Gazza M wrote:

We are currently the least attractive of the top English clubs (city, united, chelsea, pool), so if the player is good there will most likely be a better offer waiting in the wings

This is worrying. Literally all we have going over the Northern clubs is the location.

NZonzi would be a decent alternative. With Ndombele to partner him.

If someone wants to make a statement this summer they should go for Milinkovic-Savic. Future world star with a very high degree of certainty. He'll cost an arm and a leg though. And not those inexpensive Michu legs. We're talking prime cut Zidane meat.

Mirth wrote:

Gazza M wrote:

We are currently the least attractive of the top English clubs (city, united, chelsea, pool), so if the player is good there will most likely be a better offer waiting in the wings

This is worrying. Literally all we have going over the Northern clubs is the location.

Which is why it is pretty damn impressive for Klopp to inherit that shit squad from Rodgers and transform it totally window after window. They were 7th and midtable without UCL football with an utterly average squad bar Suarez and Coutinho, streets worse than us now.

It's a true test of Emery and Mislintat to get cheap gems in now to try to get us into UCL first before getting marquee players like their VVD Keita Fabinho etc. I was hoping for someone 3 or 4 levels better than Sokratis but I will judge their work at the end of the window

"Liverpool are currently targeting both Nabil Fékir & Thomas Lemar for a summer move, according to tomorrow's L'Équipe" - Get French Football

Not fussed about Fabinho in the slightest - there is no way that we bid at the last minute for him. Liverpool got a Can replacement and they got him early, well done them, but it isn't going to make any difference. Same with Fekir if he goes there.

Keira will be a big signing.

Rumours saying we made a last minute bid for Fabinho as Emery had been tracking him for a while.

Liverpool has more to offer than us at the moment though. They seem to have got that deal done quickly, or quietly, or both.

The way Klopp and Liverpool have gone about their business has been pretty admirable. It's like they're playing Football Manager. Guys like van Dijk, Fabinho, Keita and Fekir (not signed I know) are players that have been wish listed on the forums of every big English club I'm sure. They've then complimented these guys with players who have flown under the radar like Salah, Ox and Robertson (none of whom any of the big clubs lost any sleep over when first signed) who have all worked out well for them. It's been impressive.

It's not all doom and gloom though, Ramsey and Ozil are top quality players who in the right system with the right player to compliment them could be better than any team in the league bar City. So all hope is not lost. We also have the best striker in the league. Just wish we see the steps Liverpool are taking and be encouraged to move forward ourselves with a couple of big signings. Assuming we nab Sokratis, we'd still need another CB, CDM and WF. Loads of work to do and the new guys running the show better be getting theirs assess to it.

Tactics wrote:

"Liverpool are currently targeting both Nabil Fékir & Thomas Lemar for a summer move, according to tomorrow's L'Équipe" - Get French Football

Can only make sense if they’re selling.

Gazza M wrote:

50m seems cheap. I thought he was rated at around 70-80m

They'll definitely challenge city if they get these purported deals over the line

Assume there's some dirtiness with Mendes in there and the transfer was done to the club who was willing to pay him the most / preserve most flexibility for his client to make the next move onto a bigger payday for both agent and player.

Liverpool will still depend on Salah's output in my opinion. They will be a real threat if Salah carries his form into next season but if his goals dry up, the gulf to City might prove too big.

Holy shit, another great signing by Pool...

Captain wrote:

Not fussed about Fabinho in the slightest - there is no way that we bid at the last minute for him. Liverpool got a Can replacement and they got him early, well done them, but it isn't going to make any difference. Same with Fekir if he goes there.

Keira will be a big signing.

you're underrating the potential of keita and fabinho as a pairing. potent stuff

if they get fekir and/or lemar, i'd suspect salah is on his way. they can't fit all of them into the team

Liverpool will finish next season with less than 80 points - I guarantee it.

Rohit wrote:

Liverpool will still depend on Salah's output in my opinion. They will be a real threat if Salah carries his form into next season but if his goals dry up, the gulf to City might prove too big.

Forget the gulf to City, the gulf to Arsenal is growing wider and wider.

Another signing at the right age, Fabinho is 24 and Alisson if they can sign him is 25.

Yep Fabiano and his agent will be thinking it's a good time to get that 4 year deal and then get a bumper deal at 28. If he can get his game up a level.

Fabinho deal must have been brewing for months, as otherwise I don't understand why Fabinho would be in a rush to accept any offer within one day. Whatever Liverpool offered him, surely he and his agent would test against other clubs, hoping to get even more.

I love how all footy players are seen as greedy money hoarders.

Maybe he's getting bucks and he feels anything more is just much of a muchness at this stage in his life. Maybe other offers were poorer and we just don't know. 

Clrnc wrote:

Mirth wrote:

This is worrying. Literally all we have going over the Northern clubs is the location.

Which is why it is pretty damn impressive for Klopp to inherit that shit squad from Rodgers and transform it totally window after window. They were 7th and midtable without UCL football with an utterly average squad bar Suarez and Coutinho, streets worse than us now.

It's a true test of Emery and Mislintat to get cheap gems in now to try to get us into UCL first before getting marquee players like their VVD Keita Fabinho etc. I was hoping for someone 3 or 4 levels better than Sokratis but I will judge their work at the end of the window

The same squad that nearly won the title?

I only really watched them in last seasons CL and he was very good in those games, much more impressive than Bakayoko who I never rated. There’s nothing particularly special about him but he’s very well rounded, bit like Fernandinho. Hopefully he’s not as good.

Fabinho's not someone you would have noticed that much unless Monaco were thrashing someone and he had a chance to show off a bit.

As Goon says, he's just a good all-round player. He's not overly strong or quick, and maybe that'll catch him out a bit in this League, but he's very clever and is a good enough passer not be a weakness, made more impressive by how useful he is defensively.

Also, this idea that Klopp has transformed Liverpool is just not accurate. Speedy has talked about an approach to improving the squad that focused on spending big on young talent--and we don't need Speedy's word, it's clear to see. That process started a number of years ago now, before Klopp arrived. In fact, appointing a manager that could work with these youngsters was part of that plan. Klopp isn't the architect, he's a key component of someone else's strategy.

Going to be a lot of league cup and sitting on the bench for poor old Ox.

Fabinho-Keita-Chambo will probs be their first choice midfield if they don't nab Fekir/Lemar.

Ahead of club captain Henderson? Doubt it. A fit Lallana is better than Chambo too.

Kel Varnsen wrote:

How often do people watch Lyon and Monaco? Or is this all based on FIFA18 or some shit like that? I've only watched Monaco and Lyon a couple of times the last few years, and I hardly noticed Fabinho and Fekir... I could be wrong, but I doubt they will turn Liverpool into league contenders. Probably 10-15 midfielders available that are at least as good as them.

Go watch Lyon this season mate. Fekir is amazing, would walk straight into the liverpool team. 60m for him is a bargain. Him alone would bring our attack into another level although we would still have a shit keeper conceding goals

I don't agree Fekir is as good as you're suggesting. I've watched him probably 7 or 8 times this season--including against Ireland last night--and he's obviously very good. Amazing, though, no, I can't agree.

He lacks that killer burst in my view to be called that good.

He's only just turning 25 though, so still could develop into something more.

Maybe, but that isn't what Clarence is saying.

Have to disagree with Ricky here. Fekir is incredible. I rate him above Lemar, just below Mbappe amongst top French attackers in Ligue1. The only reason I would stop short of going all out for Fekir is because we have Ozil. They occupy similar spaces. But he is an incredible, fearless footballer. This season he became especially liberated by Lacazette's departure and just dominated, seemingly playing an almost Messi-like role where he can create centrally and also bomb forward to score.

I would love him at Arsenal, but I just cant see how we play him and Ozil together. It's hard enough that I don't know how we play Lacazette, Aubameyang, Ozil and Ramsey together

Fekir is a bit overrated but I reckon he's got enough basics to become whatever he wants to be. The rest is down to mentality and opportunity which are harder to quantify.

Being linked to Lucas Torreira, never heard of the player. Any good?

I haven't seen much of him myself but I think he looks great on limited evidence. I know he's highly rated. He's had a bit of a reputation going in Italy this season. I've seen comparisons to Marco Verratti, but they might be grounded in his size on the pitch.

Sampdoria have one of the best scouting networks in Europe when it comes to South American talents, so the fact that they went for him to begin with probably says something.

goon wrote:

I only really watched them in last seasons CL and he was very good in those games, much more impressive than Bakayoko who I never rated. There’s nothing particularly special about him but he’s very well rounded, bit like Fernandinho. Hopefully he’s not as good.

Fernandinho is overrated. He was fairly average in City, until Pep got there and built/bought a top class side. 

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Interested to see the level Mahrez can reach at City. Far too inconsistent and one dimensional to be called a top player today. Jorginho I know very little about, except that a couple of guys on here are not going to be happy about him rocking up in Manchester.

From what I've seen of Jorginho his main quality is an ability to pass through pressure and the lines. Napoli utilized him well to kick off counter attacks and to quickly move the ball up field. If Pep's team is dominating possession he may be limited, though he'll be able to spray it side to side.

Sounds like a very good signing for them, their midfield is still a weak point in my opinion.

Mahrez seems like overkill though.

Ricky1985 wrote:

Jorginho I know very little about, except that a couple of guys on here are not going to be happy about him rocking up in Manchester.

Jorginho is arguably the best midfielder in Europe at what he does. He fits Guardiola's football down to a tee. Things have a knack for never working out like you intend, so you never know how he'll take to Manchester, but he would literally be the first player I went for if I were Guardiola. Forget expensive not-really-there targets like Thiago - this is the guy to complete their midfield.

I like Jorginho but I'd take Thiago ahead of him every day of the week. Other than his injury problems there's literally nothing to not like about him, not a thunderous guy who'll break a leg with a tackle but he's incredibly good at intercepting because of his reading of the game, he can dictate play like few others and has that Brazilian flair and skill for good measure, pretty much unique as a player. If Bayern are dumb enough to sell him we have to make him a priority, I'd sell our whole midfield in a second if it meant we'd get him.