what did you do in your prior life to deserve this?
Jude Bellingham | Signed for Madrid
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Context does matter.
If a player demonstrates a real desire to come to OT, then we should seriously consider that player. But if a player has said no to us in the past -- such as Haaland, De Jong and Bellingham (among many, many others) -- I doubt much is to be be gained by going back to that wild goose chase that ended up in failure in the past.
What we don't want to see happen is young players saying no to United under the belief that we'll always come crawling back. We need to fill holes when holes appear and bring in players who want to be here when they are sought out. If a world class footballer makes himself available -- as was the case with Varane and then Casemiro -- we obviously have to go in for that player, but that's not what we're talking about here.
Man City or Real Madrid bound I guess. Then again, a good little giggle towards all the Liverpool fans who were acting as if Jude had already put pen to contract paper with them 12 months ago 
Pure churnalism isn't it.
He brings a tactical conundrum much like Pogba does somewhat.
Rather sign a more metronomic midfielder.
Rather sign a more metronomic midfielder.
Not surprised, I suspected Liverpool would fail with this pursuit months ago. He was always most likely to join the clubs that pay the highest transfer fees, the highest wages, and the highest guarantee of trophies. With Liverpool almost certainly missing out on CL football next season then it was a non-starter.
The whole point of going to Dortmund is to go and play regularly in a very open league so a creative player can express himself and fool clubs in England or Spain to pay an absolute fortune for their services....When will clubs wise up
He was never going to go there, too much money on one player and unlikely he’d. E interested. We’d face exactly the same problem if we tried to sign him.
City or Madrid are the two likely destinations, the only other team I can see getting involved are Chelsea but no idea why he’s want to go there.
City or Madrid are the two likely destinations, the only other team I can see getting involved are Chelsea but no idea why he’s want to go there.
Then they would go to another top club in England (nowadays you've got options) and be fine, while we'll have money in the bank but not the player.
We've seen players go after the money - when signing for United as well in recent years - and criticized it. Now you've got a player who didn't go after the money, who made a pure footballing decision, and it's still a problem in your eyes just because that decision went against United (And rightly so). It's the way an emotional supporter might act, but not a football club.
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Fergie tried to get players, failed, then tried again and sometimes ended up signing them. A player can say no because it's not the right offer for him at the time. Not because he has no wish to ever play for Manchester United.
Bellingham made a career decision. A very clever and mature one. I won't ever hold that against him. If a player says, basically, "look, you're not the right place for me to develop" - I won't argue with him when he's right. And he was right.
You don’t blame a kid, I’m not going to a dysfunctional Manchester United? He made the right decision.
Great post. In any case, dude would have cost you £25 mill upfront, and a rumoured 15/20% sell on as Dortmund agreed.
it makes me laugh, so people can’t give the boy credit for making a strong decision. He will be the England captain and I’m banking on our most capped player by the time he retires.
For the fees quoted we could get Caicedo and another CM, possibly for the same wages too.
Yes he's top quality already but our CM options when Eriksen and Casemiro aren't available make our play suffer too much, we can't allow that next season.
Yes he's top quality already but our CM options when Eriksen and Casemiro aren't available make our play suffer too much, we can't allow that next season.
Watching them meltdown over this is satisfying, but weird. They'd spunk their entire budged on one player that won't solve their issues? They need a complete overhaul in the middle of the park.
I want us to steer clear as well. How many of these big money deals have ever worked out? I'd have Kokcu/Mac Allister + Caicedo over Bellingham, promising as he looks. He will be off to Real or City. Maybe Chelsea.
I want us to steer clear as well. How many of these big money deals have ever worked out? I'd have Kokcu/Mac Allister + Caicedo over Bellingham, promising as he looks. He will be off to Real or City. Maybe Chelsea.
It is a game. Liverpool appear to be the only serious option and are trying to bring the fee down.
The Liverpool fans in my office will be on the defensive tomorrow "not worth the money" - "better options" - "not the best fit" etc
So that Jan dickhead is now a banned source, right?
He choose dortmund because he was advised to do so.
So he could then get a transfer for a massive fee, signing on bonus and wages.
I really think there are better ways to spend the type of fee he would cost and i'd be very wary of players from Dortmund and the bundesliga. Weve been stung 3 times with flops from that team
Says who?
That's not necessarily a good thing.
He is really not what we need. Best used as 8/10 hybrid. We need a high volume, progressive passer and carrier. Would be another failed transfer.
If Erik wants to play with 2 8's and a 6 next season as it's starting to look then I still wouldn't want him here. Too expensive, could easily flop, can get a couple of great midfielders for the price we'd get him for. Would much rather have the likes of Khephren Thuram and Enzo Le Fee
Would rather we get De Jong + one of the Brighton boys instead of spunking it all on Bellingham, we'd probably have change left over too.
I might be wrong here, but didn't we also fail to get Varane when he was 22-23 years old? I don't think it's unreasonable to go after players that refused to move here earlier. We were in a really bad situation, most star players don't want to deal with that. They want to play at the highest level under top managers. I doubt Casemiro would have came to the same situation if he was 26 either.
We are in a better situation now. If we secure top 4, maybe even win the EL, when we get new ownership coming in we are able to further improve upon an already solid squad it's way more interesting for the likes of FDJ and Bellingham to join a team like ours. History and the badge are not the most important to every player and that's okay, as long as they wear it with pride once they come in.
Can see him going to Newcastle especially if they qualify for the Champion's League
I don't understand what people mean by this.
Do you think Dortmund's executives are sat around scrolling twitter saying "oh no, some UK journo says Liverpool have given up on signing him, we best knock 50 million off his price so they can buy him cheaper".
He won't go to Newcastle if he's turning down Man City due to their ownership model.
No. But I’ve seen similar briefs from Liverpool to Joyce/Bascombe in the past (both when they signed Alisson, van Dijk and Thiago). Why they do it? Dont know, but I really doubt it is over.
Interesting developments in the last 24 hours!
If the Bild article is to be believed then essentially its between Real Madrid and Liverpool, even though both clubs have distanced themselves from the transfer.
I think the point is that if Bellingham is not interested in PSG, City or Chelsea, then it's over to Madrid and Liverpool and both clubs are trying to push the price down.
Bellingham has two years left on his contract so this summer is the last chance Dortmund have to get a massive fee for him. It's what both these clubs do regularly. Liverpool did it with both Van Dijk and Alisson.
The quoted fee (£135 million rising to £150 million) is absolutely barbaric for a midfielder.
I think he will end up going for around £100 million if Bellingham flat out refuses to move to the state owned clubs.
Because once they have got the player 100% committed to them, it leaves the selling club with no choice!
For instance if Bellingham tells Dortmund that Liverpool are the only club he wants to move to and that he's prepared to wait 12 months if they don't agree a deal this summer, its in their interest to find a compromise.
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If Utd want him, they can always offer player plus cash, got players like Donny, Bailly or Telles, perhaps send Elanga, Pellistri or Sancho there on loan for the season to sweeten the deal.
If Madrid want him he'll replace Modric or Kross,
If Madrid want him he'll replace Modric or Kross,
If this is true, I love him.
Exactly. I also think that is why Bellingham (according to bild) claims he dont want to play for Man City/PSG. It is probably a stance they in Germany (and particularly Dortmund) will find hard not to respect.
Off course, they will not give him away, but a compromise between the £130 mill they are demanding and the £84 mill Liverpool is offering is close to the Enzo fee. I’m sure that is where they will end up.
Bellingham cant expect Dortmund to sell him for £84 mill. But he would be allowed to be pissed if they refused £110 mill. They signed him for basically nothing. I’m sure it is in the interest of a club with the strategy of Dortmund to try to be «fair» to their players in these cases.
100%. United couldn't offer him what Dortmund could. He made the correct decision.
I could be wrong but he really looks the part and has matured into a great player, especially at international level. Could be one of England's best ever midfielders if he continues to develop. Would love him at United.
We won't have money in the bank. We'll have two or even three players acquired at a reasonable price and on reasonable wages while someone else will be paying him his inflated wages.
He absolutely went after the money. He's following in Sancho's foot-steps. Go abroad and impress in an easier league. Then sign a long contract with very high wages that he has never proven he's worth in the premier league. What is worse for us is we have a huge fee to pay as well as over market wages.
However, if we're disciplined for half a decade and word gets out that if you don't come when we ask then you won't come at all, then we'll start getting players at more reasonable fees. Of course, this is dependent on us getting back to a place where "when you leave United it's all down-hill". We may not be there at the moment. You're right about that. But, we won't get there by continuing to pay over-market fees and wages. Need to identify talent earlier and get it in at reasonable prices. If that means we have to stop signing English players for a few years while we re-establish our reputation post Woodward, so be it.
OK I retract my previous post and I'm all in.
Only issue is would he take us over Madrid? I suppose the advantage we have is we're an English club and he's closer to family, and it IS the best league in the world.
Other issue would be the fee. We need to invest heavily in all areas across the pitch, notably in the CF position too. Not sure how feasible it would be for us to sign a Bellingham and a Osimhen/Kane type signing, with our without new owners.
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