Manchester United Thread 25/26 - Teamtalk/Transfers/Gossip Mod Note in OP 26.09.24

Mainoo left his desire to go on loan comically late in the window.

If he announced in late July something mighta been worked out.

For Bruno we need at look at Liverpool with Coutinho, best player but when he moved on Salah was unstoppable for the rest of the season, goals per game went up and reached CL final, then used proceeds to sign Alisson in the following summer.

At a certain point may still be perceived as the best player but their overall value to the team is diminished. And his performances on the pitch have significantly deteriorated also. Should be so long and thanks for your service next summer

Is there too much made of Mainoo?

He's a good player with real potential no doubt, but hardly world class looking either. For me, he lacks intensity and fitness for the two man midfield, and his tracking back leads a lot to be desired for that position. He's certainly much better going forward, but he's not a control the middle/guardian of the defence type midfielder, on evidence seen so far at least. He reminds me a lot like Bruno, and maybe that's the problem for Amorim, why play someone like Bruno when you can play Bruno. Neither are pulling up any trees at the minute, so go with the one you know is the better player, and right now that's Bruno.

But Mainoo isn't going to get better if he's not getting games too. I would argue too he's more a player than plays in front of a holding midfielder than being a central midfielder outright, so there's an argument he's being played out of position when he does play, which isn't going to help him get games wither as he doesn't shine when he does play. He seems more of a player more suited to 3 in the middle than one dropping deep, and in the current setup there's more proven options, so he's not getting the games.

In al honesty, if Amorim turns the ship around and ends up sticking around as manager, Mainoo's career will probably be outside Old Trafford. As a young player, you wouldn't blame him from going, or wanting to, if he knows he's not going to be getting games.

But I don't think he's the type of player that'll drive the club forward at the same time. Maybe I'm wrong and he turns out to be top quality, but I'm not seeing at the minute. Put it this way, if he's not going to be a regular, and we sold Mainoo for 50m and used it towards getting Baleba for 90m, I'd take it right now.

Honestly, I don't see him being the player his earlier appearances promised him to be, and I certainly can't see Mainoo doing anything for us under Amorim's system where he's either looks surplus to requirements or not at the races.

A move away might be his best option if he wants to play regularly.

The big problem I would see with shipping off another young player is that it send out the message to other youngsters that United won't develop you properly or give you a proper chance. That would hardly entice younger players to choose United, especially if he starting ripping it up away from United.

Hard to know what to make of it.

If Mainoo could have the same work rate as Bruno he probably would get a lot more playing time.

From reports Bruno could be gone in the summer but unless Mainoo can physically mature he will still struggle for game time even then.

He will be an easy sell. Even at his age one of our few players that will command a huge fee.

I see SJR wants Amorim in charge for the next 3 years. God help us.

I think the fee wont be as dramatic as it might have been this year. By next summer he will have just 12 months left on his contract. He will be about to turn 32. The highest fee the Saudis have ever paid for a player was 90 million Euro for Neymar, which was about 75m GBP when Neymar had 2 years left on his deal.

I would think Bruno would go for less than 75m. Maybe significantly less. Given his record at the club, if he isn't motivated by Saudi money and wants a return to Portugal (for example) instead, the club wont be in a good position to be seen to force him into a move he doesn't want. And if he isn't sold next summer, the only choice is to extend his deal for another 3-4 years (nope) or let him leave for free in 2027 (also nope).

Don't get me wrong - he will raise a good fee, but talk of huge 9 figure deals is unbelievable.

Feel its a year too late for getting big money for him

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-15175531/Manchester-United-Turki-Al-Sheikh-new-investor-Saudi.html

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Or maybe its because United are box office, and garner that much attention?

Or because United are the biggest supported club in the world by a mile, and who's image and international fanbase help build the Premier League into what it is, and consequently drove Sky's power as a TV provider?

Or perhaps it's to do with what can only be described as one of the worst managerial appointments in the clubs history and the fascination around it as the world's biggest club falls down repeatedly under said manager?

Or all of the above.

There's a worse scenario, and that is they never mention United at all, either because we've become an irrelevance to the league, or we're relegated from it.

I would say there is zero chance we are on the verge of being sold - waaayyyyy too complicated for it to just appear like that.

The glazers CAN solicit new interest, as of August, but to force Ineos to sell their shares the new investor has to agree to buy ALL the shares (A and B) for $35 - and even then INEOS would have to reject the opportunity to match that offer and buy the shares themselves.

What I could see happen, and I still don't think we'd be on the verge of it with little scuttle about it before hand, is someone coming in to purchase a large stake in the club, to come in as a partner to INEOS, with the main part of their money being used to (1) pay out the glazers to some level and (2) fund the stadium to some level. I think any additional investment at this point is going to be stadium related and not a change away from INEOS in general.

Didn't he play as the 6 for England when they got to the finals of Euro 2024? Now that would never work with the current midfield options but if they pull off the signings of Baleba and Anderson I can see Mainoo playing as the deeper midfielder of the two. It's already been reported that they see Baleba as a replacement for Bruno.

Yup when you see that they supposedly want to bring in both Baleba and Anderson they're targeting athletic midfielders that can play ball. Mainoo will have his work cut out to force his way into the starting XI if both are brought in or even one of them and someone else of a similar profile.

I have no doubt aht SJR doesn't want to sack him.

Clearly everyone would like Amorim to work out - that is only a good thing.

I have no doubt he will sack him if it is decided he isn't working out.

Even the talk of 3 years (2.7?) is silly cause I think there is very little chance we go into next season with him going into the last 9 months of his contract. So at the end of this season (At the latest, imo) we will have to decide to sack him, or give him a new contract - and imo he will have to earn that new contract by showing significant and sustained improvement over the coming season. What we are seeing right now in terms of results won't keep him in his job - its all well and good the club feeling the underlyings are improved or work at the club is going well - we need to see that translate to points. and i reckon that is the view at the club; they see reasons for failings or understand the failings, but the mitigation will only last so long or excuse so much.