18 Aug 2014 20:13:23
So apparently RM are imminently expecting a bid for Di Maria from MU. But Ballache has said that we are unwilling to meet the 65 million Euro fee that RM are demanding and also don't want to pay his wages of 8 million Euros per year. If this is true then I just don't get why we don't end up going for bottom end players and accept mediocrity. We have to start paying the going rate sooner rather than later. Di Maria would be a fantastic number 7 and a world class edition to the team who would give us a great deal of tactical flexibility. If we cock this up whilst seemingly having very little competition then it truly is a disaster.

1.) 18 Aug 2014
That's the difference between City, Chelsea, Bayern, and the 2 Spanish clubs and us. They're willing to pay the premium for certain players and we are always looking to get a deal. Bottom line!

2.) 18 Aug 2014
Paying £52m for Di Maria is nearly akin to paying £35m for Carrol and worse than paying £27m for Fellaini. Has it really gotten that bad that we need to pay £20m more than a player is worth when there are plenty of other reasonably priced alternatives around?

3.) 18 Aug 2014
18 Aug 2014 21:20:52
Bloody hell fresh stop believing every word that comes from journalists mate, it will drive u crazy lol :-)

4.) 18 Aug 2014
18 Aug 2014 21:29:57
Why pay well over the top though for players? I get your point we obviously need to spend but the figures being quoted for di Maria are ridiculous

5.) 18 Aug 2014
18 Aug 2014 21:30:11
Hes not worth 65 million, which is why noones bidding.

6.) 18 Aug 2014
A journalist has said that MU were close to making a big signing this summer, but balked over just £2m. This is what I expect will happen more than once this summer.

7.) 18 Aug 2014
I'd rather spend £52m on Di Maria than let the Glazers use it to pay down the debt. The money is irrelevant here, bottom line is do we want Di Maria or not? Simple answer really.

8.) 18 Aug 2014
18 Aug 2014 21:44:55
We may aswell bid for CR7
if they are demanding that
amount . The club and team
would be boosted enormously
if we were sucessful

9.) 18 Aug 2014
I think this deal will get done but not at the numbers that is being quoted and it will be less and closer to the David luis deal imo.

I think Vidal will still happen and that is the end of great window for us.

I can see us then doing a late deal for an older cb, ala blanc type of deal just to add experience and some cover there.

10.) 18 Aug 2014
Di Maria is a world class player. That is the going rate. Look at the deals happening around Redseven - James for over £70 million after one good tournament. Prices are incredible and the top teams are paying them - we should be too as we are as big if not bigger than all of these.

11.) 18 Aug 2014
A player is worth what a team is willing to pay for him, I thought he was just as important to Madrid success as Ronaldo and Bale were.

How much did Madrid pay for Bale last yr? I think nearly everybody thought they were crazy to pay that much. How did that work out. How much did Madrid pay for James? He was average last yr but had a great WC. A player is worth what a team is willing to pay for him. I think Di Maria is a fantastic player and would love to have him.

12.) 18 Aug 2014
Redseven can you name the reasonably priced players we can get and actually want to come.di maria is rapid and apparently wants to come who cares how much he costs unless your paying.

13.) 19 Aug 2014
19 Aug 2014 00:22:55
Just my opinion, but I think Di Maria is in a group of players just below Ronny and Messi. He'll cost a few bob. We either pay it or we don't, depending on whether Van Gaal rates him.

14.) 19 Aug 2014
Nelly - I commented earlier in response to a similar question.

'Costa for £32m, Moreno for £12m, Fabregas for £27m, Kroos for £20m, Griezman for £24m, Rakitic, Filipe Luiz and Immobile for £15m, Ter Stegen for £10m, Bernat and Ginter for £8m, Lewandowski, Sebastian Rode, Ashley Cole, Alex, Diego Lopez and Vidic for nothing.'

All of those players have been signed by other teams during this window and all of them (bar Ter Stegen - who will one day be one of the best keepers in the world) would have improved our starting 11 at the start of the window.

Assuming a deal for Rojo goes through at £16m and we were to sign Di Maria for £52m - that would mean we'd spent £124m on Shaw, Rojo, Di Maria and Herrera.

Kroos, Rakitic, Griezman, Fabregas, Moreno, Lewandowski, Moreno, Alex, Bernat, Ginter and Ter Stegan cost their new clubs a total of £124m.

I'm not suggesting that we could have signed all of those players (although I imagine had we really pushed we could have signed most) - but it's demonstrative that there's value in the market if you look for it.

For what we'd spend on our four signings it's possible to assemble a team of 11 that would finish in the top 4 of any league in the world at the very least. Throw in our spends on Mata and Fellaini and we'dve spent £188m and still have an unbalanced team which is weak in midfield and at the back and can't fit all 4 of our best players in without playing one of them out of position (this would be Mata, Rooney, RVP and Di Maria).

I agree that we need to be willing to spend money - but throwing money at a player like Di Maria simply because we can't sign our top targets just doesn't make sense. I'd honestly rather we spent £52m on Hummels - as at least then we'd be addressing one of the areas that actually needs addressing.

15.) 19 Aug 2014
19 Aug 2014 00:37:51
Sydney, do you reckon it was Sanchez?

16.) 19 Aug 2014
Maybe Cesc? Kroos? I really have no idea.

17.) 19 Aug 2014
19 Aug 2014 09:22:32
I'm with Redseven here, Rodriguez is 23 and is very promising. He will, in my opinion be a much better player than Di Maria is at 26.

He isn't worth 65m euros, sure we're not paying it. but it'll only be a while where all of you will be complaining that we can't get deals done and aren't spending money - because if we pay the 65m for Di Maria, tomorrow they'll ask us 40m for Rojo (just an example).

I agree once you're desperate you tend to pay over the odds, but there is no reason to panic buy. LvG knows this and all of you are doing exactly that, panicking. There has only been one game, 10 players injured, a new formation and a new manager. Off the back of an impressive undefeated pre-season. Chill out lol

Ed002 has told us where interest lies, and Woodward is trying. I share your frustration but prematurely panicking about his inability to conclude a deal won't help, you guys did it last year and then praised him when he got Shaw and Herrera in. Still under 2 weeks to go. Its clear to everyone at United that players are needed.

All said, we may still end up paying 65m for Di Maria! lol

18.) 19 Aug 2014
Ay3 - I can see us paying £52m for Di Maria if we can't sort a deal for Vidal or another 'marquee' signing. The pressure is on Ed Woodward to deliver (and rightly so given some of his comments) and as the end of the window draws nearer I can see him getting desperate.