26 May 2025 12:38:10
Having seen much being made of our need for a new CB for the middle - strong, dominant, good on the ball - and looked at many options that aren't so hyped that they carry a big market figure, I think I've found the guy I think United should go for - Martin Vitik.
Sparta apparently want around €15m for him, that sounds like a bargain to me.
What do you guys think?
26 May 2025 12:58:12
To be fair I'd be surprised if anyone had really heard of him let alone seen him play.
I think he's the sort of signing we would see at CB if any to be honest.
A cheaper, lessen known player with potential.
With MdL, Maguire, Yoro, Heaven, Martinez, Shaw and Mazraoui all capable of playing in the back three I don't see us signing a CB this summer unless we get all the other signings done.
While we have players like Kukonki and Fredricson in the academy who can step up and play a few games if needed.
I think it'll be next summer that we sign another CB maybe two, with Shaw and Maguire leaving and maybe one of MdL or Martinez also heading out the door.
I do wonder if it makes more sense to go for a slightly more experienced option at CB when we do sign one. With both Yoro and Heaven being very young and inexperienced still.
26 May 2025 13:46:20
Again comes back to who we can get out of the door, we have 7 options at cb (Maz, Yoro, maguire, MDL, Shaw, Heaven and Martinez) plus evans and lindelof who will be leaving.
Have been impressed with Heaven, Mazraoui and Yoro at centre back.
Martinez and Shaw have disappointed at centre back so far under Amorim and could be sellable.
Maguire and MDL are just too slow to play if we want to become a top team who plays in the oppositions half but who would want them on their wages.
26 May 2025 14:09:39
Fair point Shappy.
Olivier Boscagli then makes a little more sense. Available on a free, a left-footed CB who isn't injury-prone like Shaw and Martinez, decent experience and good on the ball. Being just 5'11" might be the only drawback though.
26 May 2025 15:20:03
Taller than Shaw and Martinez then!
26 May 2025 15:50:12
Shappy 5 of those 7 mentioned should be walked out the door.
Retain Yoro and heaven move on from the others who are substandard.
26 May 2025 16:56:10
Jimbob, maybe so, but it won't be this summer.
We need 40m for MdL to breakeven. That won't happen so he will be kept.
Martinez is injured and cannot pass a medical. So he will be kept.
Maguire has had the one year option activated. Therefore if we sell him to avoid profiteering issues we'd need to do some sort of a deal where he'd get a significant amount of any fee for him. Which would make selling him practically pointless.
Shaw's wages and injury record mean no one will sign him. We are stuck with him until his contract expires.
That leaves Mazraoui as the only one we could realistically sell and receive a reasonable fee for. But given around 12m of his fee is yet to be amortised, the only profit we get will be anything above that amount. Maybe we get 25m for him, leaving us with around 13m to bring in a better player than him. Which seems very unrealistic.
Therefore all five will almost certainly stay and as such we won't bring in a new CB this summer.
{Ed001's Note - injured players can pass medicals.}
26 May 2025 16:56:41
Jimbored I couldn’t agree more. They’re not good enough for us to be in contention for the champions league places let alone the league.
With us supposedly addressing the forward line with cunha today linked with mbeumo and maybe delay/ gyokeres I feel with sales we could also change the goalkeeper and possibly get some technical powerful pacy midfielders we could be cooking.
Or am I getting delusions of grandeur, maybe I am but I’m feeling a whole lot more positive especially with Ruben’s speech on how the good times will come and with only 1 game a week possibly losing the europa was a blessing a silver lining. i'm sure we’ll surprise everybody next season.
Let’s put this season behind us and get positive.
26 May 2025 18:53:49
No-one will probably touch Shaw. No problem for me. If, and it's a big if I know, he stays fit, I'd rather have him as a LWB than any other of our options. Good engine, good crosser of the ball. Rotate him with Dorgu, and Amass if it goes tits up with more injuries.
26 May 2025 21:19:49
I would expect that we go into next season with Yoro/ Mazroui RCB De Ligt/ Maguire CB and Heaven/ Martinez LCB
Unless we can generate a decent amount I feel like other areas including goalkeeper will take up the funds.
With one game a week this lot can do a job and we can then focus in the next window on improving the back line.
26 May 2025 23:05:39
Brad, if money is offered for Maguire, Mazraoui, MdL, Martinez, we bite their hand off.
We have Fredericson and Kukonki coming through, both who have been part of the first team squad since RA came in.
It is more important this off season for us to purge the club of the tripe we have accumulated.
27 May 2025 00:52:57
100% we buy a proper CB, not a chance we go with the ones we have
Yoro who I am not convinced by personally but hopefully kicks on, Heaven who should also kick on are only ones we should keep, but they seriously need a commanding experienced CB with pace in there with them, DeLigt, McGuire, Martinez, Shaw, Maz are seriously not the answer…….
Then Add A GK which is a must.
2 Strikers needed this is min requirement, ones that can actually score would be nice!
Midfielder who can control a game.
Maz, Ugarte, Deligt, McGuire, if we have to keep any of them, if no bids come in (cos who would want them) should be squad players at best.
27 May 2025 08:51:51
zzzzzz.