Camavinga vs Saul vs Neves - Which midfielder do you think is the best option?

Abraxas said:
To me none of them stand out as a must buy. That's not to say they don't offer something but they're not grabbing me so maybe it's better to see who emerges this year.

I don't think Saul is good enough and I also don't think he's of the right profile. You can play him with our current options but it doesn't seem to address our distribution.

Camavinga - I am not sure this guy is going to transform us immediately. He would be nice to get because he looks a talent, but I think he'd be a project in the PL, not a ready made solution.

Neves - I personally don't think he's at the level. He's been available for ages, nobody is queueing up. He seems to be on a few lists but never as the first option. I just think teams are way more aware of his flaws than we are. Posters get giddy about a raking pass. They're probably worried about his physical qualities, and whether he can be consistent enough if he's played as the distributor.
Click to expand...
I'd agree with this but I also feel that the latest developments mean we have to be short termist in our approach, we must build for now because we now have the tools to win big things but the midfield we let us down big time.

Neves is not physically combative enough but I guess he'd work besides Fred/McTominay and would be serviceable besides Pogba against the bottom 10. Camavinga, is he ready for a major role in a team looking to challenge? Saul is an upgrade of Fred/McTom for the box to box role but he is untested for what we need.

Imo neither is a solution to our most pressing need but if we can bring Neves I think we'd be best placed to not only challenge but win a major trophy. We have the greatest goalscorer ever, three premier creative forces in Pogba, Bruno and Sancho so adding Neves in the pivot will help us control more games whilst retaining the ability to hurt any team.
 
Neves. He's the most different to what we already have. However with Scott being out of action for awhile after his surgery I'd be happy with any as the CM spot looking a bit thin.

Also, if Pogba doesn't sign then we'll need 2 new CM's.
 
DJ_21 said:
I think a midfielder is out of the question at the minute, we probably blew the rest of the budget on Ronaldo… I’m just wondering though if Ronaldo wasn’t available this summer could or would we of gone for a DM with what we have just spent on Ronaldo? Or another scenario what would we of done if we had already bought a DM aswell as the other players we have signed and then we found out Ronaldo was available? I think we’d of some how forked out for him just because it’s an opportunity not to miss and the glazers know if he’d of gone city then the protests would of been a lot worse this season.
Click to expand...
But Ronaldo will help revenues, no? Going into the season with McFred and Matic as our pivot options will limit what we can achieve, the time to go the extra mile is now to ensure that we have a dominant team capable of winning major titles. We'd be fools not to capitalize on this.
 
I'd be surprised if Hannibal Mejbri doesn't comfortably better Ruben Neves's career.
 
Neves seems the player we most need to provide a new option but I would bet the club are concerned about his physical attributes and how he'd adapt to a more expansive team with higher expectations.

Camavinga seems like the best of McFred rolled into one 18 year old and could play either role in our double pivot with any of our other current midfielders.
 
jamesjimmybyrondean said:
As reported by the media these are our primary midfield targets. Even though the transfer window is nearing the deadline there is still a possibility we can get a midfielder so never say never. Which of these midfielders do you think is best for us and why?
Click to expand...
I’m not sure I've ever seen Camaviga play live. Definitely him though :D
 
macheda14 said:
Completely different players
Click to expand...
They're different players but do occupy similar spaces depending on how the coach wants to use them. Neves is immobile, so is static in movement and has a extra CB behind him as protection and needs players with legs next to him.

Mejbri is more dynamic with a dribbling ability and passing range, and like Neves he has been used to help build play from deeper both at Monaco and at United. But the difference is that Mejbri's dynamism allows him to resist pressure and get forward compared to Neves who isn't best suited to running up and down the pitch.
 
Adnan said:
They're different players but do occupy similar spaces depending on how the coach wants to use them. Neves is immobile, so is static in movement and has a extra CB behind him as protection and needs players with legs next to him.

Mejbri is more dynamic with a dribbling ability and passing range, and like Neves he has been used to help build play from deeper both at Monaco and at United. But the difference is that Mejbri's dynamism allows him to resist pressure and get forward compared to Neves who isn't best suited to running up and down the pitch.
Click to expand...
This is precisely why I want us nowhere near Neves.
 
I mean I want Camavinga for his potential in the future but I’d be happy with either of Neves or Saul but in all honestly no midfielders going to vastly improve how we play until Pogba and Bruno start making options in midfield for the CB’s or CM partners. No use in Fred trying to move to create space if no one is going to step in to it to recieve the ball.
 
I think the best option for us currently is someone who would help us play a 4-3-3. A Declan Rice or a Tchouameni flanked by Pogba and Bruno with Mejbri as back-up looks the best way forward IMO. We can use that formation against most teams and in theory would win most of those games due to the sheer fire power we possess. Against the better teams we can possibly change it up.
 
Last edited:
Tchouameni > Neves > Camavinga > Saul

Saul would end up a Sanchez/Schweinsteiger type signing. He has health issues with his kidney and more recently mental health issues. I don't want to discriminate against anyone with health or mental health issues but it's not something minor that you would overlook when making the final piece to the puzzle type signing.
 
I thought we might have gotten a bit of movement on Tchouameni after Monaco were knocked out of the CL.
 
None of those 3 seem like they could hold a Pogba Bruno midfield.
 
Are Saul and Camavinga really any better than Mc Fred at the moment? Neves will be a slight improvement.
 
Thought Saul has been confirmed to be staying put at AM now?

Neves would make more sense in terms of experience, both age and PL. Camavinga looks a great prospect but I wouldnt feel comfortable putting so much responsibility on him at his age. Doesnt seem bothered with us anyway
 
Bebestation said:
None of those 3 seem like they could hold a Pogba Bruno midfield.
Click to expand...
Which is irrelevant as we will continue to play 4231 with a double pivot as long as Solskjær is here. Also, Bruno is a lot less effective deeper in the midfield (as shown with Portugal). He should continue to play 10/false 9 to get the best out if him. Pogba has found his role as a free floating number 8 on the left. We shouldn't change the entire system just to accommodate Pogba in his favored LCM position in 433. And no, he didn't prove he could play in the pivot for France with Kante. They used Matuidi on the left to mitigate Pogba's weaknesses in the pivot when France won the World Cup.

United will play with energetic, box-to-box midfielders that covers a lot of ground in the pivot. Midfielders that are good at everything basically. The left one will hold when the right one attacks the right channel, and vice versa. There is no indication that we are looking for a "specialist DM" to switch to 433. This is fan theory/fiction.
 
We don't exactly need a DLP but someone to do the defensive work foremost and be decent on the ball. Camavinga surprised me with his stats last season, he's certainly a good tackler, so not sure if age plays big part, he'd slot in immediately and be a big upgrade on Matic and could play alongside both Fred, McT, however if we plan to move Pogba deeper again we need someone with extremely superb defensive quality and that's none of these players. Not sure why noone talks about Ndidi, maybe it's his injury record or high price? shouldn't be more than 50 mil for a CDM I think when Chillwell went for the same price being english etc..

Would still pick Camavinga any day, he's potentially world class player not just decent player like Saul & Neves. However if anyone of them is available let's take them.. we need a midfielder 1000%. I hope Ole learnt a thing that Matic should be finished at this level a couple of seasons back, it's always a one man midfield whoever plays next to him..

If we don't sign anyone it would be as well good to try some smart loan deal otherwise we are quite fecked and would look for a miracle of VdB miraculously step up and adapt to the new role or Hannibal convince Ole who is despite all records still pretty reluctant to throw kids into the deep end.
 
If we are permanently shifting Pogba to a wide attacking position, then Neves for me. Neves and one of McFred would be a really good midfield two.

However if we want Pogba in a midfield two then maybe Camavinga.
 
Camavinga on the bench again today, looks like the wont start him until he signs contract.
 
Holters said:
Which is irrelevant as we will continue to play 4231 with a double pivot as long as Solskjær is here. Also, Bruno is a lot less effective deeper in the midfield (as shown with Portugal). He should continue to play 10/false 9 to get the best out if him. Pogba has found his role as a free floating number 8 on the left. We shouldn't change the entire system just to accommodate Pogba in his favored LCM position in 433. And no, he didn't prove he could play in the pivot for France with Kante. They used Matuidi on the left to mitigate Pogba's weaknesses in the pivot when France won the World Cup.

United will play with energetic, box-to-box midfielders that covers a lot of ground in the pivot. Midfielders that are good at everything basically. The left one will hold when the right one attacks the right channel, and vice versa. There is no indication that we are looking for a "specialist DM" to switch to 433. This is fan theory/fiction.
Click to expand...

That's fair enough but then in a 4231 we don't need this CDM either.

A 4231 has been working us to a decent standard with Fred and Mctominay- who in my eyes are CM and box to box rather than pure CDM. If we stick to a 4231 with the intention of playing Pogba as a left winger then Saul woukd be good to help improve on the Mcfred.

If we want Pogba to play in a double pivot then we need that more specialist CDM either way.

This is what happened when Ole tested Pogba with the rest of the midfielders- only Matic suited him whilst our other option and better option was Fred and Mctominay who worked better together aswell.
 
Neves is really immobile. The midfield will lose a lot in stability if he's in there.

I like Saul, and I haven't watched anything of Camavinga at all, so I can't really make a choice between the two of them
 
Bebestation said:
That's fair enough but then in a 4231 we don't need this CDM either.

A 4231 has been working us to a decent standard with Fred and Mctominay- who in my eyes are CM and box to box rather than pure CDM. If we stick to a 4231 with the intention of playing Pogba as a left winger then Saul woukd be good to help improve on the Mcfred.

If we want Pogba to play in a double pivot then we need that more specialist CDM either way.

This is what happened when Ole tested Pogba with the rest of the midfielders- only Matic suited him whilst our other option and better option was Fred and Mctominay who worked better together aswell.
Click to expand...
This I agree with. And that's why I don't believe we are looking for a specialist CDM. The links to Goretzka f.ex. are interesting as he is used to playing in the same role/pivot for Bayern, who also used 4231 when they won the CL.
 
None is perfect. Neves is the most suitable of those three. Camavinga could turn out the best, but will take two years to settle into the PL and come good, and we’re looking to win things right now.

I would very happily settle for any of them over Matic.
 
Bebestation said:
None of those 3 seem like they could hold a Pogba Bruno midfield.
Click to expand...

This is the key point. Despite what our fans think, Fred and McT are both good players. The problem is neither is a DM. Let’s call a spade a spade; what we really need is a proper DM who can anchor Pogba-Bruno. Pogba can do all the ‘box-to-box’ things better than anyone else in the world, except work rate. So we need a DM with serious work rate. I’m not convinced there’s a top quality one available. I don’t rate Rice.
 
Poborsky's hair said:
We don't exactly need a DLP but someone to do the defensive work foremost and be decent on the ball. Camavinga surprised me with his stats last season, he's certainly a good tackler, so not sure if age plays big part, he'd slot in immediately and be a big upgrade on Matic and could play alongside both Fred, McT, however if we plan to move Pogba deeper again we need someone with extremely superb defensive quality and that's none of these players. Not sure why noone talks about Ndidi, maybe it's his injury record or high price? shouldn't be more than 50 mil for a CDM I think when Chillwell went for the same price being english etc..

Would still pick Camavinga any day, he's potentially world class player not just decent player like Saul & Neves. However if anyone of them is available let's take them.. we need a midfielder 1000%. I hope Ole learnt a thing that Matic should be finished at this level a couple of seasons back, it's always a one man midfield whoever plays next to him..

If we don't sign anyone it would be as well good to try some smart loan deal otherwise we are quite fecked and would look for a miracle of VdB miraculously step up and adapt to the new role or Hannibal convince Ole who is despite all records still pretty reluctant to throw kids into the deep end.
Click to expand...

For me it's down to Ndidi's price. I've wanted us to sign Ndidi for years (think he's the best dm in the world after Kante) but people always spouted nonsense about his passing apparently not being good enough, then last season opinions seemed to change. Personally, I think he would cost over £100m. He's irreplaceable for Leicester. The difference between when he plays and when he doesn't play for Leicester is absolutely massive. Absolutely no chance they would sell him this late in the window in any case. Would love him at Utd but it's completely unrealistic imo.
 
Brightonian said:
This is the key point. Despite what our fans think, Fred and McT are both good players. The problem is neither is a DM. Let’s call a spade a spade; what we really need is a proper DM who can anchor Pogba-Bruno. Pogba can do all the ‘box-to-box’ things better than anyone else in the world, except work rate. So we need a DM with serious work rate. I’m not convinced there’s a top quality one available. I don’t rate Rice.
Click to expand...

Isn't that pretty much the most important asset for a box to box cm? I feel like a player literally can't be considered box to box without that. I also don't think Pogba stands out in any way defensively so he's definitely a more attacking midfielder imo.
 
hobbers said:
Camavinga is a hot property and Saul is an Atletico reject.

But if Camavinga doesn't want to come then he can feck off.

Neves, Bissouma and Tchouameni are all better options.
Click to expand...


One of these 3 can improve us for sure
 
Of all of those three Camavinga is best suited to us playing with a double pivot and despite his age is already an upgrade on Fred, playing with better players will only help him reach his potential too.

For me there’s a reason Atletico are willing to let Saul go as at 26 or 27 he should be in his prime and they’d surely keep him as a squad player seeing as they’re not overloaded in midfield, it was only a couple of years ago Saul was talked up as world class so I think there’s something in it.

I like Neves but for me he’s far better in a system with wingbacks or in a three man midfield rather than a double pivot, with how much we get overrun in midfield at times I think Neves would struggle in a double pivot as he has a serious lack of pace and isn’t the type to break up play so it wouldn’t be dissimilar to Pogba in a double pivot.
 
Truthfully, I'm still a bit annoyed that we let Garner go on loan. He's the same age as Tchouameni, has proven himself enough on his loans and in a season where our midfielders in the double pivot are going to keep giving us next to nothing (except Scott), it was the perfect time to assess if the boy belonged here. Don't know if the coaching staff don't rate him at all, in which case we should look to sell him, make a few pounds and carry on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.