Matthijs de Ligt / signs for Juventus, lowering their average age to 56

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Don't understand this type of logic, you have easily the best English centre back right now in Gomes alongside Virgil, why even contemplate jeopardizing his development by adding De Ligt. Gomes if he can stay injury free will be this country's best centre half he's miles ahead of Stones.

To add I'd take De Ligt over Skriniar, we should have signed him instead of Lindlelov when we played Ajax in that same window (although Victor is improving game by game). He plays with a maturity well beyond his years, if it's a ridiculous fee that's needed pay it. Football is a mess financially, in three years time his transfer fee will seem a bargain in the current landscape.
I agree completely about Gomez but he has missed an absolute ton of games over the last 2 season's due to injury. Matip and Lovren also can't stay injury free so we need a top quality CB who we can rely on. If we signed De Ligt, he would certainly get games
 
Let Barca have him.
Spending a world record fee for a CB on an Eredivisie player is risky and the last thing we need is a player who doesn't deliver on the money we paid for him, we've goot about 5 or 6 of them in the squad already.

With that way of thinking, future Dutch stars will never play for United.

Risks are there to be taken.

Beside that, the Eredivisie produced some of the biggest players. Not every Eredivisie player is like Davy Klaassen or Jordy Clasie.

I think Juve has the best papers.
Raiola is good friends with Nedved.

Chiellini is 34, Bonucci is 31, Barzagli is 37
Personally i would love to see him in the Premier League or at Barca. The Serie A ain't what it used to be.
 
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I don't normally post such posts but would this work?

De gea

Lindelöf - Bailly - De ligt
Wan bissaka - sessegnon
Ndombele - Pogba
Greenwood - martial
Rashford

4 signings. 2ballplaying defenders screened by a sweeper. 2 support strikers behind a centre forward. A defensive box to box next to an attacking box to box

Think Greenwood is too young atm, but few years down the line it could be a very good lineup.
 
I don't normally post such posts but would this work?

De gea

Lindelöf - Bailly - De ligt
Wan bissaka - sessegnon
Ndombele - Pogba
Greenwood - martial
Rashford

4 signings. 2ballplaying defenders screened by a sweeper. 2 support strikers behind a centre forward. A defensive box to box next to an attacking box to box
This midfield 2 will be destroyed vs good teams in the EPL and ECL IMO.
 
Think Greenwood is too young atm, but few years down the line it could be a very good lineup.

That midfield needs an anchor man / destroyer because Pogba's defensive positioning is poor.

But solskjaer should have gone three at the back against PSG in my opinion, means our fullbacks can double up with the narrow playing wide men in Mata and Sanchez providing natural width from the shape of the team.

I think a 3 4 3 would eradicate SOME of our defensive woes and solve the lack of width in this team which consequently creates more space for the likes of Pogba and co.
 
That midfield needs an anchor man / destroyer because Pogba's defensive positioning is poor.

But solskjaer should have gone three at the back against PSG in my opinion, means our fullbacks can double up with the narrow playing wide men in Mata and Sanchez providing natural width from the shape of the team.

I think a 3 4 3 would eradicate SOME of our defensive woes and solve the lack of width in this team which consequently creates more space for the likes of Pogba and co.

We don't have a proper partner for Pogba to play in that setup. He needs a highly mobile ball winning destroyer that's good enough on the ball, able to send a decent pass and can run with it. Herrera could be tried in that position I suppose, but I think his defensive numbers are a bit inflated due to the fact he's playing in a MF 3, great player nonetheless .
 
We should be doing everything we can to sign him. He is still a kid but he is matured beyond his age. Mbappe is a young player but he is already world class. Players like this are very rare because you get top level output from them as well as longevity. This is exactly the type of signing we miss out on. Where were we when Dembele or Mbappe moved to new clubs? These players will be at the pinacle of football for years to come. It is silly to compare a striker to a CB but there are players like De Ligt who have the potential to be the best in the world in their position (Sancho, De Ligt, Mbappe, Dembele) and then there are players who can be top 10 (Martial etc) in their position and then the bracket below that for players like Rashford etc. If we sign De Ligt he could be the foundation of our defence for a decade.
I’m wondering why you rate Rashford less than Martial?
 
If he is available we should be all over it, but the new contract for Jones worries me that we won't be in the market for another CB.

I don’t see Jones being more than a squad player next season. There’s a reason Ole chose Bailly over him for PSG even when Jones had played more recently.
 
I’m wondering why you rate Rashford less than Martial?
I believe Martial has more in his locker. It is subjective as is everything in football but Martial will be up there in the coming years whereas Rashford is more of a 50/50 his career could go either way depending on him adapting his game. For me Rashford needs to improve his movement in the box, his 1v1 finishing (which is improving), his heading ability is really poor and his decision making. Whereas, Martial only has to start making more runs in behind which he was against PSG but Shaw was daydreaming instead of playing the ball over the top.
 
I believe Martial has more in his locker. It is subjective as is everything in football but Martial will be up there in the coming years whereas Rashford is more of a 50/50 his career could go either way depending on him adapting his game. For me Rashford needs to improve his movement in the box, his 1v1 finishing (which is improving), his heading ability is really poor and his decision making. Whereas, Martial only has to start making more runs in behind which he was against PSG but Shaw was daydreaming instead of playing the ball over the top.
Martial was average against PSG pre injury (Shaw or not) and he needs to improve his decision making too, same as Rashford. Makes good attacking runs to the edge of the box then sometimes passes when should shoot and vice versa.

Both can (and I think will) improve. Both have same potential imo.
 
I agree completely about Gomez but he has missed an absolute ton of games over the last 2 season's due to injury. Matip and Lovren also can't stay injury free so we need a top quality CB who we can rely on. If we signed De Ligt, he would certainly get games

Having Virgil there could be what sways him to join us, if Klopp is really after him.
 
It's reported in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that Ajax are interested in Timothy Mensah from us to replace De Ligt. Could we use their interest in Mensah to strike a deal for De Ligt?
 
It's reported in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that Ajax are interested in Timothy Mensah from us to replace De Ligt. Could we use their interest in Mensah to strike a deal for De Ligt?

Those two deals will probably be entirely separate. Ajax will accept the highest bids and De Ligt/Raiola will choose the club that would be best for them financially and Footballing wise.
 
Those two deals will probably be entirely separate. Ajax will accept the highest bids and De Ligt/Raiola will choose the club that would be best for them financially and Footballing wise.
What club would you say is best footballing wise for De Ligt? I think we should be pretty high on his list under Ole now.
 
What club would you say is best footballing wise for De Ligt? I think we should be pretty high on his list under Ole now.

Right now he is good enough to play for any club but, other than us no top side is really desperate for a CB. And even with us we already have too many CBs and we recently gave new contracts to 2 of them. Real Madrid need another CB but, it seems like they have their sights set on Eder Militao. Barca have signed Lenglet and Todibo recently. City have Stones and Laporte. PSG have Thiago Silva, Kimpembe, Marquinhos filling in at DM and for some reason bought Kehrer. Bayern just bought Pavard. Atletico would not fit his style at all. Right now I think he ends up at Juventus. Some of their CBs are getting up there in age and they have a great relationship with Raiola.
 
Right now he is good enough to play for any club but, other than us no top side is really desperate for a CB. And even with us we already have too many CBs and we recently gave new contracts to 2 of them. Real Madrid need another CB but, it seems like they have their sights set on Eder Militao. Barca have signed Lenglet and Todibo recently. City have Stones and Laporte. PSG have Thiago Silva, Kimpembe, Marquinhos filling in at DM and for some reason bought Kehrer. Bayern just bought Pavard. Atletico would not fit his style at all. Right now I think he ends up at Juventus. Some of their CBs are getting up there in age and they have a great relationship with Raiola.

Juventus is a good shout, a lot of their CB's aging, Chiellini, Barzagly, Bonucci all over 30, Benatia gone, with Chiellini approaching 35 and Barzagli 35+. Rugani has done well when called upon? Tbf I havnt watched a lot of Juve. You would imagine Barzagli retiring. Chiellini and Bonucci will be the old guard with De Ligt and Rugani the next generation?

Needs to go to a club where he is going to get a decent level of game time. Im assuming on a personal level he will want CL football also.
 
I don't normally post such posts but would this work?

De gea

Lindelöf - Bailly - De ligt
Wan bissaka - sessegnon
Ndombele - Pogba
Greenwood - martial
Rashford

4 signings. 2ballplaying defenders screened by a sweeper. 2 support strikers behind a centre forward. A defensive box to box next to an attacking box to box
I'd personally think that midfield will be strolled through - especially against the top teams. Ndombele, from what I've seen against Barca (haven't seen much else of him) can play a DM role but isn't his preferred role more of a box to box CM?

Need to do all we can to keep Pogba in his current position, IMO.
 
Juventus is a good shout, a lot of their CB's aging, Chiellini, Barzagly, Bonucci all over 30, Benatia gone, with Chiellini approaching 35 and Barzagli 35+. Rugani has done well when called upon? Tbf I havnt watched a lot of Juve. You would imagine Barzagli retiring. Chiellini and Bonucci will be the old guard with De Ligt and Rugani the next generation?

Needs to go to a club where he is going to get a decent level of game time. Im assuming on a personal level he will want CL football also.
Dare I say Liverpool to go next to van Dijk.
 
There are a lot of clubs that will be interested in him. Even if you dont need a CB this season, everybody will try to sign him, because he is young and superb. Barca werent that desperate for a midfielder, but they got out and bought De Jong, because he fits them and is exceptional.

Same with him, i can see so many clubs going for him, he is just a young and top class CB already, who wouldnt want him in his team.
 
There are rumours the kind of money Raiola is asking for is putting clubs off.
 
I don't normally post such posts but would this work?

De gea

Lindelöf - Bailly - De ligt
Wan bissaka - sessegnon
Ndombele - Pogba
Greenwood - martial
Rashford

4 signings. 2ballplaying defenders screened by a sweeper. 2 support strikers behind a centre forward. A defensive box to box next to an attacking box to box

Not much experience there, think they are all a bit too young. Would personally drop Bailly for a right winger and go with a 3 man midfield and a back 4.
 
Surely €70m (£60m-ish) would be too irresistible for them. Be nice if we got €10m for TFM, too.
 
Surely €70m (£60m-ish) would be too irresistible for them. Be nice if we got €10m for TFM, too.

Whatever their asking price is there will be plenty of clubs willing to pay it. The competition comes when it is time to negotiate personal terms.
 
Surely €70m (£60m-ish) would be too irresistible for them. Be nice if we got €10m for TFM, too.

I think most clubs would be intestered at that price. It's probably the £20-£30m Raiola will demand which is putting people off!
 
Surely €70m (£60m-ish) would be too irresistible for them. Be nice if we got €10m for TFM, too.

Ajax turned down €65m for De Ligt this summer. That was before his great season now (as captain as well), before he'd won the 'Golden Boy' award, and before they'd received €86m for De Jong. Not only would €70m not be irresistible, they wouldn't even consider letting him go for that.
 
Would he and Lindelof work as a pairing right now? Would be awful inexperienced especially if Dalot is going to feature more as a full back or we buy Wan Bisakka.

In my opinion Lindelöf & De ligt have the same need as martial & Rashford would do upfront.

Martial & Rashford need someone in the middle to help them interlink & allow them to start centrally but drift wide on the attacks. To do this they need a player that can take positions & make runs like Lingard does for us - needing an upgrade as much as I do like him.

The same thing for De ligt & Lindelöf - to unlock their full ability they need to defend wide as possible away from each other whilst having a CB/ CDM that drops in & takes that central role that pushes the attacker to the wider channels & then Lindelof & De ligt can break tackles & play counter attacking balls.

Whilst it's heavily inexperienced - someone like declan rice or a more experienced option who can possibly shield the back 2 whilst dropping in to create a back 3 on the defense is what is needed if we are going for those 2.

On the opposite side - we need a false nine/ aka an AMCF that interlinks our midfield in to front 2; allowing us to attack with a front 3 when we have the ball & only having 2 upfront when we do not - but wider on the channels to receive the counterattack ING balls from two wider placed CB's.

I am okay with Koulibaliy - but these are the type of players I want to see when the squad is built & we need some final pre made players to do the work for us a younger wouldn't. I'm not of the opinion that we have enough quality players around the pitch to suddenly turn ourselves only to players in their prime. Players like Smalling, Herrera, Matic, young for another year, Jones provide what we need from such players.

We still need some more young players that help us move towards the next generation of United - the players I want to see atleast be targeted are neves, rice, de ligt, wan bissaka, Tierney & the inclusion of Gomes & Greenwood.

Whilst not all these players can come within a season & not all will be targeted, I have had some people say this is like Football manager for expecting young players; I don't think so - is ole going to build united or go for a short term options that can guarantee more instant successes? I think it's the first option I see in him & for that reason players like de ligt, wan bissaka & neves are the players I see him targeting in the transfer window much more than a Koulibaliy per se.
 
Ajax turned down €65m for De Ligt this summer. That was before his great season now (as captain as well), before he'd won the 'Golden Boy' award, and before they'd received €86m for De Jong. Not only would €70m not be irresistible, they wouldn't even consider letting him go for that.

I hear you. But you gotta remember he's a defender. Even in todays post-City/PSG, Defenders won't go for North of 70m.. I hope.
 
I hear you. But you gotta remember he's a defender. Even in todays post-City/PSG, Defenders won't go for North of 70m.. I hope.

Of course they will
 
I hear you. But you gotta remember he's a defender. Even in todays post-City/PSG, Defenders won't go for North of 70m.. I hope.

Considering the interest and the market, it will have to be a crazy money, meaning a world-record transfer fee for a defender.

Guessing, but it could be close to 100m€. That would probably make the deal.
 
I can't wait to see another great signing (if nothing else a massive talent) slip and be off to Madrid....
 
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