SAF struggling to get Modric or Schneijder, with Modric wanting to join Chelsea and Schneijder apparently happy at Inter. Diarra of Real Madrid has been linked again tho he is more of a midfiled destroyer, not the type of player that Man U overly need. Hopefully we will be able to secure that midfield creative talent that we really need.

Yep. And if he brings Falcao (and perhaps others) with him, the rest may as well fold up their tents next season. It will be especially frustrating for United and Shiteh fans watching this.

I wouldn't throw in the towel just yet!! I thought Chelsea were an absolute racing certainty to win the league last year with Arsenal second.........I just could not see united getting close.

Well I figure it this way - the Chavs go 4-3-3 with Torres, Falcao? Drogba?/Hulk? up front.

Perm any three of those four and it's game over.

Nah, something will go wrong with them 3, for a start Torres is not what he was and Drogba will huff and puff at not being the number one guy.........also it is not a given that Falcao will succeed in English football, other super stars have come and failed.

Even if the do go down that route, they will surely continue with Lampard through the middle and with no real wide men and such a narrow midfield, team will soon work out how to get down the channels. They may be great going forward but the better sides will score against such an attacking team.........................remember Newcastle under Keegan? The you get 3 and we will get 4 approach can only work up to a point..............

..........unless you're Barcelona of course

Interesting take. Worth a bet that. I still think that compared with Wolves, Swansea, Wigan, QPR, Norwich and West Brom, Villa should be safe.

Swansea and Norwich look faves for the drop.....IMO Villa will be safe

Glazers putting their money where their slack-jawed gobs are and supporting Ferguson in his umpteenth 'rebuilding'.

Think they overpaid for Jones (although he could just as easily prove to be a bargain in time) but they've picked up Young for a snip. The deal for De Gea also looks an absolute steal at £17m. With more players likely to come in, they're stealing a march on the bling clubs of Citeh and Chelski.

Still need some creativity in central midfield and I just wonder if Hernandez can do it for a second season?

Citeh will still challenge them hard and will still plash the cash on some big names.

The Farbegas Farce rumbles on.

He's tied to a long-term deal, Arsenal don't really want to sell, but would for a good price. Barca have persistently sought to unsettle him but don't want to pay a good price. Talk now is that they're pushing him to go on strike to secure a move.

Surely there are Barca players that Arsenal would want in px?

Meanwhile, the Liverpool rumour mill keeps being the most daft. BBC Gossip having a report that we're after Wayne Bridge. Bollocks to that.

We do look like wasting far too much cash on Downing and Charlie Adam, though, as the re-Britification of Liverpool continues.

There is little doubt that Hernandez will become a superstar..the boy has terrific pace, finnishing  and awareness. Jones on paper is a little expensive but the top home grown talent always are. De Gea ,i also agree with Saint  he does look a steal likewise Young !! Creative midfielder... Man U are in the hunt for 3 Sneijder, Modric and Nasri. Hopefully one of them will sign.

Already looking ominous for the top teams who trailed Man U this season. Man U have really stole a march on the summer signings.

Charlie Adam... now this lad struggled badly at Glasgow Rangers and is now touted as the best things since sliced bread. I am not buying into it..... i really dont think he will make it at a bigger club.

Real have come in with a 50m euros raid, apparently.

Little doubt that United have stolen a march on their rivals. Jones will be a good addition, as will DeGea. I can see Jones being employed as a DM in front of the back four - a job he is perfectly capable of doing.

I'm not sold on Young though, unless Ferguson has in mind to move him in from the wing.

Modric apparently is having a medical on Thursday, pending a move to United, according to one ITK. Even the lads on Red Cafe were peeing themseleves at that one, as indeed was I.

Liverpool have done little in the market yet, apart from continuing their propensity of overpaying for good, if not exactly great players. Henderson, even at £13-16m, is overvalued.

Adam? No thanks - Liverpool are welcome to him.

Wickham, though, will be one for the future, assuming he goes to Anfield. I really can't see him ending up at the SOL, despite an agreed fee. Hopefully, 'Arry will come in with a late bid, although it doesn't look like it.

I agree, if one of the bigger clubs put a firm offer in for him that matches our bid then I am sure his head will be turned. He won't get much of a game for a while at Anfield or indeed at Spurs though, so if he has a decent agent/family behind him, they might be telling him to come to us for a couple of years to get first team football before heading off.

To be completely honest, I'm not sure he is worth close on 9m at this time anyway.

Well it looks increasingly likely now that Wickham is going to the SOL. Personally, I think Bruce has pulled a masterstroke - even at the reported price.

I hope you are right but I always worry about the step up to the premier league and his record for goals is not earth shattering at championship level.

Meanwhile, United get their man

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13933241.stm

or one of them

Liverpool have signed Charlie Adam

I just hope we've not paid very much for him

Just a thought... if we also sign Downing, Dalglish is going to be managing the most pedestrian, flairless, plodding, ordinary Liverpool team I can remember.

Where's the pace? the skill? the flair? There's even talk of letting Meireles go. Oh, great.

I'm very worried about the forthcoming season. Only for the fact that all teams apart from Man U/Chelsea/Arsenal/Citeh and Spurs are crap, I'd be thinking he'd set his stall out for mid table. Oh well, 6th again.

Indeed, And Downing? He's not worth £15 let alone £15M

Then again I don't rate Utd's new signing Young very highly either

I think Utd have signed just what they needed in Young. Probably going to sign an attacking/play-making midfielder, too - Sneijder? And possibly another striker, should anyone be daft enough to pay £12-15m for Berbaflop.

I've said it umpteen times before: Dalglish's transfer dealings in his first speall as Liverpool manager brought about the beginning of the end of our dominance (his work carried on with aplomb by Souness, Evans and Houllier  )

It seems to me that he's not learned the lesson - although now his crap signings cost even more money.

I don't rate either, either.