Football has lost its marbles hasn’t it?
This is what we’re asking ourselves today here in the Football Transfer Tavern after we read in Metro that Manchester United are planning an eye-watering £350 million double raid for Barcelona’s Neymar and Lionel Messi.
To be quite honest with you, that sentence alone has brought about hysterical laughs by the bar with not even that ridiculous kind of fee being enough to convince the Catalan giants to part with two thirds of their devastating trio up top, surely?
To give those players up would be surrendering their status in world football, right?
But the sub plot to this story is that the wages that stars such as Neymar and Messi currently earn at the Camp Nou are reportedly crippling the club.
With Barca’s wage bill currently standing at 73% of revenue, something apparently needs to give but as one punter wisely points out, with Luis Enrique’s side most definitely not going to budge on the pair’s individual buy-out clauses, surely their crippling wages would then damage United?
Of course, football fans don’t think about these kind of things and are only really bothered about new outstanding talent arriving at their club.
With these recent reports in mind, we’ve devised a United XI today with both the Barcelona superstars included to see how the team would look on paper.
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Click on the image below to reveal the dream Manchester United XI including Messi and Neymar.
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David De Gea
David De Gea has to be the first name down on Louis van Gaal’s team-sheets nowadays, right?
Entering Old Trafford a top prospect but hugely inexperienced, De Gea is now making sure that he produces hugely convincing performances on a weekly basis in the Premier League.
It could’ve all been so different for the Spanish international who was seemingly intent on a summer switch to Real Madrid but that is history now with the former Atletico Madrid man signing a new deal at Old Trafford at the start of the season.
The player will be keen on building upon his one Premier League title accumulated in England so far.
Matteo Darmian
Matteo Darmian has appeared 11 times for the Red Devils in the Premier League so far and according to our punters by the bar, he’s done a relatively decent job at right back.
Rotated with Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia of course, Darmian is the only natural right back of the trio and this will potentially put him in good stead to start ahead of the others long-term for crunch away fixtures.
Darmian will want to forget his performance away at Arsenal earlier this season but that game aside, he hasn’t done much wrong since.
Chris Smalling
Manchester United’s third captain behind both Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick, it’s clearly apparent that Chris Smalling has benefited from this leadership role with the former Fulham man far more consistent nowadays.
Something of a laughing stock in seasons past, Smalling is now a rugged defender who is rarely out-muscled by opposition attackers.
According to our United fans by the bar, Smalling has got to be one of Roy Hodgson’s starting centre backs at Euro 2016 for England next summer alongside the likes of John Stones or Gary Cahill.
Daley Blind
Daley Blind played much of his first season at Old Trafford in the defensive midfield position but this term, he has primarily featured at centre back for Louis van Gaal.
A versatile customer who is adept in either position of course, these unsung abilities are all part of the reason United are still going relatively well in the Premier League with United conceding far less goals nowadays.
Some claim United need some more height at centre back with Blind not the tallest customer but he’s not so injury prone like Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones and so merits his place in the starting eleven, well at least until van Gaal goes out and lands another top quality centre half.
Luke Shaw
Scan your eyes down the list of players who could be considered candidates for the left back slot at Old Trafford right now and you’ll see Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo, Ashley Young and Luke Shaw.
Out of that foursome, Shaw is clearly the standout selection and it’s to everybody at United’s disappointment that the Red Devils cannot call upon their England international at present.
Out for the long-term after that horrific double leg fracture at PSV Eindhoven earlier this term, it’s a huge shame because Shaw was starting to consistently show a lot of promise starting games back-to-back in the Premier League.
Everybody wishes him a speedy recovery now and of course, the likes of Kieran Gibbs and Ryan Bertrand now have a chance to make the left back berth their own for next summer’s Euro 2016.
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Scoring two goals in his last two Premier League appearances, if Bastian Schweinsteiger can carry on this form, it’ll be fantastic for the Red Devils because Louis van Gaal will welcome strikes from all sources at the moment.
With both Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial not looking like 20-goals-a-season kind of strikers at the moment, United need most other players to weigh in with their fair share also to make up the deficit.
Schweinsteiger probably won’t score many more this season given he plays in a defensive-minded role but being in the right place at the right time at the moment, no United supporter is complaining!
Morgan Schneiderlin
It’s hard to put your finger on just how well Morgan Schneiderlin has done in his Old Trafford career thus far.
A big fish in a small pond at Southampton where he was the main man, the French international is just another capable midfielder at Old Trafford nowadays.
Not blowing anybody away but not disgracing himself either, this kind of conclusion means Schneiderlin needs to show a little more in the second half of the season after Christmas.
In and out of the starting eleven with either Michael Carrick or Ander Herrera starting in place of him on occasions, Louis van Gaal is blessed with talent in central midfield but Schneiderlin will have to up the ante to prove he’s worthy of being Schweinsteiger’s partner long-term.
Juan Mata
As mentioned before, United are relying on goals from all sources right now with their striking department not so consistent and it’s good that players such as Juan Mata have weighed in with five in all competitions.
While this is hardly earth shattering, the former Chelsea man has steadily improved into being an indispensable member of this United team when fully fit.
An excellent penalty taker as well, Mata is experienced in the Premier League now and given his class, will continue to trouble an entire range of opponents for many years to come.
Making it work at right midfield as well, it is no longer the case that football fans are screaming for him to be deployed in the number 10 role which lets face it, is Wayne Rooney’s position as captain.
Wayne Rooney
What’s happened to Wayne Rooney?
While some United fans will continue to back him to the hilt, others agree with rival fans that the striker is half the player he used to be.
Probably enjoying his time with England far more than at United this term with breaking the Sir Bobby Charlton record and all, Rooney just isn’t capable of scoring regularly in the Premier League at the moment.
While he’s still the club’s top scorer with seven goals in all competitions, this really isn’t enough for a team looking to land the title this term.
Fit for most of the season as well, Rooney should be scoring more despite turning 30-years-old earlier this campaign.
Neymar
Immediately taking the place of either Memphis Depay or Anthony Martial, lets face it, if Neymar arrived tomorrow, United would accommodate him anywhere – just as long as he was in the starting eleven!
Forging a career out of cutting inside on his right foot from the left flank, there is no denying that the left forward’s role is Neymar’s best position and he’s started to show that he can be just as influential for club as he is at international level where he undoubtedly carries the Brazil side.
Scoring against Real Madrid in Barca’s 4-0 demolition of Los Blancos at the Bernabeu recently, Neymar is a man for the big occasion and although the fees that get bandied about regarding his signature are ridiculous for the everyday man, on pure footballing ability alone, few players are better.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi. The best footballer to have ever walked the planet?
Lets get one thing straight; if any club is to ever prise him away from Barcelona, they’ll be one lucky club because you can see the Argentine still being a force right into his latter years in the game much like Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Paris Saint-Germain and Sweden at the moment.
Capable of doing pretty much everything and anything on the football field, Messi has forged a career out of his short bursts of pace and direct running abilities that simply devastate opposition defences.
Quicker with the ball at his feet than several other players running without it, Messi is a priceless commodity in the game and while the rumours still look incredibly unbelievable at present, we just wonder what the long-term future holds for the world’s most iconic number 10.
