20 Jul 2016 20:11:17
L'Equipe - Pogba deal done.


1.) 20 Jul 2016
20 Jul 2016 21:19:40
I know it has been said before but to spend that sort of money on a player he would need to be able to change games single handedly and to date I haven't seen enough evidence of that with Pogba. Just hope he fulfills his potential.


2.) 20 Jul 2016
20 Jul 2016 21:35:12
To be honest if this is the guy our manager said he needs at any cost then we have to trust him. I don't think he is worth that much but if we challenge for the title this season and it attracts other big names so be it. Come on United let's get back to the glory days.


3.) 20 Jul 2016
20 Jul 2016 21:39:56
Some players win you games in a minute some win you a league over the course course of a season he is in the latter group.


4.) 20 Jul 2016
20 Jul 2016 21:51:29
I know statistics can be manipulated to show anything, but there was an interesting piece in the Manchester Evening News which basically said that as a proportion of turnover the suggested Pogba purchase ranks only 3rd on the list of our purchases. Veron was the most cash intensive, followed by Rio and then pogba.

I personally think that buying both sanches and kante would have given us a better more balanced midfield and would have cost less. But ultimately it is Jose team and he will either succeed or fail based on his decisions. The glazers have obviously set a budget and old Jose is spending how he sees fit. At least the glazers and mr Woodward are giving him the best opportunity to deliver his objectives.

If the £200m war chest is to be believed there is still &35-40m left before sales of existing players to facilitate buying a new RB or CB.

If we add either or even both we really should be challenging next season. I don't expect it to be a guaranteed first place finish. I think pep has will add quality to an already good squad. Chelsea seem to be adding quality. It should be an exciting season.

Add to that the fact that the club name has been an ever present in all media for the last month with all the transfer activity we will probably sign more lucrative sponsorship deals given the exposure the name man Utd brings that will make the pogba purchase look even cheaper as a percentage of turnover.


5.) 20 Jul 2016
20 Jul 2016 21:51:29
I know statistics can be manipulated to show anything, but there was an interesting piece in the Manchester Evening News which basically said that as a proportion of turnover the suggested Pogba purchase ranks only 3rd on the list of our purchases. Veron was the most cash intensive, followed by Rio and then pogba.

I personally think that buying both sanches and kante would have given us a better more balanced midfield and would have cost less. But ultimately it is Jose team and he will either succeed or fail based on his decisions. The glazers have obviously set a budget and old Jose is spending how he sees fit. At least the glazers and mr Woodward are giving him the best opportunity to deliver his objectives.

If the £200m war chest is to be believed there is still &35-40m left before sales of existing players to facilitate buying a new RB or CB.

If we add either or even both we really should be challenging next season. I don't expect it to be a guaranteed first place finish. I think pep has will add quality to an already good squad. Chelsea seem to be adding quality. It should be an exciting season.

Add to that the fact that the club name has been an ever present in all media for the last month with all the transfer activity we will probably sign more lucrative sponsorship deals given the exposure the name man Utd brings that will make the pogba purchase look even cheaper as a percentage of turnover.


6.) 20 Jul 2016
20 Jul 2016 22:28:50
But now multiple media outlets from Italy saying Madrid back in and will match Uniteds offer.


7.) 20 Jul 2016
20 Jul 2016 22:51:07
Di Marzio reporting Madrid came asking Pogba but he said he's already agreed with United. I expect a move by Madrid to save face must be a sad day for them not being able to financially bully every club anymore.


8.) 20 Jul 2016
20 Jul 2016 22:50:26
Burnley, if LVG had said, I need 100m for Pogba - would you have trusted his judgement?

Regardless of the quality of the manager, and Jose IS quality, despite my personal views about him, 100m is still a ridiculous amount of money to be risking on a good player, albeit one with a tremendous amount of potential. He could just as easily end up with a career-ending injury in pre-season.

Personally, if I'm spending 100m, I spend it on two or three top players, or I buy Bale, or a Ronaldo from a few years ago. Not a promising talent, surrounded by a ridiculous amount of hype.

{Ed041's Note - but lvg had two seasons and a lot of money to prove to the fans he was making the right decisions and taking the club on. He didn't do that.
Jose has come in and said what and who he wants and again the club have got them if possible. Comparing the two is irrelevant I think.


9.) 20 Jul 2016
20 Jul 2016 23:19:27
Ed, sorry, my point was meant to be more, how you rate the manager seems to determine whether or not you'll trust him with 100m. And it shouldn't. If LVG had wanted him at the start of his reign, would many on here have trusted him with it? The answer for me, is still no. To be honest, I wouldn't have trusted him with £100, but that's another discussion :) If he'd wanted to buy a proven star like Bale, then it might have been a different answer. Not if he was wanting to spend it on Pogba. A player I like, and would be a good purchase.

I'm probably being old-fashioned, but I expect a bit more for 100m+ than a good player with potential. There are any number of players in that category, who would offer much more value for money. He wasn't even the best midfielder for France.

And for all those who keep wittering on about how, 'it's not your money, get your head out of the sand, lads. It all has a trickle down effect in the end. And I always like a good laugh at Man Utd fans justifying it to themselves so easily, after spending the last lot of years denigrating Chelsea and City for spending silly money.

Yep. I'm an old goat :)

{Ed041's Note - so you would be happy to spend money and see how he does this season then back him next?

I keep reading people expect more for 100m well who? 2 Sterling's or Stones? 3 Andy Carrols? 1 and a half Lukaku's....? The going rate on players will always increase.


10.) 20 Jul 2016
20 Jul 2016 23:27:49
Noucamp it's not my money it doesn't matter what I think. I am sure Man Utd can afford it with all these sponsorship deals around. I said I don't personally think he is worth it but I trust the manager and the club and you have to agree this transfer window has been handled a lot differently this year and I think we need to get behind the team and manager from right at the start.

I don't tHinksey it matters what I would have thought if LVG was buying because to be fair he spent a lot of money and won the fa cup in 2 seasons. Let's hope this year we can really have a go, I for one cannot wait for the season to start.


11.) 21 Jul 2016
21 Jul 2016 01:31:45
I'm sure he will be insured Noucamp, don't worry to much about a career ending injury.


12.) 21 Jul 2016
21 Jul 2016 03:14:57
Bale wasn't a proven star when he cost Real Madrid all that money. He'd had a couple of good seasons at Spurs and scored a few goals. Not won the league or an FA cup.
He could quite easily have been another Michael Owen for them. He did have potential and has fulfilled some of that potential. But don't make out like Bale was a guaranteed success.


13.) 21 Jul 2016
21 Jul 2016 06:42:11
Bale was a game changer back then as well - that's what you pay the big money for. Players who can hurt you with their skill and pace. Most people who've watched him knew he was destined for the top even before then. I'd say he's fulfilled plenty of his potential.

How often have you seen Pogba change a game?


14.) 21 Jul 2016
21 Jul 2016 06:50:32
We are 18 months away from possibly seeing a 150 mill player on the market in my opinion. so transfer fees are just daft -
If United get Pogba then there is your benchmark for a Bale or a Neymar . the Pogba fee + 30 million - football is just money daft.

Hammers linked with James Rodriguez at 50 mill, Everton wanting 50+ for Lukaku . Stones / Bomucci the same . Watford wanting 35 + for Ingallo . Place offering 30 mill for Benteke .35 mill for sissoko, . its not stopping anytime soon its just going up and up because of the money in the game.

Just reading a running back at Colarado rapids american football team signed a new deal . must guarantee him a minimum of 70 million dollars per year although the contact is for 104 mil dollars a year incl bonuses. and he is not the highest paid player! . who is to say what will be the norm here in next 5 years? When there is now billions in football why wouldn't clubs ask 45 million for a palyer we all know is worth 20 mill . its a game within a game now and fans can only look on at this new monolopy money world its become.


15.) 21 Jul 2016
21 Jul 2016 00:27:57
Sorry, Ed, I don't know where you got that from. I've every faith that Jose is a top manager, and his track record means he doesn't have to take a year to prove himself to me. My point is because some on here rate Jose, they're happy to back his judgement, whereas the same people didn't rate LVG, and if he'd said he needed to spend £100m for the right player, they wouldn't have let him near the money. Even though LVG had a decent CV as well.

My argument is that it shouldn't depend on the manager at all. I couldn't care less who the manager is in this case - I still think 100m is too high for what we're looking at.

I hate estimating values of players, but for discussion's sake and off the top of my head, we could have had two or three out of a combination of any of the following - Kanté, Varane, Stones, Kroos, Matuidi, Draxler, Alli, Mahrez etc.

{Ed041's Note - I do get what your saying mate. 100m is a lot, but if mourinho feels that is the player he needs to get us challenging again so be it.
Good post by the way.


16.) 21 Jul 2016
21 Jul 2016 10:25:18
I think we need to forget about figures. value for money is not something we (those not working in Uniteds commercial department) can understand with the way the club can market a player in seemingly infinite ways these days. The Glazers definitely won't be spending £100m for fun as they're clearly not that type of owner, so they must feel the price tag to be worth it United is one of the most recognisable and prestigious brands in the world. This price tag for most (if not all) other clubs wouldn't be worth it because they can't get the market exposure etc out of the player that we can and they don't have the operational income that we have.


17.) 21 Jul 2016
21 Jul 2016 10:43:12
The difference between ourselves and city/ chelsea/ psg is that this is the clubs own money that's being spent and not some oil billionaires.

Would city have been able to sign aguero an yaya just using their own money?

Id rather see uniteds money spent than disappearing into the glazers back pockets or to a bank on interest on debt.

100 million is excessive but the same was said about Trevor Francis, shearer and Ronaldo.


18.) 21 Jul 2016
21 Jul 2016 12:51:20
Mort, I don't mind spending the money. In fact, I don't think we've done it quite enough over the years, when needed. And I don't mind spending £100 million of the club's money either, on a proven world star (it does stick in the craw a little, to be fair) .

I do mind spending such a sum on this particular player, that's all.


19.) 21 Jul 2016
21 Jul 2016 13:54:07
If the transfer does go through I can't wait to see the even more anti United articles in the Spanish press. Marca will be even more of a comic book than usual :)