2 really good signings - particularly if Harry stays around. Micky speaks English better than most of our HG, so that's a real plus! Another Verts in the making? Hopefully! Alejo will probably take longer to settle and will hopefully get support from Lo Celso & Porro.
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Some wages off the books and a shop window at least. Hopefully he stays fit and helps Leeds get up so there’s some offers for him. 2 years left on his contract IIRC so would be good timing for him to put a season together.
First of about seven or eight that need shifting. Reports did say we were looking to accelerate outgoings so hopefully things do indeed pick up, ideally mostly perms to generate even the smallest of funds to reinvest back into the team.
We have so many to get out that even small fees will add up. When you think it’s Reggie, Spence, Tanguy, Lloris, Sanchez, Tanganga, Gil, then the likes of Parrot who I think it’s time we will call time on. Even if we got an average of 5mil each for those, that’s 40m. That’s what we paid for VdV, or thereabouts. And that doesn’t even take into account Hojbjerg, who is likely to fetch a decent fee if Athletico can rustle up the cash, though it seems Ange would be happy to keep him. There’s also the likes of Harvey White who we may just end up selling at this point. Sess we won’t be able to sell because of the injury and Dier will see out his contract you’d think, maybe a cheap move in January if it’s apparent he’s absolutely not playing. Ideally (if Kane stays) we probably need a more experienced LCB to help smooth over any cracks in VdV and a midfielder (profile tbc depending on if PEH goes or not). There’s lots of rumours of us going for another young striker too though I suspect that would be a loan back type of job while we wait and see what happens with Kane.
Should probably look at cancelling Sess’ contract to be honest. He’s been one of two things since joining: Injured Awful There’s gonna be no sell value sooner or later, because a woeful, injury prone player doesn’t exactly bring in too many suitors. Agree that the small amounts will build and that Hojbjerg’s potential sale would bump it up considerably to then put towards areas Ange wants strengthening in. There’s two others I’d personally consider offers for that’d be in a similar boat to Hojbjerg but they almost certainly won’t happen - Richarlison and Porro. Despite being just days out from the supposed Brentford deadline, it still feels like a huge IF but if Kane does stay, we don’t need Richarlison, it’s as simple as that. Veliz can settle in with the help of the Argies whilst also act as Kane’s understudy. We’ll never recoup what we paid for Richarlison but he still has value in this market and if Kane remains Richarlison will yet again be a £60m bench warmer that a £13m Argentinian kid can likely do just as well and come the summer of 2024 the Brazilian’s value will have just further declined and we’ll just be “Ndombele-ing” ourselves with him by persisting in the hope he’ll come good. Then with Porro, I’m calling it now, even only after 6 months - he won’t cut it in the Prem, especially as a RB and we’re already nicely stocked at RW so the idea of pushing him there doesn’t really appeal to me. Technically he’s sound, really sound in fact but his defending is nothing short of atrocious and even with considerable improvements it’d still be bad. He needs roughly a 500% improvement in his defending just to be adequate and I don’t see that happening. Seems a good bloke too which is a shame but a full back in the Premier League just isn’t for him in my opinion and he’ll likely be on the bench most weeks.
Porro I’m with you on, unfortunately. Unless we see a big improvement in his defending over the course of the season I think he’s not one for the long term. Very nice footballer but not reliable going back, similar to Reggie in some regards really, if a little better as a player. Having watched the Barca game now I actually think we’re in pretty good shape. I think the big question mark (aside from the obvious Kane one) is who starts at 6 - I hope Bissouma - and the defence. I doubt we’ll look at RB until next summer but that, outside of CB, is going to be the next big area of need. If we can get a right sided version of Udogie next summer then we’re laughing. Ideally we’ll want another CB this window who can play both sides, or two specialists (likely a right footer and try and grab Lenglet on the cheap). Romero misses games every season and Dier makes me nervous there. Sanchez had some good moments and some bad ones against Barca but he’s one I’d cash in on, personally. Romero, another, VdV, Lenglet, and Dier and Phillips as spares would be ok for season 1 under Ange. I doubt we’ll be near Laporte, though he’s a fabulous player. Elsewhere we look well set. The left side looks locked down, with Madders and the reborn GLC, Destiny backed up by mr reliable Ben Davies, and a number of good options at LW. I’m more sceptical about the right side aside from Kulu and Solomon (who looks a tricky prospect on either side) because Sarr is very much still a prospect, Skipp is a hard worker but doesn’t convince me in advanced areas, and we have yet to see Bentancur play for Ange, though I think he’ll tear it up. None of the RB options are perfect but I expect Emerson will be first choice. GK I’m pretty calm on. I suspect Vic will make a few errors as he settles but Hugo did too and he’s been the best I’ve personally seen keep goal for Spurs. And if he doesn’t work out after a season we just look for another, it’s hardly like we invested a massive sum in him. All in all, once we get the outgoings moving and the Brentford deadline passes, I’m feeling ok for the season. It’ll be a work in progress but pre-season has been very encouraging and we have the makings of a good team, with depth in many positions, and Ange has done well to get a tune so far out of a couple of players we probably thought would be well out the door. CB is the one we really need to address through the rest of the window, for our immediate needs.
Reguilon’s better than Porro. More well rounded at the very least even if the latter is a better technician. I still think Reguilon should be kept as he’s the next best LB after Udogie (and we still need to see him in the Prem first too, looks the part but can never be sure). Bissouma is definitely starting at that base, I have zero doubts about that. I think he’s one of the first names on the team sheet under Ange now. We all know we’ve needed two good CBs. One to ensure Dier and Sanchez are nowhere near the XI (and ideally sold) and the other to keep Romero on his toes so that he isn’t a semi-liability again like he was at times last season. Ange has also made no secret he wants another too so ball’s in the board’s court to sort it. Laporte won’t be one of them though unfortunately, no chance he leaves City for us. But this is why I’d add Porro and Richarlison to the transfer list, we don’t need them and their potential fees would give the club no reason to then not spend on another good CB, rumours keep saying we’re “scared” of Leverkusen’s asking price for Tapsoba, the sales of those two should net us around £60m, no excuses then. I’m probably not as calm as you about Vicario. Seems decent enough, especially at shot stopping but of all the new signings he’s the one I’m most concerned about, as I’ve said before I’m just getting more Gollini than say Buffon vibes from him. I think what’s exacerbated any issue is Arsenal now signing our first choice target. All in all the squad is looking “ok” and there’s way more optimism under Ange than at the end of last season. I think a lot of that optimism can change though if Bayern do meet the asking price within the next few days. Better football under Ange or not, if you lose your talisman and best player, things are gonna be way more rocky and I struggle to see where consistent goals will come from.
Ally Gold says we're keeping an eye on Eze, especially as Gil's out for a while. Romano saying Utd are looking at Tapsoba as one of their options to replace Maguire. Pavard and Todibo the other two on the list.
