Fan expectations for the summer transfer window

golden_blunder

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Coming into that time of year again. It seems that the penny hadn’t dropped yet for some fans as to where we realistically stand in terms of our budget and how much we need to try and plug or upgrade.

Fans dreaming of signing players like Vini from Madrid, spending a huge transfer fee and a reported 400k+ a week on salary are in my opinion living in a dreamland.

“Pay whatever it takes”. From where?

“Replace Dalot”. Not a priority. Our club has already stated their shopping list of x2 CM, a LB and a LW.

Why do we always do this to ourselves?
 
Come on GB, equating "get Vini" with "sell Dalot" makes no sense. Dalot has been linked to Atletico in the past and just recently to Real (on the condition that Jose takes over).
 
I know it's unrealistic to do everything. My argument is sometimes it's worth ignoring some areas in favor of a huge upgrade elsewhere. Vini obviously isn't happening, but I'm pretty confident we're going to spend more than enough to get a midfielder and the hypothetical 100m and 400k/w it would take to get Vini anyway. All a balance, a winger is a higher priority than anything bar the first 2 midfielders for me anyway (maybe CB up there now as De Ligt is broken). The order you buy your priorities and how much you spend on them is impacted by the quality of players available to you.

For right back, I agree, nothing's happening there for a couple of years. Left back likely a 2027 thing when Shaw leaves (I think his contract is up next year). Center back also 2027 realistically.
 
golden_blunder said:
Coming into that time of year again. It seems that the penny hadn’t dropped yet for some fans as to where we realistically stand in terms of our budget and how much we need to try and plug or upgrade.

Fans dreaming of signing players like Vini from Madrid, spending a huge transfer fee and a reported 400k+ a week on salary are in my opinion living in a dreamland.

“Pay whatever it takes”. From where?

“Replace Dalot”. Not a priority. Our club has already stated their shopping list of x2 CM, a LB and a LW.

Why do we always do this to ourselves?
Click to expand...
Listen bro - silly season is the only time we are going to be able to dream big. That's been the case since SAF retired.

Let us enjoy it. Once the season starts it'll be the same old shite.

The happiest Manchester United moments I've had in the last 13 years have all been muppet moments.

Pogback, Sanchez on his Piano, resigning Ronaldo, Zlatan, that summer where we landed Falcao and Di Maria last minute. They were fantastic moments - full of hope and aspiration.

Everything else has been dross.

I don't want to spend summer thinking we'll get 1 expensive midfielder, a backup centre back and maybe someone on loan for central midfield.

feck that - it's no fun.

We're signing Vinni, Anderson, Wharton, Tchouameni, and a right flash left back.
 
golden_blunder said:
Our club has already stated their shopping list of x2 CM, a LB and a LW.
Click to expand...
Is this based on Whitwell? I think it rarely works out like this that a journalist in April perfectly predicts the exact number of signings and positions of said signings.

I personally feel it's unlikely we sign both a LB and LW this summer. We have Shaw, Dorgu and Cunha for that left side whether you like them or not - that only really leaves one spot open to meet the standard depth of two players per position. It just depends whether the club see Dorgu as a left back or a winger for next season, to dictate whether we sign a LB or LW.

When Zirkzee goes - he needs replacing. Now, do we bring in another striker, or do we say because Cunha and Mbeumo can play up front, we sign a winger instead? Maybe that's the only scenario I can see us signing both a LB and winger, but I assume we'd try bring in a forward to replace Zirkzee.

Bayindir will also need replacing.

I also wouldn't completely rule out a 3rd midfield signing being brought in. I think the plan to promote a youth product midfielder to the first team was somewhat non-committal in the article, I think the word "hope" was used.

It's a real tough one, personally I think 3 CMs and a LB are necessary to meet the minimum number of first team players we have in each position. There are many areas of the team I don't rate the quality we have, but at the very least we have the numbers there. Given funds are finite, the club will be forced to prioritise the areas we're short of players rather than upgrading the quality in areas we already have the numbers.
 
Dominos said:
Is this based on Whitwell? I think it rarely works out like this that a journalist in April perfectly predicts the exact number of signings and positions of said signings.

I personally feel it's unlikely we sign both a LB and LW this summer. We have Shaw, Dorgu and Cunha for that left side whether you like them or not - that only really leaves one spot open to meet the standard depth of two players per position. It just depends whether the club see Dorgu as a left back or a winger for next season, to dictate whether we sign a LB or LW.

When Zirkzee goes - he needs replacing. Now, do we bring in another striker, or do we say because Cunha and Mbeumo can play up front, we sign a winger instead? Maybe that's the only scenario I can see us signing both a LB and winger, but I assume we'd try bring in a forward to replace Zirkzee.

Bayindir will also need replacing.

I also wouldn't completely rule out a 3rd midfield signing being brought in. I think the plan to promote a youth product midfielder to the first team was somewhat non-committal in the article, I think the word "hope" was used.

It's a real tough one, personally I think 3 CMs and a LB are necessary to meet the minimum number of first team players we have in each position. There are many areas of the team I don't rate the quality we have, but at the very least we have the numbers there. Given funds are finite, the club will be forced to prioritise the areas we're short of players rather than upgrading the quality in areas we already have the numbers.
Click to expand...
They did say that if extra money comes in from players leaving then they would obviously attempt to sign extra players. But the budget, whatever it is, is for 4 players
 
Bastian said:
Come on GB, equating "get Vini" with "sell Dalot" makes no sense. Dalot has been linked to Atletico in the past and just recently to Real (on the condition that Jose takes over).
Click to expand...
I’m not equating them, it’s different things I’ve seen fans say.

I bet you Dalot moves nowhere this summer
 
United transfer spending in the post Fergie era (euros) per Transfermarkt:

13/14: 77M
14/15: 195M
15/16: 156M
16/17: 185M
17/18: 198 M
18/19: 82M
19/20: 236M
20/21: 89M
21/22: 142M
22/23: 243M
23/24: 212M
24/25: 246M
25/26: 246M

I don't expect we will match the spending of the last 2 seasons, but if the rumors of a LB, 2 CMs and a Winger is the boards goal, I would expect well probably shell out anywhere from 150-200M.
 
joedirt87 said:
United transfer spending in the post Fergie era (euros) per Transfermarkt:

13/14: 77M
14/15: 195M
15/16: 156M
16/17: 185M
17/18: 198 M
18/19: 82M
19/20: 236M
20/21: 89M
21/22: 142M
22/23: 243M
23/24: 212M
24/25: 246M
25/26: 246M

I don't expect we will match the spending of the last 2 seasons, but if the rumors of a LB, 2 CMs and a Winger is the boards goal, I would expect well probably shell out anywhere from 150-200M.
Click to expand...
The last 2 seasons were years with INEOS and where we had no CL football. Next season we have CL football and will be saving probably £1m per week on wages this summer with Sancho, hojlund, Casemiro leaving and Rashford also almost definitely leaving. Some transfer fees in too for Hojlund.

It would be extremely surprising, and pretty discouraging, if we suddenly spent less this summer than the last 2, and to me would point to the same shit the Glazers did where they spent to get back in the CL, and then cut back the spending when we were in it. That doesn't work. We have to push on and the money for making CL football should enable us to spend just like the past 2 seasons, somewhere in that 200-300m mark.

Obviously that only gets you a handful of signings, but that's fine. For me the easy priorities are:
  1. Starting DM - Tchouameni the dream target
  2. A 2nd CM - 3rd choice behind the DM and Mainoo to rotate in there and provide competition
  3. LW - current wingers are decent, but we need "special". Mbeumo for me should compete with Sesko for CF, he's not a good winger, which leaves just Amad and Cunha for real wing options. Also need a special winger to make the step up as a team anyway. Lacey can rotate deeper in the squad too. Dorgu for me is a left back.
  4. CB - De Ligt has been broken this season, and we can't go into next season without addressing this area unless we want a crisis pretty quickly.
Those are the clear 4 for me. After them, we can take a step back and re-analyze the situation, see how everyone adapts, see what level we're at, see what there is to do in 2027. this will also take 250-300m to get players of the proper level in for these positions.
 
joedirt87 said:
United transfer spending in the post Fergie era (euros) per Transfermarkt:

13/14: 77M
14/15: 195M
15/16: 156M
16/17: 185M
17/18: 198 M
18/19: 82M
19/20: 236M
20/21: 89M
21/22: 142M
22/23: 243M
23/24: 212M
24/25: 246M
25/26: 246M

I don't expect we will match the spending of the last 2 seasons, but if the rumors of a LB, 2 CMs and a Winger is the boards goal, I would expect well probably shell out anywhere from 150-200M.
Click to expand...
Think we have to look at NET

According to transfermarkt

25/26 - €173m
24/25 - €129m
23/24 - €149m


I would guess €150-200m NET is possible judging by the last 3 years?

In terms of sales.. We do have the Hojlund funds to come in, hopefully Rashford but I'm sceptical we'll be able to sell him, Ugarte, Zirkzee, Bayindir, Onana but likely impossible to sell. Every summer we have a long list of players to sell and half of them either end up on loan or staying.
 
golden_blunder said:
I’m not equating them, it’s different things I’ve seen fans say.

I bet you Dalot moves nowhere this summer
Click to expand...

Ha. Yes, it's the likely scenario, but if a club makes a publicised bid for him, I'll take that bet.
 
Mainoonited said:
Listen bro - silly season is the only time we are going to be able to dream big. That's been the case since SAF retired.

Let us enjoy it. Once the season starts it'll be the same old shite.

The happiest Manchester United moments I've had in the last 13 years have all been muppet moments.

Pogback, Sanchez on his Piano, resigning Ronaldo, Zlatan, that summer where we landed Falcao and Di Maria last minute. They were fantastic moments - full of hope and aspiration.

Everything else has been dross.

I don't want to spend summer thinking we'll get 1 expensive midfielder, a backup centre back and maybe someone on loan for central midfield.

feck that - it's no fun.

We're signing Vinni, Anderson, Wharton, Tchouameni, and a right flash left back.
Click to expand...

This is an insane way to think about football. Those moments all turned out to be horrible. We’ve had some great moments.
 
Wumminator said:
This is an insane way to think about football. Those moments all turned out to be horrible. We’ve had some great moments.
Click to expand...
We have been insanely shit for ages.

What kills me is that for the most part it looks like people weren't even trying on the pitch.
 
joedirt87 said:
United transfer spending in the post Fergie era (euros) per Transfermarkt:

13/14: 77M
14/15: 195M
15/16: 156M
16/17: 185M
17/18: 198 M
18/19: 82M
19/20: 236M
20/21: 89M
21/22: 142M
22/23: 243M
23/24: 212M
24/25: 246M
25/26: 246M

I don't expect we will match the spending of the last 2 seasons, but if the rumors of a LB, 2 CMs and a Winger is the boards goal, I would expect well probably shell out anywhere from 150-200M.
Click to expand...
Goodness me. The amount spent and the technical quality of our squad has continued to get worse and worse.

Let's see if things change this summer.
 
golden_blunder said:
Coming into that time of year again. It seems that the penny hadn’t dropped yet for some fans as to where we realistically stand in terms of our budget and how much we need to try and plug or upgrade.

Fans dreaming of signing players like Vini from Madrid, spending a huge transfer fee and a reported 400k+ a week on salary are in my opinion living in a dreamland.

“Pay whatever it takes”. From where?

“Replace Dalot”. Not a priority. Our club has already stated their shopping list of x2 CM, a LB and a LW.

Why do we always do this to ourselves?
Click to expand...
Isn’t the priority a back up striker and not a LW?
 
Mainoonited said:
Listen bro - silly season is the only time we are going to be able to dream big. That's been the case since SAF retired.

Let us enjoy it. Once the season starts it'll be the same old shite.

The happiest Manchester United moments I've had in the last 13 years have all been muppet moments.

Pogback, Sanchez on his Piano, resigning Ronaldo, Zlatan, that summer where we landed Falcao and Di Maria last minute. They were fantastic moments - full of hope and aspiration.

Everything else has been dross.

I don't want to spend summer thinking we'll get 1 expensive midfielder, a backup centre back and maybe someone on loan for central midfield.

feck that - it's no fun.

We're signing Vinni, Anderson, Wharton, Tchouameni, and a right flash left back.
Click to expand...
Mainoo scoring the winning goal in a Manchester derby FA cup final surely hits better than any of that?

Feck me that got me through the entire summer with a smile on my face.
 
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