Potential Matic Replacements

RikRuud said:
I'd like to see us revert back to a deep playmaker role for the DM position. Loved to watch players like Carrick, Xabi Alonso etc. I think Ruben Neves could be a great option for us however, I can't recall any really strong links to us recently.
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I would love to have him in the side. He is simply amazing and world class. But he would cost anywhere north of 60m. Too expensive.
 
I thought Neves can't play as the lone DM?

We need a Declan Rice type, but one with better ball progression and passing ability, to put it simply.
 
Are there any dms we have actually been properly linked with? There are quite a few talented dms atm imo, especially in Ligue 1, but there'd probably be some mention of a player at this stage if there was genuine interest
 
Dazzmondo said:
Are there any dms we have actually been properly linked with? There are quite a few talented dms atm imo, especially in Ligue 1, but there'd probably be some mention of a player at this stage if there was genuine interest
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Think it'll be next summer that we'll prioritise a DM. This summer, I think we'll focus on a CB, CAM, RW and ST.
 
Adrien Rabiot without the baggage and a desire to play DLP is a very very good shout.
@JPRouve what do you think?
 
E-mal said:
Adrien Rabiot without the baggage and a desire to play DLP is a very very good shout.
@JPRouve what do you think?
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By baggage do you mean temper? Because outside of coming back to PSG, I don't really see how his baggage would affect anything.
Otherwise he is a good player and can do all the things that Matic does but better, he is better on the ball and more mobile.
 
JPRouve said:
By baggage do you mean temper? Because outside of coming back to PSG, I don't really see how his baggage would affect anything.
Otherwise he is a good player and can do all the things that Matic does but better, he is better on the ball and more mobile.
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How do you see him fitting with Pogba and Fernandes assuming we continue with 4231 formation would it be balanced midfield capable of going toe to toe against the best .
 
JPRouve said:
By baggage do you mean temper? Because outside of coming back to PSG, I don't really see how his baggage would affect anything.
Otherwise he is a good player and can do all the things that Matic does but better, he is better on the ball and more mobile.
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Doesn't his mum deal with all of his affairs,think she is almost like his agent but could be wrong.
 
JPRouve said:
By baggage do you mean temper? Because outside of coming back to PSG, I don't really see how his baggage would affect anything.
Otherwise he is a good player and can do all the things that Matic does but better, he is better on the ball and more mobile.
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Yeah, including the shenenigans with his mum and his preferance to play further up the pitch than the DLP role.
I'd really love h here because he is a beautiful player ( I mean in terms of ability).
Rabiot, Pogba and Fernandes/Grealish would be a highly technical midfield if they all work hard together.
 
gajender said:
How do you see him fitting with Pogba and Fernandes assuming we continue with 4231 formation would it be balanced midfield capable of going toe to toe against the best .
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I honestly don't like Bruno playing like a second striker, it leaves our midfield too exposed.
I'd prefer him and Pogba sharing the creativity and defensive duties in front of a DLP.
Pogba is as creative as Fernandes and with a superior passing ability, although the lather is more a goal threat and risky with his passes.
 
croadyman said:
Doesn't his mum deal with all of his affairs,think she is almost like his agent but could be wrong.
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She is his agent.

E-mal said:
Yeah, including the shenenigans with his mum and his preferance to play further up the pitch than the DLP role.
I'd really love h here because he is a beautiful player ( I mean in terms of ability).
Rabiot, Pogba and Fernandes/Grealish would be a highly technical midfield if they all work hard together.
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I wouldn't call that baggage but fair enough.

gajender said:
How do you see him fitting with Pogba and Fernandes assuming we continue with 4231 formation would it be balanced midfield capable of going toe to toe against the best .
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In my opinion his best role is as a DLP but he prefers to play as a box to box, he doesn't mind doing the defensive job but he wants to be able to make forward runs. Now that was with PSG, I don't know if he has changed his mind.
 
E-mal said:
I honestly don't like Bruno playing like a second striker, it leaves our midfield too exposed.
I'd prefer him and Pogba sharing the creativity and defensive duties in front of a DLP.
Pogba is as creative as Fernandes and with a superior passing ability, although the lather is more a goal threat and risky with his passes.
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I think Fernandes might have to alter his game ever so slightly maybe rather than always looking for that risky pass choose his moment bit more carefully so to speak and also I agree off late he seems to basically playing as a second striker leaving our midfield bit isolated maybe it's the instructions or just fatigue setting in.
 
Today shows how important it is we get a replacement/understudy for him. I honestly think if he was not fit/banned for this match we'd have lost it. I think he gave the ball away once(?) But compared to Pogba, Fred on Mctominay he is so composed on the ball at the back. Really important....I'd even say more so than RW as at least we have Greenwood and James for that.
 
For the DM role unless he is proven, I think it might just be better to stick with rotating Matic, Fred and Mctominay while we focus on other positions. But the DMs that are proven are Ndidi, Rice and Neves all of which would be very expensive and if we get Sancho, I don't see us spending the huge amount those DMs would demand.

I say get a proven DM because the other options for DMs like Tonali Koopmeiners Roca etc though would be much cheaper and attainable, they are not proven and are inexperienced especially in the pl. And there's no point in spending a few quids on these players that would likely be just as good or worse than Fred and Matic. It would be much safer to stick to rotating Matic Fred and Mctominay as our DMs and only spend money on a DM if he's proven like Rice or Ndidi

If it's a choice between getting a cheap DM like Tonali/Roca that would likely struggle at first to be better than the options we have currently or wait for the next window to get more of a guarantee in Rice who would not need time to adapt then I think I'd choose the latter. If we can get Rice now then that would be good but I don't see us having the cash for him if Sancho comes in
 
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See a lot of people saying dm will probably be next summer as other priorities and yes I understand other priorities....BUT if Matic is injured or goes back to the really really poor looks finished Matic of 18months ago, who steps in?
Fred and McTominay really arent suited to the role, Garner isnt ready and will probably go on loan, Perreira never looked right there and will probably leave, there is absolutely nobody in the side, we would have to alter our shape if this occured.
We obviously wont have the money to go and spend £60m+ for example on a Declan Rice but when there are players about like Ascacibar, Soumare, the dutch guy who keeps getting mentioned I have never heard of as just a few examples of players that would probably cost under £30m and certainly be attainable over the likes of Tonali and Camavinga, sure these are moves we kind of have to make this summer
 
I personally think this is actually more important to get right than Sancho. I've no idea what the club were thinking throwing 3 years at Matic, but aside from a handful of games, he's not looked at the top level for at least 2 seasons now. He's a lovely passer of the ball if left completely alone and he's kind of useful at defending corners, but he's really not a defensive-minded midfielder. He's also ponderous and can be a real liability to the press.

We really need a dynamic, technical, defensive specialist if we're going to play with Pogba and Fernandes. Go on scouts/fm legends - who is the next Kante? That type of player. Someone who has energy to burn, is happy to sit but also capable of quickly moving the ball along.
 
Beachryan said:
I personally think this is actually more important to get right than Sancho. I've no idea what the club were thinking throwing 3 years at Matic, but aside from a handful of games, he's not looked at the top level for at least 2 seasons now. He's a lovely passer of the ball if left completely alone and he's kind of useful at defending corners, but he's really not a defensive-minded midfielder. He's also ponderous and can be a real liability to the press.

We really need a dynamic, technical, defensive specialist if we're going to play with Pogba and Fernandes. Go on scouts/fm legends - who is the next Kante? That type of player. Someone who has energy to burn, is happy to sit but also capable of quickly moving the ball along.
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I really hope Ole tries Garner in that role in all of the Europa games. Hopefully it shows that he is or more likely isn't ready to be the fill in for Matic and therefore we have to spend in this area.
 
Quality-wise it has to be Partey, but I doubt we will spend big on a player who is 27.

Rice is better than McTominay but not 60m better.

What about that young guy at Milan? Bennacer?
 
There are a lot of dms I think would improve us whether they would be 1st choice, rotation or just to improve our depth. Here are some dms I think we could use:

Prem:
  • Wilfried Ndidi (consistently the best tackler in the league every year, might be the best tackler in all of Europe, absolutely vital to Leicester's midfield, he would be the best dm we could possibly sign imo but Leicester would never sell him)
  • Declan Rice (probably the 2nd best tackler in the league, very basic but accurate passing, not very flashy but always has solid positioning, definitely not as good as Ndidi but a significant upgrade on someone like Ruben Neves, considering the price that would be associated it's best to look elsewhere imo)

Ligue 1:
  • Eduardo Camavinga (absolutely phenomenal talent at just 17, incredible tackler, excellent passer, probably the biggest player in a very exciting young Rennes team, probably too expensive though and heard he wants Madrid, future superstar without any doubt)
  • Valentin Rongier (might also be quite expensive since Marseille are a good side, strong tackler, however he is more of a box to box midfielder, he might be able to adapt to a dm role but he would need to work on changing his style of play and positioning)
  • Ibrahim Sangare (a great tackler with excellent positioning, his passing is not as accurate as some of the other players mentioned but it is worth noting he was playing with terrible players and his team just got relegated, I expect his passing accuracy would increase at a team like Utd who dominate the ball unlike Toulouse, I expect he would be very cheap, if we don't have much money to spend on this position he would be my first choice)

La Liga:
  • Marc Roca (sounds like he would be very cheap, just €18m being reported, he is a good tackler, good passer, didn't have the best season but he was playing in a really poor team that got relegated, he was definitely the standout in that Espanyol team though, could definitely be an astute transfer and would be my number 2 choice for a budget option after Sangare)
  • Thomas Partey (not necessarily a dm but extremely talented and well-rounded, he generally plays a more mobile box to box role but he does have very good positioning too so I have no doubt he could be trained to stay back if needed, his excellent attacking contribution could also be an added benefit against teams that sit further back, likely very expensive)

Serie A:
  • Sandro Tonali (not necessarily a dm and imo his future is further up the pitch, extremely talented passer with great technical ability, would be better as a backup to Pogba and Fernandes imo, will most likely stay in Italy and there has been rumours about Inter already having an agreement with him, will definitely be moving this season since he is already miles too good for Serie B, a future midfield star for sure)

Bundesliga:
  • Konrad Laimer (great tackler, keeps his passing simple but also very rarely loses possession, top positioning and a major reason for Leipzig's strong defence, would probably be relatively expensive)
  • Dennis Zakaria (excellent positioning and a strong tackler, excellent passer, if cost wasn't an issue would definitely be my 1st choice from the Bundesliga, however due to his importance to Monchengladbach they might want a decent fee, I expect he'd be a more mid-price option somewhere between £30-50m, he would be the best option in this price range imo)
  • Florian Grillitsch (a very solid dm, great positioning and tackling, excellent passing, if Zakaria is deemed too expensive Grillitsch would be the next best option from the Bundesliga imo)
  • Suat Serdar (a very well-rounded midfield with excellent tackling and solid passing, offers a lot of energy, not necessarily a dm and wouldn't be my 1st choice but definitely another solid option)

Eredivisie:
  • Teun Koopmeiners (he looks very good in the Eredivisie but the quality of the league is so poor that I would be a bit uncomfortable going for him tbh, I also feel like he would probably cost more than the likes of Roca or Sangare and considering those players have played against much higher quality opposition I would opt for them at this stage)
 
Dazzmondo said:
There are a lot of dms I think would improve us whether they would be 1st choice, rotation or just to improve our depth. Here are some dms I think we could use:

Prem:
  • Wilfried Ndidi (consistently the best tackler in the league every year, might be the best tackler in all of Europe, absolutely vital to Leicester's midfield, he would be the best dm we could possibly sign imo but Leicester would never sell him)
  • Declan Rice (probably the 2nd best tackler in the league, very basic but accurate passing, not very flashy but always has solid positioning, definitely not as good as Ndidi but a significant upgrade on someone like Ruben Neves, considering the price that would be associated it's best to look elsewhere imo)

Ligue 1:
  • Eduardo Camavinga (absolutely phenomenal talent at just 17, incredible tackler, excellent passer, probably the biggest player in a very exciting young Rennes team, probably too expensive though and heard he wants Madrid, future superstar without any doubt)
  • Valentin Rongier (might also be quite expensive since Marseille are a good side, strong tackler, however he is more of a box to box midfielder, he might be able to adapt to a dm role but he would need to work on changing his style of play and positioning)
  • Ibrahim Sangare (a great tackler with excellent positioning, his passing is not as accurate as some of the other players mentioned but it is worth noting he was playing with terrible players and his team just got relegated, I expect his passing accuracy would increase at a team like Utd who dominate the ball unlike Toulouse, I expect he would be very cheap, if we don't have much money to spend on this position he would be my first choice)

La Liga:
  • Marc Roca (sounds like he would be very cheap, just €18m being reported, he is a good tackler, good passer, didn't have the best season but he was playing in a really poor team that got relegated, he was definitely the standout in that Espanyol team though, could definitely be an astute transfer and would be my number 2 choice for a budget option after Sangare)
  • Thomas Partey (not necessarily a dm but extremely talented and well-rounded, he generally plays a more mobile box to box role but he does have very good positioning too so I have no doubt he could be trained to stay back if needed, his excellent attacking contribution could also be an added benefit against teams that sit further back, likely very expensive)

Serie A:
  • Sandro Tonali (not necessarily a dm and imo his future is further up the pitch, extremely talented passer with great technical ability, would be better as a backup to Pogba and Fernandes imo, will most likely stay in Italy and there has been rumours about Inter already having an agreement with him, will definitely be moving this season since he is already miles too good for Serie B, a future midfield star for sure)

Bundesliga:
  • Konrad Laimer (great tackler, keeps his passing simple but also very rarely loses possession, top positioning and a major reason for Leipzig's strong defence, would probably be relatively expensive)
  • Dennis Zakaria (excellent positioning and a strong tackler, excellent passer, if cost wasn't an issue would definitely be my 1st choice from the Bundesliga, however due to his importance to Monchengladbach they might want a decent fee, I expect he'd be a more mid-price option somewhere between £30-50m, he would be the best option in this price range imo)
  • Florian Grillitsch (a very solid dm, great positioning and tackling, excellent passing, if Zakaria is deemed too expensive Grillitsch would be the next best option from the Bundesliga imo)
  • Suat Serdar (a very well-rounded midfield with excellent tackling and solid passing, offers a lot of energy, not necessarily a dm and wouldn't be my 1st choice but definitely another solid option)

Eredivisie:
  • Teun Koopmeiners (he looks very good in the Eredivisie but the quality of the league is so poor that I would be a bit uncomfortable going for him tbh, I also feel like he would probably cost more than the likes of Roca or Sangare and considering those players have played against much higher quality opposition I would opt for them at this stage)
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Where is Neves?
 
Dazzmondo said:
There are a lot of dms I think would improve us whether they would be 1st choice, rotation or just to improve our depth. Here are some dms I think we could use:

Prem:
  • Wilfried Ndidi (consistently the best tackler in the league every year, might be the best tackler in all of Europe, absolutely vital to Leicester's midfield, he would be the best dm we could possibly sign imo but Leicester would never sell him)
  • Declan Rice (probably the 2nd best tackler in the league, very basic but accurate passing, not very flashy but always has solid positioning, definitely not as good as Ndidi but a significant upgrade on someone like Ruben Neves, considering the price that would be associated it's best to look elsewhere imo)

Ligue 1:
  • Eduardo Camavinga (absolutely phenomenal talent at just 17, incredible tackler, excellent passer, probably the biggest player in a very exciting young Rennes team, probably too expensive though and heard he wants Madrid, future superstar without any doubt)
  • Valentin Rongier (might also be quite expensive since Marseille are a good side, strong tackler, however he is more of a box to box midfielder, he might be able to adapt to a dm role but he would need to work on changing his style of play and positioning)
  • Ibrahim Sangare (a great tackler with excellent positioning, his passing is not as accurate as some of the other players mentioned but it is worth noting he was playing with terrible players and his team just got relegated, I expect his passing accuracy would increase at a team like Utd who dominate the ball unlike Toulouse, I expect he would be very cheap, if we don't have much money to spend on this position he would be my first choice)

La Liga:
  • Marc Roca (sounds like he would be very cheap, just €18m being reported, he is a good tackler, good passer, didn't have the best season but he was playing in a really poor team that got relegated, he was definitely the standout in that Espanyol team though, could definitely be an astute transfer and would be my number 2 choice for a budget option after Sangare)
  • Thomas Partey (not necessarily a dm but extremely talented and well-rounded, he generally plays a more mobile box to box role but he does have very good positioning too so I have no doubt he could be trained to stay back if needed, his excellent attacking contribution could also be an added benefit against teams that sit further back, likely very expensive)

Serie A:
  • Sandro Tonali (not necessarily a dm and imo his future is further up the pitch, extremely talented passer with great technical ability, would be better as a backup to Pogba and Fernandes imo, will most likely stay in Italy and there has been rumours about Inter already having an agreement with him, will definitely be moving this season since he is already miles too good for Serie B, a future midfield star for sure)

Bundesliga:
  • Konrad Laimer (great tackler, keeps his passing simple but also very rarely loses possession, top positioning and a major reason for Leipzig's strong defence, would probably be relatively expensive)
  • Dennis Zakaria (excellent positioning and a strong tackler, excellent passer, if cost wasn't an issue would definitely be my 1st choice from the Bundesliga, however due to his importance to Monchengladbach they might want a decent fee, I expect he'd be a more mid-price option somewhere between £30-50m, he would be the best option in this price range imo)
  • Florian Grillitsch (a very solid dm, great positioning and tackling, excellent passing, if Zakaria is deemed too expensive Grillitsch would be the next best option from the Bundesliga imo)
  • Suat Serdar (a very well-rounded midfield with excellent tackling and solid passing, offers a lot of energy, not necessarily a dm and wouldn't be my 1st choice but definitely another solid option)

Eredivisie:
  • Teun Koopmeiners (he looks very good in the Eredivisie but the quality of the league is so poor that I would be a bit uncomfortable going for him tbh, I also feel like he would probably cost more than the likes of Roca or Sangare and considering those players have played against much higher quality opposition I would opt for them at this stage)
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wow, lot of effort wen pt in there..Can we add Saul to this list ?
 
Dazzmondo said:
I don't think he would suit us that much. Don't think he's been particularly good for Wolves this season either.
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Ndidi and Declan are mostly tacklers not DLPs and what we need is the lather as we will have most of the ball.
 
I would like to see Marcelo Brozovic as Matic's replacement. He plays as a single pivot in midfield 3 but he is versatile enough to play any role in midfield.

Guy has an iron lungs, can run for days, he is good defensively but also contributes in attack (3 goals and 6 assists in Serie A this season).

He also have a good passing range and he usually scores 2 or 3 bangers per season.

Plus it would be nice to finally see a fellow Croat in United.
 
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