The left-back market…

GoodTimes said:
United under Woodward/Judge goes and pays £350,000 a week for Alphonso Davies.

United under Ineos need to be smarter than that - and Kerkez would be ideal.
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Buying an inferior footballer doesn’t simply equate to smarter. And depending on just how inferior we’re talking, it also doesn’t necessarily equate to cheaper. Buying 3 left backs in 6 or 7 years for 20m isn’t better value than signing the best one once.
 
Re Sign Alvaro in Jan and then sign try and sign Davies on a free. But if he chooses Madrid or Barcelona which is very likely go and sign Kerkez or Aït-Nouri in the summer. Time to sell Shaw and Malacia. Absolute joke we haven’t had a fit left back at the club for nearly two seasons.
 
Kerkez
Dorgu
Air Nouri
Alvaro Fernandez

In no particular order.

We can’t not get a good LWB in coming months. Maybe even two
 
Tbh I’d love if we signed Alvaro back. Always rated him and thought it was silly that we left him go, although could understand it. He looks to have matured and as a wing back would have less defensive responsibility.
 
Theology Hernandez, Mendes, Davies, Alvaro, Kerkez would be my order of preference.

Go big, we might only need to go all out for a striker and a central midfielder next summer.
 
AjaxCunian said:
Theology Hernandez, Mendes, Davies, Alvaro, Kerkez would be my order of preference.

Go big, we might only need to go all out for a striker and a central midfielder next summer.
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Hernández will turn 28 early into next season, and will cost a lot.

I doubt we, or any top team will sign him tbf.
 
AjaxCunian said:
Theology Hernandez, Mendes, Davies, Alvaro, Kerkez would be my order of preference.

Go big, we might only need to go all out for a striker and a central midfielder next summer.
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Well we've tried a few different philosophies so I guess theology is worth a go.
 
AjaxCunian said:
Theology Hernandez, Mendes, Davies, Alvaro, Kerkez would be my order of preference.

Go big, we might only need to go all out for a striker and a central midfielder next summer.
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I for one am praying for Theology Hernandez. Watching him zip up and down that left flank is a religious experience.
 
Theology Hernandez would be good but I just pray for a fit LB.
 
Rojofiam said:
Hernández will turn 28 early into next season, and will cost a lot.

I doubt we, or any top team will sign him tbf.
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His contract ends 2026 and he hasnt extended. Could either make him less expensive or lead into a bidding war... Could also offer Dalot as exchange, although I doubt Amorim will let a Portuguese player go...
 
Clearly a large portion of people on here haven't noticed we've had a change of ownership and executive team, what with all these Woodward-esque signings being banded around.

I'd be shocked if we signed Aphonso Davies, albeit if he's available on a free I'm not going to go as far as to say it absolutely will not happen.

With Theo Hernandez...that definitely won't happen. Too old.

If we sign a LB at all it will be someone in the Mazraoui bracket in terms of price and age profile.

We have Harry Amass coming through, that's not to say the club won't sign a senior LB but equally spending huge to bring a LB in when we've potentially a very very good one on the cusp of the first team doesn't make sense when the money is badly needed elsewhere
 
aeh1991 said:
His contract ends 2026 and he hasnt extended. Could either make him less expensive or lead into a bidding war... Could also offer Dalot as exchange, although I doubt Amorim will let a Portuguese player go...
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I'd be shocked if we went for Hernández, to be fair, or any other top club did, for that matter.

I'm not saying we shouldn't sign "older" players, even for big money, from time to time, but this would be the wrong player, wrong age, wrong timing, wrong fee, IMO.
 
Lentwood said:
Clearly a large portion of people on here haven't noticed we've had a change of ownership and executive team, what with all these Woodward-esque signings being banded around.

I'd be shocked if we signed Aphonso Davies, albeit if he's available on a free I'm not going to go as far as to say it absolutely will not happen.

With Theo Hernandez...that definitely won't happen. Too old.

If we sign a LB at all it will be someone in the Mazraoui bracket in terms of price and age profile.

We have Harry Amass coming through, that's not to say the club won't sign a senior LB but equally spending huge to bring a LB in when we've potentially a very very good one on the cusp of the first team doesn't make sense when the money is badly needed elsewhere
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Alvaro fits into the new philosophy, 15m buyback clause or something like that
 
Why are people still discussing buying traditional full backs when all the signs are that Amorim doesn’t play with them?

It’s a midfield 4 rather than a back 5 with wing backs isn’t it?
 
G-manc said:
Why are people still discussing buying traditional full backs when all the signs are that Amorim doesn’t play with them?

It’s a midfield 4 rather than a back 5 with wing backs isn’t it?
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Exactly right. He plays with two wide midfielders who track back in defensive situations but are also important attacking options. In fact, as of most recently, he often plays with inverted “wing backs”. I think anyone he looks to sign for that position will have their skill set emphasised more towards attacking attributes, than defensive ones. At Sporting at least one of them is a winger, the other a more traditional attacking wing back. Both inverted.

The sort of player who would be perfect on the left, would be Joao Cancelo. Although he himself isn’t the option. But that sort of skill set. On the other side, a hard working winger. If there are two players out there who would balance attack and defence really well, it would be Davies and Frimpong, because Davies is as much a winger as he is a full back. More so perhaps. However, what that doesn’t account for is that Amorim seems to like inverted options for the wide roles these days. What I don’t see him doing is playing two full backs out there. Not in the medium to long term anyway. They just wouldn’t have enough attacking threat and output for his system. I can see Dalot or Mazroui playing the left sided role, but I can’t see them both playing, because it would more resemble a 5 at the back, than the 3-4-2-1 it actually is.

Whatever happens, it will be interesting to see how this develops.
 
golden_blunder said:
Alvaro fits into the new philosophy, 15m buyback clause or something like that
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Yeah wouldn't surprise me at all, at that price we retain all options moving forward.

If he settles in and does amazingly well then we've a bargain. If he settles in and proves steady and reliable, we can have him as a squad option. If he really struggles, he's not cost us much and we'll get at least half that fee back.
 
Lentwood said:
Yeah wouldn't surprise me at all, at that price we retain all options moving forward.

If he settles in and does amazingly well then we've a bargain. If he settles in and proves steady and reliable, we can have him as a squad option. If he really struggles, he's not cost us much and we'll get at least half that fee back.
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My only concern with him is pace, but the lad is a baller
 
AjaxCunian said:
Theology Hernandez, Mendes, Davies, Alvaro, Kerkez would be my order of preference.

Go big, we might only need to go all out for a striker and a central midfielder next summer.
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Theology Hernandez should be our top pick. Get him up close and personal with their RW early in the first half. A crunching lecture later, he will be mentally out for the rest of the game with an existential crisis. Switch flanks, repeat.
 
How much do you think Ait Nouri would cost from Wolves?
I see him as the perfect wide player in a Amorim system, energy for days, great dribbling, beating people for fun, get's up and down the flank like a machine, and has that X-factor about him.
 
Rojofiam said:
Hernández will turn 28 early into next season, and will cost a lot.

I doubt we, or any top team will sign him tbf.
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Bloody autocorrect, first time using it in 15 years.

Seems like a fine age to me.
 
Legendary said:
How much do you think Ait Nouri would cost from Wolves?
I see him as the perfect wide player in a Amorim system, energy for days, great dribbling, beating people for fun, get's up and down the flank like a machine, and has that X-factor about him.
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Depends if they get relegated, we could potentially get him and Alvaro for around €50-60 million, if we could get 20-30 million for Shaw/Malacia which is hopeful I know, that’s only a 30 million outlay to have the LWB position covered, with Amass coming through as well.
 
Baneofthegame said:
Depends if they get relegated, we could potentially get him and Alvaro for around €50-60 million, if we could get 20-30 million for Shaw/Malacia which is hopeful I know, that’s only a 30 million outlay to have the LWB position covered, with Amass coming through as well.
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Like I said I really like Ait-Nouri, I would try and test Wolves resolve in January, since it's such a problem position for us, and I have no faith in Shaw staying fit, plus I don't rate Malacia.

As for Alvaro, I don't think he fits the profile of a Amorim wide player, he just doesn't have the pace, and dribbling ability to go up and down the flank. I think he's more of a traditional LB, or even a left sided CB in a 3.
 
After Hakimi, Mendes also looks like he's extending his contract at PSG. Because some mentioned those two.
 
What about Kieran Tierney? Just saw him on the bench for Arsenal tonight, I thought he was loaned out. With Timber and Zinchenko, I don't think there's any future for him in their team.
Obviously not as elite an option right now as a Kerkez or Davies, but can play as a left center back as well, as a matter of fact that's his usual position for Scotland.
He would be a useful and versatile addition to the squad methinks. Would be nice to have our mandatory Scot as well, now that McTominay's gone.

We could probably get him in January too, as Arteta already showed he doesn't consider him part of his plans. I would like to think he would be quite cheap as well for a player of his quality, as Arsenal would be hard-pressed to ask large sums for a player that hasn't featured at all for them over the last year or more, and comes out of a few injuries. Then again, we are United, the jury is still out on whether we will still be conned on every transfer with Ineos as we were under Woodward and Murthough. Early signs such as the Yoro signing don't make me particularly hopeful on that front.
 
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dead joe said:
What about Kieran Tierney? Just saw him on the bench for Arsenal tonight, I thought he was loaned out. With Timber and Zinchenko, I don't think there's any future for him in their team.
Obviously not as elite an option right now as a Kerkez or Davies, but can play as a left center back as well, as a matter of fact that's his usual position for Scotland.
He would be a useful and versatile addition to the squad methinks. Would be nice to have our mandatory Scot as well, now that McTominay's gone.

We could probably get him in January too, as Arteta already showed he doesn't consider him part of his plans. I would like to think he would be quite cheap as well for a player of his quality, as Arsenal would be hard-pressed to ask large sums for a player that hasn't featured at all for them over the last year or more, and comes out of a few injuries. Then again, we are United, the jury is still out on whether we will still be conned on every transfer with Ineos as we were under Woodward and Murthough. Early signs such as the Yoro signing don't make me particularly hopeful on that front.
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Another injury prone player? Not even on a free!
 
I saw that we have been linked to Theo Hernandes.

The reason i like this is because he is actually more defensively capable than someone who is gung ho attacking like Davies.

The one aspect i see under Amorim that potentially needs changing is actually one of his main tactics - playing wingers as wing backs.

I think we have seen that early on we can still be gotten through in the middle.

If we play wing backs like Mazroui & Theo Hernandes rather than trying to play Amad & Davies then what this allows is for us to play a very aggressive CCB that can go in to the tackle as a CDM.


Example -


Onana
Yoro - Martinez - Brantwaithe
Mazroui-Ugarte-Bruno-Hernandes

If we sign someone like Brantwaithe then we can play Martinez who have a historical position if CDM/CB player & is great on the ball. We saw in the Europa League where Marrinez was joining the CDM position but from LCB which left our left flank open.​

Instead of getting all the attacking ability from outwide, which can leave our central midfield open, we have balanced good attacking wingbacks with also good defensive abilities and then we also have a very attacking central CB both defensively & attacking.
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