Clause is fixed at 87m, or at least that was what the press said a while back. I have since heard it's 100m, so who knows
Has our window of opportunity to sign world class attackers just closed?
- Thread starter KingMinger22
- Start date
None of those are top tier, except maybe Griezeman (who we've failed to sign). Ibra was in his prime but we've signed him in his twilight.
Pogba is the one exception (so far)
Not many clubs can dream of spending up to £90m on the 2nd best goalscorer in the Prem over the last 5 years who is still very young!
Woodward was talking out of his arse mate. There's no way we can do things that clubs like City and PSG, which are backed by sovereign governments, can't.
If FFP was more strict and rigidly enforced, then yeah, maybe we could do things others can only dream of. But it isn't, so we can't.
They are all pretty close and arguably top tier in one form or another.
Rashford potentially one of best talents in the world for his age. Martial came with similar hope.
Lukaku is second highest scorer after Aguero in the Prem over the last 5 seasons and is much younger. That makes him a massive talent.
When he said other, he didn't say all clubs. So aside from a couple of exceptions United are the top dogs. Madrid and Barca are close and arguably push it with current squad quality and location advantages, but United are certainly up there
Neymar's sale is a bit of a black swan event -- he's the 3rd best player in the world and will likely be the best once the top two (who are both arguably top 5 all-time) retire. Moreover, we never really had a chance as he clearly prefers France / Spain to Manchester, and this league would be physically taxing on his frame (though he would of course be the best player, and tear it up), and his father seems to be driving a good portion of his decision-making process. We can't really look at this as an indicator of hour our future transfer business is going to go.
I'm not overly worried -- for some star attackers, we will be the top destination. We need to capitalize and keep them happy when that does happen.
I'm not overly worried -- for some star attackers, we will be the top destination. We need to capitalize and keep them happy when that does happen.
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He said that four years ago, before Moyes.
Since then we've been in turmoil whilst Real and Barca have been racking up CL's sending their prestige through the roof.
@KingMinger22
You seem hysterical over this transfer. Its the second woe is me thread you've made in a couple of days.
Madrid have been sell to buy for years now. Both they and Barca are renovating their stadiums so their massive revenue is spent before it comes in.
They haven't signed a proper galatico between them for years but Madrid just might buy a star this season thanks to Morata but even then Bale needs to leave to finance it so yet again...MBAPPE HAS NOT SIGNED!
Its fact that the latest noises have Mbappe wanting a move to PSG. Its also fact that the Spanish big two are being priced out of their targets time and time again over the last few seasons. Barcas budget every summer is 70 odd million euros!
But Madrid will fail with Mbappe, itll be spun as Madrid being willing to wait / faith in player x while they continue to sign their real, cheap targets
You seem hysterical over this transfer. Its the second woe is me thread you've made in a couple of days.
Madrid have been sell to buy for years now. Both they and Barca are renovating their stadiums so their massive revenue is spent before it comes in.
They haven't signed a proper galatico between them for years but Madrid just might buy a star this season thanks to Morata but even then Bale needs to leave to finance it so yet again...MBAPPE HAS NOT SIGNED!
Its fact that the latest noises have Mbappe wanting a move to PSG. Its also fact that the Spanish big two are being priced out of their targets time and time again over the last few seasons. Barcas budget every summer is 70 odd million euros!
But Madrid will fail with Mbappe, itll be spun as Madrid being willing to wait / faith in player x while they continue to sign their real, cheap targets
We never signed players like Di Maria and Bale historically though. We signed the best the PL had to offer, which we have arguably just done with Lukaku, and young up and coming players with potential.
RvP is probably the only SAF signing I remember where he went out and bought a big name direct from a "top team"
People used to complain when we signed Cole, Yorke, Sheringham and Solskjaer that they weren't Batistuta, Salas, Kluivert and Laudrup and they did alright
RvP is probably the only SAF signing I remember where he went out and bought a big name direct from a "top team"
People used to complain when we signed Cole, Yorke, Sheringham and Solskjaer that they weren't Batistuta, Salas, Kluivert and Laudrup and they did alright
Woodward just needs Raiola to hold his hand and walk him across. Everything will be fine then.
Till Fergie was manager, we never really went for world class players. But after he retired, we were desperate to sign a few superstars but failed. There's no denying that. But since Jose came, we have managed to sign Pogba who is world class in my opinion. Lukaku is not world class but one of the best in the PL. Bailly is also a top talent who can reach world class level in a few years. We almost signed Griezmann but failed due to something that was beyond our control. So we still seem to be an attractive destination for top players.
The Martial barmyness continues. The players mentioned in that post were Ronaldo, Griezmann, Bale, Neymar, Mbappe, Benzema, Robben, peak RVP/Rooney.
The only slight similarity being Mbappe, but he can hardly even be mentioned in the same breath as the others. The overselling of him on here is ludicrous.
Even if they want to, that would be based on this summers release clause. We already know he isn't leaving this summer out of loyalty with the ban being upheld. What's changed now?
Over the last few seasons we have signed Falcao, ADM, Martial, Depay, Lukaku, Pogba etc we have broken the world record twice and would have signed Griezmann also. People need to calm down we are competing as much as anyone. If we keep this level up of spending for the next 2-3 years our squads will overtake the likes of Barca and Real. Jose has built a real solid foundation now and our spending can be focused more on blue chip players imo.
Madrid's spending:
A net spend of -£64m this year
A net spend of -£7m last year
A net spend of £53m 15/16
A net spend of £15m 14/15
A net spend of £53m 13/14
Total £50m
United's total net spend over the same period is £395m. If we had only spent £50m in the last 5 years we'd probably be signing Neymar right now.
The problem was 5 years ago Madrid had an excellent squad that needed little to no investment, so they could cherry pick special talents like Bale, James & Mbappe when they were available. United on the other hand needed a whole new squad, except possibly RB and GK.
After this season I'm hopeful we'll be back to having a very solid team that requires a couple of signings per season maximum. Next season we might be in the market for a quality attacker and a full back and with a budget North of £100m we'll have the pick of almost any attacker we want (I imagine we'll be in for Griezmann again).
He won pretty much nothing at Arsenal. It had a lot to do with the player being at a club that doesn't win big trophies. It's fairly clear.
And the point absolutely stands. What elite players did we sign during SAFs last 10 years? We bought talented footballers who were either young or on the brink of being great and not took them to their potential. And I'm absolutely fine with that.
It's only post SAF that we've tried to target the really big name players.
The clue was in the bolded part, it was a joy to watch Martial in the first season.
Looking at our squad, only about 4 positions will need improving in the next 2 years. This is not counting how Rashford and Martial will turn out. Mkhi is also known to do really well after a season of bedding in. They look like special talents and even if one of them lives upto their potential, we'll have another spot covered. All we need is one top signing on the wings. If we can do that, we won't have any other big issues. So next season, we can easily afford to go big on one or two positions as we won't need to change too many players. We can easily spend 100m on a player in the next window.
D
Matic
Herrera---Pogba
RW----Lukaku----LW
e Gea
RB----Bailly----Lindelof----LBMatic
Herrera---Pogba
RW----Lukaku----LW
Do many people think of Rashford being potentially one of the best talents in the world for his age? For me I've always thought of him as a Wellbeck 2.0 i.e. a new improved version but by no means a world beater. I'd be very surprised if he is still at United in 3 or 4 years. Though if Mourinho is still there he probably will be as he runs around lot and is an archetypal game lad.
I am not sure any of those players are what I would call available since not one of their clubs actually wants to sell them.
Neymar had a release clause, as do all players in Spain. Also wants 500K p/w wages. Double Lukaku, DDG and Pogba.
Mbappe is probably the best young player in the world and wanted by everyone. Seems to have his heart set on Real. I would say that is fair enough - Real are one of the few clubs you can't deny have the same kind of global appeal as Utd and are currently more successful.
Bale is not for sale and doesn't want to leave so kind of the opposite of available
Suarez wants to leave (apparently) but Arsenal certainly don't want to sell him. Do we really want to spend £65-70m on a player who will be 30 soon? Head over to the Matic thread - apparently as soon as you hit 30 your legs fall off and you are basically good for nothing bar a substitute corner flag
Real did spend 300 odd million Euros in 2009 though.
To buy those players in 2017 would be something like 600m or more.
Seriously? How many world class players move clubs? Most clubs tend to buy players on the brink of being world class or with the potential to become.
Top of the line strikers from the top 3, 4 leagues will be strictly 9 digit buys from now on, unless the Neymar deal makes UEFA (or the EU) crack down on big transfers. Extremely unlikely though.
We need to be top notch at scouting and find the best talents before they get too pricy. And yes, there will be mistakes along the way but that's the way of the football business.
We need to be top notch at scouting and find the best talents before they get too pricy. And yes, there will be mistakes along the way but that's the way of the football business.
Are you mad Welbeck doesn't have a quarter of the talent of Rashford!
They spent a lot of money 8 years ago, which lead to a period of austerity, which culminated in spending essentially nothing for 5 years despite confortably having a budget of €100m a season.
United these last 3-4 years have likewise spent insane amounts of money, it's just been focused on an entire new team (Shaw £30m Bailly £30m Lindelof £30m Pogba £86m Herrera £30m Matic £35m Mata £37m Mkhitaryan £30m Martial £56m Lukaku £75m), rather than 3-4 superstars.
One could argue that we've spent poorly over the last few years (although looking at that team it seems pretty good value to me), but anyone arguing we haven't spent the money required to sign world class attackers is ridiculous.
Going forward we should have a stable base that only requires a couple of additions per season, which will allow us to sign great players without spending unsustainable amounts.
We should be going all in for Dembele. The guy is a superstar in the making and Madrid and Barcelona are already circling in.
Barça is clearly willing to start fresh. May as well take Messi off their hands. Pogba needs another mate now that Matic and Lukaku rode off into the sunset.
Sorry but those that can't see that any glimmer of the very top sought after players (Neymar, Mbappe, etc) moving to the PL are only linked to Man City, rather than us. I don't think we're able to compete.
Solid tier2s (Miki, Lindeloff etc)
Or PL proven (Matic, Lukaku) seems most realistic bet and therefore our approach
Solid tier2s (Miki, Lindeloff etc)
Or PL proven (Matic, Lukaku) seems most realistic bet and therefore our approach
Zlatan? Pogba? Rashford?
You need to knock this football lark on the head if you don't enjoy watching any of those.
Not sure on the point of your post either. Barca/Real/Bayern have not just sprung into existence. United have been competing with them for years. Financially they are more than equal hence the signing of Paul Pogba and retention of David de Gea.
And why is there a 'window of opportunity' to sign a world class attacker all of a sudden? Will no others ever exist? No one knew who Mbabpe was 12 months ago now the poor bugger has fallen foul of a window of opportunity.
Sorry but your thread makes no sense at all.
We have the muscle to buy whoever we want, problem is we need a team at the moment not a star player to improve the team.
star players and improving the team aren't mutually exclusive, in fact, chances are they go hand in hand. Pogba is our only outfield world class player and that's incredibly thin for a club with our ambitions both trophy wise and financially, see, having star players also raises your profile and prestige, and Real and Barca getting/having them, makes other star players want to join them more readily and harder to be prised away from them, keeping those teams stronger over time, its a cycle.
Lukaku has been one of the best forwards in the league and we have signed him. Last season we signed pogba. I believe we will be signing one of bale or griezmann either this season or next. I won't panic too much. We are doing fine on transfer end.
I was answering to the post that said we can't compete financially when it comes to signing the big stars, We have the transfer budget to buy let's say Neymar and the wage budget but if they want to join or not is a different question. We can spend 200M in a season and we can give a player or two 500K a week. But the way our squad has been the last couple of seasons we need to build a spine, hopefully in a season or two we can buy star players for the finer details.
IMO we should be thrilled we’ve got one of the best young attacking players in the world in Marcus Rashford, and he was born in Manchester and didn’t cost us a penny.
He’d easily sell for £60mil+ if we had to buy him from somewhere else.
He’d easily sell for £60mil+ if we had to buy him from somewhere else.