Manchester United transfer news and rumours for summer 2014

Get where you are going but do you really think any of those teams gave really strengthened with those purchases.

For Chelsea I just see a great goal keeper and very good midfield. I don't think there forward line or back is particularly exceptional.

City already had best right back. San a is good but really they have other areas to improve but they do have best squad.

Liverpool did well last year, but still think other than their front Line I think they are overrated. Not a strong back line, and the midfield could do with someone like a yaya toure.

Arsenal, Spurs and Everton not doing a great deal. However they are all worse off than last year. Manager leaving, players leaving and loan players going.

We are in clearly a worse position than last year, players wise, but we now have a manager who may play to our strengths. We
Will buy so I expect a significant closing of the gap next year.

More so than ours?
 
Van Gaal arrives in the middle of July at the latest, depending on how Holland progress at the WC. I can't see him being impressed if there are no new signings when he arrives - we play the first game of our pre-season tour on 23rd July.

Woodward needs to get the finger out.

I would imagine eventhough VanGaal is at the WC there will be a certain degree of communication between the club and him so he would be well aware of what is / isn't happening.
I would have thought that since Giggs is to be assistant that he would be involved to some degree while VanGaal is at the WC.
 
It's not always the same. We had one rubbish transfer window last season and now people are thinking that's the norm?

The season before we had Powell, Zaha, Kagawa all signed for when the window opened. Season before that De Gea, Young, and Jones were the same, Smalling and Hernandez before that.

Yes, if the same happens again, especially after the World Cup we should start to worry. How ever with a new manager, probably targeting players he knows of/about it will probably take a bit more time as groundwork needs to be laid out, which is tricky when a World Cup is on. Clubs/Agents may refuse to negotiate to see if values go up.

Read the stories of what's happened to Riquelme when he was signed without Van Gaals involvement.

Powell and Zaha were just promising talent from the 1st division who are struggling to find space in the Premiership while Young and Jones were solid/promising players from a mid EPL table club. The only big name was Kagawa (whom I never believed the hype around him) and De Gea. The former was brought in an area which we are already well stocked with while the latter was a promising keeper and the only one who actually made it as a regular first team player.

In the last 3 years Bayern brought in the likes of Thiago Alcantara, Mario Gotze and Lewandowski. Barcelona went for Neymar, Alba and Song while
Real signed Bale, Modric and Illarramendi. All these clubs spend on more quality then us despite having a much better side then we have. We expect our side to compete against theirs despite our midfield consist of 2 average players (Ando and Cleverley), a long ball merchant, a player with a chronic illness and Carrick. That's never going to happen.

I am not against buying promising players however we need to back the squad with real quality. Its time we start acting like the top club we claim we are.
 
I would imagine eventhough VanGaal is at the WC there will be a certain degree of communication between the club and him so he would be well aware of what is / isn't happening.
I would have thought that since Giggs is to be assistant that he would be involved to some degree while VanGaal is at the WC.

Giggs is on South African TV with Supersport as a pundit every day. Hopefully though you are right on both counts as not a lot of time at all from WC end to pre season beginning.
 
Get where you are going but do you really think any of those teams gave really strengthened with those purchases.

For Chelsea I just see a great goal keeper and very good midfield. I don't think there forward line or back is particularly exceptional.

City already had best right back. San a is good but really they have other areas to improve but they do have best squad.

Liverpool did well last year, but still think other than their front Line I think they are overrated. Not a strong back line, and the midfield could do with someone like a yaya toure.

Arsenal, Spurs and Everton not doing a great deal. However they are all worse off than last year. Manager leaving, players leaving and loan players going.

We are in clearly a worse position than last year, players wise, but we now have a manager who may play to our strengths. We
Will buy so I expect a significant closing of the gap next year.

Chelsea had signed a quality replacement for Lampard and are pretty close to get Costa and Filipe Luis. City have strengthened their quality in depth. If we were in Chelsea's situation we would probably had given Lampard an extension until he can barely walk on the pitch anymore. I mean who can replace Lampard right?

If you ask me, I doubt Liverpool will be able to emulate what they did last season unless they spend big. However I believe Chelsea and City to be stronger. First of all I expect both clubs to spend big. Also, their players know what the manager expect from them and will respond to their tactics better.

United need to spend big next season to keep up. We have lost experienced players such as Rio, Vidic and Giggs + some players are clearly not good enough. Not to forget that VG's teams are renowned for starting slowly and the fact that he will be signing late in the summer wont help. Im dreading the time of having to watch Paddy recycling the 'but the manager didn't had the time to sign his players' excuse which was synonomous with last season.
 
Good point but those windows all have one thing missing. A quality central midfielder that we have been crying out for for at least 4 years. Getting in early is great of course but apart from De Gea not one of those players have been a first team regular. I think we have been poor in regards to transfers for a long long time now.

Yes on the midfielder front, last window was because Ed and Moyes pissed around. Where as previously it was more down to Fergie being stubborn/thinking our current midfield was good enough. People's opinion that we had poor windows how ever we have won the league 3 of the past 5 seasons. The two seasons we did not win it, there was a 1 point and GD margin. So i would argue, that they were probably as bad as people think.

Not saying you are, but i think quite a few United fans are spoilt. How ever how many times over the years, we've been linked with X Y and Z superstar player and actually gone out and signed them?... very rarely. We look over at City, Chelsea, Barca, Madrid and Bayern with a bit of envy that they sign these huge names and because of that we believe we've been rubbish at spending. Yes i do wish we've signed some big name players over the last few seasons, but looking at what we've achieved compared to those teams?... I'm not jealous.

Just tagging @devilish because my reply is relevant to their post
 
Yes on the midfielder front, last window was because Ed and Moyes pissed around. Where as previously it was more down to Fergie being stubborn/thinking our current midfield was good enough. People's opinion that we had poor windows how ever we have won the league 3 of the past 5 seasons. The two seasons we did not win it, there was a 1 point and GD margin. So i would argue, that they were probably as bad as people think.

Not saying you are, but i think quite a few United fans are spoilt. How ever how many times over the years, we've been linked with X Y and Z superstar player and actually gone out and signed them?... very rarely. We look over at City, Chelsea, Barca and Madrid with a bit of envy that they sign these huge names and because of that we believe we've been rubbish at spending.

Yes SAF was stubborn for sure but did back it up with success. That was the genius of the man. I don't think LvG can do it though with current midfield.
I was gutted when we did not sign Dembele from Fulham or Eriksen from Ajax, these were players not classed as top stars but every time we come up against them before and since they play their United counterparts off the park.
Instead we were buying the likes of Orbetan, Valencia, Young, Bebe and then your Zahas of the world.
I think it's because of United's obsession with wingers why our midfield has been so neglected.
So yes I'm up for realistic targets being bought but if across all the top leagues in the world there are not two available center midfielders better than what we have already then football as whole is in trouble.
Because our midfield is terrible!
 
Yes SAF was stubborn for sure but did back it up with success. That was the genius of the man. I don't think LvG can do it though with current midfield.
I was gutted when we did not sign Dembele from Fulham or Eriksen from Ajax, these were players not classed as top stars but every time we come up against them before and since they play their United counterparts off the park.
Instead we were buying the likes of Orbetan, Valencia, Young, Bebe and then your Zahas of the world.
I think it's because of United's obsession with wingers why our midfield has been so neglected.
So yes I'm up for realistic targets being bought but if across all the top leagues in the world there are not two available center midfielders better than what we have already then football as whole is in trouble.
Because our midfield is terrible!

I was gutted to, but then you see Dembele struggling to get in Spurs first XI or being subbed off most games, and how Eriksen struggled after his first few games... You can probably see why we did not sign them.

Hey ho, Fergie was stubborn and did not see the issues with our midfield. Moyes admitted it was the first thing he wanted to address, but him and Ed pissed around and didn't get it sorted. I'm sure Van Gaal will get at least one midfielder in and then go for Strootman in Jan.
 
Well if the Vermaelen rumours are accurate, then Mr Woodward is clearly following my shopping list:

I'm more than slightly bored, so I'll play:

Vidal - ~ £50m transfer fee, wages £200-250k p/w (don't think Pogba will be a goer whatever we offer given the interest from elsewhere, but we know that LvG at least knows of Vidal's existence, so the problem would be getting Vidal to come to us - for that the only answer we have is high wages)

Shaw - £27m, wages ~ £100k p/w

Sanchez - ~ £30m, wages £150-200k p/w

Schweinsteiger (if he actually is available, which I have doubts about) - ~£25m, wages £150-£200k p/w

Centre-back (not sure of specific names here, but we need one to replace Vidic given our current three can't stay fit and Michael Keane can replace Rio's games) - budget ~£30m, wages £100-150k p/w

Add another £40m max to pay for signing-on fees and agent fees, then we're looking at:

~ £202m total gross (£162m transfer fees, paid in instalments as usual but lets keep it simple here) with ~ £900k p/w added to the wage bill gross (obviously Rio, Vidic, Giggs and whichever players we manage to sell will impact the net wage change).

Strootman should wait until January owing to his injury, so the package to bring him in can come out of the next transfer budget rather than the one we're working from this window.

How's that for muppetry? Anyone got Woodward's email? :angel:

If the transfer fee is around £10m, with maybe another £5m for the signing/agent fees, and then the wages of £100k (£50k p/w below my above budget for the centre-back signing), then Woodward was left plenty extra in our £200m total budget to bring in Vidal, Sanchez and Schwiensteiger - making it even more certain we'll get them in this window :angel:
 
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Will there be any available top quality players left by the time we move for someone in the market? Come on Woody, make us proud! We need to close deals now like other clubs! 5 players we need and it's not looking very likely to sign that many unless we start announcing deals like Tottenham after they sold Bale. :) Do remember that good isn't good enough for us, we need top drawer players.
 
The only midfielder I believe he'd improve is Cleverley. Carrick will soon be 33 so you can't expect him to get better or reach his 12/13 form, Fletcher is finished and I think we should sell him and the less said about Fellaini the better.
How not? His game is based almost entirely off of his intelligence and reading of the game. He has never been fast, never ran around much and never relied on physical attributes. Just because he is 33 doesn't mean he forgets how to read the game. Used in a proper system there is no reason Carrick shouldn't be able to reach his 12/13 form.
 
I notice that the front page of this forum is currently filled with a lot of players I'd really like us to sign (plus Vermaelen). Without looking at all the threads in detail, which I don't have time to do at the moment, it looks like we are in for one hell of a transfer window!
 
Oh yes, i would definitely say it's going to be one hell of a window, like last years was.
Without looking at all the threads in detail, which I don't have time to do at the moment, it looks like we are in for one hell of a transfer window!
 
Well if the Vermaelen rumours are accurate, then Mr Woodward is clearly following my shopping list:



If the transfer fee is around £10m, with maybe another £5m for the signing/agent fees, and then the wages of £100k (£50k p/w below my above budget for the centre-back signing), then Woodward was left plenty extra in our £200m total budget to bring in Vidal, Sanchez and Schwiensteiger - making it even more certain we'll get them in this window :angel:

I really like your optimism. Just the fact that the names bandied around here are Vidal and Kroos and what we might eventually get is Vermaelen and Song doesn't dampen your spirits.
 
Just read a Guardian piece on Cabaye. Another one bites the dust, eh?
I mean if somebody would write a list of CM players that we had a genuine chance to sign but failed to do so in the last three years. It would a devastating, dreadful reading. The most sad thing is that Cabaye is actually only a second pick in PSG team. He maybe not a top player, but he is a considerable upgrade on CM's and could more that a decent partner for Carrick. He's can score from midfield too, something we have not had for a while here. Eh...

You know i've got a sick feeling that a year from now, i am gonna write the same stuff bit only about Kroos.
 
Just read a Guardian piece on Cabaye. Another one bites the dust, eh?
I mean if somebody would write a list of CM players that we had a genuine chance to sign but failed to do so in the last three years. It would a devastating, dreadful reading. The most sad thing is that Cabaye is actually only a second pick in PSG team. He maybe not a top player, but he is a considerable upgrade on CM's and could more that a decent partner for Carrick. He's can score from midfield too, something we have not had for a while here. Eh...

You know i've got a sick feeling that a year from now, i am gonna write the same stuff bit only about Kroos.
I get your frustration. But, In last three years don't forget we won few trophies. Not every midfielder can fit in the system we chose to play (cabaye was available). It's not about just few youtube highlights or few stand out performances. I think SAF was always careful with his signings character and hunger aswell. We all know what happened with Moyes, so maybe VG will sort the midfield issue. I think it's about time we move on from this midfield moan, let's just Waite and see how VG assembles his squad/midfield.
 
I really like your optimism. Just the fact that the names bandied around here are Vidal and Kroos and what we might eventually get is Vermaelen and Song doesn't dampen your spirits.

Just to clarify: my "shopping list" post, as well as that follow-up post above, are firmly tongue-in-cheek. I'm as pessimistic as they come as to our chances of getting signings done, never mind getting in any big names like Vidal, Sanchez or Schweinsteiger. Signing someone like Vermaelen would, to me, seem entirely typical of our actual transfer reality. As for the player himself, the only thing stopping me from thinking he would be a poor signing is the idea that Van Gaal has probably targeted him specifically - if Moyes had signed him then I'd have no faith we were making the right move.

So my spirits are pretty well dampen anyway - lets hope Woodward and his team raise them in this window :angel:
 
Just to clarify: my "shopping list" post, as well as that follow-up post above, are firmly tongue-in-cheek. I'm as pessimistic as they come as to our chances of getting signings done, never mind getting in any big names like Vidal, Sanchez or Schweinsteiger. Signing someone like Vermaelen would, to me, seem entirely typical of our actual transfer reality. As for the player himself, the only thing stopping me from thinking he would be a poor signing is the idea that Van Gaal has probably targeted him specifically - if Moyes had signed him then I'd have no faith we were making the right move.

So my spirits are pretty well dampen anyway - lets hope Woodward and his team raise them in this window :angel:

Ah! Though so, sorry about that.

The only thing that surprises me is so many people here actually bought the "squad overhaul", "200 million" and "5-6 world class player" bullshit while we haven't been able to sign a decent central midfielder (forget world class) for the better part of 5 years. And on top of that we are out of the CL.
 
Our only drawing power for players lies in Van Gaal now. I really don't see any top class players desperate to join us, we have nothing of consequence to offer them apart from money.

I'm anticipating a quiet window then a panic at the end whereby we overpay for a couple of average players, just so Woodward can try to claim that was who we were after all along.
 
Our only drawing power for players lies in Van Gaal now. I really don't see any top class players desperate to join us, we have nothing of consequence to offer them apart from money.

I'm anticipating a quiet window then a panic at the end whereby we overpay for a couple of average players, just so Woodward can try to claim that was who we were after all along.

We're Manchester United. Of course we have have something to offer players ffs. It's one season, Liverpool have been like this for years.
 
We're Manchester United. Of course we have have something to offer players ffs. It's one season, Liverpool have been like this for years.
I'm afraid "we're Manchester United" doesn't quite cut it for world class players. Which world class players have we ever signed?

We have something to offer lesser players who want to better themselves but that's about it. Time to stop kidding ourselves that our name is enough to have players falling over themselves to join us.
 
I'm afraid "we're Manchester United" doesn't quite cut it for world class players. Which world class players have we ever signed?

We have something to offer lesser players who want to better themselves but that's about it. Time to stop kidding ourselves that our name is enough to have players falling over themselves to join us.

Wish people would stop thinking that's what fans believe:rolleyes:. We've lost enough players to Chelsea for thts not to be true.
 
Our only drawing power for players lies in Van Gaal now. I really don't see any top class players desperate to join us, we have nothing of consequence to offer them apart from money.

I'm anticipating a quiet window then a panic at the end whereby we overpay for a couple of average players, just so Woodward can try to claim that was who we were after all along.
This x1000 I really can't see anything other than bitter dissapointment as all top targets end up signing for clubs that show they are willing to get the top players in, do what's needed and pay the extra 2-3m we won't.
 
We're Manchester United. Of course we have have something to offer players ffs. It's one season, Liverpool have been like this for years.

This.....and its not like there weren't mitigating circumstances either with it being the first season without a manager we had for the last 20 years?
 
So what is it we have to offer world class players then, because clearly they've been missing the point too judging by the number we've signed.

What, are you for real?....? That has to be the most stupid question I've read since coming to the mains......
 
So what is it we have to offer world class players then, because clearly they've been missing the point too judging by the number we've signed.

I am afraid that I quoted the wrong post. I actually agree with you.
 
What, are you for real?....? That has to be the most stupid question I've read since coming to the mains......

Foreign top players don't give a frek about playing with Manchester United. They would probably not know who George Best and Sir Matt Busby are. Think about it. Do you know who Paolo Rossi or Helenio Herrera are? These people shaped the Serie A to what we know now but are barely known outside Italy.

What players care about is money and at a lesser rate prestige. We struggle in both when compared to the likes of Bayern, Real and Barcelona and would struggle in terms of money against the likes of Chelsea, Shitty and PSG.

If you ask me we really need to get off our high horse and see things as they are. We're a top club that's passing from a very bad patch and whose not renowned for spending big.
 
Foreign top players don't give a frek about playing with Manchester United. They would probably struggle to know who George Best and Sir Matt Busby is. Think about it. Do you know who Paolo Rossi or Helenio Herrera are? These people shaped the Serie A to what we know now but are barely known outside Italy.

What players care about is money and at a lesser rate prestige. We struggle in both when compared to the likes of Bayern, Real and Barcelona and would struggle in terms of money against the likes of Chelsea, Shitty and PSG.

If you ask me we really need to get off our high horse and see things as they are. We're a top club that's passing from a very bad patch and whose not renowned for spending big.
Thanks, saved me some typing!! :)
 
Thanks, saved me some typing!! :)

There's this idea that our history is somehow more special then all the other clubs and we've got this cocky mentality that just because we've got a great fan base and alot of sponsors we're on top of the world and players would sell their mum to slave market just to sign with us. First of all the time when players used to choose prestige over money is over. Prestige does play a part in influencing players decision but its just a bonus. Secondly we tend to be extremely popular in areas where football isn't that great. In general terms Spanish talent would still prefer to play in Spain, same as the Germans (Germany followed by Spain and then England), Italy (Italy, Spain and then England) and South America (Spain, Italy, Germany and then England).
 
Our only drawing power for players lies in Van Gaal now. I really don't see any top class players desperate to join us, we have nothing of consequence to offer them apart from money.

I'm anticipating a quiet window then a panic at the end whereby we overpay for a couple of average players, just so Woodward can try to claim that was who we were after all along.

don't disagree with this. I feel the longer LVG keeps the Dutch in the world cup, playing the way they did the other day, the more pulling power we will have regardless of lack of Champions League. Players do like working for talented, ambitious and slightly maverick managers. However, after a world cup, where top players have had a successful tournament, then their ambitions, costs go right up and the teams in the brackets of acceptance for them to consider is small - well, at least united probably isn't in those brackets at the moment, that is for sure.

We'll have to wait till after the world cup for any major transfers I reckon, at which time every dam top team in Europe will be burning their mobiles doing deals...
 
I don't know why we are again doing nothing or let's say don't getting things done. Fabregas to Chel$ea was a matter of days where we wasted months. Other clubs sign despite World Cup.

We could have an relatively easy summer at least in defence by going for realistic targets (I think those would want, other than those Big names from top clubs.

CB: Garay + Vermaelen
LB: Shaw

For midfield we just have to splash the cash. The only option on the relatively cheap could be Blind. I don't know if William is worth triggering the clause but he is a big talent anyway so I'd take that gamble. We have to spend big anyway and this guy most likely has a bright future

DM: William Carvalho (+ Blind?)
CM: Strootman or ?

Only to get a winger seems tricky to me: Griezmann maybe. Don't know who is worth biding for besides the likes of Sanchez, Reus won't come anyway.


In conclusion I say we shouldn't waste time again for names from top clubs who can't improve their status by joining us.
 
Foreign top players don't give a frek about playing with Manchester United. They would probably not know who George Best and Sir Matt Busby are. Think about it. Do you know who Paolo Rossi or Helenio Herrera are? These people shaped the Serie A to what we know now but are barely known outside Italy.

What players care about is money and at a lesser rate prestige. We struggle in both when compared to the likes of Bayern, Real and Barcelona and would struggle in terms of money against the likes of Chelsea, Shitty and PSG.

If you ask me we really need to get off our high horse and see things as they are. We're a top club that's passing from a very bad patch and whose not renowned for spending big.

yep absolutely. You practically never hear these days of a top player saying "I would be honoured and it would be an ambition realised to play for Manchester United". You do, however, hear that from players when talking about Real and Barca. You hear far more these days words to the effect of "I don't want to join Manchester United, I'm happy where I am". We're pretty low down on the list of clubs to play for and the sooner we realise that, the easier these transfer threads will become to bare!
 
Every midfield in the world could do with a Yaya Toure, just as every forward line could do with a Messi.

Yes this is pretty obvious so you are either being very sarcastic or daft.

I was alluding to the previous poster who suggested Liverpool need a player like Yaya.
Liverpool clearly have a better midfield than ours now so what they were saying was a moot point.

Like you stated above any team could do with any of the best players in the world playing for them.
 
yep absolutely. You practically never hear these days of a top player saying "I would be honoured and it would be an ambition realised to play for Manchester United". You do, however, hear that from players when talking about Real and Barca. You hear far more these days words to the effect of "I don't want to join Manchester United, I'm happy where I am". We're pretty low down on the list of clubs to play for and the sooner we realise that, the easier these transfer threads will become to bare!

To be fair I wouldn't put weight on what players say. Its all about money these days.