What are you smoking? They're very different types of player.
Youssouf Fofana
- Thread starter Berbaclass
- Start date
I think that United need a reality check. We had 2 dinosaurs as managers in Mou and Ole who stocked us with players who aren't suited for the modern game. The club made it worse by giving them silly salaries which makes it impossible for us to get rid off. There's a very valid reason why the likes of Maguire, AWB, Lindelof and McT are still at the club with only the likes of Fulham and West Ham bidding for them. They are low table club level, on stupid salary and with one year left in their contract. Clubs also know that we need to sell which drive the salary even further down.
In my opinion we should have cleared the decks by accepting the first reasonable fee given (even if its on the lower side). What's the point of keeping players who are not good enough, and who will still walk for free next season? If AWB wants to go to Inter then he goes there for a swap with Dumfries. The Dutch is some 55k a week, he'll provide us good cover for Dalot and will help us avoid losing a 15m-20m player for free in 6 months time. Sancho for Soule? Gone. We get rid of his huge salary. For the rest sell. Maguire for 15m? Gone, Lindelof for 12m? Gone. The Scottish Zidane for 20M? Gone. That's all salary spared and money recouped that would, most likely, be lost in 6 months time.
Then we use the money wisely. The likes of Tah (25m euros), Leif Davis, Fofana and Lamptey (1 year left in his contract), young talent such as Anselmino, free agents like Guido Rodriguez etc. Plug potential gaps with loans if needed as well. Sure the risk of them being the next Djemba Djemba is reasonably high. But if we give them the right salary on the right fee then its not a tragedy either as we'll be able to sell them for a minimum loss. I'd rather get a risk who has the potential to be good then stick to proven rubbish especially the likes who can walk on a free next season.
In my opinion we should have cleared the decks by accepting the first reasonable fee given (even if its on the lower side). What's the point of keeping players who are not good enough, and who will still walk for free next season? If AWB wants to go to Inter then he goes there for a swap with Dumfries. The Dutch is some 55k a week, he'll provide us good cover for Dalot and will help us avoid losing a 15m-20m player for free in 6 months time. Sancho for Soule? Gone. We get rid of his huge salary. For the rest sell. Maguire for 15m? Gone, Lindelof for 12m? Gone. The Scottish Zidane for 20M? Gone. That's all salary spared and money recouped that would, most likely, be lost in 6 months time.
Then we use the money wisely. The likes of Tah (25m euros), Leif Davis, Fofana and Lamptey (1 year left in his contract), young talent such as Anselmino, free agents like Guido Rodriguez etc. Plug potential gaps with loans if needed as well. Sure the risk of them being the next Djemba Djemba is reasonably high. But if we give them the right salary on the right fee then its not a tragedy either as we'll be able to sell them for a minimum loss. I'd rather get a risk who has the potential to be good then stick to proven rubbish especially the likes who can walk on a free next season.
And, as I see it, the trouble is, if we sign the likes of Amrabat, Rabiot & Berge on permanent deals, we just add even more players to the impossible to sell list...
Fofana my first choice. Looks an absolute baller in his youtube highlights. Won't cost much either since he is on his last year.
People are complaining about us being too frivolous with the ball yet want us to sign a guy who turns it over worse than Casmiro does.
Nothing new about this guy? Would be my favourite last signing this summer
I think him and Berge are both backups to Ugarte deal not happening. £8 mil difference currently the issue that Mendes is trying to resolve.
I am coming around on him myself. Not as the DM but as an alternative for Mainoo. Their games are very similar. Fofana is more athletic but less refined. Them splitting time 50/50 means we won't burnout Mainoo. We still would need Ugarte or another DM.
I will love to have him in addition to Ugarte, his style of play is so sleek from the little gleaned off him from YouTube and I feel he will connect very well with a team player like Zirkzee as well.. I will really love him here for reals, I value team players above selfish players who we've been saddled with mostly for far too long
If we sign Ugarte(who is still our main midfield target), that's probably done for the window. I don't trust these Fofana links.
Probably the fallback option with Berge in case Ugarte deal doesn't happen,.which seems unlikely as he's been excluded from PSG training now.
Sign them all!
Do you mean completely done or just midfield?
I imagine we'll only be signing one midfielder, with Ugarte as the main target.
Completely.
You are probably right but IF Eriksen got sold could maybe see picking up Rabiot after window closes or IF we can sell McTominay, Sancho and Pellistri/Hannibal I could see maybe near deadline day move for goalscorer
Is he a DM?
Like someone said in Ugarte thread he is a similar type of player to him whereas Berge and Amrabat are more of the pure DM's. Would be great to add both types as it could give us some flexibility depending on opponent. We would need to make some sales in order for that to become realistic possibility though.
Yes
I've been the only one saying this but I reckon, Ugarte, Berge and Fofana are separate deals. The way I see it, we'll get rid of Mctominay, Casemiro and probably Eriksen.
The midfield will then be:
Bruno 65/ Mount 35
Fofana 50/ Mainoo 50
Urgarte 65/ Berge 35
Our players burnout and that's why we have struggled for consistency. Well that and quality. With this, we'll have increased our athleticism, physicality and on the ball quality.
Music to my ears, hope we get someone to bite on McTom
That's not as simple as you make it sound. Won't happen.
If we sign Ugarte and Fofana..... Oh my....
I didn't say it was going to be simple but I think this what we are aiming for.
Our net spend so far is 70M
If we could sell Sancho(30) to PSG /Scott(25)/Lindelof(10)/Hannibal(5), this is another 70M to offset our above net spending so far.
Means technically we can still bring in Ugarte(45)/Fofana(30) for a net spend of 75M this year, imagine if we could do swap deal with Barcelona involving Antony and Rafinha as Barca were keen on Antony before we got him.
------------------------------------------Rasmus/Zirkzee--------------------------
------Garancho/Rashford-------------Bruno/Mount-----------------Raphina/Amad-----
------------------Mainoo/Casemiro-----------Ugarte/Fofana-------------------------------
----Shaw/Amass--------Lisandro/Maguire----_Deligt/Yoro----------Maz/Dalot-------
I think we can challenge the tittle with this team, just for 75M net spend and getting rid of so many average players
If we could sell Sancho(30) to PSG /Scott(25)/Lindelof(10)/Hannibal(5), this is another 70M to offset our above net spending so far.
Means technically we can still bring in Ugarte(45)/Fofana(30) for a net spend of 75M this year, imagine if we could do swap deal with Barcelona involving Antony and Rafinha as Barca were keen on Antony before we got him.
------------------------------------------Rasmus/Zirkzee--------------------------
------Garancho/Rashford-------------Bruno/Mount-----------------Raphina/Amad-----
------------------Mainoo/Casemiro-----------Ugarte/Fofana-------------------------------
----Shaw/Amass--------Lisandro/Maguire----_Deligt/Yoro----------Maz/Dalot-------
I think we can challenge the tittle with this team, just for 75M net spend and getting rid of so many average players
I would believe it more if it was coming from Sheth or one of the reliable journos not Utd Stand
Sell Mctominay. Sancho, Lindelof and bring in Ugarte and Fofana. We’d have serious options then!
Would be great if we could sell 3 or 4 more players. And sign two midfielders, a left back and a right winger.
INEOS could definitely not do more than that in their first summer window.
INEOS could definitely not do more than that in their first summer window.
Strong name to post content.
I think it's too much to ask though. I'm bracing myself for maybe 2-3 outgoings and 1 midfielder coming in. If we do more than that I'd be ecstatic.
I could see us signing both if we got rid of Casemiro mainly, then Eriksen and McTominay from the squad. Basically have 2 of Ugarte, Mainoo and Fofana start behind Bruno or mount, with Collyer being deeper depth. We are bloated with numbers and wages anyway as it stands.
You are dreaming buddy, x2.
Sheth and ‘reliable journos’ in the same sentence?!!
Probably second midfielder. A striker would be nice but I'm not seeing many realistic options other than Toney.
I feel Ugarte and Fofana could be more impactful right now.
Yeah you had that vague tweet from Sheth saying we are looking at forwards provided we can make some sales but only mentioning Toney or Calvert-Lewin
Getting it back on topic I suspect that Milan will sign him in the end looking at Romano tweet
Same
I would really love for us to sign him. All action midfielder who is quite progressive with the ball.
Is this guy any good? Would he be a decent deputy to Mainoo?