Summer 2018 transfer thread

[StephenH]

We have Dier and Wanyama here already.

Sadly Wanyama injured again.
https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnati...victor-wanyama-usa-tour-injury-premier-league

 

[StephenH]

I'm possibly showing my age, but what would you prefer: Sissoko Mk2 or nice beer and a selection of cheeses?

IMO we should only sign players if they are quality, not just because we have money burning a hole in our pocket.

Levy has an asbestos-lined pockets so you can rest easy on that score.

But I agree.

 

[StephenH]

I'd toe the line if trousering £8m a year, and asked to demand "brave signings", then swiftly ink a new contract, to give the impression that transfer business was imminent,and tip businesses and fans into eye-wateringly expensive premium seat purchases.

Now you're just being cynical....

 

[Gutter Boy]

We have Dier and Wanyama here already.

Who along with Kante, are the best in the league in that role.

Remember our rivals have the lines of Matic, Henderson and Xhaka in that position - far from top drawer

 

[StephenH]

We dont need to buy defensive mid, especially not just to cover an injury in the short term.

We went through much of last season with 3-4 of our core CM missing, and did just fine all the same.

Son has proven our most able back up to Kane, we dont need a direct understudy. Especially if we end up getting in a strong and flexible AM to bolster those areas behind Kane (freeing up Son to cover).

When does Son disappear for the Asian cup?

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Not sure about happily starting the season with the squad as is - it's a compromise afaic and one im sure Pochettino understands but would doubt he is 'happy' with it, as such. He's clearly spoken of the importance of getting new signings in as early as possible and i don't think that something he'd say unless it had meaning.

You are talking squad, I am talking team (previous post perhaps poorly worded on my part).

We are perfectly equipped to start the season now. New signings, if made late in the window, are needed more for squad/ongoing purposes than immediate.

The team that finished the season is a fudging good one, no glaring holes, not major surgery needed.

Buys are required, IMO, to bolster the squad and add more options and more like for like replacements (quality wise).

Its over the season we lose points, IE in players fatigue, or lacking a different option from the bench.

So, short term we are fine, IMO. Buys are needed more for longer term benefit.

If we buy late in the window, thats fine by me - we still have an excellent team to start the season.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

When does Son disappear for the Asian cup?

Early September, isnt it? For just a few weeks. Then he is back. Im pretty sure Kane can manage through that time.

 

[Moby]

Oh that Adam's can be a bitch!

It was funny - especially considering his usual physical state!

 

[Gutter Boy]

You are talking squad, I am talking team (previous post perhaps poorly worded on my part).

We are perfectly equipped to start the season now. New signings, if made late in the window, are needed more for squad/ongoing purposes than immediate.

The team that finished the season is a fudging good one, no glaring holes, not major surgery needed.

Buys are required, IMO, to bolster the squad and add more options and more like for like replacements (quality wise).

Its over the season we lose points, IE in players fatigue, or lacking a different option from the bench.

So, short term we are fine, IMO. Buys are needed more for longer term benefit.

If we buy late in the window, thats fine by me - we still have an excellent team to start the season.

This summer has always been about

1) Replace Dembele because he's fudged
2) Upgrade on Llorente/Janssen as 3rd choice behind Kane and Son
3) Replace Alder if he leaves
4) Replace Rose if he leaves

- 4 looks off the table now
- We're probably in a better short-term position if 3 doesn't actually happen
- 2 at worse leaves us on a par with last season
- Winks and Onomah's returns sort of help cover 1, but this is still the priority for the next 10 days or so

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

I think Son is absolutely fine cover for Kane, and that we actually need cover for him (as well as options to rotate etc) - hence the persistent interest in Zaha/Martial rather than an out and out striker.

Midfield needs an addition, IMO, but even without it we have shown we can manage.

3 and 4 are a given, makes sense.

 

[Finney Is Back]

If only we had a great chairman who’d appease the fanbase by signing lots of players, like the Dildo Bros...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1023518320589512710

Looking at this table you would assume that Liverpool, West Ham, Arsenal, Brighton, Wolves, Huddersfield and Southampton cannot now spend significant sums. Whereas Man Utd, Emirates Marketing Project, Chelsea, Everton, Leicester and ourselves must all have cash burning a hole in our pockets.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Exactly. At the end of the season everyone was talking about the three signings we should make to improve us, now some are making out like it’s fine if we sign no one. I think this will be Lamelas third season of being a new signing. Of course we don’t need any new signings, how could we possibly improve a squad who have never won anything? I think it was Bedfordspur who said Poch looks happy despite no signings? We can’t know that, he’s not Mourinho so wouldn’t air his displeasure in public. Considering he said we have our transfer targets, how could he be happy that we haven’t got any of them? He said he wanted players in for pre season, again hasn’t happened. No doubt we will do some late business, but the way some want to paint this picture of how we are in great shape having done nothing at all with a load of burnt out WC players having sod all pre season is ridiculous....

At the end of last season I thought we needed two..... a wing forward who could also play through the middle and a central midfielder. I still think that is all we need unless we sell any of our existing first team squad.

 

[Finney Is Back]

You never bore me M8
The stadium bits are just a bit of banter, I never mentioned “comfy seats” I bring my own seat (whellchair), micro brewery, retractable pitch and excellent catering make me chuckle when I think of our transfer window to date.
Let’s hope you are correct on all the England bit I personally thought we had good World Cup but we where distant forth.
The England player performances will have a detrimental effect if past world cups are any guide.
I think we need two defensively minded midfielders IF Dembele is off.
Harry needs rest till September imho, longer if we had a replacement/understudy but we haven’t. So that isn’t going to happen.
I am still hopeful we will bring some ‘quality’ bodies in to bolster the squad.

Two midfielders to replace Dembele?.... I know he is good, but come on!... he only plays in two thirds of the games anyway.

Oh and by the way.... it looks very unlikely that Dembele is off.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Looking at this table you would assume that Liverpool, West Ham, Arsenal, Brighton, Wolves, Huddersfield and Southampton cannot now spend significant sums. Whereas Man Utd, Emirates Marketing Project, Chelsea, Everton, Leicester and ourselves must all have cash burning a hole in our pockets.

So, all our competition are still at the table, and most can outspend us - and people wonder why we havent made major buys yet...

At the end of last season I thought we needed two..... a wing forward who could also play through the middle and a central midfielder. I still think that is all we need unless we sell any of our existing first team squad.

I agree with that. My saying we can cope at CM is not the same as saying we cant improve. I think we need some drive in there, and would welcome a big buy to push that area on.




LOOKMAN'S SOCIAL HINTS

Is Ademola Lookman on the move?

The Everton youngster has posted a picture on Instragram that includes aeroplane emojis. He has also removed "Everton" from his Twitter bio.

Back to Germany?

 

[Finney Is Back]

If I was trousersing £8m pa. I would tow the line! And seem “pretty happy”.

Not when you could easily earn even more elsewhere you wouldn’t, especially if you felt that a poor season might harm your personal brand.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Two midfielders to replace Dembele?.... I know he is good, but come on!... he only plays in two thirds of the games anyway.

Oh and by the way.... it looks very unlikely that Dembele is off.

He has been persistently linked away, not shot down the idea (I believe) and looks ripe for a move. Nothing certain, of course, but I wouldnt be at all surprised to see him move.

And, honestly, I wouldnt mind either. I think his lack of reliability is an issue for us and we need to move on.

 

[Gutter Boy]

So, all our competition are still at the table, and most can outspend us - and people wonder why we havent made major buys yet...



I agree with that. My saying we can cope at CM is not the same as saying we cant improve. I think we need some drive in there, and would welcome a big buy to push that area on.




LOOKMAN'S SOCIAL HINTS

Is Ademola Lookman on the move?

The Everton youngster has posted a picture on Instragram that includes aeroplane emojis. He has also removed "Everton" from his Twitter bio.

Back to Germany?

Maybe he's borrowing Ryan Babel's helicopter to come down from John Lennon to Heathrow?

 

[Finney Is Back]

So, all our competition are still at the table, and most can outspend us - and people wonder why we havent made major buys yet...



I agree with that. My saying we can cope at CM is not the same as saying we cant improve. I think we need some drive in there, and would welcome a big buy to push that area on.




LOOKMAN'S SOCIAL HINTS

Is Ademola Lookman on the move?

The Everton youngster has posted a picture on Instragram that includes aeroplane emojis. He has also removed "Everton" from his Twitter bio.

Back to Germany?

Yep.... agree on both points. We are ‘fine’ in both positions.... we had the third best team/squad in the league last season. I think Liverpool’s signings have seen them overtake us, but nobody else has done so.

 

[Finney Is Back]

He has been persistently linked away, not shot down the idea (I believe) and looks ripe for a move. Nothing certain, of course, but I wouldnt be at all surprised to see him move.

And, honestly, I wouldnt mind either. I think his lack of reliability is an issue for us and we need to move on.

I’d had a sneaky suspicion that we were going to do a loan to buy deal on Gomes from Barcelona, but his injury the other day put paid to that.

 

[Finney Is Back]

So to turn this thread on it’s head.... instead of considering players that we are linked to in the press or by the self proclaimed ‘ITKs’....

What clubs currently need to sell players (for FFP, to balance the books or to make way for incomings) and what players might be considered expendable by those clubs that could be a reasonable fit for us from those clubs?