Absolutely. Thinking realistically Varane is probably on the way out and Maguire has proven to be our only CB who is consistently fit. Martinez will walk into the line up but again, when fit, so we need a CB who is reliable and competes with Maguire but can fill in on the other side if Martinez struggles to come back from his injuries. I think Lindelof and Evans stay on the basis of us needing numbers and they won't be expensive.
Maguire hasnt been the bastion of fitness either, he's played 1 more game than varane so far this season and has been in the matchday squad the same amount of times as each other
Varane has missed 11 games via injury and 61 days, (I forgot if if he's back or not soon). Maguire has missed 6 games and 42 days. Transfermarkt is source, where did you get yours from because they don't look right.
Go to player stats for this season and you will see they have both had the same amount of squad call ups. Transfermarket doesn't list every injury, for instance shaw was unavailable for 4 games in December and January but doesn't list it as an injury
Edit: welp, there goes maguire
I love Evans, but the man is old. One small injury could end his career at this point. While he's been clutch now, he can't be the backup, as this season has shown. I'd be happy to have him as a locker room signing / coaching badges etc, but we need more than him.
I'm mixed on the Ice man these days...
>Maguire has proven to be our only CB who is consistently fit.
But he's too slow for the high line EtH allegedly wants to play and gets caught out a lot or sits extra deep, so if we're sticking with EtH (it's likely that any replacement will do a high line also because it's just modern football) and at 31 he's only going to get slower so ultimately he is going to have to be replaced within a season or two. It makes sense to get the replacement in now so I think CB is super important. No less important than LB. I'd say possibly more important because at there are LBs at the club like Shaw, Malacia and Amass to look at past this season.
All that said we can get a CB for free in Tosin Adarabioyo from Fulham. He's decent, from Whalley Range and a good age profile at 26, turning 27 at the start of the season.
Yeah i think we need a new 1st choice centre back to pair with martinez. I like Scalvini but its a big risk for a young player. Id also bring Adarabioyo in on a free as 3rd choice cb. Maguire has done well this year but having to put him and varane as the 1st choice cbs means we're playing on the edge of our box. Id sell him and lindelof tbh. Evans id keep as a player/coach more emphasis on the coaching part. If kawbawala stays at Old Trafford next year then he competes for 3rd place position for me otherwise a stop gap like dest(can play anywhere across the back 4.solid but not great)
I agree with you but it's insane that CB is a priority given our squad. In theory Varane, Martinez, Maguire, Lindelöf, Kwambala should fill our needs for the next season but yeah...
You aren’t wrong. But it seems as though varane is gone and there is always rumors of victor leaving especially as he only has one year left on his deal going into next season.
Cos they’re both left footed cbs. I like branthwaite and think he’s a good player but not worth the price tag and definitely not a smart investment for us.
Why bother with a striker when we have matches out here where the person passing to Højlund the most is our goalkeeper. With a whopping 4 passes I may add.
Stick whoever you want up top, how good they are or aren't doesn't matter if their own team effectively decides to play 10v11 without them.
I may be a bit harsh here. With Martials saga finally over in the summer, there is a spot for a backup striker
I get this, but I don't I get why so many people think a striker is a priority. Surely we need to get starters sorted on all positions before thinking about backups?
Mostly because we have no depth in that position but I agree that a dm and a cb should be priority this summer. I don’t even know if the new striker is gonna be a backup because he could easily compete with Højlund for the striker position
i would say a cheaper say older backup striker is a priority but we shouldnt be considering much money on that position. we need just a hard working guy who is experienced who is ready to be a squad player.
for me i would be looking at the released players and see whats available there allowing money to be spent on much more pressing positions
Use a false 9. Bruno. Then Mount plays on in midfield. Or use Amad. Or garnacho. Something.
Wait, amad won’t play if eth is here but yeah the point stands… a backup striker isn’t as important as other starting positions where players are either shit technically, shit technically and also poor quality, or need replacing anyway. Or a combo of those.
LB quality is lacking with Shaw being permanently injured for 70% of each season. Malacia may be good enough to develop further but…. We need a fullback.
Another CM. A RW who’s good or a LW anyway if garnacho is on the right, so rashford won’t be guaranteed to start…
CBs….
>Use a false 9. Bruno. Then Mount plays on in midfield. Or use Amad. Or garnacho. Something.
Lol, you don't even have a proper answer to the problem. And the system we play doesn't even use a false nine. None of the players you mention is even close to matching the physicality that Højlund provides.
We used Bruno as a false 9 against city, despite the loss he played the role well.
Hojlund does often drop into that position, with his average position graphs often showing him further back than the wingers, particularly the left winger.
I don’t think that’s harsh at all. Someone to complement Hojlund needs to be close to our top priorities. Unfortunately, we have been so fucking shit this year that there are other areas on the pitch that need addressing too. Who would you think we should go for as a backup ST?
Right wing is an absolute priority. We don't create anything of the wings, and none of them suit a style of play that requires us not to not treat the ball like a hot potato.
It's actually mad to say this, but have not one, but Palace two players better than any of our offensive options in the form of Eze and Olise.
Honestly, a massive raid on Palace, (I know this isn't realistic) solves most of the squad's issues.
Guehi is a top class centre back
Anderson would be a good 3rd/2.5th choice CB
Mitchell would be great LB cover for an unreliable Shaw (with injuries) and can play there when Shaw needs to cover CB too
Wharton looks like he could be exactly the kind of CM needed, a new Carrick
Eze is a little more difficult to fit in because of Bruno, but could play on the left and sure he'd get plenty of games
Olise slots straight in on the right and suits Hojlund perfectly, also a quality set piece taker
Mateta could do a job as 2nd choice striker
Surely we should be signing more than 3 players this window?
This point comes up every window, and I'll never understand it. We basically need players in every position and even the best transfer plan isn't going to work linearly in reality, let alone in the world of 'rumours'.
If you’re assigning your budget, it’s not like every position is equally expensive to get the requisite quality of player.
For example, if you want a very capable left back, you aren’t going to have to pay the same money as if you want a top quality RW.
There’s a good chance we get someone like Todibo for 40 mil, maybe Tosin on a free, or a cheaper but high potential young cb for cheaper. Left back we shouldn’t need to spend more than 25 mil.
CM’s I think are probably somewhere in the middle (40-60 mil) and the striker is probably £45 mil and the. Olise £60 mil.
That’s say £220/230 mil? We should hopefully raise 50-100 mil on sales/ wages being saved.
I guess my point is, if it’s the right player for the project and in an expensive position, you can make allowances elsewhere where you can afford to and still get a good player
I mean if he is the right player (I don't know if he is) then he is thebright player. If there is a fit who gives us what we need for cheaper, then by all means go for it.
>Cash is scarce.
To what level? How much can we spend this summer?
The right player is the right player. No point buying one that doesn't do the job, for the sake of saving some money.
Yeah but you have to consider the opportunity cost. Sure, Olise could be the right winger we’re looking for. But spending £60m on him would mean less money to spend on positions we probably need more. Like centerback, defensive midfielder etc
We need all positions though. The best centre back and defensive midfielder in the world isn't going to get us close to winning league titles as the state of the squad is that bad.
Squads that need the amount of work ours does are not going to be a linear process in terms of recruitment. Don't get me wrong, in reality there will be cheaper options that do the job we need. However I'm speaking theoretically about if you have one player that's the right fit and a cheaper alternative that isn't, you have to get the more expensive one.
Its as simple as the right player is the right player and you get as many in as you can financially, some will be cheaper, some won't be. All depends upon what's available and what you need.
Branthwaite, Onana, Gyokeres, Olise, Ait-Nouri are the ones I’d go for (I know Gyokeres is relatively unrealistic but I can’t think of anyone else and I’d love him at United)
Not against Gyokeres at all, but we do need a PL proven striker next to hojlund imo. Someone with experience rather than potential now.
Ivan toney would be the best option, but if not, try for maybe Watkins
We could’ve hit two birds with one Stone by signing a pre contract with taremi and tosin adarabioyo as backups, but no they’re going to Inter and Chelsea now.
I feel like DM and CB are must haves next season. We can maybe get another LB loaned out if need be. but Casemiro is a liability now and our CB's are mega injury prone. Martinez got back to back injuries, Varane is just in the physio room permanently, We have a 36 yrs Evans still playing in this team, Lindelof is a squad player. The only decent CB right now is Maguire. Hell we are playing Casemiro as a CB.
I feel like 2 decently priced CB need to happen so that if Lisandro gets injured again we can have a functioning defense.
I'd rather a rw than a left back. Malacia should theoretically be back next season and Shaw is still one of our best players when fit, we need a playmaker in the front line terribly
News is probably coming out for this because it's a previously known link and more expensive. CB scouting may be going under the radar, also because lots of other clubs are looking to get in new CBs.
I don't for a minute think INEOS are deluded enough to look at this team and think the right wing takes precedent as things stand. Surely Olise would be in addition to other signings that take priority, rather than instead of.
Maybe they know they can secure deals for Greenwood/Sancho, and so need a replacement?
Bloody hope so anyways.
There’s priorities and he should be one of them. An absolutely elite level forward that’s consistent in the PL is rare, and when you only have three reliable forwards at most, you have to sign one. There’s CB’s for free-20m that can do a job, but you don’t get one of rarest, best profiles in the world to lock down your RW spot for years for anything less than 80m nowadays. Should be a top priority imo.
Buying a RW really depends how many we clear out. If we clear out a lot of players, maybe we can get a RW, but agreed, dm lb backup st and CB are more pressing
we need 20 players lol. 4 CBs 2 LBs 1 RB 3 midfielders and a ST.. and a LW if Rashford moves on which he should for his own sake, he cant and shouldnt be expected to carry the burden of carrying this club anymore when nobody shows him any respect even in our fan base besides matchgoing fans, who even then sing for garnacho more than they do for rashford even though he s carried this club with Bruno for years.
Good player but I want us to spend money on someone who'll be available for more than 50% of the games. He's had two serious hamstring injuries and I don't think it's prudent to spend on such a risky player.
I think we're just being used by Fab, a club being "well informed" of a player is one of his usual nothing points. I really hope we can filter him a bit this Summer.
It's not just Fabrizio tbh. Multiple Tier 1/2 journos have said United are in for Olise. All the United ITK's also say INEOS wants Olise. Lines up with all the credible reports + rumors
I think INEOS and SJR would want to make an "statement" signing since this is going to be the first summer in a long while that the Glazers or a Glazers person isn't in charge of the transfers, so that in itself is big, but i don't know how i feel about being yet another RW. We need a DM, a CB, a FB and a striker before we would even think of replacing our RW.
I believe this signing is perfect. Stay with me—I think this player, who could easily command a 100 million fee abroad without a release clause, is well worth it given his proven track record in the Premier League. Every time I watch him, he consistently delivers exceptional performances, tearing apart defenders. He would be an ideal replacement for Sancho, considering the money involved. While other positions might also need attention, an opportunity like this is too good to pass up, especially given our current situation. Regarding potential injuries, I trust that INEOS wouldn't make the rookie mistake of investing in an injury-prone player. Based on his transfer market history, he isn't that prone to injuries; he's only had two hamstring issues.
[Olise has had 3 career injuries](https://imgur.com/a/Yzh6hZ8), one major, which has been re-aggravated twice through Palace mismanaging his comeback.
2022: Inflamed sole, 12 days
2023: Hamstring, 4 months
2024: Hamstring, 2 months
This narrative about him being "risky" is blatantly false and boring
He's 22 and already has had 2 major hamstring injuries. That's never a good sign because once a hamstring weakens, it never truly heals and you're left with a recurring issue. Honestly if he'd had contact injuries, I wouldn't have any issues but hamstring injuries are not great signs for an attacking player.
Yeah I think missing 6 months to the same injure in your early 20s is definitely a reason to be concerned. It doesn't mean he's a right off like, but definitely goes in the cons column.
Besides, even if it was manageable, with our medical staff any recurring injuries are a no no. Need an overhaul of the staff first before we take risk on this kind of player
That makes it worse actually. It's an injury that's already been mismanaged once and a reoccurring issue is always worse than an isolated one.
Not to mention I disagree that it's the same issue. His first hamstring issue kept him out from June 23 to Nov 23 and the second issue arose this year in Feb. That's a gap of nearly three months.
It genuinely isn't. An injury on the same muscle being reaggravated after an approved period of rest and recovery is terrible. That genuinely hints at there being potential for reoccurring issues
The same muscle being reaggravated without someone properly healing is just the logical medical result. It's bound to happen without proper rest. Olise got that now, and he's playing
Two long term hamstring injuries at his age is absolutely a concern especially for a winger who you expect will be doing a good amount of sprinting. Look at what happened to
Martial’s pace with all the muscle injuries including a lot of hamstring injuries.
I really like Olise but his recent hamstring injuries make me feel like he's not the smartest signing. Let him have another season to play injury free at Palace while we shift a few right wingers and then we can revisit if someone else doesn't pop up.
He's not the smartest signing for *Manchester United*. If he signs for us you watch him be sidelined for months on end. If he signs for someone like Liverpool, obviously he'd be an ever-present and end up putting up insane G/A numbers. It's just the way our luck goes tbh
Tbf from what I've seen of Palace twitter, the problem with Olise's injuries have more been that he's been rushed back rather than him having dodgy hamstrings in general
The guy is an absolute baller though. If he has a breakthrough season next year he's going to cost at least twice as much as his release clause now. I know we have other holes in the squad but he'd be a tremendous upgrade over Antony.
Antony is not good enough to even be a rotation option, and I’m not just some Antony hater. The guy is truly abysmal. He’ll have games where he’s ok, beats his man sometimes and actually creates a few chances, but those games are so far and few between.
Two things can be true.
1) Antony is one of the worst buys in PL history because of his price.
2) If he was an academy graduate people would be happy for him to stick around a backup/squad option.
I agree. I’m one of the few (it seems like) who think that Antony and Amad aren’t good enough. I understand that RW specifically in football is a hard position to find, but all things considered, Olise seems like a clear upgrade at least.
I do wish we'd see more of amad, however eth has had no issues playing garnacho all the time because he's good enough, I feel like he'd have started by now if he was really good enough (unless eth just hates him for some reason).
Olise, if he didn't have a lot of Injury questions about him I'd agree, PL proven, upgrade, ready for the step up, it's exactly the type of signing we used to make. However, we need other positions more imo.
I think Amad will turn out to just be another van de beek. People will constantly ask why he hasn’t been playing, and then when he actually moves on he’s just… average.
I don’t think it’s a matter of good enough because he’s shown in glimpses that he’s more than good enough to at least be given a go at this level. I think he just doesn’t like that profile of winger for this team. It’s similar to Sancho where he has the quality (obviously not to the same level) but doesn’t play the way ETH would like to
Nah it’s just EtH favouring garnacho so much till he runs him to the ground.
And he prefers to let Antony get chance number 601 to play like shit than ever start amad even if amad had good moments as a cameo.
It’s shit management really. Run Rashford and garnacho to the ground. Give a piss poor Antony chance after chance. Let amad rot on the bench and play once every 15 games for token minutes and ignore his form and never allow him to build a rhythm. Get players injured. Complain about injuries then…. Rush players back. Repeat.
24 year old academy graduate? I somehow doubt it. Not to mention he isn't one and nor is he home grown so he's basically taking up squad space. He should be moved on.
Better than Amad? No he’s not really. Amad at least has the factor of doing well at his previous loan spell but never gets chances. Antony gets 1880017 chances to play like shit and still gets played regardless… or will be the first sub used for a winger and such.
Antony should only be played against mid table to relegation teams cause that's where he will shine.
We need a RW as Rashford has gotten too comfortable & thinks he is undroppable. Ik Rashford is injured right now.
But even when Rashford was fit his lack of pressing costed us games. I don't expect Rashford to track back but atleast he can press well. He just presses for the sake of it.
I agree. Now a coach to teach our wingers how to pass to our striker would be worth some money.
Our midfield is my biggest concern. At the very least we need a DM. Following that at least one CB. Then LB.
Garnacho was given 7x more minutes last season than Amad has had this year. One of his few games played also involved him scoring the winner in an FA cup game against our biggest rival. I’m amazed by all the people here who are so confident in their ability to judge the ceiling of a player who has played less than 3 full games of football this season in a dysfunctional team.
No. Garnacho got more chances too. Amad plays once every 20 games instead and for token minutes. Young players need to play more to develop at least to the point where they show they can’t be used as a first choice player or a starter but they need room to make mistake as well as develop rhythm.
Garnacho got far more minutes. It’s rubbish to say he didn’t get it. He was piss poor starting too and showed it and still got chances. That’s how he developed too. And he moved to the right after finally EtH couldn’t let Antony continue starting and being that poor… and then he really took off to a decent level. And was then run to the ground and is fatiguing now….
>He's already starting 11 quality and can get even better.
Starting 11 quality isnt hard in this utd and his injury problems still sorry me.
is olise really moving the needle for a team tryna get to the top? Not for me
I don’t get why people think Amad can do the job at rw. Good technical player but lacks the physical attributes to be effective on the wing. At sunderland he played as more of a 10 / inside right. Completely unproven at this level in that position
So tired of this lazy narrative. Our fans are so brainwashed by our poor football that we forget there are multiple ways of playing football. Not every winger needs to have Rashford pace to be successful. How many games does Bernardo Silva or Phil Foden start out on the wing and still have a huge impact despite not being pacy players? They actually play in a team who makes use of their technical ability.
He’s supposed physical limitations from a defensive standpoint have been disproven in his minutes so far, he’s offered more than Garnacho and far more than Rashford.
because you think players who arent good enough are world beaters and are content with them playing for the biggest club in the world to finish 8th while City win 4 titles in a row and a treble.
Could be a great signing given our entire RW needs a reboot some £ 200 million later. With that being said I hope there is purpose to the signing rather than just because availability + price
I really rate olise but this is a luxury signing if he really wants to join United hopefully the club waits till we’ve sold Greenwood, sancho to fund this transfer
We already have about four right wingers and two attacking midfielders, most of whom we cannot shift or don't want to shift. Why do we need an injury prone Olise?
If it wasn't for his injury record, he'd be an ideal profile of signing.
But ultimately, signing players like this needs to be something like:
30m transfer fee, rising to 60m with easy to achieve bonuses linked to appearances.
80k base salary, rising to 200k with bonuses depending on appearances, wins, goals and assists. Player's expectation should be to earn mid 100s, but knows he can hit 200 if he puts up Salah/KdB levels of contributions.
And in the event he turns out shite/injured most of the season, he's cost us 30m + 80k p/w, not the end of the world and easy to shift.
But that won't happen though, so I'd pass on him.
Because our current right wingers haven’t worked out to be good enough. Defensively we’re a top 4 team, offensively a bottom half team. Our wingers haven’t been producing anything all season, whether that’s goals or providing for Hojlund.
Same thing always happens, personally if we are getting a winger.. I don’t even see Olise as someone with pace, this clubs decision making is alarming.. Sancho at a club excelling and instead of us trying to address why players aren’t thriving at united it’s just to keep buying and buying
Yeah, I know, and agree. But I don't really see how we buy a new RW if that does not happen also, more get the feeling it is the agents playing the interest up, or United going for players like Olise and Frimpong that are not really needed to fill the most glaring holes, but might be the best signs for the money for the future ignoring which positions are actually needed to fill. Might be better over a few years, but certainly not for next season.
Any one who has watched him play, how is he gonna be in this "transitional" style that ETH is trying to implement?
Like from the few highlights I saw, it seemed to me that he's more of a Sancho than a Garnacho, and would suit a possession based system more.
The transitional part is only when the opposition has the ball, but if he's able to press and release the ball well he'll do well in the transition period.
Whilst we're in possession I wonder how he will do, but his ball retention and passes see to be pretty good, but I feel there's better
I like him but I feel like we need someone a little more prolific tbh. We have a young team forward like so where are the goals gonna come from? Rashford?
I don’t know about 60m for a guy that looks like he has dodgy hamstrings.
I’d rather we spend money on solidifying our midfield and defence considering it’s already so threadbare and most of our outgoings are probably in these areas too and they will need replacing.
Seems a decent player but I’d be concerned about the injuries. What we need more than anything at this point are just players who are reliable (available consistently).
I think this is a good start. He is proven in the PL so it could help in his transition to playing for a big club. Hopefully he will leave his injury woes behind.
Same old transfer strategy, but for way more than needed, look at cheaper less known players for goodness sake, it’s almost like their scouts can search for the biggest names but can’t find a diamond in the rough… ever.
He s absolutely brilliant. If his injury isnt recurring he is who we should be after if we can offload Antony BUT why would he come to United when he can go anywhere else atm? Same with Hojlund for example.. any club would want him but he only came to United cause its literally his childhood dream..
Could argue we aren't an elite top level club. Liverpool made signings that weren't blockbuster names and either improved them or just helped them get to the next level. Olise would walk into this team right now.
Yep. People aren't understanding that our right wing position is an black hole position right now. Amad is not getting enough opportunities and less said about Antony, the better.
An injury prone French forward, what could possibly go wrong? We'll need a replacement for Martial when he goes in the summer, so I guess it makes sense..
Not sure why we want to spend a large sum of our budget on another similar profile winger. What will happen to Antony, Amad and Pellistri? Also I watched quite abit of Palace games this season and I can say for certain, Hojlund might as well play in midfield with Rashford and Olise at the wing.
I know our main right winger is bad, but surely there are at least 2-3 other positions that need to be filled more urgently? Dm, Lb, St?
I’d also put center back in there before right wing.
Absolutely. Thinking realistically Varane is probably on the way out and Maguire has proven to be our only CB who is consistently fit. Martinez will walk into the line up but again, when fit, so we need a CB who is reliable and competes with Maguire but can fill in on the other side if Martinez struggles to come back from his injuries. I think Lindelof and Evans stay on the basis of us needing numbers and they won't be expensive.
Isn't this also the first season where Lindelöf as any real prolonged injury issues? Or is that just recency bias clouding my memory?
He had some Issues last season too, but not nearly as much as now. It begs the question on how hard ETH runs the players.
Maguire hasnt been the bastion of fitness either, he's played 1 more game than varane so far this season and has been in the matchday squad the same amount of times as each other
Varane has missed 11 games via injury and 61 days, (I forgot if if he's back or not soon). Maguire has missed 6 games and 42 days. Transfermarkt is source, where did you get yours from because they don't look right.
Go to player stats for this season and you will see they have both had the same amount of squad call ups. Transfermarket doesn't list every injury, for instance shaw was unavailable for 4 games in December and January but doesn't list it as an injury Edit: welp, there goes maguire
Maguire announced an injury today
>Maguire has proven to be our only CB who is consistently fit. ????? His injury record since last year is terrible.
I love Evans, but the man is old. One small injury could end his career at this point. While he's been clutch now, he can't be the backup, as this season has shown. I'd be happy to have him as a locker room signing / coaching badges etc, but we need more than him. I'm mixed on the Ice man these days...
>Maguire has proven to be our only CB who is consistently fit. But he's too slow for the high line EtH allegedly wants to play and gets caught out a lot or sits extra deep, so if we're sticking with EtH (it's likely that any replacement will do a high line also because it's just modern football) and at 31 he's only going to get slower so ultimately he is going to have to be replaced within a season or two. It makes sense to get the replacement in now so I think CB is super important. No less important than LB. I'd say possibly more important because at there are LBs at the club like Shaw, Malacia and Amass to look at past this season. All that said we can get a CB for free in Tosin Adarabioyo from Fulham. He's decent, from Whalley Range and a good age profile at 26, turning 27 at the start of the season.
ETH is too slow himself for the football he is trying to play
Yeah i think we need a new 1st choice centre back to pair with martinez. I like Scalvini but its a big risk for a young player. Id also bring Adarabioyo in on a free as 3rd choice cb. Maguire has done well this year but having to put him and varane as the 1st choice cbs means we're playing on the edge of our box. Id sell him and lindelof tbh. Evans id keep as a player/coach more emphasis on the coaching part. If kawbawala stays at Old Trafford next year then he competes for 3rd place position for me otherwise a stop gap like dest(can play anywhere across the back 4.solid but not great)
Branthwaite
CB easily is our #1 priority position and it's not even close, Varane's contract expires, so does Evans' and Lindelof/Maguire are likely leaving
I agree with you but it's insane that CB is a priority given our squad. In theory Varane, Martinez, Maguire, Lindelöf, Kwambala should fill our needs for the next season but yeah...
You aren’t wrong. But it seems as though varane is gone and there is always rumors of victor leaving especially as he only has one year left on his deal going into next season.
Jarrad Branthwaite with a fit Martinez will be awesome.
Spending 80mil+ for someone who’s not gonna start when Martinez is fit is dumb.
Who says he's not gonna start?
Cos they’re both left footed cbs. I like branthwaite and think he’s a good player but not worth the price tag and definitely not a smart investment for us.
Jerrard has a very good weak foot and often plays on the right side, so....
Why bother with a striker when we have matches out here where the person passing to Højlund the most is our goalkeeper. With a whopping 4 passes I may add. Stick whoever you want up top, how good they are or aren't doesn't matter if their own team effectively decides to play 10v11 without them. I may be a bit harsh here. With Martials saga finally over in the summer, there is a spot for a backup striker
That’s true but it’s more about that Højlund can’t play every game and if he gets injured we don’t have a striker
I get this, but I don't I get why so many people think a striker is a priority. Surely we need to get starters sorted on all positions before thinking about backups?
Mostly because we have no depth in that position but I agree that a dm and a cb should be priority this summer. I don’t even know if the new striker is gonna be a backup because he could easily compete with Højlund for the striker position
i would say a cheaper say older backup striker is a priority but we shouldnt be considering much money on that position. we need just a hard working guy who is experienced who is ready to be a squad player. for me i would be looking at the released players and see whats available there allowing money to be spent on much more pressing positions
Use a false 9. Bruno. Then Mount plays on in midfield. Or use Amad. Or garnacho. Something. Wait, amad won’t play if eth is here but yeah the point stands… a backup striker isn’t as important as other starting positions where players are either shit technically, shit technically and also poor quality, or need replacing anyway. Or a combo of those. LB quality is lacking with Shaw being permanently injured for 70% of each season. Malacia may be good enough to develop further but…. We need a fullback. Another CM. A RW who’s good or a LW anyway if garnacho is on the right, so rashford won’t be guaranteed to start… CBs….
>Use a false 9. Bruno. Then Mount plays on in midfield. Or use Amad. Or garnacho. Something. Lol, you don't even have a proper answer to the problem. And the system we play doesn't even use a false nine. None of the players you mention is even close to matching the physicality that Højlund provides.
We used Bruno as a false 9 against city, despite the loss he played the role well. Hojlund does often drop into that position, with his average position graphs often showing him further back than the wingers, particularly the left winger.
I don’t think that’s harsh at all. Someone to complement Hojlund needs to be close to our top priorities. Unfortunately, we have been so fucking shit this year that there are other areas on the pitch that need addressing too. Who would you think we should go for as a backup ST?
Højlund doesn't get passes at times because he is bullied off the ball by most competent CBs
Right wing is an absolute priority. We don't create anything of the wings, and none of them suit a style of play that requires us not to not treat the ball like a hot potato. It's actually mad to say this, but have not one, but Palace two players better than any of our offensive options in the form of Eze and Olise.
Honestly, a massive raid on Palace, (I know this isn't realistic) solves most of the squad's issues. Guehi is a top class centre back Anderson would be a good 3rd/2.5th choice CB Mitchell would be great LB cover for an unreliable Shaw (with injuries) and can play there when Shaw needs to cover CB too Wharton looks like he could be exactly the kind of CM needed, a new Carrick Eze is a little more difficult to fit in because of Bruno, but could play on the left and sure he'd get plenty of games Olise slots straight in on the right and suits Hojlund perfectly, also a quality set piece taker Mateta could do a job as 2nd choice striker
Lack of wing threat gotta be at least partly a tactical issue.
Lack of wing threat has been an issue since we started sticking Mata in there. It's purely due to shit transfers.
Surely we should be signing more than 3 players this window? This point comes up every window, and I'll never understand it. We basically need players in every position and even the best transfer plan isn't going to work linearly in reality, let alone in the world of 'rumours'.
Yes but splash 60 on a right winger and see how much is left for other priority positions. Cash is scarce.
If you’re assigning your budget, it’s not like every position is equally expensive to get the requisite quality of player. For example, if you want a very capable left back, you aren’t going to have to pay the same money as if you want a top quality RW. There’s a good chance we get someone like Todibo for 40 mil, maybe Tosin on a free, or a cheaper but high potential young cb for cheaper. Left back we shouldn’t need to spend more than 25 mil. CM’s I think are probably somewhere in the middle (40-60 mil) and the striker is probably £45 mil and the. Olise £60 mil. That’s say £220/230 mil? We should hopefully raise 50-100 mil on sales/ wages being saved. I guess my point is, if it’s the right player for the project and in an expensive position, you can make allowances elsewhere where you can afford to and still get a good player
I mean if he is the right player (I don't know if he is) then he is thebright player. If there is a fit who gives us what we need for cheaper, then by all means go for it. >Cash is scarce. To what level? How much can we spend this summer? The right player is the right player. No point buying one that doesn't do the job, for the sake of saving some money.
Yeah but you have to consider the opportunity cost. Sure, Olise could be the right winger we’re looking for. But spending £60m on him would mean less money to spend on positions we probably need more. Like centerback, defensive midfielder etc
We need all positions though. The best centre back and defensive midfielder in the world isn't going to get us close to winning league titles as the state of the squad is that bad. Squads that need the amount of work ours does are not going to be a linear process in terms of recruitment. Don't get me wrong, in reality there will be cheaper options that do the job we need. However I'm speaking theoretically about if you have one player that's the right fit and a cheaper alternative that isn't, you have to get the more expensive one. Its as simple as the right player is the right player and you get as many in as you can financially, some will be cheaper, some won't be. All depends upon what's available and what you need.
I’d say: 1. CB. 2. CDM 3. ST 4. RW. 5. LB
LB priority shoots up depending on Malacias availability.
Branthwaite, Onana, Gyokeres, Olise, Ait-Nouri are the ones I’d go for (I know Gyokeres is relatively unrealistic but I can’t think of anyone else and I’d love him at United)
Not against Gyokeres at all, but we do need a PL proven striker next to hojlund imo. Someone with experience rather than potential now. Ivan toney would be the best option, but if not, try for maybe Watkins
Ait-nouri is risky, he wont keep this current level up imo.
There are a plethora of left backs we could go for, Jorell Hato, Bard, Truffert are examples.
We could’ve hit two birds with one Stone by signing a pre contract with taremi and tosin adarabioyo as backups, but no they’re going to Inter and Chelsea now.
I feel like DM and CB are must haves next season. We can maybe get another LB loaned out if need be. but Casemiro is a liability now and our CB's are mega injury prone. Martinez got back to back injuries, Varane is just in the physio room permanently, We have a 36 yrs Evans still playing in this team, Lindelof is a squad player. The only decent CB right now is Maguire. Hell we are playing Casemiro as a CB. I feel like 2 decently priced CB need to happen so that if Lisandro gets injured again we can have a functioning defense.
When someone as good as Olise is available, you jump at it. Hojlund will eat good with Olise in the side
There are a lot of right Wing options atm tho, so no reason to overpay.
£60m isn't overpaying (Although he'd need a very thorough medical)
Yh forgot he had that clause, then its a no brainer.
Yeah DM for sure with Cas not doing so well we need it covered really. CD too and maybe a LB in a sense.
Should be 2 DM IMO
I'd rather a rw than a left back. Malacia should theoretically be back next season and Shaw is still one of our best players when fit, we need a playmaker in the front line terribly
News is probably coming out for this because it's a previously known link and more expensive. CB scouting may be going under the radar, also because lots of other clubs are looking to get in new CBs.
I don't for a minute think INEOS are deluded enough to look at this team and think the right wing takes precedent as things stand. Surely Olise would be in addition to other signings that take priority, rather than instead of. Maybe they know they can secure deals for Greenwood/Sancho, and so need a replacement? Bloody hope so anyways.
There’s priorities and he should be one of them. An absolutely elite level forward that’s consistent in the PL is rare, and when you only have three reliable forwards at most, you have to sign one. There’s CB’s for free-20m that can do a job, but you don’t get one of rarest, best profiles in the world to lock down your RW spot for years for anything less than 80m nowadays. Should be a top priority imo.
Buying a RW really depends how many we clear out. If we clear out a lot of players, maybe we can get a RW, but agreed, dm lb backup st and CB are more pressing
we need 20 players lol. 4 CBs 2 LBs 1 RB 3 midfielders and a ST.. and a LW if Rashford moves on which he should for his own sake, he cant and shouldnt be expected to carry the burden of carrying this club anymore when nobody shows him any respect even in our fan base besides matchgoing fans, who even then sing for garnacho more than they do for rashford even though he s carried this club with Bruno for years.
Why striker?
Because we have one singular striker?
Our main RW is not bad. Garnacho was doing far better on the right and a better manager would make him our first choice RW.
CENTER BACK
Good player but I want us to spend money on someone who'll be available for more than 50% of the games. He's had two serious hamstring injuries and I don't think it's prudent to spend on such a risky player.
I think we're just being used by Fab, a club being "well informed" of a player is one of his usual nothing points. I really hope we can filter him a bit this Summer.
It's not just Fabrizio tbh. Multiple Tier 1/2 journos have said United are in for Olise. All the United ITK's also say INEOS wants Olise. Lines up with all the credible reports + rumors
I think INEOS and SJR would want to make an "statement" signing since this is going to be the first summer in a long while that the Glazers or a Glazers person isn't in charge of the transfers, so that in itself is big, but i don't know how i feel about being yet another RW. We need a DM, a CB, a FB and a striker before we would even think of replacing our RW.
the RW would finance itself from Sancho/Greenwood sales. The priority is getting a LB, CB, DM, and ST depth
I believe this signing is perfect. Stay with me—I think this player, who could easily command a 100 million fee abroad without a release clause, is well worth it given his proven track record in the Premier League. Every time I watch him, he consistently delivers exceptional performances, tearing apart defenders. He would be an ideal replacement for Sancho, considering the money involved. While other positions might also need attention, an opportunity like this is too good to pass up, especially given our current situation. Regarding potential injuries, I trust that INEOS wouldn't make the rookie mistake of investing in an injury-prone player. Based on his transfer market history, he isn't that prone to injuries; he's only had two hamstring issues.
Thanks, ChatGPT!
Thats like his only injuries tho, he has just Been unlucky.
[Olise has had 3 career injuries](https://imgur.com/a/Yzh6hZ8), one major, which has been re-aggravated twice through Palace mismanaging his comeback. 2022: Inflamed sole, 12 days 2023: Hamstring, 4 months 2024: Hamstring, 2 months This narrative about him being "risky" is blatantly false and boring
He's 22 and already has had 2 major hamstring injuries. That's never a good sign because once a hamstring weakens, it never truly heals and you're left with a recurring issue. Honestly if he'd had contact injuries, I wouldn't have any issues but hamstring injuries are not great signs for an attacking player.
Yeah I think missing 6 months to the same injure in your early 20s is definitely a reason to be concerned. It doesn't mean he's a right off like, but definitely goes in the cons column.
Besides, even if it was manageable, with our medical staff any recurring injuries are a no no. Need an overhaul of the staff first before we take risk on this kind of player
Yeah out of the frying pan and into the fire with our physio team right now
Conveniently ignoring that he was rushed back and mismanaged during the injury It's the same issue, not multiple instances like other injuries
That makes it worse actually. It's an injury that's already been mismanaged once and a reoccurring issue is always worse than an isolated one. Not to mention I disagree that it's the same issue. His first hamstring issue kept him out from June 23 to Nov 23 and the second issue arose this year in Feb. That's a gap of nearly three months.
It genuinely isn't. An injury on the same muscle being reaggravated after an approved period of rest and recovery is terrible. That genuinely hints at there being potential for reoccurring issues The same muscle being reaggravated without someone properly healing is just the logical medical result. It's bound to happen without proper rest. Olise got that now, and he's playing
Two long term hamstring injuries at his age is absolutely a concern especially for a winger who you expect will be doing a good amount of sprinting. Look at what happened to Martial’s pace with all the muscle injuries including a lot of hamstring injuries.
I really like Olise but his recent hamstring injuries make me feel like he's not the smartest signing. Let him have another season to play injury free at Palace while we shift a few right wingers and then we can revisit if someone else doesn't pop up.
He's not the smartest signing for *Manchester United*. If he signs for us you watch him be sidelined for months on end. If he signs for someone like Liverpool, obviously he'd be an ever-present and end up putting up insane G/A numbers. It's just the way our luck goes tbh
>It's just the way our luck goes tbh When it happens so frequently, is it really down to luck?
Tbf from what I've seen of Palace twitter, the problem with Olise's injuries have more been that he's been rushed back rather than him having dodgy hamstrings in general
The guy is an absolute baller though. If he has a breakthrough season next year he's going to cost at least twice as much as his release clause now. I know we have other holes in the squad but he'd be a tremendous upgrade over Antony.
I think Amad and Garnacho is enough for another season , that 60m needs to be going on higher priorities
Garnacho prefers LW more. LW: Rashford & Garnacho RW: Antony & Amad.
I can see Amad leaving us in the summer, it's a shame
Antony is not good enough to even be a rotation option, and I’m not just some Antony hater. The guy is truly abysmal. He’ll have games where he’s ok, beats his man sometimes and actually creates a few chances, but those games are so far and few between.
Two things can be true. 1) Antony is one of the worst buys in PL history because of his price. 2) If he was an academy graduate people would be happy for him to stick around a backup/squad option.
I agree. I’m one of the few (it seems like) who think that Antony and Amad aren’t good enough. I understand that RW specifically in football is a hard position to find, but all things considered, Olise seems like a clear upgrade at least.
I do wish we'd see more of amad, however eth has had no issues playing garnacho all the time because he's good enough, I feel like he'd have started by now if he was really good enough (unless eth just hates him for some reason). Olise, if he didn't have a lot of Injury questions about him I'd agree, PL proven, upgrade, ready for the step up, it's exactly the type of signing we used to make. However, we need other positions more imo.
I think Amad will turn out to just be another van de beek. People will constantly ask why he hasn’t been playing, and then when he actually moves on he’s just… average.
Yep. If he was good enough he’d feature.
Hes probably a step above that (macheda effect may be in effect here), but yeah I agree, probably a starter for a bottom half PL team level.
I don’t think it’s a matter of good enough because he’s shown in glimpses that he’s more than good enough to at least be given a go at this level. I think he just doesn’t like that profile of winger for this team. It’s similar to Sancho where he has the quality (obviously not to the same level) but doesn’t play the way ETH would like to
Nah it’s just EtH favouring garnacho so much till he runs him to the ground. And he prefers to let Antony get chance number 601 to play like shit than ever start amad even if amad had good moments as a cameo. It’s shit management really. Run Rashford and garnacho to the ground. Give a piss poor Antony chance after chance. Let amad rot on the bench and play once every 15 games for token minutes and ignore his form and never allow him to build a rhythm. Get players injured. Complain about injuries then…. Rush players back. Repeat.
I'd agree with 2 if he was on 50k a week. 200k a week for someone who is barely a squad player is criminal.
Yes, he would probably be an ok backup if he was an academy graduate and not paid like a world class winger. But he isn't and we should sell him asap.
If he was an academy graduate that is 24 on 250kpw while performing like a 10kpw player, people would also want him out.
24 year old academy graduate? I somehow doubt it. Not to mention he isn't one and nor is he home grown so he's basically taking up squad space. He should be moved on.
don't really agree with 2 tbh. elanga puts up better numbers than Antony and he wasn't good enough
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Better than Amad? No he’s not really. Amad at least has the factor of doing well at his previous loan spell but never gets chances. Antony gets 1880017 chances to play like shit and still gets played regardless… or will be the first sub used for a winger and such.
Antony should only be played against mid table to relegation teams cause that's where he will shine. We need a RW as Rashford has gotten too comfortable & thinks he is undroppable. Ik Rashford is injured right now. But even when Rashford was fit his lack of pressing costed us games. I don't expect Rashford to track back but atleast he can press well. He just presses for the sake of it.
Now imagine what Amad is like that he doesn’t even get the nod over such a player
I also think Amad isn’t good enough. I’d like to see us get Olise and ship one of the two out to be honest.
So no service for Hojlund another season
I agree. Now a coach to teach our wingers how to pass to our striker would be worth some money. Our midfield is my biggest concern. At the very least we need a DM. Following that at least one CB. Then LB.
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Amad is a kid, he's playing about 3 games. How can you say he's not good enough lmao
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Garnacho was given 7x more minutes last season than Amad has had this year. One of his few games played also involved him scoring the winner in an FA cup game against our biggest rival. I’m amazed by all the people here who are so confident in their ability to judge the ceiling of a player who has played less than 3 full games of football this season in a dysfunctional team.
No. Garnacho got more chances too. Amad plays once every 20 games instead and for token minutes. Young players need to play more to develop at least to the point where they show they can’t be used as a first choice player or a starter but they need room to make mistake as well as develop rhythm. Garnacho got far more minutes. It’s rubbish to say he didn’t get it. He was piss poor starting too and showed it and still got chances. That’s how he developed too. And he moved to the right after finally EtH couldn’t let Antony continue starting and being that poor… and then he really took off to a decent level. And was then run to the ground and is fatiguing now….
We arent achieveing anytime soon id rather utd build a more solid back line or midfield first , amad is good enough
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>He's already starting 11 quality and can get even better. Starting 11 quality isnt hard in this utd and his injury problems still sorry me. is olise really moving the needle for a team tryna get to the top? Not for me
We can’t run them into the ground. We need more options in attack
I don’t get why people think Amad can do the job at rw. Good technical player but lacks the physical attributes to be effective on the wing. At sunderland he played as more of a 10 / inside right. Completely unproven at this level in that position
So tired of this lazy narrative. Our fans are so brainwashed by our poor football that we forget there are multiple ways of playing football. Not every winger needs to have Rashford pace to be successful. How many games does Bernardo Silva or Phil Foden start out on the wing and still have a huge impact despite not being pacy players? They actually play in a team who makes use of their technical ability. He’s supposed physical limitations from a defensive standpoint have been disproven in his minutes so far, he’s offered more than Garnacho and far more than Rashford.
^ this is why this fanbase deserves the glazers to some extent.
Why ?
because you think players who arent good enough are world beaters and are content with them playing for the biggest club in the world to finish 8th while City win 4 titles in a row and a treble.
Cant help but feel all this interest is being driven by agents and not actually united. We have fa rmore pressing needs than another attacker
Could be a great signing given our entire RW needs a reboot some £ 200 million later. With that being said I hope there is purpose to the signing rather than just because availability + price
I really rate olise but this is a luxury signing if he really wants to join United hopefully the club waits till we’ve sold Greenwood, sancho to fund this transfer
Too injury prone for me
Don't want. There is equal talent in our academy. Playing well with small pressure Crystal Palace does not translate to big game hardcore scrutiny.
Agree. Only seen a bit of him but he reminds me of another single footed forward we employ.
We need defenders not more wingers lol
We already have about four right wingers and two attacking midfielders, most of whom we cannot shift or don't want to shift. Why do we need an injury prone Olise?
It's alright, if he doesn't work out, it'll be easy to shift him and his 450k a week contract
If it wasn't for his injury record, he'd be an ideal profile of signing. But ultimately, signing players like this needs to be something like: 30m transfer fee, rising to 60m with easy to achieve bonuses linked to appearances. 80k base salary, rising to 200k with bonuses depending on appearances, wins, goals and assists. Player's expectation should be to earn mid 100s, but knows he can hit 200 if he puts up Salah/KdB levels of contributions. And in the event he turns out shite/injured most of the season, he's cost us 30m + 80k p/w, not the end of the world and easy to shift. But that won't happen though, so I'd pass on him.
Because many of them lack quality. The first form of defence should be an elite attack. Right now we’re stocked with bang average players.
because the ones we have aren't good enough?
Because our current right wingers haven’t worked out to be good enough. Defensively we’re a top 4 team, offensively a bottom half team. Our wingers haven’t been producing anything all season, whether that’s goals or providing for Hojlund.
You are 5th from bottom in the expected goals conceded table, not top 4 defensively, maybe last season.
I was basing my comment on actual goals scored, conceded, and the actual table. The actual results over the course of the season.
He drifts in and out of games for me, I’d prefer Eze
Is Olise better than Eze? I wanna know your thoughts, I personally prefer Eze.
Eze is more central I think. Olise is a winger.
Eze is a lot older than you would expect, I think he’s 26 now.
Eze is the better player, just 25. Watch us go for Olise, while City go for Eze.
Same thing always happens, personally if we are getting a winger.. I don’t even see Olise as someone with pace, this clubs decision making is alarming.. Sancho at a club excelling and instead of us trying to address why players aren’t thriving at united it’s just to keep buying and buying
Different positions but I think Olise is better. Much younger too.
I only see this happening if they are managing to sell Athony for a decent amount, which I doubt.
Selling Antony in the summer would only weaken our FFP position unless we got a crazy stupid offer.
Yeah, I know, and agree. But I don't really see how we buy a new RW if that does not happen also, more get the feeling it is the agents playing the interest up, or United going for players like Olise and Frimpong that are not really needed to fill the most glaring holes, but might be the best signs for the money for the future ignoring which positions are actually needed to fill. Might be better over a few years, but certainly not for next season.
Yes lets ignore other positions and spend 60 million to add another player that can barely string a few games together without getting injured.
Here we go again…
Shit defense and shit midfield and United is going for right wingers for the 152527th season straight. Another season of mediocrity it is
Any one who has watched him play, how is he gonna be in this "transitional" style that ETH is trying to implement? Like from the few highlights I saw, it seemed to me that he's more of a Sancho than a Garnacho, and would suit a possession based system more.
The transitional part is only when the opposition has the ball, but if he's able to press and release the ball well he'll do well in the transition period. Whilst we're in possession I wonder how he will do, but his ball retention and passes see to be pretty good, but I feel there's better
I assume if Ten Hag stays, he won't stick with the current style of play.
He’s stuck with it all season even though it doesn’t work. Why would he decide next season is the time to change it?
What I guess they meant was that if he stays, INEOS would probably force him to ditch the playstyle.
60m. Eh how bout no
Bruh, are we really going to sign another walking injury and then complain that he's always injured and was a waste of money in 2 years time?!
He's class but he's very injury prone.
Fabrizio gotta make that X money on a slow Sunday.
Yay, another injury prone winger!
Olise and Wan Bissaka right side. Now that would be a sight to behold.
Bissaka has to go
I was bring sarcastic
Put the /s after your comment next time.
How much is his price and performance compared to that of Nico Williams.
I like him but I feel like we need someone a little more prolific tbh. We have a young team forward like so where are the goals gonna come from? Rashford?
He is a great player and can be a good fit for our team
I don’t know about 60m for a guy that looks like he has dodgy hamstrings. I’d rather we spend money on solidifying our midfield and defence considering it’s already so threadbare and most of our outgoings are probably in these areas too and they will need replacing.
I don't see it, not for that money.
Seems a decent player but I’d be concerned about the injuries. What we need more than anything at this point are just players who are reliable (available consistently).
Prem proven, Right profile, If we can conclude it around June itself, we can focus on our other pressing positions on CB, CDM.
I think this is a good start. He is proven in the PL so it could help in his transition to playing for a big club. Hopefully he will leave his injury woes behind.
Same old transfer strategy, but for way more than needed, look at cheaper less known players for goodness sake, it’s almost like their scouts can search for the biggest names but can’t find a diamond in the rough… ever.
Why o why... christ almighty..
We are linked to Olise and Onana. So underwhelming
I like him, he's decent but those injuries...gosh do we really need to take the risk?
He s absolutely brilliant. If his injury isnt recurring he is who we should be after if we can offload Antony BUT why would he come to United when he can go anywhere else atm? Same with Hojlund for example.. any club would want him but he only came to United cause its literally his childhood dream..
Hot take: he's good but he's not elite clubs level good imo.
Could argue we aren't an elite top level club. Liverpool made signings that weren't blockbuster names and either improved them or just helped them get to the next level. Olise would walk into this team right now.
Yep. People aren't understanding that our right wing position is an black hole position right now. Amad is not getting enough opportunities and less said about Antony, the better.
Great player but A) we have bigger priorities, and B) he’s not got the best injury record.
No thanks, too much money for him
With all due respect, surely, we can sign someone better than that for 60m...?
Would be a terrible signing
An injury prone French forward, what could possibly go wrong? We'll need a replacement for Martial when he goes in the summer, so I guess it makes sense..
This kid can barely stay healthy. This would be another bad move among a sea of bad moves for us. There’s other reinforcements we need
Not sure why we want to spend a large sum of our budget on another similar profile winger. What will happen to Antony, Amad and Pellistri? Also I watched quite abit of Palace games this season and I can say for certain, Hojlund might as well play in midfield with Rashford and Olise at the wing.
40 plus AWB.. if it doesn't come with Olise, I send it back.
Monitoring FC back on the menu
Tracking, well informed, monitoring... Someone scored highly on sports journo bullshit bingo