I have a feeling and it’s only a feeling that we can’t get or do not wish to ruin the Squad morale with a £300-350k per week new midfielder and that Wilcox and his cronies are looking for three, yes three, not two midfielders that are all under £65m.
I believe the club are actively now looking at this so they can make Rogers or Palmer our marquee move, simply because they are both rumoured to be a huge United fans.
The club probably has a £250m budget maximum provided they reach CL and recoup £100m in player sales. I Genuinely think we are playing the waiting game with multiple midfielders?
For example if West Ham Go down, United might think we can get Mateus Fernandes for maybe £30-35m as he has a relegation release clause in his contract, if Spurs go down we might pivot to pick up Archie Gray Cheap. Ugarte and Casemiro are both definitely going.
United are not buying Elliot Anderson for £80-110m, they are not buying Tonali for £80-100m with his wage request of £300k per week.
They might well look at Wharton if he’s available for £60-65m and £150k per week wages, they may look at Carlos Baleba if he’s available at £60m and £100k per week, they might look at Stiller for £50m and £125k per week.
I genuinely see the midfield overhaul looking more like Carlos Baleba, Mateus Fernandes and Joao Gomes or Camavinga with the total spend being more frugal like
£145-155m with combined wages being £375,000 per week rather than £500,000 per week of Casemiro and Ugarte.
If you look at the yearly accounts and providing we get £25m for Ugarte then that transfer becomes neutral as we still probably owe PSG £25m on the player.
So instead of costing United £18.5m for Ugarte with wages and transfer fees every season this becomes neutral and then when you factor in Casemiro £17.5m wages savings for next season you have a saving yearly of £36m in the midfield area.
Signing Mateus Fernandes at £35m, Stiller at £50m and Baleba £65m that’s £150m on transfer fees over 5 years which is £30m per year in transfers on the books and then an added £17.5m per year on wages, if you also factor in that Christian Eriksen was never truly replaced and his wages were £180,000 per week, then the club is finally trying to purchase a sensible midfield rebuild which actually has financial room for one more marquee Player later in the winter transfer window!
Now for Morgan Rogers, United need more physicality, a left winger, a true understudy to Bruno and England’s next talisman, the two choices are Palmer and Rogers, losing out on Anderson will be spun that he doesn’t offer enough Goals and Assists for a highly inflated value of £100m but Morgan Rogers does and he will be viewed as a direct replacement for Marcus Rashford who, providing is sold for £26m would represent 100% profit and with his huge wages of £16-17m per year off the books, this would a huge create financial opportunity.
United will want one marquee English transfer to join, especially if they are returning to the Champions League!
Morgan Rogers might cost £100m or £20m per year in transfer fees and £10m per year in wages that transfer financials costs would be completely covered by Marcus Rashford leaving in the summer.
I would hazard a guess that Cole Palmer at £125m and £250k wages per week would also be covered by Rashford’s departure.
United are not going to act this summer in an obvious way but a far more opportunistic way.
, wouldn't even make the starting XI.