Carrasco is a quality player. If it was a straight choice between him an Perisic, although the latter is still a top quality player. I'd take Carrasco.
Yeah - does seem very pricey based on his age. However I will say Perisic is very much an Emery style player. He will press, he will tackle, he's got a bit of needle about him.
Looking like Suarez for sure. (He's in London) .. and Carrasco rather than Perisic. Both loans with an option to buy. I like both these signings as they are both players with top class ability - neither of whome have really performed to their potential. If one or both players doesn't perform its fine - we dont have to sign them permantely. But this gives both guys the oppurtunity to make a name for themselves in the EPL at a big club. Shame we didnt make a move for a CB as well. (crazy really)
Suarez is done. Am indifferent as I don't really think he will add much more than Ramsey will so not really sure of the point of the signing when there are more urgent areas that need to be addressed.
Ornstein saying that Christopher Nkunku still wants to move to Arsenal and a deal might happen before the deadline. I remember reading about him a couple of years back, was being taunted as the next Verrati. (although he's more attacking) Would be a good one - very talented young player.
Yeah it's embaressing, clubs like Newcastle and Wolves bringing in £20+ million quid signings while we are having to look for loan deals.
It could have worked well though but a bloated squad and the inability to tie players down to contracts have costs us alot of money. Liverpool have been abale to spend more than ourselves by keeping their net expenditure and wages lower.
hate to say it but its looking like Liverpool are the role model we need to follow. 5 seasons or so ago they were in our position - not making top 4, best players leaving, no chance at title, and this year its looking like they might just win it. That is what happens when you have the proper appointments in place, when you make good financial decisions, when you actually INVEST wisely in your squad, and when your owner actually has a direction for your club.
They also got very fortunate in buying £23m player in 2010 and selling for £65m in 2014 and then even more fortunate in buying a very average £8.5m player in 2012, turning him very good and then selling him at just the time Barca had a Neymar-sized desperation fee burning their pockets to want to buy that player for £140m in 2017. That's the reason they're now good. £170m out of nowhere that they could reinvest without even taking into account just spending their own money. They also have Klopp and I can't see Emery being as good as him at the moment, not even close. And we don't have any playing personnel even remotely marketable enough to just create £170m of spare profit from out of the air from to improve our squad. Liverpool don't necessarily represent a 'good' model... well certainly not one that any club can look at and think 'great let's do that'. They just got lucky making a **** ton of profit from PSG spending an absurd amount on Neymar that meant they could buy Alisson, Van Dijk, Keita, Fabinho and Shaqiri.
one thing I will say is if we had £170m, I still dont think we would have spent £75m on Van Dijk. We would probably pocket half the money, then try and buy 3 bargain players from Serie A or something. While they did get a ton of money, they seemed to have reinvested it wisely. I mean just last January they lost their (arguably) best player, and the way they have reinvested has made them even better.
I actually think Nelson and Smith-Rowe are key pieces to the way forward now for us. Hopefully Emery can integrate them directly into the first team for next season, I think both have great potential, and could be a great alternative to spending a lot of money.
Yep and Rob Holding too. I think he showed this Season he has the potential to be a Top class defender. Also Guendouzi at just 19 is going to be getting better year on year - the kid has massive potential.
Did you hear Ornstein in the podcast with Arseblog? He said although we are interested in signing him, wages + terms could be a big stumbling block. There are also bigger clubs interested in him. Would be a stunning signing if we can pull it off, but won't be easy for sure. CL football income would help massively, though.
There are no bigger clubs mate. Yeah I think a Guendouzi/Torreira/Rabiot midfield could be ****ing awesome. Ornstein also mentioned James Rodriguez so its nice to see we are looking at some TOP quality creative players. I just hope we can land at least one 'World class' defender as well as any offensive targets they have planned.