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- May 14, 2026
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Deservedly.This place is going to be like the monkey drive thru at Longleat if there is no movement on a midfielder in the next week or so.
Deservedly.This place is going to be like the monkey drive thru at Longleat if there is no movement on a midfielder in the next week or so.
I believe we need to understand that at least one midfield target will be expensive. It was matter of who was going to be better value for money.Think this is a healthy debate to have, bit whats not getting asked enough:
Is there anyone in this thread that believes United should have made any of those deals?
Yeah that is fecking weird post. Sure many on here hate that some are show some patience with Ineos so some like this person thinks its excuses I disagree but thats not uncommon, I hear this opinion a lot. But this below is a first Im trying to come up with something but little lost for words, might be first time I've seen someone accuse fans of make excuses for the Glazers saying its not their fault.Odd post.
Agreed and the club acting as they do right now is not what they should be doing. We need our main targets this year, it is an incredible opportunity to get back up there but not if we dont add top class player and dont have a world class midfield.Deservedly.
We are quite some way off the point anyone should be feeling desperate, or even be considering that word. Im sure everyone is aware that there is a world cup happening, and its almost certain that quite a few on our list are involved.I believe we need to understand that at least one midfield target will be expensive. It was matter of who was going to be better value for money.
The longer this window goes on, the more desperate the club will be in to fill the wholes left by Casemiro and the injured Ugarte. We only have Mainoo and Ederson. A sick note in Mount and Bruno has made it obvious hes horrible in midfield. We havent even got any evidence that Ederson will but up to it right away. It will be like ETH first few weeks until we got Casemiro. No control in the midfield and we get a few batterings.
Clubs aren't stupid, they will try hold out for every penny they can.
People just want us to spend loads of money on new players so they can boast on social media that we've won the transfer window.We are quite some way off the point anyone should be feeling desperate, or even be considering that word. Im sure everyone is aware that there is a world cup happening, and its almost certain that quite a few on our list are involved.
By the way you didnt answer my question. Would you have wanted United to make any of the deals that City and Tottenham have made for those players?
We are quite some way off the point anyone should be feeling desperate, or even be considering that word. Im sure everyone is aware that there is a world cup happening, and its almost certain that quite a few on our list are involved.
By the way you didnt answer my question. Would you have wanted United to make any of the deals that City and Tottenham have made for those players?
We've been unable to move players on because the sort of clubs that want our not good enoughs cant get near the wages we've been handing out.I'm personally not that bothered what the club pays for players if they're the right ones. The market is what it is, and in one summer you can be left behind. If we weren't so short of quality (and bodies) in midfield with a potential 60 game season oncoming it's probably different but the success of the season, and beyond, rests on getting this right.
Anderson is quality and will prove it. He's a great signing for City because they'll get a decade out of him, like Rice at Arsenal. Tonali is a very good player and whilst they've probably overpaid by £15 million, he'd have improved us massively. Fernandes, I don't really get the hype, so he's a punt but he's 21 years old. They obviously see something in him, as did United and other clubs who held an interest.
What this all goes back to is whether the players they bring in (and they will, because they have to) are going to be good enough. The PL is the best league in the world and most players who come here can't cut it and we need established players who can step in immediately.
I'm sick of the club signing players who aren't good enough and then being unable to move them on. As such, I'd rather see them "overpay" for someone with proven quality at this level, like Cunha and Mbuemo, than take a punt on players from abroad.
I think your posts have suggested that we do more reacting tbh, but if that’s not what you were insinuating then fine. Again, it isn’t lost on me that players are not free, just as I imagine that it is not lost on you that we don’t, or shouldn’t require them to be. We can/should be able to pay for players. We should be able to sign any player that Arsenal or Chelsea or Liverpool really want to sign. So if we actually WANT the same players as them, I’d expect us to sign these players should they choose us.
All the stuff about players becoming interesing because of their price, it seems like a reactive approach to me. And I don’t even think there’s anything wrong with being reactive at times. However, with regards to our much discussed midfield rebuild, with a known situation where our starting DM is leaving - I’d like to think we would approach the summer with a player that we have identified to replace him, and go for him. Now if that player is Pedri, for example, who isn’t really for sale unless we bid 250m, then fair enough. But if that player is a player who will definitely be moving this summer, even if WE don’t buy him - then I would absolutely expect us, for this position at least, to be trying to sign this player regardless of whether he cost more than we hoped or not. Whatever it is he cost, it’s obviously not prohibitively high to the point where nobody will pay it, for example.
Nobody knows what order of priority anyone is, but I think you are being wilfully obtuse with this notion that Fernandes was not a priority to us. Perhaps you have simply adopted the view that everything reported wasn’t from an article written by Omar Berrada, so can be dismissed as speculation. We don’t know the order, but we can all count. We’ve already signed one midfielder, and had we signed Fernandes - he’d have been the second. Given that every article has generally reported that we will sign 2, maybe 3 midfielders - and Ederson was already done - AND the fact that we (reportedly, of course) made an offer of an £85m package for Fernandes - I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that we saw him as more than a ‘nice to have’. Had our offer been accepted, we’d have the majority of our midfield work done by the start of July, having spent over £100m, and one of those players would have been Fernandes. I don’t think our hope was that our offer was rejected, so this must have been the plan for us. So Fernandes was obviously a priority target. For the last couple of weeks, the most credible reporters have written that we were in talks with West Ham trying to agree a fee for him. A big fee at that. Either you have taken the position that it’s all media lies, or he was obviously a priority target, who we accelerated talks with once our even bigger priority target was priced at a figure we didn’t want to get involved at.
To be honest, rightfully so. The moment Fernandes fell thru, the club should have been finalizing a deal for Alex Scott or another target. All the praise for Wilcox and co last season was definitely a jinx!This place is going to be like the monkey drive thru at Longleat if there is no movement on a midfielder in the next week or so.
Already been mentioned a lot about Wharton being too similar to Mainoo, hasn't it?Nmecha : ~100M
Wharton : ~100M
Tchoumeni : 80-100M
Alex Scott : ~80M
Baleba : ~80M
Bouaddi : 70M+
Bruno G : 70M+(not sure if available)
Our targets and their rumoured price points. No value in the market?
I like him, wanted us to get him from Rennes. He's less defensively capable (not a bum though) but has better passing so it's a trade off. I'd just sign whichever of the two it is Madrid want to unload and for the right price wouldn't be against both of them.Ferdinand is raving about Tchoumeni; it seems decent enough, but what about Camavinga?
Wharton isn't similar at all to mainoo is he?Already been mentioned a lot about Wharton being too similar to Mainoo, hasn't it?
Has Beleba not been so good last season, to play into our hands at a lower fee?
Ferdinand is raving about Tchoumeni; it seems decent enough, but what about Camavinga?
Yep, Newcastle will be smart to sign both of them. Unlike Utd.There's loads of value in the market. You just have to go find it. United tend not to.
It's easy when you don't go along with the pseudo-economics going on in football and pay these fantasy made up prices.
Spent my whole youth hearing Fergie say "there's no value in the market" then watch as a team that isn't us goes and finds value in the market.
Look at Newcastle. Talk is they're gonna turn Tonali into Smit and Manzambi. That's value in the market.
They are very exciting young players. The issue for Newcastle is that those are Brighton type signings.Yep, Newcastle will be smart to sign both of them. Unlike Utd.
Manzambi and Smit will both come in as a pair for probably less than what Fernandes cost Spurs.
This is absolute perfect sense, not sure what it's doing on the Cafe?!They are very exciting young players. The issue for Newcastle is that those are Brighton type signings.
And while that's something many fans often envy (signing the likes of Caicedo cheap before they are worth 100m) if you make only those types of signings you're becoming a feeder club. Because the likes of Manzambi and Smit will be inconsistent. And by the time they're consistently great they'll want a move away because you've never really challenged for trophies.
These types of signings work for ambitious big clubs if you buy them while retaining your core of key players. If they can keep Guimaraes, Hall, Livramento etc. and Tonali & Gordon remain the only first teamers that go plus signing a few experienced players also they might be fine, big course.
The problem with the "feeder club" mentality is that these clubs are now asking a kings ransom for their players. When these players are ready to move on.They are very exciting young players. The issue for Newcastle is that those are Brighton type signings.
And while that's something many fans often envy (signing the likes of Caicedo cheap before they are worth 100m) if you make only those types of signings you're becoming a feeder club. Because the likes of Manzambi and Smit will be inconsistent. And by the time they're consistently great they'll want a move away because you've never really challenged for trophies.
These types of signings work for ambitious big clubs if you buy them while retaining your core of key players. If they can keep Guimaraes, Hall, Livramento etc. and Tonali & Gordon remain the only first teamers that go plus signing a few experienced players also they might be fine, big course.
Really??The point for me is we’ve had at least a year to see that midfield was going to be a challenge for us this summer and we should have been better prepared. This just isn’t good enough considering our stature and our CL qualification.
The market is what it is. If you want to play, this is what it costs. Get on with it, or find value somewhere else. I don’t care either way, but I do care that we’ve accomplished almost nothing when we’ve known midfield was where we need to invest our cash for at least a year. We’ve finally built momentum on the pitch and the board have responded with the equivalent of a wet fart in the wind
Its not always possible to be fully prepared with something as wildly unpredictable as the transfer market. There are too many variables. Too many other players in the game.The point for me is we’ve had at least a year to see that midfield was going to be a challenge for us this summer and we should have been better prepared. This just isn’t good enough considering our stature and our CL qualification.
The market is what it is. If you want to play, this is what it costs. Get on with it, or find value somewhere else. I don’t care either way, but I do care that we’ve accomplished almost nothing when we’ve known midfield was where we need to invest our cash for at least a year. We’ve finally built momentum on the pitch and the board have responded with the equivalent of a wet fart in the wind
Exactly, See my post above,Think this is going to be a dominoes type window. Mostly once the WC has nearly finished.
Once Madrid and PSG splash the big cash then other players will become available and those deals will then happen and lots will cascade down from there.
At the moment lots of prelim discussions and teams getting options lined up.
Other than Spurs nobody else has yet done anything.
I would have no issues with the transfer valuation and by all accounts United were almost there.Think this is a healthy debate to have, bit whats not getting asked enough:
Is there anyone in this thread that believes United should have made any of those deals?
If it's paying Mateus Fernandes at the reported 250k/week then I'm glad that we stayed far away from it. He would be amongst the top earners at the club yet he is not quite the finished article.Think this is a healthy debate to have, bit whats not getting asked enough:
Is there anyone in this thread that believes United should have made any of those deals?
It's one step at a time. They sign Manzambi and Smit and imo they'll be moving them on in 2-3 years to PSG or Madrid or something for 100m a pop (and I don't want to toot my own horn too much but I'm right more often than I'm wrong). They might be inconsistent as they adjust but I think for both of them their floor is still mediocre. I don't see them being a liability on their off days.They are very exciting young players. The issue for Newcastle is that those are Brighton type signings.
And while that's something many fans often envy (signing the likes of Caicedo cheap before they are worth 100m) if you make only those types of signings you're becoming a feeder club. Because the likes of Manzambi and Smit will be inconsistent. And by the time they're consistently great they'll want a move away because you've never really challenged for trophies.
These types of signings work for ambitious big clubs if you buy them while retaining your core of key players. If they can keep Guimaraes, Hall, Livramento etc. and Tonali & Gordon remain the only first teamers that go plus signing a few experienced players also they might be fine, big course.
Both can be true.„No value on the market“? - more like „Not enough money on the bank to compete on the market“
Sure as hell seems like it. If you're "evaluating targets" in fecking July, you've already fecked up and you're months behind schedule. You should have your prioritised list of players ready to go. Can't get number one? Go for number two. Then repeat until you get the player.Really??
You seriously think the club haven't prepared? They've just been sitting around doing absolutely nothing all this time?
Newcastle's owners have loftier ambitions than being a feeder club, if Manzambi really was that good PSG would be all over him already, given that they love a young player.It's one step at a time. They sign Manzambi and Smit and imo they'll be moving them on in 2-3 years to PSG or Madrid or something for 100m a pop (and I don't want to toot my own horn too much but I'm right more often than I'm wrong). They might be inconsistent as they adjust but I think for both of them their floor is still mediocre. I don't see them being a liability on their off days.
They can then take that 200m and sign two 100m midfielders and now they have an elite midfield.... and what will we be doing? Based on past history, still screwing about trying to solve the problem except we'll be down one Bruno Fernandes on top of it by then.
Or we could just slap Manzambi and Smit on the credit card/take it out of next seasons budget idk and get a Tchouameni-type and be sorted ourselves... It'd show ambition if nothing else and they're young enough that they'll retain most of their value if it doesn't work out and we want to move them on.
Got to do something either way instead of our SOP of crying about value then getting Amrabaat in on loan or spunking max wads on garbage in a panic.
Don't believe everything you read.Sure as hell seems like it. If you're "evaluating targets" in fecking July, you've already fecked up and you're months behind schedule. You should have your prioritised list of players ready to go. Can't get number one? Go for number two. Then repeat until you get the player.
Barring a surprise, it's going to be a calamitously bad summer and crying about the lack of value isn't going to be of much comfort to us come Christmas when the season is sailing out of view.
Wow almost every club in the transfer market must be failing then.Sure as hell seems like it. If you're "evaluating targets" in fecking July, you've already fecked up and you're months behind schedule. You should have your prioritised list of players ready to go. Can't get number one? Go for number two. Then repeat until you get the player.
Barring a surprise, it's going to be a calamitously bad summer and crying about the lack of value isn't going to be of much comfort to us come Christmas when the season is sailing out of view.
I would rather we overpay for proven quality than dish out 50-70 mill for average players we will never be able to sell like Ugarte. Hopefully Ederson will not fall under that category as well.
Who have we missed that's proven quality? Anderson chose City
Fernandes is not proven imo
Tonali is very middling as a player
So pray tell who is proven quality