€80m buyout clause?
Let's just buy Alli instead.
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Alli --- Pogba
Let's just buy Alli instead.
----DM
Alli --- Pogba
Saul Niguez | Extended contract with Atletico till 2026
- Thread starter davidmichael
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
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I don't see it really.
1) Ideally we want to get a player in now and not have Fellaini as fallback (completely changes our midfield).
2) The most pressing need, the break the bank one, is Carrick's replacement.
But no, let's spend a shitload of cash next Summer on a marginal, if not dubious, upgrade on Herrera and spend the whole of next season watching him perform worse as he adapts.
Doesn't sound like a brilliant idea really.
The universe would implode on itself
We are allowed to buy more than one player at a time, so I don't really see why you are complaining.
I'm not complaining, just think we have higher priorities in midfield and, after the right signing, elsewhere.
Niguez please.
As I see it, we need a replacement for Ibra, one for Carrick, a new CB, a new RB and possibly a new LB within the next 18 months. Make the math on the pounds we need to spend, and if we have an extra 80m euros, get Saul.
I think that we might have those money on the next two summers. We should be able to spend 100-150m pounds per summer, and then we can get some money from players we'll sell (Fellaini, Mata etc).
We imperatively need both though, so there is no reason to not fix the CM position before the DM position when we have the opportunity. You could even argue that fixing the CM position quickly will give us the opportunity to concentrate on Carrick's replacement.
Our fullbacks positions are doubled, our CBs are doubled too but our CMs who aren't doubled are not a priority?
We need a replacement for Ibra after next season. Need a new MF alright. Dont need a new CB, RB and LB.
Valencia will be 33 in the start of 2018-2019 season, and Shaw hasn't had a good career for us so far. If Valencia's form drop (easy to imagine, just look at the likes of Alves or any RB of that age), then we will need a new starting RB. If Shaw doesn't turn it around we will need a new starting LB. And I think that we need a new starting CB despite Rojo's and Jones' good form.
On Saul's case, in his position we have a player that at the moment is very comparable with him in both quality and style of play. You don't upgrade one of your best players position (in this case Herrera). So, if the money is an issue, it is better to prioritize signing of players that will definitely start, and then spend some money (not 80m) on a player to cover for Herrera, then benching one of your best player for a marginal upgrade that costs 80m euros.
Valencia will be 33 in a position that makes some of the most runs in the team (and needs to cover more ground than any other player bar midfielders).
This is Shaw's third season and he is nowhere to be seen. Mourinho might give him an another season, but if by the end of next season, he isn't shining, he will surely go for an another player there. Blind is a good backup, but probably not good enough to start for a team that wants to win everything.
The collection of Bailly, Smalling, Rojo and Jones in my opinion is not that strong. Smalling has been bad for a year now, and while Rojo and Jones have been playing quite well, not long ago they were called not good enough for us. Add to that, both of them have problems with injuries (especially Jones). Ideally, I think that we need an another CB (probably to partner Bailly), with two of the other three defenders being there for backup.
Ibra and Carrick need replacements after next season, no doubt there.
So for the next 18 months, we are looking at potentially signing 5 players for the first XI. I think that we need to prioritize those signing, before we go for someone to replace Herrera. Of course, if the money is there, then get all of them, but if not, I would prefer to strengthen those positions, and get a cheaper backup for Herrera (hopefully someone young with a lot of potential).
So you don't expect us to play every competition at 100% or don't think that one of our midfielders could have an injury or accumulate yellows?
I genuinely don't understand your logic, which teams have only two starting midfielders for two positions, a single injury puts you in big trouble. A CM isn't a luxury for us, it's a priority like replacing Carrick. Valencia's replacement isn't a priority, it's important to prepare ourselves and have an idea about who we are going to target but that's not a short term priority.
I agree.
Niguez over Ali. I've never understood the English obsession with how many goals a midfielder scores. Ali's a good player but lacks in the build up and finds himself in goal scoring positions too often for a midfielder.
Niguez is a phenominal midfielder.
Niguez is a phenominal midfielder.
I don't think that it is a priority to spend 80m euros in a player that plays in the same position as one of our best players. Sure, we need depth on that position, but you don't spend that kind of money for a marginal upgrade.
Carrick, Herrera, and Pogba is a strong midfield. But the drop in quality after them is huge, and then there's the small issue of Carrick coming towards the end of his career. I don't know how anyone could think a midfield signing isn't a priority. We need a real quality signing to replace Carrick and a squad player for backup/rotation with Herrera/Pogba. That could possibly be Pereira.
Only in our dreams sadly....
He would not be a replacement for Herrera imo. The way Herrera play now, I can't see anyone take his place.
I am all for signing a midfielder to replace Carrick (knowing Carrick's age), but Saul is not that midfielder. Weigl on the other hand is essentially a young version of Carrick, Saul is much closer to Herrera on style of play.
Let the press know we want Niguez to smooth the way for the Griezmann transfer, good plan Jose, but we are going to need a player like this at some point as well.
I don't see how he can't replace Carrick in a positional sense. We don't necessarily need someone who can replicate Carrick's style of play, do we.
Even though he hasn't played as the sole anchor-man or pivot, i don't see why he can't as his game matures. He has the requisite tools to make that position his own in my opinion. Having said that, i do agree that at present his best position would be where Herrera plays.
Even though he hasn't played as the sole anchor-man or pivot, i don't see why he can't as his game matures. He has the requisite tools to make that position his own in my opinion. Having said that, i do agree that at present his best position would be where Herrera plays.
I don't think it's an either/or situation and it's very difficult to get the required quality in January. Basically we have no cover for Carrick and crappy cover for Herrera, we need to address both if we are to get this squad is the best possible shape, and it wont be cheap to achieve.
Mourinho might feel that he doesn't need a midfielder like Carrick, Busquets, Alonso, Weigl, etc. Saul has played as a #6 and #8, he'd definitely help.
Herrera isn't THAT good despite the stats. He isn't and will never be a WC player. Herrera is a squad player in a great team and we want to become a great team again...Saul is better and younger so we should buy him. But Herrera is the darling of many fans, for them even Vidal is a marginal upgrade to Herrera 
What does Niguez do that is so impressive that he should come and replace Herrera?Herrera isn't THAT good despite the stats. He isn't and will never be a WC player. Herrera is a squad player in a great team and we want to become a great team again...Saul is better and younger so we should buy him. But Herrera is the darling of many fans, for them even Vidal is a marginal upgrade to Herrera
'Carrick replacement' has become the new Keane replacement. We will probably not get a like for like player!
Similar arguement was used against Carrick a lot during his early days. That he wasn't anything special, passing was ordinary and uninspiring. For many he wasn't good enough because he wasn't Keane replacement apparently.Herrera isn't THAT good despite the stats. He isn't and will never be a WC player. Herrera is a squad player in a great team and we want to become a great team again...Saul is better and younger so we should buy him. But Herrera is the darling of many fans, for them even Vidal is a marginal upgrade to Herrera
I wouldn't take Ander for anyone unless it's obviously clear that the replacement would be a far superior player with the same mentality and aggression. Saul atm isn't that big an upgrade. Not saying he can't grow into one, but to take a 80 mil euro gamble to disrupt the current wheel that's seem to work well would be a bit unwise imo.
We need a Carrick replacement. Not a Herrera one. In that case, Weigl, Verratti, Neves, Tielemans etc. are good shouts.
Bastian & Schneiderlin are goners, fellaini is crap and carrick is ancient. We need to add new bodies to the midfield irrespective whether herrera is good or not. If hes good he will keep his place same as scholes did agaimst jsv. If not, tough luck. Carrick had to win a first team place against Hargreaves and fletcher
Ji-Sung Vark was never going to threaten Scholesey's place in the starting 11.
Juan Sebastian veron
80 M just for Saul, it's not worth it for me. Can we try to buy Casemiro please (well, feck Perez!), he will be good replacement for Carrick. 
We essentially have no backup for Pogba or Herrera, or Carrick really. We need bodies. I don't know much about Saul but it sounds like he can play for Herrera or Pogba, it would certainly be nice to have someone capable of covering those two positions because as of right now we're looking at putting in Fellaini or changing our formation.
That said, 80m is way too much for someone unless they're an absolute nailed on starter. Would be interesting to see if maybe the idea is to push Herrera back as the Carrick replacement?
That said, 80m is way too much for someone unless they're an absolute nailed on starter. Would be interesting to see if maybe the idea is to push Herrera back as the Carrick replacement?
If we go for Saul, this is my thinking too. We could be pushing Herrera back into Carricks position and bringing in Saul for the midfield 3. I think Herrera could play that position, obviously not as good as Carrick but it's unlikely we will get Weigl or Verratti, so there's no point wasting money for the sake of bringing someone in, so maybe Jose thinks Herrera could be the solution to that issue.
I think we could see Bakayoko come in to add some flesh to our midfield, especially if Fellaini, Schneiderlin and Sweinsteiger leave.
Its most likely just another story like Koke, who we kept being linked with and never managed to get. He's a good young CM and of course he could play with Ander and Pogba, but are Atletico going to sell their best young player? Highly unlikely.
80 million is definitely way over the top.
80 million is definitely way over the top.
No thanks. He isn't a player we should be trying to sign at all not for the price we'd need to pay anyways. There are hordes of midfielders in his class in la liga.
So Niguez is a back-up to Herrera AND Pogba? So Herrera and Niguez could play together in front of Carrick? I'm not sure that midfield provides all the qualities we need.
Why is the price so high? Buy-out is £54m so shouldn't be able to get him for less than than? I suggest £35-40m would persuade them to sell.
Why is the price so high? Buy-out is £54m so shouldn't be able to get him for less than than? I suggest £35-40m would persuade them to sell.
Why do you think that?
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