Joao Neves

[bosnian_red]

We aren't going to spend 100m on a 19 year old deep playmaker when we have to sign at least 2 center backs and a couple of midfielders (with the physical DM being the priority next to Mainoo). Oh and we won't have CL football next season for the extra income, oh and we have FFP issues.
Do people even try making rumors realistic or nah?

 

[Hammondo]

Ornstein is probably one of the most reputable journo in the UK and he breaks a lot of their big news. Laurie Whitwell has a lot of contacts in the club. They don’t really deal in baseless rumours so I don’t know how you’ve arrived at them being a poor publication.

I wasn't meaning in terms of source quality, just article quality. Really lazy articles.

 

[Mickeza]

Whilst I agree in principle with “we shouldn’t pay more than x for any player” the three best teams in the country have all got key players that wouldn’t have been signed with that philosophy. Sometimes a player absolutely is worth it. Whether this kid is I’m not sure but I don’t think you can be that inflexible.

 

[red.knight]

We aren't going to spend 100m on a 19 year old deep playmaker when we have to sign at least 2 center backs and a couple of midfielders (with the physical DM being the priority next to Mainoo). Oh and we won't have CL football next season for the extra income, oh and we have FFP issues.
Do people even try making rumors realistic or nah?

If SJR wants to restore United to former glory days as he said he would, this is the type of player we should be signing even if it cost 100m+. I would offer Benfica 200m for Neves and Antonio Silva.

 

[bosnian_red]

If SJR wants to restore United to former glory days as he said he would, this is the type of player we should be signing even if it cost 100m+. I would offer Benfica 200m for Neves and Antonio Silva.

That'd be a very poor use of money. You don't need to just go for 100m players. The best thing about a player like Mainoo breaking through is he eliminates the need to spend 100m on that type of player... he has the potential, you grow him properly. You build around him, Garnacho and Hojlund. You find players who compliment them so they can play in their best positions, in their best roles. Joao Neves isn't that, even if he is a world class talent (just as Mainoo is).

We need to start spending smartly, with a plan of how we are building our team, and every single signing needs to fit in that plan. Especially the big money signings.

Like I said anyway, we don't have the money to make this type of signing in addition to the other things we need to do so it's a non starter.

 

[Lash]

Whilst I agree in principle with “we shouldn’t pay more than x for any player” the three best teams in the country have all got key players that wouldn’t have been signed with that philosophy. Sometimes a player absolutely is worth it. Whether this kid is I’m not sure but I don’t think you can be that inflexible.

I think he's definitely one of those players. I don't want to be held to ransom like benfica have done before, but I don't think we should miss out on him.

 

[red.knight]

That'd be a very poor use of money. You don't need to just go for 100m players. The best thing about a player like Mainoo breaking through is he eliminates the need to spend 100m on that type of player... he has the potential, you grow him properly. You build around him, Garnacho and Hojlund. You find players who compliment them so they can play in their best positions, in their best roles. Joao Neves isn't that, even if he is a world class talent (just as Mainoo is).

We need to start spending smartly, with a plan of how we are building our team, and every single signing needs to fit in that plan. Especially the big money signings.

Like I said anyway, we don't have the money to make this type of signing in addition to the other things we need to do so it's a non starter.

We aint winning any major trophy any time soon so we should be building with young and talented players even if they cost fortunes. Onana, Martinez, Garnacho, Kobbie and Hojlund as the future of the club and they are all new signings. If we can add Neves and Silva this summer, that is a big step forward in the right direction and we have the money to sign them both.

 

[bosnian_red]

We aint winning any major trophy any time soon so we should be building with young and talented players even if they cost fortunes. Onana, Martinez, Garnacho, Kobbie and Hojlund as the future of the club and they are all new signings. If we can add Neves and Silva this summer, that is a big step forward in the right direction and we have the money to sign them both.

We definitely don't have the money to sign the both and our spending will be further compromised by not making the CL. We also have to make a lot of changes in our squad, we aren't in a place to make a 100m signing.

Out of interest, do you think Joao Neves and Mainoo suit each other as midfield partners? From what I've seen, they both play pretty much the same role. They both need a physical, energetic ball winner next to them, they both need more of a creator in front of them. Spending big on a player to essentially replace your best prospect isn't a smart use of money, unless you feel they can partner each other in an ideal, balanced system.

 

[georgipep]

Ornstein is probably one of the most reputable journo in the UK and he breaks a lot of their big news. Laurie Whitwell has a lot of contacts in the club. They don’t really deal in baseless rumours so I don’t know how you’ve arrived at them being a poor publication.

Ornstein is a click merchant and is far from reliable.

Whitwell is a lot better but has zero sources outside the club.

 

[Remember the geese]

Ornstein is a click merchant and is far from reliable.

Clueless. You, not him.

 

[mu4c_20le]

We need to get him or he'll end up stockpiled at some oil barons club, like PSG or City. Top talent.

 

[NZT-One]

That'd be a very poor use of money. You don't need to just go for 100m players. The best thing about a player like Mainoo breaking through is he eliminates the need to spend 100m on that type of player... he has the potential, you grow him properly. You build around him, Garnacho and Hojlund. You find players who compliment them so they can play in their best positions, in their best roles. Joao Neves isn't that, even if he is a world class talent (just as Mainoo is).

We need to start spending smartly, with a plan of how we are building our team, and every single signing needs to fit in that plan. Especially the big money signings.

Like I said anyway, we don't have the money to make this type of signing in addition to the other things we need to do so it's a non starter.

I agree 100%. I actually find it a little odd, that seemingly many fans still haven't learned the lesson, that big money signing have just as much risk as anybody else. Our club right now needs reliable performers. They don't have to be Tier 1 players because short term it doesn't look like we are challenging anyway. We have to invest into the future while stabilizing in the present - going for 100 million players from the Portugese league is the antidote of acting smart.

 

[VWW]

Ornstein is a click merchant and is far from reliable.

Whitwell is a lot better but has zero sources outside the club.

is this some kind of joke? Ornstein far from reliable?

 

[bosnian_red]

I agree 100%. I actually find it a little odd, that seemingly many fans still haven't learned the lesson, that big money signing have just as much risk as anybody else. Our club right now needs reliable performers. They don't have to be Tier 1 players because short term it doesn't look like we are challenging anyway. We have to invest into the future while stabilizing in the present - going for 100 million players from the Portugese league is the antidote of acting smart.

Yup. I'm not even against big money signings, in the right scenario. We aren't there obviously given the amount of turnover our squad needs, but also the only time when you should spend big on a player is when you are convinced they will be one of your most important players (for a long time, age is vital), and compliment your other key pieces and be a position of need. Spending big on a player at the same age as Mainoo and the same position as Mainoo would be beyond stupid, unless the squad building feels they can play together in a 3 and that's the route we are picking. I don't see either as that 10 though, nor that deep ball winner.

 

[msjmohd83]

Yup. I'm not even against big money signings, in the right scenario. We aren't there obviously given the amount of turnover our squad needs, but also the only time when you should spend big on a player is when you are convinced they will be one of your most important players (for a long time, age is vital), and compliment your other key pieces and be a position of need. Spending big on a player at the same age as Mainoo and the same position as Mainoo would be beyond stupid, unless the squad building feels they can play together in a 3 and that's the route we are picking. I don't see either as that 10 though, nor that deep ball winner.

Also if it doesn't work out for Neves, then we have the same problem trying to sell him like Maguire, Sancho and Anthony.

 

[Red the Bear]

If he's that good might be worth going all in for him, when was the last time we truly went in for a world class prospect? Plus having a long term option in the middle if it works out doesn't hurt.

 

[georgipep]

Clueless. You, not him.

Sure

 

[georgipep]

is this some kind of joke? Ornstein far from reliable?

I suggest you monitor what he reports and compare with what happens.

 

[Litch]

We arent buying nobody for 100m....

 

[bosnian_red]

If he's that good might be worth going all in for him, when was the last time we truly went in for a world class prospect? Plus having a long term option in the middle if it works out doesn't hurt.

We have that. Who plays the same role, and is 1 year younger.

 

[Ekeke]

Dont think theres any chance we go for him. Also was average in the 5-0 mauling Porto gave them last week

Will go to a team doing better than us with less problems in other areas of the pitch than an on the ball CM

 

[mu4c_20le]

We arent buying nobody for 100m....

Better hope we're getting somebody for that kind of money

 

[Litch]

Better hope we're getting somebody for that kind of money

Not sure these lot are willing to roll the dice. I think we will be buying a few 20m and 30m 'unknowns'...

 

[Ekeke]

Not sure these lot are willing to roll the dice. I think we will be buying a few 20m and 30m 'unknowns'...

If they cost above £20 million they'll only be "unknowns" to people who dont pay attention to any league outside the premier league

Unknowns will cost £5 million

 

[Baneofthegame]

Don’t personally want to spend 100 million on him, he’s a great talent, but we aren’t in the position to spend that much and it potentially be another failure.

 

[Litch]

If they cost above £20 million they'll only be "unknowns" to people who dont pay attention to any league outside the premier league

Unknowns will cost £5 million

Thats the majority of fans then.....

 

[IrishMcD]

We arent buying nobody for 100m....

Soooo, the double negative means we ARE signing someone for 100m

 

[AneRu]

We need so many players and we also need to lose many players on big contracts who won't fetch much in terms of fees. There are better ways of using £100m and elevating the level of the squad and I am sure the likes of Berrada and Ashworth will be preaching that gospel too.

The heart of our defence needs restructuring because the likes of Maguire and Lindelof should be on the way out not one injury away from starting matches for United in 2025. We won't get much more than £30m for the pair but a starting RCB could cost us £60m, we then need his back up and a back up LB who can give us more than Malacia even if he ever gets fit again. Getting those 3 players in could cost anywhere between £90m and £120m.

In midfield it's the same story: Casemiro looks done and Mainoo isn't there yet. We need a DM and a quality back up but we could go for Onana in a deal where Everton could clean us out. I don't know if we have the scouting yet to find a useful one or two in the £40m range but it's safe to assume that we are going to need another £100m for that midfield - Casemiro and Scot could bring back £60m so maybe it's £40m net.

Even though we have scored a pitiful amount of goals our attack looks settled but we'd need more competition and back ups. We could buy squad striker and winger assuming Sancho and Antony are off. I think Sancho and Rashford will both get another chance to show if they can turn the page under a different environment.

 

[golden_blunder]

We aren’t buying 100m players for the next few years.

SJR said something along those lines in a recent interview so start thinking outside the box lads. Think he used the term “frivolous”

 

[CM]

While I do think Neves has a lot of talent and would undoubtedly make us better on the ball, I don't think it would be the most sensible signing for us to make this summer. He's very young and he'll cost a lot of money so those aren't ideal conditions for a player like that to come in here. You only have to look as far as Enzo Fernandez to see what can go wrong there.

I think we have to start by signing players who are resolute and have big personalities so we don't continue to get dominated in the way we have in previous seasons. From what I've seen Alan Varela from Porto looks like he might be more suitable for us in the immediate term. Good with the ball but more defensive qualities, experience and probably a more reasonable fee.

If we're able to integrate a few players with those traits in defence and midfield then maybe we can come back for Neves in a year or two if he's still on the market. It doesn't really make sense for us to fork out c.£100m on a player like Neves now when we already have a similar profile of player in Kobbie Mainoo though.

 

[Rozay]

This is all rumours though.

I agree, I also remember a lot if sources from Holland saying it was total nonsense that Ajax were apparently happy to do a deal for 40m at the very start of the window no less. Antony was always a player they had no intention of selling that summer, and it was never going to be for a fair and reasonable market value that they would just happily sell him early in the window. It’s become some sort if fact that we refused to pay 40 but later paid 85. I don’t think 40 was ever on the table, but it sounds good to push the media ‘embarrassing’ and ‘terribly run club’ narrative.

 

[UnitedSofa]

I wasn't meaning in terms of source quality, just article quality. Really lazy articles.

It’s almost as if every football fan is a journalistic lecturer with the way we all throw out lines like these.

“Poor Journalism”
“Crappy article”
“Poorly sourced”

Like we know what the feck actually goes into writing articles, let alone football articles. Most can’t even write a paragraph without even using the correct your, you’re or their, there or they’re, heck even “his” and “he’s” is used incorrectly half the time, and don’t get me started on player names!

 

[Paul778]

We aren’t buying 100m players for the next few years.

SJR said something along those lines in a recent interview so start thinking outside the box lads. Think he used the term “frivolous”

Completely. We need to improve the squad in so many positions and get our wage bill under control.

There are so many misshaped pieces in our squad that it doesn't cost that much to improve any position. Not world beaters but a solid players who give a 7/10 or better performance week in week out. If they were bought to fit within a system these are likely to be 30-40m each and at that price if a couple don't fit its not the end of the world.

Get to that point first and build the academy. Worry about the 100m+ players when all of that is bedded down and we have built a team identity and squad depth.

 

[Hammondo]

It’s almost as if every football fan is a journalistic lecturer with the way we all throw out lines like these.

“Poor Journalism”
“Crappy article”
“Poorly sourced”

Like we know what the feck actually goes into writing articles, let alone football articles. Most can’t even write a paragraph without even using the correct your, you’re or their, there or they’re, heck even “his” and “he’s” is used incorrectly half the time, and don’t get me started on player names!

but others simply do better at analysis.

 

[Plant0x84]

100m

 

[aeh1991]

Out of all profiles of players we need, it makes the least sense to sign Joao Neves for 100m. A CM of Neves and Mainoo wouldn't work, while we would also lack money to buy other players such as a DM, CB, LB, backup CF and RW. Really no to this one, no matter how talented he is.

 

[LDUred]

Joao Neves isn't a single pivot out of possession.

We should be going for a DM who can play in that role properly and screen the defence, because that is all that ETH is going to play, a single pivot.

Neves is someone who will operate effectively in a double pivot but if ETH isn't going to play that system, there's no point paying that money.

 

[mav_9me]

I respect your opinion but for me you have to either get the player before he leaves Chelsea, Birmingham and Lille. Or you have to walk away from a potential deal due to the cost of buying the players from Dortmund or Real Madrid. I can understand if we're in a position where we're one or two players away from mounting a genuine title charge like Arsenal were when they signed Declan Rice. But in our case if Bellingham was available then for one I don't think he'd choose to join us right now, and as Ratcliffe said recently ' we should walk to solutions and not run towards them', I couldn't agree more with that saying.


And if we walk to solutions instead of running to them, then I do believe it's a matter of time before we're back challenging for the league imo. Pogba was a great young talent when we signed him but it seems people ignored his short comings out of possession and only focused on his ability in possession which then created disappointment among fans and Mourinho who for some strange reason thought we were buying a Scholes and Robson rolled into one. I think the biggest mistake you can make in the EPL as a proactive attacking coach is to underestimate how brutal the transitions are, hence creating a team with the ability to control large spaces and small spaces is crucial.

I think we can challenge for the league in two years time as long as we don't neglect signing players who will help us control large spaces in defensive transition. A lot of fans are naturally more concerned with players who entertain them on the ball but the football personnel and decision makers should be able to make a more holistic evaluation on how they will develop the team. Arsenal and Liverpool are good examples of what i'm talking about.

Excellent post. I find it surprising more people haven't tried to implement a system similar to arsenal. Including us. Kinda like what we had under Fergie with Rio and Vidic at the back.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Out of all profiles of players we need, it makes the least sense to sign Joao Neves for 100m. A CM of Neves and Mainoo wouldn't work, while we would also lack money to buy other players such as a DM, CB, LB, backup CF and RW. Really no to this one, no matter how talented he is.

We need a proper physical presence and engine next to Mainoo.

 

[Bondi77]

We aren't going to spend 100m on a 19 year old deep playmaker when we have to sign at least 2 center backs and a couple of midfielders (with the physical DM being the priority next to Mainoo). Oh and we won't have CL football next season for the extra income, oh and we have FFP issues.
Do people even try making rumors realistic or nah?

We won't be signing another DM unless we can get rid of Casemiro first and foremost and we won't be buying two centre backs, one possibly.
I think the only certainty is a new centre forward as we simply only have one that can be effective there.