20 Jan 2024 00:03:17
Question for Shappy, rumour has it Benjamin Sesko’s release clause is €50M this summer. Would you go for him or apuld you rather go for Solanke for same price, perhaps more ?.

1.) 20 Jan 2024
20 Jan 2024 10:46:24
I’d rather spend a bit more and try and get Isak from Newcastle but very unlikely as they wouldn’t want to sell to us

To be perfectly honest I don’t see many great centre forwards around

Most overhyped and overrated

50 million these days gets you a bang average player or worse

Knowing us we’ll sign Calvert-Lewin for 90 million.

2.) 20 Jan 2024
20 Jan 2024 13:15:14
Latest rumour I saw is Brobbey. Although another rumour I saw is that Ineos will be clamping down or Erik raiding clubs for former players or players or players he trained with once in the 80s. Hopefully a swerve.

{Ed002's Note - Brian Brobbey (S) Everton interest remains but so does their financial plight. Eric ten Hag has a remaining interest but I doubt that position is supported by the club. Ajax will not want to sell.}

3.) 20 Jan 2024
20 Jan 2024 15:38:17
Here's a radical idea, given we have a potentially very good player signed last summer, let's give him the ball on a regular basis, I think he will do rather well!

4.) 20 Jan 2024
20 Jan 2024 16:06:53
Ports, There are many good young players with potential we could sign for 50m or so. I heard something about some cracking Danish striker, Rasmus something. Maybe we should sign him.

Seriously though the problem isn't finding potential great players to chuck a boat load of cash at. What we need is far harder to find.

We need someone whose good enough now to play regularly and lead the line, but someone who won't totally block the pathway for Hojlund. Someone who won't throw their toys out the pram when they start on the bench to give Hojlund a start, or do so if they are subbed off around 60 minutes to give Hojlund half an hour.

Realistically there are only two profiles of strikers we should sign this summer. Either someone between the ages of 26-28 who is a good player, but not in or will ever be in that world class bracket. However they need to be the right tactical fit to make the most of their skills. Or we have to sign a striker who is more experienced than Hojlund, probably between the ages of 23-25, has world class potential, but is a different style of striker to Hojlund.

Personally I'd prefer the second option. However, signing that sort of player would be hugely expensive. Probably in the 70-100m territory given the current state of the market.

What we absolutely shouldn't be doing is signing either an aging formerly world class player on massive wages who'd expect to play every game and block off Hojlund's opportunities to develop meaning he stagnates and doesn't reach his potential and in 2 years time we are left in the situation where we have a older player whose badly declined leaving and youngster who never developed as our only striking options.

Likewise signing another exciting teenager or 20 year old striker doesn't solve any of the issues we have with Hojlund's lack of experience or inconsistency. While both young players will get in the way of each others development. When the team is struggling you need to be able to take a youngster out of the firing line. That doesn't work if the only other option to play is an equally as inexperienced young player.

Which again brings us to two options. Either spend big on a players whose more experienced than Hojlund, has potential to become a top player, but stylistically very different to Hojlund. Or to sign a player in their mid-twenties whose that next bracket down from the world class players.

The reality is we can't afford to spend 70-100m on a striker as well as addressing the need for at least one CB (ideally two), two midfielders, a right back and possibly a RW player as well.

Signing a striker for 80m or so means we get one CB and one midfielder, and if we are really lucky a RB. That probably means keeping Maguire and McTominay as we will need them for squad depth due to not getting a second CB and CM. It also probably means another season of Antony starting or at least playing regularly on the RW.

I've said we probably need around 7 players (CB, CB, RB, CDM, CM, RW, ST), we'd be very lucky to get 6, five is more realistic. If we try and sign a player or two in the 80m ball park then 3 or 4 at best is more likely.

If I was playing FIFA would Solanke be a player I'd sign? Absolutely not, but in the real world with real world limitations do I think Solanke for 50m (2m LESS than we paid for Fred) would be a good signing? Absolutely.

I think we could easily spend twice as much on a player who wouldn't do half as well. He's done a very good job in the EPL for a few seasons now. He's done that at a side that have typically been pretty poor and struggle to create any really good opportunities until this season. Under Iraola this season Bournemouth are playing a much better style of football and Solanke is showing that in a team that creates chances not only does he press well from the front, create chances for his teammates, but he actually scores at a good rate as well.

The only real issue with Solanke is could we get him for 50m? Which is about the most I'd want to spend, if he's going to cost 60 or 70m then he's not worth it. Because ultimately we are signing a rotation option/ place holder for Hojund.

5.) 20 Jan 2024
20 Jan 2024 21:22:22
Sooner have Greenwood back.

6.) 20 Jan 2024
20 Jan 2024 21:46:58
Solanke……. ??.

7.) 21 Jan 2024
20 Jan 2024 23:09:41
Any thoughts on David at Lille? Seems a decent option.

8.) 21 Jan 2024
21 Jan 2024 00:02:25
Personally, I'd much rather United tried for Mayoral.

9.) 21 Jan 2024
21 Jan 2024 11:52:12
Face it, when we come calling the price goes up. can't see us getting y players in. We will have to walk away from a cew deals before negotiators start to take us seriously again.

When we sign a decent prospect they suddenly get priced at superstar levels. See hoyland, Amad, anthony and friends.

10.) 21 Jan 2024
21 Jan 2024 13:51:42
I don't care how young, raw or inexperienced a player is, two Prem goals from our main goal threat is embarrassing. I'm not saying Hjolund won't be worth the fee we paid in a few seasons (in fact I hope he'll be worth even more some day) but too many factors have gone wrong with players around him and left him right in the spotlight. Not his fault. There's no-one at the club in a similar position for him to aim at and learn from other than Rash and Martial and neither seem in a position right now to be inspiring anyone. There has to be another option up top, not a worldy who forces him out the team permanently but can rotate.

11.) 21 Jan 2024
21 Jan 2024 17:22:53
Can’t believe what I’m reading. Solanke, really? He’s hardly got a track record of scoring goals on a regular basis. Would be money down the drain.

Is Solanke really going to improve United?

There are far better options out there. Ivan Toney for one. Although I don’t know what the asking price is. And I think he might want to stay in London.

I’m not a scout so can’t roll off lots of strikers names that would be suitable. But if Solanke is where we end up then I’d sack all scouts at United as they’re clearly not doing any work.

12.) 21 Jan 2024
21 Jan 2024 17:52:44
I expect Toney to leave in summer but it will be £80m I reckon if he hits the ground running again.
By all accounts Utd barely have a 10th of that fee right now. We're talking a stop-gap / rotation option in Jan aren't we?

13.) 21 Jan 2024
21 Jan 2024 17:54:00
solanke at united. really lol.

14.) 21 Jan 2024
21 Jan 2024 20:15:37
Shappy is entitled to his opinion. I agree with everyone else on this one. Anyway I'm not sure shown any interest.
We only have 1 match a week now pretty much until the end of the season. An fa cup run might mean a couple of mid week games.
We have a big squad still in terms of numbers.
Top 4 is gone.
So I'm not sure we need anybody in even a 6 month loan.

15.) 22 Jan 2024
21 Jan 2024 23:59:39
What do we do if Hojlund breaks his leg in midweek training Tumble?
Rashford (not a CF) or Martial (well, Martial)

16.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 07:23:57
Read martial might be having sugery on his hip, which means gone for the rest of the season. We would need a striker on loan if that is the case. No one besides Hoiland can play there with some degree of success. Personally I would take the Bayern guy on loan if its reasonable. He is good in the box and can finish.

17.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 07:28:57
7 goals in 20 games Spenno, still our top goal threat after Bruno and McT, probably shows you how dysfunctional our attacking forwards have been.

18.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 12:11:04
Sort out the wings, get Bruno higher up, Casemiro and Mainoo in behind and Hojlunds goals will come.

I'd like to see us sign an experienced CF who will offer support to Hojlund next year.

19.) 23 Jan 2024
23 Jan 2024 00:55:24
Lots of people turning their nose up at Solanke, a d that's fair enough. I didn't mention him because I thought everyone would think he's a great player.

But if you're going to shoot down my suggestion then at least have the cajones to make an alternative suggestion yourself.

So who would people sign?

We are going to have 50m at most, you need to think of someone who would be available for that sort of fee, has a minimum of 100 professional games under their belt, probably between the ages of 24-27, ideally having had some EPL experience so as to limit the chances of them flopping.

So let's have it then, who are your suggestions?

20.) 23 Jan 2024
23 Jan 2024 06:21:16
I would sign Sesko or the Bolognia striker who I have never seen play . Both by reports well within the 50 mill if true.

Its all banter as we will not sign anyone permanently this window imo and maybe a loan deal at best. Come summer that when we will see proper players making moves.

21.) 23 Jan 2024
23 Jan 2024 22:16:24
Ahmad, the issue we have with Højlund is that he's young and inexperienced. I'm not sure signing a 20 year old Sesko as competition for the 20 year old Højlund is the right answer.

I'd also be careful about what reports say. Højlund was reportedly available for 35m, we paid 72m. More than double.

Joshua Zirkzee could be an interesting option, only 22 so he doesn't really add much experience, although he has played almost 100 senior top flight games. Although I suspect we'd hear the same neighsayers deriding his signature as "just another Dutch player bought by EtH", before the kid had even kicked a ball in training for us.

He seems decently talented and could develop well, although I'm not sure he's any better than Højlund right now, and I don't think he has a higher ceiling either. Similar profile of player as well, so doesn't offer anything different. Just a like for like replacement for Højlund, but with 12 months worth of experience more and probably a little bit less talent.

The problem is that there really isn't much choice out there currently for top strikers.

Go back 8 years ago and you had players like Messi, Ronaldo, Lewandowski, Benzema, Suarez, Ibrahimovic, Cavani, Aguero, Eto'o, and David Villa all in their primes.

Look around now and the market is pretty thin on the ground.

Kane, Haaland and Mbappe are probably the only three who are comparable to the aforementioned players.

Not many other top strikers about. The ones in that next bracket down are decent but not world class players. Yet still going to cost you 60-80m.

Or you spend 50-70m on a top young talent, like a Højlund or Sesko, and hope they make good on their potential.

Very slim pickings in the striker market currently.

22.) 24 Jan 2024
24 Jan 2024 07:53:40
shappy

We did not seem to do too bad having a young Ronaldo and Rooney in yester years. Not signing another top talent for the sake of Hoiland is a wrong.

There are no guarantees Hoiland will be a world beater and betting the farm on him is very risky. If I am building a team for the future, I would want plenty of young top talent in the squad and let the best man win.

There are quite a few young strikers out there that don't get a mention atm but are coming. We might get a surprise name or two before the summer window opens.

It will be interesting to see what the new CEO and new DOF decide in terms of players we go after as they will have plenty of knowledge on players who might not be linked to atm and have a different view on Targets. I do not think for a second they will allow eth to buy what he wants if they are not on board with it or if eth is even here next year.

23.) 26 Jan 2024
25 Jan 2024 23:21:43
ahmad, Rooney and Ronaldo playing in the same team is a very different kettle of fish.

For a start they didn't play in the same position, one was playing games on the right wing the other either left wing or up front. So they were never competing with each other for game time. In a similar way to us having Hojlund and Garnacho in the team right now. Both young players, but playing in different positions.

The other big difference is the quality they had around them. When Ronaldo and Rooney were teenagers playing for United it really didn't matter much if they performed well or not because they had players like Keane, Scholes, Giggs and RvN in the team around them who'd take the pressure off them to be the match winner every week. To carry that burden.

Simply put we don't have that same quality around now to carry half a dozen youngsters in our side. We already have the aforementioned Hojlund and Garnacho along with Mainoo. Three young players who could form a core part of the team for the next 8-10 years.

We need a few players with a bit more experience to come in. Especially when you consider that players like Varane, Casemiro, Eriksen and Maguire are likely to leave either this summer of next. Along with the likes of DDG who left last summer. That's a lot of experience leaving. Exciting young talents are great to see, but we still need a bulk of players with at least 3-5 years experience of professional football under their belt.