Hellll yeah, season would be immensely more enjoyable

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.

If we get someone I hope it's Schär. I can see Basel letting him go for a decent fee since he's only got 6 months left. They need him for Champions League on one hand, but it's pretty likely that their tournament will end after the next two games anyway.

qs! wrote:
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.

Another reason we shouldn't have signed him. He's practically over the hill already and we've gotten 12 starts out of him.

Wenger probably has genuine plans for Jenkinson and only signed buchie as a stopgap while the Jenx develops

That'd be fine Flobs if he hadn't also decided Chambers was now a centre half.

Jenks and Bellerin for RB in 2 years time, could be decent.

Lots of rumors we have a deal accepted by Cruzeiro for Lucas Silva. Can't say that I follow the Brazilian league, but after having watched a few youtube clips I think this story may have legs. He looks very much like a player Wenger would like. 


Basically, he looks like how I imagine a young Arteta who started playing the defensive midfield role early would look. But faster and quicker... 21 years old, looks to have a terrific passing range, looks positionally good (from youtube remember), very much prefers to defend standing up, as opposed to going to ground time and again. He also looks to be packing a bomb in his right foot. Looks interesting, especially at the reported £12m...

Not sure how he'd get a work permit though, only has 4 U20 caps.

The boy looks very comfortable on the ball, which probably is expected since he is Brazilian, and I personally also like that he looks to play the ball forward all the time. Should suit players like Chambo, Walcott, Alexis and Welbeck.

Rex wrote:

Basically, he looks like how I imagine a young Arteta who started playing the defensive midfield role early would look.

14 wasn't early enough for Arteta?

Irish gunner wrote:

Not sure how he'd get a work permit though, only has 4 U20 caps.

Special talent visa. It's a lottery, basically, but we'd have a shot. I imagine any deal would hinge on this arrangement.

You know what I mean, Klaus. As a senior player he was played higher up the pitch until late in his Everton days.

Just looked at that clip. Something nervous about his style on the ball. Passing range seems good though, but it's hard to say anything about his ability. Jesus, the standard of the Campeonato is fucking awful.

I was sold when he said "First the marking. When you have space and the ball, you can play with freedom". None of our players seem to know this at all.

There's definitely something weird about the way he handles the ball, but doesn't seem too bad. Even though he's a young player, he's 22 in a couple of months, no longer a "wonderkid" age.

Looks like we're in for a Brazilian defensive midfielder but nobody really knows who the fuck it is 😆

Eh the Romulo guy is apparently highly rated few years ago.

Express is dodgy as fuck though

I think his name has been mentioned before. Looks like he is very injury prone though?