Summer 2019 Transfer Thread

[3 Stacks]

Most people have watched Fernandes closely one time, the other night in preseason, have looked at his goals and assist numbers, and all of a sudden want us to sign him. In reality, we have like 10 midfielders. If we could sell Lallana and an other and sign him, fair enough. But we don't want to do that so it's a non-starter. 

 

Pepe I will always say we should have signed simply for stylistic reasons. There are forwards who burst on to the scene every year like he just did. It's not that he's a phenom or particularly special, it's that to me he would fit our side so well. But there are other players out there. As long as we sign that 4th quality attacking player eventually and he fits the mold of Salah and Mane or Firmino, it's all good. 

[Boss]

16 minutes ago, Ne Moe Imya said:

Fernandes is a decent player, but he's overrated on the back of some massive good fortune in terms of finishing, especially from distance. It doesn't surprise me at all that we had little interest in a midfielder with a 72% pass completion rate. SEVENTY-TWO PERCENT! If United sign Fernandes and sell Pogba that's a backward step.

 

Pepe is harder to fault, as he's a better player. However, he's not remotely what Arsenal need so I hardly think he's the "elite signing to change their fortunes." Maybe their plan is to sell Aubameyang while he's still worth something and then spend that money on a centre back or two? If not it's pure idiocy for a team on a budget to spend £72m on a forward when your best two players already play up front and you have the Arsenal version of our 2013 defense (you remember, back when we had the likes of Flanagan, Skrtel and Aly Cissokho anchoring our team). If you were Arsenal asking who the "elite signing to change their fortunes" could be, you'd point your finger at Koulibaly, not Pepe.

 

At any rate, Fernandes and Pepe are decent players, they are absolutely NOT Mane & Alonso.

 

What central midfielder in the history of the Portuguese league has scored or assisted 38 times in 45 games?

 

Pepe has 38 goals or assists as a wide forward. He ran PSG ragged in the 5-1 win earlier in the season.

 

They certainly both have the pedigree to be top players in the Premier League based on what they've shown so far. By the way i'm not comparing them as players to Mane and Alonso. I'm saying those signings had a very positive effect on our team. Pepe and Fernandes might be the catalysts for them two to kick on in a similar way. 

[Iceman]

Not signing anyone is a huge error. Keep the talent coming in to take it to a higher level and have replacements for those who get injured. 

 

No point getting annoyed by those who want signings. New signings were how we won the fucking Champions League. We need to win the league and very unlikely that we will be as fortunate with injuries as last season. We came up short because we didn't have the strength in depth, so don't understand not strengthening now. 

 

Talk of waiting for next season is ridiculous. 

[Bjornebye]

1 hour ago, 3 Stacks said:

Most people have watched Fernandes closely one time, the other night in preseason, have looked at his goals and assist numbers, and all of a sudden want us to sign him. In reality, we have like 10 midfielders. If we could sell Lallana and an other and sign him, fair enough. But we don't want to do that so it's a non-starter. 

 

Pepe I will always say we should have signed simply for stylistic reasons. There are forwards who burst on to the scene every year like he just did. It's not that he's a phenom or particularly special, it's that to me he would fit our side so well. But there are other players out there. As long as we sign that 4th quality attacking player eventually and he fits the mold of Salah and Mane or Firmino, it's all good. 

Teji Savanier ? 

[Duff Man]

Starting the season without any of our first choice forwards is a bit concerning.

[Boss]

15 minutes ago, Iceman said:

Not signing anyone is a huge error. Keep the talent coming in to take it to a higher level and have replacements for those who get injured. 

 

No point getting annoyed by those who want signings. New signings were how we won the fucking Champions League. We need to win the league and very unlikely that we will be as fortunate with injuries as last season. We came up short because we didn't have the strength in depth, so don't understand not strengthening now. 

 

Talk of waiting for next season is ridiculous. 

 

Amen brother.

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

Teji Savanier ? 

What would we do with someone from Dragon's Den?

[Baltar]

Starting to get annoyed, all our rivals are all strengthening and no doubt the rent boys would have done so too had it not been for their transfer ban. The top sides in Europe are also improving their squads. What's stopping us from improving our squad? We're reigning European champions, we need to use that clout to go out and sign top players. If we go into the new season with the current squad we can forget about retaining the European Cup or winning the league.

[No2]

Said after 1 YouTube video that Pepe was shit. Glad Arsenal proved that for me.

 

Free run at Zaha now, go and do it.

[neopulian]

Aren't Pepe and Fernandes just one season wonders at this point of their career? Is it really necessary to go through this same hysteria every 6 months? 

[moof]

17 minutes ago, neopulian said:

Aren't Pepe and Fernandes just one season wonders at this point of their career? Is it really necessary to go through this same hysteria every 6 months? 

Yeah I reckon so. 80 mil is a lot to spunk on a young player with one good season under his belt. Glad we don’t have to take risks like that, tbh. 

[Lee909]

This is Pepe second very good season. Played well 2 years ago, nearly sold for 35ml but he refused to go to Lyon and then stepped up even more this year. 

 

 

Nobody would care if we spunked 100ml on Sancho and he's had one good year

[TheHowieLama]

Sancho is five years younger mate. Playing for a team very close to our style and in a better league.

[Lee909]

That's not the point

The point is people trying to paint him as a one season wonder so not worth that fee. He may be worth the money he may not in the long run. But he's had 2 very good years now, Sancho has had one good year but the fee wouldn't be a issue in that case. 

 

Players are not going to get cheaper so all this talk about not spending cause clubs are asking silly money is irrelevant as the fees will just get bigger and bigger till football goes bust

[3 Stacks]

8 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

Sancho is five years younger mate. Playing for a team very close to our style and in a better league.

Pepe is a better fit for our style of football and I guarantee you Sancho will go for far more money. Either way, we're not going to sign Sancho either. 

[TheHowieLama]

Well this last season was his breakout year for sure -- remember Balotelli scores goals in that league.

Still -- I don't think the committee/Klopp would look at those two players (Pepe and Sancho) the same way and either Pepe or Fernandes is outside of our sweet spot. 

 

 

[3 Stacks]

7 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

Well this last season was his breakout year for sure -- remember Balotelli scores goals in that league.

I hate biting to this obvious tripe but Ligue 1 regularly exports world class players to every top league in the world. Its strength relative to the Premier League, the Bundesliga, La Liga or whatever league you want to name is irrelevant. 

[TheHowieLama]

2 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

Pepe is a better fit for our style of football and I guarantee you Sancho will go for far more money. Either way, we're not going to sign Sancho either. 

He is worth more - so yeah.

 

We will see.

[TheHowieLama]

6 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

 Ligue 1 regularly exports world class players to every league in the world. 

If you say so - don't know about regularly - especially French players.

 

 

[3 Stacks]

28 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

If you say so - don't know about regularly - especially French players.

 

 

Mate, just for the Premier League, you could make a convincing all time 11 of players who came from France. Actually here it is;

 

                                                          Henry    Drogba

 

 

Hazard                       Kante                            Vieira               Pires/Ben Arfa (can't split them)

 

       Petit                           Gallas                                  Desailly                   Azpilicueta

 

                                                                  Cech

 

Pretty fucking good. If you want some recent players, just off the top of my head you got Bernardo Silva, Fabinho, Mahrez, Lacazette, Payet. I could do this all night. 

 

[Boss]

1 hour ago, neopulian said:

Aren't Pepe and Fernandes just one season wonders at this point of their career? Is it really necessary to go through this same hysteria every 6 months? 

 

Neither can be classed as one season wonders. Bruno Fernandes has won the player of the year for two consecutive seasons in Portugal and Pepe saved Lille from relegation almost single handedly in 2018 and was the main catalyst for them qualifying for the Champions League this season just gone. 

[Boss]

51 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

Well this last season was his breakout year for sure -- remember Balotelli scores goals in that league.

Still -- I don't think the committee/Klopp would look at those two players (Pepe and Sancho) the same way and either Pepe or Fernandes is outside of our sweet spot. 

 

Balotelli scored goals in the Premier League as well. He just didn't score them for us. 

[TheHowieLama]

16 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

Mate, just for the Premier League, you could make a convincing all time 11 of players who came from France. Actually here it is;

 

                                                          Henry    Drogba

 

 

Hazard                       Kante                            Vieira               Pires/Ben Arfa (can't split them)

 

       Petit                           Gallas                                  Desailly                   Azpilicueta

 

                                                                  Cech

 

Pretty fucking good. If you want some recent players, just off the top of my head you got Bernardo Silva, Fabinho, Mahrez, Lacazette, Payet. I could do this all night. 

 

Well, the conversation was not about the best ever -- of course there are great players through the years.

 

Maybe our definition of world class is different - I dont consider any of Mahrez, Lacazette or Payet world class.

As  much as i love Fabinho (and over the last 6 months would agree), he doesn't even get into the side for Brazil.

[SammyAftershave]

8 hours ago, Shooter in the Motor said:

If only we had a thread dedicated to hysterical fannies...

Even the combined forces of the interweb can only tale so much weight.

[3 Stacks]

59 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

Well, the conversation was not about the best ever -- of course there are great players through the years.

 

Maybe our definition of world class is different - I dont consider any of Mahrez, Lacazette or Payet world class.

As  much as i love Fabinho (and over the last 6 months would agree), he doesn't even get into the side for Brazil.

You're arguing for arguing's sake. Ligue 1 is one of the best leagues to find talent, especially young talent. Period. Saying it's a weak league, and that certain guys who haven't done well elsewhere do well in France so teams shouldn't buy from there or there are better leagues to buy players from is moronic. It's all irrelevant. It's like people who say you shouldn't buy Italian players un-ironically. Complete doofus thing to say.