02 Jul 2026 20:08:56
So.
No Anderson.
No Fernandes.
No Tonali.
If you believe the media, then our three major targets for CM are now unobtainable.
So, who do we go for next?
Tchouameni?
Scott?
Wharton?
Nmecha?
Baleba?
Any other names to throw out there?
Personally, I would love Tchouameni and Nmecha, although I'm 90% certain it will be Baleba as one of the two, which would be hugely underwhelming.
All I can say is that Ederson best be better than many of us are expecting.
02 Jul 2026 22:16:40
Baleba would be a good signing. Not underwhelming for me. Is he underwhelming because we've been linked for a while? Suits the profile we need, imo. I rate him.
02 Jul 2026 22:18:42
Ederson is a good player, im expecting him to do well.
02 Jul 2026 22:38:27
Baleba was great two years ago. He was toss last season, apart from maybe two or three games towards the end of the season, when he wanted to be in the shop window again.
03 Jul 2026 01:52:18
Tchouameni is borderline world class, so I would be very happy with that signing, but Scott, Wharton, and Baleba are certainly not on the same level as Anderson or Tonali, and probably not quite as good as Fernandes either.
I've not seen Nmecha play enough to judge him, same with a few others that have been linked, like Angelo Stiller, Noah Sadiki, Lamine Camara, and Mamadou Sangare.
Perhaps we've got a few targets that haven't really been spoken about. I've always liked Kamara from Aston Villa, and maybe Camavinga will be available. There are certainly enough good players available that we could start next season with a considerably stronger midfield, but I think we may have made a mistake by not targeting the very best, and as a result, allowing them to join our rivals.
03 Jul 2026 08:29:13
There are literally 100s of potentials who could step up to the mark. They may well not be "marquee" players that every dreams of, but that in my very humble and limited opinion is a subjective label given out far too easily.
Like Ken and others have said, I would rather buy a player who is committed to playing for the shirt and not the money. How they present themselves and adapt to the system is far more important to me.
Clubs are equally littered with expensive flops proving that buying the perfect fit for silly money just does not work 100% of the time.
The club will sign players. They may not be everyone's first choice, but they may well be United's. None of us know if Anderson, Fernandez et al were even on the radar.
Sit back, enjoy the ride, drink wine and smoke weed.
It's gonna be a mother beautiful season.
03 Jul 2026 09:26:50
I really don't understand this argument, Keefy. Does the ability and class play no part? We wanted Haaland and got Hojlund. One is a better player and one did not choose us, so should we not try for those players at all? The truth is we are not the draw we once were, and now big names have options to choose from. Why would anyone choose us unless you try and convince them? Are we looking at born Manchester United fanboys only? It doesn't work that way.
If the reports are to be believed that De Zerbi spoke with Tonali and Fernandes, and that convinced them to sign for Spurs, then what is Carrick doing? I can happily buy him a phone if he doesn't have one. For f***s sake, convince the players and stop waiting around for cheap s*** who just say it is their dream to play for us. I am sure Djemba Djemba is still a fan and happy to play.
03 Jul 2026 10:18:44
I think Carrick could even make Armageddon sound uneventful.
03 Jul 2026 11:10:55
That's my biggest concern, De Zerbi speaking with players convinced them, his passion, his drive, his vision, speaking with Carrick would just send you to sleep.
You hear it all the time, players wanting to play for a Pep, a Jose, etc., no one jumps about with excitement to play with Carrick.
That may be a huge problem.
Yes, he was an underrated player, maybe an underrated manager, but that is a concern.
03 Jul 2026 11:58:13
He comes across as dull as ditch water to me. But I've never spoken to him in person, so I've no idea.
Jsu, I'm surprised that all the players have been inspired by De Zerbi; they must have a different impression than the one you gave yesterday, when you said he keeps falling out with people and is perhaps not even a good manager.
Do you think, if you spoke to him, he would change your opinion of him?
03 Jul 2026 12:50:03
City were waiting in the wings for Tonali, but he wanted to go to London. Fernandes had no preference, and was happy to go to Spurs; maybe less disruption in his life. But, whatever the reason, they didn't want to come to United. Get over it.
03 Jul 2026 14:28:54
De Zerbi, London, and money convinced them, to be fair. Not just De Zerbi.
03 Jul 2026 15:01:17
And by the looks of it we don't have any of those things, Heaven. Unless, of course, the new stadium plan is closer to London. ??
Ajh, I don't have a problem with those that are gone. My problem is that weird argument that we want players who want us. To save a few dollars, we are not even competing in the market. Will you be ok with us getting mediocre players just because they come cheap, because good ones will be costly, and I don't know which kuckoo land our owners live in, but Man Utd does not decide the prices for the players.
It's a seller market. Negotiate by all means but don't dawdle. Of all the players we have in the shortlist only Tchouameni is at the World Cup. What are we waiting on for others?
03 Jul 2026 19:31:16
Fair point UA, I guess it's a balance. SAF used to try and understand the character of the player, irrespective of how good the player was. Would he fit in, was he 'sound', what was his personality like, would he fit in? I like that, and hope we are still considering it. We have signed too many a-holes in recent years.
03 Jul 2026 20:40:48
Don't think I said that, UA. I said I would prefer that they wanted to play for United. And, of course, if class and ability are available and want to come, then all the better.
If we can convince them then good, but if they are only coming for a payout then they can jog on.
03 Jul 2026 22:04:52
Tumble, if you read the post, I said I don't think he is a great, or even very good, manager, because he always falls out with everyone because of his volatile nature. That does not mean he is not passionate, and that he has good intentions and wants to win everything....
He is only a short-term fix. Jose lasted 3 years. Zerbi falls out with most in less than 24 months.
But, you can't knock his passion and winning attitude.
I can see he is more exciting than Carrick, which is not difficult.
03 Jul 2026 22:08:02
Keefy, you're in the wrong world if you think that money don't come before wanting to play for United in 2026!
We are not the lure of yesteryear; if we're not willing to match others with offers and salaries, we are bang in trouble.
03 Jul 2026 22:30:08
There we are then.
03 Jul 2026 23:11:51
Noah Sadiki is a demon.
I'd have him tomorrow.