Either way, we won’t be including Origi in any sort of deal for anyone.
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That very rarely happens anyway.
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Origi is out of contract this summer.
You said West Ham are one striker away from winning the league and you want to give them Origi? Give us a chance!
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Rice is a solid player - not as good as many claim he is in my opinion - but solid. The problem with looking at home would be that he is very much a DM and for my money is not as good as Fabinho.
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That’s what I see. This wont be a popular opinion, but I only see him as a marginal gain over McTominay or Fred so I’ve never understood the idea that he was worth 100 million to Utd or was the player who would fix their issues. They’d be far better going for someone like Fabian Ruiz to sit alongside one of the McFreds
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Rice is clearly better than just solid , there’s no doubt about that for me. We can separate that from how much he’ll cost and not agree with the price, whatever. Also how he will do for a top side. I think he will be able to. I just don’t see the need of us buying him for top money while Fabinho is in his peak here. Fabinho will be 29, sure, but that’s not 32 either. Also, Ruiz is more of a #8. Napoli bought him initially as someone who’d replace Jorginho as a deep lying playmaker, but he struggled there and became better in one of the two advanced roles.
Well, that’s my point. Utd’s issue in the midfield is less their ability to defend, but their inability to do much with the ball once they get it back (ignoring the destablizing effects of Ronaldo, Fernandez, Pogba). They might think they can upgrade their ball winners in midfield, but that’s like touching up the pain when the house in on fire. There are so many other areas for them to be spending 100 million quid on new players…or even 50 million.
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Rice is pretty good on the ball though, he carries the ball well through the midfield and passes it reasonably well. I’d say he’s a pretty clear upgrade on what United have in those two deeper positions.
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Oh, okay. I read the last part of your post too quickly, my mistake. Yeah, in theory that could work. Napoli have flipped more to a 4-2-3-1 system this season with Zielinski getting a bit more freedom ahead of Anguissa & Ruiz.
Back to us, I just don’t see us signing a holding midfielder or a player who can only play holding midfield. I see us signing a #8, if we are signing a midfielder this summer. It is possible that he has the ability to cover the holding role as well.
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Their problem isn’t financial. They are still one of the biggest earners and spenders in the game. For all the stick City get (deservedly) they do have a pretty good set up for identifying and bringing in quality players that fit their way of playing. Utd don’t even have an identity on the pitch.
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Sounds like Tchouameni to me.
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I hear what you’re saying but watch West Ham’s second goal against Villa and you’ll see what the potential is with Rice. I love Fabinho but he can’t do that…he doesn’t have the athleticism to do that at all. Also D Rice’s age means that he’ll be part of our spine for a decade, just like we did with Henderson, plus he’s home-grown.
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This deal has to work for both parties. Both Gomez + Orgi’s salaries would cover D. Rice’s. we get what we want, they get what they want. Plus West Ham is not going anywhere, there going to be a gnat in our ear for the foreseeable future both with their squad and Moyes. We might as well strengthen our starting 11. Shit, if we could get Rice as Gini’s replacement and Jacob Ramsey as Milner’s…we’d be terrorizing all competitions again next year.
I think the core of the midfield needs to be English, continuing from Gerrard to Hendo and Milner to Rice and Ramsey.
Rice is a good player and will get better under Klopp. But he is not 100mil good. Not even 70mil good. At best, he is on par as when Jota comes to us which means 40mil is his value to us. Of course West Ham will not need to sell at that price but neither do we have to buy at inflated prices. Is Rice good, of course. Is he the Only one that we have to get him regardless the price like Klopp wanted with VVD, no way.
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Declan Rice… I think this is a non-starter as West Ham are trying to become a regular in the stakes for European games and thus would require a premium for any of their better players.
He is just simply terrible value. Not because he isn’t a good player but because he is supposedly valued at a ridiculous price.
Wouldn’t mind a punt on Edson Alvarez. Reasonable fee I would think, good and can fill a role… Would love to see what Klopp could do with him.
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Once Origi leaves, Do we still need a replacement for him? Or are we covered?
It depends much more on the Salah/Mane/Bobby situation.
Right now, I believe we will be able to offload and sell Origi and Taki.
Leaves us with the main 5. Origi usually covered either the central or left area, I think we’re good there.
But I don’t think all 3 will get new contracts. I’m more and more sure that Bobby will be here next season, regardless of his contract expiring.
We still have a few key questions unanswered.
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Somone to play a handful of games a season, look totally lost most of the time and then pop up at the most crucial moment and score legendary goals?
Probably 
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I said it at the start of the season and will say ot again. Next season I’d like to see a real cover for TAA and Spence could be a very interesting option. Also Max Aarons stagnated a little bit in his development lately and he is not such a hot topic as 2 years ago, but he is only 22 years old and under the right manager he could become a real force. And in my opinion 15-20 mln. pounds will be enough to sign such type of player, while also giving the Bradley for a season long loan, if theyr are interested…
Playing Milner against City terrifies me, last game Foden destroyed him and Gomez is definitely not a full back.
Signing at least one midfielder is a priority. In my honest opinion we will need 2 new midfiellders.
There are too many question marks on the current squad. Is Milner leaving? What is going on with AOC and Keita, their contracts expire next season and I doubt the club will let them leave as free agents, while there is no news on new contracts.Thiago’s contract also expires in 2023 /In 2020 he signed a 3 year contract worth 200 000 pounds per week/. Hopefully Keita will sign a new contract and Ox will be sold.
Hendo will soon be 32 years old, while Jones is in his 3rd season with the first team and doesn’t look like he has moved further the pecking order of starting midfielders. In 2019/2020 he started 14 PL matches, in 2020/2021 he started 13 PL matches and this season he started 7 PL matches.
Elliott will need more time and patience, he needs to work on the defensive aspect of his game and under Klopp he will undoubtley improve.
Absolutely the same is valid for Mane, Salah and Firmino their contracts also expire in the summer of 2023.
I expect to see Origi, Minamino, AOC departing in the summer of 2022. Carvalho from Fulham is a very good option to replace Taki. Gravenberch’s contract expires in 2023 and Ajax are opent to accept offers for him of around 25-30 mln. pounds. Only problem is that Bayern Munich are showing a very strong interest. Ruiz’s contratc with Napoli also expires in the summer of 2023, while Tchouameni from Monaco looks like a top player.
I’d love to us sign Bellingham and Rice and decide the future of our midfield for the next 10 years, but it is absolutely impossible, because both of them will cost in excess of 200 mln. pounds. But if the club’s budget is around 60 mln. pounds plus sales I think it will be more than enough to sign Carvalho, two very good midfielders and a right back.
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