Manchester United - January transfer window 2015 (twitter blacklist applies)

[Devil may care]

Yeah I know it's early and what not but the media are already talking about us buying again in January and this international break is slowing down things, so I figured what the hell, might as well get a spot of light muppetry started.

Even though the summer may end being more likely I can still see us trying for Strootman in January if he recovers his form and Roma go out of the CL at the group stage as many expect.

I could also see us going for a CB depending on how the ones we have do over the next 4 months. Raphael Varane hasn't signed a new deal yet with Real so hopefully we are keeping an eye on that one.

 

[Devil may care]

Not a knee jerk bump, just genuinely curious if other caftards think we'll go for a CB in January?

 

[Raw]

A new CB is a must. Maybe 2. Thing is, who? Are we just going to throw a load of money at Dortmund for Hummels?

I just can't trust the defenders we got to stay fit all season.

 

[Sixpence]

We have to pay through the nose to get some top quality in there. And nobody is going to leave a CL team to join us in January.

 

[vibe]

Where do we draw the line between knee jerk and "something we absolutely have to do, but have been failing to so far" anyway?

A new CB is mandatory. Abso fecking lutely mandatory. We don't need a single additional transfer if we get our defence sorted out.

 

[Glanville95]

I probably risk an onslaught from our resident Dortmund fans when I say this, but I really see Hummels becoming attainable in the summer and someone we can absolutely sign, permitting we secure Champions League football. I think that's the earliest we can hope for though, so if it means waiting a transfer window to sign that centre back we so desperately need, I would be inclined to wait.

Who can we sign this January who is of the required quality anyway?

 

[SonnyTheHaloPro]

I'm still in disbelief that we signed Rojo instead of Benatia who went to bayern for a mere £24million, surely we could have blown their silly bid out the water and got a top quality defender in months ago?

Not slating Rojo btw, it's not his fault he's not being played in his best position, even though we have an actual £30million left back on the bench.

Actually, what the feck is going on?

 

[SonnyTheHaloPro]

Imo we should try and get at least 2 of the following centre backs in over the next 2 windows....

Hummels
Garay
Nastasic
Subotic
Vertonghan
Thiago Silva (lol)

There really is a lack of quality centre backs on the market.

 

[KiD MoYeS]

If there was a quality centre-half available we'd have signed him in the summer. There's no point spending unless it's a definite improvement on our current options.

 

[Santos J]

I'm still in disbelief that we signed Rojo instead of Benatia who went to bayern for a mere £24million, surely we could have blown their silly bid out the water and got a top quality defender in months ago?

Not slating Rojo btw, it's not his fault he's not being played in his best position, even though we have an actual £30million left back on the bench.

Actually, what the feck is going on?

Been said many a time that Benatia would've only left Roma to play in the Champions League and considering his age it isn't surprising. If Bayern were in for him then there isn't anything to indicate he'd have picked us over them.

If there was a quality centre-half available we'd have signed him in the summer. There's no point spending unless it's a definite improvement on our current options.

There was, we should've been in for Garay.

 

[sun_tzu]

Depends who is available but I guess it's going to be hard if not impossible to get someone from a club in the latter stages of the cl

A CB and a right back (let's face it Rafael won't be fit all season) would be ideal

And I suppose a central midfielder if the right personnel are available.

Hummles, Lahm and pogba it won't be though

 

[Moonred]

We need to stop thinking about new additions and start playing to our potential. We don't need world class players at every position to beat the likes of Sunderland and Leicester.

 

[DWelbz19]

I'm still in disbelief that we signed Rojo instead of Benatia who went to bayern for a mere £24million, surely we could have blown their silly bid out the water and got a top quality defender in months ago?

Not slating Rojo btw, it's not his fault he's not being played in his best position, even though we have an actual £30million left back on the bench.

Actually, what the feck is going on?

This wasn't an either or scenario, we signed Rojo as depth for left back and the need for a left footed CB, as van Gaal seeks balanced in his CB's with a right or left footed CB.

 

[Devil may care]

A new CB is a must. Maybe 2. Thing is, who? Are we just going to throw a load of money at Dortmund for Hummels?

I just can't trust the defenders we got to stay fit all season.

Hummels would certainly have to wait until the summer and even then if we don't get into the CL we wont be able to get him, and there aren't many options I agree, I regret turning my nose up at Garay but I think Vlaar could do a steadying job from January to the summer and beyond that he'd be happy to be a squad player.

 

[Raw]

Hummels would certainly have to wait until the summer and even then if we don't get into the CL we wont be able to get him, and there aren't many options I agree, I regret turning my nose up at Garay but I think Vlaar could do a steadying job from January to the summer and beyond that he'd be happy to be a squad player.

I would have been perfectly happy with Vlaar in the summer but some people on here thought we were above that. Would have been pretty cheap too.

 

[Devil may care]

I would have been perfectly happy with Vlaar in the summer but some people on here thought we were above that. Would have been pretty cheap too.

He didn't sign a new contract with Villa did he?

 

[bucky]

Aymeric Laporte or Mats Hummels are the only centre-halves I would want us to sign, either both or one of them. We won't get them in January though. Garay and Vertonghen would be no improvement on what we currently have. Varane has sadly renewed his contract. Schneiderlin or Strootman or both should be our midfield priorities in my eyes.

 

[Rykker_4united]

Patience I think is the best recipe for fixing our defensive issues.

 

[Red_toad]

I'm still in disbelief that we signed Rojo instead of Benatia who went to bayern for a mere £24million, surely we could have blown their silly bid out the water and got a top quality defender in months ago?

Not slating Rojo btw, it's not his fault he's not being played in his best position, even though we have an actual £30million left back on the bench.

Actually, what the feck is going on?

Benatia only wanted to go to Bayern once they showed interest & created issues within the club to get his move. United could have bid double Bayern's offer & he'd still have gone there. How is so difficult to get your head around a player having preferences?
As for defensive selections for the Leicester game, who do you think deserved dropping after the QPR game & please explain how teams build a defence, if players are being swapped about all the time?

 

[Cooksen]

Get Vlaar and use him as first choice for 6 months then upgrade come summer or bid a ridiculous amount to get a decent CB.

Also get Strootman and have a
Blind Strootman
Herrera

Midfield trio.

 

[cesc's_mullet]

Who moves out of your current CB's:

Rojo (obviously not him as he's new)
Smalling?
Jones?
Evans?

There are already four CB's at the club, will Jones move to CM or maybe Smalling out to RB?

If United sign a CB I'm tipping one of the above will be moved on come season's end. Possibly two, depending on how many games they get.

 

[Devil may care]

Who moves out of your current CB's:

Rojo (obviously not him as he's new)
Smalling?
Jones?
Evans?

There are already four CB's at the club, will Jones move to CM or maybe Smalling out to RB?

If United sign a CB I'm tipping one of the above will be moved on come season's end. Possibly two, depending on how many games they get.

We've had 5 CB's in the squad for quite a long time now but that might be down to age/injury ratio. I think Evans as the oldest is the likeliest to go next summer. Jones will definitely stay along with Rojo. Not sure about Smalling.

 

[Raoul]

We obviously didn't compensate for losing Rio, Vidic, and Evra and are paying the price. They were old, but at least Vidic could have made a massive difference yesterday.

 

[Dargonk]

I thought we needed to bring in another CB before the season started, and that hasn't changed. I can't see us really being able to buy one in january, as it will be difficult to get a top CB mid season.

 

[Drifter]

According to Sport witness United representatives were back at Sporting.

 

[Jacob]

We need to stop thinking about new additions and start playing to our potential. We don't need world class players at every position to beat the likes of Sunderland and Leicester.

A breath of fresh air.

People tend to forget the potential of our defenders, the manager just needs to bring it out intelligently.

 

[Cooksen]

Does Mendes have a good Center back for us?

 

[Woodzy]

According to Sport witness United representatives were back at Sporting.

With the receipt for Rojo I assume?

Don't actually mean that, I just wanted to get the joke in.

 

[Bwuk]

Don't know why people want to move AdM out the midfield, where he's shown his best form for us, Madrid and Germany.

 

[Pexbo]

Would PSG definitely be adverse to selling T.Silva? If we put a serious sum up, would it help their FFP?

Hummels is an absolute no-brainer for next summer.

 

[sun_tzu]

Would PSG definitely be adverse to selling T.Silva? If we put a serious sum up, would it help their FFP?

Hummels is an absolute no-brainer for next summer.

Hummles is a no-brainer for a lot of clubs if he wants to move
So far there are no indications he wants to move and even if he did would real for example or a move back to bayern be more tempting to him?

As for silva I'm not sure I could see psg letting him go but if they did and we were prepared to spend a fortune then I'd be happy for us to do so. Imo he is the best CB in the world plus seems to be a good leader on the pitch so would be perfect (though pricey as fek) still can't see psg selling though so I think we will have to lower our ambitions a little and especially so in jan as it's not the easiest time to sign top players.

 

[Pexbo]

Hummles is a no-brainer for a lot of clubs if he wants to move
So far there are no indications he wants to move and even if he did would real for example or a move back to bayern be more tempting to him?

As for silva I'm not sure I could see psg letting him go but if they did and we were prepared to spend a fortune then I'd be happy for us to do so. Imo he is the best CB in the world plus seems to be a good leader on the pitch so would be perfect (though pricey as fek) still can't see psg selling though so I think we will have to lower our ambitions a little and especially so in jan as it's not the easiest time to sign top players.

I had it in my head Silva was the same age as Luis. He's 30 already, feck paying a huge fee for a 30 year old defender.

 

[sun_tzu]

I had it in my head Silva was the same age as Luis. He's 30 already, feck paying a huge fee for a 30 year old defender.

It might be a short term fix but better to spend the money on a player we need rather than spending significantly more on bringing Ronaldo back imo

 

[ghagua]

Sign a center back from a team who drops out of the Champions league, don't know who, but there must be some good players out there. Hummels has become very injury prone, don't want him as we already have enough injury prone players. We also need a starting quality right back who can actually defend, time to try and raid Southampton for Clyne.

 

[Silverman]

We need a CB (Hummels) and a tough CM (Strootman). Whether they are in January or the summer is another question.

 

[Devil may care]

I had it in my head Silva was the same age as Luis. He's 30 already, feck paying a huge fee for a 30 year old defender.

He actually turns 31 today, if there was a way to get him for £10M then he'd still be worth but obviously they'd want a huge fee.

 

[Devil may care]

Never fear! the mail have 5 CB options for us.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ntre-halves-Louis-van-Gaal-signed-summer.html

 

[surf]

Sign a center back from a team who drops out of the Champions league.

Skrtel? Hope not.

 

[bucky]

Never fear! the mail have 5 CB options for us.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ntre-halves-Louis-van-Gaal-signed-summer.html

These are actually good options, but whether those players are available and/or want to come is a different matter. Especially Marquinhos and Hummels seem unrealistic, whether Musacchio and Schär are an actual improvement on what we have is debatable. That's not Schär in that photo by the way. Laporte just signed a new contract and his release clause is rumoured to be something over 40m euros. I rate them all. Another centre-half who seems decent is Benatia's replacement at Roma -Manolas. Sokratis from Dortmund is another quality defender, better than Subotic in my eyes.

 

[PedroMendez]

Signing players in January is tricky. The top targets are off the market, you usually have to overpay, the new players dont have any preseason and dont have any time to settle. It makes little sense to buy talents and there are only few decent options on the market. I dont think that there is any realistic CB that would be worth pursuing in January. LvG took his time to asses the squad and was fine with the current bunch+Rojo. Now he should stick with them.

The five options are all nonsense. Hummels, Manolas, Marquinhos, are out of reach. Laporte would need time to settle and just extended his contract. I know little about Musaccio, but I doubt that he is so much better than the current bunch.

Garray would have been perfect. proven player with leadership quality goes to Zenit for 20m€. He is not worldclass and wont solve the problems forever, but he would have been a great addition for 2-4 years. Eventually he was just not expansive enough.