Transfer Rumours transfer thread fact and fiction

I totally hear you. I do think though that we are so used to running with our squad threadbare and gaffe taped, that we are seeing these situations as either/or predicaments. We do need a defensive midfielder as TOP priority, in my opinion, then a striker, then a right back.

Then, we also NEED to replace Eriksen, for sure. Unless we are happy to not quite do as well as we have done.

We need to improve. Eriksen's skills have been key. His decline, and how it has effected the team serves as evidence to this point.

It's BOTH that we need. It's not either/or.

 

It's so hard to know which order to prioritise these things in. So much is up in the air Re the general health of the squad. Will Davies be the same player after returning from his second surgery? Is Tanganga a long term option at RB? Can Gedson play DM effectively? Is Sess a long term option at LB? Is Tanguy broken? Is Lo Celso good enough to replace Eriksen on his own?

Right now, the only thing we know for certain here and now is that there is a Harry Kane sized hole in the team sheet. The rest definitely needs a hell of a lot of work, but when that work is done is subject to debate. Could be now, could be wiser to wait until the summer and see how all of the questions above pan out.

So for me, if we can bring in a ST and clear out at least 3 players, I will consider this a pretty successful window as far as January windows go.

 

I hear you.

To me, it all depends on what the objective is between Mr. Levy and Mourinho for this season. I imagine qualification for CL is a must. Either, we win the CL. (Yeah, I know.) Or we improve the squad enough to climb up the table comfortably into 4th.

Either way it means the squad has to be an improvement on last season. Super heavy lifting may have to wait until summer, but to me that heavy lifting is about challenging for the title, and challenging to win the CL.

Levy will now be asking, what do we need to get top four again? This will be his minimum requirement. (One current advantage of Levy being money minded. Otherwise finishing 8th wouldn't be a major deal, as we've seen in the past.)

I'm not sure that just a striker is going to do it, especially after Eriksen leaves. I imagine Jose will feel the same. As will Levy. We were after Bruno in the summer, so Levy is aware of the importance. (Maybe it broke down then, simply because Eriksen stayed.)

This is why Eriksen has to go NOW!!! (..along with all else who aren't sure they are down for the cause or up for the challenge.)

Time to make room.

 

This is so true. As fans we have accepted less than 1 signing a window so the prospect of having more than the bare essential seems too much

 

Not sold at all on Bruno, it’s a lot of money when we have 3 senior players who can play attacking midfield even without Eriksen and we desperately need to strengthen other areas. The squad is unbalanced enough as it is. The loan to buy moves for GLC and Gedson show we can’t just chuck money around. Bruno is clearly a talent but you can’t buy them all.

 

Foyth is U21 and doesn't use a spot in either the PL or the CL. Parrott doesn't have a * by his name in the current UEFA list so I assume he does use one....not sure why since he is under 21 and has been eligible to play for us for more than two years.....

 

I would tend to agree with you, but the one thing that nobody seems to talk about enough with this guy is that he is a leader on the pitch. Captain material.

Exactly what we have been needing, and still don't have yet. Imagine Eriksen with leadership quality.

Look at how he bosses the situations in this video….

 

I forgot that he now qualifies for the B list. I'm still in 2018 mode, when he didn't make the cut.

In any event, I think that he'll be leaving the club this window. He's not had enough football to play at centre half and is not being selected for other positions.

Keeping him at the club is pointless. He needs to play and we're not going to do that. Sale or loan, he needs to go.

 

Portuguese too. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Mourinho has had a word with the agent and asked them to wait until they can make a bid.

It'd also be great for the Amazon doc.

 

Fair points mate. No doubting the quality of the player (usual caveats about transitioning to the PL notwithstanding) and his leadership qualities. But is he going to be made captain ahead of Kane? (I see Mou long term giving the armband to Kane over Lloris and we need to replace the GK soon anyway).

I just think there’s other areas of the squad we should prioritise for the outlay we’d need to deploy to get him.

 

Well that was a fun couple of hours...

 

We have signed an average of 2.5 players per window over the last seven seasons. We normally sign six players a year, but had one blank year. That doesn't mean that anyone has got used to anything. Personally I think we sign too many players...we should sign fewer better ones and rely on the academy and the squad players to make up the numbers. Signing 4 players a year should be fine on average.

 

Kane is going to be out for the majority of the remaining season. Lloris is still an unknown quantity regarding his return.

I agree there are other priorities, but as I said earlier I believe it is not an either/or situation, unless we don't really mind whether we make it into the top four or not. A new striker don't improve on last season, neither does a replacement for Eriksen. BOTH are necessary!!

We have, up until very recently, still proved reliant on Eriksen to sew things together on the pitch, despite having other AM options, none seem to have the equivalent skills. N'dombele at CM has a similar passing and set piece ability, but he's inured, a lot it seems.

We can have a leader on the pitch who isn't the actual captain, we need the voice, grit, passion and energy more an actual change of captain.

Does Manchester United w/Bruno finish above us in the league? I am sure that Levy and Jose will ask this very question.

Levy will also be asking, what will the cost be, of missing out on Champions League qualification this season?

 

Within your four players, are you including loans to cover emergency gaps?

 

You wouldnt be including the likes of shilow tracey, kion etete, jack clarke in your calculations are you?

Likewise you have also sold squad/senior (not including youths) players at a rate of 2.3 per window so it seems you do need to be replacing them at the rate you have suggested

 

No. The way I now look at it is that we need about 25 players and players last about 10 years at their best so we need to bring in 2.5 per year on average. But about half of those will be duds so 5 per year will be necessary as 2.5 will have to go early. Assuming one comes from the academy (not a lot to ask given that we have a lot more than that start each year) then we need to sign four.

 

The answer is five near enough however you calculate it. Signing more players (assuming budgetary constraints) makes it more likely you will sign poor ones. So leads to the need to sell more too.

 

I think he would be ideal for Spurs because he could replace Eriksen, provide goals and assists and he’s a leader.

Also the fact it would mean Utd don’t get him is a perk too.

 

Sure, that’s a question that absolutely needs to be asked. But I don’t think we’re in a position to ‘Van Persie’ United as they did years ago when they bought the Dutchman not just because he was a fine striker but also because it meant a rival wouldn’t have his services.

It’s not just about United finishing above us, we’re not getting near the top 4 full stop unless we sort the defence and midfield out. Our defensive issues are clear to see and our midfield issues stem from a lack of a strong DM and a lack of a consistently progressive player because NDombele is always injured. Gedson hopefully goes some way to rectify the latter issue and if he can help us play with more pace and purpose in midfield then it’s only the DM and defensive issues that remain.

Eriksen sometimes (when he wants to) ties things together and keeps us playing when we have a midfield that lacks a progressive player who can move the ball forward quickly and accurately and break the press, but I think with NDombele and/or Gedson with GLC ahead of them as a 10 we have enough in that regard. Solidity and defensive competence is the order of the day for signings now, as well as addressing the hole in our squad as far as strikers go.

In reality we need a striker, a CB, a RB, probably a LB, probably another DM and probably a GK, to get this squad back to where it was when we were near the top of the PL table. I think we’ve got enough in attacking and progressive midfielders now to focus on other matters.

 

Sure I’m not saying he’s a bad player but I’d rather get a striker loaned in and try and sign players in positions which I consider a higher priority. We desperately need a RB of starting XI quality at the very least this window.