Transfer Rumours transfer thread fact and fiction

I must have missed those YouTube clips

Listen, if Ange wants him then fair enough. The guy has hit the ground running and oozes positivity. Give him the feckin' chequebook!!

 

RW Watch
PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko's been linked

On the plus side he is absolutely rapid and the sort of tricksy winger that Ange seems to like, as he's certainly comparable to Jeremy Doku - although he's contracted until 2026, and with Eredivisie clubs expecting fees in the £40m range he's basically going to cost the same as we're being quoted for Brennan Johnson

 

Whilst there’s scepticism from some over Johnson’s general ability (I genuinely like him but understand Lefty’s viewpoint too), I think this is the biggest factor.

Whether people want to accept it or not, Richarlison is on course to becoming the worst signing in Premier League history, not just Spurs, he’s already that I’d say.

What’s worse is a large portion of Spurs fans predicted from the off it was a move destined to fail due to the money involved, just like Maguire at Utd. Paying world class fees for average players doesn’t turn them into world class players.

Whilst I think £50m for Johnson is significantly better value than £60m for Richarlison, there are similarities that have fans concerned. Especially as in both deals, we’re essentially overpaying for players that aren’t even guaranteed to be starters. We didn’t need to spend £60m on a fourth choice forward and we don’t really need to spend £50m on potentially a backup RW. Last summer we should’ve looked at spending £60m on a CB and loaned in a backup forward rather than the other way round, this year I think there’s an argument to say we should be looking to allocate £50m on a ST/ CF and then use whatever’s left to add depth out wide or elsewhere.

 

One obvious point about the mooted fee for Johnson: Conor Gallagher's also being quoted at £50m, and if you compare the two...well then you start to notice Johnson's got far more end product

While there is the argument about him being a big fish in a small pond, it has to be said those same arguments could be made about Gallagher at Palace, as he hasn't come close to replicating that form at Big Todd's Soccerball Bash - and let's be honest, Forest likely wouldn't be a bunch of ****ers to negotiate with

Also, anyone seen Ansu Fati starting to be linked with us? TBH I'd still prefer Johnson, as Fati's been a shell of the player he could've been in the last couple of seasons since his hamstrings became optional extras

 

Johnson Watch
As per Miguel Delaney, there's a reason why Forest are asking for £40m upfront in spite Johnson having three years on his contract: they're under the FFP gun after last season's splurge

 

I'm all for backing the manager, but I just don't think Brennan Johnson is what we need.
There's plenty of positives if we do sign him, but it's not an area that needs strengthening.
We've already got Son, Kulusevski, Perisic, Solomon and Gil for the wide roles.

He's a decent player, but the price is obviously excessive.
We certainly need to address our homegrown and club grown numbers, though.
Hopefully we'll start to bring some more academy players through.

 

While some might consider this not relevant Spence and Johnson worked very well as a right hand side partnership for Forest in their promotion season.

Obviously it doesn't matter if Spence goes, as seems likely, but worth bearing in mind if he stays although Spence is no. 3 at best in the right back list.

I was lucky to get a ticket for the Bournemouth game. Really enjoyed the "new" Spurs. Maddison, Bissouma and Udogie were superb.

Clearly Richarlison had another mare and it must be wondered if it will ever go right for him.

However there was something that most fans will not have seen. We were having an outside beer in the bar above the players' exit where the 2 Spurs buses were parked. Lots of people hanging around for autographs, selfies etc. Ryan Mason came out first and did the signing/photos bit for about 20 minutes. It appeared no players could be bothered but having got on the bus, Richarlison got off and signed autographs, did selfies and other stuff for another 20 minutes before he was called back on the bus. Only Perisic and one other player did a couple of signings on their way out.

Richarlison had a truly awful game but showed some character in doing the above and it is the first time in my life that I have seen a player roundly applauded for signing autos. We may struggle to find a footballer but there is a good human being in there.

 

Maybe Ange sees Dane as our new number 9.

It's time we gave some academy players the chance to step up.

 

In the starting XI for the Fulham game ?? As a sub ??

 

Two managers have now turned their noses up at Spence two vastly different managers in style and attitude, this tells me something is not right about the lad, shame because what little we've seen of him he looked like a keeper for the future

 

Absolutely. And he’s surely not far off being given a chance, you’d think. Great opportunity to prove himself with Kane leaving and Richarlison being… Richarlison.

 

Johnson Watch
Sami Mokbel says Brentford have submitted an improved offer

That would be the Brentford our fanbase says we need to emulate in terms of identifying and signing players
The Brentford who offered £35m a few weeks ago, only for the bid to be rejected, so are going in with an improved offer
Yet when we are in for the exact same player Brentford have identified and bid for, it's apparently "wrong"...

 

Interesting thing here is Bakayoko was being linked with us prior, and now Brentford are switching to him

Barcola, meanwhile, is someone I've suggested in the past as somebody to keep an eye on as he's quick, tricky, lethal on the counter and will harass opponents all match long meaning he basically ticks the boxes for every manager we've had in the past five years one way or another

 

On that subject...

Johnson Watch


In other news, Ben Jacobs claims that Leeds are looking to take Spence on loan

 

£43m rejected?
So unless we can somehow persuade Forest to take some of our deadwood, it’s going to take £50m+.

when we already have Kulu, Gil, Son, Solomon, and Perisic.

 

Agreed, it seems a hell of a lot of money for a position that isn't urgently needed.

Unless 2-3 players are heading in the opposite direction, I don't see the point.

 

It's clear that Ange wants some raw pace on the right flank, as that's something Johnson, Doku, Bakayoko and Nuamah have, while conversely Deki, Gil and Solomon - while hardly plodders - they don't have the sort of pace to just leave defenders 5-10 yards behind them

But what does stand out is the differences in end product last season

Johnson P38 G8 A3 (Premier League)
Bakayoko P23 G5 A5 (Eredivisie)
Nuamah P21 G8 A4 (Danish Superliga)
Doku P29 G6 A2 (Ligue 1)

Based on the data, that does make it a straight fight between Johnson and Bakayoko - but Johnson does have one obvious variable in his favour in he's already acclimatised to the PL while Bakayoko probably would need time to get up to speed, while Nuamah it would obviously be a big step up

 

But regardless of stats for any of those players, what are we supposed to do with another winger?
Some of ours are struggling to get any game time for us as it is.
Hypothetically, we aren’t shifting Gil even if we want to, as he’s injured. We’ve only just signed Solomon, Son is our Captain, perisic looks like he’s liked by Ange, and we’ve only just signed Kulu on a permanent.
How do we keep another winger happy? It’s quite frankly ridiculous, IMO.
Unless it’s some elaborate smokescreen for someone else we’re working on behind the scenes.

 

On another note, I do wonder if when we signed Veliz, the talk about him not being ready and needing to settle in, could simply have been a part of a plan to keep the likes of Richarlison happy. - especially after last season and his confidence seemingly somewhat low. Perhaps he’s the striker solution many fans are craving from the rest of the transfer window. And maybe we’ll see him sooner than we’re led to believe.

 

Unlikely, as he's just come off a full Argentine season which finished a little over a week before we signed him, so much like Sandro we're going to be giving him cameos for the first half of the season - but he'll certainly be ready to go come December-January