The January Centre Midfielder Market

userman said:
Not one for January, but what about Mac Allister at Brighton?
To me he seems like a very interesting player with good/great passing, shot, technique, work rate and also PL-proven (also has a bit of that Argentinian grit about him). Been a lot of talks about his teammate Caicedo but isn’t Mac Allister a better fit alongside Casemiro..?
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My perfect signing.. we’d be daft not looking at him because he is a perfect fit.
 
userman said:
Not one for January, but what about Mac Allister at Brighton?
To me he seems like a very interesting player with good/great passing, shot, technique, work rate and also PL-proven (also has a bit of that Argentinian grit about him). Been a lot of talks about his teammate Caicedo but isn’t Mac Allister a better fit alongside Casemiro..?
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He's better option than Enzo imo. I just think Enzo is playing in Casemiro's role, while Mac Allister has been used to play in Eriksen's role by Brighton (playing as no 10 in World Cup though). The issue is that Brighton will demand lot of money. If money isn't problem and prevent us in signing striker then I think Mac Allister will be good fit alongside Casemiro.
 
Surely there must be something we can do? Tielemans has less than 6 months left on his contract and isnt signing a new deal, we have very little money. Sounds like the shotgun wedding we need right now.
 
Pay Bayern whatever Gravenberch is costing them for this season.

He’s doing up Van De Beek at the minute.
 
A serious club that wasn’t financially up the swanny would be making moves in the next 48 hours to help the manager. Such a shame.
 
If we are actually skint then Aouar or Gravenberch on loan may be the only good move we can make here. I think both have been fringe players at their clubs this year. If Eriksen is seriously hurt then we need another body but unlikely we will get one. Amazing to think we are in this position after spending what we have in the last 5-10 years. So much waste.
 
Bayern said at start of last week that Gravenberch isnt going on loan anywhere nor is he for sale.
 
dinostar77 said:
Surely there must be something we can do? Tielemans has less than 6 months left on his contract and isnt signing a new deal, we have very little money. Sounds like the shotgun wedding we need right now.
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We have no money to buy anyone - loan deals only. That rules Tielemans out. I'm not sure what options there are - it seems likely that McFred will get a lot of gametime in the business end of the season.
 
Hard pass on Tielemans. It's one thing to be signing limited players on short-term loans, but it's a different proposition entirely to stack up the squad with players who don't improve us on permanent deals. Luckily I don't think we can afford that type of deal this window anyway.
 
I know he just moved in the summer but maybe we can check PSG for a loan option for Renato Sanches.

He is about fifth in the pecking order for the CM roles there, has hardly started a game in the league since October. I doubt they really need him with even the 16 year old Zaire-Emery being an option
 
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avgp_1 said:
I know he just moved in the summer but maybe we can check PSG for a loan option for Renato Sanches.

He is about fifth in the pecking order for CM roles there, has hardly started a game in the league since October. I doubt they really need him with even the 16 year old Zaire-Emery being an option
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Partly because of how injury prone he is. He’s missed like 12 matches for PSG this season with injury already
 
Chances of us signing someone between now and the end of the window are slim to put it lightly.

With Eriksen now injured & leaving OT yesterday in crutches is a worry. We’ve got games coming up thick and fast now.
 
Infra-red said:
We have no money to buy anyone - loan deals only. That rules Tielemans out. I'm not sure what options there are - it seems likely that McFred will get a lot of gametime in the business end of the season.
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Problem is statistically McFred are crabs, all sideways passes, not like eriksen at all statically. Just puts more pressure on bruno to not keep giving the ball away and have some semblance of control even though hes in the 10 position.
 
DWelbz19 said:
Partly because of how injury prone he is. He’s missed like 12 matches for PSG this season with injury already
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Yeah he has been injured a fair bit, it would be a punt for 4 months or so. It's a long shot anyway. Even fit they have too many options in there so who knows
 
RedDevilRoshi said:
Chances of us signing someone between now and the end of the window are slim to put it lightly.

With Eriksen now injured & leaving OT yesterday in crutches is a worry. We’ve got games coming up thick and fast now.
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To be fair its not a bad month coming up fixtures wise with him out. Apart from barcelona we dont play any of the top 6.
 
dinostar77 said:
To be fair its not a bad month coming up fixtures wise with him out. Apart from barcelona we dont play any of the top 6.
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I’m not really fussed as to who we are playing but more so with the number of games every week leading up to the final. Potential burnout with 8 games in one month.
 
RedDevilRoshi said:
I’m not really fussed as to who we are playing but more so with the number of games every week leading up to the final. Potential burnout with 8 games in one month.
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Im genuinly curious as to whether bruno has the discipline to play as a 8 while eriksen is out.

If Sancho was back, him or anthoy could play the no10 role allowing bruno to drop to 8. But brunos tendency to give the ball away could backfire massively on a turnover or transition.
 
Kag said:
A serious club that wasn’t financially up the swanny would be making moves in the next 48 hours to help the manager. Such a shame.
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This. Just watch the apologists come out and tell you how this wouldn't make sense though.
 
kidbob said:
If we are actually skint then Aouar or Gravenberch on loan may be the only good move we can make here. I think both have been fringe players at their clubs this year. If Eriksen is seriously hurt then we need another body but unlikely we will get one. Amazing to think we are in this position after spending what we have in the last 5-10 years. So much waste.
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Yeah either of them gives us something but sadly we pulled shutters down after Weghorst
 
Need to do loan for Aouar until end of season then bring in him permanently as free agent in summer
 
dinostar77 said:
Im genuinly curious as to whether bruno has the discipline to play as a 8 while eriksen is out.

If Sancho was back, him or anthoy could play the no10 role allowing bruno to drop to 8. But brunos tendency to give the ball away could backfire massively on a turnover or transition.
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Hard to know if he can switch his brain to ball possession mode. He obviously has the ability but it could really backfire to us moving him to that position

I think the most sensible choice will be playing McT or fred along case
 
DrRodo said:
Hard to know if he can switch his brain to ball possession mode. He obviously has the ability but it could really backfire to us moving him to that position

I think the most sensible choice will be playing McT or fred along case
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Please not McTominay
 
meamth said:
Just recall Amad.

Let him play Bruno's position and Bruno playing Eriksen's position.
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Very good idea. Let's recall a guy who's gaining experience and doing very well at the club he's loaned out to and play him out of position...
 
BlueHaze said:
Very good idea. Let's recall a guy who's gaining experience and doing very well at the club he's loaned out to and play him out of position...
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He is playing centrally right now and scoring goals and winning awards.
 
dinostar77 said:
Im genuinly curious as to whether bruno has the discipline to play as a 8 while eriksen is out.

If Sancho was back, him or anthoy could play the no10 role allowing bruno to drop to 8. But brunos tendency to give the ball away could backfire massively on a turnover or transition.
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Bruno would be a disaster in that position. It perhaps work in a 3 man midfield, with the extra 8 or 6 able to assist in the shape and structure similar to what I think was the most balance midfield in recent seasons in Herrera, Pogba and Matic but if it's the 4-2-3-1 he would be a weaknesses in possession.

I would actually be interested to see if Sancho could play as a 10. In the City youth team and early stages of his Dortmund career he was for all intent and purposes a direct winger but I think perhaps playing with Hakimi made him revert to being a wide playmaker (give and go, consistently dropping into half spaces). I've yet to see Sancho really break the lines with his passing but he looks like a 10 far more than a winger nowadays.
 
We're not going to sign anybody and it's kind of pointless getting mad about it as the people responsible are actively trying to feck off anyway. If the Glazers were staying there would be more rage about this window and justifiably so.
 
Vapor trail said:
Bruno would be a disaster in that position. It perhaps work in a 3 man midfield, with the extra 8 or 6 able to assist in the shape and structure similar to what I think was the most balance midfield in recent seasons in Herrera, Pogba and Matic but if it's the 4-2-3-1 he would be a weaknesses in possession.

I would actually be interested to see if Sancho could play as a 10. In the City youth team and early stages of his Dortmund career he was for all intent and purposes a direct winger but I think perhaps playing with Hakimi made him revert to being a wide playmaker (give and go, consistently dropping into half spaces). I've yet to see Sancho really break the lines with his passing but he looks like a 10 far more than a winger nowadays.
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You're right about Bruno, I've seen it suggested before about Sancho as a 10, Garnacho as well, might be worth a punt in a game we've alrready won and see how it goes
 
Blood Mage said:
We're not going to sign anybody and it's kind of pointless getting mad about it as the people responsible are actively trying to feck off anyway. If the Glazers were staying there would be more rage about this window and justifiably so.
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Still frustrating because we lack depth and with so many games in February it's important
 
Thomas Delaney might go out on loan. He's struggling at Sevilla but he's been a solid, boring DM (who can win headers in front of Lisandro) for club and country. Sell McTominay to Newcastle for 25M, buy a CM that Ten Hag rates for a similar or slightly higher price, or even a healthy loan fee with a big option to buy, and we've got a stronger midfield that can withstand any one single injury without exploding:

Eriksen(Fred)------Bruno(CM)
--------Casemiro(Delaney)----
 
I’ll be todays “saying what everyone with common sense knows already” poster

Ahem…

United won’t sign or loan anyone else because the owners do not have any ambition and United have no money.

Thanks
 
List of midfielders rumoured to maybe go on loan to hijack, Chelsea style:

Delaney - Sevilla (I think to the Bundesliga)
Berge - Sheffield (to Newcastle)
Demme - Napoli (Bundesliga)
Pablo Torre - Barcelona (La Liga)
Brozovic - Inter (Barcelona)
Zaniolo - Roma (Bournemouth)

Inter supposedly want Lindelof to replace Skiniar who's off to PSG. He's doing well for us, but there are crazier ideas than swapping Lindelof for Brozovic and just playing Shaw and Maguire as backup CBs for the rest of the year, though ideally you'd bring in a random CB on loan as cover for 4 months. Easier to get one of those than a CM.
 
NoPace said:
List of midfielders rumoured to maybe go on loan to hijack, Chelsea style:

Delaney - Sevilla (I think to the Bundesliga)
Berge - Sheffield (to Newcastle)
Demme - Napoli (Bundesliga)
Pablo Torre - Barcelona (La Liga)
Brozovic - Inter (Barcelona)
Zaniolo - Roma (Bournemouth)

Inter supposedly want Lindelof to replace Skiniar who's off to PSG. He's doing well for us, but there are crazier ideas than swapping Lindelof for Brozovic and just playing Shaw and Maguire as backup CBs for the rest of the year, though ideally you'd bring in a random CB on loan as cover for 4 months. Easier to get one of those than a CM.
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Great stuff!
 
dinostar77 said:
Im genuinly curious as to whether bruno has the discipline to play as a 8 while eriksen is out.

If Sancho was back, him or anthoy could play the no10 role allowing bruno to drop to 8. But brunos tendency to give the ball away could backfire massively on a turnover or transition.
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Nope he doesn't. It just wouldn't work.
 
Eriksen, Donny, Martial and Dalot hurt, and we have yet to leave January in the rear mirror. Having 7-8 injuries is not rare given the conditions we have. Chelsea had what 10-11 guys injured a week or two ago.

We need depth. Bodies. I saw Shelvey going to Nottingham, heck, had we signed him it’s hard to not think that it would be better than nothing.
 
NoPace said:
List of midfielders rumoured to maybe go on loan to hijack, Chelsea style:

Delaney - Sevilla (I think to the Bundesliga)
Berge - Sheffield (to Newcastle)
Demme - Napoli (Bundesliga)
Pablo Torre - Barcelona (La Liga)
Brozovic - Inter (Barcelona)
Zaniolo - Roma (Bournemouth)

Inter supposedly want Lindelof to replace Skiniar who's off to PSG. He's doing well for us, but there are crazier ideas than swapping Lindelof for Brozovic and just playing Shaw and Maguire as backup CBs for the rest of the year, though ideally you'd bring in a random CB on loan as cover for 4 months. Easier to get one of those than a CM.
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What's up with that and why aren't we all over it?
 
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