Thomas Meunier

Mogget

Full Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2013
Messages
6,568
Supports
Arsenal
Yeah maitland-Niles all next season would be mustard for you lot!
We've got Bellerin. We also have a £40m transfer budget so it makes no sense to spend most of that on a RB when we need a LB or a CB more urgently.

But you keep them passive aggressive comments coming
 
Joined
Feb 12, 2018
Messages
19,825
We've got Bellerin. We also have a £40m transfer budget so it makes no sense to spend most of that on a RB when we need a LB or a CB more urgently.

But you keep them passive aggressive comments coming
Is that a real life figure? Surely you have more money in the kitty.
 

mad1max954

Full Member
Joined
May 31, 2016
Messages
650
Makes too much sense this signing so cant possibly happen:

Supports United
Cheap (ish)
Much better than what we have.

Slight negative is that he isnt 50 million plus and he doesnt come with a massive media hype.
 

AltiUn

likes playing with swords after fantasies
Joined
Apr 29, 2014
Messages
23,747
Makes too much sense this signing so cant possibly happen:

Supports United
Cheap (ish)
Much better than what we have.

Slight negative is that he isnt 50 million plus and he doesnt come with a massive media hype.
No, the slight negative is that he's an average footballer.
 

bond19821982

Last Man Standing champion 2019/20
Joined
Oct 26, 2008
Messages
10,455
Location
Nnc
We've got Bellerin. We also have a £40m transfer budget so it makes no sense to spend most of that on a RB when we need a LB or a CB more urgently.

But you keep them passive aggressive comments coming
You play 352 lot of times and this guy is a much better fit. Makes sense !
 

Andersons Dietician

Full Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2016
Messages
13,317
Is that a real life figure? Surely you have more money in the kitty.
@Mogget I’m wondering this too. I’ve heard it mentioned about, but how can a team like Arsenal only have a 40mil Transfer budget? Is there debt I don’t know about or has it all been blown on Auba,Lacazette and Ozil’s wages. Just seems crazy to me that a top 6 team in the prem would be limited to so little.

Anyway as much as I would like Bissaka again this is one of those signings that makes sense when there are a lot of things that need looking at for United. He and Rabiot for a combined spend of day 30mil hopefully leaving funds to be spent elsewhere on the team. Like CB or CM or RW or something.
 

tonnas

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jul 2, 2013
Messages
759
Can't understand why we have not signed him yet. Great player, perfect age, supports Utd, only 25m...
 

Lash

Full Member
Joined
May 3, 2012
Messages
12,667
Location
Buckinghamshire
Supports
Millwall, Saint-Etienne
We've got Bellerin. We also have a £40m transfer budget so it makes no sense to spend most of that on a RB when we need a LB or a CB more urgently.

But you keep them passive aggressive comments coming
:lol: Passive aggressive? Was just sarcasm pal.
 

Gandalf

Full Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Messages
4,865
Location
Alabama but always Wales in my heart
Can't understand why we have not signed him yet. Great player, perfect age, supports Utd, only 25m...
Because he is not our first choice and at the end of the day would essentially be a band aid until Dalot figures out how to defend or Laird breaks through to the first team and then he will be Darmian all over again, overpaid and not playing.
 

Van Piorsing

Lost his light sabre
Joined
Feb 10, 2006
Messages
22,581
Location
Polska
Can't understand why we have not signed him yet. Great player, perfect age, supports Utd, only 25m...
We're probably considering Bissaka and Cancelo which could be nothing but a good news in the end. Perhaps also players under the radar and outside the spotlight ?

Can't remember when we were so intensively linked to so many good fullbacks.
 

Mogget

Full Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2013
Messages
6,568
Supports
Arsenal
Is that a real life figure? Surely you have more money in the kitty.
@Mogget I’m wondering this too. I’ve heard it mentioned about, but how can a team like Arsenal only have a 40mil Transfer budget? Is there debt I don’t know about or has it all been blown on Auba,Lacazette and Ozil’s wages. Just seems crazy to me that a top 6 team in the prem would be limited to so little.

Anyway as much as I would like Bissaka again this is one of those signings that makes sense when there are a lot of things that need looking at for United. He and Rabiot for a combined spend of day 30mil hopefully leaving funds to be spent elsewhere on the team. Like CB or CM or RW or something.
That's what David Ornstein is reporting and he's pretty reliable when it comes to Arsenal. I've got no idea why we have so little to spend but I guess it's due to us being in the Europa League and the big contracts we've given out recently
 

manunited1919

Full Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2015
Messages
3,580
Maybe Ed is trying to swap him for Darmian. Otherwise, why is this taking so long?
 

EngimaMK

New Member
Newbie
Joined
May 23, 2018
Messages
645
He is a very good, functional player who would improve us.
Agreed mate. Let's put it this way... If we actually have the speculated 200m to spend then we could buy Felix, Bissaka, James and that's probably it. My belief is that we need to reinforce in so many areas that we take the bargains that WILL IMPROVE us where we can. 25m for Meunier, then the same for Alderwerield, and a free Rabiot would leave us even more money to play with. Spunking our whole load on three players won't do it. I'd rather sign a load of solid players that improve on what we already have instead of a few hundred million on two or three players. Feck that.
 

Gandalf

Full Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Messages
4,865
Location
Alabama but always Wales in my heart
Agreed mate. Let's put it this way... If we actually have the speculated 200m to spend then we could buy Felix, Bissaka, James and that's probably it. My belief is that we need to reinforce in so many areas that we take the bargains that WILL IMPROVE us where we can. 25m for Meunier, then the same for Alderwerield, and a free Rabiot would leave us even more money to play with. Spunking our whole load on three players won't do it. I'd rather sign a load of solid players that improve on what we already have instead of a few hundred million on two or three players. Feck that.
But that approach is one that keeps you competitive in the top 6 but won't do anything to close the gap on City and Liverpool. I would far rather buy 2 or 3 great players than 5 or 6 good ones. If we get Meunier I won't be mad about it but AWB is already a much better defender and has a far higher ceiling so we should go all in for the best player. Signing Meunier would say to me that the critics are right about the Glazers being happy with chasing 4th and CL money and not really caring about winning the league.
 

EngimaMK

New Member
Newbie
Joined
May 23, 2018
Messages
645
But that approach is one that keeps you competitive in the top 6 but won't do anything to close the gap on City and Liverpool. I would far rather buy 2 or 3 great players than 5 or 6 good ones. If we get Meunier I won't be mad about it but AWB is already a much better defender and has a far higher ceiling so we should go all in for the best player. Signing Meunier would say to me that the critics are right about the Glazers being happy with chasing 4th and CL money and not really caring about winning the league.
I'd be inclined to agree under most normal circumstances but we are way, WAY, WAAAY off City and Liverpool. We cannot hope to sign 2 or 3 players and catch them up. The base squad need improving before we add some superstars, then maybe we can catch them up. Also, I would be very worried about spending 120m on a teenage player with one good season in the dutch/portugese league under his belt. I guarantee that so many of the fans clamouring for these players would start crying at the first sign of a wobble. I don't want us to do flavour of the month signings. We need solid improvements, even if they aren't the best in the world.

I actually agree with you that I'd rather AWB but at £75m and quite limited going forward? So many of these guys clamouring for AWB also talk about the "United Way" and attacking fullbacks... Well, he certainly isn't fecking one of them.
 

EngimaMK

New Member
Newbie
Joined
May 23, 2018
Messages
645
I'd be inclined to agree under most normal circumstances but we are way, WAY, WAAAY off City and Liverpool. We cannot hope to sign 2 or 3 players and catch them up. The base squad need improving before we add some superstars, then maybe we can catch them up. Also, I would be very worried about spending 120m on a teenage player with one good season in the dutch/portugese league under his belt. I guarantee that so many of the fans clamouring for these players would start crying at the first sign of a wobble. I don't want us to do flavour of the month signings. We need solid improvements, even if they aren't the best in the world.

I actually agree with you that I'd rather AWB but at £75m and quite limited going forward? So many of these guys clamouring for AWB also talk about the "United Way" and attacking fullbacks... Well, he certainly isn't fecking one of them.
TM for 25m (leaving us 175m more to spend) or AWB for 75m (leaving us 100m more to spend)? I bet you'd then want us to sign Sancho? ... there's your last 100m. Goodby transfer window and hello still having a weak squad
 

EngimaMK

New Member
Newbie
Joined
May 23, 2018
Messages
645
Inappropriate Behavior
No, he isn't, people are expecting way too much of him.
He is a very good attacking fullback. If you'd rather a defensive FB, then fine ... he doesn't fit the bill. But as far as overlapping, attacking FBs go (you know, the UNITED WAY) then he really fits the bill. Get a fecking grip man and don't be such a crybaby.
 

The Nani

New Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2019
Messages
1,623
Location
at the bottom of Ole’s wheel
But that approach is one that keeps you competitive in the top 6 but won't do anything to close the gap on City and Liverpool. I would far rather buy 2 or 3 great players than 5 or 6 good ones. If we get Meunier I won't be mad about it but AWB is already a much better defender and has a far higher ceiling so we should go all in for the best player. Signing Meunier would say to me that the critics are right about the Glazers being happy with chasing 4th and CL money and not really caring about winning the league.
So signing Meunier would signal a lack of ambition... I’ve no idea how you came to that conclusion.

AWB is one of the most overrated players I can remember.
 

Adisa

likes to take afvanadva wothowi doubt
Joined
Nov 28, 2014
Messages
50,497
Location
Birmingham
Club better have a good RB lined up if they don't sign this guy. Under no circumstances should Young be stating games next season.
 

EngimaMK

New Member
Newbie
Joined
May 23, 2018
Messages
645
Club better have a good RB lined up if they don't sign this guy. Under no circumstances should Young be stating games next season.
This is my point ... We spend all window chasing AWB and then when we don't get him, Meunier is gone. Then all the Cry-Babies that think we are god blessed for all the best players in the world, will cry that we didn't sign anybody to improve on Young...

This is a good signing for us. He improves us a lot, we can get it wrapped up quick and it should be cheap. Do it, get it done, forget the Fantasy Football morons and move on to sign better players in the many, many other positions we actually need.
 

Fox outside the box

Full Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2019
Messages
418
But that approach is one that keeps you competitive in the top 6 but won't do anything to close the gap on City and Liverpool. I would far rather buy 2 or 3 great players than 5 or 6 good ones. If we get Meunier I won't be mad about it but AWB is already a much better defender and has a far higher ceiling so we should go all in for the best player. Signing Meunier would say to me that the critics are right about the Glazers being happy with chasing 4th and CL money and not really caring about winning the league.
I've said this before and I don't want to come across like a broken record but in all fairness these are the sorts of comments levelled at Liverpool when buying players from Southampton, Roma, Newcastle and Hull.

If we get 2 or 3 top quality signings, that may be fine, particularly if they click right away and are in the right positions. However 5 signings of a good quality could also provide a wider boost in squad quality and there may always be a couple of them who really click.

As always, hindsight will be a wonderful thing come about December. Signing the likes of Meunier, Maddison, Alderweireld, James and one or two others aren't earth shattering in terms of budget and may give us what we need to go on and get closer to the top 2. If we signed them and then made third then it would give us a much stronger foundation to go and add some real stardust next year.
We're not really in a position where we're looking for the cherry on top, we need to put a good base in for the coming season. I honestly don't expect us to challenge for 2-3 years and spending 100 million plus on hopeful signings may well just push us further back.

I've seen an awful lot of transfer snobbery aimed Liverpool's way over the last 3 years or so.
 
  • Like
Reactions: van der star

Gandalf

Full Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Messages
4,865
Location
Alabama but always Wales in my heart
Ultimately there is no way to be certain how any of these deals will work out should they go through. My biggest concern with Meunier is that he is a converted winger and really no better defensively than our current options and in case it has been forgotten our defence was atrocious this season. AWB would improve the defence and I actually believe can become a very good attacking fullback in a season or two, Andy Robertson had no track record as an attacking FB at Hull for example. In terms of first team appearances there is little difference between Dalot and AWB and yet we seem certain Dalot can learn to defend but nobody thinks AWB can improve as an attacking force. To restate from previous posts, AWB is very comfortable on the ball but was specifically tasked with playing a defensive role at Palace because PVA liked to bomb forward on the left, I am certain AWB could be effective in attack and certainly better than Young if he was given the opportunity to do so.

In terms of the 2 or 3 big signings as opposed to 6 good signings I guess it depends on what you want. If we are trying to fix all of our issues in one window then by all means take the latter option but I don't think it is how you build for the long term. We need to be thinking 3 or 4 windows before we are seriously challenging again and so securing 2 or 3 world class talents this summer is a great place to start, If we added AWB and de Ligt then we would immediately be much more solid at the back and that alone would be worth a few more points, factor in how much better our midfield would play when they are not constantly panicking that if they lose possession we will concede and it would give us a nice platform to kick on.
 

roonster09

Hercule Poirot of the scouting world
Scout
Joined
May 10, 2009
Messages
36,888
Ultimately there is no way to be certain how any of these deals will work out should they go through. My biggest concern with Meunier is that he is a converted winger and really no better defensively than our current options and in case it has been forgotten our defence was atrocious this season. AWB would improve the defence and I actually believe can become a very good attacking fullback in a season or two, Andy Robertson had no track record as an attacking FB at Hull for example. In terms of first team appearances there is little difference between Dalot and AWB and yet we seem certain Dalot can learn to defend but nobody thinks AWB can improve as an attacking force. To restate from previous posts, AWB is very comfortable on the ball but was specifically tasked with playing a defensive role at Palace because PVA liked to bomb forward on the left, I am certain AWB could be effective in attack and certainly better than Young if he was given the opportunity to do so.

In terms of the 2 or 3 big signings as opposed to 6 good signings I guess it depends on what you want. If we are trying to fix all of our issues in one window then by all means take the latter option but I don't think it is how you build for the long term. We need to be thinking 3 or 4 windows before we are seriously challenging again and so securing 2 or 3 world class talents this summer is a great place to start, If we added AWB and de Ligt then we would immediately be much more solid at the back and that alone would be worth a few more points, factor in how much better our midfield would play when they are not constantly panicking that if they lose possession we will concede and it would give us a nice platform to kick on.
Maybe AWB don't want to move this season. Things change very quickly but looks like he will stay at Crystal Palace for at least one more season.

 

Loublaze

ATLien
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
16,593
But that approach is one that keeps you competitive in the top 6 but won't do anything to close the gap on City and Liverpool. I would far rather buy 2 or 3 great players than 5 or 6 good ones. If we get Meunier I won't be mad about it but AWB is already a much better defender and has a far higher ceiling so we should go all in for the best player. Signing Meunier would say to me that the critics are right about the Glazers being happy with chasing 4th and CL money and not really caring about winning the league.
Great post
 

roonster09

Hercule Poirot of the scouting world
Scout
Joined
May 10, 2009
Messages
36,888
I've said this before and I don't want to come across like a broken record but in all fairness these are the sorts of comments levelled at Liverpool when buying players from Southampton, Roma, Newcastle and Hull.

If we get 2 or 3 top quality signings, that may be fine, particularly if they click right away and are in the right positions. However 5 signings of a good quality could also provide a wider boost in squad quality and there may always be a couple of them who really click.

As always, hindsight will be a wonderful thing come about December. Signing the likes of Meunier, Maddison, Alderweireld, James and one or two others aren't earth shattering in terms of budget and may give us what we need to go on and get closer to the top 2. If we signed them and then made third then it would give us a much stronger foundation to go and add some real stardust next year.
We're not really in a position where we're looking for the cherry on top, we need to put a good base in for the coming season. I honestly don't expect us to challenge for 2-3 years and spending 100 million plus on hopeful signings may well just push us further back.

I've seen an awful lot of transfer snobbery aimed Liverpool's way over the last 3 years or so.
Good post, agree with most of what you said. We have too many gaps just to concentrate on 2-3 signings.
 

The Nani

New Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2019
Messages
1,623
Location
at the bottom of Ole’s wheel
Ultimately there is no way to be certain how any of these deals will work out should they go through. My biggest concern with Meunier is that he is a converted winger and really no better defensively than our current options and in case it has been forgotten our defence was atrocious this season. AWB would improve the defence and I actually believe can become a very good attacking fullback in a season or two, Andy Robertson had no track record as an attacking FB at Hull for example. In terms of first team appearances there is little difference between Dalot and AWB and yet we seem certain Dalot can learn to defend but nobody thinks AWB can improve as an attacking force. To restate from previous posts, AWB is very comfortable on the ball but was specifically tasked with playing a defensive role at Palace because PVA liked to bomb forward on the left, I am certain AWB could be effective in attack and certainly better than Young if he was given the opportunity to do so.
I watched a fair bit of Hull back then and it was obvious Robertson was quality. He was a buzzsaw down the left and Hull’s only consistent threat along with Brady when fit.

AWB has shown nothing of the sort and there’s absolutely nothing to suggest he’ll suddenly improve technically at his age. It’s just wishful thinking.

Meunier would be a far better and far smarter signing for us.
 

mad1max954

Full Member
Joined
May 31, 2016
Messages
650
Sorry folks. This one isn't happening. Off to City/Juve/Barca.
So apparently good enough for city / Juv / Barca but not good enough for us.

The absolute state of this. The guy is a champions league quality RB and is cheap.

On top of a RB We still need a CB, CM (possibly 2), RW, cover at LW and RW. Possibly a striker.

@EngimaMK im absolutely with you on this. This guy, aldervierld, rabiot - all quality and all getable. Then we can blow 100 mils+ on a forward.

With a few youth players coming through I think the team would be looking pretty good then potentially.
 

zenith

Full Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2013
Messages
1,792
AWB has clearly stated his intent to stay at palace. I hope we are not doing typical dilly dallying hoping that he's still available.

Let's just please get this basic thing sorted. Can't see young staring for us at RB anymore.
 

LiquidSnake

Full Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2015
Messages
95
Location
France
I like Meunier a lot. Really great personality and intelligent. He's sending a lot of mixed signals for PSG... I definitely think he's openly trolling/taking the piss and it's definitely not even a agent manoeuvre or whatever :lol:

As a player, he's a decent positional and physical defender. I think he can be at fault on first steps from speed merchant wingers but he's a fighter and able to put a shift in.

Offensively, he's a very good on counter attack and receiving first pass out of defence to go for the transition from defense to attack. I absolutely love him on that particular point.

I think with negociations having a 28yo starter ready fullback when you have Ashley Young for 25 millions euros in this market... You have to go for it.