For a top 8 club I agree.. If they added 3 really top players though they'd be a serious side. Essentially they're where I'd always have liked them to been most my life... Knocking on the door a bit. Isak loss will be big.
If we can bring in Wissa, maybe another young CF to compete with Osula and then sell Isak at the death of the window could have a war chest for January whilst the dirty 6 have blown their load on our targets this summer. Elanga - £55m Thiaw - £35m Ramsey - £40m* Ramsdle - £3m (loan fee) Wissa - £35m* Total Spend - £178m Net Spend - £153m (£25m from Lloyd Kelly and Longstaff sales). That is probably what we were due to spend this summer. Take the £130m for Isak into January and really push hard for 2 or 3 serious upgrades.
It's kinda weird that nobody every thinks we need another full back... I believe Thiaw can play RB but I just think if Livramento gets injured we're ****ed.. All of a sudden we've got literally no pace whatsoever right across the back 4 and midfield 3 Perhaps I'm being greedy, but a decent ish full back that can play left, right, and with a bit of pace would be nice.
2x FB would be exactly the one's I'd push for in January along with a CF to replace Isak. Upgrades on Trippier and Targett and then it's about replacing Burn and Schar in due course. Defence would be sorted for 8-10 years then if you got 22-24y/o's for RB and LB to compete with Hall and Tino and then Cb's to replace Schar and Burn - but the CB's may take a few years to get in if Schar and Burn stick around on the bench but wouldn't be disastrous.
The situation is compounded by the fact Hall is made of lead. I'd be looking at Robinson at Fulham and he would effectively relegate Hall to the bench but both are sufficiently good.
Weirdly as well - it's the defence that are all coming to the end of their contracts this summer: Pope Ramsdale Gillespie Ruddy Trippier Lascelles Krafth Schar
Football insider (**** source) via reports in Portugal. Newcastle are firming up their interest in that big oaf at Porto.
When we rejected Liverpool's bid for Isak we warned them to stop using the media to unsettle him otherwise we would seek legal advice.