Muniain gives DDG no chance in the Europa
With the league title all but assured to be heading somewhere other than Old Trafford for only the second time in the last six years, it’s not time to panic but nor is it time for complacency.
United’s reliance on the ageing Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs highlight the need for strengthening the midfield Then there’s the imminent departure of Dimitar Berbatov, the startling loss of form of Chicharito, plus the obvious need for some form of competition/understudy for Patrice Evra which cannot be ignored. Oh and did I mention the uncertainty surrounding Darren Fletcher’s future, or Tom Cleverley’s ability to play a full season?
United may finish this season with a points total nine higher than 2010/11 when we actually lifted the title, but let’s face facts, trophyless seasons and ones in which we see our ‘noisy neighbours’ lift their first ever Premier League crown are hardly a success.
There’s work to be done this Summer and as Roy Keane noted recently its the ‘team not the squad’ United need to strengthen.
Here’s five players that Sir Alex Ferguson should pursue with vigour as soon as the season ends to help deliver title number 20 before the Bluenoses reach number three.
Leighton Baines. The Everton left back can offer Patrice Evra a much-needed understudy as it’s obvious United are in serious trouble should our skipper get injured especially with Fabio off on a season long loan. The former Wigan man has excelled at Goodison and is more than adept at getting forward in the way most United full back’s are expected to. With Everton seemingly having a constant garage sale, it shouldn’t take a King’s ransom to prize Baines away from the blue half of Merseyside. Price £7 million.
Iker Muniain. Dubbed the ‘Spanish Messi’ due to his diminutive size and willingness to run at defenders, the Athletico Bilbao winger was part of the side that quite frankly tore United a new one in the Europa League. With a full Spanish cap under his belt it wont be long before the nineteen year old starts adding a few zeros to his price should he make more appearances for the national side. With Paul Pogba’s boyhood heroes Juventus sniffing around, United may need to move quickly although a £29.5 million price tag may put the Glazers off, if we want to challenge on more than one front next season, it’s time to pay up. Price £29.5 million.
Cheick Tiote. Cue lots of “I stopped reading at Tiote” comments as most people will no doubt think I’m off my tiny little mind with this suggestion but let’s ask ourselves one simple question: “who is United’s ball winner in the middle of the park?” Darren Fletcher? Ji Sung Park? Anderson?! Exactly, United’s midfield is comprised of pass master, quarerback types rather than grafters willing to go and get hold of the ball. Tiote is just the type of no nonsense nasty little bugger who can get in people’s faces and do the old fashioned “get hold of the ball and give it to a more skillful player” job that used to exist at Old Trafford. Newcastle have benefitted enormously from having the Ivorian doing the donkey work in the middle of the park and so could United. Price £11 million.
Raúl. When I first heard the suggestion that a 34 year-old striker could come to Old Trafford and make a difference I scoffed with the same arrogance that made me doubt Henrik Larrsson was a good idea at the time. United woud like to win the Champions League yes? Then why not sign the competitions greatest ever goal scorer? Oh but he’s past it. Well someone should tell the Real Madrid legend that then as he’s scored over twenty goals this season for Schalke. I’m not suggesting playing him week in week out against the likes of Stoke and Fulham, but why not use his talents in the cup competitions and as another option in some of the bigger league games? Price Free transfer.
Stéphane Sessegnon. I realise he may not exactly fill the hearts of many Reds with inspiration but let’s face some facts, if as I’m suggesting United buy all the other players on this list, then we aren’t going to be able to spend £40-50 million on an attacking midfielder, there simply isn’t the money available. Therefore it’s time to look at what we can afford and who can do a job and Sessegnon fits the bill. He’s been one of the few bright spots in a pretty poor season for the Mackems, has an eye for goal – one in three ratio this season- and plays with the sort of energy that is needed at Old Trafford. Should Scholes and Giggs’s appearances be limited next season, then we simply cannot rely on Tom Cleverley to be our main attacking midfield option, such is the nature of his injury record. Sessegnon may not be Luka Modric but that may not be such a bad thing as he’s actually more consistent than his overpriced North London counterpart. Price £10 million.
There you have it for £57 million United can have an Evra understudy, a proven European goalscorer, a superstar youngster, and two midfielders capable of playing against the Premiership’s best. I may be oversimplifying the issue but at a time when it’s obvious we haven’t got the billions others have, less than £60 million for five players who would improve our side, hardly seems like a bad investment.
Am I spouting the usual dribble I’m more than renowned for or is there a semblance of sanity in my musings? Answers on a brick through the usual window please.
Follow me on twitter @RFFH
Can’t agree with Sessegnon, but I’d be happy with Baines, Tiote and Munian.
no Kagawa for £7 odd million? Reasoning…?
We need another striker, maybe Neymar?(Very farfetched I know).
Kagawa and Tiote and Baines and we are good to go 🙂
Dream on mate! If you offered those amounts Everton and Newcastle would laugh at you! £7m for Baines you’ll be lucky, more like £15m, Tiote is also likely to be closer to £20m and Munian will cost you a minimum of €40m (£33m)
What about kyle walker? Bit more expensive than baines but has speed, youth and possibly Internation competition experience soon enough. £12-£13 million??
Dream on mate! If you offered those amounts Everton and Newcastle would laugh at you! £7m for Baines you’ll be lucky, more like £15m, Tiote is also likely to be closer to £20m
Some of these are crazy I have to say. We already have 3 wingers, now Muniain? Also Raul himself said that he wouldn’t return to Europe. I don’t think Newcastle would give up Tiote.
You want to spend £30m on another winger? That’s nuts.
We should definitely sign Kagawa. Even at £15m he’d be good value, at half that he’s a steal.
Tiote: he’d fit the bill nicely, 10 mil
Javi Martinez: 20 mil for a versatile midfielder that can slot in when Rio / Vidic are out
Kagawa: 10-14 mil bid would grab him i think, replacement for Anderson
Jordi Alba: 15 mil for a young but experienced left back with enough skill to support the attack
Total: 59 mil for 4 young players who can bolster the side
You would get rid of owen but sign raul?
you lot are crazy. realistic signings…probably people we dont want who cant cut it re liverpool.
would like: a right back,
we need centre mid field but we already have fletcher, cleverly, anderson, scholes, carrick, giggs, pogba (for now), jones, park, do we need more? only if you get rid of pogba maybe.
will we get a striker, only i we get rid of diuf and berbatov.
so a right back, one mid fielder. (if pogba goes) and a striker(if berbatov goes)
so naymar, ganso and alba will do !
You are obviously retarded because Diouf has already left permanently to Hannover! Neymar? if you want to waste 50M+ on him!
SALES
Owen-Definite-Free
Anderson-Maybe-£10M at most
Berbatov-More than Likely-10M at most
Park-Maybe-2.5M at least
Fabio-Loan
Macheda-Loan
De Laet-Definite-1M at most
Bebe-Definite-2.5M at most
TOTAL=£26M at most
SIGNINGS
Alba-£15-18M
Kagawa-£7-15M
Hazard-£35M
TOTAL=£68M at most
Obviously I want more than that but after Fergie’s quote I am not very confident that more than 3 will come in. LB,Winger and CM are my signings but I would also like to see a RB,CB and ST. Tbh I would have Raul on a free transfer, I would take Vertonghen for about £10-15M and I would take Clyne on a free transfer.
thats 9 new signings??? and you say i’m retarded. if you think that is going to happen you should be at charlton or city mate.
however i do like your 3, alba, kagawa and hazard.
and obviously i was jokeing with the neymar / ganso remark, for obvious reasons…and relax.
2 maybe 3 players fergie said. not 9.
so if we hope for three what areas do we need when we have 9 players or the central 2 or 3.
we have enough wingers already surely, do we need more? if so what happens to the ones you already have?
you would buy another central defender when we have rio, vidic, smalling, jones, evens…really??? for 2 places???
i think that is a waste of money, which united wont do.
he will buy a right or a left back or someone versatile to do both for sure.
he will buy someone with creativity for central mid but maybe versitle enough to be a number 10 too.
the 3rd, a youngster, maybe lucas…only jokeing….and relax
I dont thnk 3 wingers is enough. 4 is the minimum.so gaitan/hazard would be a nice touch plus im told both can play as attacking midfielders…kagawa and a defensive midfielder (not essien kind but toure kind) and striker if berbatov leaves (would luv falcao bt cnt hapen)…out= owen,park,anderson(posibly part of a deal gaitan)..bebe
First off I Understand the 5 players you have mentioned and the reasons are very well detailed and viable.
People keep talking about neymar and ganso etc, let’s get this quashed, never gonna happen. I believe 65 million will be SAF budget and that should suite use united fans just fine. SAF says he may bring 3 new faces in and I would agree that’s fine ( possibly 4 due to giggs not lasting much longer ) so here’s my 3 names and why
. Baines- what a player he has been for everton, he is an established left back and when teams like Bayern are trying to sign him it’s no wonder united are interested. 7 million is ridiculous because of factors such as his age and premiere league pedigree.. Everton never sell cheap! Never! So 15 / 20 million will bring him to OT no doubt
.Kagwa- superb vision and has been a breath of fresh air to watch, I’ve known him before he was at BVD and was very surprised no one bought him before he went to Germany, his stats speak for them selves and if you compare his tally against Modric, quite frankly it’s a no brainer. To be on the safe side am saying maximum 10 million will do the trick
Gareth Bale- ok so alot of people will think no chance, but let’s think about it, he is the ideal man to replace giggs, he’s a fully fledged pedigree premiere league player who can slot right in, I can’t see him going abroad at all ( can u imagine him tryim to speak Spanish ) kind of like when Rooney wanted to leave a year and a half ago, wouldn’t happen. Like Roy Keane said we have to try and sign him, and with possibly tottenham finishing 4 th and then possibly although a long slot of Chelsea winning the CL then there is no way Bale would or should stay so I reckon 25 35 million could pull him over
And that’s 65 million well spent I believe
Love the plannin but,bale £35 million really? If modric couldnt be sold at £40m then bale should cost upwards of £50m!
We are desperate for some quality in CM – who knows if Fletcher will be back, not that he was the greatest anyway, Scholes cant be expected to play a full season, Cleverley injury prone (at this time) and unproven, Anderson five years and no sign of any progress, Park legs gone so nothing left to offer, Giggs not a CM, Pogba more than likely gone and Carrick steady but nowhere near world class.
Fergie has said he wants to change the way we play and if he is serious about us playing with more pace then CM needs a radical overhaul because bar Scholes and TC we have nobody able to move the ball around at speed not to mention that we have some of the most pedestrian players in the league.
God only knows who is out there that we can afford but something has to be done because Fergie has neglected CM for too long and we are now seeing the result.