2010 - Yohan Gourcuff
....... - David Villa
2009 - Karim Benzema
2008 - Dimitar Berbatov
2007 - Fernando Torres
2006 - Mahmadou Diarra
2005 - Michael Ballack
2004 - Michael Essien
2003 - Ronaldinho
....... - Joaquin
2002 - Djibril Cisse
2001 - Philippe Mexes
Right. Each season, the speculators extrodinaire of who Man Utd should sign for the forthcoming season (thereby letting us know who wouldn't be surely arriving) sees a top entrant.
This said target evolves from being an unknown face, to a Youtube hero, a off-hand rumour, highlight-reel from one of those weekend-football-roundup shows, a one-off performer in a game which many saw on a slow UEFA Cup/Europa League Thursday, a mention in Sunday papers, simultaneous speculations after Ferguson lists the player as "one of the many good players in their side" during a pre-season friendly, an unequivocal judgement from the fans following said friendly, and finally...a unanimous call & a call-to-action over two transfer windows.
I just want the old horses of this forum who have remained relatively on the sidelines of speculation to remember names of these talents of yore, to take a trip down memory-lane and recollect these players.
For instance, this season, the vote goes to Yohan Gourcuff of Bordeaux. Last season, I think it was Karim Benzema. I would like to maintain a list of these top players, just for record-keeping purposes.
So, I really can't think before 2007 as to who this chief desirable was among the speculators and ask for help (Was it Torres in 2007?). Here's a list (which shall be edited in future):
To list who your recollection of a chief candidate for a given year, please follow the following format:
<Year> - <Transfer Target>
Template (just remove the spacing before the "b"):
[ b]200 [/ b] -
....... - David Villa
2009 - Karim Benzema
2008 - Dimitar Berbatov
2007 - Fernando Torres
2006 - Mahmadou Diarra
2005 - Michael Ballack
2004 - Michael Essien
2003 - Ronaldinho
....... - Joaquin
2002 - Djibril Cisse
2001 - Philippe Mexes
Right. Each season, the speculators extrodinaire of who Man Utd should sign for the forthcoming season (thereby letting us know who wouldn't be surely arriving) sees a top entrant.
This said target evolves from being an unknown face, to a Youtube hero, a off-hand rumour, highlight-reel from one of those weekend-football-roundup shows, a one-off performer in a game which many saw on a slow UEFA Cup/Europa League Thursday, a mention in Sunday papers, simultaneous speculations after Ferguson lists the player as "one of the many good players in their side" during a pre-season friendly, an unequivocal judgement from the fans following said friendly, and finally...a unanimous call & a call-to-action over two transfer windows.
I just want the old horses of this forum who have remained relatively on the sidelines of speculation to remember names of these talents of yore, to take a trip down memory-lane and recollect these players.
For instance, this season, the vote goes to Yohan Gourcuff of Bordeaux. Last season, I think it was Karim Benzema. I would like to maintain a list of these top players, just for record-keeping purposes.
So, I really can't think before 2007 as to who this chief desirable was among the speculators and ask for help (Was it Torres in 2007?). Here's a list (which shall be edited in future):
To list who your recollection of a chief candidate for a given year, please follow the following format:
<Year> - <Transfer Target>
Template (just remove the spacing before the "b"):
[ b]200 [/ b] -
