Worst players we’ve been linked with

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

1. Ron Vlaar
2. Bruno Martins-Indi
3. Jordy Clasie
4. Jeff Hendricks
5. Sean Longstaff (50m )
6. Mathieu Debuchy
7. Nicolas Gaitan
8. Mario Lemina
9. Josh King
10. David Brooks
11. Jeffrey Schlupp
12. Yerry Mina
13. Charlie Adam
14. Marko Arnautovic
15. Milos Krasic
16. Royston Drenthe
17. Freddy Adu
18. Kerlon
19. Kieran Dyer
20. Eric Dier
21. John Hartson
22. David Hirst
23. Brian Deane
24. Thomas Vermaelan
25. Issa Diop
26. Celio Silva
27. Roberto Rios
28. Vampeta
29. Nigel Reo Coker
30. Kevin Hofland
31. Tiemoue Bakayoko
32. Elaquim Mangala
33. Mick Harford
34. Carlton Cole
35. Papa Bouba Diop (RIP)
36. Breel Embolo
37. Matt Ritchie
38. Nikica Jelavic
39. Steven Defour
40. Fabio Contrao
41. Wilson Palacios
42. James McCarthy
43. Jean Michael Seri
44. Frederic Dehu
45. Marc-Vivian Foe (RIP)
46. Didier Zokora
47. Bret Emerton
48. Mark Fish
49. Cicinho
50. Morten Gamst Pederson
51. Sebastian Haller
52. Pascal Chimbonda
53. Mateja Kezman
54. John Oster
55. Joe Allen
56. Matt Jansen
57. Antti Niemi

continue the list, I’m sure they’ll be plenty more dross.

 

[TwoSheds]

Declan Rice.

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Declan Rice.

Really? He looks class almost every time I watch him.

 

[b82REZ]

Gaitan

 

[SirAF]

Ron Vlaar I had forgotten about that link! Was around the time LvG got appointed right?

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Ron Vlaar I had forgotten about that link! Was around the time LvG got appointed right?

Yeah. We were basically linked with half the Dutch national team

We ended up signing Rojo so maybe Vlaar wouldn’t have been so bad after all!

 

[Neil_Buchanan]

Mario Lemina

 

[JB08]

Josh King.

Oh wait, we weren’t just linked, we actually tried to sign him

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Gaitan

Mario Lemina

Josh King.

Oh wait, we weren’t just linked, we actually tried to sign him

Added to the OP. Along with David Brooks, who I just remembered

 

[BrilliantOrange]

Probably Bebe Buttner and Rojo

 

[Jezpeza]

I could write hundreds. Most laughable was a £35m bid for Arnautovic in JM last summer.

Essentially, we are meant to have 650m supporters world wide so theres an entire industry around telling blatant lies linking us to players we are never going to sign to get people to click links and view advertising.

 

[FriendlyFox]

Jeffrey Schlupp?

Seem to remember him leaving to train with you for a while, when he was at Leicester.

 

[Grylte]

Josh King.

Oh wait, we weren’t just linked, we actually tried to sign him

He's even played for us, that's how close we were!

I don't think he's shit enough to be mentioned in this list, not the quality we should be looking at, though.

 

[AshRK]

Yerri Mina, past it Willian and many other shits we were randomly linked with during the summer of 2018

 

[Can7onA]

Charlie Adam

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Jeffrey Schlupp?

Seem to remember him leaving to train with you for a while, when he was at Leicester.

Yerri Mina, past it Willian and many other shits we were randomly linked with during the summer of 2018

Schlupp & Mina added to OP. I remember they wanted to include Mina in the Pogba deal. What was is, Mina & Gomes for Pogba

gonna leave Willian. Was still a very good player influencing games for Chelsea when we were linked with him.

Charlie Adam

Great shout. “His corners are with 10m”

 

[Cloud7]

Charlie Adam. And he would have ended up being expensive as well.

 

[SoCross]

1. Renato Sanches (although he's apparently doing decent now)
2. Freddy Adu
3. Drenthe
4. Milos Krasic
5. Igor Akinfeev - overrated for me. Edit. Perhaps a bit harsh.

 

[Ajr]

Shola Ameobi

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

1. Renato Sanches (although he's apparently doing decent now)
2. Freddy Adu
3. Drenthe
4. Milos Krasic
5. Igor Akinfeev - overrated for me. Edit. Perhaps a bit harsh.

Shola Ameobi

Adu, Drenthe & Krasic added to OP. Other 2 aren’t United quality but “worst” is probably harsh.

Were we ever linked with Ameobi? I can’t find anything online

 

[thepolice123]

Kerlon aka The Seal Dribbler or something.

 

[b82REZ]

Shola Ameobi

Say what?

 

[M Bison]

Ryan Shawcross...

Id have taken him at the time too; we were that desperate!

 

[wise_old_man]

I'd break it into 2 players for each of our most recent managers:

Louis Van Gaal:
1) Thomas Vermaelen: His injury record speaks for itself. I cringe thinking how many posters thought that would be a shrewd signing.
2) Ron Vlaar: Other than his Dutch nationality, some people actually thought he would solve our lack of leadership/experience.

Mourinho:
1) Willian: Old, no longer in his prime. Would come for a huge paycheck.
2) Jerome Boateng: Too old to adapt to the Premier League. Might have the right mentality, though.

Ole:
1) Sean Longstaff: That 50 million price tag and Newcastle's smug attitude still makes me shudder.
2) Joshua King: Thanks, but no thanks.

 

[Mike Phelan's Former Tash]

Keiron Dyer
Darren Anderton
Diop (at WH now)
Eric Dier
Dele Alli

 

[red_de_pologne]

In 2019 Carrick was raving about Longstaff

 

[Lay]

The Longstaff rumours are the top for me. Such an average player who probably doesn’t even play for Newcastle anymore. Think he was wanted by Udinese recently

 

[tomaldinho1]

Longstaff forever

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

John Hartson. Brian Kidd wanted him instead of Dwight Yorke!

 

[V.O.]

7. Nicolas Gaitan

We were supposed to be signing Gaitan every year for about five years. Ended up being bang average for Atletico for a couple of seasons then fecking off to China and MLS.

 

[Oranges038]

John Hartson. Brian Kidd wanted him instead of Dwight Yorke!

Brian Deane and David Hirst too were rumoured/linked, not bad players at the time.

Ended up with Cantona instead.

 

[Rolaholic]

Declan Rice.

No white text?

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Brian Deane and David Hirst too were rumoured/linked, not bad players at the time.

Ended up with Cantona instead.

love Dion Dublin, but thank goodness for his injury.

Deane was decent at the time. Hurst I think became injury ridden after injuring his foot kicking a camera for an advert.

 

[sincher]

Dion Dublin did very well in his spell at United.

Remember Celio Silva?

I remember us being very close to signing Marcos Senna, who was a good player but tbh faded a fair bit not long after the move fell through.

 

[GueRed]

Celio Silva - Summer 1997. Deal was signed and sealed!...Work permit was denied however so it fell through. The Brazilian centre-half never amounted to much post 97.

Roberto Rios - Early 1997 we were heavily linked to him. Fergie even went out a couple of times to watch him play for Betis. Strong solid Spanish centre-half but spent the rest of his career injured and was forced to retire at 30yrs old.

Vampeta - Remember being linked to this Brazilian international wide player constantly in the late 90's. Dodged a bullet. He ended up a journeyman.

 

[GueRed]

Not a bad player but Fergie was going for target man Mick Harford around 1991-92

The Old Trafford pitch was so bad when early spring hit it was hardly conducive to good football so he wanted a (good) lump up front to play long high balls to.

Harford was one of the best at winning and scoring from aerial challenges.

 

[SATA]

Nigel Reo Coker

 

[eltigreFalcao]

Ivan Perisic

 

[Classical Mechanic]

After a hugely disappointing career Kerlon has now retired. Now that makes you feel old.

 

[AltiUn]

Ron Vlaar I had forgotten about that link! Was around the time LvG got appointed right?

Roncrete

I'll be honest, seeing us linked with Tyrone Mings sends a shiver down my spine. I don't know how he's ever conned anyone into thinking he's good, he's way out of his depth in the PL.