Post by fergieswarriors on Jun 19, 2006 22:05:14 GMT
www.unitedrant.co.uk/archives/2006/06/transfer_strategy.html
Transfer Strategy Backfires
Article by The Editor
United's publicly stated strategy of completing all transfer business before the World Cup was either a promise broken or an outright lie. Either way, no squad strengthening has taken place, while the club's biggest rivals Chelsea has bought two of the World's best players in addition to a couple of excellent youth prospects. Moreover, the apparent change in United's tact - to 'wait and see until after the World Cup' - now potentially lies shattered too, with a number of United's principal targets having excellent tournaments.
What now for United's strategy this summer, ask the fans? The need for at least two midfielders in addition to the likely replacement for Ruud van Nistelrooy is obvious but a solution no nearer. Yet as potential targets like Fernando Torres, Juan Roman Riquelme and Javier Mascherano have excellent tournaments in Germany, United find themselves in a position whereby they are likely to be priced out of the market for top players, and blackmailed into paying exorbitant fees for second or even third choices.
Witness the ongoing saga over the transfers of Mahamadou Diarra from Lyon and Michael Carrick from Spurs, for example. It looks likely to take some £30m in fees to bring the pair to Old Trafford. Seemingly about £15m over a more realistic market value for the two midfielders. Lyon and Spurs don't need to sell; United are desperate, hence the quandary. Meanwhile, the original first choice of Mascherano from Corinthians remains unobtainable with the Brazilian club knowing an excellent tournament would make him a superstar - as has proven to be the case.
The same can also be said of Fernando Torres who has always been priced out of a transfer by his club Athletico Madrid. Now apparently first choice as Ruud's replacement, Torres' value could well rise after an excellent start to the tournament. With the Spanish side at last willing to sell, Ferguson will need to go cap-in-hand to the club's owners if he wants to bring the striker to Old Trafford. 'That'll be another £25m please Mr. Chairman'.
And what price Riquelme now? The Argentinean genius has proven in just two perfect matches exactly what RANT suspected all along - that he's the best creative central midfield talent in world football. There's nothing like him available but an exorbitant fee would be required to prize him away from Villareal. With Zinedine Zidane retiring, surely Madrid awaits.
At least United target Franc Ribery is having an awful tournament, with substantiation for the mega-fee demanded by Marseille slowly eking away. Except, of course, on the evidence of his first two games for Les Bleu, United might just be buying the 'new Ralph Milne' rather than any protegé of the aforementioned Zizou!
Meanwhile back in the land of reality United will probably look to up their offer for at least one of Carrick or Diarra but probably not both. Fans can forget any dreams of Riquelme, Mascherano or Torres for a variety of reasons, not least that there are a number of more attractive opportunities for each of these players even if United had the cash. Which the club doesn't of course.
No doubt Ferguson will argue that it is difficult to tie up deals prior to the World Cup, with selling clubs wishing to cash in on an excellent tournament that their players might have. This may well be true... unless you're Chelsea or Arsenal that is! What value Tomas Rosicky now? Certainly more than the £7m that the North London side has paid for him.
Further west, Chelsea's four deals - Mikel aside - were conducted with minimum fuss and no protracted negotiations through the media. Expect that exact opposite with United, should any further moves be made in the market. Indeed Tottenham, Spurs, Atletico, Corinthians or any other club dealing with United would do well to drag out negotiations as close to the August 31st deadline as possible. Thus increasing United's desperation and pushing the subsequent transfer fee upwards.
Then, of course, there will be the inevitable and painful conclusion to the van Nistelrooy saga. United are busy retreating from their position as desperate sellers by supposedly rebuffing Bayern Munich's interest in the player. Don't believe a word of it - the Reds will sell but are looking for a premium price that cannot be achieved if the club are perceived as being in a weak negotiating position.
Meanwhile the fans can only presume that Ferguson and Gill, fresh from their holidays in the South of France and Florida, are working on a plan of such devilish cunning that it has eluded us all. Either that or we are doomed to another season of soul searching!
Email the Editor | Comment on this Article in the Rant Forum
Transfer Strategy Backfires
Article by The Editor
United's publicly stated strategy of completing all transfer business before the World Cup was either a promise broken or an outright lie. Either way, no squad strengthening has taken place, while the club's biggest rivals Chelsea has bought two of the World's best players in addition to a couple of excellent youth prospects. Moreover, the apparent change in United's tact - to 'wait and see until after the World Cup' - now potentially lies shattered too, with a number of United's principal targets having excellent tournaments.
What now for United's strategy this summer, ask the fans? The need for at least two midfielders in addition to the likely replacement for Ruud van Nistelrooy is obvious but a solution no nearer. Yet as potential targets like Fernando Torres, Juan Roman Riquelme and Javier Mascherano have excellent tournaments in Germany, United find themselves in a position whereby they are likely to be priced out of the market for top players, and blackmailed into paying exorbitant fees for second or even third choices.
Witness the ongoing saga over the transfers of Mahamadou Diarra from Lyon and Michael Carrick from Spurs, for example. It looks likely to take some £30m in fees to bring the pair to Old Trafford. Seemingly about £15m over a more realistic market value for the two midfielders. Lyon and Spurs don't need to sell; United are desperate, hence the quandary. Meanwhile, the original first choice of Mascherano from Corinthians remains unobtainable with the Brazilian club knowing an excellent tournament would make him a superstar - as has proven to be the case.
The same can also be said of Fernando Torres who has always been priced out of a transfer by his club Athletico Madrid. Now apparently first choice as Ruud's replacement, Torres' value could well rise after an excellent start to the tournament. With the Spanish side at last willing to sell, Ferguson will need to go cap-in-hand to the club's owners if he wants to bring the striker to Old Trafford. 'That'll be another £25m please Mr. Chairman'.
And what price Riquelme now? The Argentinean genius has proven in just two perfect matches exactly what RANT suspected all along - that he's the best creative central midfield talent in world football. There's nothing like him available but an exorbitant fee would be required to prize him away from Villareal. With Zinedine Zidane retiring, surely Madrid awaits.
At least United target Franc Ribery is having an awful tournament, with substantiation for the mega-fee demanded by Marseille slowly eking away. Except, of course, on the evidence of his first two games for Les Bleu, United might just be buying the 'new Ralph Milne' rather than any protegé of the aforementioned Zizou!
Meanwhile back in the land of reality United will probably look to up their offer for at least one of Carrick or Diarra but probably not both. Fans can forget any dreams of Riquelme, Mascherano or Torres for a variety of reasons, not least that there are a number of more attractive opportunities for each of these players even if United had the cash. Which the club doesn't of course.
No doubt Ferguson will argue that it is difficult to tie up deals prior to the World Cup, with selling clubs wishing to cash in on an excellent tournament that their players might have. This may well be true... unless you're Chelsea or Arsenal that is! What value Tomas Rosicky now? Certainly more than the £7m that the North London side has paid for him.
Further west, Chelsea's four deals - Mikel aside - were conducted with minimum fuss and no protracted negotiations through the media. Expect that exact opposite with United, should any further moves be made in the market. Indeed Tottenham, Spurs, Atletico, Corinthians or any other club dealing with United would do well to drag out negotiations as close to the August 31st deadline as possible. Thus increasing United's desperation and pushing the subsequent transfer fee upwards.
Then, of course, there will be the inevitable and painful conclusion to the van Nistelrooy saga. United are busy retreating from their position as desperate sellers by supposedly rebuffing Bayern Munich's interest in the player. Don't believe a word of it - the Reds will sell but are looking for a premium price that cannot be achieved if the club are perceived as being in a weak negotiating position.
Meanwhile the fans can only presume that Ferguson and Gill, fresh from their holidays in the South of France and Florida, are working on a plan of such devilish cunning that it has eluded us all. Either that or we are doomed to another season of soul searching!
Email the Editor | Comment on this Article in the Rant Forum