Do you have a source for that? As far as I know we are over, but comfortably complying with the break even requirement. W
Unless I am mistaken we have absolutely no need to sell to meet FFP, unless we want to make a big purchase in January.
But still plays a fair number of minutes. He's being chronically misused, but we have a lot of fixtures coming up and we just sold KDB. We would be insane to sell him and put ourselves in a position where a single injury could **** us, unless of course we were to get Rooney as part of the deal.
At the cost of greatly strengthening a rival, easing the pressure of their manager, helping them to dispel the gloom at the club and potentially reverting the dressing room rot. A bit like Ozil to Arsenal in many ways, except we'd be selling to a club that will be one of our direct competitors next season barring some colossal **** ups, rather than a foreign team.
Plus who would we then spend that money on? There's a shortage of big name strikers around at the moment and January is a terrible time to try and get one. If anything, chasing up PSG's interest for less money and then using him Mata as leverage to sign the unsettled Cavani would make a lot more sense.
So not only would we sell you Mata now, we'd let you keep Rooney until the end of the season as well? Utter madness. Under your own argument, if we sell Mata it's to free up funds so presumably we'd be buying a striker in the same window. If we did that, we'd have no need for Rooney so being in United's good books means nothing. Unless you're suggesting that we would sell you Mata and then just stash the money until the summer and use it to buy Rooney then, which would be absurd. We would have to be idiots to make that deal.
It makes very little sense for us to sell him to you, and absolutely none if we're not going to get Rooney immediately in return.
Actually it does make sense for Chelsea. They are well over FFP, selling in Jan rather than summer makes them sweet on that. They would get circa 40m for a player who isn't a focal part of the side, which could be used to actually get the players they need. Jose plays with a small squad anyway, less of an issue losing Mata, considering he signed the far more important Matic. Smooths things with United towards any summer move on Rooney (give than United would have a ready replacement in Mata already at the club).
I take it you thought about all those factors before saying no?
Anyways we will get the answer in 10 days. Hopefully we sign at least someone in this window as at least we need to refresh the squad and we need someone to keep the players on their toes. One of the best Fergie's principle, always improve squad to maintain the competition for places.
Your own figures came out about a month ago, you've gone from being in the black to back in the red again, that was before Mata/KDB. It's about massaging the figures effectively. It looks far better on the reports if the 40m goes in now, and goes back out in summer. Perhaps even on Rooney or Costa. That's me assuming you wouldn't do any more business this jan, but I doubt you will till the summer.
And Tyton is right, still the player to consider.
I'd say we'll find out tonight...can Moyes really hide something in an interview?
Is Ogden the source of this story? He's run with it as AFAIK, but I'm pretty sure he's not the one who brought this "breaking news story" to the Telegraph.
Wait... Wait.... Wait.... are you seriously trying to justify Mata would be better off trying to impress Jose and get back in to the Chelsea team and that would be better for his world cup ambitions? Instead of joining United who are in turmoil atm, playing many games and having the impact of turning their season around would be not as good for him? Lol.
If you lot are ready to lose Rooney anyways, why not just swap him now with Chelsea. Doesn't make sense from a Chelsea perspective to sell a world-class player to United 'in the hope' that United will turn around and return that favour in the summer all the while pushing them towards a top 4 spot which we would be in danger of losing if we sell Mata and get embroiled in an injury crisis
If we want to sell to make up the deficit, we can sell Ba or Marin or any of the 22 players we have on loan. If we want to sell Mata, we could offer him to the likes of PSG before we consider United. I like to believe Chelsea isn't run by a bunch of morons so if this deal goes through without Rooney going the other way, you guys can rib and call me every name under the sun but admit it, this deal looks super unlikely
Ogden is the source, Telegraph. followed closely by mail and others. Ducker of times slow to pick it up then running with it too. again doesn't mean it will happen, but Ogdens extremely good track record on all United stories (not just transfers) gives him benefit of doubt for me. The man knows his United news tbh.
The problem for Mata is that Jose has exposed his weaknesses and made a huge deal out of them. If he stays at Chelsea and proves that he is able to adapt, he will be a lot more valuable to VdB than he will if he goes to United and is the stand out player in a struggling team. Staying at Chelsea would prove his tenacity and his tactical worth, helping him to stand out for the likes of Isco for the very limited slots available for an AM in the Spain squad.
This is baseless and entirely out of character for Mata. The only tiny shred of evidence that would support this is one moment of frustration at being substituted. If anything, I think he'd be much more likely to want to try and stay until the end of the year and prove himself under Jose's system than force a move out. You could easily turn the idea on its head and say that proving he can work defensively is his best chance of getting into VdB's plans, as it would make him a valuable tactical option.
Umm because they are not ready? They are just worried they might not keep him. Not the same thing. And since when would losing Mata even remotely make you look like dropping out the top 4.
So we comply with the FFP and in turn put ourselves in serious danger of losing a top 4 spot entirely?
Pointing out Mata's character is pure speculation, he was a regular starter for most of his adult life, being marginalized like this is a new situation, so you can't possibly know how he would react. And he doesn't need to improve to impress VdB, he was already good enough to be used as squad player in 2010 WC and 2012 Euro. Difference is, he wasn't a benchwarmer then.
Pointing out Mata's character is pure speculation, he was a regular starter for most of his adult life, being marginalized like this is a new situation, so you can't possibly know how he would react. And he doesn't need to improve to impress VdB, he was already good enough to be used as squad player in 2010 WC and 2012 Euro. Difference is, he wasn't a benchwarmer then.
I agree with you but there are a plethora of other options we can consider before we sell him to United