Haaland will go to City - their transfer strategy changed this summer and I would expect them to now sign £100m players regularly (previously they would sign two £50m players).
Rice and Haaland join United in 2022?
- Thread starter Polar
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I would support the decision to sign Halaand. Don’t want Rice though. If the CM we’re signing really has to be English I’d rather we get the dude from Leeds as he seems to take his football a lot more seriously and I appreciate his professionalism.
He played off the left more in his first Season but he's been playing a lot more through the middle since 2019. His fitness is incredible but you're being too optimistic if you think he has the same level of pace and dynamsim at 36 than when he was younger. It certainly won't translate in the PL
Mbappe wants to ditch PSG with Messi there to be the main man at a faltering Madrid side so yes it's very possible Haaland(who has the same level of ambition as Mbappe) refuses to come here to play behind Ronaldo when he's already a superstar with a ridiculous scoring rate at 21 knowing he can be the main man elsewhere which suits his portfolio far better than being a 2nd choice here. I said it earlier unless Ronaldo flops like Alexis Haaland or any other top ST isn't being signed anytime soon
Haaland isn't coming here to play second fiddle to Ronaldo and Ronaldo plays second fiddle to no man. It's pointless posting fantasy lineups with both players in the side, when the reality is they will never now play together in their careers.
We've made our choice - the certainty of acquiring Ronaldo this summer versus the very doubtful prospects of getting Haaland ahead of all of his suitors next summer. Time will tell if we made the right decision.
Next summer we'll have Matic and Pogba to replace, the goalkeeping situation to resolve and our starting CBs will both be 29. We'll leave City/Real/PSG to battle it out for who can offer Raiola the biggest Haaland commission.
We've made our choice - the certainty of acquiring Ronaldo this summer versus the very doubtful prospects of getting Haaland ahead of all of his suitors next summer. Time will tell if we made the right decision.
Next summer we'll have Matic and Pogba to replace, the goalkeeping situation to resolve and our starting CBs will both be 29. We'll leave City/Real/PSG to battle it out for who can offer Raiola the biggest Haaland commission.
I don't think Pogba leaving is a sure bet JUST YET
If we have a good season I reckon he signs a new deal. I don't think Madrid will be hot on heels for him anymore since they've signed Camavinga whilst already having Valverde and Kroos who's still top class at 31. I also don't think Maguire/Varane being 29 is an issue either that's AT LEAST 2 world class years of service(could be more) they can provide before we can stress over replacements and by then we'll likely have solved the DM issue with other players improving so a major title will happen. The GK situation is simple whoever improves on last season remains as No1 and whoever misses out leaves for another team with Heaton becoming 2nd choice. Unless both GKs spectacularly flop nothing complex there
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It shows that you don't need passing to be better than Carrick I guess.
The point I suppose I was making is that squads don't stand still. Every year you see posts suggesting that we are but one missing piece (and therefore one transfer window) away from properly competing, which is the same sort of reasoning we used to mock Liverpool fans for.
With Ronaldo in place, I expect we'll focus on improving the midfield and replacing whatever we've lost either through outgoing transfers or just the attrition of time. The fee for Haaland might be a very reasonable-looking release clause, but that deal will be a financial sinkhole of agent commissions and salary.
Bellingham is a generational talent and might not be much more expensive than Rice, or? Both will likely cost at least 70m.
But Bellingham is not a CDM, right? Could a CM with McTominay and Bellingham work?
But Bellingham is not a CDM, right? Could a CM with McTominay and Bellingham work?
Bellingham is mostly a No 8 / Box-to-Box midfielder. At the moment in Dortmund Dahoud plays as the CDM behind him.
I'd love Haaland - I've been absolutely desperate for us to sign him since the Salzburg links - but I'm now fully expecting him to join City next summer.
When it looked like they were signing Kane, and we were waiting until the end of the season for when Cavani left, I was quietly confident we could get him. Now that it's likely City will be the ones still most in need of a #9 next summer, while we'll have CR7 for another year or two, then I'm now expecting him to be City's #1 target and that he'll end up there.
With Ronaldo as the first choice, I don't think we'll be going for an expensive #9 for the next couple of years, so hopefully we'll be able to go big on a top quality DCM. I don't have a preference - I just hope we get our first choice option. If that's Rice, then I'll be happy enough with that. If they target someone else as first choice, then I'll trust the improved recruitment of the last couple of years and just be happy if we get our #1 target.
When it looked like they were signing Kane, and we were waiting until the end of the season for when Cavani left, I was quietly confident we could get him. Now that it's likely City will be the ones still most in need of a #9 next summer, while we'll have CR7 for another year or two, then I'm now expecting him to be City's #1 target and that he'll end up there.
With Ronaldo as the first choice, I don't think we'll be going for an expensive #9 for the next couple of years, so hopefully we'll be able to go big on a top quality DCM. I don't have a preference - I just hope we get our first choice option. If that's Rice, then I'll be happy enough with that. If they target someone else as first choice, then I'll trust the improved recruitment of the last couple of years and just be happy if we get our #1 target.
Not sure what people see in rice at all, he’s a slow midfielder with above average passing?
same obsession about Eric dier for awhile and didn’t get that either
same obsession about Eric dier for awhile and didn’t get that either
Who is alexis Haaland?
I can see us being the only ones in for Rice and we get fleeced.
I can’t see us under any circumstances getting Haaland. He’s oil club bound.
I can’t see us under any circumstances getting Haaland. He’s oil club bound.
If Pogba leaves there's absolutely zero chance we do any further business with Raiola.
If Pogba stays it's likely we go for both. Reckon PSG losing Mbappé would mean absolutely silly money on the table. Kane is more likely actually.
If Pogba stays it's likely we go for both. Reckon PSG losing Mbappé would mean absolutely silly money on the table. Kane is more likely actually.
I'm 100% sure Chelsea will be in for Rice in the summer too. Whoever gets Rice will have to overpay.
I've seen nothing to suggest he is worth more than £40m
Happy to let you have him. He'd be fine for you too as your midfield has balance. With Rice we would be clogged with limited players, unless we also sign a playmaker which we won't.
People that say this clearly don’t know the true financials involved in securing Haaland.
It’s easy to look at the fee Chelsea paid for Lukaku and think if they paid £40m more then Haaland would be a Chelsea player. But the agent fees etc make it much more.
Make no mistake, signing Haaland will be a 200M dollar deal. Plus Raiola is asking for £700,000 per week. I may be wrong but I truly think Man City is the only team in the EPL that will offer the financial package required to secure him.
Where exactly is this "Haaland wants 1 million per week" coming from? I didn't see any good source reporting it except few random articles and somehow it's taken as a fact.
You are spot on about one thing, people don't know the true financials that will be involved in Haaland deal.
Bayern have Lewa. Chelsea Lukaku. Real probably Mbappe. Barca can't afford even Troy Deeney.
Psg, City, United and Liverpool will fight for Kane and Haaland. My bet (now) would be Haaland in PSG and Kane to City.
Rice...who knows? Chelsea i guess if they don't buy Saul.
Edit: i forgot that we have Ronaldo. I doubt we will be for Haaland
Psg, City, United and Liverpool will fight for Kane and Haaland. My bet (now) would be Haaland in PSG and Kane to City.
Rice...who knows? Chelsea i guess if they don't buy Saul.
Edit: i forgot that we have Ronaldo. I doubt we will be for Haaland
Its one of them for me, if we signed him i wouldn't be disappointed but at the same time if we missed out on him i wouldn't be that disappointed either.
I 100% think he is Chelsea and United first choice target for the DM position.
You dont think Donny Van De Beek could do well next to Rice for example?.
As of now, VDB isn't good next to anyone. He needs to first show that he's good enough for the club (hopefully he gets some chances soon) then we can think about whether to consider him next a potential DM signing. My understanding of the player is that he's more of a goalscoring CM than someone who will be part of the engine room.
I guess I suppose the figures don’t seem so far fetched considering Raiola and Haaland being the profile of player he is right now.
Where do you think he ends up?
I have no idea where he ends up, things change very quickly in football. Right now my bet would be on Madrid.
I believe his agent will insert a reasonable release clause in his contract wherever he goes. My bet would be on Madrid as well but EPL has the most money nowadays so I won't rule out Man Utd and City.
I'm not going to pretend like I'm someone who has always been in love with the other leagues-
However, alot of the other leagues do show signs of being a whole different level of dead right now.
The managers, the players, the quality, the intensity. Just everything.
The only reason I can imagine a top top player going to La Liga Real Madrid right now is to help Real Madrid and La Liga become better because they know they should be better - aka they enjoy the project of improving Real Madrid and being the main part of it / they have been a player that has always dreamed of playing there.
I can see that with Mbappe, but I don't see that with Haaland - not at the stage of his career. He wants numbers, he wants the attention, he wants to dominate and possibly play in the biggest league with the biggest players.
However, alot of the other leagues do show signs of being a whole different level of dead right now.
The managers, the players, the quality, the intensity. Just everything.
The only reason I can imagine a top top player going to La Liga Real Madrid right now is to help Real Madrid and La Liga become better because they know they should be better - aka they enjoy the project of improving Real Madrid and being the main part of it / they have been a player that has always dreamed of playing there.
I can see that with Mbappe, but I don't see that with Haaland - not at the stage of his career. He wants numbers, he wants the attention, he wants to dominate and possibly play in the biggest league with the biggest players.
This Reece guy reminds me of Longstaff. Too much hype for a very limited footballer. Anyway Ronaldo gives us 2 years to decide on how much of an upgrade Haaland will be on Greenwood. Pity his contract doesn’t
Guardiola is very, very keen on Kane.
They passed up on Messi for him and were hesitant on Ronaldo just because of Kane implications.
City go for Kane next summer. They won't leave him hung out to dry after he tried to force a move to them.
They passed up on Messi for him and were hesitant on Ronaldo just because of Kane implications.
City go for Kane next summer. They won't leave him hung out to dry after he tried to force a move to them.
For Haaland, to play with his hero Ronaldo, would be a big thing.