Mehdi Benatia | Signed for Bayern Munich

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Gopher Brown said:
Yes, but where is the player Benatia was before he went to Roma?

If he's the right player for us then any price is fine, we're not paying for it, but if money is a limiting option (which it undoubtedly is), why do we wait for players to move on before signing them?

The players who will be worth £30m in 18 months' time are out there and probably available for £10m.
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I've been wondering the lack of such signings for years. Players like Vidic and Evra were, highly potential players who people have maybe heard about but who've not made their final breakthrough.

Maybe these signings are getting more rare as time goes by because Park and Heinze were also similar signings. Us not signing Strootman before he went to Roma is an example of our recent strategy. Players only become visible to us when they've first made the £10millionish move to a bit smaller club than us.

As for Benatia, I think he would be a cracking signing, but I don't see it happening.
 
Don't see anything in the links other than he is a CB and we need one.
 
Really think this club is going to move from Vermaelen to a cream of the crop talent like this? This club just doesn't do something like that.
 
I haven't really seen him play much at all so can't comment on his skills, but everything is pointing on him being much better than Vermaelen so I hope we do go for him. Hummels is not going to happen and there really isn't an abundance of good CBs at the moment, so he would be a good shout. We would probably have to pay over the odds to get him, but then again that seems to be the case with everyone these days I mean PSG paid 50m for Luiz...
 
Welbeckham said:
I've been wondering the lack of such signings for years. Players like Vidic and Evra were, highly potential players who people have maybe heard about but who've not made their final breakthrough.

Maybe these signings are getting more rare as time goes by because Park and Heinze were also similar signings. Us not signing Strootman before he went to Roma is an example of our recent strategy. Players only become visible to us when they've first made the £10millionish move to a bit smaller club than us.

As for Benatia, I think he would be a cracking signing, but I don't see it happening.
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Please stop saying that. Prior to coming to United, Evra was already a French international and a club legend at Monaco. He also reached the CL final with Monaco. Vidic was a central part in Serbia's famous steel defense and had already played abroad at Spartak Moscow. Both players had closely monitored by clubs like Juventus, Fiorentina and Inter who all placed bids for them. I remember quite vividly Fiorentina's owner threatening of taking Vidic to court for not completing a transfer with them. Nemanja gave a verbal agreement that he's going to sign with them only to turn tail once United placed a bid for him.

Just because a player is not proven in a top league that doesn't mean that he's unknown.
 
Red Shorts said:
I approve of this logic. I used the same when we turned our interest from Herrera to Fellaini last year, and vice versa.
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He is much better defensively. Hummels has better distribution and that's it. Benatia is better in almost every other way. A lot quicker than Hummels too which is an advantage in the Premier League. I wanted us to go for Benatia when we were first linked with Hummels also. You're completely underestimating him with a comment like that.
 
There aren't too many options left and he seems to be the best of them altough I haven't seen him play
 
Dazzmondo said:
He is much better defensively. Hummels has better distribution and that's it. Benatia is better in almost every other way. A lot quicker than Hummels too which is an advantage in the Premier League. I wanted us to go for Benatia when we were first linked with Hummels also. You're completely underestimating him with a comment like that.
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@CallyRed 's post was a joke, in that now we are linked to Benatia, it automatically makes him a better player than Hummels. My comment was also a joke, as clearly Herrera is the better player, but as we decided not to sign him then fellaini is the "better player". Get it? Even if Benatia is the better player, it was all for a laugh.
 
Red Shorts said:
@CallyRed 's post was a joke, in that now we are linked to Benatia, it automatically makes him a better player than Hummels. My comment was also a joke, as clearly Herrera is the better player, but as we decided not to sign him then fellaini is the "better player". Get it? Even if Benatia is the better player, it was all for a laugh.
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I know it was a joke, but it was a bad one, because whether you believe it or not, you were comparing Benatia to Fellaini in terms of Benatia not being as good as Hummels the same way Fellaini is clearly not as good as Herrera. If you were going to make this sort of joke, Cuadrado over Di Maria would make a lot more sense.
 
Dazzmondo said:
He is much better defensively. Hummels has better distribution and that's it. Benatia is better in almost every other way. A lot quicker than Hummels too which is an advantage in the Premier League. I wanted us to go for Benatia when we were first linked with Hummels also. You're completely underestimating him with a comment like that.
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But We'd have sounded out the top tier defenders before going for Vermaelen? Pretty sure Hummels and Benatia are not even options.
 
Hed Zitin said:
Really think this club is going to move from Vermaelen to a cream of the crop talent like this? This club just doesn't do something like that.
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This club also hasn't seen a new manager(regime) in 26 years. It would be hilarious if LVG used Vermaelen as a smokescreen to force Barca into committing a higher bid while we go for Benatia.
 
Dazzmondo said:
I know it was a joke, but it was a bad one, because whether you believe it or not, you were comparing Benatia to Fellaini in terms of Benatia not being as good as Hummels the same way Fellaini is clearly not as good as Herrera. If you were going to make this sort of joke, Cuadrado over Di Maria would make a lot more sense.
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Good to know humour is still alive then... Jaysus
 
RedorDead21 said:
But We'd have sounded out the top tier defenders before going for Vermaelen? Pretty sure Hummels and Benatia are not even options.
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It's possible we were after more than one defender, considering Vermaelen is left footed and Benatia and Hummels are both right footed. Van Gaal also said we were looking for "defenders". Maybe he meant it literally, maybe not. I'm not saying I believe it's true, I just wish it is.
 
gulli_G said:
Hummel's is immense, but more a Rio, benatia is more in the Terry, Vidic mode, he has pace just see the way he handled hazard last year vs Chelsea

I would love both as then we could play 4 at the back
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I don't think the make up of our defenders has a single thing to do with us playing a back 5. I think it is more of not wanting to bench strikers or Mata which means we have to play them in their rightful position, which in turn doesn't allow a further two wingers. If it did, we'd only have one central midfielder!
 
Rozay said:
I don't think the make up of our defenders has a single thing to do with us playing a back 5. I think it is more of not wanting to bench strikers or Mata which means we have to play them in their rightful position, which in turn doesn't allow a further two wingers. If it did, we'd only have one central midfielder!
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We've only had one CM for the past few years.....
 
Dazzmondo said:
It's possible we were after more than one defender, considering Vermaelen is left footed and Benatia and Hummels are both right footed. Van Gaal also said we were looking for "defenders". Maybe he meant it literally, maybe not. I'm not saying I believe it's true, I just wish it is.
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We have Carrick and afew kids as cover for the 3 playing at the back. I'm hoping we are signing a top CM so Carrick will not be getting much game time unless he changes system again.... So yes we need afew more I'd suggest
 
So for those who have seen this guy play where does he rank in terms of the best CB's in the game? Is he up there with the likes of Hummels and Thiago Silva?
 
Redo91 said:
So for those who have seen this guy play where does he rank in terms of the best CB's in the game? Is he up there with the likes of Hummels and Thiago Silva?
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He is my 2nd choice after Hummels for a Vidic replacement and is one of the best CB's in the Serie A.
Not sure how we can apparently shift targets from Vermaelen to Benatia because they are two completely different levels of defenders.

I hope we get Benetia, his presence would go a long way to stabilizing our defense.
 
Redo91 said:
So for those who have seen this guy play where does he rank in terms of the best CB's in the game? Is he up there with the likes of Hummels and Thiago Silva?
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Definitely. Not as good with the ball at his feet as those mentioned though. I'd argue better defensively than Hummels at the least. He's definitely amongst the top cbs in the world right now.
 
ravi2 said:
He is my 2nd choice after Hummels for a Vidic replacement and is one of the best CB's in the Serie A.
Not sure how we can apparently shift targets from Vermaelen to Benatia because they are two completely different levels of defenders.

I hope we get Benetia, his presence would go a long way to stabilizing our defense.
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Not sure he's the ball player LVG appears to be targeting.
 
ravi2 said:
He is my 2nd choice after Hummels for a Vidic replacement and is one of the best CB's in the Serie A.
Not sure how we can apparently shift targets from Vermaelen to Benatia because they are two completely different levels of defenders.

I hope we get Benetia, his presence would go a long way to stabilizing our defense.
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Why type of CB, who's he similar to?
 
Benatia is actually better on the ball than Hummels, while perhaps less dominant in the air.
 
I like him because he wears the tape around both wrists and looks cool as feck
 
hobbers said:
Benatia is actually better on the ball than Hummels, while perhaps less dominant in the air.
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Then he must be excellent on the ball. Hummels has always been great on the ball but prone to the odd mistake.
 
I recall a lot of reports of Fergie being interested during his Udinese days. I'm guessing the bid was never fully prepared.
 
hobbers said:
Benatia is actually better on the ball than Hummels, while perhaps less dominant in the air.
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I don't think he's as good on the ball as Hummels (although he is excellent), or in the air (he's fairly average), but Benatia is better defensively, has more experience in a back 3, and is much much quicker and therefore more suited to a high defensive line.
 
starman said:
Why are we not in for Mangala? Isnt he left footed? He capable of playing left back aswell
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Mangala is a City player by all accounts.
Mangala and Kompany could form quite a formiable defense...I hope LVG rates Benetia, if he does then our defense will be sorted.
 
I hope the interest is true and we can negotiate with Roma (as they are ball breakers) and I would rather have him than Hummels for his pace think he would suit the premier league. Really hope we can get this one done!
 
Stretford Red1978 said:
I hope the interest is true and we can negotiate with Roma (as they are ball breakers) and I would rather have him than Hummels for his pace think he would suit the premier league. Really hope we can get this one done!
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Ive always wanted Benatia over Hummels because I never thought we had a chance at getting Hummels this transfer window unless we bid £50M+.

£35M and Benatia will be ours IMO and thats a price I think Ed & LVG will find acceptable.
 
Infra-red said:
I don't think he's as good on the ball as Hummels (although he is excellent), or in the air (he's fairly average), but Benatia is better defensively, has more experience in a back 3, and is much much quicker and therefore more suited to a high defensive line.
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I'd agree with all of this tbh.
 
Can't say I have seen too much of this guy but he seems to be fairly highly rated.

I'm a Hummels fan boy though but we don't typically sign top German players.
 
Dazzmondo said:
I'd agree with all of this tbh.
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Seconded. He's much faster than Hummels, which IMO would be better for us, but is less comfortable on the ball and in the air and Hummels has better distribution. I can see him being very good partner to Smalling or Evans.
 
Infra-red said:
I don't think he's as good on the ball as Hummels (although he is excellent), or in the air (he's fairly average), but Benatia is better defensively, has more experience in a back 3, and is much much quicker and therefore more suited to a high defensive line.
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yep, I think Hummels pace was suspect in some of the world cup games... I wonder did this prompt Neuer to play like a sweeper in some games.
 
Dazzmondo said:
He is much better defensively. Hummels has better distribution and that's it. Benatia is better in almost every other way. A lot quicker than Hummels too which is an advantage in the Premier League. I wanted us to go for Benatia when we were first linked with Hummels also. You're completely underestimating him with a comment like that.
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In no way is Benatia better in the air than Hummels or a stronger technican. Hummels is also more experienced on top level.

That Hummels´ slower pace in comparision make him less suited for the PL or in a high defense line is also a hilarious argument. Hummels became a world class center back and was the stand out defender in three of the last four seasons of a system that plays faster football and defends higher than any PL team.

How often was a Hummels in top form (2010/2011;2011/2012;2013/2014) actually punished for his realitively slow pace at Dortmund? The truth is that Hummels actually manages to compensate his lack of pace with clever positioning and anticipation, which makes his style of defending look pretty easy, because he simply often stands in the exact right spot.

The one thing that clearly speaks for Benatia is that he has valuable experience in a three man defense and the fact that Hummels is simply unavailable at the moment makes him probably to United´s best bet as transfer target.
 
Sphaero said:
In no way is Benatia better in the air than Hummels or a stronger technican. Hummels is also more experienced on top level.

That Hummels´ slower pace in comparision make him less suited for the PL or in a high defense line is also a hilarious argument. Hummels became a world class center back and was the stand out defender in three of the last four seasons of a system that plays faster football and defends higher than any PL team.

How often was a Hummels in top form (2010/2011;2011/2012;2013/2014) actually punished for his realitively slow pace at Dortmund? The truth is that Hummels actually manages to compensate his lack of pace with clever positioning and anticipation, which makes his style of defending look pretty easy, because he simply often stands in the exact right spot.

The one thing that clearly speaks for Benatia is that he has valuable experience in a three man defense and the fact that Hummels is simply unavailable at the moment makes him probably to United´s best bet as transfer target.
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I didn't claim Benatia was better in the air than Hummels. In fact I agreed with a poster just a few posts up that he wasn't. I don't know what you mean by technician. If you mean on the ball and distributing the ball I agree (as I have already said). If you mean tactically positioning himself then I do not agree.

The pace of a defender is certainly not a "hilarious argument" as the Premier League is one of the quickest and most physically gruelling leagues in the world. He also was not the standout defender in the Bundesliga last season. In fact many Dortmund fans believed Sokratis outperformed him. Naldo and Boateng were probably the standout cbs in the Bundesliga last season.

Hummels has definitely been punished for his pace in the past. However, I'm not going to search through videos to prove that to you. If you check yourself, I'm sure you'll find a number of instances where it was a hindrance.

I believe Hummels to be among the best ball playing defenders in the world. I'm not saying he's bad by any means, but he is definitely not as good defensively as Benatia. In most European leagues, the ability to play the ball out from the back is more important than the actual defensive attributes of a defender. This is most evident when looking at Barcelona, but it's pretty similar in the Bundesliga (though there are some good defenders for certain). Hummels isn't bad defensively, in fact he's good, but he's nowhere near as good as Vidic was in his time here, nor is he anywhere near as good as Terry. He is better at distributing the ball than both though.

I have to say, considering how little you mentioned Benatia in your post I'd doubt you've seen that much of him. If you had, you'd know he is an excellent defender and it's hardly an insult to Hummels to claim he's better than him in defence. I would be quite happy with either, but I would definitely worry about Hummels potentially being beaten for pace against the likes of Hazard or Sterling. Benatia has always been my preferred choice for a cb this season and he will remain that.
 
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