After last weekends fun and games, a quiet one for a change as the transfer window starts to unroll. Some good news was Kiko leaving the club and although only a loan deal, its actually a permanent deal as Kiko will never play for the club again. I think overall Kiko was a good thing and got a bad press especially on the racism thing, and the way the club stuck with him tells you how they really felt about that dodgy charge. When you get an anti racist kneeler like Tyler Roberts, who remember was big mates with Leko, actually stuck up for Kiko, tells you everything. Anyway he’s gone now and a new keeper required as No2 to Meslier. Lots of talk about this new keeper being Freddy Woodman from Newcastle in the frame again, but apparently knocked it back as he wants to be first choice. A former Barcelona keeper who is 3rd choice at Lavante in La Liga, but supposed to be brilliant and had Simeoni bigging him up last season when he pulled off 10 top saves to keep Athletico Madrid from scoring. Then a 20yo Norwegian kid called Klaesson who has played 54 first team matches and someone Bielsa has been trying to get for 2 years, and is wanted by a couple of prem teams. I am not understanding the logic of this keeper chase though. Kiko was a free transfer but we paid him £1.5m per year in wages, so he has cost us £3m in reality. Why would you want to spend another £10m on Woodman when you are also paying maybe one third of Kiko’s wages, which means the £3m salary already paid plus £0.5m whilst out on loan plus £10m for Woodman equals £13.5m being the real cost of Kiko! Elche have 2 keepers one on £18k per week and one on £19k per week. The one on £19k per week is binned therefore Kiko will be paid a minimum of £20kpwk so another £10k from us to cover. Wouldn’t it make more sense to get a top experienced free agent? If you don’t do that why neglect Ellia Caprile because you are saying sorry but I’m going out to buy a kid the same age as you to be No2 instead of you? Lets face facts, we have done some strange things regarding our keepers in the last few months. BPF, Huffer, Turner, Kamil Miazek who I thought was excellent all binned and in the last few weeks Cooper Skerry also binned. We are left with a 6’4” French kid (22) backed by a 6’3” Italian kid (19) who we paid good money for. Danny Van De Heuval (18) a 6’4” Dutch kid and this week young Ombang (16). I have watched Caprile and he dominates the area and is a good stopper. So I’m thinking if we bring in someone else above Caprile but the same age, why buy Caprile in the first place and he knows he is going to go the same way as Miazek. Caprile and Klaesson are both the same age(ish) and one played all season in the Norweigan league and one played 24 times and hardly conceded in the Prem Lg2 which I would say is better standard. I really think we need to know what plans we have for keepers because its all over the place right now. The squad below will probably change as we know Davies is being added to the loaned out players, which means we have Junior and that’s it now with Huggins also going. I believe we will bring in another left winger to push Harrison and Junior and we will see another midfielder. We could also see Dallas as back up for Junior. Discuss Meslier/Caprile Junior?Dallas Struijk/Cooper Llorente/Koch Ayling/Drameh Harrison/Summerville Klich/Dallas/Shackelton Phillips/Forshaw Rodrigo/Roberts Raphinha/Costa/Poveda Bamford/Gehardt/Greenwood please log in to view this image
My own view is that I would like to see Forshaw and Costa replaced by a new midfielder and winger. Yes I know we are trying but I would prefer to see their wages gone. Championship club would take Forshaw on loan and lets hope Costa is bought by a Spanish, Portuguese, French, German or Italian club. Loan with a view to buy £12m snap hands off
When do the matches take place? Leeds United will take on Real Betis on Saturday, July 31 in a 12.30pm kick-off. The match will be played at Loughborough University. The Ajax match follows on Wednesday, August 4 and is a 7.15pm kick-off. That game will take place at Ajax's Johan Cruyff Arena. Live stream information Leeds United have confirmed that both of these newly announced fixtures will be streamed live on Andrea Radrizzani's LIVENow platform, with further information to be released next week. To listen to the new episode of our Blue White and Yellow podcast, click here. Leeds' full pre-season schedule Tuesday 27th July 2021 - Guiseley AFC (A) 7:30pm Wednesday 28th July 2021 - Blackburn Rovers (A) 7:30pm Friday 30th July 2021 - Fleetwood Town (A) 7pm Saturday 31st July 2021- Real Betis (N) 12:30pm
Agreed. Any ideas on the new mid? Heard a lot about keepers and wingers but apparently a midfielder is a high priority?
Looks like the Norwegian kid Klaesson is on route to Leeds. The tweet says well done Klaesson and the fee is great for the club who coached you….. So Meslier No1 with Klaesson No2 and a kick in the nuts for Caprile, who the club feel Isnt as good as Klaesson even though theres only months between them. I see trouble ahead unless Caprile has been heavily involved in this and feels he still needs to learn. Fingers crossed
I have a feeling it wont be a worldy, but a younger model around 22/23 year old who can be moulded. Tomas Belmonte from Argentina or an up and coming player from Spain or Italy is going to be way cheaper than a kid like Connor Gallagher from Chelsea who would want £25m or Perrier from WBA. The kid at Hudders or the kid at Forest would both be £20m. However Orta and Radz enjoy a surprise
You don't know what to believe one minute the Athletic is spouting off no more big deals and only a young CM coming in. then another day all these wingers and a big money CM are arriving from other sources. I don't think a winger will come in unless Costa or Poveda go out we also have Summerville and I cant see us sitting around with 5 wide men when only 2 will play unless Summerville has no plans for the first team this season. I agree above the CM will be someone ready to go in. but, not a big fee guy like a 20-30m geezer. As on Nandez I think its just gossip and papers and agents are brewing up a storm. Keeper situation I just don't understand unless we really think this kid is worth the money because his future years are to sit on the bench unless he's a safety net for Meslier if a big fee comes in over the next couple of seasons.
Wingers: Raphinha Harrison Costa Poveda Summerville Miller McKinstry If Lang comes in Costa or Poveda needs to go. Summerville and Miller are almost first team ready
Guess we will have to wait and see mate. They obviously know what they are doing. I know its covid times but everywhere seems very slow in the transfer market. Looking a tough transfer window I guess alot of clubs are still waiting on what the future holds. End of the day so far we haven't lost any important cogs in the team and upgraded our LB and hopefully one or two of these young guns are ready to show the world who they are.
Best way to be thinking mate: Like you say a better left back, plus a fully fit and focused Rodrigo, hopefully a fully fit and rested Klich and Llorente, Koch all ready to go an only be an upgrade on last season whatever happens
Would anyone be really upset if there weren't any more signings? Personally, I'd be quite happy. We got by last season whilst carrying newbies that all had a disrupted season. We've replaced Alioski with a proper LB & whilst we haven't replaced Pablo or Kiko yet, do we really need to? Seems most clubs are making much fewer signings (so far) this year. I'm ready to go with what we've got & not at all fussed if there's no further movement.
Milan dont have a pot to pee in and every deal they do is a loan or freebie, can Caliagri afford to let him go out on loan? But at least it might put the Nandez transfer to bed forever
I genuinely think that the likes of Summerville and Gelhardt could be like new signings for the first team this season if given the chance. They are good enough to have an impact.
Milan have spent £44m on 3 players but have brought in another 14 players on loan or freebies. They offloaded 13 players and only brought in £3m so the deficit from trading this summer is -£41m. They couldnt keep hold of top players who left on freebies to PSG like Donarummer etc. https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ac-mailand/transfers/verein/5
Been some very strange managerial appointments in the Premier League this summer. I cannot see Benitez at Everton being a great, happy, motivational place to be a player or fan. I have a lot of time for Viera simply because he phoned my nephew and convinced him to take the job as Head Groundsman at Nice. Half way through the season he was sacked because instead of being top 3 or even top 6 Nice fell badly. Therefore Im guessing he will struggle at Palace. Poor old Nuno will have a war with Levy and the fans wont like waiting for a complete rebuild Everton may part company with the waiter by Xmas
Not a straight forward answer for me. Yes because I’d see no reason why we couldn’t finish 10th or slightly higher, after so many seasons out two mid table seasons on the bounce would be a good solid foundation. No because if we don’t challenge for top 6 I fear we wouldn’t hold on to everyone next summer. We’re all relying on a lot of ‘ifs’ at the moment. We’re hoping Firpo is better than Alioski, we’re hoping the best performers last season pull it out again, we’re hoping Klich gets his form back, Rodrigo improves, it’s a bit too much hope without solid foundation for me to hope we challenge for top 6 Going forward this is going to be where the U23s are so vitally important, player wages and bonuses will soon soak up that prize money, we need to hope we can save some money with one or two others breaking into the team. I read today that Bielsa instructed the search for a new number 10 or AM to stop at the end of last season. He was supposedly impressed enough with Rodrigo and Roberts hence the new improved contract offer for Roberts. It sounds like a new winger is the most likely new arrival after the Kiko replacement Berardi left but I see Struijk, Cooper, Llorente and Koch more than capable, we even started the season with Ayling filling in at CB. Alioski for Firpo looks decent but surely we need to replace Pablo/Forshaw?
Forshaw is the fly in the ointment really because if hes 100% fit, has a solid pre season, he is deffo a player Bielsa likes and he will beef up our middle either at 4 or 8, saving at least £15m. If Forshaw isnt going to make it then he needs moving out fast and replaced. Looking forward to finding out the plan for the 23s this season because there is going to be movement. Will Drameh and Gelhardt become first team players who turn out for the 23s? The same could be said of Summerville, if no new winger comes in does he move up to the first team and turn out for the 23s. Where do Shackelton and Poveda fit, will they be moved out? Will they be told to improve a lot this pre season?
It wouldn't be a disaster but we need a couple more at least for me, sometimes the bench last season was a worry, lot of untapped potential but they'll not be a game changer now Pablo has gone, I want there to be better than Costa, Poveda and Roberts coming off the bench to make things happen. If we can stay injury free, then we have a very decent 14/15. That's with the players playing at the same level as last, 1 or 2 could well drop off from that.if the plan is to put Raph at 10, then we definitely need another right winger. You should never rest on your laurels and each year the squad needs to be improved, an injury to Phillips and Bamford and we could well struggle as it is. I'll be greedy and ask for 3 more.
