He is relatively cheap though. We can sell one of our defenders to finance his signing.
Kalidou Koulibaly
- Thread starter Sassy Colin
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He'll be 28 if we get him, so we'll immediately need to be planning for his replacement.
Would totally sell Smalling and Jones too and earn decent bucks from them if it means we need to spend on replacement in few years time, but we need a leader at the back at the moment and not a youth product however incredible he may be.
Just because Alderweireld is better than what we have doesn't mean he is what we need. He is a great player but he is a Lindelof player. You can not play two relatively slow CBs together in a high line. What we need is a CB who can stay fit, win duels on the ground/In the air and is good on the ball. Koulibaly might be 28 but he has a solid 4 years in him easily. I believe he would be available around 70-80m.
The issue with spending 100+m on a CB is simple Glazernomics. Our budget shouldn't be 100-200m because we need a major overhaul. If we do factor in Glazernomics then Koulibaly is not worth it. Ideally we need a RW, DM, LB and a CB minimum. If signing Koulibaly prohibits the signing of a LB or DM then we should turn our attention to someone like Akanji. We need 5-6 signings this summer. Once we have that solid base we can then think about adding 100m+ additions to the squad.
The issue with spending 100+m on a CB is simple Glazernomics. Our budget shouldn't be 100-200m because we need a major overhaul. If we do factor in Glazernomics then Koulibaly is not worth it. Ideally we need a RW, DM, LB and a CB minimum. If signing Koulibaly prohibits the signing of a LB or DM then we should turn our attention to someone like Akanji. We need 5-6 signings this summer. Once we have that solid base we can then think about adding 100m+ additions to the squad.
Alderweireld hasn't had a significant injury in almost 2 seasons now. He was just frozen out last season because he hadn't signed a new contract and the feeling was he'd be gone in the summer (obviously that situation hasn't changed by Spurs have obviously realised they're cutting their noise off to spite their face by not playing him)
£25m for him would be a bargain
Not desputing it wouldn't be good money for his ability, but he is slow and injury prone. All through his career he's struggled with them.
I just feel we'd be better off looking elsewhere.
I think we should just go for Alderweirheld for 25 million. No defender is worth 90 million.
For me we need a MF and a RW much more than a CB. It would not surprize me if we dont acually sign a CB given that Jones signed a new contract. With Jones, Smalling, Bailly and Lindelof we have four players for two positions. Rojo and Darmian as well although both might be sold.
I can see us signing a MF in the summer and possibly a RW who is speedy. Not sure how good Dalot is so we may need a RB as well although Young will last another season.
I think three signings max in the summer. Although it could be more depending on who leaves.
For me we need a MF and a RW much more than a CB. It would not surprize me if we dont acually sign a CB given that Jones signed a new contract. With Jones, Smalling, Bailly and Lindelof we have four players for two positions. Rojo and Darmian as well although both might be sold.
I can see us signing a MF in the summer and possibly a RW who is speedy. Not sure how good Dalot is so we may need a RB as well although Young will last another season.
I think three signings max in the summer. Although it could be more depending on who leaves.
You could be right. I do think midfield and RW are more important issues.
I think if we are going to be spending 90 million plus on a player it has to be an attacker or an attacking MF (like pogba is). Sancho is a good bet, although there are other options should that fail to materialize.
Sorry, I don't get this, the other 3 fine, but why do we need a LB? Cover for Shaw?
The problem with the 4 central defenders we have is that 2 of them are very unreliable fitness wise.
Yes that is strange alright. Unless it is cover for Shaw.
We need a LB because we dont have any other left footed fullback. We dont need 'cover' for Shaw we need competition. Shaw offers nothing in an attacking sense. Ideally we need someone like Alex Telles who can do everything Shaw does and more. And he can stay fit. Shaw hasn't stayed fit for a full season in how long?
You are right to a certain extent, but it isn't high on the priority list compared to other positions. Right now, we don't have a natural right winger for instance.
Agreed.
Really you are right no defender is worth £90m.....hell no defender is worth £70m, that is an extortianate fee for a defender and pretty sure what Liverpool paid for Van Dyke. You look at how leaky there defence was, cost them the champions league...they add Allison, Robertson and Van Dyke and they are transformed.
I appreciate what you say about the contracts, which personally I was surprised and disappointed with. We have five second string centre backs I still think. Jones should have been shown the door along with Rojo. I think Smalling is a very good squad defender, Bailly I really liked at first, rough round the edges but looked a huge prospect, not so sure now. Lindelof has been awful before Ole took over and has looked good since....Im still not really convinced though, I would have liked us to sign two centre backs really, I am still certain we will sign one, for me a top top quality centre back is THE priority this summer as we dont actually have one. We do have top central midfielders and youngsters there, plus lets not forget we signed Fred....and we also have a lot of youngsters that can play right wing too.....though I agree reinforcements will be signed there as I expect a couple will leave from our attacking options.
I think we will sign four a centre back, right back, central midfielder and right winger so I kind of agree with you, just totally disagree regarding the centre back situation
I think you are spot on with the 4 signings (CB, RB, CM & RW), I'd love to see De Ligt, Meunier, ????? & Sancho, the ???? Is my dilemma, I keep changing my mind almost every week !
Could Real Madrid dismantle their team and we pick up either Casemiro, Kroos or even Modric ?
Would be a perfect signing...
Personally no to any of the Madrid connection. Although nothing wrong with experiened signings, especially as we already have a few good youngsters playing and others breaking through....but Id like to see hungery players signed if that makes sense. Koulinaily may be 28 next season, but he could still be hungry to play for a huge club. Id like De Ligt or Koulibaily, Bissaka, Ascacibar or Tonali or Ndombele, Chiesa or Sancho or Dybala. I actually think we may sign one of the options everywhere apart from the central midfield ones, no idea who we will sign there, think it may be a surprise
Shaw was one of our best players against PSG.
He really wasn't though. Seems to be judged to a lower standard than just about every other player.
Probably because he is English and the fact we have literally no one else to play in his position. Have people forgotten how good Evra was?
How does this mean we dont need another LB? For one, Shaw had a decent performance against PSG, nothing special. The facts are we only have one left footed LB. Shaw has never proven he can stay fit for a full season and we need competition.
Top CB and if we sign him this summer for a 4 or 5 years deal, he'll be 32 at the end of the contract.
No brainer !
No brainer !
We'd hope Tuanzebe could develop. 28 gives us 4 solid years
Now that Real Madrid have signed that other bloke, we have to get this guy. He's at the peak of his game.
He'll be our defensive version of Pogba, or our very own VVD.
He'll be our defensive version of Pogba, or our very own VVD.
For folks that are that against spending $80m+ on a defender, just look at the effect VVD has had on Livers backline.
This is a signing we need.
We can all watch him tonight and make a fair judgement on his capabilities. They’re quite an evenly matched pair of teams.
Didn't realise he was 28. Would take Toby for a third of the price.
Better we go for de ligt.
Chances of that are slim to none I reckon BUT we should throw our hat into the ring. I'd go for both Toby and De Ligt and if De Ligt goes to Barca then we have Toby. If we land both we can get rid of Rojo, Jones, Bailly etc.
So would I. But I’ve got a feeling he is going to follow his teammate De Jong to Barca.
He's too old for the price, inter last season quoted 76 million for Skriniar would be more ideal long term
People complaining about his age. FFS. He's in his prime - that's exactly what we need. Not someone who'll be good in 2 years, but someone who's excellent now.
Underwhelming stats for the price quoted. I want him though if we can get a good price. Maybe Toby A would be better if we are on a tight budget... I would also buy Rice and maybe convert him to CB to replace him in 2 years.
fecks sake, he's 27 (28 in June), the same age as VVD (nearly 3 weeks younger actually), is he over the hill too?
And, I'm not sure what those stats demonstrate, Bailly is our best defender or something?
And, I'm not sure what those stats demonstrate, Bailly is our best defender or something?
Then beat Barcelona to him, they won't be able to outbid us, while they already have 3 top class defenders at the club. He is a guaranteed starter here. And if we lose out on him, then there is no option than to be in for Koulibaly who can already give 5 -6 years than already 30, high probability of injury proneness looking for his last big contract toby who won't give us more than 3-4 years and will deteriorate as well. It has to be one of them.
If toby is an option he will only be a good option if Both rojo and Jones are sold and he replaces them in the squad. But I don't think we will take 2 Cb in.
New set of rumours coming out:
https://www.teamtalk.com/news/man-utd-table-world-record-e105m-bid-to-secure-major-summer-target
https://www.teamtalk.com/news/man-utd-table-world-record-e105m-bid-to-secure-major-summer-target
So even 28 is too old? 
So even 28 is too old?
He is exactly the type of defender we should be targeting... a commanding CB in his prime to pair with Lindelof.
Livers did the same with VVD and look at the effect he's had on their defense.
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