Midfielders other than Bellingham

[peekay]

We had to sign Nunez or someone to replace Mane though. Diaz was signed year before and assume Carvalho was tracked for a few years, both can be sold presume without loss.

Wouldnt be complaining too much if Nunez had lived up to his billing. My complaint is both with the positions we are targeting and the quality of signings.

What is this radically new concept called selling players? Are we allowed to do that? After Can, Wijnaldum, Firmino, Ox, Keita, Milner and the way we hold onto Nat Phillips, I thought we are banned from selling players.

 

[binomial]

You can make an argument for Gakpo - even though I have my reservations about him - as a Firmino replacement if that's what we wanted. He was at least moderately priced too.

Nunez I just don't understand. 60-80M was a massive gamble for a player that doesn't quite look right in any position for us.

60-80m is about right in this market for a young striker with world class potential.....what exactly is it about him that makes him not look right? Is it that he's over 6ft and had a ponytail?

There aren't that many strikers out there like him available on the market, Osimhen, David & Ramos are the only 3 that spring to mind and would both command ridiculous fees.

 

[bluebell]

60-80m is about right in this market for a young striker with world class potential.....what exactly is it about him that makes him not look right? Is it that he's over 6ft and had a ponytail?

There aren't that many strikers out there like him available on the market, Osimhen, David & Ramos are the only 3 that spring to mind and would both command ridiculous fees.

Not sure what people expected from Nunez and Gakpo in their first season. We all use to give a player a season to adjust before concluding he is a hit or not. Both Nunez and Gakpo will show exactly how good they are next season when we have a functioning MF.

 

[bluebell]

As per 90min hahahahaha ffs.

His goal against Arsenal though. Mammmmmmma mia

See that's how I don't like with Transfermarkt...how do they value someone like him at 26m, it's preposterous.

He has an €80m buy-out clause. So that is what it will take. Not sure anyone goes by Transfermkt valuations

 

[binomial]

Not sure what people expected from Nunez and Gakpo in their first season. We all use to give a player a season to adjust before concluding he is a hit or not. Both Nunez and Gakpo will show exactly how good they are next season when we have a functioning MF.

Anyone thats watched over 5 games for us this season they’ve played in will have already seen how good they are.

 

[keniget]

Is it that he's over 6ft and had a ponytail?

Are you being serious with this shit?

 

[Red Bird]

We see this kinda stories from our end as well when bad news come out..

That man is comedy gold. I don’t think he actually believes his ramblings. He does bring in clicks and views, though.

 

[tomasjj]

Not a midfielder, but we should buy Kai Havertz.
chavs are messing him about

 

[localny]

This, on the other hand, is a worrying list of targets:

Mason Mount is the new Joe Cole signing.

 

[MomoWASright]

Not a midfielder, but we should buy Kai Havertz.
chavs are messing him about

He couldn’t finish his dinner.

 

[rubans]

We shouldn’t buy Chelsea’s offcuts unless it’s Reece James.

 

[binomial]

Are you being serious with this shit?

In what sense?

In the sense that I'd expect you to agree with me? Then no.

In the sense that I'd expect an actual response to the sincere question you didn't (want to) answer? Then yes.

 

[tomasjj]

He couldn’t finish his dinner.

Link player

 

[Hansern]

Tchouameni being linked again as well. Maybe Real will sell.

 

[tomasjj]

Tchouameni being linked again as well. Maybe Real will sell.

I would like that

 

[Hansern]

 

[Bradley]

Gonna be shit for him to end up playing conference league with City next season.

 

[rurikbird]

If that’s true, I hope he stays with Dortmund for one more season and we revisit the issue next summer. He is still only 19, which is hard to believe - plenty of time to sort out his future.

I have exactly the same feeling now as when I heard the news that Van Dijk’s transfer from Southampton fell through - absolutely gutted and in disbelief. I just cannot imagine this player in Man City or Madrid colours.

 

[Markeh]

If that’s true, I hope he stays with Dortmund for one more season and we revisit the issue next summer. He is still only 19, which is hard to believe - plenty of time to sort out his future.

I have exactly the same feeling now as when I heard the news that Van Dijk’s transfer from Southampton fell through - absolutely gutted and in disbelief. I just cannot imagine this player in Man City or Madrid colours.

same, he seemed to be the cornerstone of the summer window to come. hopefully those with the viewpoint that it’s too much and we should be going back to our old approach are right

what are the chances our transfer plans are completely fucked already?

 

[peterhague]

I have to say, I do think Mount is fucking brilliant. If you'd told me last year that we'd sign him I'd have been absolutely over the moon.

Same for Connor Gallagher as well, to be honest.

 

[binomial]

If you’re on the wind up surely you can do better than that..

 

[Markeh]

Something like Rice and Mount for the same price as Bellingham would be great but we look like time wasters viewing the Bellingham house many many times only to pull out when the bids start rolling in.

We’re going to be challenged for all the big names now, nobody is coming cheap. I hope this is understood or we’re going to end up signing nobody of note.

 

[rurikbird]

Let’s see those “4 top class and expensive additions.”

 

[StevieM]

I have to say, I do think Mount is fucking brilliant. If you'd told me last year that we'd sign him I'd have been absolutely over the moon.

Same for Connor Gallagher as well, to be honest.

Mount for £40m or under would be good business. I like the idea of Thuram for a similar amount, plus that kid from Bristol City and either Koopmeiners or Gravenberch for around £40m.

Thats’s essentially what Bellingham would cost.

Throw in Ndicka on a free and that’s us looking pretty good.

Might even be able to look at another forward.

 

[localny]

It's a cunning plan to pay less for players this summer...

 

[peterhague]

It's crazy that even with the prospect of signing 3 midfielders I still look at the renewed squad and think it looks a bit thin. Hendo, Fabinho, Thiago - old and mostly shit and/or injured. Jones and Elliott - totally unproven. Err, that's it.

What the fuck they were thinking last summer God only knows. Completely delusional.

 

[rubans]

If Bellingham really wants to join us then he should stay another 2yrs at Dortmond and join us on a free but he won’t.

If only somehow we would have known last year that RM and Man City would likely out spend us, we could have signed other able CMs instead…

 

[rurikbird]

The journos are now saying RB is one of our priority positions in the summer, after midfield and CB. If we sign someone like Devyne Rensch, a superb tackler who can play in all back 4 positions and probably in midfield if needed, I can see a system where Trent alternates between DM (in build-up) and right wing-back (in attack) while the new “defensive problem-solver” - be it Rensch or a new DM like Ugarte or Caicedo or even our old friend Tchouameni - protects the areas that need protection throughout the game, filling in alternately at RB, 2nd DM or 3rd CB. For instance:

(build-up phase)
—-[new player]—Konate—-VVD——
———-Trent————-[CM]————

(attacking phase)
——-Konate————VVD————
————-[new player]———————
——————————[CM]———-
Trent—————————————-

This is a similar idea to what John Stones has been recently doing with great success for City; basically re-invention of the libero role adapted for the modern game. Ancelotti has done something similar at times even back when he was playing against us with Napoli and most recently with Camavinga; the attacking systems are becoming less static and structured, leaving rigid defences guarding empty space - so defensive structures necessarily need to become more flexible as well. Nowadays you’re not shopping for a full-back or a centre-back or a DM, you look for all-around defensive qualities that could be equally applied in any of these positions.

I think a world-class squad needs around 4-5 genuine all-around defensive players with pace, physically dominant and with great positioning (ability to progress the play offensively goes without saying). We probably currently have 2 such players in Van Dijk and Konate (Gomez fits the bill on paper but is too erratic and Matip and Fabinho were such players in their prime before their physical decline), Bajcetic is a potential 3rd. This summer we need to add 2-3 more.

 

[rurikbird]

The more I think about it, the more this decision makes sense. Signing Bellingham without being able to also invest in the required supporting cast would be ensuring failure and one could argue would be unfair to Bellingham himself, because he would get the bulk of the criticism given the price tag. Now he will have to make a decision whether to wait for LFC one more season - and there is no reason why a 19-year-old couldn’t stay in Dortmund where he is adored for another year - and if he chases the money of City or glamour of Madrid than maybe we were wrong about him being the man to build our team around for the next 10 years.

Let’s build up the squad, fill the obvious holes with quality and talent, clear out the has-beens and the freeloaders and then in a year we can think about adding a “cherry on top” player. Whether that player will be Bellingham or someone else will be up to him.

 

[peekay]

The more I think about it, the more this decision makes sense. Signing Bellingham without being able to also invest in the required supporting cast would be ensuring failure and one could argue would be unfair to Bellingham himself, because he would get the bulk of the criticism given the price tag. Now he will have to make a decision whether to wait for LFC one more season - and there is no reason why a 19-year-old couldn’t stay in Dortmund where he is adored for another year - and if he chases the money of City or glamour of Madrid than maybe we were wrong about him being the man to build our team around for the next 10 years.

Let’s build up the squad, fill the obvious holes with quality and talent, clear out the has-beens and the freeloaders and then in a year we can think about a “cherry on top” player. Whether that player will be Bellingham or someone else will be up to him.

I knew it, knew it you would come around to my point of view!!!!