I've just been talking with my mates about United and what is required this summer. Some of the opinions on our players are pretty scary really, as most of them support League 1 teams and are pretty neutral. The first thing to mention is the players that currently have huge question marks over them with regards to them even being here next season. I'll list the players that, between us, we thought were potentially on the move. I'd like to hear other opinions on this list.
Evra
Vidic
Ferdinand
Nani
Young
Anderson
Kagawa
Hernandez
Rooney
Buttner
Giggs
Anderson18 posted a pretty much identical list of players, but I don't think enough has been said about this. That's a ridiculous list of players! When you consider that we already need to beef up in midfield and left back, is it even possible to rebuild in one summer to the extent that would be required if they all left? We're talking about probably needing a new CB, 2 new LB's, a striker or two, new wingers/attacking midfielders and obviously central midfielders. Potentially 7-9 players. Plus any other players we may need to bulk up the squad.
Ideally we will refuse to let them all go at once. From that list there's a few that I think we should/can keep around a bit longer, though they do have question marks over them. The Rooney situation is quite a big one, though I suspect that Mata may have been brought in as his eventual replacement to give us less to do in the summer. But...
Kagawa - Will we want to keep him/will he want to stay?
Vidic/Ferdinand/Evra - All highly likely to leave I feel.
Nani - Maybe the reports of us looking to sell him were false and he will stay.
Young - I think he might be kept around just to make up the numbers for now.
Anderson - As good as gone.
Rooney - May sign a new deal, though it looks less likely as each day passes.
Hernandez - I think he'll be moved on and will also want to leave. Got a sneaky feeling he'll end up at Athletico Madrid.
Buttner - May be kept round for back up.
Giggs - Will call it a day.
In an ideal world that leaves us needing midfielders, a new CB, a new LB and a new striker. How does everyone else see the immediate future of these players playing out and what will be needed afterwards?
EDIT: Some of my mates didn't think Rafael is too great. Is that a consideration? At the very least we probably need some back up for him too.
Young, Rooney and Büttner I think will stay. Moyes is using Young and he hasn't been as bad as many have been claiming, alot beter than Valencia that is for sure, on top of that I don't think he wants to leave either and no club will come in for him with that kind of salary. I think he'll just stay. Rooney I think will just sign a new improved contract and he won't be moving either, even if he doesn't sign a new deal I can't see Moyes selling him unless it is to a foreign club and I don't think Rooney wants to relocate, won't happen I think. Büttner will be kept I think because we are lacking depth for the fullback position.
Giggs and Ferdinand will retire I think, both aren't really necessary anymore and they aren't good enough anymore either.
Vidic and Evra might decide not to renew their contract, but I think both will get an offer and there is the possibility they'll stay for a year longer, but both are still attracting some serious interest from good clubs so they might decide to take a new challenge in the ending phase of their career.
Anderson is at fiorentina for the long term, he said it himself he doesn't intend on coming back, so I think the deal will be made permanent in the summer or they will extend his loan or something. Definitely won't be coming back.
Hernandez, Kagawa and Nani aren't featuring and they all still hold value, so I expect that there will be some teams in for them and I think they are the most likely outgoing transfers we will make in the summer as we can still get some cash for them.
Alot of people don't seem to believe United will go on to spend big time this summer. Truth is we need it more than ever and a large portion of these deals should already have been made in the summer or even previous transfer windows. Moyes will be more desperate to get it right this time, because if he messes up like this season his job might really be in the balance. He knows he doesn't just need to get us back in the CL, he knows he need to get us back to a title winning side. I'am expecting atleast 5 or 6 players to come in for the first team and perhaps even a couple more as back ups. beside it really does look like we're going to lose about 7-8 players in the summer, no way we won't be replacing them.
Expecting to see a new centreback, new leftback, new winger and 2 midfielders, one a playmaker profile and one a more defensive player. Potential achievable players could be: Garay (€15m), Coentrao(€15m), Lucas(€25m), Carvalho(€30m) and Rakitic(€30m). If we get in those players the biggest problem we'll have will be squad depth for the fullback postions, only rafael for RB and Coentrao for LB. With Büttner as a replacement and Smalling and Jones who can play the odd game on RB we could see it through with just those players, but I expect to see us signing a versatile fullback who can play LB as well as RB for squad depth. We could get all these players for around €125m which is a number I can definitely see us spending this summer.
Possible team for next season would be like this:
GK: DDG, Lindegaard, Johnstone
fullbacks: Rafael, Coentrao, Büttner, new versatile fullback, Varela (possibly getting a shot at the first team)
CB: Smalling, Evans, Jones, Garay
CM: Carrick, Fletcher, Carvalho, Fellaini, Rakitic, Cleverley
AM/Wingers: Mata, Lucas, Januzaj, Young, Valencia
Strikers: RVP, Rooney, Welbeck
Nice tidy squad of about 26 players
Possible lign up: 4-2-3-1
------------DDG-----------
Rafael--Jones--Garay--Coentrao
---------Carvalho-------------
-------------Rakitic--------
Lucas----Mata-----Januzaj
----------RVP-------------
With Rooney as primary competitor for the positions of Mata, Rakitic and RVP