Summer Transfer Window Thread 2016

[Lineker]

Let the silly season rumours begin...

Quote

Manchester United are hopeful of beating off fierce competition to sign Benfica’s central midfielder Renato Sanches for £46m (€60m) after talks with the Portuguese club progressed well.

The FA Cup finalists are hoping to pay the fee over four years in a deal similar to the one that took Anthony Martial to Old Trafford last summer.

Sanches, who broke into the Benfica first team last autumn, has since signed a new contract that ends in summer 2021 and has a reported release clause of €60m.

While Arsenal, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Manchester City are all interested in Sanches, United believe they are in pole position to sign him. Benfica are considering the offer that United stagger the payments in instalments.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the former manager and now club director, is an admirer of Sanches and has recommended he be signed, as have United’s highest-ranking scouts.

The club are understood to have had him watched on several occasions and United’s strong working relationship with the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, may help push the proposed transfer through.

The 18-year-old has been a key presence in the Benfica midfield despite only making his league debut in a 4-0 win at Tondela on 30 October. He has since made 28 appearances in all competitions, including five in the Champions League, and scored twice. He also has two Portugal caps having made his debut last month.

United want Sanches to help freshen up their midfield. Michael Carrick turns 35 in July and is yet to be offered a new one-year deal. Even if he does receive one, the former England man is coming to the end of his career and there is also concern at Old Trafford regarding Bastian Schweinsteiger’s longevity.

The Germany captain is 32 in August and has endured an injury-blighted season following a transfer from Bayern Munich last summer. His club season was ended on 20 March, after United’s 1-0 victory at Manchester City, due to a knee injury and his is fighting to recover for Germany’s Euro 2016 campaign.

Sanches’s youth and dynamism are viewed as ideal for a squad that has struggled to replace Paul Scholes, since he retired three years ago.

With three games remaining of the Portuguese championship Sanches could win the title in his debut campaign. Benfica have 79 points, a two point lead from Sporting Lisbon, with only Guimaraes, Maritimo and Nacional to play.

Sanches was born in Lisbon and has parents who are from Cape Verde.

As I mentioned in the PL thread - @Jimmy and I were discussing this last night. We need a striker to back Kane up (who will have to know that he is going to be the second choice behind Kane though and not come in and whinge after six months), and maybe another body in the centre of the park. We could also possibly do with someone else able to play in the 'half-back' role to make us less dependent on Dier playing every game - although I could see Wimmer playing here if needed so maybe not.

Bentaleb will leave - he turn out good but probably in Italy or somewhere. Otherwise, nobody will really leave; and players like Carter-Vickers and Pritchard will finally make the step-up.

[Gazz]

You'd think by now, after busts like Mangala, that teams would stop throwing silly money at players that play for the top three in Portugal. It's easy to look like a world beater when your team basically plays four matches a season that are actually competitive.

[Adam]

Your back-up striker Lineker, will it be Saido Berahino?

[Lineker]

Maybe. He wasn't in the West Brom squad last night; and I don't recall him getting injured. Would make sense. Him and Batshuayi are the names I keep seeing getting linked over and over.

[Baddar]

Berahino to get pissed off about the lack of game time and ask to leave in Jan 17!

[Lineker]

Probs. But he's English so we'll make a huge profit out of him; Levy blinder etc!

[Hobo]

It's probably the end for Enrique and maybe Kolo Toure at Liverpool. (Although Klopp recently said Kolo is part of his plans but he hasn't discussed anything with Kolo whose contract is up soon)

Adam Bogdan has been bombed out so he probably isn't hanging around meaning Liverpool might be in the market for a keeper. (I would like to see a realistic second choice who can challenge Mingolet or usurp him)

There's questions around whether Joe Allen will stay. I kinda hope so.

Balotelli doesn't want to come back but Lazar probably will.

Matip and Grujic are confirmed. There have been strong links to a few other players.

There will be the usual thing around Lucas but I never want him to leave. Ever.

Sahko seems a bit up in the air now. If it turns out he does get banned for the failed drugs test it will be a real downer.

 

[stokeriño]

Chelsea will probably follow their pattern of the last two seasons and spend a lot less money than you might expect.

[Rafael]

Renato Sanches is class. But 46 for the guy is just so silly.

 

Newcastle have been linked with the likes of Kamil Glik, Mitchell Dijks and Sime Vrsaljko. But we need to stay up first.

[FestiveJack]

24 minutes ago, Rafael said:

Renato Sanches is class. But 46 for the guy is just so silly.

Not in current markets.

[Rafael]

5 minutes ago, Work Experience Jack said:

Not in current markets.

Still wouldn't pay that. Such a huge risk to spend that kind of money based on potential.

[Nerf]

2 hours ago, Freelance Hobo said:

It's probably the end for Enrique and maybe Kolo Toure at Liverpool. (Although Klopp recently said Kolo is part of his plans but he hasn't discussed anything with Kolo whose contract is up soon)

I have it on good authority that Kolo to China is a done deal. The club and player just aren't announcing it until the end of the season.

[Cymbols]

Stan Petrov to Villa?

[Lineker]

11 minutes ago, Nerf said:

I have it on good authority that Kolo to China is a done deal. The club and player just aren't announcing it until the end of the season.

#nerfintheknow 

[Nerf]

6 minutes ago, Lineker said:

#nerfintheknow 

As much as I hate to pull that card, yeah >_>

Benteke and Skrtel have also been told to find new clubs.

[Adam]

Nerf is friends with Kloppo

[Lineker]

Quote

Bayern Munich have said they are in talks with the Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels about joining the club in the summer. The German champions’ chairman, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, confirmed on Tuesday that Bayern have started discussions with the Germany international and that talks with continue with Dortmund too.

On Monday night the Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said that “if Hummels leaves it will be to join Bayern Munich” and Rummenigge, as Bayern were preparing to fly to Madrid for their Champions League semi-final against Atlético Madrid, said: “I can pretty much confirm what Mr Watzke said last night and that is that Mats is talking to Bayern.

“But these are talks between three parties and please understand that I cannot go into more detail at this moment. We have to respect that he is under contract at the moment [until 2017] and I don’t want to ruin the good relationship we have built up [with Dortmund] with some comments today.”

A fee has yet to be agreed but it is believed the defender will be offered a four-year contract by Bayern.

Dortmund are also interested in re-signing Götze with Watzke saying that the “door is open” for the player to return to the Westfalenstadion. However, Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool are also keen on signing the 23-year-old German international.

[stokeriño]

Bayern Munich sign any and every Dortmund player worth a damn. More at eleven.

[Colly]

1 hour ago, Adam said:

Nerf is friends with Kloppo

Cut from the same cloth.

[FestiveJack]

1 hour ago, stokeriño said:

Bayern Munich sign any and every Dortmund player worth a damn. More at eleven.

Dortmund made the mistake of becoming good. That's basically illegal in the Bundesliga.