29 Jun 2025 14:28:09
What are views on our activity (actual as well as attempted / reported) so far?
I think the club at least got the decision making right (reset needed, move players on ruthlessly instead of handing even more absurd contracts to 'preserve value', mostly right priorities on what we need in and out, etc. ) but moving players on will be a much bigger headache than anyone thought. Goes to show just how much of a mess we are in tbh.
And yes, I know there's a long time to go and what not, but it does seem that nobody wants our players; rightly so, as with few exceptions they are pretty much all dross when you look at wage/ talent ratio.
Basically I was stupidly hopeful we would make a lot of progress this window. Am now resigned to at least next season to see a proper squad coming together.
29 Jun 2025 15:13:55
There are so many factors involved in transfers not least the fact that you need a willing buyer and seller who can reach a compromise on price and payment terms.
Then the fact that players although increasingly seen as commodities to be traded do have a say too. They may not want to move to a particular club or league
Then there is the domino effect where the transfer of a few players suddenly frees up blocked deals as clubs have more room to manoeuvre.
Lastly PSR means that it's probably economic sense for most clubs to do deals in a new PSR year rather than in the current one.
Am sure nearly all clubs will be working hard including Utd to buy and sell players and quite rightly we as fans only tend to see the end result of negotiations not the whole process.
29 Jun 2025 16:58:56
Would rather have two well thought out, sensible signings who can perform sooner rather than later, thank have 6/ 7 random signings of which only 1/ 2 will be a success.
29 Jun 2025 17:10:21
Tbf, irrespective of how keen I was to see the problems removed swiftly from the squad, I certainly didn't expect it to be easy.
Rashford and Sancho are grossly overpaid and deluded with incredibly poor attitudes.
Casemiro wants to stay.
The club would seek too much for Antony and he would likely want too much in wages.
I'd be gutted, but I fully expect that only Antony from that four will leave and only on loan with a loan fee of no more than £10m to cover his wages.
Then there's Garnacho. His age, profile and ceiling would, were it not for his ego and attitude combined with our need for funds, otherwise attract interest at around £60m. However, we're probably looking at around £40m.
Onana doesn't want to leave and we'd likely get no more than book value for Hojlund.
Which, to me, leaves only Dalot and Mainoo as options for profit.
If reports are correct and our starting budget was barely £100m, then we must currently be left with a maximum of £37.5m - £27.5m short of what Brentford are reported to want for Mbeumo.
So, imo, even if we sold Garnacho, we'd probably still end up having to sell Mainoo to have any hope of buying a striker or a goalkeeper.
This conundrum makes it more likely we go for Calvert-Lewin on a free and stick with Onana.
The club is being squeezed because of the financial mess of it's own making, nothing will be easy and we'll probably remain stuck with Rashford, with only loan fees for Antony and Sancho.
Imo, we'll see lots of movement we want now happen next summer.
I think we're going to see Sancho go on a free, Antony and Casemiro leave for respective book values, while Onana and Hojlund might garner interest if they can find some form. Rashford will likely only move if his ego and/ or wage demands are catered to, failing which we'll be stuck with him for another 3 years.
The optimist in me hopes to see Cunha and Mbeumo bring some sparkle to our performances, but the realist in me knows that we need more than just Fernandes and Amad to show up as well if we're to be a decent team again.
{Ed077's Note - did you and Shappy switch usernames? ??
29 Jun 2025 17:52:29
???
No Ed, I'm more Shloppy.
29 Jun 2025 20:52:13
Calvert-Lewin. Why bother?
29 Jun 2025 21:32:58
MancMan
Match made in heaven mate - he's got dodgy hamstrings and we're hamstrung.