Reports all summer have been for 20-25 million.

Creative mid
Laca replacement
Luiz replacement
All action centre mid to complement partey and the creative mid

In that order please

JazzG wrote:
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.

Yes, I think he's much better than anyone we've been linked with. Here's how he compares to Aouar for instance, using Squawka's comparison matrix:

Third most chances created in Premier League last season, only behind De Bruyne and Alexander-Arnold, ahead of guys like Grealish and Maddison. Maybe he didn't score or assist as much as some of his peers on account of playing for a trash Norwich side, but his creative stats are up there with the best ones in Europe. You feel he's worth a punt, especially if we're on a budget.

He's definitely.a really good target to go after, especially at the 20-25 range. Good experience at a good age as well, Add him, trim the team.

Klaus wrote:
JazzG wrote:

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.

Yes, I think he's much better than anyone we've been linked with. Here's how he compares to Aouar for instance, using Squawka's comparison matrix:

Third most chances created in Premier League last season, only behind De Bruyne and Alexander-Arnold, ahead of guys like Grealish and Maddison. Maybe he didn't score or assist as much as some of his peers on account of playing for a trash Norwich side, but his creative stats are up there with the best ones in Europe. You feel he's worth a punt, especially if we're on a budget.

Apparently you can't get good players for decent prices.

He's also PL ready.

I somehow doubt that Norwich would accept a measly 25m for Buendia considering that's the price they got for Godfrey. They've got parachute payments to lean on as well, it's not like being relegated instantly makes them easy pickings. In fact, yo-yo clubs could come out pretty nicely if they don't sell off all their best players and go into freefall.

I want Buendia. I'm not convinced that he's better than Aouar and I think Aouar is more versatile, but I see them as relatively equivalent talents. What we don't really know is how they compare in terms of character and mentality.

If Buendia goes I could easily see him costing about as much as we bid for Aouar.

I started noticing Buendia after Klaus namechecked him and subsequently MOTD always features him as a standout player.

I think for the prices quoted he will be an absolute steal in terms of what we need. Norwich fans have been warning us though on social media whenever he is linked that he gives the ball away a lot which I don't mind if it's to make things happen like Alexis

Gazza M wrote:

Creative mid
Laca replacement
Luiz replacement
All action centre mid to complement partey and the creative mid

In that order please

This. Although wouldn't mind the Laca replacement being the priority.

JazzG wrote:

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

He has clarified today that this is fake news

Clrnc wrote:

I started noticing Buendia after Klaus namechecked him and subsequently MOTD always features him as a standout player.

I think for the prices quoted he will be an absolute steal in terms of what we need. Norwich fans have been warning us though on social media whenever he is linked that he gives the ball away a lot which I don't mind if it's to make things happen like Alexis

He is an excellent player. One of the very best creatives in the league. I wouldn’t worry about his losing the ball. That’s exaggerated because he’s a playmaker with so much off the ball. He has very good numbers on successful dribbles versus one of the highest attempted dribbles in the league. As per the Squawks, his pass percentage is low but it is quite progressive.

The one glaring weakness in his game is lack of goals though. You won’t see him score. And it’s not an issue of Norwich being so shit. His shot xGs are bad which means he’s taking bad shots. So you do need to be comfortable that you have a non-scoring AM in your front 4.

I seriously doubt Buendia would go for only 25 mil. Otherwise someone would've signed him by now.

Claudius wrote:
Clrnc wrote:

I started noticing Buendia after Klaus namechecked him and subsequently MOTD always features him as a standout player.

I think for the prices quoted he will be an absolute steal in terms of what we need. Norwich fans have been warning us though on social media whenever he is linked that he gives the ball away a lot which I don't mind if it's to make things happen like Alexis

He is an excellent player. One of the very best creatives in the league. I wouldn’t worry about his losing the ball. That’s exaggerated because he’s a playmaker with so much off the ball. He has very good numbers on successful dribbles versus one of the highest attempted dribbles in the league. As per the Squawks, his pass percentage is low but it is quite progressive.

The one glaring weakness in his game is lack of goals though. You won’t see him score. And it’s not an issue of Norwich being so shit. His shot xGs are bad which means he’s taking bad shots. So you do need to be comfortable that you have a non-scoring AM in your front 4.

We've done so with Ozil,
Goals is what Szoboszlai has over the likes of Buendia and Aouar.

You can have a non-scoring AM but you can't pair them with Laca. You need your first choice front 4 to bang in 50+ goals between them in the league. Right now we are a player away from that. Willian or Pepe will get you 10 at best, probably the same for Saka really. 20 from Auba. Then you need either an AM who will contribute over 10 or another 20 goal player.

Yeah you need goals from your forwards. But I think if you have players who can kep getting the ball forward in the attacking half under pressure (and Buendia is statisticallynthe post press-resistant player in Europe; not even Havertz make as many forward passes under pressure) then you can also field strikers who focus more on goalscoring than playing the Heskey Firminho role, which would help. Auba and Eddie are pretty good options in such a system in my opinion.

Klaus wrote:

Third most chances created in Premier League last season, only behind De Bruyne and Alexander-Arnold, ahead of guys like Grealish and Maddison. Maybe he didn't score or assist as much as some of his peers on account of playing for a trash Norwich side, but his creative stats are up there with the best ones in Europe. You feel he's worth a punt, especially if we're on a budget.

Impressive stats but will Norwich sell cheap? How quick is he?

I have no idea but you have to think they'd be more inclined to sell now rather than in a year when his value will be lower. They have started the Championship badly this year and might be stuck there for a while. Better to take the money and invest it in players who'll benefit them in the longer term.

Closest thing to Cazorla out there. Two footed, nimble, has a bit of flair and unpredictability to his game. Sometimes gets dispossessed easier than I would like but you can coach that out of his game. Most importantly for me, he can see and make the angled through pass to feed his forward. Pukki has benefitted greatly from that in Norwich’s set up, and if we are going to fully unleash Aubameyang as the lone striker, we need a player who has this quality.

He reminds me a bit of Cazorla too, before he broke his foot. The version of Santi that we got at Arsenal couldn't quite cope in that congested attacking space and had to take a step back into the field after Wenger tried other solutions, such as punting him onto the wing. But before his fracture in 2009 he was perhaps the best attacking mid in Europe, downright impossible to press.

It's amazing how many chances a slow-as-shit Pukki wastes in that compilation. Imagine playing someone in with a perfect throughball only for his touch to be so lousy that by the time he has the ball under control and is about to shoot both centrebacks have gotten goalside of him again. Horror flashbacks to Giroud.

I’ve seen enough. Get him in. Looks much better than Aouar

Klaus wrote:

I have no idea but you have to think they'd be more inclined to sell now rather than in a year when his value will be lower. They have started the Championship badly this year and might be stuck there for a while. Better to take the money and invest it in players who'll benefit them in the longer term.

IIRC doesn't he also qualify as HG?

https://www.whoscored.com/Players/260592/Show/Emiliano-Buend%C3%ADa

TBH my first thought was why?

We already have a bloated squad we are trying to downsize and I'm not sure he brings anything to the table to improve us in midfield ahead of the likes of Ceballos - if he did then I think WHU would have wanted to keep him, and his injury record has not improved ant since he left us.

Anzac wrote:
Klaus wrote:

I have no idea but you have to think they'd be more inclined to sell now rather than in a year when his value will be lower. They have started the Championship badly this year and might be stuck there for a while. Better to take the money and invest it in players who'll benefit them in the longer term.

IIRC doesn't he also qualify as HG?

https://www.whoscored.com/Players/260592/Show/Emiliano-Buend%C3%ADa

Unfortunately not, as he's 23 and has only been playing for Norwich since 2018.

Ray wrote:

He's also PL ready.

Makes him a great option for a Jan signing as he doesn't need to adapt to the English game.

I havent seen us linked to buendia at all. He would complete 66% of my summer wishlist. Get edouard as well and i win transfer bingo

There will probably be more competition for aouar next summer, and buendia could be a great fallback option that frees up resources to address other areas

Apart from the guys we can't get anyway like Messi, Alaba and Depay I'd stay away from every other player on that list. What that list is, is bait for future Kolasinac's on inflated wages and depressed outputs.

How is Depay in the first category and not in the latter?

What i would love to see is Pogba going back to Juve for free. Would he farcical

Claudius wrote:

What i would love to see is Pogba going back to Juve for free. Would he farcical

Reports MU have activated his 1 year extension option.

20 days later

Linked to Orbelin Pineda today

Love how quick his feet are - think we’ve found our boy

Watched him alot for Mexico, great player. Would be a great fit for our midfield.

Late bloomer, or why hasn't he left Mexico yet?