• Dear Guest, Please note that adult content is not permitted on this forum. We have had our Google ads disabled at times due to some posts that were found from some time ago. Please do not post adult content and if you see any already on the forum, please report the post so that we can deal with it. Adult content is allowed in the glory hole - you will have to request permission to access it. Thanks, scara

One realistic signing

I'd sooner pay 30m for a "proven" prem striker than take a 16m chance in a striker like Janssen

It’s a lot of money for a guy with a possible suspect injury record

Watkins is available for less and there are others from abroad too

he also is earning big money
 
I'm not sure that its in keeping with this thread, but Buendia at Norwich might be worth considering for a creative Eriksen-like player who I feel we're missing in advanced areas and who can give a balance to the speedsters which we have. He's PL proven and, at 23, is the sort of age which we like signing players. Whether Norwich would sell for a price which we're prepared to pay is a separate matter. Also not entirely convinced that he's a Mourinho style player - more a Poch player
 
Thiago Silva is available. Could be someone to have around the team for a year or 2. Another Leader, experienced.
 
'Big', realistic - take yer pick. Ranked in terms of feasibility - most feasible to least feasible.

Kevin Volland (CF/RW, Leverkusen) - One year left on his contract at Leverkusen, great scoring record in Germany, could play alongside Kane, instead of him, or out on the right. Fierce competitor, presses from the front, reasonably fast, great finisher, tracks back a lot (and has to in Leverkusen's intense system).

Nico Elvedi (RCB/RB, Gladbach) - Silky-smooth ball-playing CB - right footed, but very used to playing on the left. Can also cover RB if necessary. With Matthias Ginter, forms one of the most technically gifted CB pairings in the Bundesliga. Reasonably fast, reasonably strong - would be a younger Toby.

Matthias Ginter (RCB/RB, Gladbach) - see above. Perfect complement to Elvedi - slightly slower, slightly more physical, more of the leader in that backline. Has two years left on his deal, though, and Gladbach won't sell unless forced.

Igor Zubeldia (DM, Real Sociedad) - Aggressive, intelligent DM at Sociedad, who plays in a midfield duo that is a mirror image of Mourinho's system at Real - with one 'tackler/presser' and one 'deep distributor' who also tackles. Intelligent, aggressive, pacy, can cover for the CBs when needed.

Mikel Merino (DM, Real Sociedad) - the other half of the DM duo at Sociedad. Spent a little while at Saudi Sportswashing Machine not too long ago, but has developed since then. Big, defensively sound distributor - bit of a metronome from deep.

Nordi Mukiele (RB/RWB, Leipzig) - Reaching a bit, but the perfect, ideal signing at RB. Young, pacy, tall and strong, the guy can run the right by himself or tuck in and be an RCB. With Klostermann and Tyler Adams at Leipzig who can do the same, he might be available, but he certainly won't be cheap, and will have half of Europe looking at him. He's at the outer edge of what we can feasibly attract right now.

Lucas Ocampos (RM/LM/CAM/CF, Sevilla) - Really reaching here, but he's juuuust at the edge of what we could get if we sold Tubby Ndombele and had 50m lying around to chuck at someone. He would be the utterly ideal mirror to Sonny on the left - like Sonny, he is genuinely two-footed, blazingly fast, and a surprisingly physical, robust unit for a winger. He has a lot of 'grinta', too - runs for 90 minutes, never gives up, works tigerishly hard and is a real 'never-say-die' sort of guy. With him and Sonny on the flanks switching at will, we'd have a lot of fun. :p

Not for this season, but *next* season, potentially -

Lisandro Martinez - (DM/LCB/LB, Ajax) - Extremely versatile kid at Ajax. Started out as a ball-playing, tigerish left-center back, but, in his one year at Ajax, has played DM, CB and LB and has excelled at all three positions. Very aggressive, good tackler, reasonable passer, has skills in terms of getting out of pressure with the ball. If he continues improving, would be well-worth picking up and using in our DM role next to Winks/Lo Celso - he can drop back to make a back three alongside the two center-backs and allow a really aggressive LB to get forward (read: Sessegnon), could sit in front of them as A DM, or could even start out as the out-and-out defensive LB instead of Davies. Bit short for a CB, but I think his versatility would make him perfect for our system *provided* he keeps improving at Ajax next year.
 
Last edited:
Oh, and as for what we're actually going to get under our glorious chairman -

Some utter crap from relegated sides - and freebies no one else wants for very good reasons. Maybe even Troy Deeney, who would then presumably be seen as a triumph.
 
'Big', realistic - take yer pick. Ranked in terms of feasibility - most feasible to least feasible.

Kevin Volland (CF/RW, Leverkusen) - One year left on his contract at Leverkusen, great scoring record in Germany, could play alongside Kane, instead of him, or out on the right. Fierce competitor, presses from the front, reasonably fast, great finisher, tracks back a lot (and has to in Leverkusen's intense system).

Nico Elvedi (RCB/RB, Gladbach) - Silky-smooth ball-playing CB - right footed, but very used to playing on the left. Can also cover RB if necessary. With Matthias Ginter, forms one of the most technically gifted CB pairings in the Bundesliga. Reasonably fast, reasonably strong - would be a younger Toby.

Matthias Ginter (RCB/RB, Gladbach) - see above. Perfect complement to Elvedi - slightly slower, slightly more physical, more of the leader in that backline. Has two years left on his deal, though, and Gladbach won't sell unless forced.

Igor Zubeldia (DM, Real Sociedad) - Aggressive, intelligent DM at Sociedad, who plays in a midfield duo that is a mirror image of Mourinho's system at Real - with one 'tackler/presser' and one 'deep distributor' who also tackles. Intelligent, aggressive, pacy, can cover for the CBs when needed.

Mikel Merino (DM, Real Sociedad) - the other half of the DM duo at Sociedad. Spent a little while at Saudi Sportswashing Machine not too long ago, but has developed since then. Big, defensively sound distributor - bit of a metronome from deep.

Nordi Mukiele (RB/RWB, Leipzig) - Reaching a bit, but the perfect, ideal signing at RB. Young, pacy, tall and strong, the guy can run the right by himself or tuck in and be an RCB. With Klostermann and Tyler Adams at Leipzig who can do the same, he might be available, but he certainly won't be cheap, and will have half of Europe looking at him. He's at the outer edge of what we can feasibly attract right now.

Lucas Ocampos (RM/LM/clam/CF, Sevilla) - Really reaching here, but he's juuuust at the edge of what we could get if we sold Tubby Ndombele and had 50m lying around to chuck at someone. He would be the utterly ideal mirror to Sonny on the left - like Sonny, he is genuinely two-footed, blazingly fast, and a surprisingly physical, robust unit for a winger. He has a lot of 'grinta', too - runs for 90 minutes, never gives up, works tigerishly hard and is a real 'never-say-die' sort of guy. With him and Sonny on the flanks switching at will, we'd have a lot of fun. :p

Not for this season, but *next* season, potentially -

Lisandro Martinez - (DM/LCB/LB, Ajax) - Extremely versatile kid at Ajax. Started out as a ball-playing, tigerish left-center back, but, in his one year at Ajax, has played DM, CB and LB and has excelled at all three positions. Very aggressive, good tackler, reasonable passer, has skills in terms of getting out of pressure with the ball. If he continues improving, would be well-worth picking up and using in our DM role next to Winks/Lo Celso - he can drop back to make a back three alongside the two center-backs and allow a really aggressive LB to get forward (read: Sessegnon), could sit in front of them as A DM, or could even start out as the out-and-out defensive LB instead of Davies. Bit short for a CB, but I think his versatility would make him perfect for our system *provided* he keeps improving at Ajax next year.
Ocampos is a real player
But of a fighter too which helps but technically very very good
 
Oh, and as for what we're actually going to get under our glorious chairman -

Some utter crap from relegated sides - and freebies no one else wants for very good reasons. Maybe even Troy Deeney, who would then presumably be seen as a triumph.
I agree with the general gist of your two posts. But the is also a lot of talent in the lower leagues. Not least jade jones at Peterborough
 
I agree with the general gist of your two posts. But the is also a lot of talent in the lower leagues. Not least jade jones at Peterborough

Definitely. Not against lower-league signings - again have to flag the likes of Benrahma, Watkins, Ben White (not lower-league, but made his name in the Champo last season) as worth considering.

Mildly against Callum Wilson (two ACLs), majorly against the likes of Deeney - that's who I mean, and whom I fear we'll be stuck with.
 
Definitely. Not against lower-league signings - again have to flag the likes of Benrahma, Watkins, Ben White (not lower-league, but made his name in the Champo last season) as worth considering.

Mildly against Callum Wilson (two ACLs), majorly against the likes of Deeney - that's who I mean, and whom I fear we'll be stuck with.
It all comes down to value and price IMO
Watkins is a gamble but shouldn’t cost crazy money
Wilson too could be argued is a gamble (injury record) and is now being talked about as costing more than Watkins
The moves this summer all have to come off and that’s a really tricky one to get right
 
It all comes down to value and price IMO
Watkins is a gamble but shouldn’t cost crazy money
Wilson too could be argued is a gamble (injury record) and is now being talked about as costing more than Watkins
The moves this summer all have to come off and that’s a really tricky one to get right

Im really not sure how much money we will spend this summer.
 
It’s strange to think that we built an incredible stadium, with outstanding training facilities, to try to be a mid table team. All that money spent on our ‘home’ yet eating bread and drinking water.
 
Back