What do we still need? Aka The never ending story

[SparkedIntoLife]

GK: No one's taking De Gea on the wages he's on, realistically. Henderson is more sellable and I haven't seen enough to warrant him staying, plus the rumours of his press leaking concerns me. Heaton's fine as third choice. I like Sam Johnstone on a free but he doesn't challenge DDG enough and I'd think he would be keen to play to get into the England World Cup squad. I'd prefer we bought a young, more modern keeper to challenge DDG. Gabriel Slonina is very highly rated and I doubt he'd be more than £10m.
De Gea, Slonina, Heaton

RB: I don't have much faith in AWB. I don't think selling him would really be worth it at the moment but loaning him out to regain some value before selling him to a PL rival may be the best idea. Dalot still could be a reasonable player. Laird just isn't getting past his injury issues and needs another season on loan ideally. Djed Spence has been the best RB in the Championship this season and at 21 has good potential. At a wild guess, he'd be about 15m or so.
Spence, Dalot

LB: Shaw's attitude really frustrates me. Telles is decidedly average. This position isn't a priority but I think it may be the last chance to get any real value for Shaw (still running on credit for last season and his Euros performance). I'd shell out for David Raum from Hoffenheim to replace him - a bit more ready made than Hickey and better defensively than Sosa. I'd make do with Telles for another year as second choice while Alvaro Fernandez goes out on loan.
Raum, Telles

CD: Maguire is the elephant in the room. Newcastle may be willing to give us a bit for him but I doubt it. I don't think we have much choice but to keep him around. Especially as Bailly seems desperate to leave and can't stay fit. I'd buy a young centre back to eventually replace him/Lindelof as Varane's partner. There's some whispers about Levi Colwill who has huge potential but I can't imagine Chelsea would be keen to sell, regardless of their situation. Gvardiol and Timber are immense but way too pricey, given our other needs. I'll go for Malick Thiaw who's done brilliantly for Schalke this season.
Varane, Lindelof, Maguire, Thiaw, Bernard

DM: I can't say I don't have any doubts about Boubacar Kamara but he's on a free and it makes a lot of sense. I think Tchouameni has gone out of our grasp. Not that we don't move heaven and earth to sign him but I'm trying to be realistic given the scale of the rebuild required. I also think Kamara is in the Edson Alvarez mould of a DM who can double as a CD. We don't have another pure DM, given Matic's departure and signing two might not be feasible this year. Enzo Fernandez looks a tremendous prospect but maybe Kamara on a free is marginally better, and less risky business given the fact he plays in a more similar league in France as opposed to Argentina.
Kamara

CM: Most of us long for the day that neither Fred or McTominay are starters but we have bigger fish to fry. I think Fred's a really useful player. In a three (and not as the deepest midfielder), he's actually very good. He can tide us over until Mejbri matures or maybe we go for Bellingham in 2023. I'd also give Garner a decent opportunity next year as he's been great at Forest.
Fred, McTominay, Garner

AM: Bruno is flawed but still a very productive midfielder. I think he can get back to his best under ETH. We know that Donny thrives under ETH too so, although I don't think he's ideal for the PL, he'll pick up confidence and play better.
Bruno Fernandes, Van de Beek

RW: Increasingly I'm feeling that this is one of the hardest positions to recruit for. The obvious bet is Antony at 50-60m. I'll go for him. Others like Madueke are too raw to start.
Antony, Elanga

LW: Sancho is the man here. I'd give Rashford another year to hopefully shake off whatever the hell is going on with him.
Sancho, Rashford

ST: I go on about him a lot but I think Charles de Ketelaere will become an amazing striker, despite his stats not being especially eye catching yet. He'll be 25m or so. I just have too many doubts about most of the other strikers linked. I'd probably let Ronaldo go but buying two strikers would cost a fortune and he does still score. He needs to be used much more sparingly though IMHO. I'd probably keep Martial for depth in honesty. I don't like him but no one's going to buy him on 250k a week. Another loan doesn't make sense given our dearth of attacking options. I'm not convinced McNeill, Hugill, Garnacho etc are quite Prem ready.
De Ketelaere, Ronaldo, Martial

So probable spend of -

Slonina 10m
Spence 15m
Raum 20m
Thiaw 10m
Kamara Free
Antony 55m
De Ketelaere 25m

Total 135m approx offset by sales of Shaw, Henderson, Bailly, AWB loan and ditching loads of players on big wages on a free. 7 signings is probably crazy but we need freshness throughout the squad. This side wouldn't pull up trees next season but could develop remarkably in 2-3 years, supplemented by youngsters like Mejbri, Shoretire, Vitek, Mengi, Laird, Garnacho, McNeill and co.

 

[aeh1991]

In an ideal world, United would somehow make the 4th place and do a complete rebuild:

Transfers IN:

GK: Sam Johnstone, free
RB: Noussair Mazraoui, free (steal from Bayern, agent ETH)
CB/RB: Jurrien Timber, 20m (15m + bonus)
DM/CB: Boubacar Kamara, free
CM/DM: Aurelien Tchouameni, 60m (50m + bonus)
CM/AM: Lovro Majer, 25m (20m + bonus)
RW: Antony, 40m (ETH discount + Amad 2y loan)
CF: Darwin Nunez or Christopher Nkunku 65m (50m + bonus)
CF: Teemu Pukki, free (only if Ronaldo leaves)

= 175m pounds immediately, 35m pounds as bonus

Sign in 2023: GK, LB, DM (Rice)

Transfers OUT:

Release: Grant, Matic, Pogba, Lingard, Mata, Chong, Cavani
Sell: Henderson, Wan Bissaka, B.Williams, Dalot, Telles, Maguire, Tuanzebe, Jones, Bailly, McTominay, A.Pereira, Van de Beek (back to Ajax), Martial
Loan (selection): Mengi (PL team), Shoretire (Championship), Garnacho (European 1st team), Amad (European 1st team), Hugill/McNeill (Championship)

KEEP:

First squad: de Gea, Shaw (last chance), Varane, Lindelof, Fred, Bruno, Sancho, Elanga, Rashford (last chance)
Promote/Integrate: A.Fernandez, Laird, Garner, Mainoo (cameo, loan in 2023), Hannibal, Hugill/McNeill
?: Ronaldo, Greenwood

Starting Lineup:

de Gea
Mazraoui, Timber, Varane (C), Shaw
Bruno, Kamara/Fred, Tchouameni
Antony, Nunez/Nkunku, Sancho

 

[RedWilliam]

How to fix Manchester United for dummies. Or BY a dummie. Whatever...

This is my own dream/ideal scenario with a new manager able to rebuild this mess into the great club it once was.
Not the most realistic scenario, but who are we to say? Most of the things put here is BS and wrong anyway. Enjoy the reading!

First some thoughts on the players most linked to us now:
Yes, Haaland and Tchouameni would fix a lot, but its like believing in Santa. Why the flying duck would any top world class player want to join this mess of a club? Their both wanted by Real Madrid. That should be the end of it. Add PSG and City to the mix too and everyone should see we are not getting any of them.
Declan Rice MIGHT be the exception. The links there seem different. And he is certainly good enough and would be an instant and massive upgrade for us. BUT, the price is insane and I really hope we wont go over 60m, so unlikely to ever happen. Lets hope Ten Hag has someone cheaper in mind. Or maybe we get him in 2023.
Antony/Bergwijn and Timber is other players being linked to us now, mostly because of the ETH link. And why not? If he wants them, let him have them. He probably have a good plan then. Cant be any worse than Martial, Maguire and so on right?
Kamara would be a steel! Awesome player and would be able to do a good job both in defence and midfield. But I don't think he picks us.
Nunez is super risky! I think he will go somewhere else and I think that's fine.
Richarlison. Done well. At times... Might be a good signing, might be a terrible one.

So, except for the Antony/Bergwijn and Timber links, I would rather us sign these players:
Konrad Laimer
Christopher Nkunku
Josko Gvardiol
Marcel Sabitzer
What a bunch of players the Red Bull group got!
Sure, Sabitzer is in Bayern now, but not really playing. Might be attainable.
Every one of these players would knock our current players out of the park quite easily. They work harder, bleed for the team, got higher intelligence and composure on the field, and would also take orders better I suspect. They would actually care to play here, do both the jersey/club and the fans proud and in my mind solve most of our big issues. Unfortunately I doubt Gvardiol is attainable for us. But with Timber we might get a decent replacement...

And while dreaming we could also add some young English talents like:
Setford
Madueke
Bellingham
Not gonna happen, but I like the idea of bringing "back" English players and give them a go. Doubt Bellingham even wants to join us, and Setford and Madueke wont really have that big impact. But would be some fun signings.

Moving on to our current players.
These young players should be first team players and play a lot:
Henderson
Laird
Williams
Garner
Hannibal
Elanga
Again, this is my dream/ideal situation. I don't think it is the most realistic, but one can dream. So Henderson for example will probably be sold instead of De Gea.
I really think we should give Williams and Laird a go instead of the sidebacks we use today. Sell Telles and Dalot, keep Shaw and AWB as backup.
Its also finally time for Jimmy Garner! He should be given some well deserved chances next season. Done well at Nottingham.
Hannibal is a huge talent we should use a lot more next season.
Elanga should stay on as second choice in attack.

Talents that should be getting some minutes:
Mengi
Kambwala
Ogunneye
Fernandez
Jurado
McAllister
Mainoo! Seems to be at the same level talentwise as Pogba and Morrison at this stage. Way too soon to rely on him, but I hope to see him get minutes the next season. Might be our own Bellingham.
Forson
Shoretire
Garnacho
Ennis
Mcneil
Hugil

That was a long list, but once I got started it was hard to stop. Didn't even include players like Isak Aaroen, Gore, Svidersky, Savage, Wellens, Fredricson.
So a lot of these we probably wont get to see. But I hope we will. Some should probably be loaned out to get more experience at a higher level than U18/U23.
But it seems that we have a lot of seriously good talents in the club now. From U18 and down at least. Getting a first team manager who will give these youngsters time might be essential to the future of this club.

Departures:
Matic.
Pogba. What a disappointment he has been! Jesus Christ...
Cavani.
Mata.
Lingard.
Martial.
Baily.
Jones.
Tuanzebe.
Dalot.
Telles.
Henderson.
Grant.
At least!

So that should get us this line up:

Nkunku/Ronaldo/McNeil

Sancho/Rashford/Garnacho - Bruno/VdB/Shoretire - Bergwijn/Elanga

Laimer/Garner/Mctominay/Mainoo - Sabitzer/Hannibal/Fred/McAllister

Williams/Shaw/Fernandez - Varane/Maguire/Mengi - Timber/Lindelof/Kambwala - Laird/AWB/Jurado

De Gea/Heaton

 

[golden_blunder]

Who do you like?

Honestly I’d take a punt on Aaron Hickey. Can play both sides, a bit Denis Irwinish or Calvin Ramsey

 

[BenitoSTARR]

Honestly I’d take a punt on Aaron Hickey. Can play both sides, a bit Denis Irwinish or Calvin Ramsey

He’s played more like a LM than a LB this season. Also not someone you could play at RB to great effect.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

So… to actually make a serious title challenge next season (and we’re looking around 90 points) - what do you think we need?

even with the exact same squad I don’t think we would be quite as bad next season as we have this one. But what will put us from 4th place chasers to title threats?

I think it would take 4 first XI signings who are all hits, plus some luck with the youth

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Núñez
Nkunku
Enzo Fernández
Timber
Hickey

 

[JB7]

So… to actually make a serious title challenge next season (and we’re looking around 90 points) - what do you think we need?

even with the exact same squad I don’t think we would be quite as bad next season as we have this one. But what will put us from 4th place chasers to title threats?

I think it would take 4 first XI signings who are all hits, plus some luck with the youth

If we're limiting it to 4, then a new goalkeeper, new right back, new holding midfielder, and a new hard working number 9 type to allow us to play Ronaldo off the left.

 

[L1nk]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Actually think the fullbacks are the problem here, their lack of willingness to track back or stay in position. Shaw and Wan Bissaka are incredibly lazy, Telles does not have the recovery pace needed and Dalot is still amateur-ish in a lot of aspects.

 

[croadyman]

Actually think the fullbacks are the problem here, their lack of willingness to track back or stay in position. Shaw and Wan Bissaka are incredibly lazy, Telles does not have the recovery pace needed and Dalot is still amateur-ish in a lot of aspects.

Yeah our full backs are poor, however still behind the midfield in terms of priority for me

 

[Andrew7582]

I don't understand why we are prioritising a centre back, Maguire isn't going to be moved on yet and Varane, Lindelof will play plenty. We've got Tuanzebe who can return as back up. The centre backs we are being linked with aren't better than what we've got anyway.

 

[croadyman]

I don't understand why we are prioritising a centre back, Maguire isn't going to be moved on yet and Varane, Lindelof will play plenty. We've got Tuanzebe who can return as back up. The centre backs we are being linked with aren't better than what we've got anyway.

Wait for Ducker & Ornstein to say it

 

[ManRed]

I don't understand why we are prioritising a centre back, Maguire isn't going to be moved on yet and Varane, Lindelof will play plenty. We've got Tuanzebe who can return as back up. The centre backs we are being linked with aren't better than what we've got anyway.

Agree with this. Its just lazy headlines from the journalist. Jones never plays for us anyways and Baily can get replaced by Tuanzebe.

We need to get top quality CM, RW and ST to start with which might blow our budget anyways.

 

[croadyman]

Agree with this. Its just lazy headlines from the journalist. Jones never plays for us anyways and Baily can get replaced by Tuanzebe.

We need to get top quality CM, RW and ST to start with which might blow our budget anyways.

Not forgetting DM as well

 

[Andrew7582]

Agree with this. Its just lazy headlines from the journalist. Jones never plays for us anyways and Baily can get replaced by Tuanzebe.

We need to get top quality CM, RW and ST to start with which might blow our budget anyways.

Not forgetting DM as well

Agreed.

 

[The holy trinity 68]

Agree with this. Its just lazy headlines from the journalist. Jones never plays for us anyways and Baily can get replaced by Tuanzebe.

We need to get top quality CM, RW and ST to start with which might blow our budget anyways.

Wasn't Sancho brought in for the RW role though?

 

[Trex]

It's important that when we go for signings we don't buy players for their ability to do the spectacular but more so the the ability to do the basics at a high level, we lack this qualities the most in this team
I hope we don't just look at stats and purchase players without looking deeper into the responsibilities this players carry in their respective sides.
We need team players if we want to build a team.

 

[Nick.]

I just don't think we'd be getting the best out of Nkunku putting him in a wide right position. Plus I would love to see a left-footer like Antony or Dembele go there.

 

[Wallez]

Going through the squad, there is a lot to be done. We certainly have to reduce the size of the squad and get rid of unmotivated players with high salaries. Whether or not Ten Hag is coming in, we should also start to implement a more modern playing style with focus on pressing high and playing comfortably out from the back.

Goalkeepers
De Gea has been our most important player by far since Fergie left, and saved many points this season. However, I think it is time to move him on and replace him with a more modern goalkeeper that can handle the ball with his feet and act as a sweeper keeper. While we may miss the fantastic shot-stopping abilities of De Gea, I think this would be a revolution in our build-up play and improve the team. Henderson does not excel at these abilities, and I dont see him as a future nr. 1 at United, so he should be sold while his value remains high. I would like us to bring in Onana from Ajax that has returned from his suspension and looks to be back on track. Very comfortable with the ball and comes out both for crosses and as a sweeper keeper. Sam Johnstone is also very interesting as a local lad and solid backup.

Right back
AWB is an extremely good defender 1-on-1, but outside this he offers little. No contributions going forwards, and a lot of strange decisions in terms of defensive organization. Should be sold while his value is high. With Bayern being moderate with their wages, I would go all-in on highjacking Mazraoui. While not delivering extreme numbers in terms of assists for Ajax, he contributes a lot in their build-up play. Defensively he is also solid, and is actually pretty decent in aerial duels. Dalot is bang average but could be kept as backup.

Center back
I actually think Maguire, Varane and Lindelöf would all suit this style of play perfectly, and I would like to see us prioritize other areas. The duo of Varane (quick, falls off and covers the room behind Maguire) and an in-form Maguire (aerially strong, pushes up and takes the first duel) will be fine.

Left back
Again, not much to be done. Last year, both Shaw and Maguire had very solid seasons, and I think a summer without tournaments and the motivation of the up-coming world championship will help them to come back to their top level. Telles is similarly to Dalot bang average, and can be kept as backup.

Center mid
With Matic leaving, we have absolutely no players that are suited for the DM role in any system. I think Boubacar Kamara would be an excellent option, and I have been really impressed by his performances at Marseille in this role. As a former CB he is very solid defensively, and he is also remarkably calm with the ball at his feet. Next to him, I think Donny will finally come good in this new playing style like he did at Ajax. McTominay, Fred and Garner is kept as backup.

Wingers
Ten Hag has used two left-footed wingers at Ajax in Tadic and Anthony, and I think it would be exciting to turn this around and use Sancho and Bruno as two right-footed wingers. This would leave Sancho playing in his most comfortable position, cutting in from the left and leaving room for a fit Shaw to overlap him. And while Bruno is our most creative player, I think he is far to wasteful with the ball to excel as a number 10 that "makes the play tick". As a RW i think we would be able to utilize his creative abilities while not being that vulnerable when he looses the ball. Elanga and Rashford are backups to these positions.

Attacking mid
Christian Eriksen has brilliantly come back from his surprisingly short break from football, and is available as a free transfer. He is at his absolute prime years for a player in this position, and I think his combination of extreme work-rate and abilities with the ball can be very interesting in this team. I would also like us to keep Lingard as a backup in this role.

Strikers
I think Ronaldo will be handy for us also next season, but his game-time should be managed more carefully. I think it would be exciting to bring in a striker like Darwin Nunez to get a player that is both a typical nr. 9 and can press with extreme intensity. While still having Ronaldo around, the pressure on him would also be kept off a bit for his first season.

In

• Onana (free)
• Mazraoui (free)
• Kamara (free)
• Eriksen (free)
• Nunez (60 mill)

First 11
Onana
Mazaroui - Varane - Maguire - Shaw
Kamara - VdB
Bruno - Eriksen - Sancho
Ronaldo

Backup 11
Johnstone
Dalot - Lindelöf - Jones - Telles
McTominay - Fred
Elanga - Lingard - Rashford
Nunez

Others
Heaton, Garner

Out

• Grant (free)
• De Gea (10 mill)
• Henderson (25 mill)
• Bailly (15 mill)
• AWB (25 mill)
• Tuanzebe (20 mill)
• Pogba (free)
• Mata (free)
• Pellestri (5 mill)
• Matic (free)
• Pereira (10 mill)
• Cavani (free)
• Martial (25 mill)

Loans

• Brandon Williams
• Mengi
• Amad
• Chong

I know that this looks like an unrealistic amount of players leaving, but I really think that this is necessary in order to modernize our squad. The economics of the club would also be far more healthy, with a lot of high-earners leaving the club.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Going through the squad, there is a lot to be done. We certainly have to reduce the size of the squad and get rid of unmotivated players with high salaries. Whether or not Ten Hag is coming in, we should also start to implement a more modern playing style with focus on pressing high and playing comfortably out from the back.

Goalkeepers
De Gea has been our most important player by far since Fergie left, and saved many points this season. However, I think it is time to move him on and replace him with a more modern goalkeeper that can handle the ball with his feet and act as a sweeper keeper. While we may miss the fantastic shot-stopping abilities of De Gea, I think this would be a revolution in our build-up play and improve the team. Henderson does not excel at these abilities, and I dont see him as a future nr. 1 at United, so he should be sold while his value remains high. I would like us to bring in Onana from Ajax that has returned from his suspension and looks to be back on track. Very comfortable with the ball and comes out both for crosses and as a sweeper keeper. Sam Johnstone is also very interesting as a local lad and solid backup.

Right back
AWB is an extremely good defender 1-on-1, but outside this he offers little. No contributions going forwards, and a lot of strange decisions in terms of defensive organization. Should be sold while his value is high. With Bayern being moderate with their wages, I would go all-in on highjacking Mazraoui. While not delivering extreme numbers in terms of assists for Ajax, he contributes a lot in their build-up play. Defensively he is also solid, and is actually pretty decent in aerial duels. Dalot is bang average but could be kept as backup.

Center back
I actually think Maguire, Varane and Lindelöf would all suit this style of play perfectly, and I would like to see us prioritize other areas. The duo of Varane (quick, falls off and covers the room behind Maguire) and an in-form Maguire (aerially strong, pushes up and takes the first duel) will be fine.

Left back
Again, not much to be done. Last year, both Shaw and Maguire had very solid seasons, and I think a summer without tournaments and the motivation of the up-coming world championship will help them to come back to their top level. Telles is similarly to Dalot bang average, and can be kept as backup.

Center mid
With Matic leaving, we have absolutely no players that are suited for the DM role in any system. I think Boubacar Kamara would be an excellent option, and I have been really impressed by his performances at Marseille in this role. As a former CB he is very solid defensively, and he is also remarkably calm with the ball at his feet. Next to him, I think Donny will finally come good in this new playing style like he did at Ajax. McTominay, Fred and Garner is kept as backup.

Wingers
Ten Hag has used two left-footed wingers at Ajax in Tadic and Anthony, and I think it would be exciting to turn this around and use Sancho and Bruno as two right-footed wingers. This would leave Sancho playing in his most comfortable position, cutting in from the left and leaving room for a fit Shaw to overlap him. And while Bruno is our most creative player, I think he is far to wasteful with the ball to excel as a number 10 that "makes the play tick". As a RW i think we would be able to utilize his creative abilities while not being that vulnerable when he looses the ball. Elanga and Rashford are backups to these positions.

Attacking mid
Christian Eriksen has brilliantly come back from his surprisingly short break from football, and is available as a free transfer. He is at his absolute prime years for a player in this position, and I think his combination of extreme work-rate and abilities with the ball can be very interesting in this team. I would also like us to keep Lingard as a backup in this role.

Strikers
I think Ronaldo will be handy for us also next season, but his game-time should be managed more carefully. I think it would be exciting to bring in a striker like Darwin Nunez to get a player that is both a typical nr. 9 and can press with extreme intensity. While still having Ronaldo around, the pressure on him would also be kept off a bit for his first season.

In

• Onana (free)
• Mazraoui (free)
• Kamara (free)
• Eriksen (free)
• Nunez (60 mill)

First 11
Onana
Mazaroui - Varane - Maguire - Shaw
Kamara - VdB
Bruno - Eriksen - Sancho
Ronaldo

Backup 11
Johnstone
Dalot - Lindelöf - Jones - Telles
McTominay - Fred
Elanga - Lingard - Rashford
Nunez

Others
Heaton, Garner

Out

• Grant (free)
• De Gea (10 mill)
• Henderson (25 mill)
• Bailly (15 mill)
• AWB (25 mill)
• Tuanzebe (20 mill)
• Pogba (free)
• Mata (free)
• Pellestri (5 mill)
• Matic (free)
• Pereira (10 mill)
• Cavani (free)
• Martial (25 mill)

Loans

• Brandon Williams
• Mengi
• Amad
• Chong

I know that this looks like an unrealistic amount of players leaving, but I really think that this is necessary in order to modernize our squad. The economics of the club would also be far more healthy, with a lot of high-earners leaving the club.

Onana has signed for Inter Milan.

 

[aeh1991]

Going through the squad, there is a lot to be done. We certainly have to reduce the size of the squad and get rid of unmotivated players with high salaries. Whether or not Ten Hag is coming in, we should also start to implement a more modern playing style with focus on pressing high and playing comfortably out from the back.

Goalkeepers
De Gea has been our most important player by far since Fergie left, and saved many points this season. However, I think it is time to move him on and replace him with a more modern goalkeeper that can handle the ball with his feet and act as a sweeper keeper. While we may miss the fantastic shot-stopping abilities of De Gea, I think this would be a revolution in our build-up play and improve the team. Henderson does not excel at these abilities, and I dont see him as a future nr. 1 at United, so he should be sold while his value remains high. I would like us to bring in Onana from Ajax that has returned from his suspension and looks to be back on track. Very comfortable with the ball and comes out both for crosses and as a sweeper keeper. Sam Johnstone is also very interesting as a local lad and solid backup.

Right back
AWB is an extremely good defender 1-on-1, but outside this he offers little. No contributions going forwards, and a lot of strange decisions in terms of defensive organization. Should be sold while his value is high. With Bayern being moderate with their wages, I would go all-in on highjacking Mazraoui. While not delivering extreme numbers in terms of assists for Ajax, he contributes a lot in their build-up play. Defensively he is also solid, and is actually pretty decent in aerial duels. Dalot is bang average but could be kept as backup.

Center back
I actually think Maguire, Varane and Lindelöf would all suit this style of play perfectly, and I would like to see us prioritize other areas. The duo of Varane (quick, falls off and covers the room behind Maguire) and an in-form Maguire (aerially strong, pushes up and takes the first duel) will be fine.

Left back
Again, not much to be done. Last year, both Shaw and Maguire had very solid seasons, and I think a summer without tournaments and the motivation of the up-coming world championship will help them to come back to their top level. Telles is similarly to Dalot bang average, and can be kept as backup.

Center mid
With Matic leaving, we have absolutely no players that are suited for the DM role in any system. I think Boubacar Kamara would be an excellent option, and I have been really impressed by his performances at Marseille in this role. As a former CB he is very solid defensively, and he is also remarkably calm with the ball at his feet. Next to him, I think Donny will finally come good in this new playing style like he did at Ajax. McTominay, Fred and Garner is kept as backup.

Wingers
Ten Hag has used two left-footed wingers at Ajax in Tadic and Anthony, and I think it would be exciting to turn this around and use Sancho and Bruno as two right-footed wingers. This would leave Sancho playing in his most comfortable position, cutting in from the left and leaving room for a fit Shaw to overlap him. And while Bruno is our most creative player, I think he is far to wasteful with the ball to excel as a number 10 that "makes the play tick". As a RW i think we would be able to utilize his creative abilities while not being that vulnerable when he looses the ball. Elanga and Rashford are backups to these positions.

Attacking mid
Christian Eriksen has brilliantly come back from his surprisingly short break from football, and is available as a free transfer. He is at his absolute prime years for a player in this position, and I think his combination of extreme work-rate and abilities with the ball can be very interesting in this team. I would also like us to keep Lingard as a backup in this role.

Strikers
I think Ronaldo will be handy for us also next season, but his game-time should be managed more carefully. I think it would be exciting to bring in a striker like Darwin Nunez to get a player that is both a typical nr. 9 and can press with extreme intensity. While still having Ronaldo around, the pressure on him would also be kept off a bit for his first season.

In

• Onana (free)
• Mazraoui (free)
• Kamara (free)
• Eriksen (free)
• Nunez (60 mill)

First 11
Onana
Mazaroui - Varane - Maguire - Shaw
Kamara - VdB
Bruno - Eriksen - Sancho
Ronaldo

Backup 11
Johnstone
Dalot - Lindelöf - Jones - Telles
McTominay - Fred
Elanga - Lingard - Rashford
Nunez

Others
Heaton, Garner

Out

• Grant (free)
• De Gea (10 mill)
• Henderson (25 mill)
• Bailly (15 mill)
• AWB (25 mill)
• Tuanzebe (20 mill)
• Pogba (free)
• Mata (free)
• Pellestri (5 mill)
• Matic (free)
• Pereira (10 mill)
• Cavani (free)
• Martial (25 mill)

Loans

• Brandon Williams
• Mengi
• Amad
• Chong

I know that this looks like an unrealistic amount of players leaving, but I really think that this is necessary in order to modernize our squad. The economics of the club would also be far more healthy, with a lot of high-earners leaving the club.

I love and agree with that hijack Mazraoui part.

 

[jesperjaap]

We have a squad of 38 players, forgettign the out of contract players and Matic leaving, we still have a squad of 31 players after they leave.

The two most talented players, one will be 38 next year, the other is up on a rape charge and we dont even know if he has any future in the game.

That leaves 29 players

There are six youngsters wth barely a game between them who des[ite some of the plaudits and excitement, we dont know if they can step up.

There are five players who simply arent good enough in my opinion

Then there are 13 who I personally feel are no more than squad players if we wish to challenge, and of those, half of them there have been rumours of wanting to leave.

Literally leaves us five first eleven players in DeGea, Shaw, Varane, Fernandes and Sancho to plan ahead from. One of those has had bad form not too long ago, one has had bad form this season and bar one season not fully convinced, one ha shad injuries and not fully settled, one has been poor for 12months yet signed a whopping contrat and one is still findign his feet.....doesnt bode well

The priority is moving on those that wish to leave on along with the seven, could trim our squad down to 24 then and raise some good money from some. Then its all about buying players for the problem positions and the huge thing is gettign quality cheaply. DOnt think we can spend ovdr £50m on any player this summer

 

[Xaviboy]

Any players we could get that are out of contract this summer that could get in our starting 11?

 

[AndySmith1990]

We have a squad of 38 players, forgettign the out of contract players and Matic leaving, we still have a squad of 31 players after they leave.

The two most talented players, one will be 38 next year, the other is up on a rape charge and we dont even know if he has any future in the game.

That leaves 29 players

There are six youngsters wth barely a game between them who des[ite some of the plaudits and excitement, we dont know if they can step up.

There are five players who simply arent good enough in my opinion

Then there are 13 who I personally feel are no more than squad players if we wish to challenge, and of those, half of them there have been rumours of wanting to leave.

Literally leaves us five first eleven players in DeGea, Shaw, Varane, Fernandes and Sancho to plan ahead from. One of those has had bad form not too long ago, one has had bad form this season and bar one season not fully convinced, one ha shad injuries and not fully settled, one has been poor for 12months yet signed a whopping contrat and one is still findign his feet.....doesnt bode well

The priority is moving on those that wish to leave on along with the seven, could trim our squad down to 24 then and raise some good money from some. Then its all about buying players for the problem positions and the huge thing is gettign quality cheaply. DOnt think we can spend ovdr £50m on any player this summer

It's quite an achievement to spend a billion quid on players over the course of a decade and end up in such a sorry situation.

We have to get every signing right from now on.

 

[croadyman]

Any players we could get that are out of contract this summer that could get in our starting 11?

Rudiger & Kamara spring to mind

 

[Trex]

We'll probably do 3-4 signings, but Ten Hag would have to get a tune out of a lot of the current group because a lot of them are definitely better than their current level.
A midfielder or two and a forward, contrary to popular opinion I think our center back options would do for now.
Coaching and good overall management is a huge part of the problem we currently have and if Ten Hag can sort that out we're at least a squad capable of rising above the likes of Spurs, Arsenal and West ham quickly and securing fourth, over time he can keep evolving the team and getting new individuals in.

Out

Cavani
Lingard
Pogba
Matic
Jones

In
Tchouameni
Nkunku
Another midfielder

 

[Mylock]

Tchouameni / Rice, Torres, Timber(for RB and CH cover) and a new number 9 should be prioritised.
Garner should be able to step up as Matic replacement. Hannibal will feature more prominently next season and I can also see players like Shoretire, Fernandez and Gennacho getting more opportunities.

 

[Nick.]

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This looks promising. I feared we would only sign maybe three players which feels like the bare minimum.

 

[laughtersassassin]

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Ralf not afraid to say it how it is!

 

[ManRed]

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Ralf not afraid to say it how it is!

I like his interviews from day 1. Straight to the point and cuts out all the BS. I hope he has a big role in the future at the club and can have a good working relationship with Erik with them being on the same page.

 

[ManRed]

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This looks promising. I feared we would only sign maybe three players which feels like the bare minimum.

Usually when you make big changes in the squad it affects the balance and chemistry of the team. The good thing we got is there is no chemistry in the current setup and Erik is pretty much building everything from the bottom. Bringing in 5-6 players won't have as much an effect as it would do in other times.

Having said this I doubt we will get so many signings in especially with the asking prices for some players. 4 good signings will also get me excited with promoting youth like Hannibal, Laird, Amad and Garner.

 

[Trex]

So Nkunku, Anthony, Tchouameni, Timber, Phillips?
How much would that cost?

 

[Infra-red]

So Nkunku, Anthony, Tchouameni, Timber, Phillips?
How much would that cost?

£250m+

That's probably about three times the size of this summer's budget.

 

[Trex]

£250m+

That's probably about three times the size of this summer's budget.

The plan is probably 3-4 this window and then subsequent signings there after.

 

[jesperjaap]

Usually when you make big changes in the squad it affects the balance and chemistry of the team. The good thing we got is there is no chemistry in the current setup and Erik is pretty much building everything from the bottom. Bringing in 5-6 players won't have as much an effect as it would do in other times.

Having said this I doubt we will get so many signings in especially with the asking prices for some players. 4 good signings will also get me excited with promoting youth like Hannibal, Laird, Amad and Garner.

That is what has always got me in summer windows on this forum. ALways mentioned we need at least six the last few years and the answer from so many is "you cant have such a turnover of players in one window, the team needs to gel" or similar.....nonsense, the team are like penpals as it is, how can 7 new players not improve on that?

The problem is selling players on big wages and doing the number of deals all in one window due to the paperwork and talks etc. The good thing this summer is six are almsot certainly going due to contracts and jsut as many sound liek they want to go, we can get players ot of here in double figures which is needed for sure, but can we get so many in?

 

[jesperjaap]

So Nkunku, Anthony, Tchouameni, Timber, Phillips?
How much would that cost?

Had a convo earlier in this thread about how we ant spend over £50m probably on one player certainly not more. Im really pleased to hear Ragnicks comments and we arent finishing fourth so being as crap as we are tonight may be a blessign n disguise, we wont finish fourth and seeing how poro we are may actualyl get action.

We need six signings I believe this summer minimum to improve the first eleven and even with free transfers ad bargain buys, cant really do it all even frugally partly and not spend nigh on £150m+

I think what we spend coudl be highly dependant on what we sell and we do have players of value:

Henderson £20/30m
Bailly £15-20m
Maguire £40-50m
Bissaka £20m+
Tuanzabe £10m+
Pereira £5-10mish
VDB £25m+
Martial £25m+
Rashford £45m+

I think £200m for that lot is conservative and certainly possible and you could add Telles/DAlot for me

They are mainyl players rumoured wanting to fo or simply havent been good enough. I mean that virtually buys the players you mention, They wouldnt be my choices but lets face it, who wouldnt happily sell those if it meant you could buy 3/4 from the likes of Livaramento, Gusto, Gvardiol, Timber, Tchoumeni, Antony, Doku, Sulemana, Giouri etc etc and adding in a couple of cheaper options such as a ROmagnoli, Kamara for free and some younger talents such as Enzo Fernadez, Ekitike etc around £20m or under, I know I would certainly like to see something akin to that happen

 

[croadyman]

Sad to say but will be a few windows of buying third tier who have ability and personality until we are attractive proposition again

 

[Dominos]

Had a convo earlier in this thread about how we ant spend over £50m probably on one player certainly not more. Im really pleased to hear Ragnicks comments and we arent finishing fourth so being as crap as we are tonight may be a blessign n disguise, we wont finish fourth and seeing how poro we are may actualyl get action.

We need six signings I believe this summer minimum to improve the first eleven and even with free transfers ad bargain buys, cant really do it all even frugally partly and not spend nigh on £150m+

I think what we spend coudl be highly dependant on what we sell and we do have players of value:

Henderson £20/30m
Bailly £15-20m
Maguire £40-50m
Bissaka £20m+
Tuanzabe £10m+
Pereira £5-10mish
VDB £25m+
Martial £25m+
Rashford £45m+

I think £200m for that lot is conservative and certainly possible and you could add Telles/DAlot for me

They are mainyl players rumoured wanting to fo or simply havent been good enough. I mean that virtually buys the players you mention, They wouldnt be my choices but lets face it, who wouldnt happily sell those if it meant you could buy 3/4 from the likes of Livaramento, Gusto, Gvardiol, Timber, Tchoumeni, Antony, Doku, Sulemana, Giouri etc etc and adding in a couple of cheaper options such as a ROmagnoli, Kamara for free and some younger talents such as Enzo Fernadez, Ekitike etc around £20m or under, I know I would certainly like to see something akin to that happen

You've overestimated the fees we would get for most players. This is part of the reason why we can never seem to move players on, we ask for too much money and price them out of a move. And then no one wants to pay their wages either.

The other issue we have with selling players is we're just adding to the number of players we need to bring in. With Cavani, Greenwood, Lingard, and Martial all expected to be gone, our attack is threadbare. We need 2 new attackers this summer already. And then you want to sell Rashford on top of that? Then he needs replacing too, so make that 3 new attackers. And the money you gain from Rashford is just being spent on his replacement anyway, you're not gaining anything. Again, if we sell Telles then it just means we need to sign another left back to replace him, who will probably cost more than we'll get for Telles.

Honestly we're in a mess. We really need a centre back, right back, 2 midfielders, right wing and striker. It's realistically too much for 1 window.

 

[bosnian_red]

Sad to say but will be a few windows of buying third tier who have ability and personality until we are attractive proposition again

Buying top tier has never served us well anyway. We should've been looking at the young but promising players a long time ago. Someone like Boubacar Kamara is exactly the sort we should be looking at to address a problem on a free. Should've gone harder for Kessie too. You build more of a team if they all grow reputations together, rather than they're all stars coming in already.