I can't wait for the British commentators to butcher his name followed by an awkward silence.
Saúl Ñíguez
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De gea smalling shaw darmian rojo Morgan Saul Herrera martial
If we can get and hold on to all these players for the next 7-8 years, we will have a solid spine.
Add to this a few attacking players or some of our current ones coming into form, we will be sorted once lvg is out.
If we can get and hold on to all these players for the next 7-8 years, we will have a solid spine.
Add to this a few attacking players or some of our current ones coming into form, we will be sorted once lvg is out.
This story picking some up pace. Any truth to this ?
That's the key part. Thomas Partey is in the squad now, too. So, while it would seem odd for Atletico to sell Saul instead of keeping him in case the transition from Gabi-Tiago to the next duo isn't smooth, it's conceivable they'd be happy to get a big chunk of cash.
I can see that. Both of them are best at breaking up play and technically solid without being anything close to special.
In theory, Saul-Schneiderlin would give us a mobile and defensively aggressive duo in front of the back 4, but there's not enough offensive creativity there. We'd have to be extremely parsimonious defensively (like this year's Atletico) or we'd need to press much higher and play much quicker/riskier with the ball than Van Gaal wants to do.
Personally, I'm a big Herrera fan and think he's best box to box, so I'd be looking for a more creative passing CM to complete a trio with Herrera-Schneiderlin and incredibly expensive star attacker we need and the LCB to pair with Smalling.
Basically, no half measures. Let's just make Verrati the highest paid non-attacker in the world and if he says no offer the same deal to Pogba, Koke or Gundogan until one says yes and we have an excellent midfield that can get the ball to our attackers (2 of whom I think we have in Martial and Memphis) and fullbacks (both of whom we likely have) in dangerous positions.
What kind of midfielder is he and who's he going to replace in the starting XI. Does he even play for Atletico?
He may well be a good player but I can't see this sort of signing having much of an impace to our current season.
He may well be a good player but I can't see this sort of signing having much of an impace to our current season.
He plays how schneirderlin plays for france. Almost like a CB at CDM.
If that's the case, is he can only be the Schweini/Carrick replacement.
Very good negotiation there, that's exactly how it works in real life
The only way I can see us going after Torres is if we are planning on moving to a 433. LVG simply doesn't use those kind of players in a double pivot. We have watched Tielemans very closely in the past few months so maybe Signing Torres wouldn't be too different. But I can't see us giving him the game and Ike he wants now.
Saul has been much better than Oliver this season. And, more importantly, he's left footed which we know LVG has a fetish for.
I know you're being facetious, and I was sort of just making a general point about us buying top-level talent, but I think it sort of is how it works.
The buying club and agent have meetings (tapping up) and the major contract details are agreed upon. The agent goes to the selling club and informs them of what his client wants and there is then a negotiation between both clubs and if a fee is agreed, the contract is quickly finished up (which is why personal terms issues cancelling deals are relatively rare) and it's all over.
If we want someone like Verrati, we're surely more likely to go to his agent and confirm he'll come and hopefully get him to agitate for a move to United and gain us a bit of leverage in terms of the fee. We don't just call up PSG and offer 85 mllion and they tell Verrati he's going and then we call up his agent with either side having no idea what the other is willing to accept in terms of wages.
That's why agents like Mendes have power, right? Because they are deeply involved in transfers.
Don't want this to happen, if it does we can forget ever seeing Pereira or Goss again.
He's more a CM than a DM and that's what we need, someone to take over from Carrick and is back up to Schneiderlin, he's not that player. This left foot fetish is madness and needs to stop, LVG needs getting rid of asap, getting rid of Pearson was the last straw for me, do not want him to rebuild anymore, don't want him given anymore money. The man has lost the plot and doesn't know what he's doing anymore. I dont even know what we are building here with him, I don't understand his logic, were already overflowing with Centre Mids, get some feckin defenders in and some attacker while your at it....anyway I'd prefer Weigl to him.
He's more a CM than a DM and that's what we need, someone to take over from Carrick and is back up to Schneiderlin, he's not that player. This left foot fetish is madness and needs to stop, LVG needs getting rid of asap, getting rid of Pearson was the last straw for me, do not want him to rebuild anymore, don't want him given anymore money. The man has lost the plot and doesn't know what he's doing anymore. I dont even know what we are building here with him, I don't understand his logic, were already overflowing with Centre Mids, get some feckin defenders in and some attacker while your at it....anyway I'd prefer Weigl to him.
We aren't overflowing with good midfielders though. Carrick is on his way out, fellaini has failed to impress and like Herrera is more suited to playing further forward. That leaves us with Schneiderlin and Bastian who is only going go worsen as he ages.
Why have you also decided he's signing him because he's left footed and that we aren't going to be signing any attackers or defenders? You've decided to condemn the move before its even happened.
Was going to post the same thing but didn't want a long discussion.
If Ben Pearson, a 20 y/o CM with zero first team experience, leaving was the last straw for you, you were already at breaking point. Don't know anything about this Saul guy, but on paper I'm all for signing a young spanish CM who's playing regularly for one of the best teams in the world.
This is the type of exaggerated thinking that stopped us from signing better midfielders because the likes of Cleverley were part of the club's future plans. Pereira and Goss might be better talents than Cleverley, but as things stand - they can't even get any minutes for us; whereas Saúl is featuring regularly for one of the Top 4-5 squads in Europe under a thorough tactician in Simeone, has already played more than 100 senior level games for Atlético and Rayo, is one of the best midfield talents around, and might just be on the verge of breaking into a stacked Spanish national team midfield if he keeps this up (was already called up for training with the senior national team. He is on the career trajectory that Koke was at 20-21, and this is the perfect time to sign him, because if he progresses further - Atlético will renew his contract and slap a hefty clause (like they did with Koke in 2013/ 2014 (up from ~€20 million to €65 million).
Who says he's not that player? That assessment couldn't be more further removed from reality. He can play as a defensive midfielder, as a central midfielder, as a central defender, as a box-to-box midfielder, and as a wide midfielder - his versatility, and overall balanced skillset in both offense and defense - are what lend to comparisons with a young Javi Martínez (could could also play in a multitude of positions) and Xabi Alonso (played wide midfielder, central midfielder, box-to-box for Sociedad) from a Spanish perspective. Saúl doesn't just have the talent to be a backup for Schneiderlin, he has the potential to completely displace him from the starting XI - because we're talking about one of the elite talents around, who if developed properly could become a midfield stalwart for United over the coming years.
How can you say with any form of certainty that we are targeting Saúl because he's left footed? How about we're signing him because our midfield is ageing, and he's one of the very best young midfielders around, is starting for a team that sits atop La Liga and topped their Champions League group, and relatively proven despite his youth? Which one seems more rational, or even within the realms of reality?
A bit hysterical no? Van Gaal might have lost the plot, but our midfield is overly reliant on Fußballgott who is showing signs of physical decline, Carrick is in his mid 30s, Schneiderlin's decision making on the ball and overall comfort in passing has to improve if he is to termed an elite kind of midfielder - one that we can build our team around, and so forth. The situation is far from settled, and adding a top young talent will do more good than harm (provided the link is semi credible). Dunno why you're so vehemently opposed to it, especially when Saúl has evidenced greater quality than Weigl through his career.
I can see why we'd buy him. A good young player at a good price. He's a surprising one to sign in January though. It's hard to visualise him hitting the ground running in the PL or as a LvG style midfielder. Maybe Carrick or Schweinsteiger is in worse physical shape than we've so far admitted.
It also seems to consolidate the idea that we're playing LvG's "double 6" formation from now on. For anyone who hasn't seen him he's not the silky skills sort of Spanish midfielder or (so far in his career) someone with great passing ability. The fact he has played as a central defender or midfielder tell you something about him physically, he was a big lad at 19. I just have this feeling that he'll get thrown into that same kind of "is that all he does?" category that Blind suffers from. He's only just turned 21, so he's not the finished article.
That said, we've been scouting him for a long time. So we should have a very clear who we're buying and what we're getting.
It also seems to consolidate the idea that we're playing LvG's "double 6" formation from now on. For anyone who hasn't seen him he's not the silky skills sort of Spanish midfielder or (so far in his career) someone with great passing ability. The fact he has played as a central defender or midfielder tell you something about him physically, he was a big lad at 19. I just have this feeling that he'll get thrown into that same kind of "is that all he does?" category that Blind suffers from. He's only just turned 21, so he's not the finished article.
That said, we've been scouting him for a long time. So we should have a very clear who we're buying and what we're getting.
I said on here only the other day that we need a young CM and this guy seems to fit the bill.
Could we be signing him as a CB? He is left footed.
Don't be fooled by his exotic name and thinking woah a spanish midfielder, skillz galore. If you had to compare the artistic level of his footballing style: a gardener/dockworker/woodchopper.
Play him at CB and hope he isn't one of those who thrived during his youth days because of his size or don't buy.
LvG about to waste some more money.
Play him at CB and hope he isn't one of those who thrived during his youth days because of his size or don't buy.
LvG about to waste some more money.
Is he our "appeasement" signing in the hope that we'll be distracted from the team's performances?
Just out of curiousity, how much have you watched Saúl?Cause he didn't look anywhere as talented as Koke to me.
Hardly fits the profile, no?
If that's the clubs plan,mint will fail badly. I'm sure it isn't.
Tempted to sign him on FM to check him out but I already have Tielemans and bazoer 
He is a regular in a much better team than ours at age 20. The hysteria on this forum is ridiculous these days.
Different type of players. From the few Atletico games I've watched, Saúl is more in the mould of Busquets while Koke is the primary playmaker a la Xavi. If we are getting him, it is to strengthen our pivot position(s).
Indeed. How anyone would rather have Pereira or Goss over Saúl is baffling to me.
Pretty regularly since the 2012 U-19 Euros, and the 2013 U-20 World Cup (even when he was at Rayo and played mostly in defense). He might not look as talented as Koke right now, but compare him to where Koke was in 2012, not what Koke has developed into. Koke was rather inconsistent back then. His deliveries and set pieces (among his biggest strengths were not very well honed yet), he was just starting to emerge - quite similar to Saúl - and was considered an afterthought to Thiago and Isco; infact Illaramendi was also considered the better player than him circa 2013 and the U-21 Euros. Also, Saúl is an 'English' Spanish midfielder which is why he would suit United if we persist with the double pivot which puts an emphasis on central midfielders who can do a bit of everything - like Javi Martínez, who he reminds me of. He might not wow us with his technique and skills or expansive vision like a Thiago or Isco or Óliver (neither can Koke), but he combines tactical discipline with physicality, tenaciousness and good passing ability. Bear in mind that he might be just above average by Spanish technical standards (like Javi was), but that translates to more than good enough for most other midfielders.
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I would think the fact that he can play there is significant if we are serious about signing him in this window. With Rojo out and Jones being Jones we're pretty thin on cover. I could even see him as a good option in a back 3. But he's not got that much experience there. Otamendi is still hit or miss and he is a real central defender and an experienced one. Trying to put a young player who has played mostly in midfield as Smalling's partner just sounds cruel (or wildly optimistic perhaps).
I've just heard that Cope are reporting that we've offered €25m and that we'd like to do a "friendly" deal. Atletico are apparently saying, "come back in June," but we're still talking.
Is his passing limited too? I don't think we necessarily need nimble footwork and low centre of gravity from a strong number 6.
How's his sideways and backward passing?
Personally he really reminds me Vidal when he joined Leverkusen, the Vidal who played in central defense, Right back and as a defensive midfielder. He is full of energy and power but still clean in term of his technique. Or Matuidi.
Are we talking the Spanish Lee Cattermole here? Or more Emre Can?
Not really a good comparison imo. Vidal was/is a lot more dynamic and is a lot better going forward. Vidal often ended up playing as offensive 8/classic b2b midfielder and Saul can´t play this role in similar fashion. The comparison with Javi Martinez is more accurate, even so I dont think he is equally talented. That is where I probably disagree with @Invictus . I don´t think that Saul is as talented as you describe him to be. It is also worth noting, that he is anything but a nailed on starter for Atletico. He replaced Tiago after his injury. When Tiago is fit, with Thomas looking really good and Augusto+ Kranevitter just joining the team, he´ll have to fight for his spot. He´ll probably end up playing a decent amount of games out wide on the right side in a 442.
If we are after young CMs, I'd rather we pursue these ones in this order. Sadly, only 2 are easily attainable.
Youri Tielemans
Ruben Neves
Oliver Torres
Saul
Bazoer
Youri Tielemans
Ruben Neves
Oliver Torres
Saul
Bazoer
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