Maybe it’ll be next summer when we do our major business but maybes we’ll snick a star or two in January

Saw links to Edouard and Patson Daka

Edu and Tets know what’s up

An advanced deal for Daka and/or Szoboszlai

Buy in Jan, let them join in June.

Would make sense if finances are still tight and we can make a minimal payment.

Wonder if we still retain interest in either Upamechano and/or Aouar & if we'd entertain similar deals for either?

Hopefully we find a club for Kolasinac to move to permanently. Would be one less headache to deal with in the summer. If Chambers is moved on, that would be a bonus as well.

The fellas running down their contracts will probably hang around and I don't think there will be too much we can do about that.

From an incoming perspective, don't see too much happening. Maybe a surprise deal for an attacking player might be on the cards but personally don't foresee us doing much business on this front.

There could be a lot of free agents or players down to one year next summer given this Covid-19 situation. Let’s see what transpires.

One Buendia please.

A lot of our ability to buy will be dictated by our ability to sell. Between now and then must make a plan for some or all of:
Ozil, Mustafi, Sokratis, Cedric/Kolasinac, Chambers. I’d even sell Mustafi for a small amount for the cash flow saving.
Perhaps there are youngsters as well with no real prospects, e.g., Bola.

I think our ability to buy will be dictated more by how likely we seem to kick into another gear than by whom we sell, Claude. We just made a big commitment buying Partey, and if we seem more likely to challenge/get Champions League as a consequence it makes sense to keep strengthening so that investment doesn't become pointless. A club that is moving forward shouldn't be afraid of taking on costs. It's only when you're moving backwards that it becomes a problem. Ideally you would want players to leave not because you want to reduce the wage bill and save pennies, but because they're taking up valuable squad places.

I'd stick it out till the summer personally, unless an opportunity for a bargain presents itself.

Klaus wrote:

I think our ability to buy will be dictated more by how likely we seem to kick into another gear than by whom we sell, Claude. We just made a big commitment buying Partey, and if we seem more likely to challenge/get Champions League as a consequence it makes sense to keep strengthening so that investment doesn't become pointless. A club that is moving forward shouldn't be afraid of taking on costs. It's only when you're moving backwards that it becomes a problem. Ideally you would want players to leave not because you want to reduce the wage bill and save pennies, but because they're taking up valuable squad places.

You’re talking the way I was talking all through the 2010s. That we should take our money and aggressively invest.
It feels like we are in a slightly different position here. Just because our revenue is gutted we need to manage that risk as well, so we cannot go overboard on spending. We have a bloated cost base. If we can start to chip away at the “non-essential” players that would help Mikel in the transfer market. Losing up to £100m in revenue is a massive problem for us. The early to mid 2010s are still the biggest wasted opportunity in sports history as far back as the Athenians.

Claudius wrote:

You’re talking the way I was talking all through the 2010s. That we should take our money and aggressively invest.

I'm saying I think we'll keep investing if we get results and see discernible improvement, which is different.

The aggressive investment way to do things is the United way, where you keep throwing hundreds of millions of pound around while you're slowly sinking into a black hole. That's how you end up with the most expensive squad in England and it's full of Maguires and Wan-Bissakas.

Klaus wrote:
Claudius wrote:

You’re talking the way I was talking all through the 2010s. That we should take our money and aggressively invest.

I'm saying I think we'll keep investing if we get results and see discernible improvement, which is different.

The aggressive investment way to do things is the United way, where you keep throwing hundreds of millions of pound around while you're slowly sinking into a black hole. That's how you end up with the most expensive squad in England and it's full of Maguires and Wan-Bissakas.

Honestly Wan Bissaka would make an awesome right sided CB when coupled with a wing back in a setup like Conte's.

Klaus wrote:
Claudius wrote:

You’re talking the way I was talking all through the 2010s. That we should take our money and aggressively invest.

I'm saying I think we'll keep investing if we get results and see discernible improvement, which is different.

The aggressive investment way to do things is the United way, where you keep throwing hundreds of millions of pound around while you're slowly sinking into a black hole. That's how you end up with the most expensive squad in England and it's full of Maguires and Wan-Bissakas.

It would’ve made sense then because we were just always on the cusp. We were consistently a top 4 team that just didn’t have enough. The Leicester season and the Ramsey hot streak season being the best examples of being nearly there but needing a Partey or 2.

In January if we are doing well, we should absolutely consider what it takes to put us over the top. And no Denis Suarez / Kallstroms.

A striker would be great. If we don't sign someone would be great for us to do an advanced deal in the next few months so we aren't faffing around in the summer.

Am hoping we can trim down the squad a bit as well in January. A lot will depend on how we do in the next couple of months, will become evident very soon what else we need in the squad.

Klaus wrote:

One Buendia please.

We can do that transfer now can't we?

Anzac wrote:

Would make sense if finances are still tight and we can make a minimal payment.

Wonder if we still retain interest in either Upamechano and/or Aouar & if we'd entertain similar deals for either?

The opportunity to land Upamecano is gone you would think. If there is the slightest chance then we should push the boat out.

We are lacking creativity and another striker, so maybe that is what the club focuses on next year.

The owners' injecting money to fund the Partey transfer is really encouraging. It's unlikely that we will be title contenders, but by any chance if it stays close till January, if we ride a wave of momentum behind the good end to last season and signing Partey then we can really go hard in this window. None of our reported targets are at big clubs where dominoes need to fall before we can sign them.

The refusal to utilise the January transfer window, and I know it's hard, has been the biggest failure of this club. We have been in great positions only to not fortify further. I am certain, we could have had a title or two.

In my opinion, the signing of Reyes in January was a big reason for our push towards the unbeaten run. He was exciting, had destroyed Real and he was coming here. He started off well too. Ultimately Henry rescued us after the CL exit but the signing made a big difference. Hopefully Partey's signing isn't a false dawn but a signal of intent. The Kroenke's bought Arteta's vision behind last season's end. If we are ahead than they collectively imagined it will be imperative to capitalise.

He's fairly reliable this chap so might be some truth in the reports his family scuppered the deal.

Klaus wrote:

We can, yes.

You think he's a better option than those we have been linked with? Not seen him often but never been that impressed. Wonder how much Norwich would want for him.