Transfer Targets - How to give the squad balance

Its no secret we need some new recruits in January, so what are types of players you'd like to see? By that I mean not only position, but the qualities in the player. Try to give examples of players who display these qualities. I think it is difficult to come up with what is realistic because our transfer business is often unpredictable and under the radar. Note: This is not about who we might buy so don't worry about your examples necessarily being likely.

Personally I see 3 key areas:

1st Pick - Centre Back
2nd Pick - Left Forward/Wing
3rd Pick - Full back

I think a centre midfielder (creative) and another centre back would come next for me. I know strikers are often mentioned but I think this might be resolved with addition of a left forward/winger and the emergence of Campbell.

Centre back -

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa - Montpellier
Cheikhou Kouyate - Anderlecht
Michael Dawson - Spurs

Good centre backs who can cope with demands of the PL are tricky to find. They need a blend of reasonable pace, strength and a decent level of ball playing ability. Obviously you just need to understand the art of defending more than anything. Leadership qualities would be nice given Colo missing so many games, but is not essential. We just need better quality than Willo is the top and bottom of it!

Left forward/wing -

Frei - Fulham
Ince - Blackpool
Zaha - Palace

I think its obvious from my selections what I'd like to see here. Pace, skill and a Benni type quality to come in off the wing and broaden our play. I still think we need more crosses but more than anything I want that option to pick one striker but have good enough support from the wide areas to allow it without becoming toothless.

Full back -

Danny Rose - Sunderland (yes I know he's a mackem but he fits the bill and he's only plastic at present )
Jose Enrique - Liverpool
Debuchy - Lille

Basically I'd like pace and an ability to dovetail with our wingers. I want someone who is going to get the opposition thinking negatively and put us on the front foot. But they must be able to defend first and foremost of course. Those mentioned have a nice balance of these qualities for me. Santons versatility leaves us with plenty of options here but ideally it would be a left back for me. I just like natural balance in the full back areas, think it would help our crossing, and have never hidden that I think Santon is better at right back.

 

Here's my top tips for the January period: Buy Tomas Kalas(Vitesse Arnhem)
http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/kalas/profil/spieler_148657.html
Amazing CB and RB. Insanely fast, fastest defender by a mile in the Eredivisie. Strong, tall and incredible stamina, this is a world class defender in the making!
With his 19 years of age he is one of the youngest, but THE most talented CB you'll find in all Europe. Estimate costs: 5 to 6 million pounds or just pay whatever is needed, you will likely double it in a couple of years.

Another tip: Siem de Jong(Ajax). Should be ripe now for a step to the EPL. Great AM/ST/CM(best to worst position) that can easily replace Cabaye or Ba. Fantastic technique, vision and passing. And his heading is sublime, there should be a compilation of him on youtube with all the goals he made with his head. He's fast, agile and he is versatile on the pitch as he can play anywhere on the pitch. Fee: 9-11 million pounds

Last tip: Bruno Martins Indi(Feyenoord). Defender/LB that has played for Feyenoord for the past three years. 21 years old and already in the Dutch national squad. This guy is a giant, in physique that is. Tall, bulky guy with solid defensive skills. He lacks speed though and his agility is far from good but this is all caused by being a giant. But he is mentally very stable and consistent. Estimate fee: 6/7 million pounds

And that concludes my update on the Eredivisie transfer market.

 

Id like Yanga, Remy (If possible) or Ince, and even though ive never seen him play i'd like Cissoko!

 

Kalas sounds excellent Cove but is he not the lad they loaned from Chelsea? Or am I getting him mixed up with someone else?

 

He is, doesn't matter, BUY HIM!
When it comes to Kalas, this pic tell you enough on how eager you should be to get this guy

please log in to view this image

 

Very good article mate. I pretty much agree with everything you've said to be fair so very little to add!

Rose would be my first choice LB, he's been outstanding in every game I've seen him play for Sunderland (and as you've said he's only a plastic at present).

 

Welcome back stranger.

 

Cheers fella

Had a busy few days so my "Not 606" addiction had to take a back seat. It feels good to finally get my "fix" though.

 

I'd love to see someone up front with searing pace, like we had with Craig Bellamy.

 

Have just read on Sky Sports that Diame supposedly has a release clause of 3.5 million, if so he is an absolute must. Strong, quick, never shirks a tackle and huge energy levels.

For 3.5 million he'd be an absolute bargain.

 

Kind of bargain price MA wouldn't mind splashing out on hopefully.

 

LW: Dries Mertens

 

Nah, you don't want him, and here's why:

Ever since his transfer to FC Utrecht in 2009 he has been a goal scoring menace in the Eredivisie. This may seem like a good prospect for the EPL but he's not. Since 2009 he hasn't shown any progress at all. He has learnt one trick at Sparta Rotterdam and keeps repeating that. The defensive quality in the Eredivisie ranges from below par to utter ****. So it it's easy to execute the same trick over and over again because they all fall for it. Centre backs in the EPL however will get a hold of him pretty quickly rendering him completely useless on the left wing. Here is his 'trick': He rushes over the left flank, cuts inside and shots on target just hoping the goalie and centre backs are sleeping. He's a 'Robben' type of player, very selfish and at times completely clueless.
Complementary youtubevideo:
At 2:22 his 'trick'
[video=youtube;51NBqZybiVw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51NBqZybiVw[/video]

This season, the majority of his goals were scored in this fashion.

 

so he's what gutierrez used to be except he can score? still sounds alright to me.
funny that you should compare him to robben, everyone knows exactly what he's going to do and yet the defenders don't stop him.

 

On his goal record from wide I'd take him I have to say Cove. 28 in 46 from the wing Sounds like he'd be out of our range though, along with his excellent club mate Strootman. Did they really pay 13m for the pair? That is gonna be Ashley type profit

 

Yet never won an international title...

Now I do agree he is an improvement over Guitierrez, but IMO I'd look elsewhere, loads of young left wingers are on the market nowadays.
For example: Miralem Sulejmani(24) plays at Ajax, has 6 months left on his contract. Even though he is bad form, he is still a quality player and a hell of a lot cheaper than Mertens.

13 million euro's that is, which is about 11mil pounds.