Zips back upWe've needed a volume passer forever. He's the type of player I've wanted to see in our midfield basically since Carrick left, but I just don't see him as being of the right quality.
The first set of stats is Zubimendi. The second lot is Amrabat at Fiorentina. Fiorentina are a worse side than Sociedad, and we've currently got people saying they wouldn't take Amrabat for free. Now, stats aren't everything, and it's hard to guess which players will adapt best to the PL, but I just don't think he's shown enough at his current level to be worth the roll of the dice.
From the stats and from the few games I've seen of him (not that much of course, but I did see most of Sociedad's group games in the CL, and usually watch when they play Madrid or Barca), he just looks like a very middle of the road player of that type. I think people are just hyping this up because they love the idea of us having a proper deep lying playmaker type again, rather than on anything Zubimendi himself has shown.
Martín Zubimendi | £51m release clause
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Jamie (@Vault Dweller) get the depressing job of reviewing United's 3-0 loss at Old Trafford to Liverpool. They discuss what went wrong, Casemiro's day to forget, and the pressure now on Erik Ten Hag. They also take some time to give McTominay a proper farewell, and give their overall thoughts on the Summer Transfer Window.
We've needed a volume passer forever. He's the type of player I've wanted to see in our midfield basically since Carrick left, but I just don't see him as being of the right quality.
The first set of stats is Zubimendi. The second lot is Amrabat at Fiorentina. Fiorentina are a worse side than Sociedad, and we've currently got people saying they wouldn't take Amrabat for free. Now, stats aren't everything, and it's hard to guess which players will adapt best to the PL, but I just don't think he's shown enough at his current level to be worth the roll of the dice.
From the stats and from the few games I've seen of him (not that much of course, but I did see most of Sociedad's group games in the CL, and usually watch when they play Madrid or Barca), he just looks like a very middle of the road player of that type. I think people are just hyping this up because they love the idea of us having a proper deep lying playmaker type again, rather than on anything Zubimendi himself has shown.
Underlines my feelings about this. People want a DLP so badly they're convincing themselves this mediocre example is elite because he happens to be the best of that type who's available this summer. And because he's Spanish, and plenty of the greats in that position in the last couple of decades have been Spanish.
Ugarte is being described as a 'pure destroyer'. That's closer to what we really need, in my opinion. Only a true worldie of a DLP would get through enough defensive work to support our defensively lightweight midfield options. Better to be realistic and get someone who is truly elite at that aspect and trust our creative/progressive players to make up for that side of it. That said, it's harsh to call Ugarte a pure destroyer anyway, when elements of his passing game are demonstrably better than Zubimendi's!
I'm not sure if there is anybody who's available for the kind of prices we're looking to pay that's definitely ready to step in and do that job for us. For a pure 'metronome' playmaker who keeps the ball ticking over and turns away from pressure for fun, I like Lobotka at Napoli a lot. He could potentially be gettable on the basis that he probably doesn't fit the Conte workhorse midfield mould. On the downside, he's already 29 and doesn't really offer much defensively.
It might be more sensible to get in a pure destroyer like Ugarte and try to develop Mainoo into being that kind of player. I feel like he'd be capable of it as he matures, even if he's more of a box-to-box type now.
I'm not sure if there is anybody who's available for the kind of prices we're looking to pay that's definitely ready to step in and do that job for us. For a pure 'metronome' playmaker who keeps the ball ticking over and turns away from pressure for fun, I like Lobotka at Napoli a lot. He could potentially be gettable on the basis that he probably doesn't fit the Conte workhorse midfield mould. On the downside, he's already 29 and doesn't really offer much defensively.
It might be more sensible to get in a pure destroyer like Ugarte and try to develop Mainoo into being that kind of player. I feel like he'd be capable of it as he matures, even if he's more of a box-to-box type now.
Yeah getting Ugarte and developing Kobbie is probably the way forward for now. Obviously it's not ideal but then neither is our financial situation
Had a good Euros finals performance, I guess. I think as a club we really don’t know how to target appropriate midfield profiles and I think ten Hag also doesn’t value midfield dominance.
That results in a bunch of generally unappealing options being our main interests — Amrabat, Ugarte, Zubimendi, Rabbit, and Fofana. All-round average joes for the most part.
He's the best out of all the DM options we've sounded out, why can't those handling the transfer ins see that?
Think the point still stands - your original post and my reply - on both players!
Since he’s Spanish I’d imagine he’s very good at passing as they’re a really good passing team. He’d probably be the best suited for a team wanting to implement a possession style but personally I quite like the destroyers, the ball winning midfielders like Ugarte. We need a bit of steel in midfield we’ve lacked since Keane.
Ideally we need a bit of both, however right now I agree there is a bigger priority for a DM because we have lost too many midfield battles
Oh absolutely, but I think Zubi is the more tenuous link and there seems to be less consensus on him being ’the guy’ where it feels like people believe Ugarte is going to make our midfield functional, which I highly doubt, personally.
Ye id rather we have a ball winner as DM and then a really good passing CM.
Who should we target for that passing CM role?
I think Fabian Ruiz would do a very good job. Watched him in the euros with Spain and he looked decent. But I think Arsenal could sign him.
That would be an absolute sickener
Are you testing me?
I come here to dream about signing a quality technical player and you drop this on my lap?
We should be getting him, Ugarte and De Ligt/Branthwaite. But that's just a dream... we probably can't afford that.
This is the player Barca should be targeting. I have no idea why they're trying to pursue Dani Olmo. They have five players who can essentially play that position.
To get Ugarte and Zubimendi would be a dream but it looks like there is no movement.
Mainoo
Ugarte
Zubimendi
Collyer
Casemiro/Eriksen
Sell McTominay and Casemiro/Eriksen*
*Of course Casemiro and Eriksen are different players but one should stay for the experience in our midfield.
Mainoo
Ugarte
Zubimendi
Collyer
Casemiro/Eriksen
Sell McTominay and Casemiro/Eriksen*
*Of course Casemiro and Eriksen are different players but one should stay for the experience in our midfield.
Yeah we know by now, we are interested in everyone and in dialogue with everyone.
Fernandes will have to go if we get both ugarte and zubemendi.
Whether that'll be a net positive I have no idea.
Whether that'll be a net positive I have no idea.
How good is he actually? Does he really have top player potential or is he fancies cause he is Spanish and we hope he is the next Rodri?
Because he's not.
He looks bang average. One of those midfielders that isn't very good at any particular thing.
I would say that it “looks like” we don’t have any idea what is going on behind the scenes. Not much point twisting ourselves in knots about what is and isn’t getting done. The new regime seems very efficient and prefers to do their jobs with discretion. It’s impossible to know who we are in discussions with or how advanced they are.
Thee first we’ll hear about concrete movement, is once talks are very advanced and we are close to agreeing a fee. Just like it was with Yoro and Zirkzee. The only thing we do know is that the club is working on multiple transfers, both in and out, simultaneously. What those deals are, and how advanced they are, is anyone’s guess.
Jeez, so who should we sign in midfield then?
Every year they link him with a team and he comes out to say he doesn't want to leave Real Sociedad.
It's amazing people said the same thing about Carrick when we signed him 1st. He's a very good footballer that keeps it simple, very intelligent, he would be a great addition but unlikely to happen.
Imagine a window in which we get Ugarte and Zubimendi, yeah we are not that lucky.
Why?
I think the assumption is that his style is incompatible with that duo.
That or he wouldn't suffer a Spanish majority midfield.
Exactly. I never understood the Bruno disrespect here. By far our most creative player by a country mile and yet... I cant imagine how much t would cost us to replace him. One of the few success stories in the last 10yrs.
Not just our most creative player but top 3 in the league
We have Mainoo doing that with Ugarte coming in. Far too expensive to be a backup to Mainoo
Yeah definitely nothing more than a pipe dream
Those 2 players would compliment him not make him leave.
We didn’t lose midfield battles, we insanely decided to give up midfield as a deliberate tactic
Depends on Zubimendi's willingness to join. However, if the former joins on loan and we're selling McTominay and at least one other player (which I think is not unrealistic) it's certainly plausible. We might negotiate a slightly higher than the release clause fee in order to spread the payments out over a number of years, but this would be quite an exciting start to proper squad building.
Then next season we'd be looking at seeing Maguire, Lindelof, Eriksen (if none are sold this season) leave at the end of contract. I think this squad will look quite healthy after the next summer window.
Mainoo isn’t going to play 60 games who else do with have with his skillset in the squad?