The Entirely Reasonable Potential Transfers Thread

[Phoenix711 26]

11 minutes ago, Polarboy said:

I don't watch Atalanta as I've already said, but Transfermarkt have him down as only having played at left back a handful of times over the last few seasons. Maybe he plays left back for Germany. 

He's a left midfielder. Not a left back. He has been employed as a left wing back for Germany e.g. in the Euro's but he isn't good enough defensively to be a left back. He's a very similar player to Matt Richie. Under Gasperini (Atlanta manager), they play the 3-4-1-2, that's 3 at the back, 4 midfielders and 2 attackers behind a CF. A bit like how Tuchel has Chelsea playing. So in Tuchel's system, it's Chilwell or Alonso on the left of the 4 man midfield - Gosen plays in this position. As mentioned, he's coming off a severe injury which has already had 1 set back pushing him back a month so seems a bit of a risk. Not that we'd get him but could wait until the summer and see if we are still in the EPL.

[Phoenix711 26]

5 minutes ago, Isegrim said:

He’s always played as a left back for Germany and that’s where he played for his club when he got called up for the first time. He might have played further up the field recently but J would still see him as a left back.

But he’s still injured anyway.

This is how he lined up for Germany in the Euros.

He played at the left of a 4 man midfield. He has played at left wingback as part of a back five but I can't remember seeing him at LB which would mean a back 4 and much deeper. EH plays with a back four but not sure that would work because of his defensive stats compared to other fullbacks. If he were in the team, he might be LM and ASM moved over to RM. But as you said, this deal is unlikely at this time, more like Gosen's agent trying to get Atlanta to give him a new deal.

[toonotl 2988]

Need signings this week. I can see the PIF’s hesitancy to spend on this window. We’ll pay perhaps 1.5x the going rate on a lot of deals because we’re desperate and it’s the nature of the window. It is better to hold off until the summer if we can, but it’s showing itself more and more each week on the pitch that we can’t hold off. It’s a game of chicken, isn’t it? Stay up by spending as little as possible, then turn on the jets in the summer  

I wonder if the other clubs noise about third-party sponsorship limitations and FFP situations like Everton find themselves in has our owners a little spooked. If we spend 120mil now on what could cost 80mil in the summer that perceivably puts us back a whole top quality signing in our development. Then perhaps it develops into a bigger problem from there if we have a few duds and the other big clubs keep playing their little ‘No Homers’ club game at the top of the tree.

That all being said, the time has come. Avoiding relegation is the top priority. This team is too shit to do it without heavy investment. I think as the end of the window approaches we’ll see more action as the PIF realise the desperate lack of quality in this team. They truly don’t have an option but to buy buy buy. It’s too much of a risk to hope this team of utter shit will suddenly turn things around.

Lost to Cambridge. One shot on target against a team without a single point in months. TOT is our captain! I wouldn’t trust him to lead my dog to his dinner. The penny must drop now because we need three-four players in yesterday. 

[Dr Gloom 21959]

2 hours ago, Phoenix711 said:

After that disappointing result against Watford, to cheer myself up I'm going to mention some players I want for Newcastle (we probably won't get a single one, but I can dream ok!). Prices are in euros (£1 = €1.2) because EPL clubs won't sell us anyone good. We have a €120m budget (£100m)- rumoured, don't know if its true. We have used €45m (£37.5m) on Trippier and Wood so have €75m (£62.5m) left.

 

My priorities on players are in this order: CB > DM > CM > CF > LB

 

Central Defender

Name: Sven Botman (22 yo)

Club: Lille

Cost: ~€55m

Why? One word. Lascelles. We need some steel at the back who can close out a 1 nil.

Botman is possibly a new Jaap Stam and could be our Kompany. Highly rated 22 yo Lille left footed CB with excellent physical ability (what Lascelle lacked today) and a brilliant passer. Main weakness is a lack of pace so would need to be partnered with someone quick or play a 3 man defence. I know we've tried to get him but we've offered €40m and they want €55m. You can see his stats in Ligue 1, he's a good passer and brings the ball out of defence.  https://fbref.com/en/players/ccce7025/Sven-Botman

 

Defensive Midfield

Name: Boubacar Kamara (22 yo)

Club: Marseille

Cost: ~€15m

Why? We need someone who can protect the back four. Too often teams go through us. We play Shelvey in front but the man is a sieve, full of holes. 

Kamara's contract expires in 6 months so would be "cheap" but he wants £150k/wk. He can play centre back, is right footed, quick and an excellent passer. He is 22 and plays for Marseille so the question is, could he justify so much money compared to say Trippier? Main issue is he's unproven in the EPL. He has excellent stats in the league though as one of the best passers and a good tackler. https://fbref.com/en/players/cc77354e/Boubacar-Kamara

 

Midfielder

Name: Bruno Guimares (24 yo)

Club: Lyon

Cost: ~€45m

Why? Two words. Sean Longstaff. Need someone who can tackle, protect, pressure and most important pass. Longstaff sadly has regressed and looks like a deer in headlights. 

He's wanted by Arsenal but thankfully Champions League teams are just monitoring. His best attribute is his passing, think De Bruyne through balls. Just watch some youtube videos. But he's not an Attacking midfielder, he plays a deep role and is an excellent tackler and ball pressurer. He is capable of winning the ball back and starting attacks, exactly what Shelvey is meant to do but hasn't. If he comes it will be for money but he still has his best years ahead of him. https://fbref.com/en/players/82518f62/Bruno-Guimaraes

 

Left Back

Name: Nicolas  Taglifico (29 yo)

Club: Ajax

Cost: ~€20m

Why? Dummett did a decent job and Lewis is making progress but neither offer an attacking threat. There's a reason why Maximin runs down the left with no overlap. 

He's a quality left back and can attack and defend. He's fallen out of favour at Ajax, behind Blind, so we may be able to pry him away. Just look at his stats over last 365 days, solid both in attack and defence. https://fbref.com/en/players/f0661424/Nicolas-Tagliafico

 

Striker

Name: Dusan Vlahovic (21 yo)

Club: Fiorentina

Cost: ~€80m

Why? We need goals. We can't expect to hold onto 1 nils and we have one of the lowest goal tallies. We are a team under pressure and if we go 2 nil up, we may actually win the game. Wood won't get us more than 5 and is a good impact sub.

Its between him and Schick for our "Marquee" signing and the main issue is the guy himself. Vlahovic wants to play in the champions league but only clubs like Tottenham and Arsenal are interested i.e not CL clubs. He has 18 months left and he is refusing to sign a new deal so Fiorentina want to cash out, they'll make more money now than the summer. Arsenal are trying to convince the guy but the stumbling blocks are:

1. He wants 300k/wk. 

2. £20m agency fees

3. Fiorentina want cash deal not instalments - poor Arsenal can only do instalments.

Apparently, after the transfer fee and wages, it works out to £150m (€180m) over 5 years! Is he worth that money? Probably not, after all that is Mo Salah/ Haaland territory and the guy isn't that good yet but is excellent. 17 goals in Serie A this season, good hold up play and an aerial threat. Can score from long range and can carry the ball. Main weakness is he is one footed (left) and positioning, he drops very deep to pick up the ball that he misses out on a lot of poacher goals. This guy is an outside chance and only because of the money but he is the best we can afford if he is willing to come. https://fbref.com/en/players/79443529/Dusan-Vlahovic

 

How I'd pay - note we are only allowed 2 loan signings or I would loan Botman and Taglifico too!:

Sven Botman = Transfer: Buy for €50m + €5m add ons (read, if we stay up)

Boubacar Kamara = Transfer: Buy for €15m

Nicolas Tagliafico = Transfer: Buy for €15m + €5m add ons (read, if we stay up)

Bruno Guimarres = Loan-to-buy: Loan fee of €15m + €30m in summer (read, if we stay up)

Dusan Vlahovic = Loan-to-buy: Loan fee of €20m + €60m in summer (read, if we stay up)

 

If Vlahovic is out of reach then try Schick who has 17 goals and is two footed and good in the air for €60m, cheaper than Vlahovic, again loan-to-buy with a hefty loan fee that would be subtracted from final buy fee.

The loan-to-buy can affectively give us a couple of world class players in form to stave off relegation. The problem with the Van Der Beeks is they are not what we need right now. Also loaning these players first, we can check if they're any good. No point in ending up with another Thauvin (who is classm only in France), we need a Laurent Robert! This is important because of FFP, we can't waste too much money or we'll be like Everton, £400m wasted on mid table mediocrity (e.g. Iwobi) and now can't spend anything for several windows.

 

So that's 50 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 20 = €115m. That means we should sell €40m in players (do we even have €40m in players! joke). We would need to sell for spaces anyway, so I would sell:

Longstaff - €6m (contract up in summer, Hello Benitez)

Gayle - €3m (championship club)

Almiron - €12m (Half what we paid for him but some club would take him at that value as he's still 27)

Kraft - €3m (Surplus to requirements, Swedish international, should be worth a few mil)

Clark - €1m (32, champions club would pick him up)

Total = €25m

 

That's a net spend of €115 - 25 = €90m. So €15m over the €75m we theoretically have left in this window but within margins for error especially for a marquee signing. I know that would mean Vlahovic and Guimarres would cost us €90m more in the next window (even more with add ons) but as it's a new financial year we still have some wiggle room for more players. Most importantly, there are several free transfers that might be available in the summer like Lingard (RW), Zakaria (DM), Onana (GK), Tarkowski (CB), Dembele (RW) that we can replace several of our weakness without spending too much. We can also try and unsettle players with 12 months left on their contract e.g. Gosen (LM) from Atlanta. 

 

So with those 5, my starting XI in a 4-1-2-3 would be:

                       Dubravka

Trippier     Schar          Botman        Taglifico

                       Kamara

          Guimarres           Joelinton

Fraser                                              Maximin

                        Vlahovic 

 

If Schar is a liability then put Kamara in the back 4 and Hayden back in the team as the DM. With Wilson back, play 4-4-2 with Maximin or Fraser replace by Joelinton out wide. In a 4-2-3-1, Kamara, Guimarres and Joelinton are excellent ball winners. While Kamara and Guimarres will look for the pass after winning the ball, Joelinton will carry it out of midfield. Maximin and Fraser are to create chances with support from Trippier and Taglifico who are good crossers.

 

Summer window I'd get 2 new wide men and a centre back. 

 

Anyway, that's my dream, writing this has made me a little less sad about the result today. Time is the best healer.

 

Tl;dr

[Isegrim 9801]

1 hour ago, Phoenix711 said:

This is how he lined up for Germany in the Euros.

He played at the left of a 4 man midfield. He has played at left wingback as part of a back five but I can't remember seeing him at LB which would mean a back 4 and much deeper. EH plays with a back four but not sure that would work because of his defensive stats compared to other fullbacks. If he were in the team, he might be LM and ASM moved over to RM. But as you said, this deal is unlikely at this time, more like Gosen's agent trying to get Atlanta to give him a new deal.

I am well aware about him featuring for the German national team as well as how his career went forward when he moved further back playing in Holland before moving to Italy.

You will see that he is mostly regarded as a “linker Verteidiger” or “Linksverteidiger” in Germany.

[Dr Gloom 21959]

Anyone still think we shouldn’t have signed coutinho?

[wykikitoon 20210]

Im starting to think we should have signed Lampard or Gerrard tbh 

[wykikitoon 20210]

I also think the philosophy of no relegation releases is fucked. We aren't going to get anyone decent. 

[wykikitoon 20210]

And yes I've woken up in a piss wet bed and in a mood

[Gemmill 44967]

Fuck me, you two are brutal.

It's like a Winnie the Poo convention, but only Eeyores turned up. 

[Chaser 1217]

Van Der Beek and Lingard, even if it's just on loan. Would make a huge difference. 

Edited January 16, 2022 by Chaser

[Gemmill 44967]

I think they've said Lingard won't be leaving in January, but if Van De Beek is up for grabs, take him. And I say that having never seen the bloke play. 

[wykikitoon 20210]

2 minutes ago, Chaser said:

Van Der Beek and Lingard, even if it's just on loan. Would make a huge difference. 

Add martial to that. 

[Ken 119]

13 minutes ago, Gemmill said:

I think they've said Lingard won't be leaving in January, but if Van De Beek is up for grabs, take him. And I say that having never seen the bloke play. 

Apparently Van De Beek is having a quarell with his agents so he is stuck at the club until the summer.

[Gemmill 44967]

He's having a worse January than us. 

[Kid Dynamite 7034]

I don't think DM is a priority for us mind. Joelinton broke up all sorts of attacks in that position yesterday. What was blindingly obvious was the lack of creativity in the middle and someone with a bit of mobility to drop off and play a couple of triangles when we were looking to get away from their press.  
 

Hayden, Longstaff, Hendrick may as well be the same player and I'd happily get rid of all 3. Shelvey is slightly more useful as he can at least pick a pass. Also, if our game plan is going to be chucking balls in the box via ASM, Fraser, Murphy, Richie, Trippier etc. then we need to play 442 as Wood stood in the box on his own battling against 2 centre halves isn't going to get us goals 

[Gemmill 44967]

Allows Joelinton to play further forward though if we get a DM in. Rather than make him play that role. 

[Kid Dynamite 7034]

4 minutes ago, Gemmill said:

Allows Joelinton to play further forward though if we get a DM in. Rather than make him play that role. 

He's MOM nearly every week playing that role!

Creativity and passing are pretty far down his list of attributes so I don't see the need to force him higher up the pitch. He's at his best when he picks up the ball as a sweeper and drives past the halfway line before laying it off to someone else 

[wykikitoon 20210]

We need to pull our fingers out this week for players.  The process so far has been slow as fuck.  We need them in for Weds at the latest to give them at least a couple of days training. But IMO it's not going to happen.

[Kid Dynamite 7034]

42 minutes ago, wykikitoon said:

We need to pull our fingers out this week for players.  The process so far has been slow as fuck.  We need them in for Weds at the latest to give them at least a couple of days training. But IMO it's not going to happen.

Catch 22 though. Every game we drop points in the harder it is to convince good players to come to us. We look dead and buried looking at the table. 

[wykikitoon 20210]

10 minutes ago, Kid Dynamite said:

Catch 22 though. Every game we drop points in the harder it is to convince good players to come to us. We look dead and buried looking at the table. 

Aye we are down IMO. 

[Howay 12496]

13 minutes ago, Kid Dynamite said:

Catch 22 though. Every game we drop points in the harder it is to convince good players to come to us. We look dead and buried looking at the table. 

Aye, I think they’ve not factored in the expense of the relegation when worrying about overpaying on these players. We also need to pack in chasing players where the club has absolutely no incentive to sell other than if a huge offer was on the table. An extra €10m on Carlos 2 weeks ago is far better than losing however much in TV money and then having to overpay for top end championship players anyway. 
 

They’ve been too slow imo, same as they panic appointment of Howe. 

[wykikitoon 20210]

 

 

 

[Kid Dynamite 7034]

Case in point 

[wykikitoon 20210]

Would rather sit on the bench at Man Utd. Says a lot about our situation.