We need 2 new CMs. Who do we sign?

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Instead of Ugarte, I would like us to target Alan Varela. He's a deep lying playmaker and would bring real nous to the no 6 role plus will be cheaper than what PSG are demanding for Ugarte. Then if we shift Case on, I would also target Mandela Keita or Lucas Gourna-Douth, young DMs with lots of potential that can rotate with Varela and add pace and athleticism to our midfield. We really need to add more athleticism and speed to our midfield, very one paced and not enough press resistance. As good as Mainoo is, he doesn't look like he's quick so would be great to have a player in the deep midfield position who has pace.

This. As well as being assured on the ball, Varela also has a bit of bite about him, too.

I'd be all for this signing.

 

[aeh1991]

Instead of Ugarte, I would like us to target Alan Varela. He's a deep lying playmaker and would bring real nous to the no 6 role plus will be cheaper than what PSG are demanding for Ugarte. Then if we shift Case on, I would also target Mandela Keita or Lucas Gourna-Douth, young DMs with lots of potential that can rotate with Varela and add pace and athleticism to our midfield. We really need to add more athleticism and speed to our midfield, very one paced and not enough press resistance. As good as Mainoo is, he doesn't look like he's quick so would be great to have a player in the deep midfield position who has pace.

Excellent suggestions. Getting Varela and Gourna-Douath would be amazing.

 

[croadyman]

Fabian Ruiz and Ugarte would do. Fabian Ruiz as the progressive passer and Ugarte as the ball winner.

Have this horrible feeling Ruiz could join Arsenal

 

[aeh1991]

Have this horrible feeling Ruiz could join Arsenal

They seem to prefer Merino though

 

[croadyman]

They seem to prefer Merino though

Think they might get both

 

[NoPace]

Think they might get both

Can't imagine Merino would be signing up to backup Fabian at club and country level. Be shocked if that happens.

 

[Kingslayer18]

This. As well as being assured on the ball, Varela also has a bit of bite about him, too.

I'd be all for this signing.

Yeah, I don't know why we haven't been linked with him at all. In a thin DM market, he should be one we have to be looking at as he ticks a lot of boxes. Plus, the fees involved mean we can get another DM as backup who is young and offers more athleticism.

 

[Kingslayer18]

Excellent suggestions. Getting Varela and Gourna-Douath would be amazing.

We would be quite set with those two in the deep midfield positions. Gourna-Douth has also played as a box to box midfielder and CB at times. They would be great additions to the squad

 

[croadyman]

We would be quite set with those two in the deep midfield positions. Gourna-Douth has also played as a box to box midfielder and CB at times. They would be great additions to the squad

We don't seem even the tiniest bit interested

 

[Kingslayer18]

We don't seem even the tiniest bit interested

Really surprised with Vivell there with his Red Bull background that he wouldn't be putting Gourna-Douth on the list of prospects.

 

[croadyman]

Really surprised with Vivell there with his Red Bull background that he wouldn't be putting Gourna-Douth on the list of prospects.

Maybe he put their names forward but didn't get much of a positive response from the others

 

[luke511]

Changing the title as Casemiro isn't getting sold as originally thought. We can still hope McTominay's on his way and 2 will be coming in.

 

[croadyman]

Changing the title as Casemiro isn't getting sold as originally thought. We can still hope McTominay's on his way and 2 will be coming in.

There is such a lack of noise about signing 2 midfielders, that recent tweet still says to me only 1

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

There is such a lack of noise about signing 2 midfielders, that recent tweet still says to me only 1

There's a lack of noise because we can't offload our current midfielders, and that's down to our poor recruitment, which will hopefully change under INEOS.

 

[luke511]

There is such a lack of noise about signing 2 midfielders, that recent tweet still says to me only 1

I’m hoping the second relies on the McTominay sale, slightly concerning if it’s just the one planned.

 

[croadyman]

I’m hoping the second relies on the McTominay sale, slightly concerning if it’s just the one planned.

Yeah I'm very concerned if that's the case

 

[pcaming]

Have this horrible feeling Ruiz could join Arsenal

PSG aren't letting him go, so there's no worry there.

 

[Dominos]

Changing the title as Casemiro isn't getting sold as originally thought. We can still hope McTominay's on his way and 2 will be coming in.

There is such a lack of noise about signing 2 midfielders, that recent tweet still says to me only 1

There's a lack of noise because we can't offload our current midfielders, and that's down to our poor recruitment, which will hopefully change under INEOS.

I'm baffled by the lack of noise around Eriksen. It felt like he barely got a game last season, despite Mount being injured the entire season, Casemiro having a long spell injured too.

We did end up with 7 first team midfielders last season somewhat unexpectedly as Mainoo broke into the team. I'd be happy to see us reduce that to 6 - Amarabt, Mctominay and Eriksen gone. 2 midfielders brought in.

Ideally we'd sell Casemiro too and make it 3 new midfield signings, but that doesn't look likely at this point.

 

[bb8]

I'm baffled by the lack of noise around Eriksen. It felt like he barely got a game last season, despite Mount being injured the entire season, Casemiro having a long spell injured too.

We did end up with 7 first team midfielders last season somewhat unexpectedly as Mainoo broke into the team. I'd be happy to see us reduce that to 6 - Amarabt, Mctominay and Eriksen gone. 2 midfielders brought in.

Ideally we'd sell Casemiro too and make it 3 new midfield signings, but that doesn't look likely at this point.

What is there to be baffled about? He's old, slow, and overpaid. The clubs that would have any interest in him probably wouldn't match his wages, and wouldn't be interesting places to play from Eriksen's perspective. Doesn't seem all that surprising if he ends up playing out his last year and leaving on a free.

McT is the one to sell if you're looking for money. Young, decent, and low wages.

 

[Redivy]

I really like that Ederson fella from Atalanta we got linked with a couple of months back. Looks like a well rounded midfielder.

Every time I watched him play he seems so much like Fred to me.

 

[croadyman]

I'm baffled by the lack of noise around Eriksen. It felt like he barely got a game last season, despite Mount being injured the entire season, Casemiro having a long spell injured too.

We did end up with 7 first team midfielders last season somewhat unexpectedly as Mainoo broke into the team. I'd be happy to see us reduce that to 6 - Amarabt, Mctominay and Eriksen gone. 2 midfielders brought in.

Ideally we'd sell Casemiro too and make it 3 new midfield signings, but that doesn't look likely at this point.

Yeah accepted Casemiro was staying when that tweet from Saudi source said they had no intention of buying him. The absolute best we can hope for is

Ugarte/Zubimendi to replace McTominay
Rabiot to replace Eriksen

 

[Fortitude]

We haven't been linked with a single player after Neves who can be expected to come in and play quality, interactive football with Mainoo and make us look oodles better at progressing the ball through midfield as well as making beating of the press a formality rather than the panic-laden mess it always is for us if Mainoo doesn't play.

Two such players in tandem buy the whole team so much time and space to play in - we're one injury to Mainoo away from having an absolutely terrible midfield again, that's with or without the players we've been linked to. Getting Mainoo a top notch partner should have been the priority of the summer window, and yet it looks like not only will we fail to do that, we'll neglect creativity and quality almost entirely, in favour of players who are more about graft than outright quality.

Zubimendi is the halfway house nobody seems to be sure of; a player who is supposed to be progressive, but hasn't done anything like enough to be convincing, and outside of him, there hasn't been a single link to anyone who might be considered a footballer first and a grafter second?

There's still 29 days to go, but there seems to be zero interest from us in raising our footballer quotient, and I don't know how we're expected to make these quantum leaps forward to be a top side without midfielders who can play football to the required standard the top placers do. Are we expecting Mainoo to perform miracles on his own out there? The blind spot for midfield quality has been the disappointment of the window for me.

 

[dinostar77]

We haven't been linked with a single player after Neves who can be expected to come in and play quality, interactive football with Mainoo and make us look oodles better at progressing the ball through midfield as well as making beating of the press a formality rather than the panic-laden mess it always is for us if Mainoo doesn't play.

Two such players in tandem buy the whole team so much time and space to play in - we're one injury to Mainoo away from having an absolutely terrible midfield again, that's with or without the players we've been linked to. Getting Mainoo a top notch partner should have been the priority of the summer window, and yet it looks like not only will we fail to do that, we'll neglect creativity and quality almost entirely, in favour of players who are more about graft than outright quality.

Zubimendi is the halfway house nobody seems to be sure of; a player who is supposed to be progressive, but hasn't done anything like enough to be convincing, and outside of him, there hasn't been a single link to anyone who might be considered a footballer first and a grafter second?

There's still 29 days to go, but there seems to be zero interest from us in raising our footballer quotient, and I don't know how we're expected to make these quantum leaps forward to be a top side without midfielders who can play football to the required standard the top placers do. Are we expecting Mainoo to perform miracles on his own out there? The blind spot for midfield quality has been the disappointment of the window for me.

Utd had briefed journalists that they want to add a combative element to the midfield this summer hence Ugarte being the top choice. No point having nice passing football that's easy on the eye, just to lose the ball and have the opposition walk through the porous midfield and create/score goals.

 

[Fortitude]

Utd had briefed journalists that they want to add a combative element to the midfield this summer hence Ugarte being the top choice. No point having nice passing football that's easy on the eye, just to lose the ball and have the opposition walk through the porous midfield and create/score goals.

You can have both, plus no point winning the ball if you’re repeatedly feckless with it because you’re reliant on too few players. As things stand, one bigger injury to Mainoo and we have a mid-table midfield unit, with or without the players we’ve been linked to. I find it incredulous that we are neglecting such an important facet of midfield, especially so when we’re so bad at it.

 

[Xaviboy]

At the moment Rabiot and Ugarte in makes sense from options being said.

Mctominey and Hannibel out

Midfield options going in to season:
Bruno
Casemiro
Manoo
Ugarte
Rabiot
Eriksen
Mount
Coller

 

[Onerealunited]

We indeed need minimum 2 high level players.

DM: Casemiro
CM: McTominay, Mainoo, Eriksen

Bruno and Mount I would not count as CM. Above picture just clearly illustrates how bad we need minimum 2 high level players. Ideally that would be one DM to compete with Casemiro and or play next too him in some games, and 1 CM to compete with Mainoo and play next to him in some games.In this scenario you could sell one of McTominay or Eriksen to finance part of the acquisitions and it would leave us with 2 DM and 2 CM which should be the minimum number of players for the midfield

 

[GaryLifo]

folks, at this stage, if we get even one new midfielder I will be quite surprised. I've seen this midfield blindness play out every summer since Carrick retired. In 17 years or so Pogba is probably the only prime-aged CM we have signed and that turned out to be the wrong player as we needed someone who could provide world class defensive play.... and we still do.

 

[aeh1991]

We should take a look at Ezquiel Fernandez. Is exactly the type of player Porto or Benfica would sign and then sell for 60-70m later.

 

[jigen]

I am watching the Olympic final. Manù Kone is a top defensive midfielder. He should be your top target.

 

[Grand Vizier]

I am watching the Olympic final. Manù Kone is a top defensive midfielder. He should be your top target.

He is a box-to-box midfielder and he isn't that good. Very aesthetically pleasing player to watch with nice qualities, but not good enough for us as a starter.

 

[KjaAnd]

Infuriating that we're a week away from the first match of the season and we haven't made any move to address CM situation. It's my biggest concern for this team and has been for ages. We simply can't go into the new season without a mobile DM to replace Casemiro and a deep lying playmaker (ideally rolled into one). We will get cut open again all season just like we were last season.

 

[NoPace]

I am watching the Olympic final. Manù Kone is a top defensive midfielder. He should be your top target.

He is a box-to-box midfielder and he isn't that good. Very aesthetically pleasing player to watch with nice qualities, but not good enough for us as a starter.

I only watched the highlights but he didn't track Fermin Lopez on either goal, seemed oblivious to the issue of a 3rd player crashing the box making it tough for his 2 CBs who were already marking players. You can arguably live with that in a #8, but it's death as a #6.

If we have the cash, and the rumours of 20M on a backup for Mainoo keep him from being run into the ground as a teen make sense if we can shift McTominay and buy a #6.

Bruno-Mount-Eriksen
Mainoo-Kone-Eriksen
#6-Casemiro-Collyer

would look okay and then presumably Casemiro and Eriksen leave in a year and either we sign another #6 as a backup or Collyer gets the job after proving himself in some cup games and when there's an inevitable injury crisis.

 

[croadyman]

Infuriating that we're a week away from the first match of the season and we haven't made any move to address CM situation. It's my biggest concern for this team and has been for ages. We simply can't go into the new season without a mobile DM to replace Casemiro and a deep lying playmaker (ideally rolled into one). We will get cut open again all season just like we were last season.

Best to accept we are never signing two midfielders

 

[aeh1991]

Reading that Milan had lined up Man-u Koné as the first alternative if Fofana's deal fell through and that Gladbach would be willing to let him go for €20m. Would be ideal if we can somehow sell Eriksen+Ugarte. He's tall, can defend but is also strong in build-up, playmaking and is press-resistant. Just a bit inconsistent and has had some injuries (although I reckon less so than Eriksen). Still worth a try.

Alternatively I have always been vocal about us bringing Angel Gomes back (he'd also cost below 20m with 1y left on his contract). His technical aspect and composure is what our midfield lacks. Could be the ideal backup/competition to Mainoo.

 

[croadyman]

Will die on that Ugarte and Rabiot hill, however just can't see us signing more than one midfielder

 

[aeh1991]

Matheus Fernandes just moved for €18m to Southhampton.. Can't help but feel we should have signed him as a backup to Mainoo if he was that cheap.

 

[didz]

Reading that Milan had lined up Man-u Koné as the first alternative if Fofana's deal fell through and that Gladbach would be willing to let him go for €20m. Would be ideal if we can somehow sell Eriksen+Ugarte. He's tall, can defend but is also strong in build-up, playmaking and is press-resistant. Just a bit inconsistent and has had some injuries (although I reckon less so than Eriksen). Still worth a try.

Alternatively I have always been vocal about us bringing Angel Gomes back (he'd also cost below 20m with 1y left on his contract). His technical aspect and composure is what our midfield lacks. Could be the ideal backup/competition to Mainoo.

I like Kone. To my eye he's a far better player than Fofana but, as you mention, the injuries last season aren't what you want.

 

[aeh1991]

I like Kone. To my eye he's a far better player than Fofana but, as you mention, the injuries last season aren't what you want.

the question is whether he is really more injury prone than McTominay or Eriksen who were injured themselves quite often last season

 

[didz]

the question is whether he is really more injury prone than McTominay or Eriksen who were injured themselves quite often last season

Is that the question? Aside from the fact McTominay is barely ever injured, pointing at our own squad and saying "well we have other players who get injured a lot, so getting injured slightly less than a lot is okay," seems like a silly way to make decisions.

 

[Senior Fusion]

Reading that Milan had lined up Man-u Koné as the first alternative if Fofana's deal fell through and that Gladbach would be willing to let him go for €20m. Would be ideal if we can somehow sell Eriksen+Ugarte. He's tall, can defend but is also strong in build-up, playmaking and is press-resistant. Just a bit inconsistent and has had some injuries (although I reckon less so than Eriksen). Still worth a try.

Alternatively I have always been vocal about us bringing Angel Gomes back (he'd also cost below 20m with 1y left on his contract). His technical aspect and composure is what our midfield lacks. Could be the ideal backup/competition to Mainoo.

No rumours about Kone? Is he not linked to us or will he in the next days….
Hopefully, he is good and a steal for that money in addition to ugarte