15 Dec 2020 08:32:55
Lots of reports circulating that United have dropped interest in Upemecano to focus on other targets.

Normally I’d be disappointed by this but the wonderful Ed002 has told us that our primary target now is Pau Torres (if we can move on players)

This begs two questions:

Why have United changed focus to Torres rather than Upemecano? (Is it because the main rivals for his signature, Bayern Munich) would be more likely to sign him so United want to avoid another futile pursuit? )

Who would be rather have/ who is more suited to us: Torres or Upemecano? (Have read that Torres is fast, left footed and eye for a pass, great anticipation, only weakness being in the air, which Maguire might compensate for) ; not sure if Upemecano has any weaknesses

Not sure who I’d prefer - don’t know enough about their playing styles or if there demeanour is right for the club.


1.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 09:09:14
Pau Torres is a left sided CB with pace. He recorded the highest sprint speed in La Liga last season. And is also good on the ball and in the air being 6ft 4".

More info will be provided by Ed001 soon in his player profile :)


2.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 11:12:24
Upamecano will have the choice of Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, PSG and maybe Real Madrid and Barcelona if they decide to look at a CB. He has a clause so there won't be a bidding war, but that also means that he will have the choice of where he goes.

Maybe the club have reached out to his intermediaries and have been informed he has a destination in mind and the club are not going to pursue a player who doesn't want to join our club.

Pau Torres makes a lot of sense, he can be bought for a reasonable price in the current market, is good in the air (but not great, although he has the height and ability to improve), great passer, and is very quick. As well as being left footed and plays on the left side of the CB pairing.

So times the best player for a specific club isn't always the best player available in the position.


3.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 11:55:29
Why such negativity? Can't you think that maybe they scouted him and he is simply not so good? Also they fear about injuries.
I never went crazy about Upamecano. Post lockdown i have seen him 3 times and he was awful. Then he comes against Diego Costa (i think) and he destroys him. He is a physical presence who plays with physicality. He is not a class defender, at least yet. I always thought that he is not great.


4.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 13:57:25
If we are signing a centre back to partner the most expensive defender in the world harry maguire, good luck to whoever that is, they have one hell of a job on their hands.


5.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 14:19:18
Herrera, I've watched quite a bit of Upamecano and I must say there isn't another defender in the world at his age who is better than him. He's strong, quick, good on the ball and has a good reading of the game. You need to remember he has only just turned 22, he isn't going to be the finish product yet and will have bad games from time to time. He's also playing under Naglesmann who plays many different systems, so he is still learning how to adapt between a 4 or 3 man back line.

In a few years time I think Upamecano will be genuinely be the best CB in the world unless some other youngster comes out of nowhere.

That said, just because he has huge potential and is very good at the moment. That doesn't mean he's either the best fit for us, or the best player to pursue. Tactically he might not suit what they want, or they might just appreciate that he will be difficult to obtain given the competition and they have decided to go down another route.

How many of us wish the club had made that call with Sancho over the summer. Surely Buendia, Thauvin, Ferran Torres, Chiesa, Traore, Kulusevski, Dembele, Coman, Leon Bailey, Ocampos, David Neres, Chukwueze, Bernardeschi, Ismaila Sarr, Tsygankov, Tete, Stengs or David Brooks. Some might have been better than others, but surely any of them would have been an improvement on signing no one.


6.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 14:52:15
I don't think he is that good Shappy, yes he is good but not that good. He is the obvious choice as Sancho was. I agree that the obvious choice isn't always best for the team and there is no guarantee that had Sancho came he would be good, at least better than the other options such as Bailey Chiesa etc.


7.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 14:54:30
I think Torres is most likely to become a Van Dyke type defender and build the defence around him. He seems a class and smart defender and he is excellent with the ball. If you ask me maybe i would buy Torres first and then Upamecano to sit next to him.


8.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 15:51:42
Shappy, you are not the only one that rates Upamecano highly, almost every pundit raves about him, and some of the Eds here have also spoken highly of him. So surely there is something there to warrant all this hype.
I remember Umtiti at one point had similar hype.
That said, how many Bundesliga defenders have come to the EPL and made an impact? Boateng, klavan, Mertesacker, Baba Rahman, Sokratis, Boulahrouz, Tim Klose, Bernardo, Wimmer, Danso, Wollscheid, etc I am sure you can add more.
These are all Kompany hopefuls yet flopped.
Maybe Soyuncu will fare differently.
Granted that probably none of these names showed the potential Upemacano does, but still, there is a history there that shows defenders from the German league rarely set the EPl ablaze.


9.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 15:56:57
Torres unlikely to waste his career coming to us with the present management.


10.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 16:05:30
What about De Ligt. would it be worth a swap deal with Juve for Pogba. Not to sure how he's been playing this season as i haven't followed much of the Italian Football.


11.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 16:46:22
De Ligt is a Mino Raiola player. I doubt he and the club will do any future business. I certainly hope not.


12.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 17:04:25
Torres or Kounde over Upamecano.


13.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 19:05:23
I wonder how many people are basing their posts about Upamecano after Utd played Leipzig?


14.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 19:55:33
mbd, while there might be some truth in the idea that players from certain leagues might not adapt too well to the EPL there is always the exception to the rule.

You could say the same thing about creative midfielders, we signed Kagawa and Mkhitaryan from the Bundesliga without great success, yet Spurs signed Son and City signed De Bruyne (a player who has already flopped in the EPL with Chelsea) .

The other way of looking at it is that although he is playing in the Bundesliga he played most of his youth career in his native France. How many great centre backs have France churned out in recent years (Varane, Lenglet, Kimpembe, Zouma, Lucas Hernandez, Pavard, Laporte, Umtiti, Diakhaby, Issa Diop, Diallo, Konate, Zagadou, Kounde and Upamecano makes 15 players who could seriously make their Euro squad in the summer) .

Upamecano is a top young player, and if he reaches his full potential he will be one of the world absolute best CB's.

Simo, I'm not that impressed by De Ligt, I thought he was very poor against us in the Europa league final. For me he looks like a midfielder who has been pushed into defence due to a lack of mobility and because of his height and build. He doesn't seem to have the instincts of a defender, he doesn't sense danger and more often that not is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is Harry Maguire but several years younger and with better technique and distribution, defensively they are the same player.

Pau Torres looks an interesting player. If we signed him I don't think we will necessarily need another CB. We have Maguire and Lindelof on the books, and I think both Tuanzebe and especially Mengi have huge potential so I wouldn't want to totally block them.


15.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 20:38:07
He was terrific in the Europa League final Shappy and doninated Rashford. And don't forget back then he was 17-18. Ofcourse i agree that he is not good and i don't want him near my team. But in the final he was perfect.


16.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 21:58:42
Both of them look to be 2 of the best up and coming cbs.
Both have heart attributes and they will both hope to make a big impact wherever they go.
City are also in for torres maybe madrid too so maybe rojo or bailly would consider a move plus a fee to help them replace torres.
I don't expect anything in Jan other than perhaps a couple of sales or loan deals for fringe players.


17.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 22:06:46
Herrera, maybe I'm remembering things differently. My memory or the Europa League final was that Dr Ligt was built up before the game as the second coming of Beckenbauer, but in the actual match he didn't stand out at all, in fact his CB partner Davinson Sanchez looked the better defender. At least that's how I remember it.


18.) 15 Dec 2020
15 Dec 2020 22:39:18
You never forget the feeling. The feeling after the final was *what an amazing CB and so so young". I never rated Sanchez, neither De Ligh except that match. Anyway i wouldn't even consider De Light. I would go for Torres and wish Tuanzebe grow up and become a partner of him or Torres with a Upamecano type CB. I always preferred Konate but i don't know about his injuries.


19.) 16 Dec 2020
16 Dec 2020 06:15:20
Seem to remember that Ed001 rates konate higher than upamecano and I think he's right.