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Centre Back... Who do we go for?
- Thread starter Macern
- Start date
Hope not ffs.
Why? I think he should be sold, simply because he lacks awareness in defence or see that basics in his game are missing? I don’t think I’m high I think he’s not going to make it here so would rather cut our losses. He plays like a midfielder in defence. No way would I move someone on or Pogba Sanchez as these guys look like they will be major assets but Lindelöf I just don’t see it.
You will be proven beyond wrong.
Very much hope so but he has so many basics lacking in his game defensively I doubt it.
What kind of fee would he be likely to command at this point?
I believe Ozil is still the record fee for a German player at £42.5m. One assumes that would be under threat...
50 million € I would reckon.
I dont think we need to go for centre back. We have at the present, rojo,smalling,jones,lindelolf and Bailly. Almost all but jones and smalling are ball playing defenders. If we need to add we must add full backs. Our current options of fosu-mensah, tuanzebe, blind, darmian, valencia, young,shaw are not good enough. We can definitely sell darmian and shaw and get one good left back. We can play valencia,young, darmian, tfm as right backs but our left is very thin. I won't even mind if that left back is to cost us above 50 mn as that spot is very important. Both martial and Sanchez are inside cutting wingers. We have very good left midfielder in pogba. We need a good overlapping full back.
What price was Sane?
£37m initial fee plus unspecified add-ons.
De Ligt would be a good signing. He looks really promising.
I think this season would absolutely have been written off as a learning and development season. Possibly even next season too.
There won’t be much of a market for him at the moment and Jose actually seems to be someone not particularly bothered about even selling players he’s not going to use much. That’s one thing that does surprise me, he’s not actually that ruthless in culling a squad.
I’d be confident that the skills Victor has, that attracted his signing, are still evident to Jose and his development into a complete defender is viewed as a longer term project.
Nope, I'm not quite 6'3" and I have a photo with Vertonghen (edit: and I was taller), he's 6'2". De Ligt is definitely taller, he just has a small head
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If Jose can convince him to ot Varane is the guy we should buy, class act. Get rid of smalling, Jones and give tuanzebe a fair chance, he's going to be some player, he's a leader which we're in dire need of, if gets in the team he be captain in 2 years time. Not sure what to make out of lindelof, he should be kept for another year, so far hasn't performed. As for rojo, he's worth keeping at the moment but gets too many injuries.
Would rather keep Jones or Smalling before Rojo!!
Harry Maguire probably. He will cost a bit though. He does what everyone wants our centre backs to do in passing between the lines and stepping out. Against Chelsea for Leicester and for England against Holland last night, his last two games, he stepped out and ended up putting the striker through behind the defence, both passes were imperfect but we need that ability from our defence.
He is also a massive unit so Mourinho will like him. If he gets boxed in he just goes into bulldozer mode.
I think he does have weaknesses in the air and on the turn but partner him with Smalling and they would compensate for each others shortcomings.
He is also a massive unit so Mourinho will like him. If he gets boxed in he just goes into bulldozer mode.
I think he does have weaknesses in the air and on the turn but partner him with Smalling and they would compensate for each others shortcomings.
Maguires the only potential centre back signing who really interests me at the moment, basically because he's a beast and he's English.
The thing about Lindelof is do people really seeing him becoming a defender's defender? Will he be tough, determined and sort out his aerial shortcomings? We need a player that will defend first and play football second. Short-term at least I'd be much happier with someone like Skriniar alongside Bailly, as I feel they wouldn't let anyone have an easy time. Smalling could be a back-up, to play when we needed some real height.
Also on course to appear in every league game for Leicester this season! Seems like a far away dream for a United defender.
Alderweireld.
Daddy, Daddy, want, want!
Daddy, Daddy, want, want!
Manolas, no thanks, tortoise.
De Ligt
Are people forgetting that Lindelof is (a) not British, (b) came from a non-British club, (c) is first choice for his country and (d) cost over 30 million?
No such player is "developmental".
If Lindelof was to be bought, it should have been as an immediate first choice.
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Alderweireld, no doubt.
One of Skriniar, De Ligt or Alderweireld.
Anyone is reasonable, as long as:
(a) (if they are not British or come from a British club) they are an immediate first choice and
(b) Darmian and Blind are sold.
(a) (if they are not British or come from a British club) they are an immediate first choice and
(b) Darmian and Blind are sold.
Koulibaly. He has shown great performance in last few years and he is really good at build-up. Worth to pay 60~65m.
Would be the perfect CB imo. Right age, consistent, not much injuries, is dominant in the air so good for a deep block and he is great on the ball. Seems to right for us to go for him. We haven't been linked to any CB so i hope Glazernomics haven't forced us to stick with what we have. A CB, LB, CM, RB are needed in that order of importance.
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Koulibaly or Alderweireld
Whoever the next Vidic is. Miss that nutter. 
None of which are class acts to be fair
Have to say that works for me
I don't think we're going to get a CB this summer simply because we have other positions that need strengthening more. Jose's already said we're not going to go on a City esque spending spree. CM, RB and, depending on Shaw, LB, are more pressing matters. We have at least 5 Cb's already, potentially 8 if Blind doesn't leave and we keep Tuanzebe and TFM at the club instead of loaning them out again. That's more than enough. I don't think we're getting more than 4 players in. 1 RB, 1 LB, 2 CM. Maybe if Martial leaves we'll get a RW but I'm not counting on it.
I see it differently.
I don't think Mourinho is overly convinced with any CB pairing that we have fielded, which is why you never know from one week to the next whether it will be Jones, Smalling, Bailly or Lindelof selected.
Just a feeling that I have, but I think Mourinho places a new CB high on the shopping list.
Got to be Alderweireld I would think. Brings experience and with his current contract situation he shouldn't cost too much either. Also it weakens a rival.
And alternatively if Jose's plan is just building for the future, De Ligt should be targeted.
If a good upgrade becomes available JM will pounce on him and try everything possible to get him here, like I could possibly see with Alderweireld if the reports have any validity to them. Other than that I agree with some others on here that we have other areas that require strengthening besides our CB's. We still have to find a reliable full time LB, at least one substantial midfielder (quite possibly maybe two), and if some of our attackers leave, *Martial*, we will get another attacker most likely a RW. I would love to see a top CB come in and solidify our defense, but most likely the position will remain unchanged this summer. Bailly, Jones, and Smalling seem safe. Lindelof has only one season under his belt. Rojo is Rojo and if any were to leave it would be him.
Alderweireld or Maguire.
Koulibaly are the only player i think would strenghten us greatly in the back.
Bailly and Koulibaly would be like meeting a brick wall.
What impress me about Koulibaly is his calmness with or without the ball.
He is fast, tackle very well, strong, good header of the ball and his awareness is getting better season by season.
Bailly and Koulibaly would be like meeting a brick wall.
What impress me about Koulibaly is his calmness with or without the ball.
He is fast, tackle very well, strong, good header of the ball and his awareness is getting better season by season.
Koulibaly is a very good player and will be a superb defender in the Premier League.
I'd love it to be with us...