Transfer thread for 2016-17 season

I don't think our weak area is the 3 behind Kane/Janssen. I think its the non-defensive central mid. We look good with Dembele, i know a few here have mixed feelings about him but when he is fully fit he's one of the first on the team sheet. When he's missing we don't look as good. Alli, imo, is the next best thing in that position but we lose him (arguably our most talented player) playing in his best position by doing that.

I don't think Wanyama is that player either. Mason looked awful most games last season.

 

The thing I loved about Gallas was that his clearing headers always went to a teammate in a good area.

 

Spot on

Let's not forget the development of Onomah in that position too. Chadli out and Njie out on loan makes sense. Son is the real conundrum in this whole equation as while he cost a fortune, is still young, had his fair share of injury set backs and still showed plenty of moments of genuine quality. But on the flipside, there were also plenty of moments where he appeared to be struggling with the ferocity of the PL and not quite 'getting' what Poch wanted from him. If he it can all click into place for him this close season, I feel we could have a top drawer player on our hands who has the pace, trickery and physique to add something totally different to the '3' incumbents.

Another comment spot on

I personally hope, and I know a number of other posters share this opinion, that Bentaleb can be nurtured into the 'Dembele role'. His skill set is the most similar out of the entire squad and I think we've seen enough from him to suggest that if coached correctly (and he applies himself of course), he can be immense.

 

What was the deal with Bentaleb last year? Lots of injuries or just out of favour. I heard about an injury or 2 but mostly he was just completely off the radar

 

There were plenty of reports concerning the lad's attitude too. In a way, perfectly understandable when you're a young player at a club notorious for giving youth a chance under a manager notorious for giving youth a chance and you've been an almost permanent fixture on the team sheet for over a season resulting in a new 5-year contract and promises of even greater rewards to come when suddenly the first team games dry up completely and it becomes apparent that after one bad performance you've been usurped by a player who hasn't really produced the goods for 3 whole years.

I also don't think Nabs is at all comfortable playing the DM role in the way that Poch insists - dropping into a CB position whenever the FB's bomb forward. It comes naturally to Dier as he was 'raised' as a CB and therefore 'gets' the position. He played the position a couple of times in cup games and looked petrified every time he was on the ball in a deeper position. Nabs has always come across as a box-to-box midfielder whose natural skill-set is far closer to Dembele's than it is to Dier or Wanyama. He has a fantastic engine, comfortable with both feet, excellent at short, quick releases and doesn't mind a pop at goal from distance. I very much hope that with the arrival (finally) of genuine cover at DM, Poch abandons the fanciful notion of trying to turn Bentaleb into one and focuses instead on preparing him to be the long-term replacement for the Dembele role. The Belgian isn't getting younger and has always been a bit of a magnet for those annoying niggling injuries that keep you out for 3-4 weeks.

Nabs will get plenty of opportunities to get out there and shine, especially with CL games to juggle. I have given up on Tommy or Ryan ever being good enough to suit our purposes, but he remains a prospect who I really hope can knuckle down, put in the hours and miles, and emerge as a seriously talented engine in the middle of the park.

 

http://www.skysports.com/football/n...ement-for-spurs-target-georges-kevin-nkoudou?

This story now begins to make sense. We don't want to give up Clinton but Marseille are looking for a replacement. I doubt Clinton will go. In Levy I trust. I hope N'Jie gets some chances next season.

 

Would this be the same Marseille who quite happily sold their star player to Chelsea without finding a replacement? I think they're playing silly buggers again. Arsenal, Liverpool and West Ham have all reportedly scouted the player - wouldn't surprise me if they're trotting out the good old 'we need to find a replacement' line a la Jeremy Peace in the hope that they'll receive more money from another party.

 

1. From what I can see :

French equivalent of Internacional + severe UEFA FFP hurdles to jump thru = Marseille.

2. I suggest their chairman speak to the Lyon chairman about the joys of attempting to
outdo Levy.

 

In a lot of ways Son's first season can be compared to Lamela's first season and a half: he showed obvious glimpses of what he's capable of but the issue that he was playing like somebody who knew how he should play but he hadn't adapted to the tactics they weren't second nature to him like they were for so many other members of the team, so there'd be times where he'd hesitate for a second as he tried to remember what he was supposed to do.

Looking at it from that standpoint it's a good idea to keep hold of him for at least another season, as it's best to have a player who knows what to do and is trying to get in sync with the team.

The perfect solution: OM pay us £5m + N'Koudou for Chadli. Sorted!

 

Interesting!....


http://www.thesportbible.com/footba...unced-tottenham-hotspurs-new-signing-20160718

 

Oh look, the Spammers are showing an interest in N'Koudou. How utterly unexpected...

 

They are like Jarrod in Storage Wars.
Sod all cash in their wallet but trying to irritate the big boys by attempting to bid up.

 

Too late, if his barber has got it right!...

 

While I also have hope for Bentaleb, I think the problem is he (and Mason, really) doesn't get Pochettino's insistence that both deeper lying mids work together to shield the back four as a first priority. I'm not sure if it's a commitment issue or a positioning intelligence issue, but he has a longstanding tendency to be caught too far upfield. Carroll, in contrast, seems to basically position himself as Pochettino wants him to. The problem is he's too small to be very good at shielding the back four.

I agree Son looked very much like someone struggling to learn a system next year. But I really think he will have learned it reasonably well by the PL season. I also think we need him as the fourth attacking midfielder. If he can learn the system, his goals and ability to score from the right make him very valuable.

 

Nkoudou's medical is apparently booked in for today, so similar to Janssen, providing no hiccups I'd expect him to be announced by tomorrow morning around 10-11 ish. Good to see we're getting business done so early, don't know anything about this lad though but I trust in Poch & Mitchell's judgement that the lad will do well, watched a couple YouTube vids (as you do!) and he looks rapid with a decent bit of skill. I wonder if that will be the last of the ins?

 

Looks like the heat has been getting to whoever is calling the shots at Stoke City - multiple sources now claiming they've tabled a £20m bid for Saido 'Pram' Berahino. I mean...really?!

I've had my gripes with Levy over the years but I'm sure as hell glad that he's running our club, as opposed to what must be a syndicate comprised of Alan Partridge, Mr Blobby and Baldrick.

 

Given the current prices being chucked about for bloody average players, I'm not sure that's too inflated.
I'd have aimed a fair bit lower myself, as West Brom aren't in a position to negotiate, but fees have gone through the roof.

Stoke need a striker with good movement to complement the likes of Shaqiri, Arnautovic and Afellay.
They're also rather light on homegrown players and have some aging forwards on their books.
I can see the sense in this transfer, if it goes through.

 

The Most Ridiculous Transfer Story....Ever!

The Sun allege that Chelsea are going to report Atletico Madrid to FIFA for quotes attributed to the Atletico Madrid President in a Spanish paper, if they don't stop trying to destabilise the player at Chelsea.

It must be the heat....

 

Right, so with rumours of Nkoudou completing his medical and signing his contract last night, that usually signals that the day after is when the announcement will be made.

I was 45 mins out with the Janssen guess, so my prediction for Nkoudou today is 10:38 am.

 

I think that Levy will wait until he sells Fazio to cheer us all up after that terrible news