Man Utd Transfer Targets: Rent Or Buy?

Article by e-Manchester United Correspondent Carl Bishop

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As sure as controversy follows Luis Suarez, an over inflated transfer market inevitably follows a World Cup. Great news for Mr Joe Football Fan but for the buying teams, not so much. Occasionally, a team goes a tad wallet wild for varying reasons, an oil rich owner maybe or a cash collecting fire sale (see Southampton), or even a post David Moyes club.

Manchester United are angry and willing to add to the ever swirling billions within pro football in order to retain their position as a trophy winning elite franchise as hundreds of reports speculate on each and every player who owns a pair of boots. Unfortunately for the Old Trafford giants the rest of the world are well aware of this apparent necessity to buy and financial advisors from Cornwall to Columbia have been briefed that Matt Busby Currency has a much higher value than the traditional GBP.

United have already flashed their purchasing prowess almost as if there was a point to prove after last summer's debacle and a glut of new players will soon be added to Shaw and Herrera, the only thing the Red Devils need to do is determine whether to rent or buy. To clarify, which players are realistic targets, possess value and which are dead money.

United have acquired the services of Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera who are both young with great futures that virtually guarantee success for the club or a profit via sell-on. Wayne Rooney could be considered a 'dead money' rental at this moment in time, earning over a million a month with his best years arguably behind him. He has dropped way down Europe's value table and finds himself usurped by players much younger than the once prodigious attacker. England's supposed talisman has three months under LVG to resurrect his United career or a once incomprehensible sale may well materialise.

The list of supposed targets is endless. As mere fans we never find out what really is going on behind the well varnished meeting doors of football's decision makers or what a players modus operandi truly is and quite often deals are done after a sequence of transactions leading to the purchase of one man. The players constantly linked are often for a less direct reason and the smoke and mirrors would confuse Einstein, however, we know what United need and we know some of the players that Louis Van Gaal covets.

Consider Angel Di Maria, it is conceivable that several teams are interested in the out of favour Madrid midfielder. If United bought him they would regret it, with his price upwards of £25 million he should have 'rent' stamped all over his forehead. Inconsistent and with little sell on value in a few years Di Maria has already proved a luxury most teams cannot afford. Tony Kroos and Alexis Sanchez will not play in the Prem next season although Alexis may be instrumental in a three-way including Arturo Vidal and a boatload of Mancunian cash. James Rodriguez shall be staying at Monaco for the time being. Juan Cuadrado is over valued by Fiorentina meaning a move is unlikely. Yevhen Konoplyanka is a scintillating prospect from the Ukraine with Dnipro willing to sell at the right price, although Liverpool backing away from him recently throws up a question mark or two. Which reduces the 'real' list to Lisbon's William Carvalho who may prefer a move to London, Thomas Vermaelen who is the only Premier League Captain currently residing on his teams' bench, a couple of Germans and the Netherlands. Barring a minor miracle at least one of the Dutch centre backs will be at United soon, with De Jong or a clone of the rough house Dutchman. Arjen Robben is interesting, his value would be measured in entertainment alone for two seasons – and therefore worth paying an obvious rental fee. As with Thomas Muller, if LVG can persuade them to join the revolution then he too would be a steal at age 24 but these world class stars can only be soberly considered due to their relationship with the new boss.

In summary, Vidal, Konoplyanka, Carvalho, Muller and a host of Dutchmen would be worthy buys, whilst Di Maria, Cuadrado, Khedira, Cavani and a host of Spaniards would be dead money rentals to add to United's already sizeable list of wasted cash players like Young, Fellaini and Rooney.

Effectively, the annoying and inaccurate media pipeline churns out the same un-policed ambiguous information telling us precisely nothing, albeit generating much interest – and that is the point for the most part. The names we should really be excited about joining LVG are the ones you probably haven't read any cold hard facts within a 'United Swoop' headline. Outside of the Netherlands and a common sense approach to the shroud over Turin, ignore all of the above names as probable United real estate targets and wait for Mr Van Gaal to tell us how it's really going to be. And he will.

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