It is slightly odd how little business United have done with the Saudi League.
The big summer clear out & the funds raised.
- Thread starter Insanity
- Start date
I think we might be inflating a little how much business they actually do.
This year (the transfer season just opened) Transfermarkt has 131 arrivals in the league for a sum 120m€ out. With Diaby from West Ham being half of that total.
Last year was a lot more exuberant with almost a billion (still less than Ligue 1) spent but really it's 4-5 clubs doing the buying. I count 11 players that moved for a fee of 30m€ or more. If you count anything 10m€ and up that still is... 3 dozens, perhaps ? Most of the wealthy clubs will probably be full roster wise this summer.
And a freshly ex-United player was arguably one of the top two signings of the SFL...
We offloaded Telles to them.
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You have absolutely nailed it and that's fully on Woody and Judge for giving them stupid wages
The window started with so much promise but it's petering out a bit.
The turds won't flush:
- Maguire is 'part of the future'
- McTom is liked by the mamager
- AWB dreams of Inter
- Sancho is bubbly with a good sense of humor
- Case & Saudi has cooled off
- No news on Lindelof
- Antony will stay & fight
Whereas us on the buy front our targets are ghosts of ETH's past or big club rejects. Amrabat, de Ligt, Mazraoui, Dumfries, Ugarte is a depressing list.
Need to be linked with more Silva's, Neves' Zubemendi's, Ferdi's etc.
The turds won't flush:
- Maguire is 'part of the future'
- McTom is liked by the mamager
- AWB dreams of Inter
- Sancho is bubbly with a good sense of humor
- Case & Saudi has cooled off
- No news on Lindelof
- Antony will stay & fight
Whereas us on the buy front our targets are ghosts of ETH's past or big club rejects. Amrabat, de Ligt, Mazraoui, Dumfries, Ugarte is a depressing list.
Need to be linked with more Silva's, Neves' Zubemendi's, Ferdi's etc.
Agree. Just hoping we get some more business done before the start of the league.
But even with Ugarte and De Ligt signed I think we still lack in the goal threat and creativity department.
Someone like Fofana would excite me a bit more, as he looks like he can pass it forward a bit.
Same thing happened last summer and the consensus here was that the manager was playing some sort of 3D chess to maximize the players' transfer values. Obviously not the case.
It's looking more likely that ETH is just a bit of a hoarder, like Ole before him.
Apart from a few lowball bids for AWB and McTom, have there been any bids for players on that list.
I don't think we can blame EtH for hoarding players when no other clubS ARE interested in United overpaid deadwood.
My point exactly. Eth wants to have 25 "proven" players and two players for every position. I don't blame him for that (he is thinking about keeping his job) but that is where Dof, CEO and others must step in.
Bit of a chicken and egg situation then. Clubs don't usually put in bids until they've sorted out the personal terms, or at least received assurances that the player is willing to join - which won't happen if the player is told he's part of our plans for next season.
Because players in question didn't tell agents to find them a new club.
You think that club alone finds buyers? That is where agents step in.
Maguire doesn't even think about leaving. So his agent isn't trying to find him a club.
Yes, it is on Erik here. As Maguire said in interview; tell me that i am not needed and then i will think about leaving.
God bless you Jose
In the past 5-10 years any manager who told to players they weren't in his plans, would probably only result in the player sulking and waiting for the current manager to be sacked.
IMO players generally never want to leave United, so putting the blame on EtH is a bit silly.
Let's go Jose, get the Iceman.
The Iceman Goeth?
Feasibly, I can only see Lindelof, Eriksen, Hannibal and Pellistri leaving this summer on permanent transfers. The former two leaving will probably allow us to bring a CB and CM in. We might go for a full back towards the end of the window. Doesn't look like either of Antony or Sancho will be leaving so likely no new forward.
Fully expecting the lindelof deal to fall through at the wages stage. This is the way.
The only way you leave united is through disgrace or on a free.
The only way you leave united is through disgrace or on a free.
I put absolutely no stock in ETH saying Casemiro, McTominay or whoever else is someone he really wants to keep. He of course needs to ensure the dressing room won't be crowded with hurt egos and play the PR game until the window closes.
The club have briefed many times this summer and prior that almost everyone is available for the right price. I think that's nearer the truth.
The club have briefed many times this summer and prior that almost everyone is available for the right price. I think that's nearer the truth.
Yes but not many clubs have the money or motivation to give us that right price. Our price for McTominay seems to be 25-30 Million ( rightly in my opinion) and doesn't look like anyone wants to pay that.
For the likes of Casemiro and AWB, I guess no one wants to match their wages and the players themselves don't want to move to inferior clubs, which again is fair enough.
I am just commenting against the "oh, Erik, ffs, he's not good enough" sentiment. I think ETH knows full well that half the squad need moving out the door. The guy just endorsed Rangnick's bombshell statement recently.
With individual players it varies. Going by reports AWB is up for finding another club. Eriksen has talked about wanting to play matches. Maguire has said he's not been told anything about him being moved on, I think he could be persuaded if another centre back is signed. Casemiro is likely the most difficult to shift along with Sancho, the only market for the former is Saudi and the latter we're hoping PSG take him or someone like Juve might be interested after they sell Chiesa..
My hope is that we bank on selling a few before the end of the window and carry on with recruitment even if our preference chronologically would be to move players out before others move in.
Ah fair enough. Yeah a manager's comments to the media never really mean much. Also with ETH, you still see that he isn't the most fluent in press conferences and often doesn't get his point across clearly enough. So the media often manipulates what he says to suit whatever narrative they are building.
I do think we won't be shifting anyone beyond the likes of Lindelof and Eriksen this summer. Will probably get a CB and CM to replace them and maybe a back up FB towards the end of the window. What will be interesting for me is how INEOS approach the contract situation of McTominay, Maguire and AWB. All have 1 year remaining and if we are serious about getting back to the top we shouldn't be offering them new contracts and letting them go for free. I should clarify I think all 3 are decent squad players and happy for all of them to stay this year, but given the state of our squad we need better players to actually compete for trophies.
The old Utd way was extending contracts to "protect value". If Ineos are serious about turning us into title challengers, then the litmus test will be how we handle their contract situation. Are we willing to let them go for free and spend money to bring quality replacements? Or will we keep stringing them along like we did in the past?
I'm a lot more optimistic, but there's nothing concrete in it other than thinking some of these players surely want to play football. Casemiro could arguably do a decent job for another season here if he's not depended on as a first XI player. Eriksen I'm hopeful of shifting, Lindelof if there's any sort of market for him, AWB I think will leave. The one I really hope we manage to move out the door is Sancho though.
With INEOS I am pretty confident that the days of protecting value by chasing losses are over. Maguire is on 190K, I cannot imagine that a player who does not fit tactically in the slightest will be kept on. As I said, I think AWB will move this summer, if he doesn't I think we won't extend his contract. McTominay is a bit different. I'd sell him for 25-30m without a doubt, but if he's here for the season I think the club will trigger the year option in order to preserve value, what with him also on a relatively modest wage (in United terms anyway).
I actually think it will be easier to aggressively move players out after recruiting new players, than it is to do so beforehand. Most of these players are either squeezing the last bit of top football out of their careers, or they're at their peak, so it would be surprising if all of them are happy to take the money and sit on the bench.
I mean we did get a lot of players out of the door. 7 last season that were notable, already 4-6 this year and I think it included most of the biggest no-hopers in the squad. Remember that two years ago we still had Telles, Bailly, Martial, Van der Beek, etc on the books.
Ronaldo was cut off last year, they moved Greenwood out and I suppose we may have taken an accounting hit at finding van der Beek a new home, I'd say the management has been proactive to clean up that squad.
I think you will only see movement out if there's decent bids offered. None of the players concerned are so catastrophically bad (even if below their expected level), disruptive enough or terminally devalued for that, bar potentially Sancho and Eriksen (the latter because any transfer amount would probably work accounting wise).
Ronaldo was cut off last year, they moved Greenwood out and I suppose we may have taken an accounting hit at finding van der Beek a new home, I'd say the management has been proactive to clean up that squad.
I think you will only see movement out if there's decent bids offered. None of the players concerned are so catastrophically bad (even if below their expected level), disruptive enough or terminally devalued for that, bar potentially Sancho and Eriksen (the latter because any transfer amount would probably work accounting wise).
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Cannot see Casemiro leaving. Unless Saudi sign him he will stay.
AWB will leave for a low ball amount. Hopefully Lindelof will leave - another low deal. Reckon Sancho will go on loan with option late on.
Do not think we can shift Maguire, McTominay will stay and we won’t be able to shift on Erikson either.
AWB will leave for a low ball amount. Hopefully Lindelof will leave - another low deal. Reckon Sancho will go on loan with option late on.
Do not think we can shift Maguire, McTominay will stay and we won’t be able to shift on Erikson either.
The silver lining, I guess, is that of that lot, only Sancho and Anthony have contracts which go on past the end of the next season. Getting rid of those two though will be extremely difficult.
Get a grip mate. We've signed two excellent players and still have a whole month to sign more. We always have difficulty selling players because of their wages and clubs lowballing us because they know we want to sell. It's pretty obvious the club is working on multiple targets in each position and being careful not to be rinsed. You can be gloomy about the players we're strongly linked with if you want (I personally think Ugarte, De Ligt or Dumfries would be solid signings), but they're clearly not the only options we're working on.
We’re not going to get a decent fee for Eriksen anyway, so even a loan would be decent for a £3-5 mil fee. We’d probably only get that on a permanent deal.
Eriksen might fancy a loan. Sneaky year in Belgium on United wages and a chance to get a signing on fee as a free agent next year....
Strap in guys. Getting exciting now.
Could be any one of Eriksen, AWB or Lindelof out the door next
Could be any one of Eriksen, AWB or Lindelof out the door next
Rumors of Sancho agreeing to terms with PSG, we're demanding a 60m fee
Just a complete no brainer. Even something around 40m, plus around 25 for lindelof, eriksen and awb would cover De Ligt and a full back.
Eriksen 5m would be a good fee for him. Can't think we can get more than that.
60m for Sancho don't threaten me with a good time but it's fair tick for tack if they insist on 70m for Ugarte.
60m for Sancho don't threaten me with a good time but it's fair tick for tack if they insist on 70m for Ugarte.
I just happened to chance upon this thread. Has it always been as optimistic as this page has been? We desperately need to re-shuffle the squad to at least be watch-able this season.
People get angsty when there's no news for 12h.
Sales can take a little time and we already moved a lot of players out / off this summer and the last.
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Anything from a decent source?
Not yet but hopefully one to watch
50m+ please and he's all yours
Yeah no way anyone not even PSG are stupid enough to pay that especially when buying Neves as well