Erling Haaland

[Lewnited]

I still maintain we need to address what would happen behind him before we start getting carried away with the idea of buying him. As I've said before, Cavani is one of the most intelligent #9s to have played in Europe over the past decade and we've seen him feeding off of scraps time and time again.

It's very likely that we'd see Haaland struggle in near enough the same way, though his physical attributes would put him in slightly better stead.

 

[VivaRonaldo85]

There is no one who wants to see Haaland at United more than me. I just get the feeling we’re still down the pecking order somewhat as I think he’d want to go to the best and we’re just in that rung below right now. In terms of likelihood for his next club, I’d go with, in order:

1. Bayern Munich (Lewandowski’s natural successor)
2. Man City (Aguero’s natural successor)
3. Real Madrid (Benzema’s natural successor)

Hope he fancies being Martial’s natural successor.....

 

[Handré1990]

Would he, though? That would be unprecedented.

He’s doing unprecedented things. So not outside the realms of possibility. See his CL record for reference.

 

[Brightonian]

I still maintain we need to address what would happen behind him before we start getting carried away with the idea of buying him. As I've said before, Cavani is one of the most intelligent #9s to have played in Europe over the past decade and we've seen him feeding off of scraps time and time again.

It's very likely that we'd see Haaland struggle in near enough the same way, though his physical attributes would put him in slightly better stead.

I don't agree, I think we were at our most creative when Cavani was playing. He started lots of games when we scored 3, the 4 against Istanbul, the 9 against Southampton obviously, amongst others. It's exactly why we need a player like Haaland. Bruno, Shaw and hopefully Pogba (or his replacement if he leaves) will have a proper target for through balls, scoops and crosses, someone who will be getting in the box and have the strength to win headers or take the ball down.

Our creativity is down to lack of movement and presence from the strikers, not a lack of people to make the passes.

 

[Brightonian]

Strategically, it's surely a situation for Woodward et al where if you're willing to pay say £100m for him if the alternative is he goes to Real Madrid or wherever, then you have to be willing to pay £150m for him if the alternative is he goes to City. They could be out of reach for a long time if they add a really unstoppable goalscorer like him. It would be like letting them step into a Bayern Munich-like status in the league.

 

[troylocker]

Some numbers on Haaland’s impact for Dortmund in all competitions this season:

Dortmund with Haaland on the pitch (2552 minutes):
scored 69 - 2,43 goals per 90 minutes
conceded 35 - 1,23 goals conceded per 90 minutes
Haaland has scored 45% and contributed (G+A) to 57% of those goals

Dortmund without Haaland on the pitch this season (898 minutes):
scored 14 - 1,4 goals per 90 minutes
conceded 14 - 1,4 goals per 90 minutes

Dortmund has on average scored more than a goal per match more with Haaland on the pitch and conceded 14% more goals per match without him this season. Pretty decent for 20 year old.
Not translatable of course, but lets play with the thought. How many points would we have in league if we pretend he would have half that impact for us: 15 goals more scored and 2 goals less conceded?

Do whatever it takes, please!

 

[lex talionis]

We can’t allow Haaland to slip through our fingers. If decides to pass up on United for reasons we have no control over, such as allure of Real or Barcelona (aren’t they now financially fukked though?), so be it. But if he’s interested in joining United, the Glazers must sanction the acquisition.

 

[Powderfinger]

Strategically, it's surely a situation for Woodward et al where if you're willing to pay say £100m for him if the alternative is he goes to Real Madrid or wherever, then you have to be willing to pay £150m for him if the alternative is he goes to City. They could be out of reach for a long time if they add a really unstoppable goalscorer like him. It would be like letting them step into a Bayern Munich-like status in the league.

That just isn't at all the way that somebody like Woodward is thinking about his job and his options.

Like everybody else, United has lost a massive amount of money in the last year and has consequently seen debt increase and cash reserves dwindle significantly. They are far better off than most other clubs (including mine) but the club is still run and operated as a business, operating within the constraints of its revenue flows, cash reserves, appetite for increasing debt, and additionally the desire to reassure investors since its publicly traded. Woodward doesn't have a magic money tree he can shake and have £150m pounds fall down at his feet.

 

[atkar83]

We can’t allow Haaland to slip through our fingers. If decides to pass up on United for reasons we have no control over, such as allure of Real or Barcelona (aren’t they now financially fukked though?), so be it. But if he’s interested in joining United, the Glazers must sanction the acquisition.

I agree with this. I'd rather make an full-on attempt and fail publically rather than say we can't afford it because of covid (we may not be able to, but neither should any other team short of City's unlimited funds). If he's our Rooney for the next 10 years or even a Ronaldo for 4-5, its worth it

 

[McGrathsipan]

I see Chelsea rumours are now joining the muppet train.

I mean if he wants to join a soulless plastic club then he should go there. Cant see it but for his own sake he should not join that vacuous club

 

[Adcuth]

Lets be honest the likelihood of Haaland moving this summer is probably less than 50%, but if it does happen it will only be because Dortmund missed out on CL football and are selling because they have to sell, which weakens their position. Even in that instance though I still see them preferring to offload Sancho rather than their crown jewel. I think its far more likely we sign Sancho this summer and then try to reunite them again the following year

Id like to know how much profit they lose out on if they miss out on the CL given their covid losses too

 

[Adcuth]

That just isn't at all the way that somebody like Woodward is thinking about his job and his options.

Like everybody else, United has lost a massive amount of money in the last year and has consequently seen debt increase and cash reserves dwindle significantly. They are far better off than most other clubs (including mine) but the club is still run and operated as a business, operating within the constraints of its revenue flows, cash reserves, appetite for increasing debt, and additionally the desire to reassure investors since its publicly traded. Woodward doesn't have a magic money tree he can shake and have £150m pounds fall down at his feet.

Surely the fact that we'll have fans back next season plus the revenue a signing like Haaland can bring to the club would make it worthwhile spending regardless of our losses. How much would we make off shirt sales alone?

 

[macheda14]

Surely the fact that we'll have fans back next season plus the revenue a signing like Haaland can bring to the club would make it worthwhile spending regardless of our losses. How much would we make off shirt sales alone?

We make a minimal amount from shirt sales. Shirt manufacturers pay so much for the right to 1, sponsor us for brand awareness but 2, receive around 90% of the revenue from shirt sales.

 

[FrankDrebin]

I think City will go in hard for Haaland. Aguero is well and truly done at City now.

 

[Adam-Utd]

I think City will go in hard for Haaland. Aguero is well and truly done at City now.

Pep doesn't even play with a striker, does he even need one?

They seem to play better without one there.

 

[cyberman]

Pep doesn't even play with a striker, does he even need one?

They seem to play better without one there.

Yep, Arteta has said Pep ideal way of playing is without a striker.

 

[red_de_pologne]

Strategically, it's surely a situation for Woodward et al where if you're willing to pay say £100m for him if the alternative is he goes to Real Madrid or wherever, then you have to be willing to pay £150m for him if the alternative is he goes to City. They could be out of reach for a long time if they add a really unstoppable goalscorer like him. It would be like letting them step into a Bayern Munich-like status in the league.

Which is fine by our owners, there's no ambition there. 2nd - 4th place is just fine, financially.

 

[Adcuth]

We make a minimal amount from shirt sales. Shirt manufacturers pay so much for the right to 1, sponsor us for brand awareness but 2, receive around 90% of the revenue from shirt sales.

Really? So we only get 10% of our clubs shirt sales? That isn't similar for other clubs too is it?

 

[FrankDrebin]

Pep doesn't even play with a striker, does he even need one?

They seem to play better without one there.

We have to hope that continues to be the case.

 

[macheda14]

Really? So we only get 10% of our clubs shirt sales? That isn't similar for other clubs too is it?

Pretty much everyone gets around 10-15% of shirt sales. I always though the club got a lot more of the sales, I think if it’s through the megastore they get more, but that’s mostly due to them getting the cut any seller would get. It makes sense though, a brand is paying 70 mill a year in order to make some money. I think in 18-19 we sold around 3 million shirts. They go for what, like £60? So that’s £180,000,000. We can command such a big kit deal because we sell more than pretty much any other club. Therefore Adidas are just making a big investment that pays off year on year.

I’ve linked an article about it. Another interesting point they make is that a new superstar signing doesn’t necessarily increase shirt sales markedly, more it just encourages people who were already going to buy the shirt to get a name on their back.

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...fee-net-worth-contract-how-long-a8456191.html

 

[Lynty]

Pep doesn't even play with a striker, does he even need one?

They seem to play better without one there.

I agree. I'd be surprised if City went all in for Haaland. It would be a step away from Pep's style.

I think there's more chance Pep goes in for a prolific wide forward and convert them into a false 9. Son, Neymar, Messi, Lautaro are all realistic targets for City in the summer window, with outside chance on Felix and Mbappe.

Obviously, if a player like Haaland is indicating they want to join your club, they'd snap him up. But I don't see them caring enough to enter a bidding war this summer.

I honestly think Haaland will stay at Dortmund for 1 more season and clubs will wait for his rumored buyout.

 

[VP89]

I see Chelsea rumours are now joining the muppet train.

I mean if he wants to join a soulless plastic club then he should go there. Cant see it but for his own sake he should not join that vacuous club

He joined a souless club in Austria didn't he

 

[arnie_ni]

Offer them 200mil for the 2 of them and be done with it.

Find the money

 

[sun_tzu]

Offer them 200mil for the 2 of them and be done with it.

Find the money

Where - Perhaps if the Glazers look round their commercial retail estate that has tennants shut and unable to pay rents or office blocks downsizing they might get lucky and find a spare couple of hundred million?
Or perhaps now the ground has been empty for months they can have a propper clean out and you know all that dropped change over the years might get them a couple of hundred million
Or maybe they should take out a bunch more debt in uniteds name - take a huge management fee and leave us to pay it off when interest rates inevitably rise

or you know perhaps be a bit more realistic?

 

[NicolaSacco]

Worth noting that even with Haaland and Sancho, and being comfortably the second best funded team in the Bundesliga, they are still struggling for top 4. Which should probably serve as a warning for people on this forum who think that signing Haaland equals a title challenge. BVB have him, in arguably a weaker league, he's scoring freely, and yet he's not even guaranteeing Champions League football, let alone titles.

 

[Rozay]

Worth noting that even with Haaland and Sancho, and being comfortably the second best funded team in the Bundesliga, they are still struggling for top 4. Which should probably serve as a warning for people on this forum who think that signing Haaland equals a title challenge. BVB have him, in arguably a weaker league, he's scoring freely, and yet he's not even guaranteeing Champions League football, let alone titles.

Why should we care about that? US, without Haaland and Sancho, are NOT struggling to for top 4 - we are second.

 

[Skåre Willoch]

Where - Perhaps if the Glazers look round their commercial retail estate that has tennants shut and unable to pay rents or office blocks downsizing they might get lucky and find a spare couple of hundred million?
Or perhaps now the ground has been empty for months they can have a propper clean out and you know all that dropped change over the years might get them a couple of hundred million
Or maybe they should take out a bunch more debt in uniteds name - take a huge management fee and leave us to pay it off when interest rates inevitably rise

or you know perhaps be a bit more realistic?

Get outta here with that sensible talk. Being realistic is boring.

I'll one up @arnie_ni - sign them both for £300 mill. Find the money!

Dare to dream. Sorry.

 

[arnie_ni]

Where - Perhaps if the Glazers look round their commercial retail estate that has tennants shut and unable to pay rents or office blocks downsizing they might get lucky and find a spare couple of hundred million?
Or perhaps now the ground has been empty for months they can have a propper clean out and you know all that dropped change over the years might get them a couple of hundred million
Or maybe they should take out a bunch more debt in uniteds name - take a huge management fee and leave us to pay it off when interest rates inevitably rise

or you know perhaps be a bit more realistic?

Or by selling some players maybe? On top of the budget we will have?

I'd rather have those two than any selection of martial, Jesse, mata, Jones, dvb maybe even pogba but it would have to be a great deal

 

[arnie_ni]

Get outta here with that sensible talk. Being realistic is boring.

I'll one up @arnie_ni - sign them both for £300 mill. Find the money!

Dare to dream. Sorry.

See above

 

[Hoof the ball]

I agree. I'd be surprised if City went all in for Haaland. It would be a step away from Pep's style.

I think there's more chance Pep goes in for a prolific wide forward and convert them into a false 9. Son, Neymar, Messi, Lautaro are all realistic targets for City in the summer window, with outside chance on Felix and Mbappe.

Obviously, if a player like Haaland is indicating they want to join your club, they'd snap him up. But I don't see them caring enough to enter a bidding war this summer.

I honestly think Haaland will stay at Dortmund for 1 more season and clubs will wait for his rumored buyout.

My view is that City was meant to get Messi in the summer, but due to the clause issue with Bartomeu, Messi couldn't leave. This also could explain why Pep has played false 9 all season, in order to prepare the players for a system that works in Messi in that role he previously filled for Pep back at Barca.

 

[NicolaSacco]

Why should we care about that? US, without Haaland and Sancho, are NOT struggling to for top 4 - we are second.

I'd argue that whilst not struggling for top 4 exactly, you are way behind City, and quite similar to Dortmund in terms of ability to compete with the very best teams. And your recent history (they've finished top four in 9 of the last 10 years) is quite alike. Just making the point that a Dortmund team who finished second in 2018/19 and 2019/20 have not suddenly become challengers because of the arrival of Haaland. Although I bet if you went on a Dortmund website back in 2019 when they signed Haaland it would have been full of fans predicting that he would be the missing link, the 1 goal per game striker who would propel them from being a top 4 side to a title winning side. My point was not aimed at you personally, so no need to be so defensive, but at the section of posters on this thread who see him as some kind of guarantee of success.

 

[NicolaSacco]

My view is that City was meant to get Messi in the summer, but due to the clause issue with Bartomeu, Messi couldn't leave. This also could explain why Pep has played false 9 all season, in order to prepare the players for a system that works in Messi in that role he previously filled for Pep back at Barca.

I'm sure if Aguero had been fit and scoring like he has done over the last decade City wouldn't have been necessarily playing that false 9 role so much, so it's difficult to predict what Pep would have done. He does seem to like it however, and Messi would surely be a great fit in that team, but i'll believe it when i see it.

 

[Rozay]

I'd argue that whilst not struggling for top 4 exactly, you are way behind City, and quite similar to Dortmund in terms of ability to compete with the very best teams. And your recent history (they've finished top four in 9 of the last 10 years) is quite alike. Just making the point that a Dortmund team who finished second in 2018/19 and 2019/20 have not suddenly become challengers because of the arrival of Haaland. Although I bet if you went on a Dortmund website back in 2019 when they signed Haaland it would have been full of fans predicting that he would be the missing link, the 1 goal per game striker who would propel them from being a top 4 side to a title winning side. My point was not aimed at you personally, so no need to be so defensive, but at the section of posters on this thread who see him as some kind of guarantee of success.

I didn’t say your point was aimed at me, I’m questioning the merits of your points. Because Dortmund can’t win the league with Haaland and Sancho has no bearing on weather we can. We have a better squad than them, and if you want to go back historically over many years - then they have not been struggling to make the top 4 either, only this year. And this year we are second.

We’re not that far really. In order to pull away from us, they needed to literally win every game for three months, which is abnormal. We have dropped maybe 2 or 3 more than even a normal title challenging team would in the same period, and a team shouldn’t normally be expected to win every single game to win the league. If any team does that in a given year, they will pull away.

Even still, with a Haaland and Sancho, we’d have likely picked up at least another 5 in that spell when I look at the points we dropped, which with game in hand, would still have us in a title race, even with a City that won every game for 3 months.

 

[TheReligion]

Worth noting that even with Haaland and Sancho, and being comfortably the second best funded team in the Bundesliga, they are still struggling for top 4. Which should probably serve as a warning for people on this forum who think that signing Haaland equals a title challenge. BVB have him, in arguably a weaker league, he's scoring freely, and yet he's not even guaranteeing Champions League football, let alone titles.

That's a bizarre take on things really isn't it. United aren't struggling for top 4 without them so adding two players, or one of them, to the same squad will obviously improve it and bring it closer to the league leaders. Surely that's just common sense, especially when they both play in areas the current squad is weak in.

The comparison to Dortmund is irrelevant and unrelated.

 

[jderbyshire]

We are not signing Haaland this summer.

No one is.

He will go in Summer 2022 for the release clause and have his pick of the top clubs. The relatively low transfer fee will ensure he has a massive signing-on fee, astronomical wages and a disgusting agents fee for Raiola.

I'm sure our PR machine will love the inevitable speculation about a move for this Summer. But they have no intention of making it happen.

 

[Zaphod2319]

So 150M it is!

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[troylocker]

He joined a souless club in Austria didn't he

Difference in making a development move and "final" move.

 

[Lynty]

My view is that City was meant to get Messi in the summer, but due to the clause issue with Bartomeu, Messi couldn't leave. This also could explain why Pep has played false 9 all season, in order to prepare the players for a system that works in Messi in that role he previously filled for Pep back at Barca.

Completely agree.

It made sense last year, say £40m per season on the two year deal. Now I doubt they'll off anything close to his current wages. So he'd have to agree to a significant drop.

 

[Pexbo]

So 150M it is!

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

That’s not a hands off price tag, that’s a come and get me. £250m is a hands off price tag, this is tempting.

 

[ElectroManiac]

So 150M it is

We should pay this already