Manchester United 2023-24 Thread

82,206 Views | 1893 Replies | Last: 1 mo ago by Thunder18
Dre_00
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Highly doubt De Gea was ever a realistic possibility once he tweeted goodbye. Very unlikely in my opinion. And of course United could play a 3 team game and effectively work with the one that would give them a better deal. But all of those teams would still be negotiating with a team harboring top 3 ambitions and an appearance in the CL knockouts while only having a 35 year old Tom Heaton as a first team keeper. They would be stupid not to add some money to their asking price under those conditions because none of them actually had to sell. Inter was the closest to needing to but it wasn't dire straits or anything. Anyway, agree to disagree...whatever happened or didn't happen, it does appear most likely that Henderson will be a reluctant Red come September.
Dre_00
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If they get 60 million total for Maguire and McTominay then I agree...you have to take it. All things considered, that's actually a pretty decent deal for each player. Romano has said that West Ham have officially placed their offer of 30 million for Maguire but that the two clubs are negotiating. No mention of McTominay. I assumed that West Ham's acquisition of Alvarez from Ajax would have killed any McTominay negotiation even though they don't (or at least shouldn't) play the same position but perhaps it hasn't.

There was a rumor floating around of Jean Clair Todibo to United if Maguire leaves. I'd be more than happy with that swap.
Dre_00
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In less significant goalie news, Zion Suzuki rejected a move to United in favor of a move to Belgium (STVV) and a chance to start. I can't say I blame him too much but not every day a 20 year old from outside of Europe turns down a top 4 club.

Tom Heaton is officially staying at United after speaking with ETH. My guess is that ETH effectively told him that he's the primary backup and he was cool with that...just didn't want to be 3rd string.
Showstopper
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AG
Yeah I know Romano only said Maguire, but the fact that the McTominay report is coming from BBC, Sky, etc makes you think it's a club leak (probably United).
Showstopper
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AG
Well the Athletic is kind of pooping on both in a way: they are saying there was a 30M enquiry for McTominay a few weeks ago (that we apparently thought wasn't enough) and that West Ham wants United to make up the difference in Maguire's salary (so they are basically giving us an extra ten mil to give to Maguire, since the difference between West Ham and United pay over two years would be about ten million pounds).

https://theathletic.com/4756185/2023/08/07/west-ham-harry-maguire-man-united/?amp=1
Thunder18
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Take the 30 for Maguire and run. We need to cash in whatever we can to get rid of him now. McTominay can provide cover for a number of positions, and if we are about to deal Fred and Donny I think it makes sense to keep him around even if we get Amrabat as a result
HummingbirdSaltalamacchia
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AG
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cvp1hj4IVhD/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Dre_00
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So McTominay doesn't want to play a backup role but ETH wants to keep him as a squad player and Maguire is kind of cool taking a backup role and "fighting for his job" but ETH kind of wants to throw him out as soon as someone pays him enough money to get a decent replacement for him.

Fantastic.
Showstopper
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AG
He's already gone for 12M but you basically described Sabitzer. I'm just saying. Surely there is a safety net jack of all trades master of none option out there somewhere for way less than 30M.

Regardless, they already rejected it, and there is crazy talk of 45M. Obviously my valuation of McTominay is way less than United's. Like 45M is far enough away that they could just say "too far apart not going to happen" and walk away.
Dre_00
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Kind of surprised Keane agreed to do this but boy this is good.

Thunder18
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AG
Was coming to post this, love seeing Keano involved officially with the club again. The prawn sandwiches at the end of the video is pretty funny
Furlock Bones
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word is that Hojlund has a back injury. United adamant that he just needs rest, but rumors it is worse than that. that's definitely not how we want to start the season.
Dre_00
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Non-Romano rumors (in fact Spanish sources) saying that Atletico Madrid will sign Amrabat as he prefers to play there. Would make some sense if he wants playing time. I think he's be a good fit but I also don't think finding a backup d-mid will be hard. Tyler Adams and Amadou Onana would be the backup options. Gotta sign Onana and begin assembling Onana Voltron.

The biggest thing is going to be finding someone who is ok with 10-20 starts max barring an injury to Casemiro.
Thunder18
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AG
Wouldn't mind swooping Adams from Chelski if Amrabat falls through
Aston94
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Dre_00 said:

Non-Romano rumors (in fact Spanish sources) saying that Atletico Madrid will sign Amrabat as he prefers to play there. Would make some sense if he wants playing time. I think he's be a good fit but I also don't think finding a backup d-mid will be hard. Tyler Adams and Amadou Onana would be the backup options. Gotta sign Onana and begin assembling Onana Voltron.

The biggest thing is going to be finding someone who is ok with 10-20 starts max barring an injury to Casemiro.
With as many games as United have on schedule, from a USMNT perspective I would be all for Adams serving as Casemiro's second. You know Casemiro is going to miss games, be it injury or red cards, and having Adams work with and learn from Casemiro would be great.

I could see Adams getting 15-20 starts per year, coming in for last 15-20 minutes of games when United lead, and serving as a double pivot when needed alongside Casemiro.

Dre_00
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I also think ETH and Adams would get along swimmingly. Adams is 100% committed and coachable. He'd press anyone and everyone that ETH told him to press. They strike me as two peas in a pod. Plus there's no way Everton is going to let Onana go for 20 million. They might ask for double that. Adams' release clause makes him even more attractive.

But...Onana Voltron would be very tempting.
Thunder18
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AG
Plus...**** chelsea
Mathguy64
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It looks like the 30MM deal for Maguire to WHU is done.

Buy high and sell low is an interesting strategy. But he needed to go and at least it wasn't for free.
Aston94
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AG
Mathguy64 said:

It looks like the 30MM deal for Maguire to WHU is done.

Buy high and sell low is an interesting strategy. But he needed to go and at least it wasn't for free.



30 MM for a player who had no spot on the club is a great deal, especially if they took his complete salary as well.

Not sure why he couldn't ever put it together in Manchester but wish him well.
Thunder18
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AG
30 million for a guy who is at best our 4th choice CB and on high wages is a big W, despite the absolute rinsing we took purchasing him originally.
Furlock Bones
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slabhead out.
Showstopper
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AG
Another way to think about it is this: we paid a 80M transfer fee for a five year contract. At 32 when the contract runs out even back then you would expect that to probably be near the end of his career, maybe 15M in post contract value… at best. Since he's not a player that relies on speed (and we sure know that right), maybe he could get a couple more years, not sure about that though and wouldn't bet on him lasting all that much longer. But, if you just ignore that post contract value, 80M/5*2=32M if you just straight line all the years.

So it's not good, no, but it's not that bad. And if you use Glazernomics it probably isn't that bad from accounting perspective (which, you know, probably not a big coincidence that we are finally able to unload him at 30M and change because Glazers).
Showstopper
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AG
But… I'll be honest… I'm just really happy Maguire is gone lol. I don't know anything about Todibo other than he's at Nice. But …. how bad can he be??? Let's get him in! Lol.

Edit: or almost gone anyway! No jinx!
Dre_00
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Doesn't seem like it's 100% done? But assuming it gets across the line, 30 million is making about as most as can be realistically expected out of an investment that did not go as expected.

Pavard as a replacement is interesting. He's played more CB recently but I think he's still a better RB? Seems like his career maybe stagnated a bit since that absurd goal in Russia? But at 27 and in the last year of his contract, there's potential for good value there. An interesting option to Todibo in that he's more experienced, more versatile and not the leap up that you would expect it to be for Todibo if he's thrown into a situation where he's 1st choice CB.

Ward-Prowse signing for West Ham has to put the nail in the McTominay transfer coffin I would think. Surely West Ham isn't going to spend the 95 million on Alvarez, Ward-Prowse, and McTominay. That's effectively all of their Declan Rice money.
Showstopper
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AG
City are rumored to want to sign Paquetta, so the Hammers may have 70M+ more to spend soon. I can't figure out what they are exactly going for because Ward Prowse is good at stuff McTominay isn't like advancing with the the ball. But apparently Moyes really likes McTominay and supposedly them and United are still talking so maybe? I'm not holding my breath though.
Aston94
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Yeah I think McTominay would be more a replacement if Paquetta leaves to City.
Dre_00
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If West Ham sell Paqueta then maybe they plan to push Ward-Prowse further up the pitch and use that money to sign McTominay? But Ward-Prowse is typically more of a central mid than an advanced, attacking mid like Paqueta. A Ward-Prowse, McTominay, and Alvarez midfield sounds like 0-0 suffer ball.

But whatever...give us 35 million Moyes and you can have it.
Showstopper
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AG
Well they also still have Soucek. I'll be honest, I've never figured out how McTominay worked at West Ham because I understand how you can look at him and say, "Well, he's like the Wish version of Rice because he's pretty good at intercepting and tackling, he's tall and good at aerial challenges and disrupting crosses" and McTominay is an ok (not great, but ok) passer, but Rice looks much better with the ball than McTominay. So I just really don't understand what is going on because Ward Prowse and McTominay are… well, they are both British midfielders I guess, but other than that… they aren't much alike at all.

But yeah I just want the McTominay money lol.

On the downside (because I actually really like Adams a lot and I think he has been discounted just because he was at Leeds even though I didn't think a hijack of the Chelsea move was realistic) Adam's to Chelsea is official:

Thunder18
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Turkish clubs potentially getting into a small bidding war for Fred. Hopefully means we get close to 15MM for him based on some of the reports out this morning
Showstopper
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You would have to be really happy for de Gea if he were able to get signed by Real Madrid:

https://www.skysports.com/transfer/news/12691/12937354/david-de-gea-real-madrid-make-contact-with-former-man-utd-goalkeeper-after-thibaut-courtois-injury
Dre_00
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That's including add-ons but still better than I expected if the add-ons are reasonable. Turkish clubs rarely spend more than 10M on anyone.
Dre_00
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Good luck to him.
AGC
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Showstopper said:

You would have to be really happy for de Gea if he were able to get signed by Real Madrid:

https://www.skysports.com/transfer/news/12691/12937354/david-de-gea-real-madrid-make-contact-with-former-man-utd-goalkeeper-after-thibaut-courtois-injury


What's better than Real singing one former atltico keeper? Signing two!
Dre_00
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Kicker reporting that Bayer Leverkusen is signing Matej Kovar for 9M EUR. Medical today. Another drop in the transfer kitty.

On the one hand, he's only 23 and has progressed pretty well. On the other hand, it doesn't make sense for him to hang around if you are confident that Onana is your goalie for the next 5 years. Good to sell him now for some value if that's the case. Old United would have hung on to a player like this until he left on a free.
Showstopper
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AG
Fred deal is "here we go" (semi)official:
 
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