Premier League Players We Should Look At

Craig Ward

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We have a massive re-building job, no doubt about it.

I'm curious with some of the names we are being linked with, the De Light/Dybala/Griezmann links and the like.

I think we need to be smarter with our signings and try and avoid big money "stars" as we have been burnt more than had success with such signings. For me, we need to firstly sign good players but look at the personality/workrate side of things to accompany that.

Matic was a good signing, technically good and a grafter. He's aged and declined, but our midfield has been weak for some time and he's not been the sole problem in our midfield. An example of a PL proven player signing. Of course, for every good signing there are bad, see Sanchez.

People slammed me when I said we should be in for Aaron Ramsey for example but think how his energy/workrate would impact on our midfield which is static and lazy even with the talent of Pogba. It would have been massive.

I think there are plenty of players already in the PL who we may not necessarily consider but would improve our squad.

Some names:
Rudiger - strong commanding style CB. Wins most of his duels.
Torreira - DM role / technically good. Has that winning mentality.
Rice - DM/CM role. Is a big talent (has been mentioned already)
Soares - Decent option at RB, has been Portugal's no1 for some time and would be better than Young. Good rotation/squad option with Dalot

The links with Longstaff/James make sense to me, players who are young, talented and Ole can work with. There is lots of talent in the PL, the lad from Wolves (Gibbs-White) and Maddison from Leicester all have great potential.

Improving players by coaching is our best route back to challenging for top 4/higher for me.

Likes of Young/Mata/Jones/Smalling/Sanchez/Darmian/Lingard/Rojo are extremely unlikely to improve any further, despite how well coached they are. Squad needs work, that much we know.

I'm obviously not against signing from abroad, likes of Bruno Fernandes looks good, but can see some talent here in our own league that might be worth considering in additional to the foreign market.

Any thoughts?

Any other names from the PL that we should be looking at?
 

roonster09

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Doubt we can sign Rudiger and Torreira.

There are many PL players outside top 6 who are improvement on what we have.

Doucoure, Maddison, Ndidi, Maguire, AWB, Ricardo Pereira, Neves.
 

Negative Red

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Probably 20% of the Premier Leagues players would improve our squad. Average Premier League players like Coleman, Mings, Redmond, Ake, Rondon and Rice would probably improve our squad. I'm pretty sure I could fill in at the back in our current state. Sadly its our starting 11 that needs drastically improving. There's only Neves, AWB and Ndidi I would be happy to get.
 

Dirty Schwein

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Players outside the top 6 that I like:

Ricardo Pereira
Vardy
Digne
Matt Doherty
Jiminez
Neves
Felipe Anderson
AWB

Any of those could potentially improve us and should be available at the right cost.
 

rotherham_red

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Ndidi, Doucoure, AWB, Rose, Richarlison, Alderweireld, Son, Tielemans, Neves, Jota, Digne, Andre Gomes

Any of those could come in and improve us IMO.
 

Dong Fangzhuo

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Ake is too good for bmouth, I think he could make the step up. He can also cover LB. Ndidi, Rice and Doucoure also.
 

SER19

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If we lined up like this next season we would be a massively improved team

...........................GK......................

Wan Bissaka..Lindelof..Maguire..Shaw....

.............Neves...Rice...Pogba...............

........Fraser.....Martial.....Rashford....


That’s before we look at guys like eriksen, alderweireld....the list is endless
 

Nickosaur

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For the price we would have to pay to get Rudiger and Torreira, there are literally dozens of better signings we could make in those areas.

Cedric Soares is such a laughable suggestion. Saints fans have wanted him out for a good 12 months.
 

Negan

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Ricardo Pereira
Ruben Neves
Nathan Ake
Kurt Zouma
Wilfried Zaha
Idrissa Gana Gueye
 

Bestofthebest

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It always amazes me that the club persists in thinking only "marque" players are suitable for us, even when they turn out to be nothing special. Some of the players who have already been mentioned appear suitable and I keep coming back to Jamaal Lascelles from Newcastle, who is better than anything we have at the back, and even James Tarkowski of Burnley. Both are mid to late twenties, have loads of experience and would not cost too much.
 

bond19821982

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You should do some more research OP.- Soares is now with Inter.
 

settembrini

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No way was Matic a good signing. £40m and we got about two good months from him.

Also I agree with the people saying Ake. He just ticks so many boxes.

1. Clearly better than any of current players in that left CB role. Would partner well with either Lindelof or Smalling depending on the game.
2. Fantastic fitness/disciplinary record. Played in every single PL game for Bournemouth in the last two seasons.
3. 24 years old. Experienced premier league defender who still has a long time left at the top.
4. Counts as home grown.
5. Far cheaper than Koulibaly, a decent amount cheaper than guys like De Ligt or Maguire.
6. Looks quite a lot like a young Ruud Gullit.
 

Deery

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DeGea
Wan Bissaka Keane Lindelof Digne

Neves Gueye
Pogba

Son. Jimenez Frazier​
 

sideshow_bob

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Impossibles:
Kante, Hazard, Salah, Mane, VVD, Robertson, Son, Eriksen, Kane, Sane, Stones, Sterling, Aguero, KDB, Laporte, Mahrez, Lacazette

definitely should be looking at:
Ndidi, Maguire, Maddison, Jimenez, Neves, Mitrovic, Gueye

Maybe even:
AWB, Chilwell, Vardy, Pereira, Digne, Lemina, Hojbjerg, Ake, Wilson, Fraser
 

Vissy

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Tarkowski, Felipe Anderson, Mario Lemina... there are plenty of lower table side players who could be solid squad players for us. I just don't think we're in for those sorts of players.
 

SadlerMUFC

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Impossibles:
Kante, Hazard, Salah, Mane, VVD, Robertson, Son, Eriksen, Kane, Sane, Stones, Sterling, Aguero, KDB, Laporte, Mahrez, Lacazette

definitely should be looking at:
Ndidi, Maguire, Maddison, Jimenez, Neves, Mitrovic, Gueye

Maybe even:
AWB, Chilwell, Vardy, Pereira, Digne, Lemina, Hojbjerg, Ake, Wilson, Fraser
Why would we look at Vardy? The guy turns 33 in January
 

SadlerMUFC

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If you're good enough, you're young enough as they say.
I believe they say "if you're good enough, you're old enough" and they are referring to young players. We don't need to sign any players on the wrong side of 30. I like Vardy as much as the next person, but he's too old
 

Tomuś

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I believe they say "if you're good enough, you're old enough" and they are referring to young players. We don't need to sign any players on the wrong side of 30. I like Vardy as much as the next person, but he's too old
I was joking mate.
 

NoPace

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It always amazes me that the club persists in thinking only "marque" players are suitable for us, even when they turn out to be nothing special. Some of the players who have already been mentioned appear suitable and I keep coming back to Jamaal Lascelles from Newcastle, who is better than anything we have at the back, and even James Tarkowski of Burnley. Both are mid to late twenties, have loads of experience and would not cost too much.
I think the problem with this thinking is that every Newcastle fan says Schar and LeJeune had better seasons than Lascelles, so while yes, Lascelles had a good couple seasons, that doesn't mean he'd be a good signing here. I don't see what Lascelles does any better than Smalling. We need technically stronger players.

I actually think Schar could still end up at a big club because he's so good on the ball for a CB and that would suit a high possession team.
 

NoPace

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I'm a fan of Maddison and Ndidi. AWB, Neves, Richarlison and Felipe Anderson would improve us too.
I have wondered how Maddison would do as a false 9. He seems like he has a lot of the strengths that Firmino showed the couple times I saw him in Germany as an AM. Good finisher, mobile, hungry for the ball, quick feet.
 

Ballache

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I have wondered how Maddison would do as a false 9. He seems like he has a lot of the strengths that Firmino showed the couple times I saw him in Germany as an AM. Good finisher, mobile, hungry for the ball, quick feet.
I actually fancy him as the most attacking player in a midfield 3, for the same reasons you mentioned.
 

settembrini

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Another good Bournemouth players is Brooks. Talented young right winger who they paid £11m for last summer after he had one season in the Championship. Got 7 goals and 5 assists in his first PL season at 21 which is more than Mata and Lingard managed combined.

It's seeing cheap, young British players like Brooks get bought by other PL clubs and do better than our hugely expensive foreign signings that makes me supportive of United shopping more in this market in the future.
 

bosnian_red

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Looking at players outside the top 6 (not all as starters, but some as more valuable squad players compared to what we have now):

Right back:
  • Wan Bissaka
  • Ricardo Pereira
  • Max Aarons
  • Matt Doherty
Center back:
  • Harry Maguire
  • Nathan Ake
  • Kurt Zouma
  • Jamaal Lascelles (squad)
Left back:
  • Lucas Digne
  • Ben Chilwell
  • Patrick van Aanholt (squad)
Center mid:
  • Ruben Neves
  • Youri Tielemans (I know was on loan, but still counts)
  • Declan Rice (squad/young)
  • Sean Longstaff (squad/young)
  • Wilfred Ndidi
  • Idrissa Gueye
  • Abdoulaye Doucoure
Attacking mid:
  • James Maddison (squad player)
  • Jack Grealish (squad player)
Winger:
  • Felipe Anderson
  • Wilfred Zaha
  • Gerard Deulofeu
  • Richarlison
  • Ryan Fraser
  • Ryan Sessegnon (young/squad)
Forward:
  • Raul Jimenez
  • Diogo Jota (younger/squad)
  • Callum Wilson (squad)
  • Michy Batshuayi (squad)
Most of these players would improve our starting 11 tbh. Pretty big list that includes literally every area of the pitch for starting 11, but squad options everywhere for sure.
 

Baneofthegame

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AWB, Aaron’s, Zaha, Maddison, Doucoure, Chilwell, Maguire, Diop, Rice, Fraser, Brooks, Ake, Longstaff, Ndidi, Neves.
 

Dec9003

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Digne had a really good season for Everton, not sure if we need a player in his position though.
Ndidi would be a decent option too, it just depends on whether or not he could step up.
 

Norris Cole

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I am surprised that Ruben Neves from wolves isn't mentioned more. He's looked so at ease in the premier league already, I think people forget how young he is.

Wonder what his market valuation is. Can't help but feel all the big boys will be after him in the coming seasons
 

Lee565

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I believe they say "if you're good enough, you're old enough" and they are referring to young players. We don't need to sign any players on the wrong side of 30. I like Vardy as much as the next person, but he's too old
Old yes but still faster, sharper and more clinical than most strikers in the premier league, think he would he a great short term addition for 2 season until we can sign a truly top striker and not some make do average one like Dembele, we have signed the likes of Sheringham and Ibrahimovic in their thirties and turned out to be extremely valuable.
 

Ekeke

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Weird thread. Why would Chelsea and Arsenal be selling first teamers to us, when we arent even in the champions league?

And then of all people to suggest, Soares :lol:
 

Gopher Brown

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I’ve never seen Ake play without making at least one big mistake per game. I don’t think he’s significantly better than what we have.