Less then you think
If attackers can't get the ball they won't have much effectiveness
Not unlike our game with wolves
Rice and Haaland join United in 2022?
- Thread starter Polar
- Start date
If attackers can't get the ball they won't have much effectiveness
Not unlike our game with wolves
I doubt it. They sold their whole defence.
Don't think well get Haaland with Ronaldo here. And I don't want us to get Rice but fear we might.
Zero chance & I wouldn't want either of them. If I had to take one it'd be Haaland but only if we managed to successfully play 2 up top or if Greenwood developed into an out and out wide player but I think that's a waste.
Rice for 100mil? No thanks
Rice won't cost as much as what West Ham quoted this summer. He'll only have two years left and has been very clear about not signing a new deal. I can see the price being dropped to around 55-60mil. Whether you think Rice is worth that is another matter.
Haaland I agree with you, we neither have the wages or the place in the team for him next summer with Ronaldo. Our only real hope would be if he stays at Dortmund until 2023.
Half a dozen better midfielders than Rice available this summer, who knows how many next.
I don't understand why a top pro like Haaland would chose any league other than the EPL. Spanish football feels tired and stale after the loss of it's two superstars, the superleague debacle and the financial problems of its two biggest clubs. The French league is largly a one horse race. I would be suprised if Haaland doesn't come to the EPL. I doubt Utd will go for him if Ronaldo is doing well though
Probably Rice for 80m.
Haaland would be very difficult to get as every top teams would want to have him
Haaland would be very difficult to get as every top teams would want to have him
He's the next Wan Bissaka. You have to look really in detail to see how good he is (specifically towards his passport)
Both? Only if we win the league/CL. In short, dream on!
The dream signing would be FDJ.
What happened mate weren't you quite Pro Wan Bissaka signing when you just cared about his defensive prowess and ignored his obvious weaknesses when many argued against him .
Madrid will get Pogba and Mbappe for free and will buy Haaland.
Rice will go to Chelsea.
Rice will go to Chelsea.
I know we say it every year but I reckon next summer we are going to have a lot of out going players.
Lingard
Mata
Matic
Henderson/De gea
Pogba?
Martial
Cavani
Bailly/Jones/Lindelof
Pereira
Williams/Dalot
Lingard Mata Cavani and Matic will leave 100% which frees up plenty of funds. We will also off load one of the goalies and at least another CB. If I'm being conservative I reckon we'll get rid of 5 first team players but my guess is it's going to be around 7-8. There will be plenty of funds to spend, Haaland will be the crown jewel and will be chased by all of Europe's elite clubs. Personally I don't get the Rice hype and I will be hoping for someone else for CM.
Lingard
Mata
Matic
Henderson/De gea
Pogba?
Martial
Cavani
Bailly/Jones/Lindelof
Pereira
Williams/Dalot
Lingard Mata Cavani and Matic will leave 100% which frees up plenty of funds. We will also off load one of the goalies and at least another CB. If I'm being conservative I reckon we'll get rid of 5 first team players but my guess is it's going to be around 7-8. There will be plenty of funds to spend, Haaland will be the crown jewel and will be chased by all of Europe's elite clubs. Personally I don't get the Rice hype and I will be hoping for someone else for CM.
What I used to say is that it's very difficult to assess a defender's attacking prowess at a team like Palace. That's because they spend most of the time defending. I also believe that defenders should be able to defend first and foremost.
Tbf I am not against AWB as I am not against Rice. I only think that the price tag doesn't match the talent
They will sell and release Benzenma and their midfield next too. They needed to refresh their team and start again. Surprised they let Varane go but you can see with the rest they are clearing the decks for the next dominant team. It might take a few years but I fully expect another cycle where they pick up at least 1 or 2 more CL. That’s what we should be doing. Going for the next group of dominant players entering their prime but I fear we are just leaving the path totally clear for Madrid starting with Camavinga. Mbappe on a free. Haaland for his release clause. They are right back up there. I’d be willing to bet they’ll never go for Pogba even on a free.
Next summer, the priority should be to
1. Sell all the deadwoods
2. Sign two midfielders if Pogba leaves
3. Contract extension of important players such as Bruno
No need to spend a fortune on Haaland if Cristiano is still performing at a high level.
1. Sell all the deadwoods
2. Sign two midfielders if Pogba leaves
3. Contract extension of important players such as Bruno
No need to spend a fortune on Haaland if Cristiano is still performing at a high level.
Not to be a dick but I bet we renew or attempt to renew at least half of them. 1/3 will stay on the kind of deals that will drive everyone crazy and a few more will stay around holding out for the kind of deal that’ll drive everyone crazy. That’s just what we do.
Yeah me too I don't really rate Rice especially with his quoted price. Haaland yes please, would love to have him here. What a beast.
I am not AWB’s biggest fan, but he has definitely improved us. And I think signing Rice would be more akin to the Maguire transfer. Overpriced but a huge improvement in a position of serious need. This coming from someone who was totally taken aback at the fee we paid for Harry but has come around to appreciate his influence. A reduced fee with Lingard going the other way next summer is the dream.
I think Haaland and mbappe will both be playing for Real Madrid. They haven't spent anything for three windows now and if they get mbappe for free.. it's easy.
Sure he might take a huge signing fee, but it's not going to be anywhere close to 200m they were offering this window.
Sure he might take a huge signing fee, but it's not going to be anywhere close to 200m they were offering this window.
I repeat its not about talent but about the fee. 70m for Rice would be ridiculously silly especially in this climate were decent players are being sold off for 30-40m
Who is that player though ? We can’t risk a player who may or may not translate to the PL with the squad we have. Or we shouldn’t anyway. I imagine Bissouma would cost no less than £50m. Factor in the United tax and I would be happy to see us get Rice for £20m more or better yet send Lingard the other way instead. That assumes we re-sign Lingard of course which may or may not happen.
But the point being he would improve us massively whether you think he is a world beater or not. Would give us the option to set up in ways we currently cannot. So who cares if we overpay a bit as it would be a risk averse transfer compared to any £30-40 signing we could pull off. Again much like the Maguire transfer. Let oppo fans bantz about the price tag all they want. They won’t for long.
Hopefully we’ll get a decent DM next summer. Haaland is a pipe dream and he’ll go to City or PSG.
Wan Bissaka, 2 great performances out of 3 and has been our best fullback so far this season.
We are up against PSG and City who need a striker next year.
PSG rejected 190mil for Mbappe in his last year contract and City offered Kane close to 150mil.
Do u think we can compete with these state backed clubs? Unless, Haaland only want to play for us, otherwise, no chance.
Don't forget Real Madrid is going to get Mbappe for free and have 190mil funds to spend on Haaland too.
The favourite in this oder PSG, City, RM, Man Utd.
As for Rice, I'm not impressed at all especially at 100mil. Crazy tax for English player! The fair price is 50-60 mil max.
PSG rejected 190mil for Mbappe in his last year contract and City offered Kane close to 150mil.
Do u think we can compete with these state backed clubs? Unless, Haaland only want to play for us, otherwise, no chance.
Don't forget Real Madrid is going to get Mbappe for free and have 190mil funds to spend on Haaland too.
The favourite in this oder PSG, City, RM, Man Utd.
As for Rice, I'm not impressed at all especially at 100mil. Crazy tax for English player! The fair price is 50-60 mil max.
I think that we need to make a distinction between meah, decent and WC. For example England's CM were humiliated by the Italian team. There was 120m-150m worth of talent there and yet they were made to look like mugs at Wembley by a decent but hardly WC Italian CM.
This year there was some decent punts we could have made. Neves was rated 35m, Bissouma was rated 40m, Locatelli moved for around 30m and Saul was available on loan with an option to buy. All of these players had the potential to do well with us. In my opinion we've been going for the safe option for far too much. That's not really an issue when the guy in question is worth it. Varane for example was priced beautifully. However that's not the case with most players including Declan Rice. We need to restart taking a bit more risk and to coach players into greatness rather then simply buy the ready made option. That's what Sir Alex did with the likes of Carrick for example
I find the thought of losing Pogba for free only for us to spend some 100m on Rice as tragic especially since the latter would rather join Chelsea then us.
Last edited:
Imo you're making things a bit too simple here.
It's not like we'd have to enter into a bidding war with PSG or City so the question of how much money they could spend is irrelevant here imo.
As far as I'm aware Haaland is not the type who money is everything. As long as we can relatively match their offer in terms of salary and bonus we'd be fine.
Imo money won't be the deciding factor here but Haaland's personal preference. May he relish the idea of playing in a crap L1? Or under Pep who is virtually the enemy of all the proper strikers? Or in a transitional Madrid which would need at least another two years to compete in the CL again?
Who knows, we'll see next summer I think.
I wish people would stop saying the likes of Mbappe and Pogba are free signings.
PSG and United won't be pocketing the transfer fee. That is as far as the "free" reaches.
PSG and United won't be pocketing the transfer fee. That is as far as the "free" reaches.
Don’t think that side will get murdered, if I understand you right (defensive concerns).
Absolutely crazy start up. Even more crazy when we add Ronaldo as a super substitute and mentor for Haaland and Greenwood - who could come in for both Rashford and Sancho
Last edited:
Agree he is overrated price wise, but he is a type of player we need and a safe bet in this regard.
I’m going to agree to disagree with you here as I appreciate the overall sentiment of your post in regard to club approach to transfers. However, the situation we find ourselves in at the #6 position at present is dire. The only holding midfielder in the squad currently is so far passed it that he is afraid of engaging in the midfield battle and / or is instructed to play effectively as a third CB due to lack of mobility. He is third choice at best, and we are shoehorning players not suited to the role in every single match. Thus, we absolutely have to add a player who is ready to take on the responsibility of filling that role. Anything else would be too great a gamble considering the overall quality of our squad.
And that Italian midfield was composed of Verratti, Jorginho and Barella… all quality players who would improve us no end. Meanwhile Locatelli was sat on the bench. And while I like Locatelli, Italian players are notoriously difficult to pinch from Serie A. I also don’t think Saul would’ve done anything for us in said role and reckon Bissouma would’ve cost at least £50m had we declared an interest. Neves maybe, but he isn’t great defensively. And again I would guess the price goes up as soon as we get involved.
There seems to be real a shortage of quality CM in football at the moment. And even moreso players capable of anchoring a midfield. For that reason alone Rice will cost a premium. Never mind that he is British and we are Manchester United. And if Pogba does leave, it would only make his signing that much more vital as we would be losing one of our few decent midfield options. I think not going all in for him next summer or even in January would be a massive mistake either way.
Last edited:
I'll expect us to take over the Universe with this teamWhat’s our chance to sign both Rice and Haaland next year? Would these signings make us unstoppable?
I think our chances are good
We show great patients on the transfer market. We know what we want and don’t jump on less preferred alternatives. Cavani and Ronaldo are perfect signings while we wait to sign the next big thing (talent). Also the fact we haven’t signed a CM/DCM also illustrate this. It will be a very important signing for us and a significant part of our next great 5- 10y period.
In my view the above mentioned also indicate this season isn’t the critical on (win CL/PL). United’s perspective is longer. I think 22/23 or probably 23/24 will be critical seasons - where United evaluate this project or their strategy and ask: is it a success or not?
Probably not what many people on this forum want to hear
In my view the above mentioned also indicate this season isn’t the critical on (win CL/PL). United’s perspective is longer. I think 22/23 or probably 23/24 will be critical seasons - where United evaluate this project or their strategy and ask: is it a success or not?
Probably not what many people on this forum want to hear
I think the parallels are there with Maguire, for sure. I also think, like Maguire, we wouldn't see the best of Rice until we found him a suitable midfield partner. Specifically one who is good with the ball.
My doubts are whether we'd have the funds to sign that player in the same window when Rice already comes with a premium, or if we'd even be proactive enough to sign two midfielders in the same window.
If it came down to choosing one, I'd always pick the player who enables us to play football rather than the one who stops the opponent from playing. Good defensive midfielders are a dime a dozen nowadays, although Rice is one of the better ones. Proper playmakers are like gold dust.
You're spot on regarding the bold partWe show great patients on the transfer market. We know what we want and don’t jump on less preferred alternatives. Cavani and Ronaldo are perfect signings while we wait to sign the next big thing (talent). Also the fact we haven’t signed a CM/DCM also illustrate this. It will be a very important signing for us and a significant part of our next great 5- 10y period.
In my view the above mentioned also indicate this season isn’t the critical on (win CL/PL). United’s perspective is longer. I think 22/23 or probably 23/24 will be critical seasons - where United evaluate this project or their strategy and ask: is it a success or not?
Probably not what many people on this forum want to hear
I get what you mean but on a small note I don't think we'd wait till 22/23 or 23/24 to evaluate our project. Our project will be evaluated each year with appropriate progressive milestones. This season our core milestones are a CL slot next year, maybe a title challenge, a CL quarter final I think.
We're definitely doing it right imo. We've had more than enough lessons learned with the immediate success projects under LVG and Mourinho. Now we're trying to build something that could bring us success for not only one, two seasons but for a much longer period.
I agree with the general sentiment of your post but buying Rice for 100m is silly especially given the post covid market. Just because we need to buy a car that doesn't mean we should by a Nissan leaf for the price of a Ferrari just because its produced in the UK.
Pogba will probably leave on free next year same as Mata and Lingard. I can see both VDB and Matic leave on cheap as well. That will leave a huge hole in CM that 1 player can't fill on his own. Spending all the budget on Rice would be silly
It’s a World Cup year, there will be quite a few DMs to choose from, I suppose
Agree with everything you say, example milstones and continues evaluation.You're spot on regarding the bold part
I get what you mean but on a small note I don't think we'd wait till 22/23 or 23/24 to evaluate our project. Our project will be evaluated each year with appropriate progressive milestones. This season our core milestones are a CL slot next year, maybe a title challenge, a CL quarter final I think.
We're definitely doing it right imo. We've had more than enough lessons learned with the immediate success projects under LVG and Mourinho. Now we're trying to build something that could bring us success for not only one, two seasons but for a much longer period.
What I wanted to say is this project doesn’t depend on CL or PL trophy this season or maybe even next season, but in 23/24 I think it will be hard to ignore the fact that this project depends on winning PL to be a success. Our ambitions is to repeat the glorious 90’s.