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Tag: Maguire

  • Is Manchester United The Loser Of Summer 2019?

    The summer 2019 transfer window is now closed in England. Though in many other European countries the older timeline of letting it run until the end of August or beginning of September is still on. The decision to close the window before week 1 matches is a very sensible idea. The coaches and mangers know what they have on hand before the season is on and any disruptions, even if only for the first two or three match days, is gone.

    The multi-billion dollar television deals that have enriched English team to the point of bizarre and expensive transfers and wages continues unabated. So called smaller teams like Watford and Leicester outspend most European teams and attract players easily. Manchester United have of course always been one of the biggest teams and under the ownership of the Glazers have never stopped spending. Notwithstanding the lack of recent – post Alex Ferguson era – success the team keeps drawing from the debts, financing and riches of the American ownership and TV deals to add and spend.

    Hiring Jose Mourinho was a mistake and titles have eluded the team, the Portuguese’s firing and eventual replacement with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was a success at first but United faded and finished 2018-2019 in sixth place. The new coach was given a permanent job during his early and brief success and was set to embark on a rebuild. Now that summer 2019 window is nearing an end it is arguable that the first phase of (any) rebuild has been mishandled or at best wasted. Fans rightly criticize the Americans and vice chairman Ed Woodward and the player movement this summer shows why. The team does not have a director of football but that in itself is not very unusual but this summer’s transfer have left the team bare up front.

    The team did sign young winger Daniel James, the very good Aaron Wan-Bissaka (right back from Crystal Palace) and of course the expensive and excellent defender in Harry Maguire – for €87 million. However, after a protracted saga Romelu Lukaku was sold to Inter on deadline day for an initial €65. A look at the screenshot above (thanks transfermarkt.com) shows that virtually all of the team’s choices up front are either aging, ineffective or have long been off form. United do have the means and needed to replace Lukaku, the team was long aware he wanted to leave. He was even reportedly training separately in the past few days.

    Time will tell if United have done enough to leap above Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea. At least two of the teams immediately above them last season have strengthened more significantly.

  • Transfer Rater: Kean, Malcom, Maguire, Koscielny

    The summer transfer windows keeps rolling with surprises, big money and bitter departures too.

    First up is Harry Maguire becoming the most expensive defender in world football. The 26 year old English player has signed for Manchester United from Leicester City for over €87 million. United have been in the midst of a slow rebuild with Solskjaer starting his first full season as permanent coach. The defender had been rumoured for weeks and even months and has now made the big move. His leadership and reputation has increased over the past two or three years and he now gets the big task of being the player that cost more than the previous most expensive defender, Liverpool’s Champions League winning defender Virgil van Dijk.

    Malcom has left Barcelona after only one season. Last summer the Brazilian winger was steps away from Roma but opted to join Barcelona instead. He was so close to the Italian capital that Roma even threatened to take the Spanish team to court. His expensive move didn’t lead to much playing time and he was often behind Ousmane Dembele and Coutinho in the pecking order. He played in only 15 league games and the 22 year old is now off to Zenit and Russia for a fee similar to what Barcelona paid to Bordeaux last summer. The reported fee was and is €40 million.

    Moise Kean is a somewhat surprising departure from Juventus. The 19 year old forward has the talent to be a very good goalscorer and some of the attitude to go with it too. That attitude may not sit well at Juventus but letting him go for less than €30 million was not expected. Everton can benefit from such a forward as they need goal scorers desperately. Juventus on the other hand are left with Higuain, Mandzukic and Ronaldo up front and with rumours of Dybala’s departure the old lady is old! However the transfer window is still open.

    Laurent Koscielny was Arsenal’s captain and spent nine seasons in North London. For some reason this season he refused to train and demanded an exit. The 33 year old defender had one season left on his contract and was not going to command a big transfer fee. Bordeaux did step in and offer €5 million for him and that made the decision relatively easy for Arsenal. In somewhat of a bizarre move he was shown on Bordeaux social media removing Arsenal’s jersey to reveal the French team’s one under it. Disrespectful or just fun it is not exactly the best of partings between the Frenchman and the Gunners.