We need McAllister and Caicedo. Is there a shred of doubt left after yesterday's midfield debacle
The January Centre Midfielder Market
- Thread starter Messier1994
- Start date
You know it's probably too delicate a situation to actually happen, but if Sancho is interested in going on loan, I think we could absolutely get a decent #6 in a rare loan swap. Has to be a team out there that needs creativity out wide more than they need their DM, if they trust their backup.
I hope ETH has FM 2023 installed because by the looks of it (and with the benefit of hindsight) they have a better scouting set up than our club.
What’s Gravenberch up to?
The dream is obviously Enzo Fernandez. But with the state of our midfield almost any half decent midfielder would help. Being realistic we won't sign anyone else this window until the sell of the club sorts out.
Hopefully by the summer we bring at least 2 great additions. It's amazing how slim our options are in midfielder god forbids a Casemiro injury or we'd be totally fecked.
Hopefully by the summer we bring at least 2 great additions. It's amazing how slim our options are in midfielder god forbids a Casemiro injury or we'd be totally fecked.
Have to look outside of England then
Need a top CM and backup CDM who like Casa can offer something attacking too
Though I agree that they will probably demand absurd sums and that we must improve our scouting/transfer policy, I also believe that we must be willing to pay for the proven quantity and not restrict ourselves to only go for the hidden gems out there. But yes, poor transfer strategy, policy, scouting and no consistent style of play (different managers with different styles) is what has gotten us where we are today.
Mac Allister, if the price is right, seems to me as a very good replacement/upgrade on Eriksen. In terms of his price I highly doubt he would be more expensive then the likes of Enzo Fernandez etc.
Interesting to see Onana's name come up as potentially being sold to generate funds for 2-3 buys. He's basically McTominay but better. I wonder if Everton would take 20M plus McTominay. I'd do it and hope Ten Hag can improve him. All the tools are there.
Mac Allister isn't an upgrade on Eriksen. He's a decent, hard working player who would be useful to the squad, but I don't think he improves the ceiling of this team at all. He's not a scratch on Enzo.
Caicedo on the other hand would be a great addition who's still got a level or two to go up, from what I've seen so far. It's frustrating, we were at the front of the queue for him at one point, but pulled out when the deal became overcomplicated and the price doubled to an eye-watering £9m... Honestly, feck the Glazers.
It does seem like Caicedo has the potential because he's so much better defensively and physically and has shown signs going forward, whereas Mac Allister if he kicks on you'd think would have to be as a more of a hybrid 8/10.
But that (and the extra contract year) is why Caicedo would cost 90M this week and Mac Allister only 55.
Yeah wish we knew truth about Caicedo deal
I haven't seen anywhere near enough to have a take but Shkiri rumoured to be going to Lyon, and he profiles like the kind of #6 we could sign, sell McTominay if the rumours are true he has value and we'd have a more solid side with a nice boring backup for Casemiro who is in his prime and ready to be competent right away. Looked competent for Tunisia and they defended well at the World Cup. We'd also add presumably 15M or so to the transfer kitty with the Prem tax, though McTominay might have to be replaced with a home grown player, as someone pointed out to me this week on here.
He's on another level altogether from a technical POV to McTominay, and he can play in the B2B or holding role, and is a threat from set pieces. I think it would be an interesting transfer and a big upgrade on McTominay.
Having players that can play multiple positions is such a huge asset now too, so him being able to slot in beside Casemiro or play with him is very useful. Shaw emerging at LCB has probably saved us a lot of cash in having to replace Maguire. It's good to have those flexible guys in the squad.
I retired as as a scout. Now, you brought me out of scout retirement.
So we are looking for a AMC/forward. Some random names I can think of.
Charles de Ketelaere:
https://www.transfermarkt.com/charles-de-ketelaere/profil/spieler/435772
Big talent who look fantastic in highlights, but who really have stunk (been overwhelmed) when I’ve seen him.
Renato Sanches isn’t playing much for PSG, not that big of a fan of the player, but he is a body.
https://www.transfermarkt.com/renato-sanches/profil/spieler/258027#subnavi
Nicola Zaniolo
https://www.transfermarkt.com/nicolo-zaniolo/profil/spieler/392085
Haven’t seen him that much, but not the biggest fan of him either. There is a reason he is not playing.
Eden Hazard…
Mariano Diaz, 28, from Real, isn’t playing, hardly knows who he is…
https://www.transfermarkt.com/mariano-diaz/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/225020
Mohammed Kudos — Honestly, Ajax “should” loan him to us. He isn’t starting for them. They are out of the CL. He would play a lot for us. Would increase his value significantly.
I can appreciate Ajax wanting to keep the team together, build up chemistry etc, with so big turnover, but…
Zakaria Labyad
https://www.transfermarkt.com/zakaria-labyad/verletzungen/spieler/123349
Quincy Promes
https://www.transfermarkt.com/quincy-promes/profil/spieler/182381
Gabriel Barbosa
Probably one of my favorites. He has done well in Brazil, leading his team to winning the SA CL etc. Was rumored to be available on loan with option to buy last January.
Charles de Ketelaere:
https://www.transfermarkt.com/charles-de-ketelaere/profil/spieler/435772
Big talent who look fantastic in highlights, but who really have stunk (been overwhelmed) when I’ve seen him.
Renato Sanches isn’t playing much for PSG, not that big of a fan of the player, but he is a body.
https://www.transfermarkt.com/renato-sanches/profil/spieler/258027#subnavi
Nicola Zaniolo
https://www.transfermarkt.com/nicolo-zaniolo/profil/spieler/392085
Haven’t seen him that much, but not the biggest fan of him either. There is a reason he is not playing.
Eden Hazard…
Mariano Diaz, 28, from Real, isn’t playing, hardly knows who he is…
https://www.transfermarkt.com/mariano-diaz/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/225020
Mohammed Kudos — Honestly, Ajax “should” loan him to us. He isn’t starting for them. They are out of the CL. He would play a lot for us. Would increase his value significantly.
I can appreciate Ajax wanting to keep the team together, build up chemistry etc, with so big turnover, but…
Zakaria Labyad
https://www.transfermarkt.com/zakaria-labyad/verletzungen/spieler/123349
Quincy Promes
https://www.transfermarkt.com/quincy-promes/profil/spieler/182381
Gabriel Barbosa
Probably one of my favorites. He has done well in Brazil, leading his team to winning the SA CL etc. Was rumored to be available on loan with option to buy last January.
As limited as Fred and Mctominay are they are cover for casemiro. Albeit nowhere near his level of anticipation, conposure, passing etc.
Bigger concern is Eriksen. Utd have to get someone in to rotate with him or cover for him. Theres no way we can go keep into the latter half of the season with no cover for him.
I dont care who we get in, we must be able to do a deal for someone in the closing days of the window.
Bigger concern is Eriksen. Utd have to get someone in to rotate with him or cover for him. Theres no way we can go keep into the latter half of the season with no cover for him.
I dont care who we get in, we must be able to do a deal for someone in the closing days of the window.
I kind of agree, we need a sub for Eriksen that can play more.
Malcom on loan?
Chelsea looking at Onana from Everton although he’s allegedly rejected a move.
They seem very keen to spend their money this FFP window.
Suggests to me that they know they won’t be able to do what they are doing currently beyond that. Least not with no CL football and a tiny stadium.
They seem very keen to spend their money this FFP window.
Suggests to me that they know they won’t be able to do what they are doing currently beyond that. Least not with no CL football and a tiny stadium.
Gun to my head I'd be more confident in a Fred-Casemiro midfield than an Eriksen-Mctominay or Eriksen-Fred midfield. I think we'll just sign one player that Ten Hag is comfy with as a 6 or 8 like whoever we can from De Jong, Enzo, Caicedo and Rice and let McTominay go to pay for about 1/3rd of that fee.
Backup plan would be something like Tielemans on a free and an affordable #8 backup in his early 20s to groom as Casemiro's replacement like Thuram from Ligue 1 or someone like that. Maybe like 40M in fees including the Tielemans signing on, and McTominay signs for say West Ham or Villa for like 25M.
Yeah Tielemans on a free gives us another option
I think Onana at Everton is a really good player. Could use him for Eriksen and back up for Casemiro
Ben Jacob's has said Tielemans to United is one to watch apparently, he also said he doesn't think it'll happen 
We are really bare bones in midfield. You'd imagine McTominay and Fred start against Reading but it's concerning there's still a chance one of Casemiro/Eriksen could play in a game like that. We could honestly use another Weghorst type loan deal for a midfielder.
It won't happen, but Fiorentina are 11 points safe from relegation, 12 out of Europe and out of every cup competition, so their season is effectively over barring a long winning or losing streak. A deal like Amrabat on loan for 4 months for say 6M and his wages, with an expensive option to buy (say 40M) or no option, and then we agree to send them say 20M if they get relegated as that's the real downside risk for them.
Then we sell McTominay to Newcastle for 30M and we're still up 20 something Million for summer spending, and have a better midfield.
Same deal for Nice and the seemingly highly rated young DM Thuram there. Out of the cups, double digit points away from relegation or Europe. They just sold Lemina to Wolves though in the same position so genuinely might enrage the fans or risk relegation if they hollowed out the engine room, and they spend money now so yeah, not happening.
Can’t see anything else at the DM spot really, so I think we just move Mctominay in the summer and buy a new DM that Ten Hag likes for a Malacia amount.
Then we sell McTominay to Newcastle for 30M and we're still up 20 something Million for summer spending, and have a better midfield.
Same deal for Nice and the seemingly highly rated young DM Thuram there. Out of the cups, double digit points away from relegation or Europe. They just sold Lemina to Wolves though in the same position so genuinely might enrage the fans or risk relegation if they hollowed out the engine room, and they spend money now so yeah, not happening.
Can’t see anything else at the DM spot really, so I think we just move Mctominay in the summer and buy a new DM that Ten Hag likes for a Malacia amount.
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Ben Jacob's has said Tielemans to United is one to watch apparently, he also said he doesn't think it'll happen
Talk about trying to build up suspense for a move then killing it almost straight away
Yeah we could but looks like shutters gone down
With Eriksen out we desperately need another body in midfield.
Wonder if we can loan Gravenberch. Bayern have hardly given him any minutes.
Wonder if we can loan Gravenberch. Bayern have hardly given him any minutes.
Sell Elanga, use the fees to buy Tielemans. Contract expired in summer. Shouldn’t be expensive.
Don't we already have 2 loans ? Or is that rule limited only for domestic ones ?
Yeah, only English loans. Think it’s up to 8 foreign.
Or even McTominay. Sell one of him or Elanga and give Leicester 15 or so millions for Tielemans. I reckon he will complement Casemiro better than Eriksen can, and both have the same defensive weakness anyway.
Only problem is Leicester might not be open to selling their best midfielder this late in January despite the financial incentive of doing so.
Won't happen in January but someone who hopefully is considered.
https://breakingthelines.com/player-analysis/maxence-caqueret-the-heart-of-a-lyon/
https://breakingthelines.com/player-analysis/maxence-caqueret-the-heart-of-a-lyon/
I wonder if Ten Hag will be able to pressure the board into action seeing as Eriksen was pretty important to him and he clearly doesn't rate McFred (understandable).
Just recall Amad.
Let him play Bruno's position and Bruno playing Eriksen's position.
Let him play Bruno's position and Bruno playing Eriksen's position.
Tielemans for 15m? Anything more than 8m now is overpaying
Well, we've never been known to overpay, have we now?
And I doubt Leicester will deem it worthy of letting him go this late for a miserly 8m. This isn't 2005.