Joshua King / signs for Watford

[jamesjimmybyrondean]

Honestly not in favour of this signing. Martial and King would be quite a drop in quality compared to the strikers and backups we've had over the years. And you could say the same for Martial and Ighalo if we signed Ighalo permanently. But the thing is, with us wanting to sign Ighalo I got the feeling that we wanted him because we've entrusted Martial to become a world class striker while Ighalo who is 31 is more than happy to warm the bench for him. King on the other hand is 28 and in his prime so why should a player in his prime be happy to warm the bench for Martial who isn't world class at this point. And if he is not happy to be on the bench but wants to compete with Martial for the no.9 then he isn't good enough. I could be wrong though

 

[Handré1990]

At least 160 or -9 potential on football manager

I’m more a fifa man myself, so what’d that be, like 86-87?

 

[BenitoSTARR]

He's pretty much the same quality of player as Ighalo if not slightly better, why would signing him as a backup be such a nailed on disaster?

Of course if we do sign him I hope it's because we actually believe he can bring something to the squad and not just be an Ole favor

Do you mean quality in terms of same playing qualities?

 

[Striker10]

King at youth level, was such a strong runner. We have had a number of lads down the years who had potential. He would do a good job. How good? It's difficult to say. I don't think re-joining would destroy him. He would have the advantage of playing with the youth and knowing Ole. I've not watched him since he left United and I could understand his outburst after we didn't get it over the line. Perhaps he feels he's got something to prove. He might very well have. He had ability certainly.

 

[Handré1990]

King at youth level, was such a strong runner. We have had a number of lads down the years who had potential. He would do a good job. How good? It's difficult to say. I don't think re-joining would destroy him. He would have the advantage of playing with the youth and knowing Ole. I've not watched him since he left United and I could understand his outburst after we didn't get it over the line. Perhaps he feels he's got something to prove. He might very well have. He had ability certainly.

He’s been a one-man attack for the national team at times. His physical presence would actually be a great asset for us. I’d love to get him in as an option, he’s a lot faster than Ighalo and will fight like hell for every ball. He’ll never be our starting striker, but we’d have a great backup striker. I think he’s better than Ighalo, and he’s been very important for Bournemouth.

 

[ValenciasDrilledCrosses]

Do you mean quality in terms of same playing qualities?

No, more in terms of quality 'tier' or level of player. As individuals I think they offer the squad very different things. I prefer the classic striker hold up and movement Ighalo has shown, but I don't think King would be a disaster as an option off the bench and in cup games.

 

[laughtersassassin]

With the money necessary for Sancho would it be possible to also go for a big name striker in the same window?

No I don't think it is. So it's best to sign or loan a stop gap. Still though someone like Ben Yedder to me would be a better stop gap of we have to sign one.

 

[Bondi77]

Bellingham and King in.
Business done.

 

[BenitoSTARR]

No, more in terms of quality 'tier' or level of player. As individuals I think they offer the squad very different things. I prefer the classic striker hold up and movement Ighalo has shown, but I don't think King would be a disaster as an option off the bench and in cup games.

Thanks for clarifying. I’d probably agree with you on that case similar level of player just stylistically different.

King is a hybrid of LW/CF/ST so nice for rotation in that sense but do we need a specialist ST as an option as LW James can cover.

 

[yo@Kirk]

Man Utd interest in King appears to be speculation based on both Ole and King being Norwegian, Ighalo not making a permanent move, and Bournemouth wanting to get anything they can for King before his contract is up. As King surely would not replace Ighalo's qualities that Ole liked at CF in his attack, I don't take this speculation seriously.

 

[RRCE]

If we buy King while Liverpool bring in Werner (for example), then the gap just gets bigger. If we’re truly trying to compete at the highest level, then Josh King isn’t the answer. We should be setting our sights higher. The thought process should be to do everything possible to improve the quality of the team (starting 11 and squad overall). I like Martial. He’s a very good player on his day, but he’s not a world class center forward. We should want to bring in someone who has the potential to displace him from the starting 11. If that happens, Martial‘s nose may be out of joint but the team will be more successful. Ideally, you want to be able to slot players in and out of your lineup from game to game without the quality dropping substantially. Josh King will nevery seriously threaten Martial’s spot in the team. He’s the kind of player you expect to take some minutes to provide rest for your starters, and who you hope, but can’t count on, to score goals. I appreciate that money may be tight and we‘ll likely have to pick our spots for serious investment, but King shouldn’t be considered good enough for Manchester United.

 

[Striker10]

If we buy King while Liverpool bring in Werner (for example), then the gap just gets bigger. If we’re truly trying to compete at the highest level, then Josh King isn’t the answer. We should be setting our sights higher. The thought process should be to do everything possible to improve the quality of the team (starting 11 and squad overall). I like Martial. He’s a very good player on his day, but he’s not a world class center forward. We should want to bring in someone who has the potential to displace him from the starting 11. If that happens, Martial‘s nose may be out of joint but the team will be more successful. Ideally, you want to be able to slot players in and out of your lineup from game to game without the quality dropping substantially. Josh King will nevery seriously threaten Martial’s spot in the team. He’s the kind of player you expect to take some minutes to provide rest for your starters, and who you hope, but can’t count on, to score goals. I appreciate that money may be tight and we‘ll likely have to pick our spots for serious investment, but King shouldn’t be considered good enough for Manchester United.

Sancho is number one target and maybe another. But that's a lot of any budget. Nothing is a given. But It's not king vs Werner and actually if we signed Ighalo few would have reason to moan. Because it's about performance. Many turned their nose up to Mane/Vardy and others. Kings a strong runner and Ighalo we've seen has quality. So if we signed Werner, what about Sancho?

 

[BenitoSTARR]

If we buy King while Liverpool bring in Werner (for example), then the gap just gets bigger. If we’re truly trying to compete at the highest level, then Josh King isn’t the answer. We should be setting our sights higher. The thought process should be to do everything possible to improve the quality of the team (starting 11 and squad overall). I like Martial. He’s a very good player on his day, but he’s not a world class center forward. We should want to bring in someone who has the potential to displace him from the starting 11. If that happens, Martial‘s nose may be out of joint but the team will be more successful. Ideally, you want to be able to slot players in and out of your lineup from game to game without the quality dropping substantially. Josh King will nevery seriously threaten Martial’s spot in the team. He’s the kind of player you expect to take some minutes to provide rest for your starters, and who you hope, but can’t count on, to score goals. I appreciate that money may be tight and we‘ll likely have to pick our spots for serious investment, but King shouldn’t be considered good enough for Manchester United.

If those events happen in isolation I’d agree however the likelihood of that happening is slim to none.

I would argue if Liverpool bought Werner but we bought Sancho and King we’d be narrowing the gap for example. I think the signing of Fernandes has closed it somewhat already.

I completely understand the desire to improve the first XI at all times and I don’t disagree that it’s usually a good strategy but I think we won’t have the funds to buy a starting XI striker and RW and I guess RW is the bigger priority.

 

[James Peril]

McTominay passes the ball to Mata, blocked by Lingard strolling aimlessly in the same area.. out for a throw-in... opposition defender collects the ball, chased down by King with great energy, new throw-in. Yeah sounds like just the player you need to take up the challenge posed Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, PSG, Liverpool and City. Ugh.

 

[Gopher Brown]

In a nutshell. What do people expect for a backup striker?

We shouldn’t be signing a backup at all. We are still in the shite as a club, as far as challenging for a title goes. If Josh King is the best player we can sign, we’re more screwed than any of us realise.

Bruno shows us that’s obviously not the case.

 

[RRCE]

If those events happen in isolation I’d agree however the likelihood of that happening is slim to none.

I would argue if Liverpool bought Werner but we bought Sancho and King we’d be narrowing the gap for example. I think the signing of Fernandes has closed it somewhat already.

I completely understand the desire to improve the first XI at all times and I don’t disagree that it’s usually a good strategy but I think we won’t have the funds to buy a starting XI striker and RW and I guess RW is the bigger priority.

I generally agree with you. As I mentioned, I appreciate that the transfer budget will dictate how much we can actually improve the team, and which positions / targets we prioritize. Sancho would absolutely improve our starting 11 and would help close the gap. If need be, I’d prioritize his signing over a first choice striker as well. My point remains, though, that Josh King doesn’t move the needle much, if at all. I just don’t see the point in adding a player like that. Either invest wisely, or save the money.

 

[siw2007]

If the price is low enough, then might not be a bad signing.

He would have to accept that he would be behind Martial and Greenwood in the striker position and would likely feature mainly in the low key games when we don’t want to play any of the big names. If he is willing to take that and perhaps occasionally appearances of the bench bar an injury crisis then it could be a shrewd buy, he is a good premier league striker that could be a really solid 3rd choice.

 

[BenitoSTARR]

I generally agree with you. As I mentioned, I appreciate that the transfer budget will dictate how much we can actually improve the team, and which positions / targets we prioritize. Sancho would absolutely improve our starting 11 and would help close the gap. If need be, I’d prioritize his signing over a first choice striker as well. My point remains, though, that Josh King doesn’t move the needle much, if at all. I just don’t see the point in adding a player like that. Either invest wisely, or save the money.

I’d say the main benefit of a Josh King type is the low risk of adapting to the league etc

Another benefit is the age range that allows sufficient time for Greenwood to mature but I agree quality wise he doesn’t push us forward. Depth wise and experience wise potentially and I guess it comes down to affordability.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

I would hope we're in for Danny Ings really. Southampton are reportedly going through a lot of trouble, wouldn't be too hard to convince them to sell. He was a guy we reportedly enquired for before Ighalo.

 

[Handré1990]

We shouldn’t be signing a backup at all. We are still in the shite as a club, as far as challenging for a title goes. If Josh King is the best player we can sign, we’re more screwed than any of us realise.

Bruno shows us that’s obviously not the case.

Oh, okay. So a replacement for Martial? I’d be all for that, but I subscribe to the view that there are other more pressing concerns we need to adress before that happens. We haven’t looked like splashing the cash for two marquee signings the last 10 years, heck, when have we ever done that? What would you do?

 

[Garry Buck]

I don’t mind signing King AND a top striker but King alone is not good enough. He is similar to what we have already.

 

[Gasolin]

True but I honestly think the jury is still out on Ighalo. Asides from the City game he's only been excellent in games against much lesser sides

I think that's ok for us, because then we could rotate Martial and avoid injuries for less critical fixtures, right?

 

[Gasolin]

Honestly not in favour of this signing. Martial and King would be quite a drop in quality compared to the strikers and backups we've had over the years. And you could say the same for Martial and Ighalo if we signed Ighalo permanently. But the thing is, with us wanting to sign Ighalo I got the feeling that we wanted him because we've entrusted Martial to become a world class striker while Ighalo who is 31 is more than happy to warm the bench for him. King on the other hand is 28 and in his prime so why should a player in his prime be happy to warm the bench for Martial who isn't world class at this point. And if he is not happy to be on the bench but wants to compete with Martial for the no.9 then he isn't good enough. I could be wrong though

It's a matter of mentality and motivation. If Ole can motivate King, then it's not just a backup. It's a chance for a player who is so far away from the CL to have a chance to play some games and who knows? It's a collective work anyway, Martial alone, even Ronaldo alone wouldn't win us titles, but altogether, with astute rotation and correct timing, we can do it. Or so should Ole tell the story to the team.

 

[RRCE]

I think that's ok for us, because then we could rotate Martial and avoid injuries for less critical fixtures, right?

I don’t think it’s okay for us. It would be if Martial was rarely injured, scoring for fun and had us competing at the top of the table. We’re miles off. Don’t get me wrong - I’m not at all suggesting that it’s all Martial’s fault that we are where we are. At the end of the day, though, its an area which needs to be improved. As has been discussed, there may be more pressing concerns and budgetary constraints will likely dictate what we do in the market, but looking to upgrade on Martial (or at least bringing in a player who has the potential to put Martial on the bench) should be the objective. In my opinion, that’s how you improve as a team. For many years now, our best just hasn’t been close to good enough.

 

[Gopher Brown]

Oh, okay. So a replacement for Martial? I’d be all for that, but I subscribe to the view that there are other more pressing concerns we need to adress before that happens. We haven’t looked like splashing the cash for two marquee signings the last 10 years, heck, when have we ever done that? What would you do?

I’m not saying replace anyone, Martial can’t be afraid of some competition, he got enough games when he was competing with Rashford and Lukaku. We may not even need a striker as Greenwood will be nearly 19 by the time we’re up and running again.

But if we buy cheap and low quality, we’ll end up buying twice. So if we’re in the market for a striker, get the best we can afford. Josh King isn’t even Bournemouth’s best striker.

 

[Fitchett]

King scored against us this season, when we lost 1-0 at Bournemouth.

 

[ValenciasDrilledCrosses]

I would hope we're in for Danny Ings really. Southampton are reportedly going through a lot of trouble, wouldn't be too hard to convince them to sell. He was a guy we reportedly enquired for before Ighalo.

Hadn't seen that, I would absolutely love Ings, even if he is a former Pool player. Really rated him at Burnley and he's obviously had a fantastic season for Southampton. The way he strikes the ball reminds me a lot of Kane, love his technique. Would be a really solid backup imo, who knows what price Southampton would ask for given the current situation.

 

[sglowrider]

I’m not saying replace anyone, Martial can’t be afraid of some competition, he got enough games when he was competing with Rashford and Lukaku. We may not even need a striker as Greenwood will be nearly 19 by the time we’re up and running again.

But if we buy cheap and low quality, we’ll end up buying twice. So if we’re in the market for a striker, get the best we can afford. Josh King isn’t even Bournemouth’s best striker.

We lose Igalo, we lose some experience. If one of Martial or Rashford goes down, then we are dependent on a 19y.o Greenwood? This is why Sancho is critical as he can play across the front three. Spend the money on him and the use the rest on King as a backup -- and the only front line player over 24y.o.

 

[Nevilles.Wear.Prada]

Say one thing about Ole, say he knows his signings. Completely trust him there. I doubted him for iglaho and bruno. Never again.. Excited for Return of the king..

 

[CM]

His contract expires next June. They can ask for £30m but they won't get it. He leaves next summer and they get nowt. If they sell him for £15m now they'll make a huge profit because they paid nothing for him.

Agreed, still not sure £15m represents value for someone like King though.

 

[Mark Pawelek]

Agreed, still not sure £15m represents value for someone like King though.

Overall, King is above the level of player United should be signing on a Bosman. He's rapid and an aerial threat. I guess we don't have the money for very expensive signings other than Sancho. King's aerial threat gives United a plan B, but without sacrificing speed, so retaining plan A. Plan AB: just as fast as before but we can now head it in as well

 

[CM]

Overall, King is above the level of player United should be signing on a Bosman. He's rapid and an aerial threat. I guess we don't have the money for very expensive signings other than Sancho. King's aerial threat gives United a plan B, but without sacrificing speed, so retaining plan A. Plan AB: just as fast as before but we can now head it in as well

I understand the reasons behind targeting him - a player who can hold the ball up and is happy to play second fiddle (like Ighalo) would be useful for the squad.

It's tricky to say whether it's right to spend c.£15m on a stopgap option like King in the current market though, when there's so much uncertainty surrounding the resumption of football. If progress is halted for any reason, that's quite a significant outlay on a player who likely doesn't feature in the long-term plans of the football club.

 

[iHicksy]

I'd rather we got Ings over King. Ings would be cheaper (not that I care about that) with Southampton in trouble and he's looked absolutely deadly this season. Watched a lot of Southampton games since I had him in my FPL team and he was scoring from absolutely everywhere. Looked to have that knack of creating half a yard of space and being absolutely lethal with it. Saying that, my number one choice if we're talking prem strikers around that level would be Jimenez from wolves. He'd be fantastic in our system as the main supporting striker playing down the middle. Obviously he'd cost a lot more. I'd guess Ings would be around 30-35, King 30-040 and Jimenez 50-70.

 

[Tom Cato]

Man Utd interest in King appears to be speculation based on both Ole and King being Norwegian, Ighalo not making a permanent move, and Bournemouth wanting to get anything they can for King before his contract is up. As King surely would not replace Ighalo's qualities that Ole liked at CF in his attack, I don't take this speculation seriously.

Considering that we have placed an actual bid for the player, the speculation is pretty warranted.

We still need a striker. And our budget coffers are going to eat a punch with the purchase of Jadon Sancho and Grealish if it materializes. I think the club sees a solid squad striker there, they would never have made the bid if they didn't.

Is he good enough? Definitely yes some days, and meh not sure other days. He's proven he can score against good teams, just see what he did against Chelsea. The question is: Will his output and general quality improve with better quality players around him? The club might think so.

 

[Freak]

It's looking like this will be our back up striker target if we cannot get Ighalo over the line. I'll be good with this to be honest. Backup for Martial and Greenwood and won't cost a bomb both in transfer fees and wages.

Our summer transfers could eventually work out to be something like below which would be good:

Sancho - adds quality and goes straight into the starting lineup
Grealish - adds quality and competition
King - adds competition and squad depth
Bellingham - one for the future

 

[Handré1990]

I’m not saying replace anyone, Martial can’t be afraid of some competition, he got enough games when he was competing with Rashford and Lukaku. We may not even need a striker as Greenwood will be nearly 19 by the time we’re up and running again.

But if we buy cheap and low quality, we’ll end up buying twice. So if we’re in the market for a striker, get the best we can afford. Josh King isn’t even Bournemouth’s best striker.

We lose Igalo, we lose some experience. If one of Martial or Rashford goes down, then we are dependent on a 19y.o Greenwood? This is why Sancho is critical as he can play across the front three. Spend the money on him and the use the rest on King as a backup -- and the only front line player over 24y.o.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Considering that we have placed an actual bid for the player, the speculation is pretty warranted.

We still need a striker. And our budget coffers are going to eat a punch with the purchase of Jadon Sancho and Grealish if it materializes. I think the club sees a solid squad striker there, they would never have made the bid if they didn't.

Is he good enough? Definitely yes some days, and meh not sure other days. He's proven he can score against good teams, just see what he did against Chelsea. The question is: Will his output and general quality improve with better quality players around him? The club might think so.

we made an offer when Rashford was injured though.

so yes, speculation is warranted, but at that time, options were very limited.

would be happy with getting him for £20-25m, as there is definitely a role that needs to be filled. Shame that we can’t keep Ighalo, but given his background, we would hope we get a striker with a similar mentality.

 

[croadyman]

Bellingham and King in.
Business done.

That would be proper underwhelming,really hope we sign Jude but surely we can better than King

 

[Mark Pawelek]

I'd rather we got Ings over King. Ings would be cheaper (not that I care about that) with Southampton in trouble and he's looked absolutely deadly this season. Watched a lot of Southampton games since I had him in my FPL team and he was scoring from absolutely everywhere. Looked to have that knack of creating half a yard of space and being absolutely lethal with it. Saying that, my number one choice if we're talking prem strikers around that level would be Jimenez from wolves. He'd be fantastic in our system as the main supporting striker playing down the middle.

Why would Ings be cheaper? Given Ings has 1 more year on his contract than King?
Ings' injury record is also far worse than King's.
King is more rapid than Ings.
King is better aerially.

I admit Ings has far more goals this season than King. King does better than this most seasons.

​	Contract to​	Speed​	Injury loss​	Goals / 90min​	Aerials / match​
Ings​	June-2022​	OK​	24%​	0.67​	1.1​
King​	June-2021​	Rapid​	4%​	0.25​	2.4​

Injuries decide against Ings. Let someone poorer than United take the risk. Also against Ings: he's like what we have already (Rashford, Martial, Greenwood), but not as good. King is different, much better aerial threat.

I'd guess Ings would be around 30-35, King 30-040 and Jimenez 50-70.

God knows who your accountant is. Need to sack ASAP. In this market, I doubt United will pay more than £20m for the reserve striker they want. £15m more likely. Jimenez = £50m+ !!! A fabulous price for a player who's never scored more than 12 league goals in any one season.

 

[iHicksy]

God knows who your accountant is. Need to sack ASAP. In this market, I doubt United will pay more than £20m for the reserve striker they want. £15m more likely. Jimenez = £50m+ !!! A fabulous price for a player who's never scored more than 12 league goals in any one season.

Are you holding up OK?

Maybe try and leave the random unnecessary aggression out eh?