Transfer Rumours transfer thread fact and fiction

A week or so ago I divvied up the players I wouldn't be averse to seeing leave into two categories, ones where trimming the fat isn't an issue and ones where we have to accept that a section of the fans will **** the bed when we do, so I'll go back to that list

Trimming the fat
1. Rose - tell him to Google a new club, as we will not be giving him a squad number
2. Wanyama - ...well that one sorted itself out already
3. Aurier - tell him we need a defender, and that we've done our best to increase his value so he needs to strike while the iron is hot
4. Vorm - probably already accepts he's not getting a new contract
5. Vertonghen - if he doesn't re-sign, shake his hand and tell him to enjoy Amsterdam
6. Carter-Vickers - Tanganga and Foyth have broken through while Eyoma and ***an-Walcott are waiting in the wings, so his time has passed
7. Georgiou - we've had two generations of youth wingers, namely Shashoua and Bennett, so his time has passed

Of that list Aurier is going to be the big ticket item, as he has two years on his contract, so will bring in £20-25m, we can ask for a flat fee of £5-7m for Rose, we might get a decent fee of £2-3m for CCV given he's played a few seasons in the Championship, although Georgiou will likely be a nominal fee with a large sell-on percentage

Cutting into meat and bone
1. Lucas or Lamela - our right flank needs an upgrade and one of them has to make way
2. Dier - ...may have brought himself some time by dropping back into defence
3. Foyth - could well be squeezed out by the emergence of Tanganga coupled with Dier moving into defence
4. Alderweireld - probably stuck with him, but his time is clearly ticking down
5. Sissoko - passed 30 and surely his workrate is going to start to drop sooner rather than later

The thing is not everyone on the second list should be moved on, we need a balance and need to get it right...and if that balance nets us £40m+ that will help somewhat

 

Interesting to see the similarities and differences @Dier Hard and @humanbeingincroydon

 

I have just been watching a U Tube of Jay Lenos Garage an auction special. Same thing going on here with our squad. RCL that is a scary list.

Remember what happened to our team with the 7 new signings after we sold Bale. Never mind remembercolinlee how about rememberbalesmoney.

 

He didn't sell his MV Agusta 750s America did he?

 

No no bikes it was Cadillac Estate which fetched 580,000 dollars

 

Dont need to buy 7 first teamers imo

That was the mistake back then.

We need 2 new full backs and a defensive midfielder to be starters.

Some of the other positions can be filled by bringing through our younger players...something we have spectacularly failed to do in recent years.

It kind of make sense in my head...so maybe it ain't such a good idea

 

I'd give a number of non-essential body parts for his bike collection.

 

It is unbelievable and his car collection and he knows in detail all about every one.

 

I agree that not all signings need to be first teamers. Also agree two FBs are needed but I'd switch DM for CB whilst adding a GK as what we need to go straight into the XI. Initially I've said in the past that the keeper isn't as much of a priority but Hugo (and Gazza) haven't inspired confidence and I look at what Alisson's done at Pool and think we could try doing similar. Dier's given me hope a DM may not be a priority just yet, though that could change depending on how he (and Skipp) performs for the rest of the season, though I do also think a three of Gio, Tanguy and Gedson could work too if given the chance.

If I were to pick an ideal fully fit first XI for next season, it'd look something like:

Strakosha
Aarons, Dave, Koulibaly, Lewis
Tanguy, Dier/ Gedson, Gio
Bergwijn, Kane, Son

Koulibaly would be a game changer for us in my opinion but would be extremely tough to sign, even with Jose's pulling power, so more likely options would be Ake/ Godfrey/ <an other>.

 

So basically everytime there is an unexpected financial issue that requires the owners to put their hands into their pockets...they always allow our transfer kitty to take the hit instead thus giving zero ****s about the essentials on the pitch

Football men my arse

 

what do you call evidence?

 

Imagine if Everton rocked up wanting to buy one of our players and they offered Levy

X amount plus lots more if they win the league?

You’d have to book yourself into the cock clinic after youve laughed it off

 

Yet that's what Man Utd offered

And let's stop pretending that Man Utd's bid was £17m less than the release clause in his contract, eh?

 

Fernandes opens up on failed move
The player admitted after the transfer window closed that he agreed a deal to join Spurs.

But Tottenham did not have an agreement with Sporting over a fee for the player.

In an interview with GQ, Fernandes said: "As you all know, Tottenham made a lot of proposals for me. Everything was right with me - or practically should be.

"I never made any big demands, my manager was always dealing with the finances. It was, and is my goal to play in England, Sporting know that, everyone knows that, and there were conditions for things to be done.

"But Sporting understood that the value was not enough and I have to respect the decision."

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Filipe Dias, editor-in-chief of Portuguese publication O Jogo spoke to Sky Sports about the midfielder's future.

He said: "The story so far is that United this time are really closing in on Bruno Fernandes. There are talks between the two clubs and we figured that a deal might be close in the next few days, or hours even, because Sporting need money badly."

And Dias explained why Fernandes did not complete a move to Spurs in the summer.

He added: "The situation has changed since last summer. They didn't accept a deal with Tottenham for €70million but that would have been paid with €40million upfront and then another €30million.

"Now Sporting will accept €70million, but paid in instalments. United is a club that Bruno Fernandes really likes in England, it's a club that he really wants to play for."


What does Levy pay you mate?

 

You see the part where it says what Man Utd paid for Fernandes? The release clause in his contract was €85m, so you're confirming that they paid less than that - which I said to you two weeks ago but you happily ignored to keep a broken Narrative going

What are talkSPORT paying you?

 

United paid £46.5m plus add-ons for Fernandes but Varandas admitted they were nearly forced them to take a lower offer from Spurs.


“At the end of June, we had become aware that we were going to sell Bruno," he told Portuguese newspaper Record.

"We had already signed Camacho, Rosier and Vietto, and we wanted to bring in a striker and a midfielder who were practically closed.

The last four days of this market were the worst of my presidency, that’s when I realised that we didn’t sell Bruno Fernandes.

“Bruno’s sale was very conditioned by his return. If Sporting refused a bid of €35m, we would have to give his agent €5m. This clause was made public irresponsibly.


It was one of the things that seriously penalised us. And it was only in this window that Sporting took that weight off our shoulders, to go and negotiate."

He continued: “There are no non-negotiable players," Varandas added. "Bruno Fernandes is the proof. And it was an obligation. We wouldn’t be able to reach €115m without [selling] him.

"With the sale in January, for €63m practically certain, it was shown that we did well to resist and not to accept the proposal of Tottenham.”

We offered a stupid proposal on top the 40 mill. They wanted agent fees covered. United paid 46 plus whatever add ons.

smart Levy..he wasn’t going to pay them agent fees...I hope ENIC **** off soon the skimping penny pinching bastards

 

You keep saying that Man Utd paid less than the release clause yet are saying that we're cheap

Do you not understand how you're defeating your own argument?

 

yeah they paid 46.5 mill plus add ons. The 80 million Euros comes to £67.6 million Pounds

we offered 40 million plus another 30 million Euros conditional to a pathetic proposal

Don’t try to make out as though United offered ridiculous amounts to land him. We missed out because it’s got Levy’s pathetic take the piss mindset all over it.



Uniteds proposal for add ins : The first €15m of add-ons is for domestic and Champions League appearances, while the remaining €10m is for bonuses that will only be triggered if Fernandes achieves exceptional personal incentives.

United offered the add ons dependent on appearances. Levy offered them dependent on if we WIN the CL/PL

Ridiculous from the footballing man

Levy always does that ‘well I tried ****e’ and everyone buys it

 

The whole Bruno deal sounds like a high-stakes poker game that Sporting's president went all-in on, didn't blink and got away with it. That's probably what he meant by it being the worst 4 days of his entire presidency. We had them over a barrel as their gross spend by that point was over 4x what they'd normally spend - they urgently needed to move Bruno on. Levy being Levy hoped they'd blink and accept our lower than expected offer. They didn't blink. Just like Villa didn't when we did the same with Grealish.

In the latter's case, it looks as though they might be relegated so their gamble hasn't paid off. They will drop to the Championship laden with financial problems and FFP charges looming, and will probably need a clear out sale to steady the ship. Villa's best hope is that the likes of Grealish and Mings spark a bidding war.

Sporting didn't blink, and it paid off. Just. But only because come January you had the perfect storm of a mega-wealthy club in urgent need of attacking reinforcements, with a beleaguered manager who thought he was getting Haaland and a CEO whose house was literally under siege by irate fans. The tables were turned and suddenly United were as desperate to buy as Sporting were to sell. Any other combination of events, he'd still be a Sporting player and they'd be in the FFP **** come June.

 

And you’re fine with ENIC playing Russian Roulette with what is beneficial for us as a Football club?

When all is said and done...he farted around twice and stunk the place out...the other Chairmen left the room.

Why do you think it was a gamble to reject our bid for Grealish? What would they have done with the bag of Wotsits Levy was offering? They will still get more for him than Spurs offered even if he is in the Championship.

Sporting were desperate to sell when we went in for him...but not that desperate that they were prepared to be taken the piss out of

**** Levy and his Poker games...they are costing us on the pitch