The search for an attacking midfielder!

Josep Dowling said:
We don’t need one. Put Paul Pogba at number 10 and focus on getting a defensive midfielder like Matic but actually decent.
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Stop kidding yourself. He wants to leave and quite frankly I don't care anymore either. He's nowhere near as good as likes.of KDB because despite his skill he lacks effort and desire.

Sell him for as much as we can and go and buy Havertz or Bruno Fernandes or someone like that. We'll be a better team for it too. It's not about Pogba it's about the team.
 
Assuming we dont keep Pogba we need 2 AM. One to start, one for the bench cuz Lingard and Mata shouldnt be playing at all. Sure you can also promote Gomes but he hasnt really shown that hes ready for it yet.

I do like Bruno Fernandes. Sometimes the most obvious answer is the best answer.
In the case we keep Pogba, we need a good backup. Should be available for about 25-30 mil.

We need 3 players this january, preferably.
Backup DMF, backup AM and arguably a backup striker too.
 
If Pogba stays this thread can be closed. Going forward, once everyone is fit, the squad we put out yesterday should be our starting XI, Pobga would slot into Lingard's place and we're set.
 
HowYouDoin said:
Assuming we dont keep Pogba we need 2 AM. One to start, one for the bench cuz Lingard and Mata shouldnt be playing at all. Sure you can also promote Gomes but he hasnt really shown that hes ready for it yet.

I do like Bruno Fernandes. Sometimes the most obvious answer is the best answer.
In the case we keep Pogba, we need a good backup. Should be available for about 25-30 mil.

We need 3 players this january, preferably.
Backup DMF, backup AM and arguably a backup striker too.
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Gomes looks like he's on his way out too.
 
Walters_19_MuFc said:
It pretty obvious that we need an attacking midfielder, especially if we're going to continue with a 4231 system. Currently, our options are Lingard, Pereira, Mata and Gomes. Gomes is still young, but unfortunately, the other three are not good enough to be starting for Man United. Actually, some would argue whether the three are even good enough to be at United, nevermind starting for them. As it is, they are, and to me, purchasing an attacking midfielder should be priority in Jan/summer.

Currently, we're being linked with the likes of Maddison, Havertz and Fernandes. All top players in their own right, but who do you guys think we should get and why?
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Out of the 3 you named I suppose Fernandes has the best stats for goals scored and assists, but I would really like Maddison because he is already proven in premiership. He would be great for our forwards with the defence cutting passes he sees and produces.
I think he will go on to play a major role for England, he is getting better each season.
 
Ødegaard in any deal for Pogba is a good shout. I’d prefer it if we stayed away from players like Eriksen.
 
Its hard to overstate how bad Lingard, Mata and Pereirra are. I would actually theyre not Premier League level players. Its absolutely inexcusable that they play if Pogba is injured.

The need for a good backup AM might be greater than the need for a star AM, especially if Pogba stays.
Either way we really need some depth. Shouldnt be too hard to find a good DMF and AM for our bench for under 50-60 million combined.
 
HowYouDoin said:
Its hard to overstate how bad Lingard, Mata and Pereirra are. I would actually theyre not Premier League level players. Its absolutely inexcusable that they play if Pogba is injured.

The need for a good backup AM might be greater than the need for a star AM, especially if Pogba stays.
Either way we really need some depth. Shouldnt be too hard to find a good DMF and AM for our bench for under 50-60 million combined.
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Not that hard seeing as you managed to do it.
 
Matheus Pereira just got 3 assists and a goal in WBAs thrashing of Swansea. Lots of good value in the championship.
 
Maddison’s the one. He’s got the energy and work rate and then everything else on top. He is an Ole type player.
 
Grealish is an all round midfielder that can create and score goals, and like Maddison is a supposedly Utd (and Villa) fan when he was a kid. Havertz looks the bollocks as well. Fernandes is a funny one. He was available last summer quite cheap, but no one went in for him. Perhaps theres a prolem the fan cant see, but the clubs can.
 
Has anyone watched that Pogba guy play for United as a world class #10 in Oles first 10 games?
 
Mark Pawelek said:
Real Madrid 'must raise £84m' to comply with Financial Fair Play rules and are set for January transfer sales.
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Fair enough, but there are plenty of people Zidane would get rid of before Odergaard like Bale, James, Valejo, Nacho definitely a left back, maybe Theo Hernandez, Kovacic is likely to go to Chelsea permanently, perhaps the same with Cellabos and Arsenal, Isco could go to. The list of unused and unwanted players at Real is huge and Odegaard is a long way down it.

Also what happens if they break FFP? We've seen with other clubs that not very much at all happens bar a lot of shouting. So there is no motivation for them to sell off one of their brightest prospects
 
wolvored said:
Grealish is an all round midfielder that can create and score goals, and like Maddison is a supposedly Utd (and Villa) fan when he was a kid. Havertz looks the bollocks as well. Fernandes is a funny one. He was available last summer quite cheap, but no one went in for him. Perhaps theres a prolem the fan cant see, but the clubs can.
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When has Grealish ever said he's a United fan
 
WR10 said:
Has anyone watched that Pogba guy play for United as a world class #10 in Oles first 10 games?
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:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: the role is waiting for him now that the team knows a bit more what to do.
 
I know the story is most likely to be a load of rubbish but what do people think about Rodriguez and Bale as part of a deal that sees Pogba go to Real Madrid. Personally I would prefer someone like a Havertz or Fernandes but could see us going down the british route with Phillips.
 
croadyman said:
I know the story is most likely to be a load of rubbish but what do people think about Rodriguez and Bale as part of a deal that sees Pogba go to Real Madrid. Personally I would prefer someone like a Havertz or Fernandes but could see us going down the british route with Phillips.
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No, let them solve their FFP issue with other clubs. We have Pogba, we need to find ways to play with him and win a lot of games and points.
 
Walters_19_MuFc said:
When has Pogba played as a 10 for us? Also, Ole clearly wants Pogba in the deeper role in a 4231, as that's where he played him all of pre-season and at the start of the season.
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Played him deeper out of necessity, as we failed to purchase anyone. Pogba is best as most advanced in a 3. When he returns he won’t displace Fred nor McTommy. It’ll be Jesse or whoever is occupying that space.
 
James Maddison will be the No. 1 target once Pogba leaves. Maddison will be a big upgrade on Pogba, if we can get him, as he will actually want to be at Utd.

Grealish will probs be plan B if we don't land Maddison.
 
Hope we don’t fall for Bale/James Rodriguez swap deal for Pogba.

I would like to keep tabs on the following pool and get 2/3 players from that

Werner/Haaland/Sancho/Brooks
Harvertz/ Parades/ Carmavinga/Maddison

What do you think ?
 
Red_toad said:
Played him deeper out of necessity, as we failed to purchase anyone. Pogba is best as most advanced in a 3. When he returns he won’t displace Fred nor McTommy. It’ll be Jesse or whoever is occupying that space.
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It’s quite clear that this is untrue. Pogba played exclusively in the deeper two from the first pre-season game - there is no way it was purely out of necessity.

Pogba may be best as the most advanced midfielder in a three in a certain arrangement, but is not best occupying a no.10 position in a 2-1 midfield set up. It’s also very clear that Solskjaer wanted to set up in a 4-2-3-1 this season - having also used that from the first pre-season game, exclusively throughout and then predominantly in competitive games up to this point.

That doesn’t mean Pogba won’t be played in place of Lingard etc. on his return.
 
The Boy said:
Fair enough, but there are plenty of people Zidane would get rid of before Odergaard like Bale, James, Valejo, Nacho definitely a left back, maybe Theo Hernandez, Kovacic is likely to go to Chelsea permanently, perhaps the same with Cellabos and Arsenal, Isco could go to. The list of unused and unwanted players at Real is huge and Odegaard is a long way down it.

Also what happens if they break FFP? We've seen with other clubs that not very much at all happens bar a lot of shouting. So there is no motivation for them to sell off one of their brightest prospects
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chelsea have bought kovacic, he was registered to them before the ban and they used the loophole to buy him. but yeah madrid have a long list of payers they can use to raise funds
 
Son from Spurs anyone ? He is 27 and the best winger available

He is from South Korea where UTD is still seen as the best and also he is an UTD fan by himself and we can use Jisung Park to mediate the deal
 
The Boy said:
Fair enough, but there are plenty of people Zidane would get rid of before Odergaard like Bale, James, Valejo, Nacho definitely a left back, maybe Theo Hernandez, Kovacic is likely to go to Chelsea permanently, perhaps the same with Cellabos and Arsenal, Isco could go to.
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Kovacic and Hernandez has already left permanently.

Not that I believe the FFP news, sounds like bs to me.
 
Champagne Football said:
James Maddison will be the No. 1 target once Pogba leaves. Maddison will be a big upgrade on Pogba, if we can get him, as he will actually want to be at Utd.

Grealish will probs be plan B if we don't land Maddison.
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Maddison should have been signed last summer. He'll cost more than Maguire next summer IMO.
 
sherrinford said:
It’s quite clear that this is untrue. Pogba played exclusively in the deeper two from the first pre-season game - there is no way it was purely out of necessity.

Pogba may be best as the most advanced midfielder in a three in a certain arrangement, but is not best occupying a no.10 position in a 2-1 midfield set up. It’s also very clear that Solskjaer wanted to set up in a 4-2-3-1 this season - having also used that from the first pre-season game, exclusively throughout and then predominantly in competitive games up to this point.

That doesn’t mean Pogba won’t be played in place of Lingard etc. on his return.
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Fred was AWOL after getting married, Matic isn't rated by Ole, so how is it untrue? We had no options aside from a few teenagers or Andreas.

We shall see who is right, but the facts don't really back you up. Had Fred been available and showing anywhere his near recent form he'd have been in the side from the off.
 
HowYouDoin said:
Assuming we dont keep Pogba we need 2 AM. One to start, one for the bench cuz Lingard and Mata shouldnt be playing at all. Sure you can also promote Gomes but he hasnt really shown that hes ready for it yet.

I do like Bruno Fernandes. Sometimes the most obvious answer is the best answer.
In the case we keep Pogba, we need a good backup. Should be available for about 25-30 mil.

We need 3 players this january, preferably.
Backup DMF, backup AM and arguably a backup striker too.
Click to expand...

Well, i think we should really give Gomes another shot, because with Fred and McTominay as solid as they are now, I think he would be much more effective.

When they are more dominant in midfield and does runs forward he could use his skillset better. Lingard is better than him now though, unfortunately.
 
Yacine Adli from Bordeaux looks like he could be a good option.
 
mark clatternburg said:
Not looking likely. Apparently on the verge of signing a new contract. Gonna be very, very expensive.
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Yeah bit of a strange one that - a few weeks ago The Athletic were saying he was expected to join us next summer.

Now they're saying he might sign a new contract with them.

Either way, like you say, gonna cost a fortune.
 
Adnan said:
Havertz and Zaniolo are both very good prospects for the AM role and can play in various different positions which gives a coach flexibility in formation/strategy adjustments. Zaniolo is very adept at playing on the wing too and I feel he could also be deployed in a box to box role due to the tackles/duels he wins in central areas which is quite impressive for a creative flair player with a big goal threat. But for now I think he suits the #10 role and has the potential to be a elite level attacker who will provide goals and creativity in abundance.

Havertz is also very similar in some ways and can be deployed as a inverted winger but is best deployed as a AM/#10 imo. He's already shown in the German Bundesliga that he can score and assist at a significant rate for a teenager. And is quite rightly regarded as a hot prospect with many big clubs sniffing around if reports are to be believed.

As things stand I believe Zaniolo will be significantly cheaper to acquire. And as far as potential goes they're both on a similar level. So for me I'd go for Zaniolo.
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Interesting stuff mate, they definitely share some similar qualities, both being physically made players with height who have technical ability in spite of the size. I've admittedly seen a lot more of Havertz and I like the versatility of both, but would you say Havertz has the greater hype because he's German and plays in a better league, while Zainolo is Italian and plays in Serie A which hasn't been the league to cherry pick from in recent times?

I think it's been mentioned in ths thread but part of me wonders if we might see Sancho as a #10 option going forward, as he's not a pure winger like James, the issue might be whether he can drop in and help the midfield 2 when needed.


AneRu said:
Agree with this, I like the player but he is not at the level that justifies a £100m + transfer fee. Very good on dead ball situations and crossing but I don't think he is as creative through the lines as other top players in the role.

I think Real will want Pogba in the summer a player plus cash deal could be the way to go for both parties so the deal will definitely be doable. Pogba is a marketing dream and I think he could be lethal in a slower league where he will get more time on the ball.
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Yeah, he's got quality no doubt, and he's an upgrade on anyone we have in that position, but for that kind of money I want to see more than what he's got, I think the fact he's English and a United fan is clouding things a bit.

I agree that it will have to be a player plus cash deal as I don't think Perez will meet our valuation, it just depends on how much he and Zidane value Odegaard.
 
Gasolin said:
No, let them solve their FFP issue with other clubs. We have Pogba, we need to find ways to play with him and win a lot of games and points.
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I am not going to lie I worry how committed Pogba is going to be to Utd for the rest of the season, can't forget that he said in the summer that he was looking for a new challenge. I will support him while he continues to wear the shirt but do still have that nagging doubt about how much he wants to be here.
 
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