The left-back market…

Anyone got an idea about Archie Brown? Is English and plays for Gent in Belgium.
I mentioned him about 6 months ago as a cheap yet potentially very good option. If Malacia isn’t going to be available and money is still a bit tight then a trio of Shaw, Brown and Amass works for me.
 
I mentioned him about 6 months ago as a cheap yet potentially very good option. If Malacia isn’t going to be available and money is still a bit tight then a trio of Shaw, Brown and Amass works for me.
Cheers.

I have seen his name mentioned as an option in the gutter press the last couple of days. Was wondering if he is any good.
 
Cheers.

I have seen his name mentioned as an option in the gutter press the last couple of days. Was wondering if he is any good.
He was being heavily linked with Chelsea about 6 months back and from what I’ve seen he’d be a decent back up to Shaw and a good filler until Amass is ready, I don’t think he’s good enough to be first choice but he’d be a good deputy.
 
LB is an area that needs addressing, but maybe it's a 'nice to be able' rather than a 'necessity' this window.

If we sign another CB, Martinez can probably play there in an Ake type role if needed. The further set-back with Malacia maybe has thrown a spanner in the works, but I'd still take the chance if signing a LB meant not being able to sign another CB / someone in MF.

I think within a couple years, we'll see Amass pushing for a squad role also. He has all the tools to be a top, modern LB. But way too early to say that with full confidence.
 
LB is an area that needs addressing, but maybe it's a 'nice to be able' rather than a 'necessity' this window.

If we sign another CB, Martinez can probably play there in an Ake type role if needed. The further set-back with Malacia maybe has thrown a spanner in the works, but I'd still take the chance if signing a LB meant not being able to sign another CB / someone in MF.

I think within a couple years, we'll see Amass pushing for a squad role also. He has all the tools to be a top, modern LB. But way too early to say that with full confidence.

Yeah second CB and DM is definitely higher priority, however so annoying we are being forced to sacrifice
 
I can see us going for Reguillon again. Not ideal, but if we do business in other positions they might see him as a cheap stop-gap until next summer. Shaw first choice, with Reguillon, Dalot, and Amass backing up. By next summer, I expect LB will be a priority position. I’d be interested to see how Fernandez develops at Benfica over this next season.
 
The Athletic Sensible Transfers for Man Utd starts at Left Back. Their choice is interesting

 
In Hojlund’s first season with United, where he started the season with back issues and was injured for another stretch of games midseason, he scored 15 goals. Not a far stretch from breaking the 20goal mark. Unless you are referring to scoring over 20 goals in the league only, in which case Rashford has never done that in his career either.
Rashford scored 17 league goals in his age 21 and 24 seasons so I don't think it's that much of a stretch to say he's capable of a 20 league goal season at his peak ages - although admittedly difficult to envision that after having such a stinker of a season last year.

I think Hojlund has the raw materials and may get there eventually but for this season, I'd be astonished if he got near 20 league goals. The one glimmer of hope might be if this new set piece coach that's rumoured can successfully work with him because if he could add set piece goals as a string to his bow, it would really boost his output.
 
Is Alphonso Davies overrated?

I know he is linked with Real Madrid but so was Leny Yoro.

There doesn't seem much of a group of clubs fighting for him.

I only say this because I've heard that Madrid have given their LB a new contract aswell & seems like Bayern would rather sell him than let him go for free.
 
Is Alphonso Davies overrated?

I know he is linked with Real Madrid but so was Leny Yoro.

There doesn't seem much of a group of clubs fighting for him.

I only say this because I've heard that Madrid have given their LB a new contract aswell & seems like Bayern would rather sell him than let him go for free.

Pretty certain he joins Real
 
Is Alphonso Davies overrated?

I know he is linked with Real Madrid but so was Leny Yoro.

There doesn't seem much of a group of clubs fighting for him.

I only say this because I've heard that Madrid have given their LB a new contract aswell & seems like Bayern would rather sell him than let him go for free.
Davies will be leaving Bayern on a free transfer next summner to Real.
The only other option would be him firing his agent and actually putting together a good season after 3 mediocre ones. Then he might extend at Bayern.

As of now I'd give the former a 80% chance of happening and the latter a 20% one.
 
If we really want to improve our team, then only one solution: Theo Hernandez.
 
If we really want to improve our team, then only one solution: Theo Hernandez.
For a club big on youth I say we give Amass a chance, he's too big a talent for us to block his path into the first team.
 
For a club big on youth I say we give Amass a chance, he's too big a talent for us to block his path into the first team.
Wouldn't block his development by signkng a top class LB. He's not ready to become a starter and is 17 ffs. Could also get loaned for two seasons and we wouldn't be missing him.
 
If we really want to improve our team, then only one solution: Theo Hernandez.
That is not a bad shout. However, I think you spend a significant amount on a player like Theo if you have progressed enough to win/challenge the league. Maybe he'll be an option next window if have taken the right steps this season. We offload Shaw and add Theo. We try to manage this season with a combination of Shaw, Martinez, Dalot and Mazraoui.
 
Wouldn't block his development by signkng a top class LB. He's not ready to become a starter and is 17 ffs. Could also get loaned for two seasons and we wouldn't be missing him

Wouldn't block his development by signkng a top class LB. He's not ready to become a starter and is 17 ffs. Could also get loaned for two seasons and we wouldn't be missing him.
It will though, within the next 18 months he should already be getting a bit of game time.if you look at how we operated with Mainoo and Garnacho that means he should probably behind just Shaw by the end of that time frame if everything goes well, and longer term replaces Shaw.
If you bring in another top class Leftback you limit the opportunities he would be getting to make a claim.
United don't loan out it's biggest talents.
 
It will though, within the next 18 months he should already be getting a bit of game time.if you look at how we operated with Mainoo and Garnacho that means he should probably behind just Shaw by the end of that time frame if everything goes well, and longer term replaces Shaw.
If you bring in another top class Leftback you limit the opportunities he would be getting to make a claim.
United don't loan out it's biggest talents.
The risk is too significant. Just because it worked with Mainoo and Garnacho doesn't mean it will succeed every time. If we loan him out for the next two seasons and then make him the first backup, he would be 22 in five years – the typical age for a young player to become a starter. For his development, it's best for him to grow elsewhere without pressure. While this hasn't been the traditional United approach, I believe we'll see it more frequently with INEOS involved. I would like to believe that we aim to become the best club in the world. To achieve this, we should invest in reinforcing positions we need (as for LB I am talking about next summer) rather than waiting for a 17-year-old to develop.
 
The risk is too significant. Just because it worked with Mainoo and Garnacho doesn't mean it will succeed every time. If we loan him out for the next two seasons and then make him the first backup, he would be 22 in five years – the typical age for a young player to become a starter. For his development, it's best for him to grow elsewhere without pressure. While this hasn't been the traditional United approach, I believe we'll see it more frequently with INEOS involved. I would like to believe that we aim to become the best club in the world. To achieve this, we should invest in reinforcing positions we need (as for LB I am talking about next summer) rather than waiting for a 17-year-old to develop.
I don't think Ineos would change something if it's working fine, United have always given players from the youth team a chance, Rashford, Greenwood, Mainoo, Garnacho have been some of the better performers for us in recent years, you already see ETH love for Collyer.
You can't consider just a single season in isolation, whomever you recruit would be here for the long term. I think the situation with Shaw, Malacia and Amass is part of the reason we're favouring getting Mazraoui who is a versatile enough to cover for both full back position.
 
Wonder if we'll try to get Borna Sosa on a loan, since Ten Hag is so Ajax/Eredivisie focused.

He has 4 years left on his deal, Ajax player and the new coach has sent him to train with the U-23. Probably they'd want him to go start somewhere, but if Amass isn't ready, that would give us 4 fullbacks with Shaw, Dalot, Mazraoui and Sosa and we could spend the real money on a CB and a DM (ideally 2) to finish off the summer.

Not sure why his value has dropped so low, if it's form or health related. From what I remember at Stuttgart, he was a bang average left back apart from his crossing which was great.
 
I think this thread will be closed soon.

Of course we need at fit Shaw for this season.

But Amass could be ready for a Starting-XI-spot next season.

Mazraoui, Dalot and hopefully Malacia in two months would be enough other options for this season.
 
I think this thread will be closed soon.

Of course we need at fit Shaw for this season.

But Amass could be ready for a Starting-XI-spot next season.

Mazraoui, Dalot and hopefully Malacia in two months would be enough other options for this season.

I wanted Reguilón because I think we have enough left-backs and he would be a shrewd addition for us to play a squad role, but Mazraoui's arrival will mean that we aren't signing a left-back this summer IMO, which is fine. Depth and quality are both there. We just need to avoid an injury crisis.
 
Wonder if we'll try to get Borna Sosa on a loan, since Ten Hag is so Ajax/Eredivisie focused.

He has 4 years left on his deal, Ajax player and the new coach has sent him to train with the U-23. Probably they'd want him to go start somewhere, but if Amass isn't ready, that would give us 4 fullbacks with Shaw, Dalot, Mazraoui and Sosa and we could spend the real money on a CB and a DM (ideally 2) to finish off the summer.

Not sure why his value has dropped so low, if it's form or health related. From what I remember at Stuttgart, he was a bang average left back apart from his crossing which was great.
Why would we sign someone who can't get into the Ajax team and is in your opinion 'bang average'?
 
Why would we sign someone who can't get into the Ajax team and is in your opinion 'bang average'?

Same reason as Reguilon came. Just buying a year before Amass (and maybe Malacia) are back. I'd much prefer if we just bought a guy who can backup both Lisandro and Shaw, but I wouldn't be surprised if we spend all our money on say Ugarte, Mazraoui and De Light and then a last second loan LB comes in, or we need to grab one in January.
 
I think this thread will be closed soon.

Of course we need at fit Shaw for this season.

But Amass could be ready for a Starting-XI-spot next season.

Mazraoui, Dalot and hopefully Malacia in two months would be enough other options for this season.

I won’t be surprised if they are looking to getting Malacia sent out on a season loan potentially with a call back option if we need him. Guy has not kicked a ball in over a year and will be lacking match sharpness. Get him to a team that he can play week in, week out so he can build up his match fitness and ready to go & challenge to be our starting LB next season.

We have enough cover at LB with Shaw, Armass & with both Dalot & inevitably when it happens - Mazraoui able to fill in there.
 
I won’t be surprised if they are looking to getting Malacia sent out on a season loan potentially with a call back option if we need him. Guy has not kicked a ball in over a year and will be lacking match sharpness. Get him to a team that he can play week in, week out so he can build up his match fitness and ready to go & challenge to be our starting LB next season.

We have enough cover at LB with Shaw, Armass & with both Dalot & inevitably when it happens - Mazraoui able to fill in there.
Malacia will maybe go on loan in January but not before.....he is still weeks away.
 
Same reason as Reguilon came. Just buying a year before Amass (and maybe Malacia) are back. I'd much prefer if we just bought a guy who can backup both Lisandro and Shaw, but I wouldn't be surprised if we spend all our money on say Ugarte, Mazraoui and De Light and then a last second loan LB comes in, or we need to grab one in January.
I think it's more likely we'll see how it goes with Shaw and give Malacia a chance to get fit. Maybe we'll reassess in January, but more likely next summer
 
I’m happy with Harry Amass as an option for this upcoming season. The way how he performs in the pre-season shows that he’s ready for men’s game. He’s going to get games time in some of the cup games and Europa league games at least.
 
I’d love us to explore a short term deal for Kostic. Would be a really attacking option, can also cover the left wing if needed and Juve has said he’s not part of their plans
 
I said a couple of months ago I’d just release Malacia as he’d been out for over a year already at that point and now he’s out for another two months which will take it to a year and a half, just bring Regulion back on loan and use Amass as back options to Shaw as Malacia is completely done and will just become another Phil Jones.