Radja Nainggolan

He wants 4.8m Euros/annum. That's about 90k a week. We can easily pay him 120-150k. Roma doesn't really want to pay that much and they'd be happy to flog him off to us, or to whoever stumps up the cash. However, they could offer him the salary increase in case Salah's move to Scouseland is confirmed soonish.
Plays in Italy, the numbers are after tax. You need to double that. He's basically asking for the equivalent of £150k a week adjusted for difference in tax rates
 
Look at Carrick, Giggs, Ibra, Scholes, Pirlo all incredible after 30 and some of them even got their prime after 30!

Id take Radja in a heartbeat he's bloody brilliant.
 
Look at Modric for example, hes playing the best football of his career and hes 32 in September. Get this shitty notion that players all but die at the age of 30 out your heads :nono:

This man would be an instant hit with us and the premiership. Quality player who is just off the back of an impressive season and looks like hes just in his peak now with plenty left in the tank
 
Are we even linked to this guy or is it another pointless thread bump which gets me all hot and bothered?
 
Because they seem to think 30 is some sort of arbitrary cut off point where players are suddenly on the wane. Completely ignoring the fact that these days, most players at that age are at their peak and have a good few years left at the top level. Rooney is pretty much the player that springs into everyone's mind, but he's a prime example of how not to look after yourself properly if you're a professional athlete.

I used to be like this is the SAF years. I used to always look at players ages who we were linked with. During them times we could afford to sign younger players people like Nani, Anderson who could just slot in because we had title winning teams that didn't need much improvement. These days and the way our team is we need people who can come in and fill the void now. A 30 year old nainggolan would be perfect for us.
 
I used to be like this is the SAF years. I used to always look at players ages who we were linked with. During them times we could afford to sign younger players people like Nani, Anderson who could just slot in because we had title winning teams that didn't need much improvement. These days and the way our team is we need people who can come in and fill the void now. A 30 year old nainggolan would be perfect for us.

Just pointing out he has just turned 29 too, people being dramatic :lol: Would be one hell of a signing if it happened.
 
Because they seem to think 30 is some sort of arbitrary cut off point where players are suddenly on the wane. Completely ignoring the fact that these days, most players at that age are at their peak and have a good few years left at the top level. Rooney is pretty much the player that springs into everyone's mind, but he's a prime example of how not to look after yourself properly if you're a professional athlete.

Herd mentality all the time :rolleyes:
 
Look at Modric for example, hes playing the best football of his career and hes 32 in September. Get this shitty notion that players all but die at the age of 30 out your heads :nono:

This man would be an instant hit with us and the premiership. Quality player who is just off the back of an impressive season and looks like hes just in his peak now with plenty left in the tank

The difference for me is that while Nainggolan is a good player, he isn't good enough to consider that a big contract and a big fee is a no brainer. For Modric it's a different story, he is the best CM in the world.
 
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But there is no doubt that its a huge risk signing a player at that age.

You say Rooney, I say

Rooney/RvP/Raul/Owen/Shevchenko/Kaka /Basti etc etc etc. All top top players who dropped off a cliff at 28-30.
 
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But there is no doubt that its a huge risk signing a player at that age.

You say Rooney, I say

Rooney/RvP/Raul/Owen/Shevchenko/Kaka etc etc etc. All top top players who dropped off a cliff at 28 onwards

There's a huge risk signing a player at any age. Could be a younger player who can't handle the pressure or a player from another league who can't adapt to the league there's loads of different scenarios, end of the day we can't think that way. Every signing you make there's always a chance the player could flop.
 
But there is no doubt that its a huge risk signing a player at that age.

You say Rooney, I say

Rooney/RvP/Raul/Owen/Shevchenko/Kaka /Basti etc etc etc. All top top players who dropped off a cliff at 28-30.

Having seen plenty of Roma and this guy the season just past, he will not just lose the ability he has overnight. It doesn't just disappear, people gradually decline and it is noticeable. With Radja I think hes just had the best 2 years of his career and looks as good as ever
 
Look at Carrick, Giggs, Ibra, Scholes, Pirlo all incredible after 30 and some of them even got their prime after 30!

Id take Radja in a heartbeat he's bloody brilliant.
Look at Modric for example, hes playing the best football of his career and hes 32 in September. Get this shitty notion that players all but die at the age of 30 out your heads :nono:

This man would be an instant hit with us and the premiership. Quality player who is just off the back of an impressive season and looks like hes just in his peak now with plenty left in the tank
How they play into their 30's depends on play style. All the players you've mentioned are not overly reliant on pace and depend more on technical ability. Naingollan is known for his explosive box to box skills, which is heavily reliant on pace. I personally think Naingollan's level has already dropped from a few years back and Roma have been playing him predominantly as a CAM now. Saying that, I still think Naingollan will be a fantastic signing and will be able to play at a good level into his 30's, but it may be better to buy a younger CM that will only improve in years to come than spending £40m on a 29 year old who's game is reliant on pace.
 
Man I don't care if a player is 45. If he can make the team better for a year or two, then so be it. Let's make it happen.
 
He's brilliant and I'd love him here but I think I'm right in saying the guy is an out and proud smoker? You have to wonder how that would go down with the rest of the squad especially if he was given special treatment
 
He's brilliant and I'd love him here but I think I'm right in saying the guy is an out and proud smoker? You have to wonder how that would go down with the rest of the squad especially if he was given special treatment

If he is brilliant on the pitch, doubt anyone would care. But if he is shite, well it wont be pretty. Football players are not angels and some of them are not the top professionals they portray to be, the majority of them are not like Juan Mata.
 
A few years ago, I would have been all over this. Now, I could care less. I'd rather us go for a defensive sitting midfielder and free up Pogba and Herrera to focus more energy on the attacking side of the game.
 
Man I don't care if a player is 45. If he can make the team better for a year or two, then so be it. Let's make it happen.
I have to agree. We need some peak players in for next season if we want to challenge soon, not just players who will be great a couple of years down the line. It's not as if we're going to stop buying players in future transfer windows. There might be better choice next year but this year we should still take what we can get to improve us.
 
A few years ago, I would have been all over this. Now, I couldn't care less. I'd rather us go for a defensive sitting midfielder and free up Pogba and Herrera to focus more energy on the attacking side of the game.

;)
 
We shouldnt sign Nainggolan because Fabinho would be better to free up Herrera and Pogba. But if one of them gets injured we'll be alright because we have Fellaini and Carrick who are much better than Nainggolan.

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We shouldnt sign Nainggolan because Fabinho would be better to free up Herrera and Pogba. But if one of them gets injured we'll be alright because we have Fellaini and Carrick who are much better than Nainggolan.

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maybe Fabinho, I don't know..
but Fellaini and Carrick... NO NO NO
 
Are we even linked to this guy or is it another pointless thread bump which gets me all hot and bothered?
this, in my opinion

I don't think that Roma wants to sell Nainggo. Our best player in each recent season.

How much did Roma sold Pjanic for? 40m euros for Radja should do the trick and be enough
not less than 50, I'd say
Pjanic had a clause

If he can make the team better for a year or two, then so be it. Let's make it happen.

for a year or two, high level, guaranteed

but Man Utd needs also a real playmaker, a modric, a verratti, or so
 
How they play into their 30's depends on play style. All the players you've mentioned are not overly reliant on pace and depend more on technical ability. Naingollan is known for his explosive box to box skills, which is heavily reliant on pace. I personally think Naingollan's level has already dropped from a few years back and Roma have been playing him predominantly as a CAM now. Saying that, I still think Naingollan will be a fantastic signing and will be able to play at a good level into his 30's, but it may be better to buy a younger CM that will only improve in years to come than spending £40m on a 29 year old who's game is reliant on pace.

Good players adapt. I'm not sure what top level player relied more on pace than Giggs. It's also not just down to a player's individual characteristics, but rather how they mesh with the team around them.

Imagine the intensity in our midfield with Herrera & Naingollan in there with Pogba. Nobody is going to enjoy playing against that.

Fabinho would still be my first choice though, I'd be quite happy if we spent £100m to bring them both in.
 
And who do you propose? There's not many 24-27 year old central midfielders as good as him. Mourinho historically has been one who prefers his average age on the older side.

And which project is this? First I've heard of one.

We are playing CL footy next year. I get what you are saying but we can always bring in top quality for 2-3 seasons. Ibra obviously. Laurent Blanc was signed by Fergie at age 35.

As long as these older players are paired with younger projects it gives a good balance. I think thats why Nainngolan and Fabinho (23) make good sense as a double signing.

We already have tons of youth but we need some seasoned leaders still playing to a world class level. Carrick and Rooney obviously are not so there is a shortage.

Mou stated in an interview that he would leave the squad in a better shape than it is now that´s the project ..
We can´t go on and sign every youngster for top dollar and add older players to the mix we need players that are entering their best years and have the quality.
Our team is lacking quality players from the age 25-28 not 16-21 and 30-36..
 
Mou stated in an interview that he would leave the squad in a better shape than it is now that´s the project ..
We can´t go on and sign every youngster for top dollar and add older players to the mix we need players that are entering their best years and have the quality.
Our team is lacking quality players from the age 25-28 not 16-21 and 30-36..
So go on then, who?
 
Do we really need more average Belgian midfielders? two is enough