Merino has had a really good season.
Potential Matic Replacements
- Thread starter FootyGirl88
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Yep, I've liked him since he was on loan at Newcastle. I remember saying at the time on here that I thought he was better than Dortmund's other young CM at the time in Weigl.
Yeah, I liked him at Newcastle as well. Has filled out a bit since and has taken on a leadership role at Sociedad. Sociedad have few good players other teams should look at.
If it wasn’t for the chance of having Sancho I would say DM is the most important position for us to fill. I could live with Greenwood being our RW for most of the season however we only have Matic as a DM and he can’t do it week in and week out and really not should he be expected to.
He needs someone that he can be the back up to and rotate with. I have been warming to the idea of Rice.
He needs someone that he can be the back up to and rotate with. I have been warming to the idea of Rice.
How about a cheeky bid for De jong at Barcelona? He seems unsettled, Barcelona look skint and he can play as a 6. That's an up hill task anyway.
United only use two cm. If Pogba stay and hit his top and max level again. Then i think the new cm. Personally i would pick a really good allround CM. But too expensive. I will only spend big. A year before Matic retire or next year. This year Kristoffer Olsson. A regular starter for the Swedish Nation team. Not too expensive. Around 20 mill €. A depth player. Not a regular starter.
And i am 100 sure. Comparing the ball skills and a fast head. Kristoffer Olsson match the level of Bruno. If Euro 2021 will happen next summer. Then you will see a really good controlling and dictating Kristoffer Olsson for Sweden. Just ask Lindelof about Olsson football abilities and vision. Both regular starter for Sweden. Olsson is on same level as Fabian Ruiz playing for Napoli.
And compare Fabian Ruiz and Matic. Fabian > Matic. Fabian has younger legs and run more, can score more goals. And it rumour Zidane might bring Fabian back to Spain.
But for a starter of a CM. Then Partey or Saul Niguez. But both of them will cost a lot. Maybe 3 times more than Olsson. Olsson = 20 mill € X 3 = 60.
Olsson was playing for Sweden against Spain nation team. Olsson was clearly on the same level as Spains cm players. Spains cm players did got irritated by Olsson. Because was so quick and hard to take the ball from. I saw and scouting that match. Olsson is smart player with quick head and feets. Suit perfectly as depth player. Perreira is no way near Olsson level. And as a creative player. Olsson is better than Fred too. Olsson is a top skill cm player. Just bring Olsson to United skillful players. Then you will see him suit in as fish to the water.
Getting a new top cm player is harder than Jadon Sancho. A player close to the highest level. A Sancho in CM. Not many.
And i am 100 sure. Comparing the ball skills and a fast head. Kristoffer Olsson match the level of Bruno. If Euro 2021 will happen next summer. Then you will see a really good controlling and dictating Kristoffer Olsson for Sweden. Just ask Lindelof about Olsson football abilities and vision. Both regular starter for Sweden. Olsson is on same level as Fabian Ruiz playing for Napoli.
And compare Fabian Ruiz and Matic. Fabian > Matic. Fabian has younger legs and run more, can score more goals. And it rumour Zidane might bring Fabian back to Spain.
But for a starter of a CM. Then Partey or Saul Niguez. But both of them will cost a lot. Maybe 3 times more than Olsson. Olsson = 20 mill € X 3 = 60.
Olsson was playing for Sweden against Spain nation team. Olsson was clearly on the same level as Spains cm players. Spains cm players did got irritated by Olsson. Because was so quick and hard to take the ball from. I saw and scouting that match. Olsson is smart player with quick head and feets. Suit perfectly as depth player. Perreira is no way near Olsson level. And as a creative player. Olsson is better than Fred too. Olsson is a top skill cm player. Just bring Olsson to United skillful players. Then you will see him suit in as fish to the water.
Getting a new top cm player is harder than Jadon Sancho. A player close to the highest level. A Sancho in CM. Not many.
Dude, Partney has a set price of 45m. And scoring goals is not something we should be looking for in a DM. That particular position's job is to screen defence, move the ball upfield and block counters + recycle possession.
Fabian Ruiz, for me, is more an all-around midfielder in the Pogba-mould.
Olsson is a good shout but I have no clue how good he really is. The Russian Premier League is a very different and much weaker league.
P. S. I find it endearing to think we can ask Lindelof for an opinion
Has Konrad Laimer been mentioned yet...?
I really like him but he's more of an energetic box-to-box in the same style of McTominay and Fred, no?
A stereotype of Red Bull Player. He works football, brings great energy to the field. He will hunt your opponent down for 90 minutes, if needed and still has some gas left. But is his play physical enough for the PL?
He's a presser mainly, I wouldn't call him B2B. Very tidy on the ball, natural leader. Would bring a great motor to our midfield.
You know him more then me, clearly. I like his engine, just non stop.
Can anyone explain to me if Saul Niguez can play that Matic roll and be affective and become Matic replacement for years to come or is he more of a Pogba mould than he is Matic?
Red Bull teams like to use 8s as 6s. Salzburg play without real DM for ages. So Laimer should be used to play as DM and CM.
He's a natural in the double pivot isn't he. Like you say he fits the RB system. To me he's the type we should be targeting. Young, fits the system, brings something we currently don't have & won;t be crazy expensive.
He's also fantastic at completing passes while being under high-pressure. Which is something that should be noted and is a advantage over the like of Ruben Neves who many on here bring up. But the Wolves midfielder is weak while being pressed.
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I thought the consensus was that he was on the unsellable list along with Messi at Barcelona?
He is a special player. I'll be surprised if he's not widely considered to be the best midfielder in the world at some point and I won't be surprised if I consider him to be the best holding midfielder I've seen when his career is finished. If it's possible then I'm struggling to think of a more appealing signing.
Anyone link us with Mathias Normann? Could be a cheap project signing (a la James), I feel like Carrick could work wonders with his skillset being so similar.
West Ham would demand a pound of flesh for Rice but I think he would be a perfect partner for Pogba because I think we need someone who is defensively solid so that Paul can be free to join the attack up the field and turn our 4-2-3-1 into a 4-3-3.
I know it would be a difficult one to pull off especially if we get Sancho and due to COVID but if possible I think these are the two players we have to push the boat out for.
I know it would be a difficult one to pull off especially if we get Sancho and due to COVID but if possible I think these are the two players we have to push the boat out for.
I wish we just get Partey. I know we won't get 20+ years of service out of him as we all like. But he's as ready made as you can get at a very reasonable price. And secure that DM position in the next 3-4 years. Maybe sell Fred to fund his.
Zakaria is the one.
The availability of Partey is an opportunity for us to sign a top class proven player in a position we need for a cheap price. If we miss out on Partey the other options for DM are the likes of Rice Neves Laimer Ndidi Zakaria, all of which Partey is arguably better than and would be cheaper than. Though we can go for the very cheap options tlike Roca Koopmeiners Gueye Tonali, none are as established as Partey.
Asides from his reasonable price and quality, Partey's attributes are also suited to pair with Pogba and Bruno.
Asides from his reasonable price and quality, Partey's attributes are also suited to pair with Pogba and Bruno.
We should leave Rice & Neves alone, too expensive for starters but we need a ball winner who is comfortable in possession to complement Pogba. I'd take Partey, Zakaria or preferably Laimer. Leicester would would bleed us dry for Ndidi. Another option could be Bennacer from Milan.
I would take a chance on Teun Koopmeiners from AZ. He has had a great season is young and wouldn't be expensive
Not good enough
What about Ajnamen Citam? Serbian player dubbed next Matic?
How so? Can you elaborate please? I presume you've seen more of him at RBS than moi.
At RBL and for the Austrian national team. He's a crafter and not too shabby on the ball but he can't dictate a game or it's tempo like Matic. Also imo he is a lot better as a number 8 than deeper in midfield. Not suited to the role Matic is playing if we intend on keeping that role the same.
He fits our double pivot so I was hoping he could be one of the two 6/8's we have in there. I like his energy & composure under pressure. Would bring something different to our centre mid.
I think that there is a player at his former club in Norway that offers more in regards to playing like Carrick. Berg or something, should know it as it was in the news with their flawless start to their season.
are you sure someone going by that name exists?
Marc Roca, Florian Grillitsch and Mikel Merino. Three good options that likely wouldn't cost the earth. They are good all rounders in terms of their work both on and off the ball and could certainly perform the role Matic has being doing for us since the break.
There are so many options and its probably only Camavinga that would be over £40m too. I think there are probably 10 such midfielders that even though many young could be a potential upgrade on Matic next season.....and I also have the feeling we are not going to sign a defensive midfielder and we are also goin gto loan out Garner leaving us with just Fred and McTominay, none of which are up to the task of being a dm in our preferred system anyway
We're going to regret it if we don't buy a DM because we see Scott becoming one. We lose so much control when he's our deepest midfielder. He can't pass, is easily dispossessed which is a worry when playing it out from the back, and can't carry the ball forwards.
We don't have anyone in the 1st or youth teams capable of playing that role at a high enough level to replace Matic, and Matic should really be the back-up now.
We don't have anyone in the 1st or youth teams capable of playing that role at a high enough level to replace Matic, and Matic should really be the back-up now.
No worries. Next season we will spend 70m on Rice
Man I really wish we could just throw money at him and convince him to come join us, instead of dreaming of Madrid.
What have they ever won anyway?
Well we dont know for sure he wants to go there and in the current situation even if he does this is probably our best opportunity to do so as I doubt they have a lot of money to spend
Solid article breaking down the best fits to replace him long term
The usual suspects are mentioned like Partey, Rice, Zakaria and Camavinga but they make a good case for someone like Brozovic from Inter who's seemingly on his way out and could probably be had for cheap.
Partey would definitely still be my number 1 option but there do seem to be quite a few cheaper alternatives we could invest in if there's not as much money left if we make a big signing this summer.
The usual suspects are mentioned like Partey, Rice, Zakaria and Camavinga but they make a good case for someone like Brozovic from Inter who's seemingly on his way out and could probably be had for cheap.
Partey would definitely still be my number 1 option but there do seem to be quite a few cheaper alternatives we could invest in if there's not as much money left if we make a big signing this summer.
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Terrible analysis there is no Koopmeiners.