Ander Herrera is a Manchester United Player!
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What has that guy even done to show that he's a reliable source? 
Sounds a very sensible young man from that interview. Whatever resentments he may or may not have, he's done well to keep all doors open. He must know that if he wants to play at the highest level, United in probably his best opportunity. Barcelona, Real and Bayern are well stocked with young midfielders. United still have a hole to fill there.
What makes you think they'd want him?
Ander Herrera said:
Great swipe at the media that. "Don't mess with me you cnuts!".Ander Herrera said:
Doing a great damage limitation job on our behalf as well. Top marks. We look like cheapskates with the second statement though
The only thing is the whole world knows he is our target, and if he has a good season up to January, and a Chelsea or City are doing relatively poorly in the league, United maybe gazumped.
I know he has some extremely good players ahead of him, but he has never played for his country's senior team.
Compare that £30.5m to £42.5m for the best AM in the World, and you can see why there would be reticence on United's part.
The desperate need for him may deem it worthy to over-pay, but would we really consider it outrageous that the club were unwilling to match our record fee?
Compare that £30.5m to £42.5m for the best AM in the World, and you can see why there would be reticence on United's part.
The desperate need for him may deem it worthy to over-pay, but would we really consider it outrageous that the club were unwilling to match our record fee?
Simply because he's a good player, and we want him. Plus they'll be diving straight back into the market if they're not flying in the league by that time.
Illaremmendi, Gotze, Rodriguez, Hazard, Lucas, Willian, Isco, Lamela.... you could go on. £30 million is the new £20 million.
They'll love a chance to rub our incompetence in further. Imagine if he was a huge success for them? It would be a massive disaster for us. I can definitely see them being interested. If they pay 36 million no questions asked and offer him 120k a week, compared to our penny pinching and making him take a pay cut... well I know who I'd choose.
Neither had Illarramendi and Madrid went and spunked €39m on him this summer despite already having a strong midfield (significantly stronger than ours). I know Madrid like to splash the cash on another level to most teams but we need to stop bing so tight fisted. We arent that far off them in revenues and what is the point in all the sponsorships and the club making so much money if some of it isn't going to get reinvested in strengthening the squad.
Why does the record fee matter? It's just a number. A few million over what we valued him would have strengthened the squad, backed Moyes, perhaps boosted the fans and the lads and it wouldn't have harmed us financially. I fail to see how it could be negative apart from putting some pointless significance on a record fee in a window where several clubs have smashed their records.
From Pallister to, Ferdinand to Carrick, to De Gea, United have apparently overpaid.
So United have to overpay? Most big clubs overpay. That's the price of being a big club, especially if your need is as great in the areas you need to strengthen. If the club thinks he will improve the midfield then what's the point of quibbling over a few million in the context of the revenue the club brings in and the sponsorship deals it loves to boast about. Surely the club will get back that money off the success of the player.
Don't get me wrong, I would rather my season ticket money go to plugging the gaping hole in our midfield, than falling through a bottomless warchest.
I wasn't hoping for this player until this week. From playing Athletic, I remember there being a lot of coveting of Martinez and Muniain, but not Herrera. Apart from some saying, "Buy the lot!"
If the price of this level of player is now £30M, so be it. But if the difference is that small to get Ozil/Gotze/Gundogan, I'd rather we stretch to that.
I wasn't hoping for this player until this week. From playing Athletic, I remember there being a lot of coveting of Martinez and Muniain, but not Herrera. Apart from some saying, "Buy the lot!"
If the price of this level of player is now £30M, so be it. But if the difference is that small to get Ozil/Gotze/Gundogan, I'd rather we stretch to that.
My text didnt go viral. The one saving grace from the Herrera saga and it didnt happen. I'm suicidal.
I guess some of us will be paying a lot more attention to Athletic's matches in the next few months.
Athletic Vs Celta - Monday 16th September at 10pm Spain/9pm UK
Annoying that it's the international break
Athletic Vs Celta - Monday 16th September at 10pm Spain/9pm UK
Annoying that it's the international break
The fact that it's our record fee is kind of irrelevant, our record fee looks quite quaint at this stage. You only have to look at how much Barca, Real and Bayern are willing to spend to see how cautious we've been in our spending in recent years.
Also, value is relative to the needs of the team. Would Herrera be worth that money to Bayern or Barca? No. For us, with our needs in cm? Yes, I think he might be.
So for the money, would you not expect somebody closer to the top in their position?
Would it be that much of a stretch to look at better players if the ceiling is not much higher.
Monday was the time for panic buying, that has now passed. Should Herrera still be our target, at his buy-out, now time is not pressing?
I guess some of us will be paying a lot more attention to Athletic's matches in the next few months.
Athletic Vs Celta - Monday 16th September at 10pm Spain/9pm UK
Annoying that it's the international break
Inevitable isn't it? And on the 31st of January you can expect a whole load of disappointment when he doesn't sign because people will have "watched him for the last 4 months and he's an amazing player, the perfect solution for our dreadful midfield".
He wasn't taking a pay-cut, he was lessening his pay demands.
But then, he never spoke to United so that wasn't true anyway.
I guess I'm assuming that if we arrived at Herrera as our target then nobody better is available. If a better player was available (Gundogan, say) the we should definitely go for them. I don't think there are many players available who are better than Herrera though, there comes a time when you have to be realistic and say you aren't getting the very best. We need to be pragmatic, which sometimes means over paying for players who aren't quite top talents. We did that with Carrick, don't think many regret that now.
We cant afford him, we only have circa £30m to spend as seen with RVP and now with our joint 28m offer to everton. We no doubt went for him when thinking we may not get Fallaini, but as soon as we heard he handed in a tranfer request, we went for and ditched Herrera. Moyes wanted Baines and Fallainin all along and him going for Coentrao late on, ON LOAN confirms both being skint and wanted Baines/left back. At 27m paid we were priced out for Baines then.
So because we were reported as after him as well as Fellani we assumed we'd get both. Never going to happen. Moyes are the chief execs constantly saying about best players or money to spend is just a smoke screen because its better to risk clubs pricing you up then the media constantly going on about being skint. If we really were in for the best players then we get far more, as MUFC, than webdo now. Unless its a Berba or Rvp want to come so bad situation we'll get beaten every time by the other big clubs in England and Europe. It just doesnt tally up.
Its crazy to imagine it with this big red machine but Moyes is still under restraint, he wanted Baines so bad but couldnt get him as well. So obvious. Loaning from Madrid says it all IMO, we are way off them, not just them either. Spurs spent their 'Ronaldo' money, we didnt.
So because we were reported as after him as well as Fellani we assumed we'd get both. Never going to happen. Moyes are the chief execs constantly saying about best players or money to spend is just a smoke screen because its better to risk clubs pricing you up then the media constantly going on about being skint. If we really were in for the best players then we get far more, as MUFC, than webdo now. Unless its a Berba or Rvp want to come so bad situation we'll get beaten every time by the other big clubs in England and Europe. It just doesnt tally up.
Its crazy to imagine it with this big red machine but Moyes is still under restraint, he wanted Baines so bad but couldnt get him as well. So obvious. Loaning from Madrid says it all IMO, we are way off them, not just them either. Spurs spent their 'Ronaldo' money, we didnt.
My mistake.
We probably did speak to him though, of course he was going to claim otherwise.
Of course we spoke to him, even as inept as we were we did that.
Like who? You mentioned Ozil, who is a completely different player. Gundogan, who as far as we know isn't available at all. Gotze has just about moved to Bayern. I would agree with you if you said Muniain has the same 36M clause (he does) and 6M more would have secured Ozil, but that's not a relevant comparison.
Who are the better players with his characteristics that we could realistically get for 40-45M? Khedira?
Not that we are going to spend that sort of money now the midfield issue has been partially remedied...Yes, the buyout clause is a bit hefty, that's what they are supposed to be: punitive. I don't think many would look at triggering it, not because he is not good enough but because no one has such a clear need for someone of his characteristics and age, and with a view to their best midfielder likely being too old in a couple of years (Carrick).
When you factor all that in, he is perfect for us and well worth the investment over the long term. On current ability yes, we would probably be overpaying 5-10M, although it depends on how you look at the wage side of things which was quite reasonable (~65K I think was quoted).
I would if I felt we'd try again for him in jan but I don't think we will.I guess some of us will be paying a lot more attention to Athletic's matches in the next few months.
Athletic Vs Celta - Monday 16th September at 10pm Spain/9pm UK
Annoying that it's the international break
We should over pay for him, but not Fabregas?
I hope you see what I'm saying. Despite the crazy money flying around, MF haven't been going for miles above Herrera's price.
Have you been hoping for him in particular, for very long?
Any names you want to throw out we could get for £30m that would be as good? Genuine question.
We had a bid of £40m for Baines and Fellaini (rejected), and it's pretty much universally reported we were after two centre mids.
Signing Fabregas would have still required Fellaini. You are talking ~80M quid for the two at least, was never going to happen.
It depends on the market really. It's all well and good for us to expect a top player for 35 million, as we normally would, but if the market is as it's been of late when it comes to central midfielders (with the top ones all unavailable), then you have to take valuations with that in mind. And of course, you also take into account how badly you need a midfielder, and we very badly did, and I'd argue still do. So yes, if you can find a top midfielder then great, but if not then you go for the next best who can be a top midfielder, which it seems Herrera is. And I do hope we go for in January as the need for a playmaking central midfielder still exists, unless of course someone better becomes available.
More from the Guardian: Manchester United still baffled by Ander Herrera transfer farce
Right, I'm taking some flack here, for trying to keep a stoical point of view.
All of a sudden Herrera is the best player we could hope to get, with most saying it is worth over-paying.
Where were you all before last week?
This thread had less than two full pages until Thursday, despite being opened in March 2012!
Now 111 pages later, this guy is the second coming of Christ.
I'm going to back out before I get anymore smilies.
All of a sudden Herrera is the best player we could hope to get, with most saying it is worth over-paying.
Where were you all before last week?
This thread had less than two full pages until Thursday, despite being opened in March 2012!
Now 111 pages later, this guy is the second coming of Christ.
I'm going to back out before I get anymore
smilies.Oh, we should definitely overpay for Fabregas, 50m+ easily. Like I said, I'm assuming he's no longer available. If he was though....
Gundogan is the player I've been hoping for for ages, that's a pipedream though. I knew Herrera was a talent when he played well against us (two years ago?) Since then I've mostly heard about him through journalists like Graham Hunter (who rates him, thinks he'd be great in the PL and a leader). He was never really one of the main targets I thought of though as I wasn't sure how he had progressed in the last two years and didn't think he'd be leaving Bilbao. To be honest I'd kind of forgotten about him until we were linked with him. He isn't one of my dream signings but (going by his performance against us, reports from journalists I like and the opinions of posters like Brwned) he seems like a realistic, quality recruit. There are others I'd happily take over him, I just don't think any of them are available.
That makes no sense. Ozil for 42 million is a good deal for arsenal.
Besides, we wouldn't bother playing such silly games.
Besides, we wouldn't bother playing such silly games.
or Bale, or else Falcao.... it could be anyone of the big signings in this window
Yes we didnt even have time to take care of our own bloody transfers and here we are playing mind games with other teams. Bunch of bullshit if you ask me.
Just not true mate. Don't reply now though, wait until tomorrow morning. Otherwise you will look silly (or sillier depending on how you view that post).
Isn't that the point, they're saying it's not us at all, but other clubs forging e-mails and letters from us to boost the price of their for sale players.
Definitely wasn't Ozil, though!
Manchester United still baffled by Ander Herrera transfer farce
• United claim no knowledge of three mystery lawyers in Spain
• No agreement ever reached with Athletic Bilbao over transfer
- Daniel Taylor
- The Guardian,Wednesday 4 September 2013 20.02 BST
Manchester United's failure to sign Ander Herrera from Athletic Bilbao has caused consternation at Old Trafford. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
Manchester United's failed attempt to sign Ander Herrera is not the only time the Premier League champions have experienced bizarre tactics at the top end of the market during a difficult, complicated transfer window that has brought fierce criticism on the club.
United's information is that earlier this summer a forged email, purporting to originate from Old Trafford and reputedly confirming their interest in a player, was sent to another club in an apparent attempt to trigger a rival bid and ramp up the price. That player has subsequently moved, for significant money, with the buying club under the false impression they were beating United to him.
The revelation is an insight into some of the tricks employed by clubs, agents and other middle men when such vast sums of money are swilling around before the transfer deadline. However, it is the Herrera deal that has caused the most consternation behind the scenes at Old Trafford and, specifically, the role of the three lawyers who turned up at the offices of the Spanish league (the LFP) on Monday apparently purporting to have United's authorisation to sign off the €36m (£30.4m) buyout clause.
The club are aware that journalists have been briefed by sources at the Spanish league that the three men – identified as Rodrigo García Lucas, Alvaro Reig Gurrea and Guillermo Gutiérrez, from the Spanish law firm Laffer – were, in fact, operating officially on United's behalf.
United's position is that surely the only confirmation of this should come from Old Trafford and they have reiterated, categorically, that they did not know of these men, recognise them or commission them.
United employ their own legal firm in Spain but did not mobilise it for one simple reason: no agreement was reached with Athletic Bilbao and they never had any intention of paying the full price when they valued Herrera £10m lower.
Instead, the arrival of Laffer's lawyers – credited with helping to arrange Javi Martínez's transfer from Bilbao to Bayern Munich a year ago – created the impression the deal was imminent and led to a frenzy of speculation; the Bilbao newspaper El Correo compared the pursuit of Herrera to a Benny Hill sketch.
United's version is rather more straightforward. Having followed Herrera for two years, they had concluded he was worth around £20m, their feeling being it would be another 18 months or so before he was a guaranteed first-team pick. Bilbao insisted they wanted the full amount, no compromise was reached and that would have been it finished, in United's opinion, until the television pictures of Laffer's representatives led to the inaccurate impression that an agreement was close – building up hopes for a deal that had already failed. The Guardian on Tuesday night contacted the law firm Laffer who, for reasons of professional confidentiality, declined to comment or to reveal the identity of their client.
Two days on, there is still confusion at Old Trafford about the involvement of the three lawyers described on deadline night as "impostors" and United feel so strongly about it they have been willing to put their position on the record. Herrera has also, to a point, backed their story. "I do not feel used by United. How can I feel used? They made a formal offer. Athletic did not want to negotiate, I value that. They [United] had to pay the €36m clause. I reached no agreement with United. I am proud they made an offer for me, and that Athletic wanted me [to stay]."
Herrera's agent has been in touch with United to ascertain if they knew who the lawyers were. United's response was emphatically no. Herrera added: "The lawyers that were at the LFP did not represent me. I didn't even know who they were."
It is a confusing, complex and embarrassing issue for United, even if it is true it was not a farce of their own making. What is beyond dispute is that they have found the transfer window frustrating and unsatisfactory. They are, however, a lot more relaxed about it than might be anticipated and bemused, too, about some of the mistruths that have accompanied the genuine disappointments.
United, however, are angry about the suggestion, emanating from the Herrera farce, that a club of their stature and transfer experience somehow failed to understand the Spanish tax system – and bewildered, more than anything, that they are supposed to have employed three lawyers they say they had never heard of.
http://www.theguardian.com/football...nited-ander-herrera-transfer-farce?CMP=twt_gu
Reposting my reaction to that article from the thread in the United forum.
That's an interesting response from United.
It was always the case that up until late Sunday night everyone's versions of the Herrera story agreed. United make bid - bid rejected - Athletic did not expect us to meet the release clause figure.
All the weirdness was on Monday and whatever triggered it was either somebody seriously overstepping their authority - an agent claiming to be a United intermediary perhaps or one of the great hoaxes of the twitter era. Until I hear somebody declaring himself to have won WUM of the day, I'm going to guess it was an intermediary who got carried away.
That whoever did it managed to rope in a law firm and a sport agency as well as the journalists suggests it was more than just some twittering random.
I wonder if we'll ever find out.
I don't believe the bit about the "year or two" to make a first team regular though - even if United said it.
And on Thiago, that's just madness. At 20m he was the ultimate value in the market signing and as good a bet as you're likely to see in the transfer market.
It was always the case that up until late Sunday night everyone's versions of the Herrera story agreed. United make bid - bid rejected - Athletic did not expect us to meet the release clause figure.
All the weirdness was on Monday and whatever triggered it was either somebody seriously overstepping their authority - an agent claiming to be a United intermediary perhaps or one of the great hoaxes of the twitter era. Until I hear somebody declaring himself to have won WUM of the day, I'm going to guess it was an intermediary who got carried away.
That whoever did it managed to rope in a law firm and a sport agency as well as the journalists suggests it was more than just some twittering random.
I wonder if we'll ever find out.
I don't believe the bit about the "year or two" to make a first team regular though - even if United said it.
And on Thiago, that's just madness. At 20m he was the ultimate value in the market signing and as good a bet as you're likely to see in the transfer market.
What was it when we leaked that Chelsea had offered us Mata or Luiz even though they hadn't?
Speaking of that day, I remember how much love Ed Woodward got when that happened. Little did we know how sour it would get.
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