Not quite the silly season, but close enough. If the reports are true that SAF wants a 50m transfer kitty - and assuming he actually gets it - how should he spend it? I'm going to limit myself to the idea that he has "three players" in mind, but the rest of you should feel free to divy it up however you wish. (1) Daniele de Rossi - 20m - I'm convinced he's the absolute best box-to-box midfielder that's available. In some ways, he reminds me of Keane. Probably not quite the defensive presence, but terrific in attack, and can cover more ground quickly than his pace would seem to allow. (2) Nani - 17.5m - I'm not gonna lie, I've seen his highlights on youtube, and that's about it. Still, I'm enthralled by the possibility of teaming another portuguese wonderkid with Ronaldo. And we are in dire need of another player to provide width. An interesting selection in his stead would be Diego. He would not provide width, but would provide a like-for-like Scholes replacement. Werder Bremen wouldn't want to sell, of course, but... (3) This is a tough one. We need a striker - but what kind? We dont' have a true poacher as it is (unless you believe Rossi could be that clinical). We also lack a target man if you believe (as most do) that Saha is on his way out. I admire Berbatov, but don't like his "fit." Tevez is tempting, but I think he's too duplicative with Rooney. Huntelaar scores bags of goals, but there are real questions re: his technique. Yakubu is strong and a threat, but his ability doesn't seem to translate into goals. So, where does that leave us? ' I'm going in a strange direction. I doubt many of you would, and I'm sure this choice will be roundly derided. I'm gonna say Jermaine Defoe. Why? I'm not a believer in the target man - oh, they're useful, in the right system, but I tend to think they're often luxuries, at best, and sometimes borderline liabilities. Too many teams, in search of the perfect big man / small man combination end up with a guy who doesn't score goals, doesn't dominate possession, doesn't win tackles, and isn't creative in the same way that, say, Paul Scholes or Joe Cole are. Defoe would provide the club with genuine pace that it's lacked for a while. He's far swifer than Rooney or Ronaldo. And, given the # of chances we'd generate, he'd pocket 25 per year. I thinmk we could have him for 8-13m. So, there's 50m spent (or thereabouts).
I'm confused about some of the things that you say in your post. For example, regarding De Rossi's "defensive presence". I actually thought that was more of his best asset, and he "can" add to the offensive output, but mostly he'd be called in to stabalize the midfield. Also, I always regarded "poacher" as someone who is there at the right time, someone who just puts in the tap-ins or recieves crosses or passes, an "in the box" player if you will. I've never felt that this went hand-in-hand with "clinical". I thought "clinical" meant that they had an almost text-book like technique in front of goal, someone who finishes those chances, usually one on one's with the goalies, 9 times out of 10. To me, this is different than a poacher. You can be a poacher without being clinical, and the other way round'. I might be wrong, but this is how I've always understood it. Please feel free to correct me, though. To respond to your thread, I'm pretty sure something like this was done before, maybe a month or two ago.....I don't know. If I can't find it, I guess I could respond to this one. Have a nice day.
a) 10m for Lucas. Brazillian defensive midfeilder, amazing defensive skills and good attacking skills. Very fast and works really hard. Give him a year to bulk and adjust to the premiership and we're set. b) Guardado for 8m. I;m sure united can get this kid for 8m and he is amazing. Very good left winger and he can play down the right if need be. slowly work him into the premiership and he will be amazing. c) 27-30 on eto'o. Eto'o is class and he is a true #9. He has the physical attributes to play well in the prem and he has good technical skills as well. Rooney always does well with pacey strikers and eto'o is the best of that catagory. Use what evers left + the money recieved from players sold to get bale or spend it on other youngsters (raid barcelonas youth.)
Manuel Fernandes - currently on loan to Everton from Benefica, but he's pure class and already proven he can be succesful in the Premiership. An excellent Central midfielder. Don't think DeRossi would ever want to leave Roma. Ryan Babel - Ajax. He can play RW, LW, and ST. He's a young player and would be the perfect player to play in platoon with Giggs for a year, and then take over after. He's big enough and strong enough to more than handle the Prem, very quick and skillful, and obviously has the technical ability to go with it. After that I think Utd need a striker and possibly some depth at centerback, though Jonathon Evans might be good enough there
call me crazy, but I'd be looking for a replacement for Giggs. Call me double crazy, but I'd buy Shaun Wright Phillips if it was possible and reasonable. Having Ronnie and SWP steaming down the wings would be deadly.
You're not crazy mate but always wanted to see Duff as a Giggs replacement although he's definately fallen off the radar as of late. The guy I'd really want here, Joe Cole, is probably not going to move for a while. I haven't seen much of SWP to say anything.
and that's why I mentioned Ryan Babel. I haven't seen THAT much of him - but every time I do he's always struck me as a very talented player.
Babel is a pretty sizable kid. Standing at 6'1 he should be decent enough in the air and being two footed always come in handy. Oranje coach MVB praised him (hyperbole) when he said he would be the next Henry. There are similarities though. It must be noted that he signed a new 3 year deal the February. Arsenal are increasingly looking more likely to sign him. But he would be rather low in the pecking order unless he slides in at LW. I have to say I'm very biased towards him but we'll se what happens with his future soon.
I would ideally like to buy a left footed winger as a replacement for giggs.malouda,vicente,downing and pedersen are names that come to my mind.
I don't think downing and pedersen are MUQ or would ever be. On the other hand, Vicente was(havent seen him play in a while) but he has rejected Utd in the past. It makes more sense to buy a potential MUQ player who won't cost a ton like Nani / Bale / Guardado.
IN Eto'o (27 million) De Rossi (20 million) Nani (17.5 million) OUT Saha (12 million) Richardson (3 million) NET: 49.5 million
Nani does not have a buyout clause of 17.5 million, atleast not yet. SCP directors are on record saying that they would sell him for 13 million. Eto'o and DeRossi, if available, would cost much more. Saha, on the other hand won't fetch more than 8 million at best. Having said that, if we get the 3 players u mentioned, I would be over the moon.
We would have to spend all our tranfer kitty to get Eto'o. We will have to break the transfer record to get him. He's easily the most coveted striker in the world right now. Can you people get this through your heads!!!
I think you're wrong, there's been a lot of talk in Spain about Barca needing and planning to re-build this summer, even before the famous bust-up. There was talk of either Ronaldinho or Eto'o leaving, and the last I heard of it people were pretty convinced that Barca wanted to let Eto'o go.. admittedly that was at the time they were being linked with Cristiano Ronaldo. But not all is well over there. Eto'o wouldn't come cheap, but he is buy-able.
11 Million- Diego - eventual replacement for Scholes at AM. Has coped with the physicality of the Bundesliga well, can shine in the premiership. 30 million- Etoo. The only way we get him is if Henry goes to the Nou Camp, and even so 30 million is the minimum we would have to pay. 9 million- Robben. Can be absolutely brilliant, however he has lost his confidence due to injuries / Mourinho during the past few years. I have had the feeling that the pressure of 4 world class wingers at Chelsea has not had a positive affect on Robben, SWP, Cole, and Kalou; there are some players who simply need to play week in week out in order to find form, and I believe that if Robben is given patience he can refind his magnificence. 3 Top class players, and 3 needs filled. Perfect.
The reports were 99MM US, which is 50MM GBP. You could try to get Eto'o for 30, but that Blue Russian team in West London would step in and drive the price higher than necessary. BTW, Bent + Bale + Hargreaves + Sneijder - Saha - Smith.
De Rossi, Nani and I would like to keep Saha. However, the current buyout for Nani is somewhere around 12 Million, but even that I believe can be renegotiated as he has NOT signed a contract extension. So he gone next year basically, he is using it as leverage.