Owen Hargreaves. 20m. Manchester United.
With all the wait and the hype (some contrived, some real and the rest pointless), Owen Hargreaves’ eventual move to Manchester United could be a damp squid.
Hargreaves, while the right man for Manchester United’s midfiled, will take time to settle in and will invariably attract criticism for his high price tag and the lack of superhuman performances. If any evidence of this is required, Manchester United fans and football pundits everywhere need only to look at Michael Carrick, the man Hargreaves is keeping out of the current England setup.
Carrick’s move cost United 14m (going up to 18m), and while Ferguson and David Gill will tell you that he’s worth at least 20m (he is, if you consider that he’s been one of our top five players this season AND will be a central figure for us for the next five years), fans might disagree.
Bah, what do we know?
The headline – yes, the headline.
Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich president), while speaking on German television, said that a big offer (17m to 20m) for Hargreaves would be difficult to ignore.
Beckenbauer:
“If it is right there is an offer of 25-30m euros (£17-20m), then I would seriously consider it.
I think the board also think this way to satisfy the needs of the player.”
Bayern have timed it to perfection – it’s mid April, their title aspirations are almost dead, they can’t keep playing Hargreaves if he wants to leave and they wanted an exit strategy that would allow them to save face. Making the transfer about the money (where a few months ago Bayern’s ego took precedence), they are trying to sidestep any fan criticism for selling one of Bayern’s top players.
Whatever the case, Hargreaves looks set to be Manchester United’s main transfer capture of the summer. Add a Bale and a Nani to the mix, sell a couple of players and this team is good to go without a new striker coming in.
[Source: BBC Sport]
Topics: Bayern Munich, Football Transfers, Manchester United, Owen Hargreaves
Football News 24/7
17-20M, I feel it is too much for a player who have proved very less. May be we can spend the amount for the Giggs replacer. He is overrated and overpriced. Less that 10 is OK. I know nobody agree with me.
If it is Essien, Yes, pay em even more, he is my best holding-mid.
April 12th, 2007 @ 15:45As i said a million times before.. We should have gone for Mascherano.. and i’m being proved right by recent performances.
This position should have been sorted years ago. Take Xabi Alonso and Fergie a year b4 the bindippers got him “This boy is the best young defensive midfielder in Europe, there’s no doubt about that”. Did we bid no we didn’t. Why?
I’m not saying my judgement of players is better than his but any idiot (apart from curbishly and pardew) can see Mascherano is world class and even at the reported £10m a far better option than Hargreaves and younger
Hargreaves? If he REALLY was the target all along why did we wait for him to sign a new contract then get held to ransom for what will be complete daylight robbery if he goes for anything like £17m+
I still like the look of De Rossi, 1 game does not make a bad player after all..
To spend the sums being mentioned on Hargreaves would be criminal
April 12th, 2007 @ 16:14Having watched Hargreaves last night I have serious doubts about the price. I think we would be foolish to pay anything over 8 million for him. De Rossi of Roma was for more impressive for my liking and he never gave up, even when his team was loosing 7-1. He has a great attitude and can score too. I think we were roumoured to be interested in him during the season.
April 12th, 2007 @ 17:10Hargreaves will be fine. You lot never though Carrick was worth his price tag till last night. Trust SAF.
April 12th, 2007 @ 18:06I agreewith Stephen. Should instead go for Mascherano insted.
April 12th, 2007 @ 19:02There are other options available at much cheaper.
Other thing is, if OH come, what will happen to our midfield? No way SAF will let a 18 and 20 mil pound person become benchwarmers. Does this mean that Scholes’ days are limited? Does Carrick have the same vision as Scholes already? I know a lot of ManU fans will disagree with me, but if I were SAF, I would rather go for an offensive mid (like Kaka) and get Carrick to defend more (also keep Fletch and O’shea around).
Regarding defensive mids, I still believe Heinze can fill that job perfectly.
Yup, i guess Heinze can do the defensive holding mid role well. but my pick wud be him maintained as leftback or maybe bale can come in? evra moved to giggs wing role eventually. i also dun think hargreaves is worth that much really…
April 12th, 2007 @ 19:41CAN SUMBODY CLOSE TO SIR ALEX TELL HIM OUR PIECE OF MIND AND HEINZE’S POSITION?
April 12th, 2007 @ 19:43I’ve tried telling fergi but he dont listen…seems like he has a mind of his own…
April 12th, 2007 @ 20:39Lets look at things objectively for a minute. For large parts of his career hargreaves was hated by all england fans. He was booed and abused and ALL questioned his place in the national team. Well fast forward to the world cup and he has a blinder of a tournament and is being touted as england’s best player. Now i too was impressed with his performances last summer, but for me he is yet to pass the test of time. 20 millions euros for a player who has only recently started performing well is pretty outrageous if you think about it logically. Hate to compare, but you should think back to milan baros in euro 2004. He had a belter of a tournament and was smashing in goals. Few months later not good enough for liverpool and not even good enough for aston villa. Now im not saying its the same thing, but you can draw some parallels. I dont think anyone can question SAF’s ability to spot talent and god knows he has led us to great things but still. I would love to see hargreaves at old trafford, but it makes you wonder, is the money being well spent ? could you buy a quality winger and a cheaper defensive man like senna and still have some cash left over ?
April 12th, 2007 @ 21:45Those who think Hargreaves only started performing well during the World Cup should consider watching the Bundesliga more often. He has been one of the top holding midfielders in Europe for a few years now and even won the Champions League in 2001. People only judged him on his limited appearances for England and just assumed he is rubbish. However if we were to also judge Gerrard, Lampard, and Rooney only based on their performances for England then we would also think they are rubbish. But we get to see these guys play week in week out in the Premiership and therefore we know they are top quality players. Unfortunately this is not the case with Owen Hargreaves as the Bundesliga recieves far lees exposure than the Premiership. Fact is that Hargreaves offers something that no other English player does, in that he can retain possession in midfield wihtout the need to play at such a high speed all the time.
April 13th, 2007 @ 12:33Why is everyone hung up on Mascherano? Because he’s Argentinian?
Have you guys actually seen Mascherano play more than you’ve seen Hargreaves play?
I have no doubt that Mascherano is a good player – but blindly supporting one player over the other is silliness.
About Hargreaves’ price tag – 20m is very expensive, but at the end of the day if Hargreaves can help us challenge for the title again, then it’s worth it, right?
Hopefully United won’t pay that much.
A – support (or lack thereof) from england fans is no barometer for quality or success.
Plus the Milan Baros / Hargreaves comparison doesn’t fly:
1) Baros didnt fit at Liverpool because they don’t have the same style of play as he’s used to. He also had the same adjustment problems at Villa.
2) Hargreaves has been consistently performing for Bayern since 2001. There’s your test of time mate.
Going cheap is not an option – We have to pick the man we need, and if the Milan midfield aint coming over and if Barca’s men aren’t coming either then we’re left with Hargreaves as the next best choice.
There’s a very specific reason why Mascherano wasn’t bought – because the people who own him put a lot of conditions on the deal, and United weren’t up for it.
Even now Mascherano is on loan at Liverpool, not bought by them.
April 13th, 2007 @ 12:37Puuuulease. I totally agree with Ahmed. Mascherano WAS good but that was because he played against lousy oppositions. Has anyone actually seen him play in Europe? Nope. Not until the Hammers brought him in, and even then he warmed the bench. Now Liverpools got him and hopefully he has settled in to the pace of the Premiership, but he hasnt really impressed me yet. OH is definitely better, but 17 million is overpriced. 12 would be more like it. And Heinze as a DM? Have you seen his passing and crosses? Youve got to be kidding me. Evra as giggs replacement!?!? Might as well have Van Der Sar play Stiker..OH will be a good addition no doubt. Add that to Nani and we’ve got THE BEST squad in Europe. ROCK ON MANU!
April 13th, 2007 @ 12:57I think you ‘re all media-victims.Owen WHO?That Guardian stupidity is all over your mind guys…
April 13th, 2007 @ 14:44I don’t think we should go for OH.Bayern is a G-14 club that never sells players,unless you pay them silly money.The highest fee the club has ever received is 5m for hamann (www.footballtransfers.co.uk/squads/club393.html).So,this club will sell only if they see us splash the cash -25m EURO- which is stupid for a 26 y.o. midlfield player like O.H.
I mean OK,he ‘s everywhere in the pitch,but he is technically average while we really want the wise off-the-ball and pass in the midfield.We want that scholesy-role player.That means we want an experienced english-style playmaker (like Cariick,Scholes,Gerrard) or a very quick good passer like Essien or Obi Mikel,who were cheap,till that blue crap grabbed them.That’s why SAF wanted those African ones.Scholes can’t be out there for ever.
If we don’t have the money for a playmaker (any ideas SAF?) then Carrick can get that role.BUT,even then why should we buy O.H. for 20m.
DE ROSSI is everywhere in the pitch ,too.He is younger,he is dirty when he should be and he has the Roy Keane winning-spirit.He deserves a 20m fee more than anyone else.I think he is top-class because he also has a great short pass and a shot.
And if we have to give money to those Germans, we can buy the great side mid-playmaker SCHWEISTEIGER.Unbeliveable long shots,good passes and long balls and great ability to hold the ball.Marvelous young player.
Now this is a mid-line.The Dribbler,the playmaker,the fighting def-midfielder and the talented one.And it’s not Giggs,Scholes,Keane and Beckham.It’s Ronaldo,Carrick,De Rossi,and Schweisteiger.
But we need 50-60m.Never read the Guardian,we are interested in more players than O.H. and HAVE A NICE DAY!Never read the Guardian!
Ahmed “About Hargreaves’ price tag – 20m is very expensive, but at the end of the day if Hargreaves can help us challenge for the title again, then it’s worth it, right?”
We’re challenging for the title now – WITHOUT Hargreaves. I don’t share SAF’s vision, but regardless, I still feel he is overpriced.
April 13th, 2007 @ 14:46As a DM, your job is to protect your defenders – tackle, get the ball and give it to a passer like Carrick. Heinze can do that no problem. What’s more, he has the same heart and tenacity as Keane.
manu will definetely buying own for the school replacement!1
April 13th, 2007 @ 14:51or shud we get diarra from real madrid? may come cheaper than OH…
April 19th, 2007 @ 21:19sell saha and richardson…get abt 8-10 quids for him….play heinze in DM, evra / bale at leftback…we keep all our best players happy…buy Villa or Kanoute!
April 19th, 2007 @ 21:22cool?
April 19th, 2007 @ 21:23@ Kienu: While your at it see if Rooney can play keeper
April 20th, 2007 @ 04:51Jade – why not?
Kienu – not sell Saha, don’t play Heinze as dm.
April 20th, 2007 @ 10:31There is no point in discussing the price when you are heading for the treble.We want a sub to Roy keane who has vision and of the ball skills.Manu has been lagging in such areas when you need to break the counter attacks and hargreaves is doing this from last 6 years.Yes Mascherano was one option but you can never judge a player from few matches.You need experience when you are heading towards the treble.
July 12th, 2007 @ 14:28Now to De Rossi.De Rossi is a great player and more to that is a winning player.This season we saw him playing for italians and it was great.But the problem arises that De rossi has been adjusted to the Italians play of style and has gripped their ground.So will it be a risk to bring him back around.What SAF is thinking that bring players like ronaldo would be more benefical then taking the Big name players as he was before joining the Club.So spending on Nani is perfectly ok.Guys i have seen him playing and he rocks.A TRUE MANU.
Anderson was the player who was the one responsible in the 2005/2006 loss in UFEA and such players are always danger to opponents who can adjust to any style of playing.Being young you can easily carve them as fergie did to Rooney and ronaldo.And besides Smith going you need him.