Solskjaer target 5 signings; 6 players could leave [BBC, Telegraph, Guardian]

Thiagoal

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Would happily see the likes of Darmian, Rojo, Valencia, Sanchez and Mata be replaced by young players with high potential (plus the likes of Mason, Gomes and Garner getting decent minutes) even if it means not challenging for the league for a couple of years!
 

.mica

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The coach (and its open if he is the right man for a longer period and if he is capable of teaching a modern style of football) hands a "list" to a financial chairman. No DoF in sight, and even if this would be the case, another season with a longterm solution and a strategy is wasted. United, Woodward and the whole board dont want to learn a thing, do they? Just throw some money, and deep lying problems will be solved. If it that is really the truth, the Club will still be a money train riding in a circle and is going nowhere.
 
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Adisa

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Can he really be that stupid? You dont go screaming to the world if you are after someone, thats just silly and 7 year old child would even know it.

BBC reporting it too. There might be something to this or Eddyboy is really that stupid.
We've briefed about loads of players we didn't end up signing.
 

SadlerMUFC

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AWB only makes sense if Dalot is leaving. Why sign another RB of the same age. Perhaps a trade plus cash deal? I also like the idea of a Britsih core. So bring in Sancho and perhaps Maguire? But instead of Rice (who apparently sees his future as a centre half, not a midfielder), I would rather we went all out for N'golo Kante to partner Pogba in the midfield. I think it's possible too. Obviously Sarri sees Jorginho as his DM as he continues to play Kante out of position as a #8. Kante could slot right into our midfield and Chelsea would have money to find a proper #8 to play his role. It's a win win and we get a proven winner who will only make Pogba a better player
 

Dr. Dwayne

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AWB only makes sense if Dalot is leaving. Why sign another RB of the same age. Perhaps a trade plus cash deal? I also like the idea of a Britsih core. So bring in Sancho and perhaps Maguire? But instead of Rice (who apparently sees his future as a centre half, not a midfielder), I would rather we went all out for N'golo Kante to partner Pogba in the midfield. I think it's possible too. Obviously Sarri sees Jorginho as his DM as he continues to play Kante out of position as a #8. Kante could slot right into our midfield and Chelsea would have money to find a proper #8 to play his role. It's a win win and we get a proven winner who will only make Pogba a better player
Dalot would be our only right back and he's a bit undertook so AWB is a great buy. We need competition for places to make players improve.
 

Samid

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  1. Brief the press when the club is going through a rough period
  2. Talk about 'targeting' a DoF and/or a massive player overhaul
  3. Mention all the big up and coming players in the briefing
  4. Watch doom and gloom turn into a complete muppet fest
  5. ???
  6. Profit

Classical Woody. Can't believe how gullible United fans are.
 

beingshe7don

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There are more than 6 players that need to leave our club this summer.
Sanchez
Jones
Valencia
Smalling
Young
Darmian
Mata
Rojo
Lukaku
Fred
Matic
Bailly
TFM

I would move on the above-mentioned players... I know Herrera has potentially agreed to move to PSG but he should have been retained. We lack leaders in our dressing room and one player who actually deserves the armband ahead of Young, Smalling, De Gea and Pogba is being let go off.

People who should actually be retained
Rashford
Martial
Pogba
De Gea
Lingard
Lindelof
Herrera
Dalot
Luke Shaw
Andreas Periera
Angel Gomes
Greenwood
Tuanzebe
Garner
Chong

Retaining this group strengthening with possible options
Wan Bassaka
De Ligt/ Koulibaly
Alderweireld
Ndombele
Neves/ Rodri
Joao Felix
N Pepe/ Douglas Costa
 

crossy1686

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Don't understand why people are upset about this news today. 80% of this forum has been losing their shit for the last few weeks because the board are 'doing nothing'. They brief the press on what they're actually doing and everyone's still moaning? I don't get it...
 

Njord

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To everyone saying we shouldn't go for 5 or 6 young players, but rather sign 2 or 3 ready made, world class players: Have you seen us play this year? Do you really think a few twinks are going to get us back at the top? Our squad is not only lacking in quality, but it's also awfully unbalanced.

If you compare us to Liverpool, and say "they only needed to sign a quality CB, and they are suddenly challeging." 1. Their first team were already very good, and more than that, their players were suited to the way Klopp wanted them to play. 2. Allison, VVD, Robertson, Wijnaldum, Mane, Salah and Firmino has been involved in almost every match this season, and without such luck with injuries theit squad would be far from good enough to challenge for anything.

Another point against us going for just a few world class players is that this tactic hasn't worked for us earlier. If we buy more and younger, we can spread the risk of a flop over multiple players, and we can form the players over time.

In conclusion, everyone should realise that our squad isn't good enough to challenge next season, and probably not the one after that. But if we're patient, and build a squad with players that suit a certain style of play and who suit each others qualities, then we can start challeging in two-three years time, just as Rashford, Martial, Shaw, Lindelöf etc. hits their prime.
 

Andersons Dietician

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5 or 6 seems a little far fetched because you would think for the quality of player we would be looking at to actually improve us we’d surely be getting close to world breaking figures in terms of spend in 1 summer. We’d be pushing around the 300-350 mil bracket with some of the names that have been mentioned as targets.

AWB makes sense as well cover is needed and Dalot can play RB,RM,LB,LM so I’m sure he’ll get plenty of time.
Midfield is my biggest concern especially if Herrera is leaving. As I’d say we need two for there and you ain’t getting anyone decent for less than 60 mil. Saúl -98 mil, Ndombele 60-80, Neves 60-80 that’s a large chunk just gone there.
 

FujiVice

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I'd happily take 2 years to rebuild this club if it means some of these frauds leaving the club.
 

sp_107

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Darmian/Valencia/Rojo/Mata/Jones/
Up to me, I'd clear half the squad or more.
I'd include Young, Jones Smalling, Matic, Bailly among others. Know it sounds daft but some of these players have been here for ages and at best have been proven to be okay players. We need a rejig, sink or swim.
Just look at a list of our five most experienced players, who have been here the longest. Apart from Dave, not one has been world class at any point in his career at this club. Time to be ruthless.
Not too wrong If we want to become true contenders again. Right now too many average squad players along with few top ones not up for it. We need to change that by get rid of them first and inject few players likes to prove themselves at top.
 

WR10

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Come on. This is nothing but some shareholder fluff. We’re obviously going through a rough patch and there’s nothing on the pitch that is giving shareholders any optimism.

What to do? Go lay out your cards to the media about an absolutely unrealistic outlay of transfer targets and get the fans optimistic hence the shareholders happy.

Don’t be so naive. You’ve had SAF, van gaal and mourinho all tell us very clearly we are just a commercial club.
 

Alvaro Maestre

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There are more than 6 players that need to leave our club this summer.
Sanchez
Jones
Valencia
Smalling
Young
Darmian
Mata
Rojo
Lukaku
Fred
Matic
Bailly
TFM

I would move on the above-mentioned players... I know Herrera has potentially agreed to move to PSG but he should have been retained. We lack leaders in our dressing room and one player who actually deserves the armband ahead of Young, Smalling, De Gea and Pogba is being let go off.

People who should actually be retained
Rashford
Martial
Pogba
De Gea
Lingard
Lindelof
Herrera
Dalot
Luke Shaw
Andreas Periera
Angel Gomes
Greenwood
Tuanzebe
Garner
Chong

Retaining this group strengthening with possible options
Wan Bassaka
De Ligt/ Koulibaly
Alderweireld
Ndombele
Neves/ Rodri
Joao Felix
N Pepe/ Douglas Costa

Damn, you are removing half the team , this is not FIFA.
 

NoPace

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5 or 6 seems a little far fetched because you would think for the quality of player we would be looking at to actually improve us we’d surely be getting close to world breaking figures in terms of spend in 1 summer. We’d be pushing around the 300-350 mil bracket with some of the names that have been mentioned as targets.

AWB makes sense as well cover is needed and Dalot can play RB,RM,LB,LM so I’m sure he’ll get plenty of time.
Midfield is my biggest concern especially if Herrera is leaving. As I’d say we need two for there and you ain’t getting anyone decent for less than 60 mil. Saúl -98 mil, Ndombele 60-80, Neves 60-80 that’s a large chunk just gone there.
If we were smart, we would be able to find a proven but talented RB in his mid 20s for like 15-20M like Leicester did with Pereira or Arsenal did with Monreal at LB (7M but that's probably 15M in today's fees) to start for a couple years while Dalot learns on the job and we could spend big on the RW, 2 CMs (assuming Herrera gone) and CB we desperately need:

Martial-Rashford--------
---------------------Sancho
-----Pogba---#8----------
----------#6--------------
Shaw-LCB--Lindelof--RB
---------De Gea----------

with Lukaku, Lingard, Fred, Mctominay, Smalling and Dalot getting most of the other minutes looks genuinely promising if we can somehow sign those 5 new starters.

It also shouldn't be completely beyond us to find 1 of the new starting midfielders without breaking the bank. I remember Aranguiz clearly looking capable of starting for us when he played for Chile and Leverkusen got him instead. Christ do we need a director of football.
 

Kill 'em all

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You don't really need world class all around the pitch to have a team that can challenge. A team of good players who can do their job and perform at a respectable level every game and work well as a unit with a few world class players in between are enough. We need to stop signings names and look at signing players who fit in the plan and tick the right boxes.

At the moment we don't have that at the back and on our right wing so just improving that part of our first 11 is already a huge step forward.
 

Dante

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Do you really think a few twinks are going to get us back at the top?
:lol:

Predictive autocorrect.

I'm guessing you text about twinks quite a lot?

If they wanted to make it in the Premier League, they'd need to bulk up. And ideally, a bit of experience would be good.

A few bears would be better.
 

Njord

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:lol:

Predictive autocorrect.

I'm guessing you text about twinks quite a lot?

If they wanted to make it in the Premier League, they'd need to bulk up. And ideally, a bit of experience would be good.

A few bears would be better.
I had to google what twinks are, and no, that is not what I meant :lol:

Tweaks was the word I was looking for.
 

Dr. Dwayne

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Competition is good. But why have two players of the same age? I would rather have a veteran and a pupil compete. Having 2 "up and comers" seems like a bit of a waste for me...
I think Dalot has shown he's decent playing further forward as well, so both could play at the same time as well.
 

Dante

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I think Dalot has shown he's decent playing further forward as well, so both could play at the same time as well.
Like Wes Brown/Owen Hargreaves on the right wing in the 2008 CL final.

Our team is intentionally lopsided. The overload on the left is designed to help Martial/Pogba/Shaw. The counterpoint to that is shutting down the right. AWB plus Dalot would achieve that, whilst Dalot's pace and crossing would open up the flank for quick counters.

It could work.
 

ravi2

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:lol: Reminds me of those stories about £100m for a centre back only to do feck all in the market. We are incredibly slow in the market, and that is down to whoever is responsible for negotiating transfers (Woodward, Arnold, who fecking knows). Also, isn't it nice that this gets released right around a loss that makes top 4 very difficult.

The incoming technical director better have a robust skill set when it comes to target acquirement and negotiation.
Woodward needs all the help he can get in those departments
 

paulscholes18

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Would be great to see 5 first team signings (believe it when I see it), would make up from the disappointing summer last year

RB Aaron Wan-Bissaka

CB Koulibaly, Varane or De Ligt
Cheaper alternative Alderweireld

DM Rice, Neves or Ndidi

CM Rabiot

RW Sancho
Cheaper alternatives, Hudson Odoi, Lozano or Chiesa
 

ravi2

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It's very predictable now. After every defeat we see briefings about transfers or DoF. Seems like it's our club's strategy to weather the storm.

He can be playing games or not, but he is in for a world of ridicule from all angles if he doesnt produce this summer.
We are at the point where City has overtaken us and we are about to be overtaken by Liverpool as well.
 

Sandikan

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The best way as a fan to approach the summer, is to expect nothing, and be pleasantly surprised IF we put some good signings in.

It's also very hard to judge what will be a good signing.
Most of us laundered our breeks over Sanchez, Falcao, Di Maria, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger. All for different reasons turned out dreadfully.

Matic was seen as an underwhelming one, but started brilliantly. Now that's worn off in a big way.

Martial was treated as a who the heck is this guy, and started like an absolute machine. He's still pretty inconsistent now.

Bailly and Lindelöf have bounced between shocking and good, Fred is still "adjusting"

That's an absolutely mad set of outcomes for transfers. Have they all really been so underwhelming at times, or is football over analysed to a near impossible level to live up to these days?
 

ravi2

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Smalling and Jones need to go. Young as well. Herrera and Mata is fair enough. Darmian, Valencia, Rojo, Sanchez are obvious.

The first 3 will end up remaining and we won’t buy the 5-6 players we need though. Haven’t got any trust in that utter baffoon Woodward.
I think Smalling is a decent backup CB but Jones has to go. Young can carry on as a backup for one more season as we cannot replace everyone at the same time.
 

Eckers99

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Might help season ticket renewals. Which is what this is probably intended for
Yeah, we might have a half empty stadium if we don't promise to sign loads of players. That would kill us financially.
 

Rozay

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"Hi, We're Manchester United. We are the richest club in the world. How much of our money would you like?"
Predictably, this was not the reaction when ‘perfectly run’ Bayern Munich said the same thing just a week ago.
 

Acquire Me

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I just don't rate him. He's an average winger and average striker. No matter what position you play him you'll lose quality in the XI. It's just lucky for him that we're terrible up front that he's getting chances. Very limited technically, kick and run and greedy.

He has a mean shot on him and his work rate is next to none but that's not enough for a team who dreams of challenging for titles. Just my opinion since you ask, though. :angel:
:lol:
 

edcunited1878

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It's a fecking joke that something like this gets public to the major outlets, including BBC and it comes out pretty much at the same time.

Some of it is very practical and the journos could piece it together, however you know someone has been briefed again just like during Jose's time at United.

If Ole truly operates in a lot of Fergie ways, keeping things like player in's and out's are usually close to the chest.

The only true player I have reservations about is Declan Rice. Too unproven at the moment and would rather see Garner be groomed. Youth is fine, good enough is old enough but the squad doesn't have even 1 proper leader with matching talent to galvanize the youth, to guide them. Youngy isn't good enough, but his leadership is good. Pogba is NOT the proper leader for a club like United. Maybe Rashford becomes captain, but he's far too young, still naive and selfish. Maybe in a few years time.

Pallister, Bruce, Cantona, Keane, Schmicheal, Neville, Vidic, Ferdinand, Rooney, Valencia. The past two captains were past their prime when they became captain and couldn't really drive the team on the pitch as they are capable of (more so Rooney than Tony V).
 

ovoxo

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Maybe Rice is a player we need to do the dirty work whilst Garner is groomed to be the Carrick-esque player we crave? Different games, different needs perhaps. Just a thought.

I’ve not watched Rice too much though this season, but if Ole is interested, he must have a plan.
 

Cee90

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Competition is good. But why have two players of the same age? I would rather have a veteran and a pupil compete. Having 2 "up and comers" seems like a bit of a waste for me...
Remember that Dalot can also play at LB and RW, so perhaps he’d still get to fill in at those positions and improve.
 

Bastian

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Come on. This is nothing but some shareholder fluff. We’re obviously going through a rough patch and there’s nothing on the pitch that is giving shareholders any optimism.

What to do? Go lay out your cards to the media about an absolutely unrealistic outlay of transfer targets and get the fans optimistic hence the shareholders happy.

Don’t be so naive. You’ve had SAF, van gaal and mourinho all tell us very clearly we are just a commercial club.
SAF? I thought he spoke really positively about the Glazers, every chance he got.

In any case, this kind of briefing is a signal of intent, it's not to pacify shareholders until the window shuts. It's painfully obvious that we're far from competing for serious titles. However, this public signal of intent can of course backfire drastically like it has many a time before under Woodward's leadership.
 

Josep Dowling

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AWB only makes sense if Dalot is leaving. Why sign another RB of the same age. Perhaps a trade plus cash deal? I also like the idea of a Britsih core. So bring in Sancho and perhaps Maguire? But instead of Rice (who apparently sees his future as a centre half, not a midfielder), I would rather we went all out for N'golo Kante to partner Pogba in the midfield. I think it's possible too. Obviously Sarri sees Jorginho as his DM as he continues to play Kante out of position as a #8. Kante could slot right into our midfield and Chelsea would have money to find a proper #8 to play his role. It's a win win and we get a proven winner who will only make Pogba a better player
Sarri will he sacked at the end of the season and there is absolutely no way Kanté is leaving Chelsea. This isn’t FM. We need realistic target. Any players from top Champions League rivals aren’t coming here.

We need to be looking at top British talent and players from the likes of Napoli, Dortmund and maybe Atletico.
 

golden_blunder

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AWB only makes sense if Dalot is leaving. Why sign another RB of the same age. Perhaps a trade plus cash deal? I also like the idea of a Britsih core. So bring in Sancho and perhaps Maguire? But instead of Rice (who apparently sees his future as a centre half, not a midfielder), I would rather we went all out for N'golo Kante to partner Pogba in the midfield. I think it's possible too. Obviously Sarri sees Jorginho as his DM as he continues to play Kante out of position as a #8. Kante could slot right into our midfield and Chelsea would have money to find a proper #8 to play his role. It's a win win and we get a proven winner who will only make Pogba a better player
It’s not a win for Chelsea, they have a transfer ban and can’t buy anyone which is why I find it unlikely that they will sell anyone