What do we still need? Aka The never ending story

golden_blunder

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Achievable transfers this summer are the following

Cristian Romero 40 m, or Torres 40 m
Locatelli 40 m, or Bossumo 40 m
Sancho 77m
trippier swap with Dalot
De gea / olbak swap plus 20 m
Grealish 85 m (if pogba leaves)

Sell
Lingard 25 m
De gea
Matic 5m
Pereria 5m
Bailly 20 m
Dalot
Jones free
Williams 10 m
James 20 m
Pogba 85 m

I would like to highlight that I haven't watch Romero in a live game, but he has looked impressive on YouTube and has been voted best CB in Italy. Very impressed with Torres, but not sure has he the pace. We will know after the euros.
I watched Locatelli a few times for Italy and was very impressed with how he dominates the DM role, a great passer. He could be a star in the euros if Italy gets a run. Bossumo looks like a younger version of Kante, and he could move up to the next level at United.
Oblak would be a game-changer; this deal makes a lot of sense from United's point of view but not sure if athletio would agree.
Who is going to give you €85m for pogba? Genuine question
 

croadyman

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Could Donny flourish alongside a proper DM next season if we either swapped or sold Pogba this summer (won't happen)
 

OrcaFat

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Yeah it's utterly negligent not looking at players who could cost around half that on the continent
Come on, friend, you can’t be serious. The last thing our board wants to do is spend more than we have to.
 

suheilsworld

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What is Diego costa up to these days? Worth a punt on free transfer. Ruthless upfront and is on field antics are perfect to rile up oppositions
 

croadyman

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We should be looking at three different options although only one of them is remotely possible

Option 1 - Ramos (Free) Trippier (£15-20m) Rice (£70-£75m) Sancho (£80m)

Option 2 - Varane (Pogba swap) Trippier (£15-20m) Rice (£70-£75m) Sancho (£80m)

Option 3 - Varane (£50m) Trippier (£15-20m) Tchouameni (£40m) Sancho (£80m)
 

2 man midfield

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Think we’ll drag it out well until August and do it the hard way as usual, but I can see us actually doing some good business this summer. RB, CB, DM and RW are needed, CF is a bonus. Can see us getting 3 of the 5.

Wildcard prediction: United fail to sign a DM, then Van de Beek surprises everyone by nailing down a starting spot as a number 6.

——————Henderson—————
Trippier-Varane-Maguire-Shaw
—————VdB—-Scott—————
Sancho—-—Bruno——Rashford
——————-Cavani———————

De Gea and Pogba to stay, funds raised by selling off various deadwood for a pittance. Around 100m net spend I guess.
 

croadyman

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Feel like to get Varane we need to keep Pogba but then I am certain it means we don't sign a CDM/CM this summer, fully expect the Trippier stuff to really pick up pace and in terms of Sancho I think it could depend if Utd get any sense that Grealish could be sold because they won't want to give City a free run at him.
 

bosskeano

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this is a guy i mentioned a week or so ago that we should have been looking at with the consideration of moving AWB to CB if we really wanted to reinforce the squad....

 

dinostar77

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Todays Transfer Window Podcast.

Utd are after either a elite striker or elite right winger but not both.

Utd have identified targets at centre mid, backup right back and centre back. However it is dependent on budget and the recruitment team don't know how much budget they have has glazerz haven't decided. The glazers may cave to fan pressure and allow additional funds this summer but its an unknown at present. This is slowing the process down as utd have deals in principle with players but cant action anything.

Once the elite striker or winger is completed then utd will move for the other positions.

Also Utd very worried about Pogba running down his contract and leaving on a free so may do and FFP style swap this summer (inflated fees for amoritising the books ala pjanic and arthur transfer).

Good listen today that podcast.
 

MattofManchester

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Surely at DM, we should consider Brozovic?
Inter have financial trouble.
Inter still owing for Lukaku.
Brozovic has been one of the best midfielders over the last few seasons.
 

Valar Morghulis

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Once the elite striker or winger is completed then utd will move for the other positions.

Also Utd very worried about Pogba running down his contract and leaving on a free so may do and FFP style swap this summer (inflated fees for amoritising the books ala pjanic and arthur transfer).

Good listen today that podcast.
The only prospect I can think of there would be Varane/Pogba. And then at a push but I don't see it as feasible, Ronaldo/Pogba.
 

golden_blunder

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this is a guy i mentioned a week or so ago that we should have been looking at with the consideration of moving AWB to CB if we really wanted to reinforce the squad....

How would moving AWB to CB reinforce the squad? He can’t head and his positioning is poor. Why don’t you just say what you mean? You’d like to upgrade AWB with this chap
 

jesperjaap

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Trippier still getting mentioned a lot. The guy is 30 and from what Romano says, looks like £30-40m needed to sign him which would be preposterous but I am quite glad to hear as personally with what we need, dont think he would be a shrewd signing even at £15-20m.

We are obviously after Sancho, maybe if that fails Grealish is the other option, wont be both. Either can play on the left which of course makes for me even more reason that Pogba and a new contract isnt vital. If Pogba stays I would like to see a proper anchor man signed like, somebody like Rice or Kamara and then we could see Pogba playing in front with Fernandes maybe alongside him a bit deeper to now.

If Pogba goes I would like to see us signing two proper all round midfielders to play behind Fernandes that can go box to box but are strong defensively like a Camavinga, Zakaria, Barella.

I do think what happens with Pogba shapes a lot of what we do this summer so I hope it gets sorted out reasonably quickly, going into a last year I think is the word idea though, building round him personally I dont think he has justified either so would sell him but I think that is the least likely thing to happen now. With that in mind, though not what I would do I think a window of Sancho, Rice and a Romero/Varane/Romagnoli would be a reaally good window though still for me a player or two short to genuinely fight for the biggest trophies
 

Xaviboy

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Varane in for - 40 Mill
Sancho in for 75/80 Mill

Offload 3 or 4, Lingard, Dalot, Perreria, Jones Matic, maybe Mata.

Bring in another CM or another Right back or both
 

lenny_1248

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Seems like the club won't have enough money for CM/CDM.
Considering they will be able to buy Sancho, Trippier, and a CB.
Then, the sales are:
B. Williams = €8/10M.
Dalot = €14/18M
James = €15/18M
Lingard = €20/25M
Pereira+Chong = €10M
Obviously, none of us knows the market and what is the real value of the players, and maybe some of the prices are unrealistic, but I think the club can easily generate at least €60M. Plus, I'd also sell VdB. Great player, I just think that the fit is not right, and we need CM/CDM much more than him.
 

croadyman

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Personally think we need to be willing to sacrifice Pogba in order to get that CDM so badly needed, really this position should actually be dependent on Matic leaving but wouldn't be in the least bit surprised for us to keep him
 

Vaibhav Raj

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We desperately need a smart midfielder. A really top class one at that. For all his skills and ability, Pogba doesn't allow for us to control a game and its tempo. Our CDMs are some of the most technically limited midfielders you will find. Add to that the risk taking nature of Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford as well as inexperience of Greenwood and we end up having games where we look like we are relying on moments as opposed to building continuous momentum. We need someone in the mould of Tony Kroos, maybe or a Modric. We need someone who is technically really good on the ball and a knack for maintaining possession and control on the game. I don't really care much for a CDM because as long as we can control a game, Fred or Mctominay or even Matic should be good enough to do a job. If we can get an upgrade on aforementioned CDMs along with a clever CM, that would make this team really really good.
 

Vaibhav Raj

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this is a guy i mentioned a week or so ago that we should have been looking at with the consideration of moving AWB to CB if we really wanted to reinforce the squad....

I am not sure if I have heard a worst idea. All the weaknesses AWB has like bad positioning and weak heading ability are going to be all the more exposed if he plays as a CB.
 

bosskeano

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I am not sure if I have heard a worst idea. All the weaknesses AWB has like bad positioning and weak heading ability are going to be all the more exposed if he plays as a CB.
I wasn't suggesting that we move AWB to CB, that was being reported. I was saying i'd rather us go after Hakim than Trippier if we are going for a right back.
 

jesperjaap

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Okay. Fair enough. I'd agree.
Why? £60m on another right back...add that to Sancho and that could well be our summer budget gone without any major sales. I do think that whoever we sign, unless there is a cheap signing, which it looks like Trippier wont be either (thankfully as dont want personally anyway), that we can ONLY sign two players without some outgoings. There are a few mentioned, Martial beign the latest, but dont see how that funds an elite striker as mentioned in the press even if it did happen?

The two would be Sancho and Camavinga for me....of course still leaves us woefully short in other areas.

I think we shoul dbe looking at swaps, part exchanges or sales to fund other positions though.

DAlot for ROmagnoli is a small net one which makes most sense to me.

But Pogba, VDB, DeGea or Henderson, Lingard, Martial on top of our deadwood sales. One or two of them have to go if we are to sign 3 or 4 players this summer of quality I feel that we need in certain areas and for me a right back doesnt even come in to the equation. Hakimi obviously I like, just as I love Nuno Mendes at left back, but again, great player, wrong time, not needed
 

Vaibhav Raj

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Why? £60m on another right back...add that to Sancho and that could well be our summer budget gone without any major sales. I do think that whoever we sign, unless there is a cheap signing, which it looks like Trippier wont be either (thankfully as dont want personally anyway), that we can ONLY sign two players without some outgoings. There are a few mentioned, Martial beign the latest, but dont see how that funds an elite striker as mentioned in the press even if it did happen?

The two would be Sancho and Camavinga for me....of course still leaves us woefully short in other areas.

I think we shoul dbe looking at swaps, part exchanges or sales to fund other positions though.

DAlot for ROmagnoli is a small net one which makes most sense to me.

But Pogba, VDB, DeGea or Henderson, Lingard, Martial on top of our deadwood sales. One or two of them have to go if we are to sign 3 or 4 players this summer of quality I feel that we need in certain areas and for me a right back doesnt even come in to the equation. Hakimi obviously I like, just as I love Nuno Mendes at left back, but again, great player, wrong time, not needed
I haven't been paying much attention to kind of fee being talked about for Hakimi. In fact, after last year's fiasco and the bitter feeling it left, I haven't been following much transfer news at all. I preferred Hakimi if it is a choice between him and Trippier. If we have a limited budget, my priority order would be:

1. A top class CM that allows us to control tempo of a game and helps us maintain possession in games with high pressing opponents. If Camavinga fits this role then we have common ground

2. Wide Right midfielder aka Sancho

3. Anything else.
 

croadyman

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We desperately need a smart midfielder. A really top class one at that. For all his skills and ability, Pogba doesn't allow for us to control a game and its tempo. Our CDMs are some of the most technically limited midfielders you will find. Add to that the risk taking nature of Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford as well as inexperience of Greenwood and we end up having games where we look like we are relying on moments as opposed to building continuous momentum. We need someone in the mould of Tony Kroos, maybe or a Modric. We need someone who is technically really good on the ball and a knack for maintaining possession and control on the game. I don't really care much for a CDM because as long as we can control a game, Fred or Mctominay or even Matic should be good enough to do a job. If we can get an upgrade on aforementioned CDMs along with a clever CM, that would make this team really really good.
Yeah I feel like we really need this kind of player more than just a pure DM but absolutely convinced unless Pogba leaves we have absolutely zero intention of signing either which is scary to say the least and still leaves us short of quality in midfield
 

ShinjiNinja26

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…………………,.…Henderson………………..
Trippier…..Varane……Maguire……Shaw
………………..Saúl…………Pogba………………
…………………………Bruno………………………..
Sancho…………..Cavani…………Rashford
 

sp_107

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…………………,.…Henderson………………..
Trippier…..Varane……Maguire……Shaw
………………..Saúl…………Pogba………………
…………………………Bruno………………………..
Sancho…………..Cavani…………Rashford

Excellent Team, much better than last season 1st team
 

sp_107

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Back in 2015/16, We needed a CD/DM/RW/CF, Its so strange we still need the same in 2021. shows our transfers record is not so great
 

bosnian_red

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Back in 2015/16, We needed a CD/DM/RW/CF, Its so strange we still need the same in 2021. shows our transfers record is not so great
Probably because we only bought 35 year olds to be the strikers, we ignored RW completely (or Mkhitaryan I guess at a stretch), needed 2 CBs at the time and now need 1 (lindelof/bailly/Maguire the purchases), and we ignored DM completely (Fred wasn't a DM). Players will be less likely to be flops if you just fill gaps in your squad. Much easier to do that and signings working out rather than getting the step up from good/very good to great. That's why our RW and DM is much easier to fix IMO than CB is.
 

bosnian_red

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…………………,.…Henderson………………..
Trippier…..Varane……Maguire……Shaw
………………..Saúl…………Pogba………………
…………………………Bruno………………………..
Sancho…………..Cavani…………Rashford
Saul isn't a defensive midfielder and that midfield would be ridiculously overrun. Trippier isn't a defensive fullback, Sancho and Rashford hardly track back, Pogba weak defensively, Saul not as good defensively as Fred or McTominay. Would never work.
 

Valar Morghulis

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…………………,.…Henderson………………..
Trippier…..Varane……Maguire……Shaw
………………..Saúl…………Pogba………………
…………………………Bruno………………………..
Sancho…………..Cavani…………Rashford
That's a nice team. If Pogba was swapped out for a monster DM with bags full of energy it would function fantastically.
 

NoPace

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Rashford(James)-Cavani(Greenwood)-Sancho(Amal)
-------------------------------Bruno(VDB)----------------------------------
------------------Pogba(Fred)-----DM(McTominay)--------------
Shaw(Telles)----------------------------------------WanBissaka(RB)
------------Maguire(Tuanzebe)----------CB(Lindelof)-------------
-----------------------------De Gea(Hendo)---------------------------------

If we've basically signed Sancho, this actually seems achievable in one summer, even for us.
 

In Rainbows

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We desperately need a smart midfielder. A really top class one at that. For all his skills and ability, Pogba doesn't allow for us to control a game and its tempo. Our CDMs are some of the most technically limited midfielders you will find. Add to that the risk taking nature of Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford as well as inexperience of Greenwood and we end up having games where we look like we are relying on moments as opposed to building continuous momentum. We need someone in the mould of Tony Kroos, maybe or a Modric. We need someone who is technically really good on the ball and a knack for maintaining possession and control on the game. I don't really care much for a CDM because as long as we can control a game, Fred or Mctominay or even Matic should be good enough to do a job. If we can get an upgrade on aforementioned CDMs along with a clever CM, that would make this team really really good.
Yeah I feel like we really need this kind of player more than just a pure DM but absolutely convinced unless Pogba leaves we have absolutely zero intention of signing either which is scary to say the least and still leaves us short of quality in midfield
Even if Pogba left, those midfielders are difficult to buy. I've been of the opinion that it is the one player we've been missing the entire time, and I don't see that player being bought soon. It's why I've been of the opinion that we produce our own with Gomes, Mejbri, and now Aaroen. Gomes left and we never listened to Butt in trying to convert him to a cm, so we're left with Mejbri and Aaroen. Because they're only prospects, both of them can fail to make the step up like many of our previous standouts in the academy. But we should exhaust our options to find that player internally or externally.

Barca ended up paying a lot for Frenkie, and they also have Puig.
 

smi11ie

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Rice (or another out and out DM), Sancho, Tripier and Verane. Want Ole to change from a 4231 to a 4141, but he won't. I think Utd will sign 2 players this window.
 

lex talionis

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Personally think we need to be willing to sacrifice Pogba in order to get that CDM so badly needed, really this position should actually be dependent on Matic leaving but wouldn't be in the least bit surprised for us to keep him
Liverpool sold Coutinho, which allowed them to surge forward. I love Pogba the footballer but we may need to set him free to let us surge forward.