From The By Line : Transfer Fix For The Junkies

Author : Johan Du Plessis

You have to love these journalists that wake up in the morning, smoke their socks and then dream up the next transfer rumour. It is so unfortunate that United seems to be dragged into every transfer fantasy and mystery that comes to them. What happened to the good old days where newspapers waited until something was confirmed before publishing it, spying training grounds to spot if anyone is undergoing a trial, waiting outside medical centres to see who is coming, paying off traveling companies to leak them flight details of prominent players… the good old days, they are long gone.

In this day and age it is about catching every rumour linked to any prestigious club and publishing it as the truth, or regurgitating old transfer rumours just to keep the mill going. The fact is that transfer news has become a big business. It generates hits, likes, tweets and obviously, the most important – revenue. It has become truly commercialised.

But what is really happening? How do you filter through the rumours and get to the facts? Unfortunately, by reading all of them. Fortunately I have done this for you and prepared a latest round up of facts as to what is really happening and what is simply the sales accelerator.

We can start with the dream return of Ronaldo. I will make this as painless as possible – NO. It is not happening. For all the rumours, supposed meetings, calls and talks, there is not a single piece of credible information anywhere in the media that makes me believe that Ronaldo is even thinking of returning to Old Trafford. Does it make sense to sign a 30 something player? In Ronaldo’s case, yes, because commercially he would generate every penny he is being paid but sadly, it will not happen. So lets just all move on.

Bale is unsettled at Real seems to be the headlines everywhere. How does anyone know other than speculating on this? Just because Benitez said that he will build a team around Bale, and now being unemployed, does not mean Bale is considering packing his bags. It is another fantasy transfer that will not happen… not this season, that is. It is no secret that Woodward fancies getting Bale over to United, it will be seen as a major coup and it will add multiple feathers to his already decorated cap, but he will have one more chance at the end of this season to get him, but if not, we should write this transfer story on our stomachs as well.

Neymar's is another nagging transfer story that just does not seem to go away. Why would Neymar leave Barcelona when he is considered as a member of arguably the best attacking trio the football world has ever seen? He has the best opportunity to emulate the success of both Ronaldo and Messi while at Barcelona and if he does not take it, it should be something the world mourns and not celebrate because I do not think we will see anyone of the talent of Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar for at least another decade. And with Messi getting close to the age of retirement and new horizon as ambassador for Barcelona and La Liga and football as a whole, would Barça even consider letting Neymar go?

This takes care of the top 3 fantasy moves dreamt up years ago and still be recycled at the dawn of every transfer window.

Let us focus on the other speculations like Anderson. Have United scouted him?  Yes, but so have many other teams, have United made an offer? No. So here are the facts that surround this transfer –there has been no offer but United have scouted him because he is a young and talented footballer. Why will the transfer not happen? Simple, the United squad has Fellani, Schweinsteiger, Mata, Schneiderlin, Young, Depay, Lingard, Perreira, Carrick and Herrera, and do not forget that Januzaj is also on his way back from loan. There is no place for him in the team. This does not mean that we do not need a player with his talent, but with Andesron being as inconsistent as he is in a league that realistically is a few notches below the Premier League raises serious doubts.

Mane’s “offer” had apparently been rejected. I find it hard to believe that Southampton would reject the reported £30m bid.

Apart from the above two “hot” transfer rumours, you also get those wild cards that are being flung around like a dealer would do at a poker game. One day the papers will report that Pep and Ancelotti are coming to United and the next day you will read that Mourinho has already signed an agreement to manage them, only to read a week later, from the same journalists, that United is not in the race to sign Pep, and that Ancelotti never even considered United or that Mourinho is waiting for United to give him an answer. And with player transfers it is not much different. Last season we had Otamendi handing in a transfer request to play for United, only to move to City and then go on an interview and say that he was never even contacted. Pato, Gundogan, Lakaku, Aubameyang, Osvaldo, James, Vardy, Dembele, Thiago and Niasse are all players linked with United over only the last 3 days and who knows, by the last week of this transfer window Manchester United might even be rumoured to buy an entirely new squad?

Frankly, United will not be making any major signings in this transfer window. They will not even use this window to establish first contact with any player and in truth will also not target any new players other than the ones they are targeting already. With the amount of money going around these days, agents and clubs, sponsors and rights holders etc, there are no more transfers of any high profile player to any club that are initiated, negotiated and completed within a few weeks. In the modern day game a transfer takes months to complete. A transfer of the caliber of Bale will likely take a year or more to finalize. United are in the pound seats currently with the affiliation to Adidas because Adidas is so aggressive in their sponsorship strategy of the highest profile players. Effectively it almost removes the sponsor concerns/challenge from Bale’s transfer to United but then there is still Real, the Player himself and his agent and agencies to consider.

Expect United to recall Januzaj and Keane and expect them to get game time as well. With the injuries in the back line and reinforcement needed do not rule out the recall of Blackett as well. 

I believe that there will be no signings and LVG will not leave before the end of the season. We will end in the Top 4 and qualify for Europe with the squad we have right now. 

It is a new year and United historically ends the season well and will do so this season also. Lets give the squad the support they need and believe they will do what it takes to get us there this season. And then, when the season is over, then we can discuss transfer fantasies and dream team constructions again.