80m for a midfielder is too much (unless he is a superstar like Pogba). Saul is quality though, no doubt about that.
Transfer Tweets - 2017 | When posting a tweet in a foreign language, post English translation too
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To be fair, the transfer fee loses its significance in the grand scheme of things. £60 million+ is an obscene figure at face value, but when you consider his overall profile - age (22), potential, performances in Simeone's high press setup, relative experience in Europeean club competitions (25 games including the latter stages of the Champions League - where he delivered with aplomb), ability to combine stamina and mobility with good technique on the ball, etc. - the investment could be worth it over the long haul. There's an element of risk involved with every transfer, no matter how big or small the fee (though the bigger ones have a greater 'disappointment' impact), but considering United's revenues, maybe we should employ the strategy of signing the cream of the crop at an age when we can mold them into proper United players and help them step into an elite level, instead of middling half measures (like Scheiderlin or Fellaini - who collectively set us back by ~£60 million).
IMO, Saúl is one of the, if not THE best box-to-box midfielder talents in Europe - with the potential to become a premier player in his position, and as such, the £60 million+ represents the player he could be and not necessarily the player he is right now (a bit similar to Renato Sanches-Bayern) and won't look that bad when we retrospectively look back at his career (could give a decade-ish to United). That said, it isn't a universally held opinion, and the assessments of his developmental level vary from 'ok-ish talent but nothing special' to 'potentially one of the best', so a hint of skepticism is reasonable.
Another thing Invictus, how balanced do you think a midfield of Herrera-Saul-Pogba would be, on other words can Herrera/Saul play well the defensive midfielder position that Carrick does now. I think that Herrera definitely can't and Saul IIRC started as a defensive midfielder but went a bit more advanced with the time passing. Now I find him more similar to Herrera than Carrick.
It is why I would prefer Weigl to him. A midfield of Weigl - Herrera - Pogba has everything with each midfielder having totally different strengths. Not sure if that is the case of Saul - Herrera - Pogba though.
Its interesting to see how many posters here obviously dont take the Red Bull project seriously. Why do you think you can go there and pick players that have just arrived there?
I find their project totally fascinating and with Rangnick they have a genius responsible for team development. He wont bend over when top clubs come knocking..they are going to be a force in no time.
I find their project totally fascinating and with Rangnick they have a genius responsible for team development. He wont bend over when top clubs come knocking..they are going to be a force in no time.
Closest we could get to Carrick (in terms of young players with potential). Unfortunately, I think he will be another who moves to Bayern
I think its fair to say, that Bayern would have to wait until 2020 to get him, cos under no circumstances they would be willing to sell him to them earlier. You can quote me on that.
Unironically, that team has also a problem because they don't have a proper pivot(A.Madrid). Koke and Saul doesn't work there. Diego already tried.
Why would we spend a lot of money on a player who isn't better than Pogba or Herrera? 80m for a sub is too crazy. Even for us.
Griezmann doesn't work as 9, either. Both are having a mediocre season because they don't play where they feel confortable.
They will not fit in this team. I mean, even Simeone can't find a place for them.
Why would we spend a lot of money on a player who isn't better than Pogba or Herrera? 80m for a sub is too crazy. Even for us.
Griezmann doesn't work as 9, either. Both are having a mediocre season because they don't play where they feel confortable.
They will not fit in this team. I mean, even Simeone can't find a place for them.
Saul would be an excellent addition, a very good all-arounder who's a slightly better version of Herrera and can play in multiple positions. I think we'll buy two CMs in summer because BFS is still not allowed for the most part, Schneiderlin will leave once a good offer comes, Fellaini is an eyesore, and Carrick will likely leave.
Frankly, finding a better player than Herrera is beside the point. Building a great team is not about fitting the best player in every position around into a team. Herrera bleeds United, he works so hard for the team. Replacing him with someone better is not worth sacrificing that. Herrera is the kind of player that holds a team together, and shifting him out to accomodate someone who serves the same technical functions with just a slightly better skill set is madness.
Ibra would only be here for another year, so Griezmann plays wide or as a two man forward line for a year.
I dont think jose will give much thought to the youth until we have won the league, and that means buying in young(ish) ready made players imo. Possibly introducing more game time for TFM Tuanzebe and others the season after next if we do win the league next season.
I'd say it's Carrick's place he'd take, though not necessarily his role. Can easily see him slotting in as the 6 and sharing the defensive duties with Herrera, and freeing Pogba up to do what he does best. So kinda like Carrick, but it would be an almost double pivot but with the flexibility of both Herrera and Saul being able to chip in and go box to box when the other sits, rather than having a sole 6 there.
Would be fascinating if we could pull it off.
And Griezmann as the false 9 would make us a ridiculously complete team, with only a further CB needed.
*Please be true*
Nope.. if saul comes in, it will pogba that will fill carrick role.
We're just trying to force meme players into roles in whose they dont perform well enough. And they're proving that fact exactly this season. For what purpose I would sign Saul for 80m to be a pivot? He doens't play well there. Or even in another position, simply because his season has been awful.
There's teams in their local league who are playing much better and the funny thing about that is that their pivots are pretty much key players for those teams. I mean, Illarramendi or Nzonzi are players that actually would fit and would cost less than the half.
There's teams in their local league who are playing much better and the funny thing about that is that their pivots are pretty much key players for those teams. I mean, Illarramendi or Nzonzi are players that actually would fit and would cost less than the half.
We currently play a 3 across midfield with acariick being the main shield. Saul is a dynamic box-box midfielder in the purest sense. It makes no sense triggering the clause of a €60m euro player, to play him in a restricted role.
First read that as, Man Utd have put in a loan bid for Cleverly. 
As for the player himself, Fergie was really one for hyperbole. Didn't he claim Cleverly to be the best English midfield talent?
As for the player himself, Fergie was really one for hyperbole. Didn't he claim Cleverly to be the best English midfield talent?
You just know a source is pathetic if they don't name the player in the tweet requiring the reader to click on the link. Although in this case the picture gives it away.
In fairness all managers say stuff like that at top clubs in order to motivate their players.First read that as, Man Utd have put in a loan bid for Cleverly.
As for the player himself, Fergie was really one for hyperbole. Didn't he claim Cleverly to be the best English midfield talent?
Is the transfer feed gonna come in a non chat edition as well?
Nvm..
I can see Barca be more interested in signing Wiegl as a replacement for Busquets, more than him going to Madrid IMO. That is of course if he continues to develop.
At 18, he's at the perfect age to eventually take over from Sergio - who is still only 28, so I don't see any reason for Barcelona to target Weigl as the 6.
Lee Ryder at the Chronicle has a great reputation and direct lines into people at St James'. He doesn't write the headlines.
Guess we'll have to wait and see how will he develop.
That is like saying that we shouldn't target any top number 10s because Angel Gomes is the dogs bollocks in academy football i.e. it doesn't make sense.
Yeah I meant the Chronicle, not Lee Ryder directly.
The two situations are not comparable at all. Busquets is the best 6 in the world (something that cannot be said for any United 10 - which BTW, is a position we might not even employ regularly with Mourinho's recent reliance on the 433) - someone who cannot be improved upon in Barcelona's system, and players of his nature can play at a very good level until they are 33/34 (Alonso, Pirlo, Carrick - who all bear favorable aesthetic comparison) - which gives him a 5 year window. Moreover, he's ultra reliable, rarely injured for more than a week or two, and has played ~50 games per season for 8 years now:
http://www.transfermarkt.com/sergio-busquets/verletzungen/spieler/65230
http://www.transfermarkt.com/sergio-busquets/ausfaelle/spieler/65230
http://www.transfermarkt.com/sergio-busquets/leistungsdaten/spieler/65230/plus/0?saison=ges
Why would they want to sign Weigl when he is unlikely to dislodge Busquets, and why would the player even consider the idea of moving to Barcelona when he will be a second fiddle to Busquets and in his mid 20s by the time the latter declines significantly - especially when (in case he moves) Weigl could start rightaway at a club like Madrid - where he would be an upgrade over Casemiro (particularly in possession and operating with a like minded player in Kroos)? Barcelona have a perfectly good 6 prospect in Oriol Busquets, too - who's used to their system and the club's ethos. Plenty of time for him to fine-tune his game (particularly in terms of passing range) behind Sergio over the coming years (especially now that Samper's future looks uncertain). Even if he doesn't pan out, they can address the position when Busquets reaches ~33 years in age.
Makes sense now?
Agree with the issues, and it's why the discussion on whether he'd be the right player to buy has been going on so much here for the last 6 months or so.
The reason we are so heavily linked with him is that he seems to be a Utd fan. It is confirmed that he is a big Beckham fanboy (it's the reason he wears long sleeved shirts and has the #7), his brother is a huge Utd fan, and he's spoken a month or so ago about wanting to play club football with Pogba, and asking Pogba about Utd and the players and manager.
So if we want him, and as long as we do make the top four, I think it's as close to a 'sure thing' you can get. If we don't make the top four then it does raise some question marks, and he may prefer to stay at Atletico or even move somewhere else. Alternatively, Mourinho may not want him. That's a definite possibility, as fitting both he and Pogba into the same team is quite difficult. The position that Pogba plays his best in (the most attacking of the three central midfielders in a 433) is the position that is moved forward for Griezmann to play in his best position (the support striker in a 4231). They certainly 'can' play in the same team, but whether they can both play at their best is a different story. It's a bit unfortunate that everything points to one of the worlds best players wanting to join us, but we may just not have a position for him to play.
And another one (Gudelj) for China.
From the bench (well not even that tbf) of a dutch club to almost 6m/season, how about that.
From the bench (well not even that tbf) of a dutch club to almost 6m/season, how about that.
Ajax fans must be delighted.
I suspect we'll be seeing a fair number of player feck off to China in the coming months/years - only to return after realizing there's no virtue in being considered a mercenary in a shit league.
It'd probably kill him, though.
Well I'm just glad he's gone but I expected him to leave anyway and they didn't really overpay for the transfer itself this time (6m reported).
i also feel a fair few probably just won't cope with the cultural shock. i mean, most major chinese cities most likely provide majority of things they would want for but i just get the feel a lot of them just wouldn't cope with the language etc
For 80 mil, he'd better have evolved beyond requiring oxygen to maintain life.
I don't think the language will effect them that much, look at the amount of Brazilians playing in Russia and Ukraine, I can only imaging that would be a similar difference in language, money talks at the end of the day, it will all probably go the way of the yank league back in the 70s.
Good riddance too. Fecking parasite.
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