Transfer thread for 2016-17 season

He's neither of those things and I don't even think that attacking midfielder's a great description of Ozil.
He's a playmaker, while Sissoko's more of a box-to-box midfielder.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think that it's a good signing.
You're making nonsensical comparisons, though. Not for the first time, obviously.

We had this ****e before with Modric which is when I had to start making similarly dozy comparisons.
Christ Brunt scored more goals and got more assists than Xavi a few years back. That didn't make him a better played, did it?

 

Some slightly odd claims about the Lopez and Sissoko deals doing the rounds.
We have to sign the Spanish keeper at the end of the season or pay a fee anyway, for some reason.
No idea why we haven't just got him on a permanent now, if that's the case.

Mouse 2's fee is being claimed as five chunks of £6m a season, which stops if he leaves.
That sounds ludicrous, as we could sell him next season and pocket the difference.
Sounds like bullshit, to me.

 

He's not a very good box-to-box midfielder if his defence shipped as many goals as they did and he only contributed 1 goal

 

Sissoko is not a winger, nor does he claim to be. His first position is CM, similar to Drinkwater, as I said earlier.

Also apparently the deal is 6m per year for every year that he stays with us. It may never reach 30m.

If it does I'm sure it'll be well worth the money.

 

That doesn't make any sense. One player doesn't make a team.
He had a crap season and his attitude stinks, but the stats don't tell you that.
I've no idea why you're focusing on them, rather than just pointing out that he was rubbish.

As I've already pointed out, Xavi had crap assist/goals stats in various years.
That doesn't mean that he was crap, does it?

 

A Leicester fan laughing at us for forking £30m on a player while they've just splashed the same amount on a 28 year old striker proven only in what is essentially a second rate league. Comedy gold this lot, add to the fact they're still using cardboard clappers to generate an atmosphere at games, they're a gift that keeps on giving.

 

I just got back from Amsterdam this morning, I thought Sissoko signing for that price was as a result of me being on another planet last night but in the cold light of dawn - no, we really did pay £30m for Moussa Sissoko! My first reaction was utter disbelief (not in a good way) and I'm still talking myself round to it as a move as I've been dead against him coming to us.

As a footballer I think Poch can have a good go with him as the complaints we hear about him when he's not on song sound exactly like our gripes with Dembele until midway through last season when he finally started to get it. Attitude will either be a massive hit or a big miss, Poch seems to either have players who get on with him like a house on fire or those who end up training with the kids. We'll know soon enough and that is the part of the transfer I'm most worried about. Given how the NUFC fans are talking about him, its a big worry.

All this attacking midfielder/winger stuff is irrelevant because it's near impossible to compare contributions to a team across positions, individual and team playing styles, and in any case he'll be played in Dembele's role as that is where Poch likes to have players with that style of play. I'm pretty sure he tried Dembele in the 3 and there's a good reason he's now settled in the 2. Sissoko will follow suit I feel. On a tangent, 'box-to-box' is a funny phrase because it fits Dembele and Sissoko well given their responsibilities on the pitch but it always makes me think of a Gerrard-style player, all blood and thunder, which they're not. Anyway.

When you look at how bad we are without Dembele, Sissoko (if he works out) is worth that fee to us. Yes, it's a fairly big risk but we've made some good money on outgoings and the stadium finances are supposedly sorted irrespective of transfer fees so its clearly a fee that Levy felt he could part with, AND he did get played a bit with the brinksmanship which probably impacted the price. It's a bit of a surprise to see us throwing so much money about but I guess it was only a matter of time given how much money there is in the game now.

Overall its been a funny window. Been sad to see some of the players leave but we've picked up some good fees on them and in terms of incomings, our first two are good signings, GKN is at least going to offer something a little different to the squad, and Sissoko could be the final piece of the jigsaw in terms of the squad if he knuckles down. The Pau Lopez loan is a funny one but if it goes towards securing the GK position in the long term then it makes a lot of sense. Overall I'm not unhappy, just the last minute Sissoko deal has foxed me a bit. I still don't really know what to make of it.

 

I'm telling you he is rubbish and using the stats to back it up. I hope he performs a bit better for you because you're going to need it with Us, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool all strengthening.

It'll be tough for you to get into the top 6 again I reckon.

 

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Your stats don't back anything up, though. They're largely meaningless.
Sissoko got the same number of assists and one less goal than Drinkwater, playing in a far worse team.
That should make him the better player, statistically speaking, shouldn't it?

 

Given that one is a deep lying playmaker and one is an attacking midfielder/winger.... no?

I know you keep using this Brunt/Xavi analogy when Brunt was a winger and Xavi was a deep lying playmaker but stats definitely do back up performance levels.

 

Brunt was playing in a central midfield role at the time, though he's used in various positions, including as a defender.
Sissoko's also been moved about and doesn't appear to have had a defined role for Newcastle's campaign.

It's funny that you now want to distinguish between central midfielders, but didn't have a problem with it before.
The idea that Sissoko plays a closer role to Ozil or Mahrez than Drinkwater is rather debatable, don't you think?
I'd suggest that they all play different roles and that your stats are useless as a result, but I can't see you agreeing, somehow.

 

I tell you what, I love the big boy trash talk!!

This is why I love football. The banter. You won the league props to you.

Now you wanna give it large like you are gonna displace us from the group of challengers, whilst keeping yourselves in the top tier of 'strengthened' teams, after you sold your biggest asset, and we sold, fringe players. I love it. Well done. That is classic WUMerry!

I mean you are right. It will be tough for us to make top six, but are you saying it won't be for you?

I won't react, you may after all be correct. We'll not know until the end of the season will we. Let's see.

 

This has been a great thread. And now AKCJ has turned up.

 

Sissoko turned up. That's what really happened

 

I'm saying it'll be a damn sight easier for us. Surely you agree? What was it in the end? 11 points more than you?

 

Hull disagree.

 

He's a winger/CM, not AM. We got him because he's the nearest thing to a Dembele replacement there is, and also addresses a key weakness, pace/trickery. It's odd that he plays both of those roles, but he does. Not to distract you with relevant information.

 

Given you recently lost 5-1 to Newcastle... I think we'll be fine.