Dec 18
Transfer Talk: Lahm and Benzema | Evra’s Contract
So the festive season is well and truly on. The Anfield win just makes things feel a lot more special. However, the busy period has just begun and we will be stupid if we thought the title has been all but wrapped up. We have another Scouse team to deal with — in the form of Everton — and they have proven this season that they are no mugs. More on them when we get closer to the date of the clash.
Meanwhile, Cristiano must be feeling a wee bit sick in the stomach. After being kept quiet for much of the Liverpool game, he would have been shocked to see himself finish third — behind Lionel Messi — in the FIFA World Player of the Year Award. It’s one thing finishing second best on two previous awards. But finishing behind a player who, despite his obvious talents, has not really won anything of note and yet is in the fray, would be rather gutting for an ambitious lad like Ronaldo.
Oh well, the FIFA Awards are a sham; sour grapes, and all that.
Moving on to some useful discussion, the papers are talking up Philip Lahm and Karim Benzema as possible transfer targets. Now I see this kind of talk posted day in and day out, but I thought this to be worth discussing for specific reasons.
Regarding Lahm, I am sure there are quite a few enthusiastic readers on here who are well acquainted with this German full back. Brown’s dodgy displays, at times, and his contract wrangle would force us to move for a right back as Neville’s career will draw to a close sooner than later. Lahm is about the right age, has good pace moving forward, and can play on either flank. Versatility has been something Fergie seems to prefer in his defence and he fits the bill. Willy Sagnol is the other Bayern defender linked with us, but age might work against him.
About Karim Benzema, he’s a 19 year old French striker who starts for Lyon. He’s is already setting the pace as far as goal scoring is concerned in the French Lique 1 and he just pissed all over Rangers the other day in the Champions’ League. He’s also scored goals for the French National team. He looks a strong lad and seems to be good with his finishing, apart from having good aerial ability. More importantly, he’s got age in his favour. He can be given time to work his way into the team, coming off the bench initially.
Will they come in January? I doubt that. Replacing Brown with Lahm in January wouldn’t be a good idea because Lahm would be cup tied in the Champions’ League. (Bayern are in the UEFA Cup, which would rule the German out of any European competition.) Plus, he would need to settle down in the club. Again, that is something we can’t afford to allow when the title race hots up.
The same with Benzema. He is cup tied and we can’t afford to lose Saha (as that is what the deal involving Benzema is about in the papers) for him, however injury prone Saha is.
The two look good prospects, no doubt. So do we need to move for them right now?
Meanwhile, Evra has yet to open contract negotiations. After the Anfield display I don’t have too many doubts regarding him being offered an extension. And he only endears himself to the United faithful by saying things like “I have a growing love for this club.” and “I feel Mancunian deep down”
Someone, please offer him a new deal. Please!
And finally, as expected, Anderson scooped up the Man of the Match Award in Manutd.com’s polls.
Back to the topic, of course, let us know what you think of our transfer targets.
Related items from Red Rants:
- The January Transfer Window – Possible Targets
- Brown, Lahm – United’s Right Back Situation | And Some Thoughts on Nani
- The Karim of the Crop?
- Random Transfer News Items of the Day
- Teams Start Talking Big As Champions’ League Clash Looms
Tags: Manchester United News
Craig Mc (195)
RedDevilEddy (170)
Opti (135)
Moscow is my heaven (96)
Ian (95)
I think Benzema is a great prospect and United should go after him in summer.
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Man U is too close to Man Ure eh? That pisses you off when rival fans use it? I’ll try to use Man Utd more often although I am extremely accustomed to the former.
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If things continue the way it does now, then there’s no way Ronaldo cannot get next year’s award. If he doesn’t, it will send out a message loud and clear the the English PL is not recognised by FIFA and that in order to win you must play in the Spanish or Italian leagues.
The reporst state that Johny Evans is being questioned. Does anyone know the latest updates?
@Primachenko [#21]: I know you were being sarcastic, that’s why I tried to add to FIFA’s hypocrisy, but I guess that also did not come off too well.
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hes been bailed until febuary 23rd, i have to say, united career is over
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woo hoo, my bro and mum is out shopping so i took the time to go snooping for presents and found them, their all wrapped up, but its something really heavey, i think she got my bro an xbox 360, but i really dont know what she got me, any ideas, its quite a big box but not that big and REALLY heavey.
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Haven’t a clue Dan! Sorry mate. Here did Ronaldo not get arrested for rape before? Evans’ career might not be over just yet, lets wait and see.
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A Playstation 3?
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Dan: It may be a concrete block
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damn English girls just cant keep their mouths shut.
same with the girls ronny, andy and nani had earlier this year talking to the tabloids. isint that why you pay so your name isnt in the paper the next day.
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Dani Alves would be a great buy instead of Lahm. He can play on both sides and can play a reserve winger(dont need it, but offensive.) He already wants to leave Sevilla!
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Gator: While my first impression of this is a typical kiss and tell in the tabloids, the girl in question deserves a bit more respect and consideration. The old saying innocent until proven guilty not only applies to Evans but to her as well. We should let the legal system do its work before we rush to pass judgement and label here a publicity seeker or a gold digger.
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2 bad are legal system is flawed.
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RedDevil Alves has only ever played on the left hand side a very small amount of times and actually refused to play there at the start of the season after Antonio Puerta’s death, plus he has very poor discipline, in the sense of defending and keeping a cool head, and he would be much more expensive.
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Soeaking of Lahm, I see he scored for Bayern today, so if he came to us we could be sure he’d get more goals than Gary ‘I score once every 10 years’ Neville! And I also noticed Luca Toni scored 4, that man is a goal scoring machine! I was surprised he went to Bayern when he could have gone to so many other teams.
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Alves is an excellent attacking full back, but chucking £20m at a right back doesn’t sit right with me. The only current right back I would even consider spending that amount of money on is Sergio Ramos.
Dan: If anything the legal system in the UK is flawed in failing to get sufficient rape convictions.
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Conor,
Often scoring goals becomes a by product of the effort that goes into creating them. United used to have a somebody by the name of RVN, who did score goals, but only the ones that others created. Methinks you really don’t want that alone when you say Gary ‘I score once every 10 years’ Neville do you? Theres more to Neville than just goalmaking or (not) goalscoring. You know that…
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Oh yes I know, I was just making a joke out of the fact that Gary never scores
I love eerything about Gary Neville, passion, ability and determination, a great player he used to be, and still probably is, but it looks like his careers coming to an end. If it was possible I would just choose Gary Neville at the age of 24/25 to be our tight back for now and the future, over Alves or Lahm any day. A brilliant player and a deserved United legend 
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lol jb, concrete block, yea thats my point they send innocent men to jail.
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I forgot all about Dani Alves but Sevilla might want an arm and a leg. Seems whenever we are involved its British Transfer record time.
There’s some rags going on about Berbatov a swap with Mr Glass and Contract Rebel Wes AND 6 Million, now that’s some bullshit. I’d take a deal involving one of them but 2 is pushing it. What do y’all think?
I hope we spend some money this January. Fergie wants some fullbacks I think, he’s even said it to the press, so he’s thinking about it. Let’s hope he’s got some good lads scouted. That Serbian at Lokomotiv If he can do the job, I’m all for it.
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Yeah Abu, I read that on Tribal football (whilst busy playing OFM).
I think its bullshit. It will definitely be a stupid deat (Saha+Brown+6m –>Berbs)
Pay all that money for a striker to let him sit on the bench?
It also stated that Spurs are holding out because they want Nani included in the deal. Now that’s stupid. If SAF does go for any of those deals, then he’s stupid!
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Karl and Abu, really? Although I love both Saha and Wes, that seems like a good deal to me, we would be losing a player that we all constantly complain about, and we’d be losig Wes which might be happening at the end of the year. I think it’s just made up rumours though.
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Yes, man.u really needs to strengthen the defence and must have two more strickers at any cost who are finishers.SAF should go for Two left backs and two right backs as Silvestre, Nevele are out with long term carrier thretening injuries and brown will be going out in Jan Window. SAF has to go for the replacements in jan window itself other wise it will effect Man.Utds treple ambition very much with out any doubt.SAF has to get Dani Alves, Ivanovic and Lahm or Hutton immediately. Evra in the left and Alves in the right will fit well for the Manu. style of play. Karim Benzema should be added to the squad imediately which will take care of this season and Klas Hauntler or Berbatov if he is willing can be added in the summer according to the market rates at that time.
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Yes prakash and that will add up to… 19 zillion pounds!I’m sorry but we’ll proabbly buy only 1 player, 2 at most.
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Yeah Conor, it might sound like a good deal, but then we’re still a striker short. Back to square one. We will end up in no better position than we are right now because Saha is a good striker.
The latest rumour is that the deal collapsed. They say SAF is going for Larson again.
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Oh I know that, but although its risky, if we end up with only 3 strikers for the rest of the season, I’d still be conident of winning the double. Wouldn’t mind Larsson, if he’s still able to play then why not.
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Conor, it will cost little bit if want class, as ALVES and LAHM Will be available for 15 to 17 million each, IVANOVIC for 10 million and KARIM BENZEMA for around 12 to 15 million. Regarding Klas and Berb it can be deceided in the summer. Above four are minimum replacements to be made imediately.Presently there is no bench strength for SAV as far as defence is concerned as replacement even if any of the present four is sidelined because of any small nigiling injuries. adding to the existing worries it is not sure what is going to happen to Evans.
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Lahm and Benzema would complete us. Signing them is the hard part
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