Manchester United Thread 2024/25 - Teamtalk/Transfers/Gossip Mod Note in OP 26.09.24

DM_7

New thread to discuss Manchester United.

Old thread:

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058179351/manchester-united-teamtalk-transfer-gossip-2024-click-on-time-of-most-recent-post-to-load-thread

Mod Note added 26.09.2024
To all posters, this thread is for discussion of Manchester United. If any poster wants to argue against another posters views they are free to do so but please stick to discussing the club, not the thread or posters.

Posting about the thread or posters is not welcome. Posting to say you don't like positivity or negativity or posting to, for example, ask where all the 'positive' or 'negative' people are is not the purpose of the thread. Posts like that will be viewed as flaming and forum warnings will apply from now on.

Iseedeadpixels

That Mayor of Marseille better shut up and let us sell Greenwood!

FourFourRED

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122360390#Comment_122360390

On that situation, I think there was talk that De Zerbi wanted United to keep Greenwood if he was to become the manager in the summer. Makes sense that he is signing him now for Marseille.

JRant

ETH out...

El Gato De Negocios

#ouryear

DM_7

The offer United have supposedly received is pretty good if they can get him to go.

Still have to sort out Sancho and figure out what to do with Antony.

With Europa league again maybe Antony can play himself into some form.

caviardreams

Agree that McTominay is not an immediate priority for shipping out but his stock will never be higher in terms of selling price after last season - could get 40m for him if the right club was interested imo

JRant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122360520#Comment_122360520

Not to keep banging the drum but he's exactly who should be offloaded this summer. Get a decent fee for an academy product that will never improve the first team. Keeping him makes no sense.

Bleating Lamb

Don't know who posted it but it was on the thread a few days ago that some team had bid 500,000 for DVB. That would be some loss on his transfer cost.

Unless he is on very high wages surely it would make more sense to hold onto him as cover for midfield injuries and to play in the early Europa League games than sell him for that derisory fee.

Robson99

Why sell Greenwood ?? Bad PR for us to keep him but ok to sell him off to another club and let it be bad PR for them….those who want to see him gone should be happy to see him go on a free transfer…. after all IF he is tarnished then so is the monies we get for him….

Iseedeadpixels

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122360698#Comment_122360698

500k but can go up to 15m with add ons so probably closer to 5m is more realistic, 6m in wages saved.

Iseedeadpixels

The club didn't do anything wrong, he did so why should the club be punished?

FourFourRED

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122360698#Comment_122360698

Supposedly will be €5m after “easy to achieve” add-on’s. Not great but it’s hard to demand much for him when he hasn’t really done anything in the last 3 years.

He would be an expensive fella to have hanging around the place never playing so it’s probably best to move him on. If Dan Gore doesn’t go on loan this season, he’s someone who can fulfil that role without costing £80k a week or whatever DvdB is on.

blackwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122360718#Comment_122360718

It’s doing what’s best for the club.

Trying to keep him and play him would damage the club - with potential loss of sponsorship income as well a bad PR.

Doing nothing has him out of contract eventually - with the club having to pay his wages until then for no return.

Offloading now for whatever they can get for him helps for FFP rules, gets the wages off the books, and also does right by a player who’s grown up at the club by giving him a chance to revive his career somewhere else where the media gaze may not be as severe

Quags

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122360698#Comment_122360698

I seen this the other day on twitters

FourFourRED

The Times are reporting that a third bid is going to be sent for Branthwaite. Feels like it will get done.

Not sure what the plan is with the Yoro bid if he supposedly isn’t interested in joining.

Bleating Lamb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122360845#Comment_122360845

That sounds more encouraging re possible DVB deal,I see Dan Gore dislocated his shoulder and is going to miss pre Season which is unfortunate.

el Fenomeno

Too much bad press already for Marseille, I can see them pulling the plug on that deal unfortunately. Means Lazio will probably come back with pennies on the dollar.

blackwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122360845#Comment_122360845

If he is sold now then all amortisation to the end of his contract is charged immediately - offset by whatever fee is achieved.
He has one year left - so £7m amortisation less the £0.5m fee is still a hit of £6.5m on his for the season. If he achieves any of the add-ons before 30 June 2025 then they also go against the hit.

So the immediate saving is £6.74m - with possibility of more if add-on targets get hit

Headshot

It's some mad money for Branthwaite who had only 1 season in the PL. It's a very puzzling transfer for me because the games i've seen he's never made an impression on me

Mitch Connor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122361082#Comment_122361082

I actually think a large part is physicality. It's rare to find someone as big and as quick as him.

I kinda fear football is going an nfl direction in now placing priority on athleticism with the belief the skills can be taught ( to a extent)

That's not to say I think he is bad, but I do think his elite level physical traits are what sets him apart.

scottser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122361082#Comment_122361082

He looks solid beside Tarkowski, who's quite like Maguire. I think he'd work out well with us but not at the price Everton want.

NITRO95

Genuinely blows my mind that we don't see more player swaps in the PL. We want Braithwaite, Everton will need to replace Braithwaite, we want rid of Lindelof and/or Maguire who would fit the profile of players Everton would look to pick up. Surely it's not just fans who can see this

fergiesfolly

I'd presume Everton would be looking for younger players, on lower wages than the likes of Lidelof or Maguire. It wouldn't suit their wage structure or budget restrictions to bring in either of them. Also, the sell on profit wouldn't be as great.

Iseedeadpixels

New thread new Daily Fart

THE ATHLETIC

Manchester United have discussed Brentford's Ivan Toney as they look at striking options.

THE SUN

Tyrell Malacia's return still has no timeframe - 14 months after his last Manchester United game.

Manchester United are in pole position to sign Dan Ndoye, the Switzerland star's agent has revealed.

DAILY MAIL

The mayor of Marseille has publicly opposed Mason Greenwood's expected move to the Ligue 1 side.

Manchester United have reportedly agreed personal terms for Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt ahead of a potential summer transfer.

Erik ten Hag believes the new set-up at Manchester United has put the club on course to challenge for the Premier League title again.

THE TIMES

Manchester United are expected to return with a third bid for Jarrad Branthwaite after Everton rejected a second offer of £45m, plus £5m in add-ons.

DAILY MIRROR

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag's trusted assistant Mitchell van der Gaag is understood to have left the club.

Manchester United are reportedly set to approach long-time Arsenal target Ferdi Kadioglu.

Feyenoord's Justin Bijlow would be willing to be the back-up goalkeeper at Arsenal or Manchester United.

Benfica have sent a warning to Man United and PSG that they have to up their bids for Joao Neves.

Ridiculous amount of click bait today.

Mitch Connor

Feel sorry for Malacia, I genuinely think his career could actually be over.

If we go for Ndoye I'll be pretty freaking angry! Maybe he is a player that doesn't show well in stats, but his stats are TERRIBLE. and it certainly is not a transfer you could pin on EtH - he would be 100% a weird INEOS signing as he was at both of their clubs previously.

The links to Kadioglu are interesting, especially with talk of AWB wanting to leave, though no bid is on the table for him. Kadioglu has made a name for himself at left back - a problem position for us, but he is a right footer, and can play multiple positions. Would be a good replacement for AWB possibly, in that he could cover right back as well as being an option on the left. And that ability to cover/play right also means that Amass isn't blocked in the medium term depending on his development. A good player, a good target, would be a good buy.

I don't really get the Neves talk… i don't really doubt we are interested in him, but I just don't see Neves and Mainoo as a viable partnership - but to be fair i am getting hung up on the physicality they'd lack. Ugarte ain't a giant himself but for some reason I see his 'Fred' like work rate as being enough. I do think it more likely we sign Ugarte and PSG replace him with Neves.

Liam O

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122361339#Comment_122361339

Why would Lindelof or Maguire want to move to a potential relegation scrap? They are both internationals who have shown they are still at a European level at the very least.

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122361348#Comment_122361348

I think one of the biggest things would be ego / personal reasons. I can't imagine that too many players would like to be seen as the "make-weight" in a swap deal. Agreeing personal terms in a deal can be tricky, I would say. Having to agree 2 sets on 2 sides even harder. You're almost backing one of the players into a corner by saying we want you out and ideally to X club. I'm sure agents would also prefer a straight transfer as well in terms of their own fees.

I know clubs put players up for sale / signal their willingness to sell players quite frequently and while that can't be good for relations, it's generally seen as part of the game. If a club got a reputation for trying to use players as part-exchanges / make-weights, then it's not a really great look for the club. Not too many players would fancy joining a club that may try to force them into a move somewhere down the line.

loyatemu

transfers are complicated enough without making 2 of them dependent on each other, that's why swaps so rarely happen despite the press being so fond of discussing them.

United will want to sort out the Branthwaite deal without having to wait for Maguire to negotiate terms with Everton or whatever.

Mitch Connor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122361706#Comment_122361706

For either to get european football I imagine they would have to go abroad. I don't see City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs, Villa, Chelsea coming in for them.

I think Lindelof would more easily go to spain, italy or portugal. Not sure Maguire would.

And any move abroad will come with a lower wage than they would get at a PL club. THough maybe that doesn't matter if United subsidise it.

And tbh, I don't see many PL landing spots for either of them. Everton, West Ham, maybe Fulham? No interest showing.

I dunno - there doesn't seem to be much of a martket for them, which probably also gives an indication of how they are viewed. I think Everton, if they were interested, is possibly the best they could do from a PL perspective. If they entertained offers from other leagues maybe you do get Monaco, Dortmund, Inter, Napoli etc showing interest?

Mitch Connor

It was also reported previously (and may not be true) that United did explore player plus cash deals with Everton but everton showed no interest in the players United were talking about - but even that could be a bluff from Everton in terms of their stated position of not for sale for less than 70 - as soon as they might start actively discussing players then you are automatically discussing the value of your player and theirs. It was maybe just a door they didn't want to open at that time.

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122361775#Comment_122361775

Can definitely picture Lindelof sipping an espresso in Milan / somewhere else in Italy down the line.

Maguire would be a much trickier one as you say. I can't see a move abroad and there would have to be a bit of face saving / spin involved in the transfer. Villa, Newcastle, Everton, or Leicester maybe are the few that would come to mind.

FourFourRED

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122361854#Comment_122361854

I saw him having a coffee in Manchester airport once. Didn’t seem to be enjoying it, so you could be onto something there 😁

All_in_Flynn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122361204#Comment_122361204

One of my best mates is a big Everton fan. He has been raving about him for a good while now. I have only really watched him in a couple of games myself so I haven't seen enough of him to give a solid view on him but he does look like he has a lot of what you want in a modern defender. He's very comfortable on the ball and can pass off both feet.

The concern I have is that he is clearly more comfortable on the left side of defence. We must be certain that one of Maguire or Lindelof are going.

waywill1966

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122361858#Comment_122361858

Probably didn't have that gorgeous wife of his, with him!

y0ssar1an22

donny's farewell message:

Dear Manchester United family. Today is a memorable day as my adventure at the club comes to an end. I want to thank you all for your support throughout the years. From the moment we arrived at Manchester United, we felt extremely welcome and we are grateful for that. Thank you to everyone at the club for making us feel at home. A special thanks to all the fans that made these years unforgettable. Besides the football, the birth of our two children here ensures that Manchester will always have a special place in our hearts. Good luck to everybody, we’ll meet again👹❤️

FourFourRED

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122361961#Comment_122361961

Haha she was with him actually. This was after a game before the international break. Place was full of players heading away. Big Sam was there as well probably off to Benidorm 😁

fergiesfolly

Donny had two kids while at the club!

No wonder he looked off the pace. Poor sod was knackered.

DrPhilG

Gutted it never worked out for Donny. He looked like a great signing at the time but has turned out to be one of the biggest flops ever.

billyhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122362122#Comment_122362122

He did. We had to beat of Madrid to get him.

Prefab Sprouter

Really disappointed that DVB didnt work out. But no transfer is a certainty. Another example: when we signed Veron, we were signing a world class talent. Unfortunately we never saw it on a consistent level. Veron was no flop the way DVB but it just shows that every transfer has an element of risk attached. And every club has similar instances of signings that didnt justify the hype, for various reasons.

JRant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122361279#Comment_122361279

He looks solid because he's playing in a Sean Dyche team that aren't exactly known for holding a high line or playing out from the back. I honestly don't get what the appeal is with him.

Mitch Connor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122362348#Comment_122362348

Tall, quick, young, CB, comfortable on both feet but left footed (in itself a trait that is looked for). Yeah, its a mystery alright!

JRant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122362367#Comment_122362367

You can add unproven, goes to ground to quickly, picks up a lot of yellow cards, and doesn't move out of defence with the ball a lot.

I'm not saying he's a bad player but the figures being thrown around are nuts for a player like him. Even the 45 + 5 we've already bid is way over the top.

scottser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122362348#Comment_122362348

I'm sure Branthwaite can perform in a defence that plays a higher line. It's not like he's a one-trick pony. But as you say, the money being quoted is too high, especially his wages (I've read 180k per week in places). He should be on no more than 100k basic with lots of incentives built in.

JRant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122362434#Comment_122362434

I'm not because he hasn't shown it and plays in a team that are far more compact and play a deeper line. He might be able to play in a higher line but he's going to make a lot of mistakes while learning on the job. I haven't seen anything from him that shows he can read the game at a high enough level to be able to play a higher line.

waywill1966

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122362010#Comment_122362010

Phew,check out the latest pics in the mirror! Not sure if im allowed to post the link here!

El Gato De Negocios

Donny may well have flourished had he ended up with Madrid. It was clear OGS didn't fancy him and he had little over 500 minutes in 19 PL games in season 1 with us. Players coming from the ED have generally struggled to adapt, Licha and RVN the exceptions so Spain may have been kinder to him. Wish him well anyway and it's good to get his wages off the books. Hopefully a few more of the passengers follow him before the window closes.

Iseedeadpixels

Ethan Williams has signed a pro contract today.

Edit : Whoops wrong Ethan Vid

DrPhilG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122362906#Comment_122362906

Encouraged that he's gone, we have tried and failed to shift him a few times so this seems like a decent bit of business in the circumstances. Sell him cheap as chips but a number of sensible top ups based on appearances.

The deal with Marseille (please let it survive) sounded good too. €30m, 50% of his next transfer fee, plus according to one report I saw the option to "buy" additional % of the sell on fee later if we chose to.

INEOS will be judged nearly as much by who and how they sell as who and how they buy.

Mitch Connor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122362412#Comment_122362412

And imo those are all coachable aspects - and the club are very much looking at his base abilities (can be improved) and his physical traits (huge, fast, left footed) and that is why he stands out. If he was 5 inches shorter and a few kms a second slower I don't think we go for him, based on his general play as is.

You can coach play, to a degree, you can't coach those physical traits.

Not sure I actually agree with that way of looking at things, but I certainly think there is an element of young player judgement coming in from the NFL where the athleticism of the player is given a huge priority, over the elements of the game that can be taught.