17 Aug 2026 00:52:38
Rodri going to Barcelona puts the Tchouameni issue to bed, not that it was ever really more than paper talk. City supposedly planning on buying Bouaddi as a longer term replacement. With all the main supposedly fancied midfielders now spoken for, who's left? Wharton? Scott? Kone? Baleba? Will they buy anyone at all?
17 Aug 2026 08:54:06
City will get Enzo from Chelsea, I think.
Which will lead to Chelsea getting Scott from Bournemouth.
I think Baleba is injured, so unlikely now.
That leaves Wharton and Kone from your list.
Not sure they are that keen on Wharton. Kone has been available for a while now and United haven't moved on him yet, which suggests to me they don't fancy him. Or they can't/won't spend the money.
17 Aug 2026 10:14:17
Fallguy
Yes, looks like that. Allowing Scott to Chelsea is a mistake by us.
If that happens, have to fancy Chelsea will be another team finishing above us.
Scott was my choice.
Baleba injury not that bad, I believe, but Newcastle said to be after him.
I wonder what we are doing, because the optics look terrible and demotivating the fan base, whether some like it or not.
Can only hope they wake up this week.
17 Aug 2026 10:40:52
None of the big boys seem keen on Wharton, but it wouldn't surprise me to see United or Liverpool swoop.
Bournemouth has said Scott isn't available, and unless someone goes big (£70m+, which seems ludicrous), I expect them to hold to that.
Maybe the player has a gentleman's agreement for one more year, then they'll let him go?
I quite liked Kone from what I saw at the World Cup.
Considering he managed to get in that midfield, that's no mean feat.
As it seems that all the players United want aren't obtainable, a bit of a wildcard, but I wonder if a loan of some kind could materialise for an unexpected player, like Liverpool managed with Araujo?
17 Aug 2026 11:23:23
Was thinking about loans the other day. Seems other clubs manage to pull off loan deals for good first-team players. Liverpool with Araujo and Arsenal with Hinchepie last year.
I wondered why United don't try this. Maybe they have, and we don't know about it.
They could try a loan with an obligation to buy next year if funds are tight this year.
17 Aug 2026 11:27:08
Wharton has been priced out of any move, I think. He's a 40-50m player, available for 70m. Nobody is paying that for him.
He's also not the type of player we now need, so why go for him? He's a deep-lying playmaker. We have those. Baleba is the obvious and only move now.
17 Aug 2026 11:56:04
Furthermore, wonder if we're considering a loan option for Palinha whilst the club perceive there is no value in the transfer market? He did well at Spurs last season.
Desperate times and all.
17 Aug 2026 12:02:31
Looking at who we have in midfield, and given our struggles with crosses into the box and set-pieces, what we really need is a tall, strong, mobile ball winner who's great in the air.
With Santos, Mainoo and Tielemans, we have three players who are either top class or have top class potential. Two of them are young, and will need regular game time to reach that potential. Long term, I think Santos and Mainoo will develop into a fantastic first-choice midfield duo (much like, long term, Yoro and Heaven looks like a great duo).
I think signing a third midfielder is more about balancing out the options we have, and offering a slightly different profile that will be needed in some games or at certain points in games. Ideally, someone who's a little more experienced and doesn't need game time to develop.
Personally, I think Sander Berge is possibly the best option available. He is physically impressive, strong in the air, mobile, and covers a lot of ground, experienced, has proven himself in the EPL, and is good on the ball. He has also displayed good leadership qualities.
The only weakness he has that could potentially be an issue is that he doesn't have great acceleration, so can be caught out over shorter distances. Although his experience means that he is rarely in need of quick acceleration to recover, and this will likely be an issue for any tall, physically imposing player we sign, as it's a consequence of having longer legs and carrying more weight.
17 Aug 2026 12:23:08
I slightly disagree on the future midfield. I don't see Santos and Mainoo working as a pair. There's not enough legs and power for the modern Premier League.
Unless, of course, United manage to transition into a team like City and Arsenal that has the ball 60-70% of the time.
17 Aug 2026 12:43:40
Spurs came 17th last year, don't think anyone can claim to have played well, tbh.
Tyler Adams might be an option for midfield considering how highly he is rated by the club.
17 Aug 2026 12:55:15
We will panic buy Sander Berge on deadline day.
17 Aug 2026 13:19:41
Fallguy, the football played in the EPL isn't the same as it was 10 years ago, hell, it's not even the same as it was 5 years ago.
Football goes in cycles. Right now, physicality, pace and power are what most EPL teams are going with in midfield, but that won't last forever.
The next change will likely move back to more technical ability and control in midfield, which would suit Santos and Mainoo, who are 22 and 21 respectively. Even if it takes 5 years to change, that would leave them at 26/27 years old, in their prime.
17 Aug 2026 13:22:52
Cantona, I'd be very pleased with that "panic" buy. Like I said, he really suits what we really need in midfield, rather than a fancy big name, expensive signing.
Also, who is to say a "panic" buy can't be a good signing? You could argue that Tielemans was a panic buy after the deal for Ederson collapsed.
Likewise, Santos was a player the club have been interested in for a while, but didn't think was going to be available. When he became available, the club moved quickly. Does that make him a "panic" buy?
17 Aug 2026 13:41:17
Berge is a solid professional, but lack of pace matters, especially in midfield, where players need to be able to launch quick attacks and be fast enough to recover when facing opposition quick counter attacks.
More importantly, right now, is our defence. You won't win anything with a defence like ours that leaks goals. At the moment, I have no confidence we can go for three or four goals without conceding at least one goal a match.
17 Aug 2026 13:53:48
If, for example, in theory, Anderson was first choice, say Ederson second, Santos, Tielemans, Wharton, Scott, Baleba, Tonali, Fernandez, Lewis Skelly, where would Berge be? More than tenth?
Would that be the signs of an ambitious strong club?
17 Aug 2026 14:24:54
They don't make lists in that way. They'll have tier 1, tier 2, tier 3 targets. That is normal at major clubs and companies. Trying to form ridiculous angles like this to make criticisms undermines anything else you're saying.
17 Aug 2026 14:56:21
I've said all along: the midfield needs pace.
It's Tielemans or Mainoo.
And Santos or ???
The question mark has got to be rapid and cover ground. My vote would be Sadiki from Sunderland.
17 Aug 2026 15:09:52
Why does Spurs finishing 17th make Palhinha a poor loan deal? The other 10 players he played alongside were an abomination. He did pretty well.
All that being said, we'll buy Louis Page on the cheap and call it job done.
Feels like we will be very active on deadline day this year, guys. Strap yourselves in. But as pointed out above, the optics don't look good from the outside looking in.
17 Aug 2026 16:37:49
Ok Don, if you want to look at it that way, would Berge not be tier 3?
17 Aug 2026 17:10:43
Who said he's on any tier?! But I'd probably have him as tier 3, yes. But my tier 1 would have had only Tchouameni and Elliot Anderson. Tier 2 would have Tielemans, Santos, but also Tonali, Mateus Fernandes. Tier 3 remains as targets we'd be happy with.
17 Aug 2026 21:35:08
Did anyone watch the Community Shield? Anderson is Tier 2.
17 Aug 2026 21:43:18
Based on the previous season, Anderson is tier one.