Midfield Transfer Options

Bissouma, isn't he under investigation at the moment?
I think these two will be prem money for pretty average players

He was arrested and remains under investigation but there are currently no charges against him.

Was even to travel to Africa for the AFCoN in January.

Unless his name is cleared before the end of the summer window I can't see another club going in for him the risk is to big so it's likely he stays at Brighton who in a similar situation can't offer him a new contract so he's kind of stuck in a bit of limbo until the CPS decide to push forward with a charge or drop the charges.

Think there's stages of rebuilding to be done those two might be good enough for the next 2 years then we buy again to improve them down the road and they become the Fred/McTominay squad players.

Given we've got the Greenwood issue over our heads at the moment I can't see them going for Bissouma but in my opinion they'd be mad not to be sounding out Tielemens.
 
I have a feeling we'll get De Jong. More of a hope

City want Philips
 
Aston Villa have signed Boubacar Kamara - Will be a cracking signing for a free, cant help but think why werent we in for him
 
If he's signing for Villa on a free given most of the top 6 need centre mids it's probably that the scouts watching him don't think he'll adapt that well to the premier league. Been a lot of lads with hype out in France come to the league and flop big time.

One journalist who follows the French league closely thinks he might end up playing as a centre back at Villa rather than in midfield.
 
According to the Mirror Rice has told West Ham he is staying for another season, don't think anyone would pay what they would want for him to be honest.

Few rumours in recent days that City are going to go for Phillips from Leeds I think that move makes sense for them.

It's funny are right now no one in the press seems to even know where we are looking when it comes to new signings there isn't one name popping up consistently that sounds in any way plausible.
 
I think right now the press really don't know. Nobody knows who ETH is going to want and who the club will target. They also don't know which positions he's going to prioritise and I guess they don't know which players will be staying.
 
I think it's been made clear CB and CM are being targeted and I guess RB
 
I think CB, CM x 2, RB and a Striker need to be the minimum. And I know that's a lot but that's got to be the minimum surely?

No right winger?

For me centre back can wait and so can a striker.

RB, RW and 2 CMs is the minimum for me.
 
No right winger?

For me centre back can wait and so can a striker.

RB, RW and 2 CMs is the minimum for me.
Yep got to agree with that. Obviously there is a lot more that needs to be changed but Rome wasn’t built in a day and all that.

I think the priority has to be someone that can come and score some goals as well. Last season showed that if Ronaldo didn’t score the goals then we struggled. A goal scoring right winger would be ideal. Sancho and Rashford have the ability to chip in and obviously Bruno can if he rediscovers his best form. However, in years gone by our wingers have always chipped in with 10-15 goals a season and more on occasion, for example Ronaldo when he was a winger.

Then central midfield obviously. We had tried to recruit in there over the years and have failed pretty miserably. Just two CM’s and a quality right winger transforms our team for me. Right back and centre back are clearly important but not as much as the potential difference two CM’s and a RW makes.
 
No right winger?

For me centre back can wait and so can a striker.

RB, RW and 2 CMs is the minimum for me.
I was going on the rumours that seem to have a bit of steam, Torres and Timber which says to me he's looking for a ball playing CB.

We know he's after a midfielder

AWB is up for sale so that says RB

And the Antony rumours are strong ish
 
No right winger?

For me centre back can wait and so can a striker.

RB, RW and 2 CMs is the minimum for me.
I don't think CB can wait. Varane spent a lot of time injured and Maguire can't play in a high line.

And they do need a striker because they have no back up to Ronaldo. And Ronaldo doesn't press so they need a striker who at times can be that trigger.
 
For me you solve the problems we have in starting positions when people are fit before you can start plugging the gaps in the squad. You've got to fix the leaking roof before you start worrying about decorating the living room.

Last season once Greenwood was suspended Utd had no real option down the right side of the pitch we have to address that we can't just go down the left every single time we have to have a proper attacking threat from the right side. I think another wide player is essential as currently we've got Elanga, Rashford and Sancho as wide options and none of them seem happy on the right as they are all right footed. We need to address that balance.

We also know the midfield was a massive problem and 2 of the 4 centre mids at the club are leaving this summer so he has to address that.

Longer term

Goalkeeper - De Gea can't play out from the back.
Centre Back - There are doubts for me over all of them Lindelof not strong enough, Maguire may struggle with the high line and Varane.
Left Back - Is Shaw really that good?
Centre Forward - Ronaldo has 1 more year on the contract and isn't really a long term solution.

I think those 4 positions probably have to wait until summer 2023 to solve.
 
For me you solve the problems we have in starting positions

The first problem new management normally address is stop conceding goals.

I am 100% certain we will get a new CB this summer, it's fundamental to the way TH wants to set the team up.

And it sound like a toss up between Timber and Torres. Considering Timbers agent tweeted that he was moving on then I imagine it will be him.
 
Long term they need real upgrades at most positions. They need to upgrade at GK, LB, and RW.

But they can only do so much this summer as we all know. And so to me they should be looking at RB, CB, CM x 2 and CF. That should be the priority no doubt in my mind there. That is a lot but that's needed.

Dalot isn't good enough and AWB has been told he can go. CB is an issue as we know. CM they were already light and lacked quality and are losing 2 CMs. And they don't have a striker behind Ronaldo. I guess a forward who can play RW and CF may be ideal?
 
Tchouameni looks to be off to Madrid pretty much being reported as a done deal in Spain.
 
The Athletic has been a doing a series on shopping options for ETH. They said Sancho - purchased to play RW - should actually play RW and not swap flanks with Rashford. They suggested a bunch of players like Antony, Bowen (West Ham), Ziyech, Raphinha, Napoli’s Hirving Lozano, and Moussa Diaby.
It’s an interesting series but also largely driven by data mining and not scouting.

Antony: “

Let’s start by talking about… Antony​

It would make a lot of sense if Ten Hag attempted to bring Antony with him to the Premier League.

Here’s what the chart below is telling you:

  • Antony keeps the ball very well (ball retention ability, 83 out of 99), and is adept at both longer balls upfield (progressive passing, 64 out of 99) and sensible team build-up with shorter passes (link-up play volume, 66 out of 99).
  • He doesn’t shirk his defensive duties when out of possession. His defending intensity (73 out of 99) shows he is active in getting close to his man when required. The high volume of recoveries and interceptions he makes (81 out of 99) also suggests he doesn’t run after the man in possession like a headless chicken; there is a rhyme and reason to his pressing attempts.


  • Raphinha “
  • This is why everyone is talking about… Raphinha

    When we last did a deep dive on the Leeds winger, we found a player who liked to start plays in the right-half space before drifting centrally to play havoc with defenders.

    Raphinha endured a difficult 2021-22, often needing to carry both the creative and goalscoring burden of a team desperately missing Patrick Bamford and others to injury. Despite that, he finished the league season with some impressive numbers — scoring 11 goals and earning three assists.

    pizza_raphinha_RW_2021-22.png


    Here’s what the above chart is telling you:
    • Raphinha had to play a lot of “hero-ball” for Leeds last season, trying to do everything himself. His maximum rating for progressive passing (99 out of 99), coupled with his very low scores for link-up play volume (0 out of 99) and ball retention (3 out of 99), is partly a consequence of team style, but points to someone who was the beating heart of his team’s attack.
    • He’ll also get the ball forward into useful areas of the pitch. His above-average score for xG from ball progression (72 out of 99) shows a player who was asked to do nearly everything for his team’s attack and he managed to get the job done (just about).
    • True to Leeds’ style, Raphinha was busy when off the ball. He makes a high volume of defensive actions like tackles, blocks and clearances (disrupting opposition moves, 82 out of 99) and he is active in pressing (defending intensity, 78 out of 99) and picking up loose balls (ball recoveries and interceptions, 81 out of 99). He is not hugely successful in his actions when considering the opposition’s progression forward (defending impact, 14 out of 99) but he will defend from minute one to minute 90 for his team.
  • Similar to Fernandes in 2020-21, Raphinha has a high-risk, high-reward style of play, but he also has high confidence — so he isn’t discouraged from attempting things during moments of poor form. Take a look at the chances he created for Leeds last season. To put it politely, he was spraying it about from the right-hand side, drifting neatly into that lucrative half-space area.

 
On Defensive Mids, they say: “
What does this all mean?

Broadly speaking, a Ten Hag central midfield at Ajax has often involved one player progressing the ball from deep with vertical passes or ball carries. The other player tends to be the secure passer who regulates the pace at which the team plays. Ten Hag has been one of the more pragmatic Ajax managers in recent years and is not above having one of his holding midfielders perform as an auxiliary centre-back.

It is also important to note that a lot of Ajax’s work in holding midfield is supplemented by Daley Blind at left-back, who often moves into central areas and progresses the ball from deep with long passes. There is just enough quality from Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire to suggest this can be replicated in aggregate at United if Ten Hag has enough training time.


What players will United have in central midfield next season?​

Paul Pogba’s contract expires in June and he is more likely than not going to leave on a free transfer this summer. Nemanja Matic has already voiced his intention to leave.

If — for some reason — United do not buy a central midfielder this summer they will have the following options:

Fred — a box-to-box shuttling midfielder who is good at winning the ball, but erratic at distributing it.

Scott McTominay — a player who has persisted in holding midfield, but looks better suited to an attacking box-to-box role.

And James Garner — who will be returning from a loan at Nottingham Forest.

Garner’s progression at Forest is an interesting one. Normally one of the two deeper midfielders in a 3-4-1-2, he’s become more of a ball carrier and progressive passer during his two-year loan. The 21-year-old looks good enough to play for someone’s midfield in the Premier League next season but it remains to be seen with which team.

If — and this is a medium-sized if — Ten Hag wants to replicate the style of football he played at Ajax, any midfielder coming to United will need to have some of the following:

  • The ability to retain possession when passing, to help Fred.
  • The ability to mark space well, to help McTominay/Garner.
  • The ability to pass progressively, to help with team build-up.
  • The ability to win tackles, to help the defence, particularly in preventing counter-attacks.
 
Athletic is talking up Tchouameni, Boubacar Kamara, Fabian Ruiz, Konrad Laimer, Ismael Bennacer, Amadou Haidara. These are the kinds of names and metrics you’d expect from an actual scouting department. I don’t know most of these players but it’s encouraging that there are (allegedly) good players out there just hitting their prime that we might be able to get.
 
Athletic is talking up Tchouameni, Boubacar Kamara, Fabian Ruiz, Konrad Laimer, Ismael Bennacer, Amadou Haidara. These are the kinds of names and metrics you’d expect from an actual scouting department. I don’t know most of these players but it’s encouraging that there are (allegedly) good players out there just hitting their prime that we might be able to get.
Tchouameni is meant to be off to Madrid so I can't see that one happening. Latimer is being heavily linked with Bayern. But United need to look at one or two of those others plus whomever else is out there. They have to add 2 CMs this summer without fail.
 
Be made up if we signed de Jong(£58m), Rabiot(£15m) and Eriksen on a free. All bases covered, and on the cheap.
 
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A pal for Jones on the treatment table?
 
A very odd link even on a free transfer he'd be a risky signing given the injury record he has.

We need to be signing players who are good enough to start for us every week not to pack out our bench.
 
On Defensive Mids, they say: “
What does this all mean?

Broadly speaking, a Ten Hag central midfield at Ajax has often involved one player progressing the ball from deep with vertical passes or ball carries. The other player tends to be the secure passer who regulates the pace at which the team plays. Ten Hag has been one of the more pragmatic Ajax managers in recent years and is not above having one of his holding midfielders perform as an auxiliary centre-back.

It is also important to note that a lot of Ajax’s work in holding midfield is supplemented by Daley Blind at left-back, who often moves into central areas and progresses the ball from deep with long passes. There is just enough quality from Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire to suggest this can be replicated in aggregate at United if Ten Hag has enough training time.


What players will United have in central midfield next season?​

Paul Pogba’s contract expires in June and he is more likely than not going to leave on a free transfer this summer. Nemanja Matic has already voiced his intention to leave.

If — for some reason — United do not buy a central midfielder this summer they will have the following options:

Fred — a box-to-box shuttling midfielder who is good at winning the ball, but erratic at distributing it.

Scott McTominay — a player who has persisted in holding midfield, but looks better suited to an attacking box-to-box role.

And James Garner — who will be returning from a loan at Nottingham Forest.

Garner’s progression at Forest is an interesting one. Normally one of the two deeper midfielders in a 3-4-1-2, he’s become more of a ball carrier and progressive passer during his two-year loan. The 21-year-old looks good enough to play for someone’s midfield in the Premier League next season but it remains to be seen with which team.

If — and this is a medium-sized if — Ten Hag wants to replicate the style of football he played at Ajax, any midfielder coming to United will need to have some of the following:

  • The ability to retain possession when passing, to help Fred.
  • The ability to mark space well, to help McTominay/Garner.
  • The ability to pass progressively, to help with team build-up.
  • The ability to win tackles, to help the defence, particularly in preventing counter-attacks.
You just described what Gravenberch do for Ajax or Laimer for Leipzig. We need both of them for a price around what we will pay for De Jong. They both are 40m max players
 
You just described what Gravenberch do for Ajax or Laimer for Leipzig. We need both of them for a price around what we will pay for De Jong. They both are 40m max players

They are both off to Bayern.

Should maybe put a cheeky bid in for Sabitzer, or Kimmich!
 
They are both off to Bayern.

Should maybe put a cheeky bid in for Sabitzer, or Kimmich!
This is sad. They were exactly what we needed. Again, Bayern act smart and get the best players fast every time. Can't we learn from them ? I don't believe in the De Jong story but we can hope. I just expect over names, than the usualy big money move. Veron and Pogba has not worked. We should take note and change your way. Sabitzer is not what we need. I can't see them letting Kimmich go. Maybe Toliso if he can stay fit.
 
I see today there are rumours that Spurs are set to agree a £25m fee with Brighton for Bissouma. If that's true and that happens then what the F are United doing. Ridiculous.
 
I see today there are rumours that Spurs are set to agree a £25m fee with Brighton for Bissouma. If that's true and that happens then what the F are United doing. Ridiculous.
I'd have loved Bissouma but with the sexual assault charges hanging over him and the Greenwood situation hanging over us we couldn't really touch him.
 

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