Thomas Vermaelen

[mufcwarm92]

Vermaelen ticked a lot of boxes for us.

Experienced
Used to PL football
Left footed
Strong
Weakens a rival
Cheap

Only problem is his injury problems. Not sure who else we can get who could tick these boxes

Experience is a bit pointless when it's years of failure. Pretty much every international centre half ticks the 'strong' box, but most of them aren't as woeful positionally as Vermaelen is. He's more than just injury prone, he's an absolute crock, and he doesn't really weaken a rival because he's regularly been a weak link for Arsenal when he's covered for others over the last couple of years. Wenger has repeatedly said they'd sign another defender if he left so they'll probably end up stronger than before.

He's an average defender and I'm delighted we weren't the ones to waste money on him.

 

[Cooksen]

Barca can have any centre back on this planet and they always seem to get the bad ones.

 

[Oneunited26]

Experience is a bit pointless when it's years of failure. Pretty much every international centre half ticks the 'strong' box, but most of them aren't as woeful positionally as Vermaelen is. He's more than just injury prone, he's an absolute crock, and he doesn't really weaken a rival because he's regularly been a weak link for Arsenal when he's covered for others over the last couple of years. Wenger has repeatedly said they'd sign another defender if he left so they'll probably end up stronger than before.

He's an average defender and I'm delighted we weren't the ones to waste money on him.

I am relieved we have not signed the guy, injury prone, and much like the fee we payed for young, he is overpriced. We can do much better than Thomas Vermaelen, it concerned me that was another player in a years time thrown on the scrap heap with the rest of the garbage we have bought at times, like fellaini etc. It is still a concern with the lack of depth in the defensive department, VG may have no choice but to promote a keane and blackett

 

[Rolandofgilead]

Comparing Smalling to Rio is a joke.

Rio was one of the finest central defenders of the past 20 years, imperious at his peak.

Smalling at his best can aspire to be on the level of Wes Brown, a good versatile player with a great career, but never quite top level

What a complete load of absolute bollocks.

Smelling is a fine young defender that is 7 or 8 years away from his peak, to say that he will only reach the levels of wes is so absurd it's untrue.

 

[Massive Spanner]

What a complete load of absolute bollocks.

Smelling is a fine young defender that is 7 or 8 years away from his peak, to say that he will only reach the levels of wes is so absurd it's untrue.

if he's 7 or 8 years away that means he won't peak til he's 32 roland, weird logic.

 

[Enigma_87]

15m is a bit too much for Vermaelen at the moment. Since that is the offer Barca made we should be looking in another direction. Maybe even for a more long term solution like Benatia.

 

[Rolandofgilead]

if he's 7 or 8 years away that means he won't peak til he's 32 roland, weird logic.

Smelling fecking auto correct! Ok 4 or 5 years then, the point still stands he is a very good defender still a distance from his peak who should not be written off

 

[Havak]

Wouldn't have swapped any of our defenders for Vermaelen to be honest (even Keane / Blackett), so I'm happy with this as long as we have other targets that we can be confident of getting. I think £15m was too expensive as well - I'd have said about £12m tops if we were signing him so I don't blame the club for canning it.

 

[fallengt]

Vermaelen ticked a lot of boxes for us.

Experienced
Used to PL football
Left footed
Strong
Weakens a rival
Cheap

Only problem is his injury problems. Not sure who else we can get who could tick these boxes

- They're selling him anyway.
- 15m pound isn't exactly cheap for someone with 1 year left in his contract and just a backup at Arsenal. Morelikely affordable because it wouldn't be much of a gamble but it's due to the lack of quality option in the market.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Gabriel Milito
Chygryinsky
Cacaeres
Mathieu
Vermaelan

Weren't they also linked with Agger and David Luiz?

Don't disagree with your point but Gabi Milito was brilliant at his best, just unfortunately happened to be an injury-savaged mess.

 

[Ole240599]

Arsenal has accepted Barcelona's offer but has Polly Parsons agreed to go to Spain?? There should be a campaign to stop her leaving the UK

 

[devilish]

Yeppie, we dodged one hell of a bullet there

 

[Joga Bonito]

Don't disagree with your point but Gabi Milito was brilliant at his best, just unfortunately happened to be an injury-savaged mess.

Agreed, he was a quality defender who was plagued by injuries. Just wanted to highlight the dubious defensive purchases of Barcelona and he ultimately proved to be a flop signing unfortunately.

 

[Blair]

Happy enough with that one. We already have 3 centre halfs who can't stay fit, feck adding a fourth one.

 

[Antisocial]

Delighted with United rejecting a swop with Smalling - Christ that would've been a poor deal from our side.

 

[devilish]

I wonder what Arsene had smoked to think that United would be interested in swapping one of the best young defensive prospects with some 28 year old injury prone reserve with just 1 year left in his contract.

 

[GlastonSpur]

I wonder what Arsene had smoked to think that United would be interested in swapping one of the best young defensive prospects with some 28 year old injury prone reserve with just 1 year left in his contract.

He'll be 25 this year - when does he stop being a young prospect?

 

[devilish]

He'll be 25 this year - when does he stop being a young prospect?

Defenders tend to take more time to develop. Also 25 is young when one consider that he can keep playing till 35. We're talking of a decade of top quality football still left in him.

 

[Juan't Mata]

Personally I don't think defenders are at their best till they hit 30. Put some faith in the three senior defenders we currently have, play them every week and I'm confident we are set in that position for a long time to come.

 

[Oneunited26]

I wonder what Arsene had smoked to think that United would be interested in swapping one of the best young defensive prospects with some 28 year old injury prone reserve with just 1 year left in his contract.

Perhaps he is still angry for losing RVP

 

[KiD MoYeS]

Can't pretend I'm not a little disappointed. There aren't many alternatives, Blind maybe but he's not a natural centre-back. I don't see us breaking the bank for a centre-back, especially if we sign one of Vidal or Cuadrado. We remain short at the back with little time to identify a target and sign him.

 

[Oneunited26]

Can't pretend I'm not a little disappointed. There aren't many alternatives, Blind maybe but he's not a natural centre-back. I don't see us breaking the bank for a centre-back, especially if we sign one of Vidal or Cuadrado. We remain short at the back with little time to identify a target and sign him.

Looks like the academy could prove to be a crucial weapon in terms of filling up the numbers. It is a concern, one or 2 injury's to either jones smalling and evans, we got to rely on blackett and keane to step up

 

[Nuts]

I do agree he will now get the chance to show this week in week out. Good luck to him as if he is playing well for us that is all I care about.
I'm just saying he has over 90 first team starts for United, not all were at RB. He has 12 caps for England. He will be 25 in November so no longer a young unproven player and irrelevant or not was the CB for England under 21 for 4 years. To make out he has not had a chance is to prove himself is not exactly true although his right back spells have not helped of course but him being utter shite in that role has definitely not helped either.

But defenders hardly peak at those time in their careers. You look at the likes of Terry, Rio, Carvalho, Vidic etc..,, they all had their best form in their late twenties.

I'd add - look at Smalling's career pre-United. Hardly comparable to Rio or Terry. It's amazing he's playing for United at all, and he's clearly on a different development rate to typical PL footballers. I still think he'll come very good indeed.

 

[Alock1]

I know people will likely jump on this quote fast, but there are very few defenders in world football that I'd be willing to swap Smalling for.

 

[Ole's_toe_poke]

If he wanted to come here he'd be here. The swap deal was just posturing from Arsenal. If Vermelaen had kicked up a fuss like Van Persie a deal would've been reached.

He was probably perfectly happy to go to Barcelona and Arsenal were happier to sell him to them.


In any case I'm happy we didn't get him. I think he will suit La Liga more anyway.

 

[LoiusVanGaal]

I have an ominous feeling we won't sign anyone & that we will live to regret it hugely, sigh.

 

[Suus]

Wenger must be retarded if he thinks he can get £15m + Smalling for Vermaelen. It's a deal that just doesnt make sense to anyone, apart from him. Even asking for it, makes him look like a stupid cnut.

 

[Adam-Utd]

I have an ominous feeling we won't sign anyone & that we will live to regret it hugely, sigh.

OR maybe we will have faith in our young players like we did 20 odd years ago, and they might step up to the plate.

Why pay £15m for somebody who is going to spend half the time being injured or on the bench anyway?.

 

[Suus]

Furthermore, we offered £15m, Barcelona £10m. He's gunna take a £5m hit on refusing our bid? Business-wise that's a laughable reason, not selling to a rival. He's gunna lose a player anyway, atleast get the £5m extra.

 

[KiD MoYeS]

Wenger must be retarded if he thinks he can get £15m + Smalling for Vermaelen. It's a deal that just doesnt make sense to anyone, apart from him. Even asking for it, makes him look like a stupid cnut.

I very much doubt he was looking for cash and Smalling, it was probably a straight swap.

 

[KiD MoYeS]

Furthermore, we offered £15m, Barcelona £10m. He's gunna take a £5m hit on refusing our bid? Business-wise that's a laughable reason, not selling to a rival. He's gunna lose a player anyway, atleast get the £5m extra.

He's going to Barcelona for £15 million.

 

[Oneunited26]

Furthermore, we offered £15m, Barcelona £10m. He's gunna take a £5m hit on refusing our bid? Business-wise that's a laughable reason, not selling to a rival. He's gunna lose a player anyway, atleast get the £5m extra.

I think it is the impact RVP had on united in 2012/13, he does not want to sell a player to us, who could be a threat.

 

[Infra-red]

I'm still unsure about Chris Smalling, but I am absolutely certain that Vermaelen is shite. We were right to walk away from this one.

 

[Suus]

He's going to Barcelona for £15 million.

Oh. I just read £10m in the Spanish media.

 

[KiD MoYeS]

Oh. I just read £10m in the Spanish media.

 

[Massive Spanner]

it wouldn't be unlike the BBC to get figures wrong though. Their £ figures for the Suarez and Rodriguez transfers didn't equal what all the Spanish media were reporting in € (after conversion, in case anyone tries to be smart)

 

[KiD MoYeS]

it wouldn't be unlike the BBC to get figures wrong though. Their £ figures for the Suarez and Rodriguez transfers didn't equal what all the Spanish media were reporting in € (after conversion, in case anyone tries to be smart)

Few Spanish outlets are reporting roughly that figure too.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Few Spanish outlets are reporting roughly that figure too.

maybe I just find it hard to believe that they'd pay €18.8m for him, I mean what the feck? Barca are mental!

 

[KiD MoYeS]

maybe I just find it hard to believe that they'd pay €18.8m for him, I mean what the feck? Barca are mental!

We'll probably have larger fees reported in England with smaller fees reported in Spain. The reality is something in between. And yes, when it comes to signing defenders, Barcelona are mental.

 

[louvega]

I think the difference in figures is due to variables included. The total max should be what BBC is reporting.