Which 2 midfielders would you prefer we sign ?

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I think we'll get 1 expensive midfielder from the aforementioned names, but I can see Vivell pushing for a top young talent from a smaller league like Christos Mouzakitis or Nathan De Cat as a squad option.
 
Dubai said:
I think we'll get 1 expensive midfielder from the aforementioned names, but I can see Vivell pushing for a top young talent from a smaller league like Christos Mouzakitis or Nathan De Cat as a squad option.
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Nathan De Cat, Caleb Yirenkyi, Aleksandar Stankovic. Could try this kind of profile of players , if we want to try also sort out Left back and Left Wing too. Saves us from offering 80 million for them from Brighton in two-years time too.
 
1976red said:
Onana from villa and Wharton from palace.
Onana gives the physical profile we are missing and could partner easily with Mainoo also.
Wharton brings positional awareness and the passing range we are lacking.
Casemiro, Ugarte, Collyer, Gore to make way.
Thoughts?
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Onana has been pretty woeful for Villa - when the squad is fully fit he struggles to get in the team
 
I personally wouldn't mind Tonali with either Wharton/Anderson. If we get both of em, superb. Might be a copium, but I trust that Vivell guy to sort it out.
 
RedKnight88 said:
Nathan De Cat, Caleb Yirenkyi, Aleksandar Stankovic. Could try this kind of profile of players , if we want to try also sort out Left back and Left Wing too. Saves us from offering 80 million for them from Brighton in two-years time too.
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Stankovic has the potential to be a steal. Would add some much needed height too when Casemiro is gone.
 
RedKnight88 said:
Nathan De Cat, Caleb Yirenkyi, Aleksandar Stankovic. Could try this kind of profile of players , if we want to try also sort out Left back and Left Wing too. Saves us from offering 80 million for them from Brighton in two-years time too.
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They'd cost half the price and wages compared to the others too. Like Lemmens has shown there are quality bargains out there, it's just about picking the right player.
 
Anderson and Guimaraes = title charge next season. Doubt we can afford both though.
 
Dubai said:
I think we'll get 1 expensive midfielder from the aforementioned names, but I can see Vivell pushing for a top young talent from a smaller league like Christos Mouzakitis or Nathan De Cat as a squad option.
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RedKnight88 said:
Nathan De Cat, Caleb Yirenkyi, Aleksandar Stankovic. Could try this kind of profile of players , if we want to try also sort out Left back and Left Wing too. Saves us from offering 80 million for them from Brighton in two-years time too.
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DutchSerb said:
Stankovic has the potential to be a steal. Would add some much needed height too when Casemiro is gone.
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Desert Eagle said:
They'd cost half the price and wages compared to the others too
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Stankovic would be a good third option if possible. He has a well-rounded skill-set and good technical ability. One of those players who can "defend as a 6, attack as a 10", as the saying goes. Could impose himself on games more at the moment, sometimes he seems to go hiding a bit, but that will surely come with age. Not sure how cheap or feasible it will be to sign him though given Inter's buy-back clause.

I'm not so hot on Mouzakitis. I don't think he has the physical profile yet for Utd's midfield and his passing seems a but overrated somehow.

De Cat is also a good profile of player capable of playing a few different roles, including a 6. I could see him develop in to a United player. Given his age not entirely sure how ready he is yet though.

Yirenkyi I'm not completely convinced he's technically sound enough.

A few other names for the inexpensive, but high ceiling young midfield prospects as possible 3rd midfield signings:

Smit - might not be super cheap, but certainly should be cheaper than PL players still. Can play as a Wharton-type deep-lying playmaker, Odegaard-style 10, and everything in between. If he can slightly improve his defensive work-rate and finishing ability he could be a complete midfielder. Has "wowed" me a bit more than the similar-ish De Cat.

Dragojevic - as I bumped in the other midfielders thread. 20 year-old Serbian DM. Captains Partizan Belgrade already so has leadership qualities, and just got his first call-up to the Serbian national team. Only €15mil release clause. Dortmund apparently sniffing around.

Siltanen - 18 year-old DM at Djugardens, doing similarly well there to Bergvall before Spurs signed him. Seems a Joao Neves/Mateus Fernandes/mini-Rodri type deep-lying terrier with good passing range. Not yet managed to watch him live though as it's close season in Sweden.
 
I'd like 3, with Ugarte being moved on. Preferred options in bold -

1ST (TOP RANGE PRICE): Anderson, Baleba, Tonali, Camavinga, Barrios, Kone
2nd (DECENT ROTATION OPTION): Joao Gomes, Scott, F. Nmecha, Andrey Santos, Bergvall, Bouaddi, Larsson, Yarmolyuk, Frohldt, Sadiki, Sangare, Guerra, Atta
3rd (YOUNG PUNT): De Cat, Yirenkyi, Stankovic, Manzambi, Mouzakitis, Smit, Barco, Zabi
 
next_number_seven said:
Our budget could be 250m easily, maybe 300m.

We need 2 CM minimum. Mount is impossible to sell. We might be able to loan him.

Our full backs are ok but could be upgraded.
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Maybe 300 million British pounds? I have no factual basis to dispute your speculation but that seems to me to be unduly optimistic. But then again, we are Manchester United and when we pound the table with a clenched fist we are not to be denied.

I believe both Mount and Ugarte are unsellable. My opinion only, but I feel confident about that opinion.

But I do agree on 2 central midfielders, though I'm not sure about "2 CM minimum". It's going to be 2 CMs maximum, unless we sell Mainoo to make room for Guimaraes. In which case we'll need a second 8 behind Guiamaraes and then a true 6 such as Tonali and a hybrid 6/8. That said, I don't see us poaching two players from Newcastle and if I'm right about that and we can only poach one, surely it has to be Tonali over Guimaraes. But then again, if we bring in Baleba then Tonali is out and Guimaraes is back in.

But while we think about strengthening the XI with names like Guimaraes, I hope the club is thinking hard about using our young prospects to add depth. I keep reading great things about Kone, and then there is of course Collyer and Gore -- about whom many have raved.
 
Realistically, I think we'll two proper big name CMs and a more direct DM to replace Ugarte. Per the trades, we were interested in Tyler Adams before his injury. I bet someone of his caliber (steady without being amazing - your Milner type) comes in alongside the big names. And the I think the front office will still put a premium on proved EPL talent over wishful thinking talent in other leagues, especially lower league.

We'll have a warchest in the summer to spend but also could use help elsewhere on the pitch so I don't think we blow it all on the center of the park.
 
lex talionis said:
Maybe 300 million British pounds? I have no factual basis to dispute your speculation but that seems to me to be unduly optimistic. But then again, we are Manchester United and when we pound the table with a clenched fist we are not to be denied.

I believe both Mount and Ugarte are unsellable. My opinion only, but I feel confident about that opinion.

But I do agree on 2 central midfielders, though I'm not sure about "2 CM minimum". It's going to be 2 CMs maximum, unless we sell Mainoo to make room for Guimaraes. In which case we'll need a second 8 behind Guiamaraes and then a true 6 such as Tonali and a hybrid 6/8. That said, I don't see us poaching two players from Newcastle and if I'm right about that and we can only poach one, surely it has to be Tonali over Guimaraes. But then again, if we bring in Baleba then Tonali is out and Guimaraes is back in.

But while we think about strengthening the XI with names like Guimaraes, I hope the club is thinking hard about using our young prospects to add depth. I keep reading great things about Kone, and then there is of course Collyer and Gore -- about whom many have raved.
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I reckon 300m spend is possible. We have spent over 200 both summers under Ineos and this is the first window that we will have Champions League.

Champions League
Casemiro off the wages
Rashford fee + wages gone

We will try and sell Ugarte I imagine but I agree that it's more likely to be a loan with an option, so we may keep him for numbers.

I think we will sign 2 midfielders unless Ugarte goes.

2 midfielders
Left back or left winger (depends how whoever the manager is sees Dorgu)
Possibly a centre back if we are concerned enough about De Ligt's injury issues.

I'd urgently sign a new back up keeper unless they think Vitek is ready. If rather he got a loan with a promoted club if possible.
 
Apparently it will most likely be two CM signings rather than three as Ugarte is on high wages and Utd do not want to supplement wages. Teams who could theoretically be interested wouldn't be able to afford his wages.

There was an interesting angle to this on the Talk of the Devils podcast, namely who would work with Mainoo.

Baleba - Mainoo = yes
Anderson - Mainoo = yes
Wharton - Mainoo = no

As mentioned on BrunoG thread, Mitten said there's nothing from Utd in regards to BrunoG. His agent is using Utd to get him a better contract.
 
OverratedOpinion said:
I reckon 300m spend is possible. We have spent over 200 both summers under Ineos and this is the first window that we will have Champions League.

Champions League
Casemiro off the wages
Rashford fee + wages gone

We will try and sell Ugarte I imagine but I agree that it's more likely to be a loan with an option, so we may keep him for numbers.

I think we will sign 2 midfielders unless Ugarte goes.

2 midfielders
Left back or left winger (depends how whoever the manager is sees Dorgu)
Possibly a centre back if we are concerned enough about De Ligt's injury issues.

I'd urgently sign a new back up keeper unless they think Vitek is ready. If rather he got a loan with a promoted club if possible.
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Agreed. Although at least to my eye Dorgu looks substantially more proficient a LW than a LB, but Cunha won’t be displaced whereas Shaw is running on fumes now.
 
IrishRedDevil said:
Bruno Guimares and Mateus Fernandes
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Amen! Will cost a pretty bunch (I hear many mention Matheus Fernandes as the possible cheap option, forgetting he cost West Ham 40m!) but attainable if West Ham go down. Bruno G clearly wants to move, just about working out a good deal.
 
Bruno G would probably be the most affordable or easiest to get. He’ll want CL football which we should be able to provide all being well. Out of all the ones we’re linked though I’m not sure who the most defensive one is or the best at tackling… Casemiro has got everything. We need a really good tackler in the midfield.
 
DJ_21 said:
Bruno G would probably be the most affordable or easiest to get. He’ll want CL football which we should be able to provide all being well. Out of all the ones we’re linked though I’m not sure who the most defensive one is or the best at tackling… Casemiro has got everything. We need a really good tackler in the midfield.
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Wharton is the easiest to get possibly with Baleba. I think that would be our next season CM pair
 
devilish said:
Wharton is the easiest to get possibly with Baleba. I think that would be our next season CM pair
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That would be fantastic pairing especially as Anderson seems unobtainable. Only issue is Baleba - Mainoo works on paper. Wharton - Mainoo on paper looks a weaker pairing. But know knows how it would play out on the pitch.

We need the ability to control possession and have line breaking passes. We also need strength and power in our midfield and the ability to breakup counter transitions when out transitions breakdown. Wharton and Baleba cover all of these requirements between the pair.
 
Elliott Anderson should be top of the list though I’m concerned city will blow us away with their offer, wages and under the table payments.

If not Anderson, two of Wharton, Baleba or Tonali. In theory I like Bruno G but it depends on price given his age.
 
dinostar77 said:
Via Sky Sports News

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Tremendously underwhelming. I don't doubt his defensive ability, but Casemiro just offers so, so much more, and if this guy is our Casemiro replacement, we're already way worse off next season.
 
dinostar77 said:
That would be fantastic pairing especially as Anderson seems unobtainable. Only issue is Baleba - Mainoo works on paper. Wharton - Mainoo on paper looks a weaker pairing. But know knows how it would play out on the pitch.

We need the ability to control possession and have line breaking passes. We also need strength and power in our midfield and the ability to breakup counter transitions when out transitions breakdown. Wharton and Baleba cover all of these requirements between the pair.
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It's basically the best we can get under the constraints we've set and are in.

This is my line of reasoning. We wanted a CM last season and we look set to get a Casemiro replacement this season. Therefore we look set to sign at least 2 CMs maybe 3 if Ugarte leaves. That is backed by multiple sources. These same sources have said that United want to sort the issue with EPL proven players which limit our search for a small group of players.

Anderson - the dream move. Unfortunately he's also sought by City who have a better squad then ours and seem to be ready to overpay in terms of salary.
Tonali - The guy wants to leave Newcastle but as Romano claimed his dream move is to Italy. We're only in the picture because Italian clubs can't afford him. As a person who had followed the Serie A for 35 odd years I know that once an Italian player misses la mamma he'll end up there sooner rather then later. Therefore if one takes in consideration his wishes, the fact that Newcastle are petty especially surrounding us and that they would be asking silly money for him, whose good but who also have a chequered history then I can't such deal happening. What's most likely to happen is for Tonali to remain at Newcastle for another year with Newcastle agreeing to sell him on a more reasonable price next summer if an Italian club comes knocking.

Bruno G - The good news about Bruno G is that he's nearly 29 and with just 2 years left in his contract. That means that Newcastle will have to settle for a more reasonable price. The bad news about Bruno G is that he's nearly 29 with 2 years left in his contract which means that if Newcastle decide to rip the very heart of their CM then they'll only get 55-60m max for him. Is that worth it for them?

Baleba - we've been courting the guy for more then a year and rightly or wrongly he had shown that he can get 'distracted' by that. Now Brighton are tough negotiators but they aren't stupid. Can they really afford another year from a distracted Baleba were Brighton's results keep on plummeting and with it their player's price? Can a selling club afford that?

Wharton - He's an "old-school" no 8 in a football that is moving towards the no 6/no 8 hybrid. As you had said Wharton can't play with Mainoo, something that wouldn't be an issue with a 6/8 hybrid such as Anderson.

Then there's the cheap option such as Joao Gomes and Andre in case Wolves get relegated and Fernandes in case West Ham get's relegated.

For the right price I'd say we'll go for Baleba and Wharton with the former offering athleticism and pace while the latter will dictate tempo. We'll try to offload Ugarte (more difficult said than done due to his salary) and then aim for Joao Gomes. We'd have Baleba and Wharton as first teamers and Joao Gomes and Mainoo as cover/competition
 
Baleba 6
Guimaraes 8

Guimaraes can also play 6 and pair with Mainoo as the 8.

It's 2 signings but gives 3 options for team selection.
 
Klean said:
I'd love Bruno G and if the rumors are true about Madrid wanting to sell off Camavinga I'd push very hard for that deal.

Reality is that we will probably get Baleba and then a player like Joao Gomes for depth.
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Have we not learnt any lesson from past 20 years? never buy any player from Real Madrid or Barcelona or Bayern - simple reason is that they only sell aging or problematic players. Or at least not any player above the age of 19.

I would put Dortmund on the "don't touch" list as well, every one is incompatible if not disastrous.
 
cyril C said:
Have we not learnt any lesson from past 20 years? never buy any player from Real Madrid or Barcelona or Bayern - simple reason is that they only sell aging or problematic players. Or at least not any player above the age of 19.

I would put Dortmund on the "don't touch" list as well, every one is incompatible if not disastrous.
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That's not the underlying problem. The problem as mentioned on TOTD podcast is that Utd used to buy players in isolation, without any thought as to how they would integrate into the team and it's structure. It used to be "he is good for Madrid, yeah let's get him in".

A good example is Donny Van Der Beek. Mitten said in TOTD, donny was bought without any thought as to where he would fit into the team. He was a good deal at the time and Utd were under pressure from the fans for signings.

Now it's more about how the potential signings work with existing players and team structure. Hence questions about any new midfielders, how do they fit with Mainoo. Are they a good pairing or do they have deficits that are too big?

Which is why on paper Mainoo - Baleba, Mainoo - Anderson work better than Mainoo - Wharton or Mainoo - Camavinga.
 
Wharton and Tonali for me. Add Ndiaye and Hall there, and we're title contenders.
 
Who ever we sign I expected us to slide down the table. And I know for sure that our fans and especially ex players will be calm and cool about it.
It is unbelievable how long we ignored our midifield.
 
Paulinha from spurs to be the pure DM against better opposition

Tonali to partner mainoo and Bruno in every other game
 
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