Media Rumours vs. United realistic interest in players

f_to_z

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I have always wondered how much are the reports that the media write each day are actually true players United are interested in. I am sure they are not all true reports though many people talk about this transfer or that as if being somewhat true, rather its not even close in reality.

Lets look at in a pragmatic way. We know for a fact that most Media reports regarding player transfers is mostly rumours, made up, or even created from something not related. For example Pogba might say I like the weather in Spain and the next day headline would be "Pogba says he might move to Madrid" then in the body of the article somewhere hidden below is his real quote.

Getting closer to my main point which is. Which players that United were linked to this summer do you think are realistic interest from the club and which are not. To make things even easier lets say 50% of media reports are true only. So from the list half would be true and half are not. Which ones do you think are real interest from United?

Players United have been linked to this Summer:

Sancho - Rabiot - Felix - Dybala - Wan-Bissaka - Partey - James - Griezman - Longstaff - Rakitic - De Ligt - Van Anholt - Icardi - Maguire - Onana - Koulibaly - Perisic - Fernandes - Bale - Collins - Varane - Pepe - Demebele - Meunier - Zaha
 

deafepl

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I have always wondered how much are the reports that the media write each day are actually true players United are interested in. I am sure they are not all true reports though many people talk about this transfer or that as if being somewhat true, rather its not even close in reality.

Lets look at in a pragmatic way. We know for a fact that most Media reports regarding player transfers is mostly rumours, made up, or even created from something not related. For example Pogba might say I like the weather in Spain and the next day headline would be "Pogba says he might move to Madrid" then in the body of the article somewhere hidden below is his real quote.

Getting closer to my main point which is. Which players that United were linked to this summer do you think are realistic interest from the club and which are not. To make things even easier lets say 50% of media reports are true only. So from the list half would be true and half are not. Which ones do you think are real interest from United?

Players United have been linked to this Summer:

Sancho - Rabiot - Felix - Dybala - Wan-Bissaka - Partey - James - Griezman - Longstaff - Rakitic - De Ligt - Van Anholt - Icardi - Maguire - Onana - Koulibaly - Perisic - Fernandes - Bale - Collins - Varane - Pepe - Demebele - Meunier - Zaha
Only Sancho, Varane, WBA, James, De Ligt, Icradi, Moussa Dembele, we show realistic interests in these players.
 

koop

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The thing I've learned from all the rumours and media circus is just not to trust anything.

Most of it is made up. One day we are the dream destination for a certain player, the next day they don't want to come to us and their dream destination is somewhere else. One day we are agreeing terms with a player, the next day they sign for someone else. Etc etc.

So I never believe anything I read anymore, even though it's still addictive to read rumours. I wish there was a source which is true most of the time..I mean there probably is. Anyone?
 

roonster09

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Hard to tell which are real reports, clubs contacts many agents to see whether the player is interested, which will be leaked to media. Not every interest ends up with player moving to new club.
 

Class of 63

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https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/...fer-news-rumours-obsession-football-industry/

Coniah Boyce-Clarke,
Ruben Dias,
Bruno Fernandes,
Gelson Fernandes,
Kalidou Koulibaly,
Nicolas Pepe,
Adrien Rabiot,
Saul Niguez,
Christian Eriksen,
Kieran Trippier,
Jan Oblak,
Matthijs de Ligt,
Paulo Dybala,
Daniel James,
Idrissa Gueye,
Philippe Coutinho,
Callum Hudson-Odoi,
Wilfried Zaha,
Thomas Meunier,
Mauro Icardi,
Moussa Dembélé,
Ben Godfrey,
Nikola Milenkovic,
Harry Maguire,
Aaron Wan-Bissaka,
Patrick van Aanholt,
Jadon Sancho,
Gareth Bale,
Toby Alderweireld,
Joao Felix,
Declan Rice,
David Neres Campos,
Kostas Manolas,
Hakim Ziyech,
Joao Cancelo,
Marcos Llorente,
Toni Kroos,
Raphael Varane,
Youri Tielemans,
Robert Lewandowski,
James Rodriguez,
Keylor Navas,
Luka Jovic,
Jordan Pickford.

I'm confident we'll sign all these 43 next week, then Nathan Collins(Stoke City) and Sean Longstaff on transfer deadline day.

Looking forward to the Winter transfer window all ready.

Edit: Already not all ready you friggin eejit :rolleyes:

 
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Reddy Rederson

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https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/...fer-news-rumours-obsession-football-industry/

Coniah Boyce-Clarke,
Ruben Dias,
Bruno Fernandes,
Gelson Fernandes,
Kalidou Koulibaly,
Nicolas Pepe,
Adrien Rabiot,
Saul Niguez,
Christian Eriksen,
Kieran Trippier,
Jan Oblak,
Matthijs de Ligt,
Paulo Dybala,
Daniel James,
Idrissa Gueye,
Philippe Coutinho,
Callum Hudson-Odoi,
Wilfried Zaha,
Thomas Meunier,
Mauro Icardi,
Moussa Dembélé,
Ben Godfrey,
Nikola Milenkovic,
Harry Maguire,
Aaron Wan-Bissaka,
Patrick van Aanholt,
Jadon Sancho,
Gareth Bale,
Toby Alderweireld,
Joao Felix,
Declan Rice,
David Neres Campos,
Kostas Manolas,
Hakim Ziyech,
Joao Cancelo,
Marcos Llorente,
Toni Kroos,
Raphael Varane,
Youri Tielemans,
Robert Lewandowski,
James Rodriguez,
Keylor Navas,
Luka Jovic,
Jordan Pickford.

I'm confident we'll sign all these 43 next week, then Nathan Collins(Stoke City) and Sean Longstaff on transfer deadline day.

Looking forward to the Winter transfer window all ready.
Only 43? Pfft, be serious. :D
 

ninjaskill

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I once read something that said that only 20% of transfers reported about in the papers actually ever happened. And as the data they studied was pre internet the accuracy has probably gone down as there is no limit on how many transfers a journalist can talk about since they can just tweet about it.
 

Reddy Rederson

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Bloody fans always want more, we're not made of money you know, 43 will have to do this window, similar in January, and probably the same again next Summer, if that's not good enough for you feel free to sod off and support another team :lol:
feck that. Anything less than 69, I’m getting a plane :lol:
 

Class of 63

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I once read something that said that only 20% of transfers reported about in the papers actually ever happened. And as the data they studied was pre internet the accuracy has probably gone down as there is no limit on how many transfers a journalist can talk about since they can just tweet about it.
It's gone too far the other way now, but back in the day before even teletext/Oracle we had to rely on papers like The People and the News of the World in the Summer months for transfer rumours and you tended to believe everything, and if there were no rumours you were counting the seconds until the next Sunday, or maybe that was just me.
 

Sassy Colin

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https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/...fer-news-rumours-obsession-football-industry/

Coniah Boyce-Clarke,
Ruben Dias,
Bruno Fernandes,
Gelson Fernandes,
Kalidou Koulibaly,
Nicolas Pepe,
Adrien Rabiot,
Saul Niguez,
Christian Eriksen,
Kieran Trippier,
Jan Oblak,
Matthijs de Ligt,
Paulo Dybala,
Daniel James,
Idrissa Gueye,
Philippe Coutinho,
Callum Hudson-Odoi,
Wilfried Zaha,
Thomas Meunier,
Mauro Icardi,
Moussa Dembélé,
Ben Godfrey,
Nikola Milenkovic,
Harry Maguire,
Aaron Wan-Bissaka,
Patrick van Aanholt,
Jadon Sancho,
Gareth Bale,
Toby Alderweireld,
Joao Felix,
Declan Rice,
David Neres Campos,
Kostas Manolas,
Hakim Ziyech,
Joao Cancelo,
Marcos Llorente,
Toni Kroos,
Raphael Varane,
Youri Tielemans,
Robert Lewandowski,
James Rodriguez,
Keylor Navas,
Luka Jovic,
Jordan Pickford.

I'm confident we'll sign all these 43 next week, then Nathan Collins(Stoke City) and Sean Longstaff on transfer deadline day.

Looking forward to the Winter transfer window all ready.
If they link us with enough different players, they are bound to get one right eventually, to earn some ITK bragging rights.

Then everyone will run round with their hands in the air, claiming "I told you The Express was ITK, take them off the band list!"
 

Pavl3n

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It's a game of broken phone.
I'm sure it happens something like that.
Agent: "Well, club A and B have contacted me and they would like to have you in their team. Also club C is looking for players in your position"
Player: "I'm interested in what B, has to offer and if club D ever contacts us - it's where I would love to go. But let's see, May be C is a possibility"

Then his best buddy who is listening to this conversation mentions it to the mailman and the mailman is a massive fan of club C, so he goes on Reddit and says that C are interested in the player and the player is open to the move, then some BS journo makes an article out of it. And soon other people put price on the player.
Actually nothing really happened and they're just exploring the options.
 

Florida Man

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It's a game of broken phone.
I'm sure it happens something like that.
Agent: "Well, club A and B have contacted me and they would like to have you in their team. Also club C is looking for players in your position"
Player: "I'm interested in what B, has to offer and if club D ever contacts us - it's where I would love to go. But let's see, May be C is a possibility"

Then his best buddy who is listening to this conversation mentions it to the mailman and the mailman is a massive fan of club C, so he goes on Reddit and says that C are interested in the player and the player is open to the move, then some BS journo makes an article out of it. And soon other people put price on the player.
Actually nothing really happened and they're just exploring the options.
I feel like this is exactly what happens. Newspaper articles are making this into a reality show game.
 

RedTechsture

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Until the yellow bar goes across Sky Sports its all transfer gossip silly season
 

El Zoido

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Is there a full list of every player we’ve been linked with? Only 43 on that list above, I’ve seen it mentioned there’s at least 70 players linked so far. It gets more ridiculous every summer.
 

Ian Reus

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I once read something that said that only 20% of transfers reported about in the papers actually ever happened. And as the data they studied was pre internet the accuracy has probably gone down as there is no limit on how many transfers a journalist can talk about since they can just tweet about it.
You must have also read that in a paper as there's no way they get anywhere near 20% of transfers right.
I'd say it would be closer to 1%.
 

Dolf

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I’d say all of them. The real question is what terms like “interested” or “looking at” means.

I’m sure we have an eye on all good players and for some of them we might actually make an effort to find out if they would be even remotely interested in leaving their current club.
 

Kapardin

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For all his incompetence, secrecy is one thing Woodward does well. We completed quite a few deals for players the press didn't get a wind of until they were complete. Schneiderlin, Sanchez, even Lukaku...so I'm not even sure of the reports.

Dan James and De Ligt look legit though, because Giggs all but confirmed the former and De Ligt obviously hasn't been quiet on our interest.
 

Van Piorsing

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When Ole said there are many players interested to play for United he literally announced the guessing game, but since he was also invoking longevity as one of attributes in identifying targets then we're most likely after De Ligt type of players.

Daniel James is no brainer, Bissaka is most likely huge possibility, Toby Alder sounds more of a Jose type deal, so perhaps the club is slowly steering away. Rabiot and Maguire in some part fill the longevity bracket but then again we have also Axel and Mensah who would love to try an make a long term impact.

Did I mentioned De Ligt ?
 

kundalini

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When Ole said there are many players interested to play for United he literally announced the guessing game, but since he was also invoking longevity as one of attributes in identifying targets then we're most likely after De Ligt type of players.

Daniel James is no brainer, Bissaka is most likely huge possibility, Toby Alder sounds more of a Jose type deal, so perhaps the club is slowly steering away. Rabiot and Maguire in some part fill the longevity bracket but then again we have also Axel and Mensah who would love to try an make a long term impact.

Did I mentioned De Ligt ?
As well as longevity that you rightly mention, Solskjaer has also stressed the importance of work-rate/athleticism and being team players.

He also said that he didn't want to sign players that would block the path of our talented youngsters.

Most of our signings will be reasonably young players who work hard and don't possess problematic egos.

Strangely, or perhaps not, tons of the players we get linked to, don't fit Solskjaer's criteria.
 
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tomaldinho1

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I suspect it's actually far more than the media can keep up with. Probably a whole range of players from world class to average, experienced to youth.

Firstly that agents are everywhere and represent (usually) multiple players so will always be chatting to clubs, offering players and feeling out where the best opportunities for their clients are. If Griezmann's agent (who randomly I think is his sister) calls up Woodward to suss out what kind of contract we could offer, does that mean United want Griezmann? We are commercial and, for sure will be open to speaking to good players but that doesn't mean we are desperate to sign them. I guess all clubs benefit from having as much information as possible on who is actually interested in moving, who is not and then understanding what it will take to bring them in...this will inevitably result in us enquiring about a huge number of players (some with real interest, some for information and some as backups/leverage in priority deals).
 

Houdini

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Bruno Fernandes
Adrien Rabiot
Matthijs de Ligt
Daniel James
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Jadon Sancho
Joao Felix

I believe that we are interested in these from that list above.
 

Le Red

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The interest in Daniel James and Matthijs de Ligt is very explicit. I would add Maguire as the alternative if de Ligt chooses Barcelona.
After that, most of the interest seems targeted at Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jadon Sancho.
Bruno Fernandes
looks Manchester bound. Whether it's United or City is the big question.
There appears to be a good degree of interest in João Félix, but I feel the club could see him as an alternative if Sancho doesn't sign.
Adrien Rabiot is one that seems to be on the radar, with Ander Herrera gone and the possibility of signing him for free.

It's early days and possibly some of these won't go through, shifting the interest to other players, but the noise is around these players at the moment. I would say these are all realistic targets (unless BVB really refuses to negotiate Sancho).
I haven't seem a hint of serious interest in other players of that huge list posted above, though said interest might exist, well hidden by the club.
 

red woppit

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I think most of the the youngsters mentioned are probably correct, but it appears that any player from Real, Barca and Bayern seems to be linked with us, Ramos, Bale, Umtiti, Coutinho, Cilleson, Boateng, and I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be interested in any of them. I firmly believe that these guy's agents use our club to get an improved deal. I have a feeling that if we signed Collins and Godfrey, we would probably loan them out for a season in the Prem, also Tuanzebe if we land De Ligt, but all three of those would be a major part of the squad for the following season, when we could finally get rid of Jones, Smalling, Rojo (if they hadn't already gone).
 

Le Red

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I think most of the the youngsters mentioned are probably correct, but it appears that any player from Real, Barca and Bayern seems to be linked with us, Ramos, Bale, Umtiti, Coutinho, Cilleson, Boateng, and I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be interested in any of them. I firmly believe that these guy's agents use our club to get an improved deal. I have a feeling that if we signed Collins and Godfrey, we would probably loan them out for a season in the Prem, also Tuanzebe if we land De Ligt, but all three of those would be a major part of the squad for the following season, when we could finally get rid of Jones, Smalling, Rojo (if they hadn't already gone).
I think Tuanzebe will be in the squad regardless. Maybe as 5th choice CB but we know that since one of the CBs is Jones then Tuanzebe will be 4th choice more often than not.
 

red woppit

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I think Tuanzebe will be in the squad regardless. Maybe as 5th choice CB but we know that since one of the CBs is Jones then Tuanzebe will be 4th choice more often than not.
I think Ole will give Tuanzebe a good chance to stake a claim, and I would love him to be ready and good enough to start, but he may need that exposure to the Prem, anyway we will see what happens. I really think Tuanzebe will be a terrific player for United for many years to come.
 

sp_107

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We need plenty of re-building and its almost 3 weeks since the season ended, why haven't we done anything in the market yet?

Selling deadwood/Signing good players...is it that tough ?
 

Allas8

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We need plenty of re-building and its almost 3 weeks since the season ended, why haven't we done anything in the market yet?

Selling deadwood/Signing good players...is it that tough ?
If we don't value our players, why should anyone else value our players. Anytime we show interest in a player the price skyrockets, also we don't actually need to sign new players, any new players signed has to be justified over giving these players a chance.

Henderson
Laird - Tuanzebe - TFM - O'Connor
Levitt - Garner - Gomes
Chong - Greenwood - Ramazani
 

Tomuś

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If you consider a half-arsed attempt to scout a player (simply attend one game where he plays or asking somebody knowledgeable about the given team/league) as an interest, then we may well be told to be be interested in all of them. Using mandatory FM analogy, can you say you want to purchase all the players you check the attributes of/ask your scouts for a scouting report?
 

riis

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A broken clock is correct more often than the vast majority of sports journalists' transfer speculation.
 

Josep Dowling

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I don’t see how journalists would get inside information. Why would anyone in the know release such information. It’s not like they need a couple of hundred quid as a bride for information.

Most of it is merely guess. We need a RB, Solskjaer made some comment about having a British core. Linked with Wan-Bissaka.

Meunièr was apparently a United fan, linked with him.

It’s hardly difficult to create rumours.
 

MiamiSpartan

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It isn't all just journos making things up. I think most of the rumors of specific players come from agents and clubs using the media to play games and further their own narrative. An agent wants to raise the profile of their client, get a new contract, etc. A selling club has a team interested, but wants a bigger fee, so they float other clubs' interest. A buying club wants the world to think that they beat out a bigger club for a player, etc.

And sometimes those sources are giving information that they believe is correct, but they are in the dark on something (Morata's red hair, anyone?). So even someone as ITK as the actual player can be wrong.

Higher tier journos are probably getting info that has more to it than lower tier journos, but their sources could also be blowing smoke or just plain wrong.
 

Dr. Dwayne

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I've been saying for years that the club needs to monetize "official interest from Man Utd".

Nothing worse than untapped revenue streams.
 

UpWithRivers

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None of the stories are coming from the club. 0. Nada. Why would a club say anything about their transfer targets. Sure you could say the selling club is starting a bidding war. But in reality Man Utd etc arnt reading the Sun going oh sht Real are in for Wan Bissaka what are we gonna do! So the only source is players themselves and agents. That cant happen very often. Again why bother? Yes there are a few aholes leaking but that must be the minority and then they only have half a story. Like Lindgard ringing the sun and saying Pogba said at lunch that Real Madrid would be nice. 95 percent is made up nonsense. But that doesnt mean it cant come true which happens every now and again. Like picking the winning horse. If I bet on 20 of them and walk around saying I calculated the winning horse and win then Im still full of sht
 

kentafuji

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I saw one this morning about us (and Madrid,Bayern) being linked to Mo Salah.

Literally the funniest thing I've read today. Like he'd ever sign for us, or they'd sell him to us