Saturday 4 June 2011

TRANSFER TARGETS; A detailed breakdown

Silly season has officially begun, and as usual Manchester United are being linked with many players in a variety of positions. With Van Der Sar, Neville and Scholes retiring this season, Hargreaves leaving and Berbatov, Brown, Gibson, De Laet and Obertan either on their way or linked with exits, replacements are needed in several areas. Priorities are to bring in a new goalkeeper, ball winning midfielder, creative midfielder and winger, although reinforcements in other areas like defence would also boost the team due to Evra's disappointing form and Ferdinand's persistent injury troubles. Here are some of the main players we have been linked with, and an evaluation of whether they're right for us:

GOALKEEPER:

David De Gea:  Poised to be our first signing of the summer, this is a young goalkeeper with staggering potential. Just 20 years old there is no doubt we'll have to be patient with someone so young, but having been extensively scouted by Ferguson and Man Utd goalkeeping coach Eric Steele, we have to trust the boss has chosen the right man. Nicknamed Van Der Gea at Atletico the similarities with his predecessor are obvious, although unlike Van Der Sar his weaknesses can be his distribution and communication, with the language barrier he must adapt to being a concern. However, with age he should hopefully develop into one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Other goalkeepers have broken into great teams at a young age, like Iker Casillas, and pundits have remarked that compared to him at the same age De Gea has greater maturity and is performing at a higher level than Casillas was. If this goes right, there is no doubt we have a world-class goalkeeper in our team for the next 15-20 years. He is expected to sign for us on the first of July, with both Atletico and the player having agreed to the transfer for approximately 17 milllion euros.
Rating: 8/10. Likelihood transfer will happen: 99%

Maarten Stekelenburg, the Ajax keeper who infamously dropped the Eredivisie trophy off his teams parade bus, was our back up option but it is unlikely he will be needed.

DEFENCE:

Raphael Varane: Another young player with great potential, the 18 year old has made 23 appearances for Lens this year. Despite his team getting relegated he has shown his class, playing both at centre back and in defensive midfield in his debut season. Apparently available for £8 million, he has been dubbed "the new rio" by some sections of the press, with his great disciplinary record (only 2 yellow cards) certainly contributing to the comparisions. Evans has had a poor year for us so another centre back would be a useful option given Ferdinand's injury woes. The only stumbling block, other than a difference in valuation between Lens and United, is Varane's reluctance to move to a team where he'll play considerably less than he did at Lens so he would prefer to be loaned back for next year. Ferguson feels it would be beneficial for Varane to adapt to the premier league as soon as possible, so if the transfer goes through it is unlikely he will play anywhere else despite his concerns. It is unclear whether he would be signed primarily for the defensive midfield position or for the centre of defence but his versatality is a big plus point.
Rating: 7/10. Likelihood transfer will happen: 5%, the player is set to move to Madrid having chosen them.


Phil Jones: This Blackburn Rovers player is accomplished both at centre back and in defensive midfield, like Varane, and has a release clause in his contract for £16 million. He has attracted interest from Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and primarily, Liverpool, who seem to be our main rivals for his signature.  The 19 year old is highly rated, and despite a long injury lay-off earlier in the season has been very assured when selected. The Mirror make us favourites to sign him but other newspapers say Liverpool are leading the race. With versatility and proficiency in two areas we have problems in, he would be a good signing. Another boost is he is young and English and therefore unlikely to want to move abroad in the future, this could be a signing for the long term. However, like for Varane and De Gea, his youth leaves a question mark as to whether he is ready to cope with the pressure of playing for Man Utd. UPDATE: Transfer is on the brink of being confirmed.
Rating: 7/10. Likelihood transfer will happen: 99%


Fabio Coentrao is a left back who shined for Portugal in the 2010 World Cup. Coentrao is highly rated and coveted player, reportedly also wanted by Barcelona, Real Madrid and Liverpool. He is 23 years old and can play on the wing as well, but seemingly has his heart set on a move to Real Madrid so a transfer to Manchester seems unlikely despite his promise. The asking price of 30 million euros would have been problematic in any case. 
Rating: 8/10. Likelihood transfer will happen: 5%

Due to Evra's worrying decline this season we have also been linked with Jose Enrique, another left back, but he has no european experience and at the age of 25 is unlikely to improve much further. Despite being a solid player, his transfer to us would be a huge surprise, and he is not the sort of big name or proven player the fans would like to see brought in. In any case Liverpool are very interested in acquiring his signature so overall a move is highly improbable.
Rating: 5/10. Likelihood transfer will happen: 5%

MIDFIELD:

Ashley Young: The Aston Villa winger can play on the left or right of midfield or as a second striker, and his versatility is the reason we want to sign him. Again, at 25 he is not one that will improve too significantly, but as he is available for only £15 million and with a reputation among Villa fans as a big-game player, he would represent a decent investment. Valencia’s injury this year showed our lack of strength in depth on the wings, and though we would hope him and Park don’t miss so much of next season, another option is welcome as Giggs cannot be relied on to step in on the left as often as he did this year. Certainly, Young isn’t a player with world class potential, but he does have international pedigree and as a squad player would be a good signing. Reports last weekend suggested he had his medical with us on Friday but these now appear to have been premature, his future will be decided after the England game with us or Liverpool the likely destination.
Rating: 7/10. Likelihood transfer will happen: 90%

Luka Modric: Ferguson is known to be a long term admirer of Tottenham’s Croatian midfielder but Tottenham are unlikely to sell him for anything less than £30 million, and with 5 years remaining on his contract and the player seemingly content to stay, they are in a position of considerable strength. He’s not a midfielder who gets too many goals or assists, but he has a great range of passing and can change the pace of a game in a similar way to the way Scholes used to do for us. As a deep-lying playmaker he can be very useful and he would provide the creativity we need to unlock the best defences. His only weakness is his slight physique, which could mean we need to play a 5 man midfield against the best teams to compete physically if he is signed. His lack of strength would also be a problem away from home, where we had many troubles last year. But the strengths far outnumber the weaknesses and if used rightly, he would be a great signing.
Rating: 9/10. Likelihood transfer will happen: 40%

Wesley Sneijder: This is a man who’s game revolves solely around goals and assists. A brilliant talent and the star of Inter’s Champions League win in 2010 and Holland’s run to the final of the World Cup, he is a player who is truly world class. He had a disappointing time at Madrid before being transferred to Inter, as he was more interested in partying in Madrid than playing. The move seemed to invigorate him and under Mourinho’s influence he was fantastic, though since Mourinho’s departure his form has dipped and he has struggled for consistency. Favoured in the attacking midfield/deep lying forward position Rooney currently occupies for us, he is not brilliant defensively but like Modric is very creative and would give us that something extra we require in big games. Another plus is he is an excellent set-piece taker, something that we have been missing ever since Ronaldo left. It is questionable whether there is space for him in the team due to Rooney’s new position, and we’d have to pay at least double the €15 million Inter paid to buy him from Madrid. But the signing would be a real signal of intent and is exactly the sort of big name the fans want to see.
Rating: 9/10. Likelihood transfer will happen: 25%

Jordan Henderson: Only 20 years old, Henderson was gaining rave reviews and much publicity due to his early season performances and Sir Alex is known to have requested to be kept informed of developments. He has since suffered a dip in form like many young players do, but interest remains. Liverpool are said to have tabled a £13 million bid for him yesterday, which was promptly rejected by Sunderland, but they are set to follow up their opening offer with higher bids. Sunderland will not let him go for less than £20 million, though as Steve Bruce has expressed an interest in Brown and Gibson it is possible Ferguson give them plus around £8 million to Sunderland ask for Henderson in return. He can play on the right of midfield or in the centre with his versatility valued by Ferguson, making him a decent prospect. However, with Cleverley able to perform in the same positions, is Henderson really necessary? Most would prefer to see Cleverley given the chance this year or an established star brought in, but we’ll have to trust the boss on this one either way.
Rating: 6/10. Likelihood transfer will happen: 35%

Jack Rodwell: Another promising young star, Rodwell can play both at centre back and in defensive midfield, and as players of football manager will tell you he has the potential to become frighteningly good. This season has been disrupted by injuries and inconsistent form, with some questioning whether he can live up to the hype surrounding him. Moyes clearly has faith in the player though, and towards the end of the season he was beginning to hit his stride with some accomplished performances in midfield. There is no doubt we need a ball-winning midfielder like him, but is the 20 year old ready for a role at a big team? His injury record is also a concern, and his progress has slowed due to his inability to break into the Everton first team for a consistent run of games. Again, a big name and experience would surely be preferable if United are to conquer Europe next year, and with young talents like Pogba and Tunniclife breaking through from the FA Youth Cup winning under 18 side, Rodwell could only serve to block their long term route to a starting role in the team.
Rating: 7/10. Likelihood Transfer Will Happen: 30%

Lassana Diarra: The former Arsenal, Portsmouth and Chelsea midfielder is currently playing for Real Madrid, but has been played less often than he would like this season due to their signing of Khedira last summer. There is no doubt he has energy and quality, having proven he can play in the premier league and that he is an effective ball winning midfielder. However, he is very inconsistent and has a questionable disciplinary record both on and off the pitch. Coaches at Chelsea and Arsenal found him hard to handle and he has caused some problems for Mourinho at Madrid with his lack of patience, while on the pitch he commits many fouls and picks up quite a few bookings. He has great control for a player of his type, and like many players on this list versatility is a huge asset of his though he is not always happy playing out of position. Primarily a defensive midfielder, he can also fill in at right back and even in a further advanced position in central midfield, while he can most closely be compared to Darren Fletcher out of the players we currently have. With Ferguson’s policy of squad rotation it remains to be seen whether ‘Lass’ would favour a move to Man Utd over staying in Madrid. The 26 year old is said to be available for around £15 million.
Rating: 7/10. Likelihood transfer will happen: 20%

Daniele De Rossi: The volatile 27 year old midfielder would bring us the experience, tenacity and strength we need in the centre of the park to challenge against teams like Barcelona next year. He has 63 caps for Italy, and though he has certainly had better years than this one, he has proven on the world stage that he is a great player. He has had some disciplinary problems throughout his career and occasionally loses his temper, but he has the passion and a desire to win that is required to be successful at Man Utd. Linked with an £18 million move earlier in the year, he is unhappy at Rome despite before never entertaining the idea of a transfer. Inter Milan and Real Madrid are also interested in the player, and at 27 he’d represent the upper age limit of players which the Glazers want to buy and wouldn’t fit in to the policy of buying players with high re-sale values.
Rating: 9/10. Likelihood transfer will happen: 10%

Bastian Schweinsteiger: This is a real long shot of a signing as Schweinsteiger has 5 years on his contract, but with Bayern retaining an interest in Berbatov there is a small possibility a deal could happen. He would probably not want to leave Germany unless Bayern wanted to sell him, but as a holding midfielder would be absolutely ideal for us. He’s played in the World Cup final and the Champions League final and has won the Bundesliga several times, so this is a guy with winning pedigree. Ferguson was interested in signing him last year before he signed his new contract and he would surely snap him up should the opportunity present itself. The 26 year old is undoubtedly world class, but unfortunately it’s highly unlikely he will be plying his trade anywhere other than in Munich next year.
Rating: 9/10. Likelihood transfer will happen: 5%

We were previously linked to Alexis Sanchez, a Chilean winger who can also play as a striker, but Inter Milan have opened talks with Udinese for his transfer and it seems he will be remaining in Italy.

 ATTACK

Gonzalo Higuain/Karim Benzema: With Real Madrid looking to sign Sergio Aguero, it seems that one of the above two strikers will become available this summer even though Mourinho yesterday insisted otherwise. Madrid beat us to Benzema two years ago, and he has vastly improved under Mou’s influence in his second season in Spain despite still being slightly inconsistent. Ferguson is thought to still be an admirer of the French front man. Despite our previous interest in Benzema and Higuain’s great goalscoring record, a move for either would be unlikely as we are already full in the strike department now that Owen has signed a new deal, even if Berbatov was to leave.
Rating: 8/10. Likelihood a transfer will happen: 5% 

Romelu Lukaku is another young striker we are reported to be interested in, though it seems he is on his way to either our noisy neighbours Man City, or Chelsea.

We have also been linked with Erick Torres of Chicharito’s former club Chivas. He is an 18 year old striker who is apparently coveted by many of the world’s biggest teams, and has already been dubbed “the new Chicharito.” United are favourites to make a move due to a first refusal option put in place for Chivas’ brightest youngsters when the Chicharito deal was made.

1 comment:

  1. the most needed is obviously de rossi or schweinsteiger or maybe fellaini i remember he had fantastic season 2 yrs ago but after injury lost form, but i doubt these deals will happen unfortunately - it's looks like we missed already on all main targets - how pathetic:( i have no doubt - is glazers don't give funds no matter that was said in the press (150 million bollocks), and tbh next year looks difficult for us, but maybe it invoke some kind of revolution and these leeches glazers will be ousted.

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