Rico Henry

Must? No its not a must

Well if ETH is changing his mind on his own signings so quickly let's hope the next LB signing has been scouted properly.

To inherit Shaw, Dalot,Fernandez and buy two more left backs in two summers would certainly be an odd one.
 
Henry is quality.

And for the job spec, the other 3 options are not bad anyway.

From the limited games I watched, I never felt he was some quality player. Looked more like a typical midtable player.
 
Well if ETH is changing his mind on his own signings so quickly let's hope the next LB signing has been scouted properly.

To inherit Shaw, Dalot,Fernandez and buy two more left backs in two summers would certainly be an odd one.

In my opinion Henry would be the best lb at the club by the end of the season if we signed him
 
In my opinion Henry would be the best lb at the club by the end of the season if we signed him

I think you might be right.

But we should have just signed him in the first place instead of going for Malacia.
 
Have Shaw and Malacia died and no one has told us?
 
Shaw is our best LB and one of the best players in the team when fit. It still doesn't make sense to me. There are so many ways we could use that money more effectively.
But it adds quality cover across the back line since Shaw is better than any 3rd / 4th choice CB we could find and Henry is already one of the best LB in the league. Both won’t play every game but both would play a lot.
We are already one injury away from Maguire and Lindelof as our CBs. If Shaw were fit and had to play CB we would be incredible thin in both CB and LB position at once.
For me it makes sense, you can’t compete at the top against City or even Arsenal if you play a lot of games with sub par replacements. You have to replace quality with quality.
This being true or not is a different story.
 
If we sign a LB, I think its about how long will Shaw be out but equally, the opportunity to get someone in. I like Shaw but he has long periods where he can completely drop off. Its hard to get good back-to-back seasons out of him...

Malacia was always a back up....
 
From the limited games I watched, I never felt he was some quality player. Looked more like a typical midtable player.

He has a great engine and quality delivery. Technically sound too.
 
Best name we've been linked to by a mile. Doubt Brentford will sell.
 
Malacia will probably be sold next summer. He’s not very good at all and has already been replaced as even the backup left back. He adds zero quality going forward and is also suspect defensively.
 
I think you might be right.

But we should have just signed him in the first place instead of going for Malacia.
I do not disagree. Good clubs accept their mistakes and fix them quickly
 
I know he plays for Brentford, and stats are far from the be all and end all — but blimey his FBref looks a bit depressing. Doesn’t seem to excel at… anything?
https://fbref.com/en/players/8a3c1dc7/Rico-Henry

Being dead last percentile for attempted passes is actually quite impressive
 
I know he plays for Brentford, and stats are far from the be all and end all — but blimey his FBref looks a bit depressing. Doesn’t seem to excel at… anything?
https://fbref.com/en/players/8a3c1dc7/Rico-Henry

Being dead last percentile for attempted passes is actually quite impressive

Definitely passes the eye test but he also has freedom in attack it seems, maybe on behalf of others. So its hard to say if he’d fit United or if it’ll be like how LFC tries to cover up for when Trent bombs forward
 
Is it possible that this is a player we were looking at as a longer term option and they are bringing it forward due to the injury situation? So rather than get a stop gap, just get the player you were going to get next for the LB spot?
 
He's a decent player for them (runs all day) but this doesn't make a ton of sense to me. Expensive, low-upside signing. We'd be better off just bringing in a loanee.
 
Been following this lad since he came through at Walsall.

Been outstanding for Brentford since they were promoted, complete travesty he hasn't been capped for England as to me he's a better all round FB than Mitchell at Palace who has been capped.

I think he's better as a wingback though so not sure he's an ideal fit for Man. United.

Thought Spurs or West Ham would've gone for him if the fee is about 40m.
 
But it adds quality cover across the back line since Shaw is better than any 3rd / 4th choice CB we could find and Henry is already one of the best LB in the league. Both won’t play every game but both would play a lot.
We are already one injury away from Maguire and Lindelof as our CBs. If Shaw were fit and had to play CB we would be incredible thin in both CB and LB position at once.
For me it makes sense, you can’t compete at the top against City or even Arsenal if you play a lot of games with sub par replacements. You have to replace quality with quality.
This being true or not is a different story.
I don't agree that signing Rico Henry makes us any stronger in the long-term. Shaw is better than him when fit and Martinez is our first choice left footer at CB, Shaw only plays there when Martinez is unavailable. It's not even like Rico Henry is a cheap solution to this problem either, Brentford will want around £50m for him.

Even if we feel it's necessary to strengthen our defence (it's far less of a priority than the midfield), there are smarter ways of doing it. We could sign a multifunctional player like Pavard. We're being reactive in the transfer market yet again at the cost of ignoring bigger flaws in the team. It's negligence.
 
No chance we are selling our only left back this late in the window and secondly, with, FFP I doubt United can afford him. He is absolute quality though and it’s a travesty he is over looked for the England squad.
 
All profiles of lb we have been linked with are very attacking.
 
He looks very good for Brentford whenever I see them and seems vital to the way they play. They'd want the kind of money Brighton got out of Chelsea for Cucurella, maybe even more this late in the window.

I can't see it happening unless Shaw is actually crippled and we're beyond desperate.

Cucurella was different as he was only at Brighton 12 months and imagine they had him on 5-6 year deal so could rinse Chelsea that way.

Bissouma had 12 months left and they sold him to Spurs for 30m.

Rico joined Brentford in 2016 so not sure where he is with contracts but if it's say coming up to 18 months left then I think around 40m would be valuation.

Or it could be Raya style loan deal of course....
 
I don't agree that signing Rico Henry makes us any stronger in the long-term. Shaw is better than him when fit and Martinez is our first choice left footer at CB, Shaw only plays there when Martinez is unavailable. It's not even like Rico Henry is a cheap solution to this problem either, Brentford will want around £50m for him.

Even if we feel it's necessary to strengthen our defence (it's far less of a priority than the midfield), there are smarter ways of doing it. We could sign a multifunctional player like Pavard. We're being reactive in the transfer market yet again at the cost of ignoring bigger flaws in the team. It's negligence.
But this signing would mean Shaw is our Pavard? Ten Hag would still be using that profile of CB.
I rate this more than all the loan deals. We find ourselves in a hole short term and we use the opportunity to build long term. If the manager thinks he can take Rico and build him up accordingly then I’m all for it.
 
I think they want to loan Fernandez out for his development. Two games a week after internationals and if both Shaw and Malacia are out for even a month, it is asking a lot of AWB and Dalot. Dalot at LB ain’t great with an inside forward too.
 
Cucurella was different as he was only at Brighton 12 months and imagine they had him on 5-6 year deal so could rinse Chelsea that way.

Bissouma had 12 months left and they sold him to Spurs for 30m.

Rico joined Brentford in 2016 so not sure where he is with contracts but if it's say coming up to 18 months left then I think around 40m would be valuation.

Or it could be Raya style loan deal of course....

His contract expires 2027 plus the club has an option to add a year… we would be asking a lot of money all factors considered.
 
But this signing would mean Shaw is our Pavard? Ten Hag would still be using that profile of CB.
I rate this more than all the loan deals. We find ourselves in a hole short term and we use the opportunity to build long term. If the manager thinks he can take Rico and build him up accordingly then I’m all for it.
At the expense of making another position weaker. It would be a far worse deal than any of the short-term loans because it would involve spending a significant chunk of our budget on a player who does not improve our best team.

I don't see it happening anyway because Brentford will be reluctant to sell this late in the window but that doesn't making the decision making process any better. There have already been a number of red flags in our recruitment process this summer. I'll reserve judgment until the end of the window but as things stand, I don't trust the manager or those operating alongside him to get it right. I'm hugely disappointed.
 
At the expense of making another position weaker. It would be a far worse deal than any of the short-term loans because it would involve spending a significant chunk of our budget on a player who does not improve our best team.

I don't see it happening anyway because Brentford will be reluctant to sell this late in the window but that doesn't making the decision making process any better. There have already been a number of red flags in our recruitment process this summer. I'll reserve judgment until the end of the window but as things stand, I don't trust the manager or those operating alongside him to get it right. I'm hugely disappointed.
But it wouldn’t be weaker since Shaw would play a lot of games at LB? It would be the end of Malacia but that’s no big loss. If anything it strengthens that LB position as a whole.
I don’t think it’ll happen either but it makes more sense than buying Fecking Alonso
 
Looked good when I've seen him play.

But unless Shaw/Malacia are half dead, it makes little sense to me to spend big money on a LB versus just getting one in on loan to cover until they're fit, even if there would be some theoretical long term benefit to doing so. Just not enough of a priority.

And I would assume Henry would cost quite a lot. English, their only real LB option and with just a few days left in the transfer window. No reason for them to make a "fair" deal.
 
But it wouldn’t be weaker since Shaw would play a lot of games at LB? It would be the end of Malacia but that’s no big loss. If anything it strengthens that LB position as a whole.
I don’t think it’ll happen either but it makes more sense than buying Fecking Alonso
We're weaker if Henry starts ahead of Shaw or Martinez, bottom line. We're idiots If we pay £50m for the privilege. Resources matter and if we spunk them all on run of the mill players we're going to pay for it in future windows, just as we have with plenty of players we're still struggling to get rid of now. Look how quickly you've written Malacia off, it'd be exactly the same with Rico Henry.
 
We're weaker if Henry starts ahead of Shaw or Martinez, bottom line.
Martinez is not a lb, and Henry offers something completely different to Shaw in attack
 
Martinez is not a lb, and Henry offers something completely different to Shaw in attack
The poster was talking about playing Shaw CB in order to facilitate Henry at LB.

I'm going to leave it here. I can't fathom why people would be comfortable with us making this signing while the midfield burns, it's all too familiar for me.
 
Just how bad are Malacia/Shaw injuries that we are looking for an lb this hard

Yea, I'm finding it odd too. I like Rico Henry but we already have Shaw, Malacia, Dalot and Martinez if needed.

Any money we have absolutely must go towards the midfield or striker areas.
 
The poster was talking about playing Shaw CB in order to facilitate Henry at LB.

I'm going to leave it here. I can't fathom why people would be comfortable with us making this signing while the midfield burns, it's all too familiar for me.
Probably because our fullbacks are a big issue also and a reason why we lack in attack. Plus also better attacking fullbacks would mean we could play a double pivot