Manchester United - January transfer window 2015 (twitter blacklist applies)
- Thread starter Devil may care
- Start date
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) are here to discuss Amad saving our blushes in a win against Southampton as well as our now annual loss at home to Brighton. They discuss Amorim's post-match comments, revisit how mid-table we may or may not be, and discuss some transfer news.
Oh the old
response, gets me every time!What I meant if you just read it is I don't think we need it now, reality is third is the best we can really hope for this season, and we can get third with what we've got, rather than sign the wrong players for inflated prices now.
Oh the old
What I meant if you just read it is I don't think we need it now, reality is third is the best we can really hope for this season, and we can get third with what we've got, rather than sign the wrong players for inflated prices now.
Inflated prices really? We signed Luke Shaw for £30million and Herrera for £30 million in the SUMMER, how more inflated then that can you get?
You don't think we can get higher than 3rd, so I guess we should just give up then?
We have been awful for the majority of this season, the majority of matches we won have been scrappy with 1 goal score lines, 3rd is nowhere near guaranteed with the way we are playing right now.
We need 2 defenders and a midfielder asap.
Luke Shaw was a fair enough price, Herrera atm looks a bit steep i'll admit but could prove cheap in the long run, these players though were our main targets which is the point I am making.
Fact is we won't get the main men now, Godin, Hummels, Varane just won't leave in January, and Strootman is better left until the summer after his injury, we'll end up spending too much money on the wrong players in January, for me it's better to keep our powder dry until the main summer window.
If we can keep them fit a back 4 of Rafael, Jones, Rojo, and Shaw is not half bad, and midfield of Carrick, Di Maria, and Herrera is perfect.
We'll improve with the players we have and should get third, but yes you are right its no certainty, but buying the wrong players aint going to help us one bit, it'll just add to the confusion.
They're not inflated as far as the market goes.
Our starting XI come Feb 1st
DDG
Rafael Smalling Rojo Shaw
Carrick
Herrera Di Maria
Rooney
van Persie Falcao
I don't think we'll get anybody in jan. That starting XI should be able to get into the top no dramas. Just need to stay fit and start playing properly. Rafael Smalling Rojo Shaw
Carrick
Herrera Di Maria
Rooney
van Persie Falcao
Given that 4 of those 11 can't stay fit for any serious length of time that's a bit of a problem.
Yep that's no secret. But it's got to end somewhen hasn't it?
The morgue?
An article worth reading in this season of gift-giving:
PART 1:
Strootman, Hummels, Man United hype expose flaws in transfer 'system'
Two transfer stories caught my eye in the past week. Not because they're new, quite the opposite, but because they seem so appropriate in this holiday gifting season.
You know how it works: TV, word of mouth and the other kids on the block create buzz around a toy. You decide that you desperately want it.
And it has to be a brand-name toy. You do not want the cheaper, knockoff version, even though it costs a fraction as much and does exactly the same thing. And you probably don't want the obscure Scandinavian version either, the one made of sustainable wood and nontoxic, ergonomic, recycled polymers, the one that's pedagogical and organic but comes in an ugly brown box from an Ikea-sounding brand you've never heard of.
No, you want exactly the toy everyone is talking about. The one that's been planted in your head for the past six months. And you're convinced that if you get that -- and exactly that -- you will be happy. At least until the day after Christmas.
Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman and Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels are the equivalents for many Manchester United fans. They are the holiday gifts we are told United fans absolutely must have.
They are what Tickle Me Elmo was in the mid-1990s, or Cabbage Patch Kids a decade before that.
The media, both mainstream and social, talk about them potentially coming to Old Trafford all the time. Yet Strootman and Hummels don't talk about joining Manchester United. Their clubs don't talk about them being for sale. United, at least not on the record, don't talk about wanting to buy them. All of which, of course, is understandable. It would be bad form to discuss all this in public. And, in some circumstances, it's not allowed.
So instead, you get a drip-drip flow of circumstantial stories. They fall in two categories.
Some reiterate that this is exactly what United need. Ask ex-pros what Louis Van Gaal craves to go to the next level, and so many answer in lockstep, knee-jerk fashion, citing these names. They too are part of the sales blitz, the equivalent of the soft-focus ads that run during children's cartoons.
Others are meant to provide hints that one or both is on his way. A little bit like when you spot your mom returning from the mall with a box that could plausibly contain that shiny red bicycle you so desperately need. Or when you spy dad going online and googling Barbies to see if there's anyone who can guarantee delivery by Dec. 24.
Want examples?
Last weekend, Borussia Dortmund lost to Werder Bremen. Since opening day, the club have taken just one of a possible 24 points on the road; it's a big part of the reason why they're in the relegation zone. Speaking after the defeat, Hummels was pretty downtrodden. He talked about the fear of going down, the need to keep working hard, self-belief, and everything you'd expect a guy in his position to say. And then he added: "It's astonishing how pathetic we've been away from home."
In some reports, that turned into an "outburst" and an "attack" on Borussia Dortmund. It became Hummels giving the club both barrels and, in so doing, dropping "the clearest hint yet" that he was trying to engineer a move away from the Westfalenstadion. To where? To Old Trafford, obviously. Why else would he say how awful Dortmund had been if not to somehow force a move away? (The idea that Hummels was perhaps being honest or emotional clearly didn't cross their minds.)
Hummels and Dortmund may be struggling, but the way his words are twisted is troubling.
A somewhat more grotesque example had its genesis on Sunday, but because of the mysterious ways the media works, it didn't explode across the Web until Tuesday.
On Italian state television is a show called "90 Mo. Minuto" -- basically a late-afternoon goal highlight show. A guy named Matteo Materazzi appears on it every week, usually giving a brief roundup and analysis of transfer stories. He's the younger brother of Marco Materazzi, was a former contestant on the Italian version of "Celebrity Survivor" ("L'Isola dei Famosi") and holds a FIFA agent license. His most famous client is Genoa defender Daniele Portanova (if you know who he is, you'll catch my drift).
Matteo spoke for exactly seven seconds on the show. He said: "The news of the day is that [Kevin] Strootman is very close to Manchester United ... 40 million euros in Roma's coffers ... to be reinvested, of course." (If you speak Italian, you can see it here starting at around 10:50.)
Elsewhere, this sound bite became "confirmation" that the deal was just about done. After all, a FIFA agent had said so; never mind the fact that Matteo doesn't represent Strootman, Roma or Manchester United. He's a guy who comments on transfer speculation because he's had experience in the transfer market. Also, it wasn't exactly the "news of the day" because speculation about Strootman to United has been rumbling for the past 12 months and obviously intensified since Van Gaal took the job.
No matter. It's "news," just like the story that appeared in a Manchester paper in November headlined, "Strootman reveals he feels 'obligation' to Van Gaal."
PART 1:
Strootman, Hummels, Man United hype expose flaws in transfer 'system'
Two transfer stories caught my eye in the past week. Not because they're new, quite the opposite, but because they seem so appropriate in this holiday gifting season.
You know how it works: TV, word of mouth and the other kids on the block create buzz around a toy. You decide that you desperately want it.
And it has to be a brand-name toy. You do not want the cheaper, knockoff version, even though it costs a fraction as much and does exactly the same thing. And you probably don't want the obscure Scandinavian version either, the one made of sustainable wood and nontoxic, ergonomic, recycled polymers, the one that's pedagogical and organic but comes in an ugly brown box from an Ikea-sounding brand you've never heard of.
No, you want exactly the toy everyone is talking about. The one that's been planted in your head for the past six months. And you're convinced that if you get that -- and exactly that -- you will be happy. At least until the day after Christmas.
Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman and Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels are the equivalents for many Manchester United fans. They are the holiday gifts we are told United fans absolutely must have.
They are what Tickle Me Elmo was in the mid-1990s, or Cabbage Patch Kids a decade before that.
The media, both mainstream and social, talk about them potentially coming to Old Trafford all the time. Yet Strootman and Hummels don't talk about joining Manchester United. Their clubs don't talk about them being for sale. United, at least not on the record, don't talk about wanting to buy them. All of which, of course, is understandable. It would be bad form to discuss all this in public. And, in some circumstances, it's not allowed.
So instead, you get a drip-drip flow of circumstantial stories. They fall in two categories.
Some reiterate that this is exactly what United need. Ask ex-pros what Louis Van Gaal craves to go to the next level, and so many answer in lockstep, knee-jerk fashion, citing these names. They too are part of the sales blitz, the equivalent of the soft-focus ads that run during children's cartoons.
Others are meant to provide hints that one or both is on his way. A little bit like when you spot your mom returning from the mall with a box that could plausibly contain that shiny red bicycle you so desperately need. Or when you spy dad going online and googling Barbies to see if there's anyone who can guarantee delivery by Dec. 24.
Want examples?
Last weekend, Borussia Dortmund lost to Werder Bremen. Since opening day, the club have taken just one of a possible 24 points on the road; it's a big part of the reason why they're in the relegation zone. Speaking after the defeat, Hummels was pretty downtrodden. He talked about the fear of going down, the need to keep working hard, self-belief, and everything you'd expect a guy in his position to say. And then he added: "It's astonishing how pathetic we've been away from home."
In some reports, that turned into an "outburst" and an "attack" on Borussia Dortmund. It became Hummels giving the club both barrels and, in so doing, dropping "the clearest hint yet" that he was trying to engineer a move away from the Westfalenstadion. To where? To Old Trafford, obviously. Why else would he say how awful Dortmund had been if not to somehow force a move away? (The idea that Hummels was perhaps being honest or emotional clearly didn't cross their minds.)
Hummels and Dortmund may be struggling, but the way his words are twisted is troubling.
A somewhat more grotesque example had its genesis on Sunday, but because of the mysterious ways the media works, it didn't explode across the Web until Tuesday.
On Italian state television is a show called "90 Mo. Minuto" -- basically a late-afternoon goal highlight show. A guy named Matteo Materazzi appears on it every week, usually giving a brief roundup and analysis of transfer stories. He's the younger brother of Marco Materazzi, was a former contestant on the Italian version of "Celebrity Survivor" ("L'Isola dei Famosi") and holds a FIFA agent license. His most famous client is Genoa defender Daniele Portanova (if you know who he is, you'll catch my drift).
Matteo spoke for exactly seven seconds on the show. He said: "The news of the day is that [Kevin] Strootman is very close to Manchester United ... 40 million euros in Roma's coffers ... to be reinvested, of course." (If you speak Italian, you can see it here starting at around 10:50.)
Elsewhere, this sound bite became "confirmation" that the deal was just about done. After all, a FIFA agent had said so; never mind the fact that Matteo doesn't represent Strootman, Roma or Manchester United. He's a guy who comments on transfer speculation because he's had experience in the transfer market. Also, it wasn't exactly the "news of the day" because speculation about Strootman to United has been rumbling for the past 12 months and obviously intensified since Van Gaal took the job.
No matter. It's "news," just like the story that appeared in a Manchester paper in November headlined, "Strootman reveals he feels 'obligation' to Van Gaal."
PART 2:
Obligation to what? To join United? Did he make him a promise?
Not quite. A Dutch journalist named Hugo Borst wrote an unauthorized biography of Van Gaal. He interviewed Strootman as part of it and the midfielder talked about how inspirational Van Gaal is: "With [Van Gaal] looking on, whether it's during a training session or in a packed stadium, it's not a matter of me wanting the ball ... No, I've got to have it. It is mine. It's like an obligation I have to Van Gaal."
Oh, right. That kind of obligation. You want to do well for your national team coach. And, incidentally, given that the book came out in the Netherlands in early 2014, it's a safe bet that those Strootman quotes are a year old.
As for Strootman, he's never once mentioned Man United despite a respect for Van Gaal.
Please don't misunderstand me here. The point isn't to mock the way things work, whether it's the media or the minds of some fans. It's to highlight the system. These two potential transfers have been so hyped, for so long and not without reason, that you almost feel some will be disappointed if they don't happen. And to underscore that because Hummels and Strootman are "name brands," their names have an almost magical effect to the point that nobody looks at what they've actually been up to the past few months.
This time last year, you could understand United pushing hard to sign them. But, of course, Van Gaal wasn't at Old Trafford and the man in charge. David Moyes was then, and he opted for Juan Mata instead. Right now, though, there are far more questions than answers with both of them.
Hummels had an up-and-down World Cup to the point that Jogi Low disassembled his back four to move the more athletic Jerome Boateng alongside Hummels (consequently switching Phillip Lahm to full-back).
Why? Because while Hummels is a fantastic reader of the game, exceptional in the air, very good on the ball, charismatic, handsome and a natural leader, he's not particularly fast, especially over shorter distances. He needs a certain type of partner alongside him. He's not Franco Baresi, Bobby Moore and Franz Beckenbauer rolled into one. Hummels works very well with a certain type of sidekick. He also missed three stretches of 2014 through injury, appearing in just 22 Bundesliga games in the calendar year. Dortmund kept a clean sheet in just seven of them -- just one of which occurred in the past six months.
Strootman is big and strong, and he's an excellent tackler, surprisingly mobile and a perceptive passer. He was also out injured for exactly six months, from March to November, and it's not clear at all that he's fit now despite having returned to action 44 days ago. Since his return, he's played 69 minutes, his performances ranging from the mediocre to the downright poor.
Now, if Hummels regains form and Strootman regains fitness, would they make United better? Of course they would. But are they for sale? Officially, no. And, truth be told, Hummels has never expressed an interest in leaving Dortmund. (Strootman has been more circumspect; his relationship with Van Gaal is very real, though Roma owner Jim Pallotta has repeated to anyone who will listen that Strootman is going nowhere.)
But we live in the real world. If United make a large enough offer, both could be on their way, particularly if Dortmund get relegated. It would be foolish for their clubs not to sell. And, as we saw with Angel Di Maria, Daley Blind and the rest of last summer's transfer haul, United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is capable of writing big checks.
But the fact of the matter is that right now, with both players yet to prove that they're the guys they were a year ago, it would be foolish for United to splash a huge amount of cash on either. They'd simply be paying a premium for a brand-name toy without knowing if it really works. And they'd be caving in to the advertising blitz, the hype and the pleas of some of their fans and media.
You hope for United's sake that Woodward exercises better judgment in buying footballers than some parents do in buying presents.
GABRIELE MARCOTTI
http://www.espnfc.com/blog/marcotti...els-rumors-are-transfer-nonsense-gab-marcotti
Obligation to what? To join United? Did he make him a promise?
Not quite. A Dutch journalist named Hugo Borst wrote an unauthorized biography of Van Gaal. He interviewed Strootman as part of it and the midfielder talked about how inspirational Van Gaal is: "With [Van Gaal] looking on, whether it's during a training session or in a packed stadium, it's not a matter of me wanting the ball ... No, I've got to have it. It is mine. It's like an obligation I have to Van Gaal."
Oh, right. That kind of obligation. You want to do well for your national team coach. And, incidentally, given that the book came out in the Netherlands in early 2014, it's a safe bet that those Strootman quotes are a year old.
As for Strootman, he's never once mentioned Man United despite a respect for Van Gaal.
Please don't misunderstand me here. The point isn't to mock the way things work, whether it's the media or the minds of some fans. It's to highlight the system. These two potential transfers have been so hyped, for so long and not without reason, that you almost feel some will be disappointed if they don't happen. And to underscore that because Hummels and Strootman are "name brands," their names have an almost magical effect to the point that nobody looks at what they've actually been up to the past few months.
This time last year, you could understand United pushing hard to sign them. But, of course, Van Gaal wasn't at Old Trafford and the man in charge. David Moyes was then, and he opted for Juan Mata instead. Right now, though, there are far more questions than answers with both of them.
Hummels had an up-and-down World Cup to the point that Jogi Low disassembled his back four to move the more athletic Jerome Boateng alongside Hummels (consequently switching Phillip Lahm to full-back).
Why? Because while Hummels is a fantastic reader of the game, exceptional in the air, very good on the ball, charismatic, handsome and a natural leader, he's not particularly fast, especially over shorter distances. He needs a certain type of partner alongside him. He's not Franco Baresi, Bobby Moore and Franz Beckenbauer rolled into one. Hummels works very well with a certain type of sidekick. He also missed three stretches of 2014 through injury, appearing in just 22 Bundesliga games in the calendar year. Dortmund kept a clean sheet in just seven of them -- just one of which occurred in the past six months.
Strootman is big and strong, and he's an excellent tackler, surprisingly mobile and a perceptive passer. He was also out injured for exactly six months, from March to November, and it's not clear at all that he's fit now despite having returned to action 44 days ago. Since his return, he's played 69 minutes, his performances ranging from the mediocre to the downright poor.
Now, if Hummels regains form and Strootman regains fitness, would they make United better? Of course they would. But are they for sale? Officially, no. And, truth be told, Hummels has never expressed an interest in leaving Dortmund. (Strootman has been more circumspect; his relationship with Van Gaal is very real, though Roma owner Jim Pallotta has repeated to anyone who will listen that Strootman is going nowhere.)
But we live in the real world. If United make a large enough offer, both could be on their way, particularly if Dortmund get relegated. It would be foolish for their clubs not to sell. And, as we saw with Angel Di Maria, Daley Blind and the rest of last summer's transfer haul, United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is capable of writing big checks.
But the fact of the matter is that right now, with both players yet to prove that they're the guys they were a year ago, it would be foolish for United to splash a huge amount of cash on either. They'd simply be paying a premium for a brand-name toy without knowing if it really works. And they'd be caving in to the advertising blitz, the hype and the pleas of some of their fans and media.
You hope for United's sake that Woodward exercises better judgment in buying footballers than some parents do in buying presents.
GABRIELE MARCOTTI
http://www.espnfc.com/blog/marcotti...els-rumors-are-transfer-nonsense-gab-marcotti
Can't believe I read the whole article. It basically says it makes no sense to go after Strootman and Hummels. They are both premium players that aren't living up to their value based on current form. While I agree with that sentiment, the point could've been made in a more direct fashion.
I read one part of it and from what I gathered the writer clearly had a shit Christmas as a child.
I would be happy with Depay and a decent fullback.
Strootman and Hummels in the summer.
Strootman and Hummels in the summer.
I really don't want Hummels. I'm certain he's been playing at a level he will never reach again. Dortmund syndrome.
The same for me, i would be happy with Shawcross, Clyne and a good box to box.
Hummels is always injured and he'll cost a lot.
Dear, oh dear...
The last guy I want on my defensive line is a guy who is almost as bad, if not worse, of a nutjob as Phil Jones is. Shawcross is the definition of a totally braindead butcher. Going after the likes of Godin, Garay and Laporte would be quite a solid statement of intent.
Dear, oh dear...
The last guy I want on my defensive line is a guy who is almost as bad, if not worse, of a nutjob as Phil Jones is. Shawcross is the definition of a totally braindead butcher. Going after the likes of Godin, Garay and Laporte would be quite a solid statement of intent.
I didn't said that it was the best options, it's the minimum i would accept. Obviously my choice would go for Godin, because of his experience and talent.
There's zero point in adding squad players either in January or the summer. Improve on what we have or don't bother.
Only Shawcross(or someone else) would be a squad player, and it's not useless since our squad players can't stay fit, they are infirmary players more than anything, in defense i mean.
Edit: Improving the bench is an important thing.
We can improve the bench by signing quality and demoting current first team players. Sign a quality centre back and Rojo/Jones/Smalling strengthen the bench.
Reading that was five minutes of my life I just pissed away.
I don't trust current first team players to stay fit, we should improve both get rid of the unreliable players and sign first team players in the summer, most likely.
Nah I feel the same. Maybe one defender and/or one youngster (Mendez). The summer however...I can see us go bonkers again.
I just skimmed the first part and thought, feck this.His pace, or lack of, is a worry. Not sure who else i really want tbh.
I don't care who we go for but LVG has seemed quite incapable of fielding that perfectly balanced XI no matter which formation and set of players he has gone for.
Can be excused by the fact that he bought players for a 5-3-2, which meant when it failed he had already got rid of our wingers and brought in way too many central options and not found back ups for our full backs.
I hope he sorts this out in the January window, he should really know by now which formation he wants to use and he should get the necessary players for it.
Can be excused by the fact that he bought players for a 5-3-2, which meant when it failed he had already got rid of our wingers and brought in way too many central options and not found back ups for our full backs.
I hope he sorts this out in the January window, he should really know by now which formation he wants to use and he should get the necessary players for it.
If we spend some money in next transfer window,Tyler will be on the case,saying things like "Yea Gary like in a summer was not enough,so they went and threw another 100 mil. on their problems,you cant fix everything with a money Gary,you know that".
What ? and our wingers ?
I agree with the sentiment of only buying top quality players, i think we need backup/competition at fullback.
Let Nani, Kagawa, Zaha and Welbeck go/go on loan and he doesn't trust Valencia/Young to play as wingers. So we just have Di Maria and Januzaj left for those roles.
Meaning if one of Januzaj or Di Maria are injured we can't play with wingers, and Di Maria has been much better centrally so far. Januzaj hasn't set the world alight either.
We've played the diamond one more time than we've played the 4-1-4-1 in the league.
Kagawa was definitely not a winger, he may have played from the left a few times but would have changed nothing. Welbeck left because he wanted games up front. Zaha isn't good enough to be in the team.
That's what i thought, he didn't got rid of wingers just for the sake of it or to implement a 3-5-2, Zaha and Nani were considered not good enough and the others aren't wingers.
He also clearly said that he was using a system without winger, because of our unbalanced team, too much #10 and strikers, too little fullbacks and CMs.
Exactly my point. After two transfer windows he can't by any means use that as a reason anymore. I am not saying he should use wingers, I am just stating that whatever formation he wants to play he probably needs some reinforcements.
If the diamond is what he wants then we need to have a right and left back utility player in case Rafael/Shaw gets injured so we don't have to change the entire team due to lacking back up.
If he wants to play the 5-3-2 then we need to get rid of Valencia&Young as first team players if we want to be an absolute top team.
If he wants to play the 4-1-4-1 then he needs one or two wingers so he can play Di Maria centrally and has a back up for if Januzaj isn't in form or either of them are injured.
He can of course choose to not improve the team, that is a fair option as well but then he can't use it as an excuse at a later stage. I.e "I have to play 5 at the back because Shaw/Rafael are injured. I have to play without wingers because we have none" etc.
It's this following part who bothered me:
That's not true, he hasn't bought players for that system, and you say that he can't use this argument after two windows, but he only had one, and the january window won't be a real window (unless we are lucky), you can't go after all your targets at this time of the year.
Edit: For the fullback Evra wasn't supposed to go, Van Gaal wanted him to stay but ultimately the club allowed him to go because of his loyalty to the club.
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We need a proper right back. Rafael is always injured. This will not change - look at his record over five or six years.
Strootman seems realistic too.
Otherwise, we can plod on til the summer. We have enough to make top 4.
Strootman seems realistic too.
Otherwise, we can plod on til the summer. We have enough to make top 4.
Dear, oh dear...
The last guy I want on my defensive line is a guy who is almost as bad, if not worse, of a nutjob as Phil Jones is. Shawcross is the definition of a totally braindead butcher. Going after the likes of Godin, Garay and Laporte would be quite a solid statement of intent.
Not really disagreeing with you as regards Shawcross, but Chavski managed to turn a nobody who they brought for tuppence into an England international and CL winner, so why couldn't we do the same with Shawcross?
He stays fit, he's on the fringes of international standard and he even knows United pretty well. What could go wrong? It might even be a decent punt *nervous smilie
We've got Shaw, Rojo and Blind for LB and as much as I love Rafael we need a top quality first choice right back as he's not fit for half the games. For the games he is fit, real competition can only be good.
Here's what I think we will be moving towards by the end of the summer, keeping in mind that Van Gaal likes to be able to play both 3 and 4 at the back:
S- Falcao, RVP, Wilson
10- Rooney, Mata,
W - Winger1, Januzaj, Winger 3/Zaha
CM- Di Maria, CM2, Herrera, Pereira/Youth
DM -Blind, Carrick
WB/FB - Shaw, Rafael, FB3, Young OR Valencia
CB - CB1, Smalling, Rojo, Jones, Evans, McNair OR Blackett
GK - De Gea, GK2
With the 5 signings being, a bit optimistic and assuming we secure CL football, something like this:
Winger 1 - Bale/Reus/Robben
Winger 3 - Depay
CM 2 - Strootman/Vidal/Schneiderlin
FB3 - No idea. Coentrao? Darmian?
CB1 - Hummels, Miranda, Vlaar
GK2 - No idea. If De Gea goes to Barca or Madrid, we'll sign a top replacement and probably a higher profle 2nd keeper. If he stays, just a random number 2.
So, in January, I can really only see us addressing the 2nd Winger purchase, the backup keeper and the FB depth buy. I suppose if we settle on Vlaar as the CB because we can't get anyone great he could come too, but Villa might need him to stay up and he'll be free anyways in the summer.
S- Falcao, RVP, Wilson
10- Rooney, Mata,
W - Winger1, Januzaj, Winger 3/Zaha
CM- Di Maria, CM2, Herrera, Pereira/Youth
DM -Blind, Carrick
WB/FB - Shaw, Rafael, FB3, Young OR Valencia
CB - CB1, Smalling, Rojo, Jones, Evans, McNair OR Blackett
GK - De Gea, GK2
With the 5 signings being, a bit optimistic and assuming we secure CL football, something like this:
Winger 1 - Bale/Reus/Robben
Winger 3 - Depay
CM 2 - Strootman/Vidal/Schneiderlin
FB3 - No idea. Coentrao? Darmian?
CB1 - Hummels, Miranda, Vlaar
GK2 - No idea. If De Gea goes to Barca or Madrid, we'll sign a top replacement and probably a higher profle 2nd keeper. If he stays, just a random number 2.
So, in January, I can really only see us addressing the 2nd Winger purchase, the backup keeper and the FB depth buy. I suppose if we settle on Vlaar as the CB because we can't get anyone great he could come too, but Villa might need him to stay up and he'll be free anyways in the summer.
Add Bale and Strootman and I'd settle for this by the end of next summer window. Can see Mata being moved on at some point also.