With the football season transcending into ‘Silly Season’, rumours and stories have been rife around all the big clubs and United is getting it’s fair share of media attention with regards to the transfer market. Many are just re-generated stories to fill slow news days for tabloids, which ultimately fuel the minds of many United fans. ‘Oh look, such and such have had medicals and he was seen around Manchester yesterday!’
Personally, I’ve never really been one to get engrossed with all the rumours and take them with a pinch of salt. That said, I will obviously have opinions on every one suggested. Since the defeat at Wembley to Barcelona in the Champions League final, several names have been linked with United while one has already been secured. However, I’ve been a little confused with regards the apparent approach from the club.
With Phil Jones signed from Blackburn, we’ve got cover for any injuries/suspensions to the back four. A surprise signing although he was being courted by Arsenal and Liverpool so perhaps it was a case of Fergie’s hand being forced before it was too late. Fair enough, get him signed and add to the ranks. We know that David de Gea is on the verge of completing a move to United to fill the void left by Edwin Van Der Sar. Nothing has been confirmed by de Gea or United so in all honestly, we should be treating him as a target still.
However, those two aside, the transfers stories which are making the biggest noise are all appearing to be wingers. For me, the last place I thought Ferguson would be looking to bolster. Despite his goal tally last season, I expected Berbatov to pack it in and move off but credit where credits due, and he’s seemingly going to stick with it. So up front, we have Rooney, Hernandez and Berbatov – very capable strikers – while the likes of Michael Owen (He’s scored a few goals in his career), Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda are behind them. No additions to the front men this summer then I reckon.
Midfield has me baffled. Why are we chasing wingers? Ashley Young and Alexis Sánchez are two names which I keep seeing. Up until Monday last, Ashley Young was set to become a United player after agreeing a fee and personal terms. However, either they lost the documents on Tuesday or they got bored of Young, but the tabloids now have Sanchez as United’s top target this summer. Barcelona are also in for the Udinese winger. Is this a case of signing good players so other clubs don’t get them, or are we trying to have as many options as possible for the width in the club?
Nani, Valencia, Park, Giggs, Rafael, Fabio and Obertan are capable of playing on the flanks and I really wouldn’t have much of an issue if United were to attack the 2011/2012 season with those men tagged as potential wingers – Not to forget the up and coming Ravel Morrison who is yet to get a look in and one would hope he’ll get his chance.
You’d think we were pretty solid around the rest of the field, but in the middle we’re simply on a shoestring with the current squad, and it could get even tighter if some potential departures from United end up being true. Prior Paul Scholes’ retirement, I was pretty sure, and so were the majority of fans, that the team needed a new midfielder to be brought in alongside the (then) squad. Scholes’ retirement surely means that, if logic is applied, that we need two new midfielders brought into the set up.Then news reports that Darron Gibson could be sold to Sunderland and Steve Bruce for a fee of £5m approx. So do we need three new names to bolster the midfield now?
Look at the names left to fill out a traditional United, 4-4-2 formation. Carrick, Fletcher and Anderson – Park and Giggs also options. That is simply not a midfield of Champions, not due to lacking quality, but depth! Recently, I went through the importance of squad depth and we won’t be in such a strong position if additions are not made.
Of course, several names have been linked with United while, just like the wingers, deals were apparently hours away. Samir Nasri, Wesley Sneijder, Luka Modric, Jack Rodwell, Charlie Adam (Why on earth, I don’t know) and even Mesut Ozil have all had their names linked with United since the 2010/2011 seasons ended. It’s good to see some of those names linked but how many are complete rubbish? Odds are 90% of them.
Just before I continue, I’m not saying these names will sign for United, these are not rumours to be developed further, merely my own preferences. Wesley Sneijder is the biggest candidate to join United I think and I think he’d do well for us, but I don’t like his ‘Me, me, me’ attitude on the field, similarly to Arjen Robben. Rodwell would be the next player I could see Ferguson going for, because of his youth and already bright future, (plus, he’s English). The Nasri deal was apparently a done deal according to some news sites, but I’m not convinced about him. Wonderful little player, with bags of class, but I literally can’t stand him! Obviously not a good enough reason to avoid signing a player, but it’s still within my mind.
Of course, the Transfer Window hasn’t even been opened yet, so there’s still plenty of time. But I’d much rather see the club do the necessary deals before the USA Tour, and have everyone fresh after a well organised pre-season. It’s something which seriously affects a players influence on a team in a given season, especially the first half. At this moment in time, I’d be worried if United didn’t make two new signings for the middle of the field.
I’m not going to do articles on every little transfer rumour because I really find it quite silly to report on what are more than likely made-up stories. StretfordEnders isn’t a site like that.
Love to know what you think of the transfer stories so far and who would you like United to sign if you had the choice to chose one – Within reason of course. We’re not signing Messi.
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