Coutinho’s replacement...

[Numero Veinticinco]

And Mahrez id be over the moon

So lazy, though.

[aRdja]

Dani Ceballos has told Real Madrid president Florentino Perez he wants to join Liverpool. [Diario Gol]

He’s a CM isn’t he?

[liverpoolsno9]

I like Mahrez but I think he’s as far removed from a Klopp player you could get. I maybe wrong, but would be interesting to see how much ground he covers, as I think he just strolls through some games.

[moof]

He’s a CM isn’t he?

Yep. Along with Asensio he was Spain’s best player in the u-21 squad in the summer imo. Huge talent.

[Lee909]

So lazy, though.

 

Honestly im not sure how lazy he is when he is on

Think alot of the lazy stuff comes from the season after thy won th title when the whole team switched off

[Boss]

Lemar is more two-footed? He's one of the most one-footed players I've ever seen! Watch videos on him, he dribbles very effectively but a lot of his "best" dribbling moves are actually a cut-back towards his own goal to avoid a defender because he doesn't have a right foot. Looks really nice but then you're behind the defender again and you have to beat him again.

 

Look, I'm not saying Lemar is rubbish. Just that he's no better than Draxler who PSG are trying to shift. Let's just get Draxler instead! He's only 24, hardly over the hill or past his prime. He plays on the left or as a central attacking mid, just like Coutinho and Lemar. 

 

And most importantly, he's available for £40 million! Meaning that's an extra £50 million we have over and above Draxler's price (as compared to Lemar's) to go spend on a goalkeeper or a defensive midfielder. That could be the difference between seriously pursuing Oblak or just settling for Alisson. Or maybe the difference between going after Weigl or just settling for Ndidi (just a few examples, not saying we're actually after any of these).

 

It's the opportunity cost with Lemar that doesn't make sense to me. It's how much it limits our ability to use that Coutinho money to completely solve most of our biggest weaknesses.

 

They're both very one footed. To be fair to Fekir he scored a world class goal with his right foot from the halfway line. I'm not saying Lemar would be a better signing. I'd prefer Fekir, but i can see why we're going for him. The ideal replacement would be to offer City £60-70m for Bernardo Silva, seeing that he's not getting much playing time. He'd be as close a replacement to Coutinho as possible.

 

I don't rate Draxler. The rumours were he was solely interested in the money when Klopp contacted him (before his move to PSG). He was asking how much he'd get paid and he wasn't really interested in being sold on the vision of the club or anything like that. That could just be speculation from the press of course but i don't think it'd be a wise move. He's the German Oxlade Chamberlain and we need the new Pablo Aimer. 

 

It'd never happen in a million years but if we took all of the money and offered it to Juve for Dybala then that would be a way to keep our momentum going. 

[Lee909]

Looking at his stats he has nearly as many tackles,interceptions etc this season as all of last. And last year was far blow his first

[Grinch]

Honestly im not sure how lazy he is when he is on

Think alot of the lazy stuff comes from the season after thy won th title when the whole team switched off

 

I don't think he even broke into a jog against us last week.

[Guest]

Monaco head coach Leonardo Jardim has ruled out selling any key players this month.

 

Brazilian defensive midfielder Fabinho is expected to leave in the summer and the attack-minded Thomas Lemar has been linked with Liverpool and almost joined Arsenal last summer.

 

The Ligue 1 outfit have allowed defender Terence Kongolo to join Huddersfield, and midfielder Soualiho Meite has left for Bordeaux, with both players leaving on loan.

 

But any big-money deals will have to wait, Jardim stressed on Friday, as he underlined his intention to keep the bulk of his squad together.

 

He said one of his young goalkeepers may be allowed to leave if the chance of first-team football comes up elsewhere, but when asked about other deals he dismissed the prospect of significant departures.

 

“We are not in the habit of doing major sales of players (in the winter transfer window),” Jardim said.

 

He said January presented a chance to field some of his emerging players.

 

Monaco play Yzeure, a team from the fourth tier, in the Coupe de France on Saturday, before tackling Nice in the Coupe de la Ligue next Tuesday. Those games could see younger players given their chance

 

Jardim said, in a press conference shown on the club’s Twitter feed: “That’s our strategy, more than major sales.”

 

He said the players “understand” Monaco’s stance.

 

Monaco sit second in Ligue 1 as they defend the title they won last year, and are nine points behind leaders Paris St Germain.

 

A host of summer departures followed their championship-winning season, as Tiemoue Bakayoko joined Chelsea and Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva moved to Manchester City.

 

Striker Kylian Mbappe left for Paris St Germain, in a loan move that is set to be made permanent at the end of the season.

[Lee909]

French to English Translation

Pay us over the odds

[Harry Squatter]

Boudebouz should sign for Everton

[Boss]

Comolli wanted Boudebouz a while back when he was worth about £2m.

[Lee909]

Comolli wanted Boudebouz a while back when he was worth about £2m.

 

 

Not really a goal threat though looking at his stats

[Boss]

And now he's worth £5.4m. Moneyball. 

[3 Stacks]

Lemar is more two-footed? He's one of the most one-footed players I've ever seen! Watch videos on him, he dribbles very effectively but a lot of his "best" dribbling moves are actually a cut-back towards his own goal to avoid a defender because he doesn't have a right foot. Looks really nice but then you're behind the defender again and you have to beat him again.

 

Look, I'm not saying Lemar is rubbish. Just that he's no better than Draxler who PSG are trying to shift. Let's just get Draxler instead! He's only 24, hardly over the hill or past his prime. He plays on the left or as a central attacking mid, just like Coutinho and Lemar. 

 

And most importantly, he's available for £40 million! Meaning that's an extra £50 million we have over and above Draxler's price (as compared to Lemar's) to go spend on a goalkeeper or a defensive midfielder. That could be the difference between seriously pursuing Oblak or just settling for Alisson. Or maybe the difference between going after Weigl or just settling for Ndidi (just a few examples, not saying we're actually after any of these).

 

It's the opportunity cost with Lemar that doesn't make sense to me. It's how much it limits our ability to use that Coutinho money to completely solve most of our biggest weaknesses.

 

Draxler's not available and PSG aren't trying to shift him as he's a regular midfield contributor now. The players PSG are looking to sell for FFP reasons are Di Maria, Pastore and Lucas Moura.

 

Lemar's production and performances have dropped because his motivation has dropped as well. It's the same as Fabinho. They are both class players but they thought they would get a move last summer or that Monaco would keep more of its best players. They are just waiting for someone to come in for them. 

 

Of course we don't have to directly replace Coutinho either and we could go for a deeper midfielder instead. But in terms of getting a player who is also a wide playmaker like Coutinho, we won't find many better and more suited to that than Lemar. 

[Harry Squatter]

That Luan we were linked with won South American player of the year a week or so ago. Probably cost more than the 25m that was quoted in the summer though.

[TheHowieLama]

Boudebouz couchez avec moi c'est soir??

 

 

[joe_fishfish]

Draxler's not available and PSG aren't trying to shift him as he's a regular midfield contributor now. The players PSG are looking to sell for FFP reasons are Di Maria, Pastore and Lucas Moura.

 

Lemar's production and performances have dropped because his motivation has dropped as well. It's the same as Fabinho. They are both class players but they thought they would get a move last summer or that Monaco would keep more of its best players. They are just waiting for someone to come in for them.

 

Of course we don't have to directly replace Coutinho either and we could go for a deeper midfielder instead. But in terms of getting a player who is also a wide playmaker like Coutinho, we won't find many better and more suited to that than Lemar.

Fabinho would be amazing if we could get him back to how he was playing last season. Imagine him as our deepest midfielder instead of Henderson, we'd be loads better off.

[Harry Squatter]

How much would Fabinho cost?. He can play right back as well

[3 Stacks]

How much would Fabinho cost?. He can play right back as well

 

Around 50-60m, I think. 

[SammyAftershave]

Just as a curveball suggestion. what would the feeling about Mata on a free in the Summer be? Either as a Coutinho replacement or a further addition to the attacking ranks?

 

Totally unrealistic, but we should throw the whole lot at Chelsea for Hazard. 

 

Is there a secret mind-altering drug knocking about on the forum that I'm not privvy to or is it just people posting when they are confused by computer football manager games, totally pissed-up or getting the last one in before locking up time in the mental institution?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or, all of the above?

[aRdja]

Tbf, Lemar looks pretty good in this compilation.

 

https://youtu.be/JEIEkiG-wtI

[amli]

@jamespearceecho: Monaco insist they have no intention of selling Thomas Lemar this month.

[Red House]

The Spanish side hope an initial payment of £105 million, with a £35 million in add-ons based on appearances and success at the Nou Camp, will make Coutinho the third most expensive footballer in history. (Chris Bascombe)

 

Liverpool do not want to sell the 25-year-old and are making strenuous efforts to keep him. Despite ongoing talks, the player remains intent on heading to the Nou Camp in January. (Chris Bascombe)

 

Liverpool are not chasing replacements at this stage - they have made no contact with Monaco regarding Thomas Lemar - and are focusing on convincing Coutinho he can achieve Champions League ambitions at Anfield in 2018. (Chris Bascombe)

[TheHowieLama]

105 m upfront ??!! -- Trouser that.