The profile of attacking player we need to complete the jigsaw is a difficult one to find. We need someone very versatile who can be comfortable as an 8 in a 2 when needed alongside a more defensive partner, but also can play 10 if we switch formations, and preferably who can play out wide too, as that’ll give us another option and guarantee more gametime for the player. Malinovskyi looks like the 8/10 profile but I’m not sure he can operate in the wide positions. Paqueta has the 10/winger profile but not as a deeper midfielder. I’m sure there are other names out there but it’s not surprising we’re taking our time on it, as we need to shift non-HG players anyway and this is one we need to get right. As far as defenders go I think we’ll get a HG option centrally or look for a foreign youngster. As far as HG goes it’s a shame Mee and Tarkowski got snapped up so fast because I think they’d have been good profiles for us as backup players at CCB. So perhaps a youngster, the Ukrainian Zabyarni gets bandied around a lot. But that’s been rumbling for weeks now and nobody seems to know anything. We’re in for an interesting week or so as the final pieces fall into place in what’s been a good window for the club so far. If we get the final 2 pieces done then it’ll have been an excellent one and we can start to look at extensions for key players.
I’m hoping we’ll get in an exciting creative player at the very least, just so we’ve got the ability to be less predictable. I’d be happy if we got that Malinovski chap. He looks decent. We could still do with improving at CB, but unless something starts to take shape soon, I don’t see us signing anyone of any genuine quality in that area, because the selling club will need to find a replacement, and time is starting to run out. I think if that was going to have happened, it would have by now, or we’d certainly be well underway with a progressing transfer simply waiting for the “here we go”. Similar to what you’ve mentioned re Doherty, I think there could be an “out” that we perhaps don’t expect/someone who’s well down the list of who we’d think would leave over some of the others. - someone like Lucas Moura or Davisson Sanchez, for example. Out of no where, but an offer comes in and we accept. (Although I don’t think we’d let the latter go without a replacement.) it’s been a decent window so far. Mainly because we’ve got the players that we need really early. fingers crossed for 1 or 2 more.
I’d be surprised if we sold Sanchez, I think he’s proven now to be a capable deputy to Romero in that RCB slot. He’s got a nightmare in him that means he’ll probably never overtake Cuti but I think when Sanchez has stepped in it’s been something like 7 hours when he’s been on the pitch and we haven’t conceded. Lucas I think is one player that we’d probably listen to offers for but I think it says a lot that as his contract is running down that nobody has really come knocking. He’s a fine servant to the club and will always be remembered for Amsterdam but he’s not going to be at the top of anyone’s lists. Doherty I’m 50/50 on whether he might move on. He had a good spell for us last season and I think is the most ‘Conte’ of our current RWBs in terms of attacking ability, but he needs to get fit now as the games start coming or Spence will definitely start getting gametime over him. I have to say I don’t think Emerson will be first choice for long once Doherty gets fit and Spence gets going.
Our passing on Dybala and an Eriksen return indicates that were aren't hugely interested in a profile that is predominantly a 10. I do however think the profile you're describing is almost impossible to find within our fee and wage ceiling. The likes of Josh Kimmich, Toni Kroos, Marco Verratti, Fede Valverde and Frenkie de Jong came to mind when I racked my brain for a CM with the versatility you described. I can't see us getting any of them without breaking kneecaps and the bank. Barella and Calhanoglu are outside possibilities who could in theory fit the profile and gettable but would cost an absolute fortune. It's a conundrum.
I think with regards to CB it’s not as desperate to upgrade as what’s been made out by some of the fanbase. I’d like another to backup Dier but unless there’s a truly elite option available (which there isn’t in my opinion) then improving our defence is gonna be very difficult based on what we’ve seen under Conte. Davies, Dier and Romero works really well and I don’t think there’s too many times where we’ve conceded where I’ve looked at them and thought “should’ve done better!”, sometimes just gotta appreciate teams are gonna score. Then even in depth, Sanchez scares the living **** out of me with his technical ability but he’s generally a solid Romero deputy. If Lenglet either proves similar for Davies or even ousts him (or Dier) then it’s win-win for us. Lucas was someone I briefly thought as a potential surprise departure too but I think Conte values him as a good squad player as well as a key team member and so unless an offer that far exceeds his value to us arrives I don’t think he’ll be sold. Definitely don’t see Sanchez going either, especially as Tanganga seems likely to go if us and Milan agree a deal.
Dan-Axel Zagadou is currently without a club, not sure why. 23 yo and an absolute unit. Not a great player by any stretch but fits the cover for Dier criteria. I'd sign him just so that fans can bring pineapples to games.
I may have to double check but I think one of our potential two new players may need to be HG as I’m not sure we can accommodate another two non-HG players, even with the current and potential outgoings.
For what it’s worth I think the players you describe are mostly players who operate more as 6/8s, apart from Valverde who seems to play everywhere. But it’s certainly not an easy profile to find. We don’t want a dedicated 10 like you say as they just won’t get enough game time. Eriksen I think can play deeper with the right partner(s) but that ship sailed. Plus he’s not covid vaccinated so we wouldn’t have signed him anyway. From 343 we basically have 2 ways to change tactics in games - like we did against Chelsea by going to 4atb and chucking on another striker, or keeping 3atb and adding another midfielder. Having 5 subs now actually makes the former more attractive IMO as it’s a far more aggressive and unsettling change and our bench options make it easy to switch back. It actually makes me wonder if we want to have the 352 option at all - if we can shift tactically to a 442 and then shift back as we did at the Bridge then maybe we do want a more creative deeper player like the ones you mention. But that still leaves us with the issue of being outnumbered in midfield and having a more open defence, as the second goal Chelsea scored showed. Plus with 352 the wingbacks become even more important and it’s clear we haven’t nailed the combination of them yet, though I believe we will during the season.
If only we had a RWB version of Perisic, there wouldn’t really be a need for a creative mid/ forward then. Hopefully it isn’t too long til we see Spence given a go. He’s nowhere near as technically sound as Perisic but he does attack the wing well, that could make a huge difference for us.
I’d like to see it but not a chance. Hasn’t made the squad in the last two games. No way he then comes straight into the XI.
My immediate thought is we'd start with him on the bench as a form of psychological warefare, which Villas Boas did when we played Swansea by starting with Caulker and Savilsson on the bench, as if to say the two players who starred for them the previous season weren't good enough to start for us We won that game 1-0, just in case anyone was wondering...
Zaniolo went off injured tonight....dislocated shoulder apparently. Can't see him doing a medical in the next week.
I wouldn’t want to touch him. He’s too brittle for the PL, and had several long injuries already. Big risk
Horrible injury record and I think he wants decent money and starts. Missed most of 21/22 after knee surgery and only played 13 games in 20/21.
