if we're being realistic, i'm sure i read somewhere - maybe gazidis said it - that we only have about 20m maximum left to spend this season. we're not getting an elite player at any position for that price. maybe a defender in the howedes bracket.

James McCarthy, Tyrone Mings in January.

I like McCarthy as a potential Ramsey backup. We need another CM profile. Don't think Everton would sell though.

He is a strong body. Would do a job better than Flamini.

Just watched a rerun of the Liverpool-Basel game from yesterday. Fabian Schär looks like a player to me. Bring him in to tighten up the squad defensively.

Would you be satisfied if he were our only incoming CB in Jan/summer? Or is he still a bit of a project?

Not easy to identify attainable elite CBs at the moment (maybe Hummels, but Kos-Hummels is not a great pairing, and you have to think United will be willing to spend silly money if he were available), so if we have to go with somebody on the verge of stepping up then so be it. Spend bigger money on Schneiderlin and a premium CF or fullback, and get some CM reinforcement.

He's a bit of a project but he's better than Per and Chambers. My #1 choice in January would be Höwedes, but I don't think he'll move.

Schär/Reid in January and no other CB in the summer, or go with what we have now and get Hummels in the summer?

Can't see Wenger buying 2 CBs this and the next transfer window, so it MIGHT actually come down to something like that...

Schär in January, permanent world class fix in the summer. Don't see how it's an either/or scenario.

Chambers is a CB. We're not buying more than one player at that position IMO.

Klaus, I know you know that Wenger is our manager, so what makes you think that it isn't an either/or scenario? Personally, I think it is exactly that.

Come summer, Wenger will see either Bellerin or Jenkinson as back-up RB, Monreal and Gibbs as LBs, and Mertesacker, Koscielny, Chambers and New Guy as CB options.

I know Wenger is our manager, and I don't expect him to sign anyone at all. This thread isn't about guessing what Wenger will do, though.

Oh, I expect him so sign someone though. I also prepare myself to be very unimpressed.

Prepare to be disappointed instead. We all know how this goes.

In the end of this season Mertesacker will be almost 31, Koscielny - almost 30, Flamini - 31, Arteta - 33. Wenger is leaving himself A LOT of job to do in the central defensive area.

Wenger "if everybody is fit, then we don't need to go into the transfer market."

Ffs.

Herbas wrote:

In the end of this season Mertesacker will be almost 31, Koscielny - almost 30, Flamini - 31, Arteta - 33. Wenger is leaving himself A LOT of job to do in the central defensive area.

Debuchy will be 30 in the summer too.

Bellerin and Jenkinson will take over him.

Apparently Montoya is available. I will sign him straight away in January and send Bellerin to loan.