There must be a terrible market for CB's now, I can't think of a single one I'd really want. Realistically.
Potential Centre Back signing?
- Thread starter Bastian
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I just think Konsa is a good defender, nothing more. Like a Cahill or an Upson. Not a bad player, but not one that’s going to move the needle.
I think for example that Collins is better than him. Remember that he was recommended to us when Fletcher played with him at stoke. Another that got away
Hasn't got away just yet, mind you we know from last summer how tougher negotiators Brentford are
How about Christian Romero?
His disciplinary record worries me most
He is fecking great, yet hated everywhere and sadly injury prone.
The thing about Senesi or Romero, if Licha stays in United, it's that the communication would be right there since minute one on every order and that both choices like Licha, are gifted with the ball (perhaps the best three passers from the back in the whole league), agressive and offensive (for the good and bad, yet United must seek this). Yet like I've said, Romero has a narrative on him that's a tad silly, even given he is nutty no doubt abhout it and very injury prone. Senesi has all the quality, not the fastest out there and a tad old. If there is no tarsnfer involved, it's a no brainer someone with his quality
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Sounds like Senesi goes to Spurs if they stay up, yes I like Romero's passion but worry about the red mist
With Romero, even with his nutty red mist, more than actually collecting reds (he doesn't have as many as people think) the main issue is his injury record (extremely worrying at this point) and the lapses where he gets extremely overconfident.
Yet that confidence it's at the same time what makes him great, he is fearless on every sense, making capable to play under any system even as exposed as anyone can put him and he has Big club mentality, he wants to win more than anyone out there, he has great abilty on the ball, Licha alike.
PD: Bad choice by Senesi if he goes to Spurs, very bad one.
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I don't really get why so many people seem desperate for us to sign a CB. Outside of right wing, I think you could make good arguments for any other position in the squad being addressed first. De Ligt's injuries are a worry but 6 senior CBs would be overkill.
Personally I would prefer a new LB and RB because lack atracking threats, all I can think is they want someone more experienced than Yoro who has that recovery pace
Yes, those are two of the positions I'd sooner see given some investment. Yoro is fine as a squad player, even if he hasn't entirely lived up what was promised when we signed him. He's not a lost cause though, he's still very young for a player in his position and could quite feasibly improve. It isn't as though we're talking about an Ugarte level of player, who makes everybody wince whenever he steps foot on the pitch.
Personally i would go for VDV from Spurs. If we actually change our style of play next season and high pressing, he would be very valuable covering and sweeping up everything. We could never play high line with our current CBs. Plus his running with the ball, will open up a new dimension for us and can also play as LB. Lastly, he is also good aerially with 7 goals. We need to replace the output from Casemiro so every player needs to chip in next season and he would help in that regard.
It’s a fairly easy case to make.
De Ligt's injuries are way more than a worry. A mysterious back injury with no return date and out since December is a huge red flag going into a season with more games and a more intense schedule. I can 100% see the argument, but I think the club will do what they did with CM last year and leave it as the last priority.
Its not a numbers issue, it's a fitness and skill issue. I'd take 4 reliable CB over the 5 that we can't trust to be available for 3 games in 1 week.
De ligt is quality, but who knows when he'll come back and if he'll be able to play regularly.
Martinez is ok, but has discipline issues, quality issues, and fitness issues.
Maguire is a good 3rd option, but increased age and needs a deep line to not be exposed so limits what we can do as a team. Also has had some fitness issues.
Yoro isn't ready to be a regular.
Heaven isn't ready to be a regular.
It's more than anything a fitness and maturity issue for players avaiable at any given moment.
PD: I get that Harry is a good lad, resilliant, etc.. yet he is the one, with quality issues since day one.
He’s consistently been our best CB. He obviously had a really bad period - but I call BS in claiming he was poor since day 1.
Martinez is a good player who has been unfortunate with his last couple of injuries and the current suspension he's serving is frankly ridiculous. His passing is a really useful tool in build up and there probably isn't another Premier League player in his position who can do what he can in that respect. It's like having an extra midfielder in the team.
Maguire is the experienced head who may need to be rotated in and out but it's a squad game. Yoro and Heaven are both young defenders who have demonstrated ability. They won't be first choice but are capable of coming into the team as and when.
De Ligt is the only one I don't really trust based on the injury he has. If he doesn't make a recovery next season, then maybe selling him and looking at a replacement is a conversation we need to have in summer 2027. But how many games does a new CB signing come in and actually play next season? And how much of our budget does it take up if you're talking about signing someone to start over our current options? It just feels like such a waste to me at this point in time when so many other areas of the squad need beefing up.
He lacks quality since day one in too many aspects and really bad it's being nice when he hits the floor. He has traits like height and resilliance regarding even out of order abuse? indeed, but the money paid for him (transfer and salary) and choosing someone of his charcateristics to build a defense around was a bad choice since the beggining. Is it his fault? nope. Does he at least almost always be available, does not complain much if any and at least been good after a massive downfall, indeed. But the narrative with him becoming actually a great defender it's a tad too much when we take in account his whole carreer so far. Anyway, we more than probably not agree at all.
Martinez is a tough one. I agree in a lot of aspects, but his weaknesses defensively will always outweigh the on ball ability. He's a center back, we need a defensively and availability reliable CB partnership first and foremost.
De Ligt is the main thing. He's out best CB and the only one who IMO is currently good enough for big clubs. Yet this injury has killed him and made our CB situations mess. You just know that next season we'll rely on heaven and yoro far more than we'd want to, and possibly even games where we use mazraoui or Shaw at CB again. That to me is a big problem because of that. I'm ok with the roles and abilities of our 3/4/5 choices, it's the 1&2 where ours aren't reliable sadly.
I’d fix left back, use Shaw at centre half if we are in a pinch and de Ligt is buggered and focus our attention in 2027 when potentially Maguire and Martinez leave.
You wouldn’t chose a medium quality CB like Konsa ahead of a player like Romero because of a red card a year, would you?
But Fobal, your point is good if he has repetitive injuries, I haven’t such a good overview of those. To me he has been one of the top ten CB’s the last five years, and 28 is no age for a CB.
That's more a narrative than a reality, the main issue, playing wise (like Romero), is his over confidence, that can create some overdoing/overcomitt that can create a bad situation (both offensivly or defending), but that's needed it when you have to take advantage of that confidence in order to put your team in the front foot like both always try. Yet the real more worrying issue, its their injuries in recent years, that in both cases are piling one above the other, this also brings longer periods to rehabilitate, regain form and suddenly falling over again.
Maybe not top class but a very good defender. Much better than Cahill or Upson. And considering the fact that we haven’t had a reliable CB with recovery pace in years I’m fairly certain he would move the needle.
Nah. Collins is still pretty error-prone. Got benched for it earlier this season in fact.
I don't see the need to reach for the panic button for a CB. De Ligt is on everyone's mind, understandably so, but I have no doubt that he's coming back next season. But let's say I'm wrong about that -- Martinez, Maguire, Heaven and Yoro is a pretty decent quartet.
Whatever money we have need to be spent on 2, maybe even 3, CMs; 1 LB (unless we think Amass will be ready), a backup striker, and possibly a LW/RW option behind Cunha/Dorgu and Mbeumo/Amad. There's not going to be enough left in the warchest to buy a top level striker to usurp any of our CBs, even if De Ligt retires from football.
Whatever money we have need to be spent on 2, maybe even 3, CMs; 1 LB (unless we think Amass will be ready), a backup striker, and possibly a LW/RW option behind Cunha/Dorgu and Mbeumo/Amad. There's not going to be enough left in the warchest to buy a top level striker to usurp any of our CBs, even if De Ligt retires from football.
Is it? I'm not so sure anyone would be that bothered about it from an opposition perspective and we still don't know if Martinez can last a season.
Relying on De Ligt or Martinez is the definition of insanity at this point.
The Kalulu links interest me as it suggests we are interested in a profile capable of playing in a back 2, 3 or as fullbacks.
The O’Shea’s, Silvestre and Browns have always played an important role.
I think Kalulu for 30m would be a smart piece of business and I’d expect him to become more well known at the WC.
The O’Shea’s, Silvestre and Browns have always played an important role.
I think Kalulu for 30m would be a smart piece of business and I’d expect him to become more well known at the WC.
Upson, maybe, but Cahill? Played almost 200 games for Chelsea and got 61 caps for England.
My point was more the role I think he’s good enough for: first reserve to a starting pair. An Evans to a Rio & Vidic.
I actually think it is.
Are you really ready to give up on Martinez? I'm not. He's out now due to the crazy sending off, but when he's on the pitch he's arguably one of the best defenders in the PL. Yes, he's short and I do worry about Martinez being targeted on corner kicks, but his defending overall is outstanding and his passing is elite.
Maguire? I think it's a one year extension but if not one then two at most so he's not going anywhere and may just dig out staring duty for the England national based on his current form as he's putting in fantastic performances on both ends of the pitch now.
Heaven? I know he's come in for heavy stick here but what I see is a world class CB in the making. He's not there yet, but he's been outstanding and oozes class with the ball that would fool someone who doesn't know otherwise that he's 29, not 19. And his tackling is ridiculous in its timing and effectiveness.
Yoro is a bit of a question as, at least for me, he's too soft for a central defender. He needs to study Heaven to improve his game.
But you right to raise at least one eyebrow in that Martinez cannot yet be trusted to perform for an entire season without a major injury. He is 28 years old now, so he's not yet at the stage in his career where he's become fragile, but your point presumably would be that he's been fragile his entire career. I can't recall what happened with the second knee injury, but I distinctly the first knee arose from a shitbag tackle beyond the byline by a West Ham player (might have been Coufal, not sure) that could have victimize anyone, but it happened to be Martinez.
And then there's De Ligt. If he's done, he's done and in that case I'd be on board with bringing in a fifth CB to complete the rotation, but I wouldn't spend the 60-70m required to bring in a world class CB.
Never fancied Cahill. Extremely mediocre and always had a mistake in him. And sure Konsa would play backup to those two but name one CB in the league right now who wouldn’t.
Either way we’re probably splitting hairs here as I doubt we’ll be in for a CB this summer unfortunately.
I think centre back will be near the top of the 2027 to do list. Decent chance Martinez and Maguire go next summer and we’ll know whether de Ligt is a perma-crock by then too.
However, I still have a lot of faith in Yoro. He’s still incredibly young for a centre back and his biggest weakness is strength/power which is something that can be worked on in the gym and through playing. Can see him being top class in a few seasons time.
Say what you want about Neville, but I am delighted that he's recently talked about our needing to sign a first choice centre back as a foregone conclusion.
His priorities: Two midfielders, centre back, left back. All top quality. And I agree (though I'd add a right back too).
His priorities: Two midfielders, centre back, left back. All top quality. And I agree (though I'd add a right back too).
I wonder if he says that because of injury issues, or the quality of our experienced centre backs still isn't good enough.
He's said we need centre backs who can push up the pitch and have the recovery pace to defend one against one.
Arne Slot also drove that point home when he repeatedly said our "strong point" is defending with a low block
How about Senesi? Free transfer I believe. I’d take Inacio from sporting for the left side
Fair enough, he's right. The majority of the forum seems to be in love with Maguire and Martinez when they're fit, so I'm not sure they recognise the need to completely rebuild the CB options towards players who can actually run.He's said we need centre backs who can push up the pitch and have the recovery pace to defend one against one.
Arne Slot also drove that point home when he repeatedly said our "strong point" is defending with a low block
I'm doubting we'll have the money to sort midfield, LB and CB in one summer though. There's also the issue that in terms of pure numbers, we're stocked at centre back as we have 5 players for 2 positions, adding a 6th may be overkill. You'd be going into the season basically hoping you have injury issues again so you can justify having so many - if we get fortunate and they're mostly fit, some of them just won't see any game time at all. Martinez is the only one we could plausibly sell this summer but his fanclub would throw a fit if we let him go.
Martinez will have a year left on his deal so either we give him a new deal or sell. And the sensible thing is to sell. Who knows what happens with De Ligt.
Napoli have to win one of their last three matches to activate the mandatory buy clause for Hojlund (38m), the club are looking to offload Rashford, Ugarte, Zirkzee, and Onana. If they have been preparing this properly we might be able to address both the midfield and the defense. And having a loud mainstream voice like Gary Neville repeatedly going on about it is actually a blessing.
Has there been any suggestion of him leaving reported anywhere? Feels unlikely at this point. The club also has a +1 option on his contract so I think we'll just let it run into next season unresolved.