• Dear Guest, Please note that adult content is not permitted on this forum. We have had our Google ads disabled at times due to some posts that were found from some time ago. Please do not post adult content and if you see any already on the forum, please report the post so that we can deal with it. Adult content is allowed in the glory hole - you will have to request permission to access it. Thanks, scara

Summer 2018 transfer thread

SpurSF said:
Rashford or Martial would be fantastic, but can't see Jose selling either to us. :(

I think my ideal summer would be De Ligt, Sessegnon, and one of those super fast attackers (Bailey, Malcom, Martins). Not that I've seen any of them play, of course. :)
Click to expand...

Seen them all TV but Malcom didn’t overly impress.
 
I was actually at the Bordeaux PSG game on Sunday - me and a buddy are making it an annual thing to see a foreign game / city and did Munchen last year.

Malcom did the simple things well. Looked quite dynamic and v good technique but didn't seem to offer a lot more than Moura does for us. It's a sample of one game, but I didn't come away thinking 'we must buy him at all costs'.
 
SpurSF said:
Rashford or Martial would be fantastic, but can't see Jose selling either to us. :(

I think my ideal summer would be De Ligt, Sessegnon, and one of those super fast attackers (Bailey, Malcom, Martins). Not that I've seen any of them play, of course. :)
Click to expand...

What would you do with 7 AMs competing for 2/3 positions? Lamela and Moura aren't even getting the minutes they deserve with 5 AMs

People seem to have forgotten Moura already - he's not a shiny new toy anymore I guess
 
Gutter Boy said:
What would you do with 7 AMs competing for 2/3 positions? Lamela and Moura aren't even getting the minutes they deserve with 5 AMs

People seem to have forgotten Moura already - he's not a shiny new toy anymore I guess
Click to expand...

People said the same thing about Liverpool signing Salah. You don't need him, you already have Coutinho, Firmino, and Mane, plus Ings, Lallana, and Sturridge for those attacking positions. Things change, and it's a squad game. I also think you're getting too bogged down by focusing on AMs. Modern teams basically use multi-faceted attackers now, and with our current squad we have 6 for 4 spots — Kane, Son, Eriksen, Alli, Lamela, and Moura. That's not enough IMO.

From all accounts, Poch sees Sessegnon as a LWB, and players like Martins, Bailey, and Malcom will need time to settle as they are 20/21 years old. Think we are still short on numbers unless we add one more, not to mention the fact that Sessegnon is a 17 year-old and we still don't have a legit back-up to Kane.

If we added what I suggested and didn't lose any key players besides Alderweired and Rose (BIG if), our 23-man squad would look like this. I really don't think that's overloaded.

----------------------Kane---------
Son (Lucas)-------Alli (Bailey)------Eriksen (Lamela)
--------Dier (Wanyama)----Dembele (Winks/Onomah)
Davies(Sess)---DVS(MDL)----JVT(Foyth)---Trippier(Aurier/KWP)
------------------Lloris (Gazzaniga)--------
 
And the truth is, the real top teams are constantly looking to better what they have. Look at City, United, and Liverpool. Hell, even Arsenal brought in Aubameyang when they'd just payed 50 for Lacazette.

All I read on this board is how Lamela is brick (which I do not agree with), so let's bring in some more competition. City had Sterling, but they still brought in Sane and Silva, both to get better players in the team, but also to push them on. Look at United. Everyone loves Martial and Rashford, and guess what... Jose brings in Alexis.

I'm not saying we are like those other teams, but if we want to get closer to the top of the league and get over that hump, Levy needs to back Poch to bring in some more competition. It's something he's mentioned in the past, and it's done wonders for many of our players.

Again, not talking about bringing in aged veterans, but more young talent can only be good for the squad and will hopefully reduce Kane and Eriksen's workload.
 
Surely it's better to concentrate on our weaknesses, which at this point in time is Kane's cover and Lloris's cover (or nobody and Poch's son in your squad), rather than buying more players for probably our strongest area?

I can also see we need succession plans for Rose, Dembele and Alder too; but our 5 AMs are all under 27 and seemingly well settled.
 
Gutter Boy said:
Surely it's better to concentrate on our weaknesses, which at this point in time is Kane's cover and Lloris's cover (or nobody and Poch's son in your squad), rather than buying more players for probably our strongest area?

I can also see we need succession plans for Rose, Dembele and Alder too; but our 5 AMs are all under 27 and seemingly well settled.
Click to expand...

Well, to your first point, I think adding another versatile attacker IS Kane cover. We've tried the whole backup striker thing with Janssen and Llorente, and it really doesn't work. Poch has said as much. I'd much rather invest in a versatile forward like Leon Bailey who can play all over the pitch and can allow Son to start centrally without sacrificing our pace and trickery out wide. Even a guy like Zaha can play centrally. Investing in a versatile, pacey attacker/wing forward — whatever you want to call it — will go further to boosting the squad than a back-up CF would.

Toby is basically gone. I think even the biggest Spurs fan would concede this point. He needs replacing, and I think De Ligt would obviously be at the top of any list.

I also think Rose is going, so we'll need LB cover. That's why I mentioned Sessegnon. Though I see him more as a forward, from all accounts, Poch wants him as a LCB.

A backup for Hugo is important, but I know nothing about goalkeepers. I'm assuming we paid a fee for Gazzaniga, so he could replace Vorm. Maybe we get Pau back? Either way, that has to be our fourth priority.

If Moussa leaves, obviously that priority goes way up the list. Maybe Diawara from Napoli?
 
I saw a story this evening about us being interested in Wolves' Ruben Neves.

He has one hell of a highhlight reel, but I'm not sure how that would translate in the PL with less time on the ball. He seems to be quick of mind though, not shy of putting in a challenge.
 
I think it's strange Wanyama hasn't been intergrated back in to the fold much and did read that his head had been turned by Liverpool a while back so with that in mind and the Dembele/Toby/Rose rumours i can see that story above having some substance - clear out mk II ?
 
billyiddo said:
I think it's strange Wanyama hasn't been intergrated back in to the fold much and did read that his head had been turned by Liverpool a while back so with that in mind and the Dembele/Toby/Rose rumours i can see that story above having some substance - clear out mk II ?
Click to expand...

Wanyama doesn’t strike me as someone that wouldn’t put in 100 percent if played, so I agree it does seem odd.

Surely we can’t sell Dembele and Wanyama - asking for trouble.
 
milo said:
That would fit with the gossip I heard back in the winter that Poch wanted to freshen up the squad and that some senior players would be going.
Click to expand...
It all sounds plausible. Think he realises can’t just get by with talented players and like the article says wants to bring in some winners to improve the mentality....
 
harr1984 said:
It all sounds plausible. Think he realises can’t just get by with talented players and like the article says wants to bring in some winners to improve the mentality....
Click to expand...

I think that he just wants to keep the squad fresh, hungry and not let complacency creep in. Because of our financial position, selling players at (close to) peak value and reinvesting in the next batch makes sense and this is what I think is going to happen.
 
billyiddo said:
I think it's strange Wanyama hasn't been intergrated back in to the fold much and did read that his head had been turned by Liverpool a while back so with that in mind and the Dembele/Toby/Rose rumours i can see that story above having some substance - clear out mk II ?
Click to expand...

He's just not been playing well enough, while Dier has. I don't think there's any conspiracy.
 
billyiddo said:
I think it's strange Wanyama hasn't been intergrated back in to the fold much and did read that his head had been turned by Liverpool a while back so with that in mind and the Dembele/Toby/Rose rumours i can see that story above having some substance - clear out mk II ?
Click to expand...

Wanyama is a surprise in that. My initial thinking was that maybe he is broken? Has been out a long time, perhaps we have identified an ongoing issue?

Otherwise, him having his head turned is about the only other reason I can think to sell, I thought Poch loved him.

The others all make sense. Rose signed his own goodbye a year ago, Alderweireld may want a bigger contract than we will pay and the Dembele to China talk makes a lot of sense to me. He can slow down and cash in all at once.

As with any situation like this, how "bad" (or good) it is really depends upon the replacements we identify. Its entirely possible we come out of it better off, so Ill hold fire on melting until I see what actually happens...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back