You could argue that every major top club needs a new starting striker.
The fight for Haaland is going to be nuts, whether this window or the next.
The fight for Haaland is going to be nuts, whether this window or the next.
Erling Haaland
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No chance. Maybe when he is 33, for a last hefty paycheck. But he is not going to waste his best years in Ligue 1.
For sure. I think if Chelsea get Haaland they will be a pretty scary team. Way I see it if they do get him, they'll be a team that defend really well, have nuts depth and then a top class CF who can bang them in for fun.
Only to a point. If City's owners decide they will pay whatever it takes, no limits, theyll blow Utd away, comfortably id say, too. As they would most clubs in Europe, if not all (PSG may run them close). City's owners are filthy rich. I'd wager Roman Abramovich could probably blow Utd away too if he dipped into his own wealth to pay whatever was absolutely necessary.
But sometimes money isnt a factor, clubs like Real Madrid just have the pulling power
It just makes very little sense. If we were that close to signing Haaland, then that means the player and his representative (his father) would have made a decision to join United. Do you think if we missed the call and Salzburg then came in Haaland and his team wouldn't have questioned where United were?
Clubs rarely get into bidding matches. It’s more the selling club sets the price and if multiple clubs meet it then it’s up to the player.
Pay whatever it takes. But bearing in mind that the firgure should reflect the fact that there is a buy-out clause which can be triggered not too long after this transfer window.
We can match financially. But All of these examples are not where the player faced a straight choice.
City never wanted to pay over the odds for Maguire, or Pogba. In fact it was Real in for Pogba (who also didn't deem him worth 90m) for that summer.
City also refused pay as much of a package to Sanchez.
It's more of a question where, if the package was identical and both offers were accepted, would they choose us over City. We've never seen such a scenario to conclude either way.
Reckon Chelsea will get him. Once Abramovich has invited Erling and Haaland senior onto his yacht, it’ll be deal done.
But thats presuming players havent had theit minds made up. Its easy not to match offers when theyre told that a player has decided to join us.
I wouldnt go believing PR spins.
It's not a PR spin, a player can agree to join whichever club but its only dependent on a fee being agreed.
For example Pogba may have been happy to join United, but happier for Real. But only we made the bid that mattered.
Can't suggest that we were the preferred club of choice in examples where we just outbid the other club.
Agreed our own supporter's seem to have pretty low opinion our Club's attraction , whenever we miss out on players and put out PR spins they are quite eager to ignore that ,but when same is done by Other clubs after missing out on players they lap it up.
But that's how most transfers go don't you think.
For me, its likely not how Haaland will go. He will get to choose the club he goes to I reckon, because us, City, Chelsea and maybe one or two others will pull out all the stops.
He's a tier above a Pogba transfer or a Maguire where its an one horse race for the most part.
We made bids because we agreed everything with the player. We don't make bids randomly. We didnt outbid anyone, we beat other clubs by agreeing contract with player.
It is spin. All of that Pep v money nonsense. Leaks about not wanting to match a contract as if they are paying their players pennies.
Pogba is a great example. Oh he only came for the money etc then football leaks revealed he was on about half of what the hysteria reported.
It was like clockwork. A Utd v City battle then you knew a deal was imminent because City leaked they were stepping away 24 hours before confirmation the player was coming here. They were all for paying Sanchez wages the summer before when it was a 60m odd fee on top of what he was asking. There was no backing out then funnily enough
Which is done when the player is aware of the clubs who are interested for him. Do you think Real will bother going through personal terms if they were never prepared to pay 90m for Pogba? Same for City and Maguire?
If the asking price is way above what the club is prepared to pay they just back out earlier. Unless they are like us and do confused stuff like the whole Sancho saga.
Clubs do agree personal terms early with the player but that likely occurs at a stage where they know the level they need to offer to get a bid agreed and will work from there. Pogba and Maguire were one horse races. They didn't refuse City or Real.
I never said Pogba only came for the money. Raiola wanted a bit cut, and Juve wanted 90m. Pogba has no say in the club fees, so I don't know where you're trying to create the PR spin narrative from re "Pogba only came for the money".
Maybe they were ready to pay the fee but didn't want to pay the wages which might have had impact on their dressing room.
Maybe when Madrid or City sign Haaland, we can use the same excuse, we didn't want to pay the fee, else he would be playing for ManUtd.
But they weren't ready to pay the fee. That was made known from the outset by many reputable sources at the time (Maguire and Pogba for City and Real respectively). I can't be bothered to go back and post all the articles but that was certainly reported well early in the window. City were willing to give max 50m for Maguire and I can't remember the max for Pogba, but it was just that there wasn't appetite for 90m.
Sanchez I think was the wage issue. The only player I can think of where we looked to legitimately beat city was Fred.
Jorginho was mentioned as Chelsea getting one over City. But he was actually pushed for Chelsea and there's been bad blood between Napoli and City ever since.
Of course we can say "maybe it was actually xyz" but then we might as well stop discussing relative pull all together as no one is informed by those standards.
My point being, Haaland is not comparable to the above teams because Haaland will not be led into a one horse race. Many clubs will go in for him and he will choose. If its this summer then probably 3 clubs will try but if next summer then every big club will go in.
It was even reported that Madrid were not ready to pay the wages too, I mean that's how every transfer works. Clubs out do other club by offering bigger contract and that's what happened with Pogba.
Same with Sanchez, he was all set to go to City and we beat them by offering him better contract. Fred, we didn't beat anyone. City wanted him in Jan and then cooled interest or we made move quicker than others. There wasn't any fight for him.
Jorginho, Chelsea beat City to sign him. City thought they got him and tried to lowball Napoli (IIRC), Chelsea paid good money for him and Sarri. Again, that's how clubs beat other clubs for signing.
For every transfer that City lost, you just made excuse.
Ofcourse Haaland isn't comparable, he is insane young player and every club want him. It will come down to lot of factors including bigger wages.
My Pogba point was to show you cant believe what you read when it comes from the losing party. Madrid leaked they wouldn't pay 100m plus and add on Raiolas fee on top plus Pogba wasnt worthy of being their highest wage earner. Turns out none of that was true.
City couldnt get a deal on Mharez, paid up in the next window anyway. If a player wanted City then all parties would make it work.
Thats how modern transfers are conducted. City even matched our 70m Maguire bid. If he wanted to go to City, they would have negotiated from there, but he wanted United and we went to the negotiation table.
You do know that if Haaland is sold next summer for his buy out clause fee, then he and his team (himself, his family and Raiola) will demand essentially the full remaining sum clubs will be willing to pay this summer as a sign-on fee? So it's still down to who can pay the most. It's still only those 3 clubs that can buy him this summer.
Unless of course he feels very strongly about joining a specific team over the others and is willing to say no to an additional £20m or maybe more for picking his "dream club".
So you get what I'm saying, they are one horse races. We didn't beat any team in a race to sign a player in those examples. They each had their own appetite relative to their needs in the team and we pushed the boat out further than they did.
And yeah, Haaland isn't comparable because everyone's going to push the boat out for him. That's where I don't think it's going to be a one horse race. We will all put offers in and he will go where he wants. He might come to us, he might go to City. It might be for money, it might be for the project or for his boyhood team.
Where are you picking up the insinuation that Madrid not wanting to pay over the odds is not true? It was quite consistently reported that they didn't want to put forward the financial resources required to acquire Pogba.
Yeah that's what I said (or was trying to!) . This summer it's probably City Chelsea and United who will feasibly make a move. But the following summer he has a release clause which kicks in to make the club fee a bit more palatable, no? It's also another year post covid so financial stability might be better for certain clubs.
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They are not. Multiple clubs are interested to sign a player, one club beats other by agreeing terms with the player and other clubs just bow down as player agreed with other club and club has different priorities. Doesn't mean it was one horse race.
For Haaland every club will try but he will agree contract with one club which will make others clubs to drop the interest and make it was one horse race. Thing is, agreeing contract with him would be more challenging than other players.
Its not that im wrtting us off, but i see 0% chance of joining United.
Yeah but if you are Haaland and his management team, and you know either as a certainty (ie. if a team puts in a bid this summer that Dortmund turns down) or at least have a pretty good guesstimate what teams would have been willing to bid. Cause his agent will talk to clubs for this summer just to keep options open, especially if CL looks uncertain.
Then they can say, OK you were willing to pay €140m last summer, but Dortmund turned you down. Now you just have to pay €65m to trigger the release clause. But for us to pick your club over the others, we want you to pay us the rest of the €75m you were willing to pay, split as a sign-on fee and a loyality bonus over the contract length.
Plus more fees and stuff.
We have different interpretations. For me a race for a player is on when clubs have similar appetite and willingness to acquire him, and it comes down to frivolous matters and mainly the player preference.
Pogba was a one horse race, as Real backed out very early and ended an early interest well before. City did the same with Maguire.
I would love nothing more than for him to stay at Dortmund for another year. however they are starting to get themselves into real trouble with qualifying for the Champions League next season and fear City & Chelsea striking right now. I could live with him joining Real this summer but the thought of him in this league as a rival is sickening to say the least
Yeah, if he can get them onto his yacht, I expect there will be some Vito Corleone/Bandleader antics.
I don't think it's much of an argument.
United
City
Liverpool
Chelsea
Bayern (lewa is aging)
RM
Barca
Even psg
They all need one
And Juventus..
I knew I was forgetting a country
Wouldn’t mind us shipping out 3 players and spending our whole transfer budget this summer on Haaland and Sancho.
Will be crazy competition for his signatureI knew I was forgetting a country
As long as he doesn't end up in the PL at another team I can live with it
I have absolutely no idea or even feeling where he will end up, I coudn't make a guess if I had to
Give him Martial's #9 shirt. Pay him £300k a week.
He could be our Harry Kane/Aguero.
He could be our Harry Kane/Aguero.
dont do this to yourselves.
This guy wants to become the best in the world and leave the biggest possible mark on football history, and he does not worry about money. He won't be impressed by yachts, fancy cars or rolexes.
If he moves this summer, the club that can present the most interesting project and plan to him, while also being able to pay what Dortmund wants to release him, gets him.
For me, us, City and RM are the only possible options. Barca can't afford him, a move to France would be a step down, a move to Italy would be a step sideways, Bayern and Liverpool won't pay 120M and Chelsea doesn't have the status or stability (14 managers in 17 years).
* City.
+ Has the strongest team, best coach and would probably destroy every competion from day 1.
- Not the same status and has a plastic image after Abu Dhabi made their entrance.
* Us.
+ We have the history and status. He has a great relationship with Ole. We have a good, young squad. Taking us back to glory would be the ultimate challenge in football.
- We can not guarantee him trophies from year 1.
* Real Madrid.
+ Status
- Old core in the squad. ZZ doesn't trust youngsters.
City has the best chances maybe, but with the right sales pitch we should have a chance too.
If Dortmund does qualify for CL next season he stays, and we can add Barca and Liverpool to the mix of possible landing spots next summer.
If he moves this summer, the club that can present the most interesting project and plan to him, while also being able to pay what Dortmund wants to release him, gets him.
For me, us, City and RM are the only possible options. Barca can't afford him, a move to France would be a step down, a move to Italy would be a step sideways, Bayern and Liverpool won't pay 120M and Chelsea doesn't have the status or stability (14 managers in 17 years).
* City.
+ Has the strongest team, best coach and would probably destroy every competion from day 1.
- Not the same status and has a plastic image after Abu Dhabi made their entrance.
* Us.
+ We have the history and status. He has a great relationship with Ole. We have a good, young squad. Taking us back to glory would be the ultimate challenge in football.
- We can not guarantee him trophies from year 1.
* Real Madrid.
+ Status
- Old core in the squad. ZZ doesn't trust youngsters.
City has the best chances maybe, but with the right sales pitch we should have a chance too.
If Dortmund does qualify for CL next season he stays, and we can add Barca and Liverpool to the mix of possible landing spots next summer.
Yeah agree with this.
Plus if I were him I would have a suspicion that the moment there’s a rough patch at City the manager may drop the striker position and revert to this striker-less system that Pep switches to when they have a run of poor games (like this season.)
That said I can’t see them not making it work with Haaland, let’s hope he doesn’t choose plastic over prestige.
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