07 Apr 2020 08:43:49
Dear Ed02,

Can you tell us who united are currently or were looking to sign for the right wing position before the lockdown?

{Ed002's Note - Jadon Sancho (RW) The total cost of the full package (transfer fee, agent fee, signing on fee and FA payment) is simply outrageous - otherwise he would be moving to Chelsea. Some interested sides will be shocked in to stepping back because of the costs - so Inter can be removed as they are looking to take another youngster from England; Juventus have other players they will look to first; Manchester City see him as over priced. Manchester United are very keen but the budget may not stretch and they have been looking at other options for the summer but they could return with an offer, which they have not done yet. Jadon Sancho is down the list and too expensive for Barcelona - he would want assurances of game time and he not first choice for them as they have a priority signing who will soak up a lot of the funds. Real Madrid have a different primary target who will cost a world record fee which will kill any chance of a move if it happens. PSG are not looking at Sancho and expect a similar, although older, player to be offered to them in part exchange in the summer. If Liverpool are looking to replace Salah I think there are cheaper options who would suit their needs available. So potentially an option for all of these sides but the total cost would need to change considerably for something to happen. The player will not move without Champions League.
Ferran Torres (RW/LW) considered as a potential Jadon Sancho replacement but likely priced out of a move to Borussia Dortmund who have a host of other options that are being considered by them - although they remain very keen. Will end up at Real Madrid or Barcelona in all probability at some point - but if Salah were to depart Liverpool he could well become an option for them but for now that is not the case. The player has made no secret of his desire to join Barcelona at some point. Valencia have a replacement lined up but the €100M asking price for Ferran Torres would need to drop to make a transfer anywhere viable this summer. JUventus has enquired after his availability but would need to make sales to fund a move. A third party has suggested to Manchester United that he Ferran Torres would be a better option to Jadon Sancho as the deal would be far, far cheaper for them.
Federico Chiesa (RW/F) much more affordable than Sancho but is already part of discussions to move elsewhere.
Isaac Lihadji (RW) kiddie from Marseille who is attracting interest of several leading sides - will not be interested in joining MU but Arsenal and Spurs have spoken with his agent - much to the annoyance of Marseille. Common sense dictates he should sign a new contract and stay where he is but Lille and Dortmund are prepared to put high value offers on the table.}


1.) 07 Apr 2020
07 Apr 2020 10:30:18
Thanks Ed02, very insightful.

{Ed002's Note - You are welcome.


2.) 07 Apr 2020
07 Apr 2020 10:33:18
Although Ed, I was wondering why Chelsea are interested in Sancho. They already have pulisic, Ziyech, hudson odoi and possibly mason mount for the wing/ inside forward positions.

{Ed002's Note - Mason Mount does not play on the wing.}


3.) 07 Apr 2020
07 Apr 2020 20:29:19
Thanks for all the brilliant information Ed002, very much appreciated!

The figures bandied about regarding transfer fee for Sancho by various tabloids does indeed seem astronomical: £115 million (plus, as you suggest, all extra costs) Do you think that the current pandemic and the consequent impact on club finances is having/ will have a significant impact on transfer fees in the next window?

Thus do you think the huge sums of money mentioned for Sancho, Mbappe, Neymar etc will actually be achieved or will buying clubs look for much lesser fees/ Selling clubs have to accept less money?

thanks again for any information you can divulge.

Wallace.

{Ed002's Note - That is not the price of getting him before kicking a ball - it is a great deal more. Something in the order of €210M.}


4.) 07 Apr 2020
07 Apr 2020 20:53:51
Thanks fir the really quick reply Ed002! Wow!

That really is so much money to pay out, especially when United need other players as well.

Do you think United would really pay the full price for him or do you think they’ll try to negotiate a much lower fee?

Thanks again for all info. (Just to push my luck, would we still be interested in Grealish if we spent so much money on Sancho? )

{Ed002's Note - The problem is not the €140M wanted by Dortmund, although Chelsea would like that reduced, it is the other costs that are a major issue.}


5.) 07 Apr 2020
07 Apr 2020 21:10:14
Thanks for insights into the transfer package - so much we don’t know about.

From tbe fees you must at the beginning of tbe thread, guessing many of these are non- negotiable, so hard to see how United could bring the fee down apart from bargaining with Dortmund over the huge £140m fee.

Thanks again for your time and hope you and your family are staying well in these strange and worrying times.

{Ed002's Note - Prices are in euro not GBP - the big issue is the requested €50M agent fee.}


6.) 08 Apr 2020
07 Apr 2020 23:49:32
For 210 millions i would prefer Feran or Chiesa. Feran seems unlikely and Chiesa is heading elsewhere so i would even prefer none. Ed002 hope you are well, which agent Jadon Sancho have?

{Ed002's Note - I am OK right now thanks, but I suspect matters will get much worse in England before it gets better. I doubt you would know him but his agent is Obadiah.}


7.) 08 Apr 2020
08 Apr 2020 00:48:24
Thanks for the quick replay Ed002. Hope you stay well mate.

{Ed002's Note - And you.}


8.) 08 Apr 2020
08 Apr 2020 12:12:27
Sancho seems like the clear first choice, and its obvious why. He has a higher ceiling than most other possible targets, while also being English would provide a top level homegrown player.

For United the idea of having an English front three of Sancho, Greenwood and Rashford will be very appealing. While Chelsea might be looking at a similar thing with Sancho, Abraham and Hudson-Odoi.

That said unless the overall cost of the transfer can come down it might be a hard one to get over the line.

That said there are still other options out there, Chiesa, Ferran, Ousemane Dembele, Bernardeschi, Cengiz Under, Zaha, David Brooks, David Neres, Leon Bailey, Adama Traore, Richarlison, Berardi, Zaniolo.

It really depends on what kind of wide player you want, do you want a counter attacking knock and run player like Traore, or do you want someone who can come inside and be a playmaker such as David Neres.


9.) 08 Apr 2020
08 Apr 2020 13:54:05
This is where a proper scouting department and manager are imperative. That figure for Sancho is ludicrous. He's a great talent with a wonderful future ahead of him but he's not the only winger out there.

Identify an alternative target (Shappy has easily named alternatives) that will fit in with the ethos of the team Ole is trying to build.

It seems we still havnt learned from our failings in the transfer market over the last few years. Overpaying on fees and our handling of the wage structure needs to be addressed. It would set again a terrible precedent to make a 19 year old one of our highest earners. You open the door to all our young players coming through to ask for similar wages.

Though I'm not that impressed with what ole serves up on the pitch, the work moving players on and recruitment has been refreshing. There is no need to simply go back to chucking mountains of money at our problems again.


10.) 08 Apr 2020
08 Apr 2020 14:52:16
Mumbles, I agree we need to tread carefully with Sancho. We could easily get our fingers burned if we splash out on huge wages for him.

That said, sometimes it is best to spend what is necessary to get your first choice target if they are available. Liverpool waited until both VvD and Alisson were available then spent a huge amount to bring them in. Those two signings lifted the club from top four challengers to title challengers/ winners.

If Sancho is the final piece of the puzzle, then spending big to make sure we get him might make more sense.

However, great scouting might be able to unearth a better fit. Let's see what transpires. It's a long way between now and next season. We have this season to try and finish first, then the whole transfer window (whenever that is) .

{Ed002's Note - Liverpool forced VvDs availability through an illegal approach and him going on strike. Alisson was not first choiuce for them.}


11.) 08 Apr 2020
08 Apr 2020 16:26:56
He certainly isn't the final piece of the jigsaw Shappy. We've just about got some edge pieces identified. Liverpool seemed to have a free run at VvD and Alisson is a very good goalkeeper. Liverpool have a manager with a clear plan. They were rocking going forward and would concede silly goals. Shoring up the back was the final piece for them.

We on the other hand have some trouble at the back. But that might be down to lack of cover in midfield, again an area that needs addressing. RW definitely needs improving. Decisions need to be made about a striker too.

We've been poor dealing with clubs. Struggle to get decent money for our players and don't seem to have the basic skills on how to negotiate, Bruno being a prime example.

Chelsea seem to have their head screwed on when it comes to transfer dealings. The likes of Shaw in th past, not paying those wages for a young left back. We on the other hand will pay it no problem, slowly inflating our wage bill so that average footballers are now on wages that make it incredibly difficult to shift. When we do have offers for the likes of Rojo and Smalling, we move the goalposts at the last minute and not eventually selling them.

Chelsea want Sancho but not at that price, they'll walk away. We'll spend the whole summer trying to play 4d chess getting the price down, only to pay the exact price quoted.

We should make it known straight away we're moving on to other targets.


12.) 09 Apr 2020
09 Apr 2020 10:48:52
Mumbles, I agree we are more than one or two signings away from having a squad capable of challenging for the title.

Yet, when you have a look at the first 11 we aren't a million miles away. In goal I don't think there is a club anywhere in the world with a better selection of goalkeepers than DDG, Romero and Henderson. So we are set in goal.
AWB has cemented his place at RB, Shaw and Willams are pushing each other to improve at LB. While Dalot and Laird are good young options coming through.
Maguire has his weaknesses, but seems like a player we can build around. While Lindelof, Bailly and Tuanzebe offer good options with potential. A world class CB wouldn't go a miss, yet how many are there? And are they available? I'm not convinced by Koulibaly, he is just Maguire with pace, but lacks reading of the game. While most other options we are looking at are players with "potential" rather than proven top quality.
In midfield Fred has a shot at player of the year, he has massively improved and has been a serious contended for MotM in all the big games. McTominay continues to improve and is a leader. Bruno is a world class player. It's in depth we are lacking, TFM isn't good enough, Matic isn't consistent enough, while Andreas Pereira isn't anywhere near good enough. We could do with a new holding midfielder to replace Matic, and a creative option to replace Pereira.
Where we have a need for first team players is RW and possibly CF. Rashford and James have the left flank locked down. But Mata and Lingard aren't good enough for the right flank. Martial when fit and on form has massively improved and could be worth another year with more creative players around him to provide him with the ammunition to score. In my opinion only Greenwood is a more clinical finisher than Martial. Speaking of Greenwood do we bring in a first choice striker and force him further down the pecking order?

So for the first 11 what we really need is a RW. Beyond that a world class CB would be useful, yet with few available and with SEVEN first team centre backs on the books it might be a case of holding off another year and see how the potential world class centre backs develop elsewhere while moving a few off our books. Then it's depth in midfield, and depending on your view either a first choice striker or a back up striker.

My dream summer would look a little like this: Nathan Ake (EPL proven and would enable us to play a back three easily with good balance), Rice, Cantwell, Sancho and Ighalo. But in reality that is a dream. So which ones might be available and who is the biggest priority will dictate who we sign this summer.


13.) 09 Apr 2020
09 Apr 2020 13:30:53
David Brooks looked like a top player until he got injured and it was a bad injury as well. I would be waiting to see how he comes back before even contemplating buying him. He has now returned to full on training so let's see how he gets on in the last 9-10 games of this season if it gets finished.


14.) 09 Apr 2020
09 Apr 2020 14:49:49
Simo, he was looking a top talent before his injury. Hopefully he fully recovers and get back to where he was. I only mentioned him as he has been linked in the press in recent weeks. He clearly needs time to get back playing again and get some miles back in his legs. Rarely does it pan out well for a player to come back from a long injury while moving to a new club. Personally I think he needs a season before moves to another club. Hopefully Bournemouth avoid the drop and he can do that in the EPL. You can see the impact he has on Bournemouth due to the drop off in their results when he isn't there.

One player we are constantly linked to who I am not convinced by is Grealish. He looks like the kind of player who needs to be the centre of attention and the big man on campus. Clearly a talented lad, but when his team really needs him he seems to disappear. Also in my opinion he is the biggest diver in the league. I'm also not sure where he fits in. He won't displace Rashford on the left, can't play on the right, doesn't look suited to playing deeper in midfield so he would be competing with Bruno for the number 10 role? Spending upward of 60m on a squad player with a few question marks over his head doesn't make sense to me.

For me if we want a creative midfielder to take the role of Lingard/ Pereira in our squad then for me I can't look past Todd Cantwell. Comfortable playing from the left, from the right as a No.10 or even as a No.8. Young and homegrown, playing for a club that will almost certainly get relegated.
He could be the guy to rotate with Bruno, Rashford, and whoever we buy for the RW. While if we wanted to he could play alongside Bruno more centrally as two free 8's. Tactically flexible, young, talented, homegrown and potentially available with a great attitude and work rate. Would take him all day long over Grealish.


15.) 10 Apr 2020
10 Apr 2020 15:29:27
As much as we need a RW, we need to make sure we're getting the right player at the right price. We need to take into account Greenwood's current level and output and work out whether or not splashing out over 100 mil is worth it for a player who may not even contribute more than what we've currently got. Sure Sancho's stats are phenomenal but so were mkhitaryan's. I'm not suggesting that Greenwood's future is as a winger, just saying that we should proceed with caution.


16.) 11 Apr 2020
11 Apr 2020 11:45:59
Slunky, I'm not saying Sancho is definitely the best candidate. Just that in the surface he looks like the outstanding candidate. Young, English and scoring and assisting more goals than most from that position.

I have concerns about blocking Greenwoods path, but at the same time we need to balance that with not relying on him.

The advantage of Greenwood is that he is able to play right across the front line, left, right, central or just off the striker.

If we sign a RW and a ST, say Sancho and Ighalo. Then we have Sancho and Greenwood who can play from the right, one more creative the other more of a finisher. We would have the same balance on the left with Rashford and James, while Martial and Ighalo offer us two different kinds of strikers centrally. Those six would give us great balance and flexibility.

I'm not sure how often Lingard, Pereira and Mata will play next season or even if they will all be here.

But the clear area of uncertainty about who is first choice remains on the right wing. So we will need to bring someone in for that position.