Nice!! Yes please!! Looks like the rumour mill thinks we are looking for a new Left Winger. A fair few of our links have been attacking left wingers.
Apparently we "are in advanced talks to sign Aberdeen goalkeeper Archie Mair" according to this: https://www.footballinsider247.com/...ign-aberdeen-player-after-hes-given-vip-tour/ He's one for the future, being 18, but it seems the sort of move we could be making after extending McGovern's contract.
Hasn't been mentioned anywhere, but Giulio Donati is out of contract this summer at Mainz 05. A 29 year old RB who could be a back-up for Max if he was willing to take that role. He wants to leave Germany and mentioned England as one place he would like to go. He's been described as "passionate" whatever that means. If HITC can pull names out of a hat, so can I.
That's exactly what I was thinking, HMQC. He may be a hot-blooded Italian. I don't know him, just saw he's out of contract soon.
Various sources suggesting that we are on the verge of signing Aberdeen’s 18-year-old GK Archie Mair. He has played at Under 17 to Under 19 level for Scotland
It might be controversial, but I’d be happy with Mikel I think he was a classy, underrated player at his peak and he’d be in a position that is critical to our build up. He is obviously still hungry having played so well in the Championship. He’d be affordable despite his history. We’ll no doubt generally be investing in young players in other positions so one old head can’t hurt. Plus if you want Mr Experience anywhere, for me, it’s parked right in front of the two centre backs. You don’t need to be super quick there, just dynamic and positionally astute. Obviously if we can instead buy the next 22yo Kante then I’d prefer that, but that feels pretty unlikely! Willock and/or Claude-Maurice would be fantastic, they both look like they’ve got real potential
Perhaps they've got it wrong but WhoScored lists Mikel as a CM in 20 games and AM in the other and, significantly, 'defensive contribution' is listed as one of his weaknesses. If that is the case, I think we've got enough CM options already.
L'Equipe puts his value at £8.5mil, while Transfermarkt says £900k. I know Transfermarkt's valuations are dubious at best. The real number must be somewhere in the middle.
Transfermarkt's valuations are base valuations for the European market and then adjusted for the player's age and potential. The £8.5m is the initial asking price knowing it's a PL team. I'd think halfway is about right, £4-5m or so. If we are looking for 3-5 players for around £20m then that's not out of the question.
Another link is "Mentality Monster" (no, me neither) Marvin Bakalorz, 29 year old CM who captained Hannover 96 last season, and is out of contract this summer. Hannover played a 3-4-1-2 formation predominantly last season, and he'd fill a DM role. I know basically nothing about him, Whoscored describes him as liking to dribble and play short passes, with excellent concentration and long shots, but weak at tackling. Seems to get booked a lot, doesn't score or assist much. Based on that, I'm not really sure I can make sense of the link, beyond lazy "Norwich to sign out-of-contract player from Germany". Making your first appearances in the PL at 30 seems a bit late for adjusting, and it seems like he'd compete with Leitner/Vrancic/McLean, rather than being an upgrade on Tettey/Trybull/Thomspon.
He’s undoubtedly a defensive midfielder! He can play a bit further forward I suppose but it has to be rare and not recently. https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/joh...in/0/liga/0/wettbewerb/FAC/trainer_id/0/pos/6 It’s probably true that, ironically for a defensive midfielder, his defence is not exceptional, but then if it was he wouldn’t be let go by Chelsea... However, at our level we cannot always have the perfect player and for that DM role, with his experience and passing ability, I think he would fit our team.
Transferchanger OFFICIAL: Swansea City have confirmed Martin Olsson, Leroy Fer, Luciano Narsingh, Wilfried Bony and Wayne Routledge will all be released this summer. With Wessi released by West Brom yesterday, there's going to be a lot of Canary has-beens flooding the summer market place!
Given that we are looking for a new striker if Rhodes doesn't come back, a new WAM and a RB definitely, I don't understand these links to DMs/CMs. We have Tettey, Trybull, Thompson and Godfrey at DM and Leitner, Vrancic, McLean and Stiepermann at CM. Surely out of those eight players we have enough options for any situation. I'd rather see another wide option if a fourth player comes in. With a 25 player squad limit in the PL we have to make sure of the overall fit. We now have a 24 man squad and if Rhodes and Marshall are taken out, it's 22. If we recruit in midfield, where do we cut elsewhere.
