Summer 2022 Transfer Thread

[Colonel Bumcunt]

1 hour ago, etho said:

There aren't many 'number 9s' in the best teams in world football 'bullying' central defenders any more. The ideal one would be one who can link the play, hold it up back to goal, and run in behind.

 

When a top club buys a physical striker all that tends to happen is that refs blow for more fouls against them.  I think City will find that with Haaland. 

[El Rojo]

23 minutes ago, TD_LFC said:

The minute the Premier League introduce designated set piece takers that you can wheel on and off the pitch, like in the NFL, Prowse will be worth £100 million. 

With a winter World Cup and absolutely no doubt that the European Cup Final will probably be held somewhere like Dubai soon, it would hardly be surprising if that suggestion was touted so we should sign him to get ahead of the curve. Four quarters per game and full body armour for the goaltenders too. 

[TD_LFC]

1 minute ago, Colonel Bumcunt said:

When a top club buys a physical striker all that tends to happen is that refs blow for more fouls against them.  I think City will find that with Haaland. 

Unless your Harry Kane, then you can attempt to paralyse players and will be given a free kick for them having the audacity not to break their necks.

[Scott_M]

1 hour ago, etho said:

There aren't many 'number 9s' in the best teams in world football 'bullying' central defenders any more. The ideal one would be one who can link the play, hold it up back to goal, and run in behind.

Benzema? Lewendowski? Kane?

 

Obviously much more than just #9’s, but still physical presences up front.

[Barrington Womble]

25 minutes ago, TD_LFC said:

Pirlo was a '6'* and Dunga was a '6'* but they were about as far removed as you could have as players, your starting position means very little compared to your role in the team.

 

Thiago and De Jong fulfil the same role on the pitch they're both the metronome that dictates play so having both on the pitch at the same time makes one redundant, likewise committing a significant portion of your funds to having two players who operate in the same way (they'd both be amongst the highest earners on top of a 70m+ fee) would take away from the ability to strengthen the midfield with the type of player we're missing.

 

Ultimately it comes down to want vs need, I'd want de Jong, I don't think we need de Jong. If we could find a cheaper version to be understudy to Thiago then by all means but shopping at the top end probably isn't the way to go about it.

 

(* or 4 depending on your preference)

As it's a squad game and thiago misses about half a season, every season and has all career, it might be handy to have 2 players who can fill that role. 

[Scott_M]

29 minutes ago, TD_LFC said:

Pirlo was a '6'* and Dunga was a '6'* but they were about as far removed as you could have as players, your starting position means very little compared to your role in the team.

 

Thiago and De Jong fulfil the same role on the pitch they're both the metronome that dictates play so having both on the pitch at the same time makes one redundant, likewise committing a significant portion of your funds to having two players who operate in the same way (they'd both be amongst the highest earners on top of a 70m+ fee) would take away from the ability to strengthen the midfield with the type of player we're missing.

 

Ultimately it comes down to want vs need, I'd want de Jong, I don't think we need de Jong. If we could find a cheaper version to be understudy to Thiago then by all means but shopping at the top end probably isn't the way to go about it.

 

(* or 4 depending on your preference)

As mentioned, Thiago’s fitness record isn’t great. He’s turns 32 next season, his contract expires in 2024.

 

IMO, the way we play is built on dictating play. The midfield controls the tempo, allowing us to move the full backs higher, the front 3 can take more risks and trying to reduce the risk of being caught of being caught on the counter. 
 

Hendo isn’t really box to box these days. Neither is Milner or Keita. Neither was Wijnaldum. 
 

I think the majority of the forum agreed a starting midfielder should be our #1 priority this summer (certainly before the Mane news anyway). I don’t know enough about De Jong to comment either way, from your description of him, IMO, he sounds ideal.

 

An added bonus would be fucking off the mancs and ruining their rebuild.

[TD_LFC]

3 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

As it's a squad game and thiago misses about half a season, every season and has all career, it might be handy to have 2 players who can fill that role. 

Quote

If we could find a cheaper version to be understudy to Thiago then by all means but shopping at the top end probably isn't the way to go about it.

 

[Aventus]

Could definitely do with some more goals from midfield. I think Fab was our top scorer and he's typically the one furthest away from goal. 

 

Really crying out for somebody who can shoot from distance, even if it's just to force the defenders to close him down and create that little bit of extra space behind. As it stands our opponents can happily let us keep the ball and just pack the box. 

[TD_LFC]

5 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

As mentioned, Thiago’s fitness record isn’t great. He’s turns 32 next season, his contract expires in 2024.

 

IMO, the way we play is built on dictating play. The midfield controls the tempo, allowing us to move the full backs higher, the front 3 can take more risks and trying to reduce the risk of being caught of being caught on the counter. 
 

Hendo isn’t really box to box these days. Neither is Milner or Keita. Neither was Wijnaldum. 
 

I think the majority of the forum agreed a starting midfielder should be our #1 priority this summer (certainly before the Mane news anyway). I don’t know enough about De Jong to comment either way, from your description of him, IMO, he sounds ideal.

 

An added bonus would be fucking off the mancs and ruining their rebuild.

We need a top quality disruptive box to box midfielder more than we need a deep lying playmaker.

[joe_fishfish]

4 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

As mentioned, Thiago’s fitness record isn’t great. He’s turns 32 next season, his contract expires in 2024.

 

IMO, the way we play is built on dictating play. The midfield controls the tempo, allowing us to move the full backs higher, the front 3 can take more risks and trying to reduce the risk of being caught of being caught on the counter. 
 

Hendo isn’t really box to box these days. Neither is Milner or Keita. Neither was Wijnaldum. 
 

I think the majority of the forum agreed a starting midfielder should be our #1 priority this summer (certainly before the Mane news anyway). I don’t know enough about De Jong to comment either way, from your description of him, IMO, he sounds ideal.

 

An added bonus would be fucking off the mancs and ruining their rebuild.

Think I'm basically agreeing we could do with De Jong, but for the money he'd take up I'd rather get a hyper aggressive midfielder who presses all over the place. Two from Hendo, Thiago, Fabinho, then the new lad to give us some bite in the middle. De Jong can press, he can do a bit of everything really, but it's not the main part of his game.

 

Tchouameni would have been ideal but he'll be off to Madrid.

[Scott_M]

1 minute ago, TD_LFC said:

We need a top quality disruptive midfielder more than we need a deep lying playmaker.

I think the amount of turnovers we force from our press and counter press would dispute that. 
 

Obviously there is no right or wrong answer to this. My preference would be a midfielder who could add >10 goals a season, that isn’t how we’ve played for the past 4/5 seasons, likely since Lallana played central midfield.

[Scott_M]

4 minutes ago, joe_fishfish said:

Think I'm basically agreeing we could do with De Jong, but for the money he'd take up I'd rather get a hyper aggressive midfielder who presses all over the place. Two from Hendo, Thiago, Fabinho, then the new lad to give us some bite in the middle. De Jong can press, he can do a bit of everything really, but it's not the main part of his game.

 

Tchouameni would have been ideal but he'll be off to Madrid.

As above on the amount of turnovers we win and way we play these days.

 

I’d like somebody who scores more goals from midfield, it isn’t the way we play though. 
 

We should just bid for De Bruyne, I’m sure City would sell…

[TD_LFC]

1 minute ago, Scott_M said:

I think the amount of turnovers we force from our press and counter press would dispute that. 
 

Obviously there is no right or wrong answer to this. My preference would be a midfielder who could add >10 goals a season, that isn’t how we’ve played for the past 4/5 seasons, likely since Lallana played central midfield.

So not De Jong then?

[Scott_M]

Just now, TD_LFC said:

So not De Jong then?

There is a fundamental difference to who I’d like us to sign and who fits in the way we play.

 

Unless we sign De Bruyne, he ticks all boxes. Unfortunately, we won’t. 

[Barrington Womble]

16 minutes ago, TD_LFC said:

 

Does it need to be an understudy? Could it not be someone who comes in and competes from day 1. The seniority keita was supposed to have when he joined. 

[etho]

32 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

Benzema? Lewendowski? Kane?

 

Obviously much more than just #9’s, but still physical presences up front.

Yes those are the 3 most famous number 9s in world football. Which of those aged 29-34 are we going to sign for the transfer and wages they would cost? I'd also say they fit the criteria of linking play and being able to hold the ball up rather than bullying defenders. So who, who we would actually sign, is out there who's equal of better to Sadio at 9?

[RoyHodgeGone]

Are we really signing another midfielder if Naby is getting a new contract?

 

Tiago

Fabinho

Henderson

Keita

Jones

Oxlade-Chamberlain

Milner

Elliott

 

Milner and Ox could be going I suppose. So if Naby stays that is 4 midfielders on big wages. Would we really have another one?

 

 

[cloggypop]

1 hour ago, joe_fishfish said:

De Jong is a really good player, he'd play as an 8 for us. Not sure he has the physicality for a Premier League defensive midfield role.

 

The thing is he's on £180k a week at Barca, would be unlikely to take a pay cut and isn't really good enough to warrant that kind of wage here. I'm not sure Thiago or Fabinho are on that and they're both better than him.

He can play in central defence as well as midfield. Played both at Ajax. 

[aws]

6 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

Does it need to be an understudy? Could it not be someone who comes in and competes from day 1. The seniority keita was supposed to have when he joined. 

We realiy need this. I'm not arsed if Jurgen wants Keita to stay but we need somebody better than him to really compete with Fab, Thiago and Hendo.  

[TD_LFC]

Just now, Barrington Womble said:

Does it need to be an understudy? Could it not be someone who comes in and competes from day 1. The seniority keita was supposed to have when he joined. 

Maybe understudy is the wrong word, I'm talking more of a Diaz to Mane, ultimately you don't need to sign a player that would be amongst the most expensive players in our history for a role we already have an excellent player for (injury permitting), when you can sign a player for significantly cheaper that can still push especially when there are other positions to fill and we don't have an endless budget.

 

The targeting of Tchouamnei should give you the blue print of the player the club is looking at, somebody who can physically dominate the middle of the park is mobile enough to get around the pitch and break up play and can also fulfil the defensive duties of a 6.

 

I'd rather sign someone like Neuhaus than De Jong to 'understudy' Thiago (doesn't have his range of passing but is good at breaking the lines and carrying the ball) and then target the best Tchouameni clone the club can find than wasting 70-80 mill and 250k a week on one player that we already have in the team.

 

 

 

[Funkasy]

If Keita gets a new contract, and if i was a youngster at the club trying to force my way into the team i would seriously consider fucking off somewhere else for gametime. because no matter how shit Keita is he will always get ahead of them. 

[Barrington Womble]

1 minute ago, TD_LFC said:

Maybe understudy is the wrong word, I'm talking more of a Diaz to Mane, ultimately you don't need to sign a player that would be amongst the most expensive players in our history for a role we already have an excellent player for (injury permitting), when you can sign a player for significantly cheaper that can still push especially when there are other positions to fill and we don't have an endless budget.

 

The targeting of Tchouamnei should give you the blue print of the player the club is looking at, somebody who can physically dominate the middle of the park is mobile enough to get around the pitch and break up play and can also fulfil the defensive duties of a 6.

 

I'd rather sign someone like Neuhaus than De Jong to 'understudy' Thiago (doesn't have his range of passing but is good at breaking the lines and carrying the ball) and then target the best Tchouameni clone the club can find than wasting 70-80 mill and 250k a week on one player that we already have in the team.

 

 

 

Except 50% of the time he's not in the team. 

 

I understand you're general point. But I don't think we're looking to buy tchouameni for the figures touted to understudy anyone. He's hardly being suggested as any type of cheap alternative. 

 

Anyway, if it was down to me I would be rid of keita, milner and Chamberlain this summer and replace them with 2 players who can compete every week. Thiago misses lots of games. Neither him or Henderson are getting any younger. Fab misses most games on the back of international breaks and gets a couple of small injuries a season. 

[TD_LFC]

7 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

I understand you're general point. But I don't think we're looking to buy tchouameni for the figures touted to understudy anyone. He's hardly being suggested as any type of cheap alternative. 

Nobody said we were.

 

The signing of a Tchouameni (or similar) would be because we're missing those specific attributes in the midfield currently, the understudy point was to the need for an alternative to Thiago and why I don't see de Jong as that player because of cost and profile of players we already have.

 

We'll either look to the archetypal 'next Vieira' (to borrow mid 00's stereotypes), or we'll head to Portugal.

 

 

 

 

[dave u]

In terms of midfield, I'm all in on Conor Gallagher. Absolutely perfect for our style and has goals in him too.

[Barrington Womble]

1 minute ago, dave u said:

In terms of midfield, I'm all in on Conor Gallagher. Absolutely perfect for our style and has goals in him too.

I'm not sure about him, although he did for palace what I hoped Jones would do for us.