26 Jun 2021 16:10:48
So our summer targets are becoming fairly clear.
Sancho looks like something would have to go catastrophically wrong for us not to sign him.
One of Varane or Pau Torres look like our choice at CB.
Trippier or Max Aarons are being looked at for RB.
With Rice as the first choice in midfield.

Showing that we are clearly looking at RW, CB, CDM and RB.

So to mix things up a little, and to see who are the talent spotters, who would you like to see as alternative targets for RW, CB, CDM and RB sign for the club?

For me a player who I think could be a great signing at CDM is Konrad Laimer from RB Leipzig. I think he is a really underrated player. One that in a few year people could look back on and feel that he was a low key fantastic signing. He reminds me a little of Carrick, in that he always makes himself available to his teammates, he keeps the ball moving and seemingly always makes the right choice of pass. He knows when to speed things up and when to take the sting out of the game. He's more energetic than Carrick who had a more languid style. But plays the same key role in making a team tick and improving those around them.

Another player who I think has a great future ahead of him is Pedro Neto. His technique is impeccable, and he has that same trait as Laimer of just always seemingly making the right decision. He can play across the front line or in midfield. Personally I think he'll stay at Wolves for another year or two before moving to City or Liverpool and becoming a huge star and everyone will say that we missed out on him. Great work rate, intelligent and fantastic technique.

At CB I kind of feel it's a position where we just need to sign the best player available and that is Varane. I do like Kounde, I think Botman will be a top player, and Fofana has been excellent at Leicester. Any of those three would be excellent signings, but I think they are 2-3 years away from hitting their peaks and we need someone now. Marquinhos for me would be a perfect signing, but we won't be signing him anytime soon.

At RB I actually don't think we need someone, if pushed I'd look at someone who plays a different more attacking style to AWB to give us a more offensive option. Personally I don't see why that can't be Dalot. A player who has caught my eye this season has been James Justin of Leicester. Their season fell apart when him and Maddison got injured, before that they were nailed on for top four.

So which alternative targets would you sign?

1.) 26 Jun 2021
26 Jun 2021 17:20:44
saul or kessie
dubois
varane and torres
mahrez/ sterling on right.

2.) 26 Jun 2021
26 Jun 2021 18:01:14
Dont think we will get a cdm or cm unless pogba goes

Sancho
Trippier
Varane

Would be a good start but we are still short in midfield.

3.) 26 Jun 2021
26 Jun 2021 19:31:04
Sancho
Varane
Rice
Trippier.

4.) 26 Jun 2021
26 Jun 2021 22:10:17
I don't know why people would sign trippier. I don't think he is good enough.

5.) 26 Jun 2021
26 Jun 2021 23:05:48
I don't either Mad Hatter. We paid 50 million for Bissaka for a reason. And he showed us that he clearly can play 50 match a year so I don't see why a right back is vital. Bissaka wants to play and being first choice and if Tripier comes he wants to be first choice too. If we want cover I don't think a high profile player is what we want. Instead of training Bissaka to reach next level he wilm go back.

6.) 26 Jun 2021
26 Jun 2021 23:37:13
Cash
Zakaria/ Bissouma
Varane
Neto (Sancho first choice)

7.) 27 Jun 2021
27 Jun 2021 03:29:54
That would be laimer who just happened to have a storming game today for Austria?

And neto, who you have banged on about all season?

And Varane, who would be a top choice of the club?

This is just a way to hide your MOTD fever post in a fancy dress Shappy, admit it!


Laimer looked fantastic btw, and definitely looked every bit of a player we should be looking at.

8.) 27 Jun 2021
27 Jun 2021 06:36:08
Raphina and Phillips from Leeds
Pau Torres
Dumfries as a more attacking alternative to AWB or just keep Dalot.

9.) 27 Jun 2021
27 Jun 2021 07:34:42
Fantasy Football it would be

RB Alexander Arnold
CB Rueban Dias
DM Kimmich
RW Gnabry

If we are looking at players we have been linked with

RB Aaron's
CB Kounde
DM Rice
RW Sancho

And if playing football manager

RB Aaron
Cb Gvardiol
DM Camavigna
RW Demir.

10.) 27 Jun 2021
27 Jun 2021 08:02:34
Dodgy, look at the time my original post was posted. 16.10, nearly 4 hours BEFORE the Italy Vs Austria game kicked off.

For this to be MOTD fever I would need to be a clairvoyant 🤣

In truth over the past few years I have watched a lot of RB Leipzig, I find the whole project interesting, and have become a bit of a fan of both the way they play and how they run the club/ clubs. Having an overall stylistic playing style between all of the club's in the Red Bull group mean they often move players and managers between clubs with great success.

I enjoy their pressing fast paced attacking style, and I'm a fan of the way they look to develop young players both those brought through their academies and those scouted and signed from other clubs.

I think they are an excellently run club and wish that United could be as well run.

As a result I have seen Konrad Laimer fairly closely. The only question mark over him for me is the same one I have for every player who has never played in the EPL, which is can they bring that form and ability and be as successful here as they are in their current league.

Neto I just see something in him that makes me sure he will be a top top player. For someone so young to nearly always make the right decision shows a higher level of football intelligence which for me will take him to the top.

While Varane is a no brainer, his is far and away the best CB that will be available this summer, with very few who won't be available better than him. If we have a shot then we have to do everything we can to sign him. I'd put him at a similar level to VvD, so you can see the kind of impact he could potentially have. Hopefully Maguire won't hold him back too much😂

When it comes to transfers often there are other smarter choices available, especially with our club that has a tendency to go for the big name "branded" player over other possibly smarter choices. However sometimes when a truly top player is there in a position of need and who's skillset suits your side, you don't have to try and be cute and find an alternative, you just sign the obvious best player.

11.) 27 Jun 2021
27 Jun 2021 08:26:46
For me Red bull represents a lot of what is ugly about football and I find little to admire about them.

{Ed077's Note - what does Red Bull represent in football exactly??

12.) 27 Jun 2021
27 Jun 2021 09:21:38
I suppose most fans who post on here would hate it if United were called Red Bull Manchester.
I also suppose, if we were winning trophies and/ or playing entertaining football as well, most of those fans would get used to it.
What's in a name I guess?
I'm not a fan of it my self but that's the nature of sport these days. It's an extension of the branding, marketing and commerce which pay for the top player's contracts. If the money it generates is used intelligently with a long term focus on success and infrastructure, then surely that's a good thing.

Imagine if Old Trafford was renamed or branded, the revenue that could generate, if used correctly, should secure success, on and off the pitch for decades. Would that actually be a bad thing? Would it tarnish United's heritage and image?
I can see both sides of the argument and the bottom line for me is that I have little faith in the current owners, other than their ability in milking the club for every dollar they can.

13.) 27 Jun 2021
27 Jun 2021 10:27:42
Hey Ed 77,
For me they represent a formula of success by trampling over club membership rules that most clubs in Germany take seriously because it gives the fans a voice. This doesn't happen with Red bull and also there is a fear that if they are very successful then it will become more popular and drinks companies and whatever will be sticking there names to football clubs. I know many in Germany wish them failure.

{Ed077's Note - you do realise that Red Bull arent the first exceptions to the ownership rules in Germany right? And their model has been quite successful too. Would you rather Glazers continue to own MUFC and run the club as it is being run or would you Red Bull or any other big company own and run MUFC in a more competent manner and become more successful as such??}

14.) 27 Jun 2021
27 Jun 2021 11:12:26
Nail on the head there Ed. I'd love to see some competent decisions being made at United. What a difference that would make.

15.) 27 Jun 2021
27 Jun 2021 12:37:31
Shappy

🤦‍♂️ fair point mate. I live in Toronto now, so the timezone shift confused me 🤦‍♂️

Maybe you are clairvoyant, because he had a storming game for someone coming back from injury.

16.) 27 Jun 2021
27 Jun 2021 12:52:16
I'd be delighted with these alternatives:
CB- Kounde
DM- Koopmeiners
RB- None
RW- Raphinha.

17.) 27 Jun 2021
27 Jun 2021 13:28:15
Remi, I might be a little more accepting of the commercialism of football. While no club's fans would be happy to see their team bought by a corporation and renamed, the reality is as a club we already sell everything bar our name. We play in shirts were a sponsors logo is larger and more obvious than the club name, we have removed "football club" from the badge. We have sponsors for the sleeves, sponsors for the training kit, sponsors for the training ground, numerous "partners" for wine, for stationary, for cars, for watches etc etc.

The only things we haven't sold are the stadium name and the club name. But I wouldn't rule either being sold at some point.

I'm not happy with it, but accept it's going to happen and there is little to be done to stop it.

As the Ed has said they aren't the first club to be owned by a corporation. Bayer Leverkusen are owned by Bayer pharmaceuticals. Wolfsburg are owned by Volkswagen, while closer to home Leicester city are owned by the King Power international group, and have named the stadium after the company. Then you have Newcastle owned by Mike Ashley, but renamed the stadium after one of his companies.

That said I can appreciate how the Red Bull clubs have been run. They have elevated their clubs to the top of their respective leagues not by buying up the big name stars, but by great scouting and coaching. Making the most of the players they have. They have implemented a style of play across multiple clubs, and it is a style that is great to watch. They give youth a chance and work hard to help those young players develop.

What is there to dislike about a football club that is playing good entertaining football, while developing top class players and coaches who go on to entertain fans at other clubs when they move on.

The reality for us is that there are very few individuals who could afford to buy our club. Which means any sale will either be by a corporation or by floating the club on the stock market and having multiple different owners. Which can lead to all sorts of difficulties in terms of running the club. Purchases like Jadon Sancho for example would need to be approved by the shareholders, dragging out and making transfers difficult to complete. While when you have 6 or 7 major shareholders the idea that all of them what the same thing or feel the same way about how to move the club forward is remote at best.

If given the choice of being run by our current owners for the next 20 years as we have been for the last 15 years, or being bought by Red Bull and renamed RB Manchester United then being run like a proper football club, with clear vision, and planning, a style of play, coaching and progression of our youth players and getting to watch great football every week. Which would you really choose?

18.) 27 Jun 2021
27 Jun 2021 14:35:41
The blatant naming of the club after there product and the refusal to allow the fans a voice doesn't sit well with me. But in general I don't like how big and powerful football has become. It's like it's now the most important thing in the world.

19.) 27 Jun 2021
27 Jun 2021 15:34:14
Alternatives…

RW - no point, Sancho is nailed on, but Rafinha
CB - Fofana
DM - Palhinha
RB - Dubois.

20.) 27 Jun 2021
27 Jun 2021 16:50:39
The most important alternative that should be considered and eventually implemented is the coach/ manager's position.

21.) 27 Jun 2021
27 Jun 2021 21:54:02
Don't worry Dodgy, timezones have caught me out once or twice😂

He's a great player and I think would be a shrewd signing instead of 80-100m on Rice.