not in, and not only will they flop automatically because of it, but also they're not mentally ready to be on the next level. They're sometimes even arrogant and think too highly of themselves.

António Silva is the next one, he's being pushed to a level he's not in yet, everyone glosses over his shortcomings and his mistakes, which are normal in an 18-year old, just so they can trick someone into paying outrageous amounts for him.

I think João Félix is very talented. Moving to a team coached by Simeone was a terrible idea. He'd thrive under a coach like Pep.

He's surprisingly good in the air for a technical player. That header vs United last year was incredible.

Darwin is too raw. He's a very clumsy player. He's as likely to hit the corner flag with a shot as he is to put it into the top corner. An agent of chaos. His movement off the ball is excellent. But you would expect a more refined ST for that price tag.

[Sporting4Ever 634]

21 hours ago, O said:

I think João Félix is very talented. Moving to a team coached by Simeone was a terrible idea. He'd thrive under a coach like Pep.

He's surprisingly good in the air for a technical player. That header vs United last year was incredible.

Darwin is too raw. He's a very clumsy player. He's as likely to hit the corner flag with a shot as he is to put it into the top corner. An agent of chaos. His movement off the ball is excellent. But you would expect a more refined ST for that price tag.

I think he's talented too, but not 120€ million talented.
Plus, while I don't think he's conceited enough to think himself above his teammates, I also don't think he works like Simeone wants, and therefore has struggled since his move, with too many ups and downs.

Renato Sanches was like that, even going so far as falling asleep and missing the plane for the pre-season training camp. It took a severe humbling of getting sold to a weaker club and league for him to finally get his head together, and he's yet to live up to all that Golden Boy hype.