27 Aug 2026 14:27:16
It looks like City will be rebuilding their midfield as well with three key midfield signings.
They've gone for Bouaddi, Anderson, and Enzo Fernandez for over 300m total spend just on their midfield.
Double what United have paid for Tielemans, Santos and Baleba (roughly 150m).
Now on paper I'd say the City three are marginally better than the United signings right now.
But we have to appreciate that on reflection, the rebuild of our midfield has been done masterfully with the amount we've spent.
27 Aug 2026 15:11:08
Marginally ha!
27 Aug 2026 15:21:53
Man for man, I think City's midfield (assuming they do sign Enzo Fernandez) blows ours out of the water. The real question is whether they can play together.
The same question could be asked of ours. Sadly, with Bruno taking up one of the three, I think it will be very difficult to balance our midfield. Mainoo only really makes sense alongside Baleba, and that's assuming we get the Baleba of two years ago and not the version we saw last season.
In the long run, I do think Santos, Mainoo, and Baleba could work well together, but it all depends on how long Bruno ends up staying and the opportunities that Mainoo gets in a more advanced role.
27 Aug 2026 15:22:38
Is this satire?
27 Aug 2026 15:53:19
Marginally wouldn't be a word I would use.
It's miles better if they get Enzo.
27 Aug 2026 16:20:00
Ugly Mirror:
Fernandez is good but not amazing.
Anderson was average at the World Cup.
Bouaddi could easily flop.
I'd expect Utd to be able to afford a world class level player each transfer window after 28. We are rebuilding, and it is what it is.
Citeh could be in the Championship next year.
27 Aug 2026 16:38:30
Fernandez is a very good player. But is at his best as the most attacking player in a midfield 3.
Anderson is very good too. His problem is that he will never justify his fee.
Bouaddi is the one I think can be truly world class. His composure on the ball is outstanding for a teenager, and he has the confidence to back himself against established players too.
I'm happy with our midfield signings, but there's a gulf in quality between us and the ones City are making. We wanted Anderson. Every big club was interested in Bouaddi. City has the money to make these signings, we don't.
27 Aug 2026 16:58:27
It's considerably better, but I expect the amount to be nearer 350M than 300M, and we can always buy another if things don't work out. I'm happy with our business in midfield. We've a lot of areas to deal with and aren't in a position to spend that sort of money on one area.
27 Aug 2026 17:06:11
I think marginally better is a fair assessment. The City 3 are definitely not twice as good, so we definitely got some value for money.
Mainoo, Baleba, and Santos will all soon be rated as £100m plus players.
27 Aug 2026 17:09:53
I don't think the rebuild is over, but it just started. Rebuild will be over when Bruno, Ugarte, and Maount go. Then we will need two top players along Mainoo, Santos, Baleba, and a couple of youngsters to complete the midfield.
On paper, Baleba, Mainoo and Bruno look good, and with potential, although I would too take a look (or two) on Buaddi, and I would certainly buy Anderson.
27 Aug 2026 17:31:10
I think Fernandes holds all our midfield options back. We looked so much better Rijnore season without him in the team.
27 Aug 2026 18:09:02
Marginally, you been on the sherberts.
27 Aug 2026 18:22:43
Shappy
Marginally, are you on hallucinogenics?
However, the use of masterfully was too funny. Shopping in pound shop bargain land is now "masterful".
27 Aug 2026 18:54:19
It's all noise. Let's see where we all end up. Lots of clubs will be bedding in new players and managers first half. No one has a scooby how it will all shake out.
27 Aug 2026 19:19:37
Doesn't matter, City will sell lot for about £600m in a couple of seasons.
I suppose we'll find out who has got the better deals at the end of the season. Or in a couple of weeks at OT. ??
27 Aug 2026 20:05:11
Bauddai looks a bit special to me, and looks like a unit.
The EPL is a different animal, so it will be interesting to see how long it takes him to adjust. With players like Anderson, Kovicic, Enzo around him, he will thrive, im sure.
If you're to rank them individually, then City have the stronger individuals in most cases.
27 Aug 2026 22:51:48
I said marginally, and I stand by that.
Enzo Fernandez plays best as the most attacking player, but does anyone feel he has truly justified his transfer fee at Chelsea?
Eliott Anderson had a phenomenal season last time out, but let's wait and see how he settles at City.
Bouaddi has the highest potential of the three, but he's very young and has never played in the EPL. How he settles will play a big part in whether he realises that potential.
But are they really that much better than the three we signed?
Tielemans has been one of the best midfielders in the league outside of the traditional top 4 or 5 clubs over the past 3-4 years.
This time last year Baleba was probably the highest rated young midfielder in the league, valued at over 100m. He's had an off season, but the ability is there, and circumstances did play a role in his form last season.
Andrey Santos was the best midfielder in Ligue 1, not named Joao Neves or Vitinha, a couple of seasons ago. At 20 years old, he captained Strasbourg while on loan. He was also able to deputise for Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo last season, without it impacting Chelsea's performance levels.
The Chelsea signings are still rated slightly higher, but you can't tell me they are twice as good as the United signings.
28 Aug 2026 04:42:18
You're right, Shappy, probably more like 1.74 percent better. Definitely not 2.0.
28 Aug 2026 06:33:34
Tielemans, best midfielder outside top 5 clubs... oh right, that's just where we wanna be outside top 5.
Santos, who could not really break into the Chelsea team, had 5 clubs by 22 years old.
Baleba, who had one decent season, that's it.
Tielemans, who looks like he is running in treacle.
Santos, not much quicker.
Baleba is probably the best of the 3 of them, but that's not difficult.
No one can even create an argument that our midfield is anywhere near City or Arsenal, come to that, or maybe even Liverpool... You say Enzo not reached heights... so Baleba has?
28 Aug 2026 10:03:28
Still laughing at "Masterful".
28 Aug 2026 11:02:46
Getting Tielemans for 35m when players half as good are going for 50m+ is a great bit of business.
Signing a player who is one of the best young midfielders in the league, for 40-50m less than his club was demanding for him less than 12 months ago, is good business.
Andrey Santos, for a player of his potential, for below 50m in this market, will turn out to be a good deal. He's every bit as talented as Mateus Fernandes, a player twice relegated in the last two seasons, who just went for 85m plus massive wages on par with what Bruno is earning with us.
This summer the market has gone crazy, with 100m being the new benchmark seemingly for any young player who has had one good season in the EPL.
There are only a few players signed this summer who I'd consider better players than the three we signed, but all of them went for significantly higher fees, where the difference in fee is not equal to the difference in ability or even potential.
That is good business, while we all scoffed at SAF's "no value in the market" comment, and for good reason at the time. However, we now seem to have people running the club who are finding good value, even while the market is seemingly at its most volatile.
Would I say that's masterful business? Well, in my opinion it is. When you outperform your rivals, not just once but with multiple deals, while also providing the squad with exactly what it needs, is that not masterful business.
28 Aug 2026 13:45:51
"Outperform your rivals, not just once but with multiple deals, while also providing the squad with exactly what it needs"
Which rivals have we outperformed? Have you seen our rivals' midfields?
Tielemans is a decent player, Santos was Chelsea circa 5th choice with much to prove. Both may have good seasons, and maybe Santos will be a good midfield player, and find the pace we have not seen.
Yet to be seen, and which other top clubs were scrambling to sign them?
Last, providing the squad exactly what it needs, you say, where is the left back, the second striker? The last days of an important window and we have just one left back. If Hall and a good second striker arrive, maybe it would be a decent window, but masterful is fantasy island.
Masterful?
28 Aug 2026 16:33:50
Have to agree with you, Red Man... I just don't see anything about Tielemans and Santos being anywhere near masterful. No one else even was in for either. They are ok if we are happy with 4-8th position, that's about it for them.
28 Aug 2026 21:42:20
Santos, Baleba, and Mainoo could potentially all be 100M+ players. Tielemans is every bit as good as Tonali or Guimaeres. And Bruno Fernandes is the best attacking midfielder in the league. But, being realistic, City have/are buying players that are more "ready now". I trust in our recruitment team, and I think our midfield could, in a couple of years, be better than City's.
But my expectation for this year is that we solidify our position in top 4/5, we demonstrate a better ability to control games, and break down low block defences, and to get into knockout phase of CL. Do all that, and I think we'll be able to add the few players we need to be challengers next season.