Well they're not getting £50 million for an injury prone player with a year left, obviously.

Hopefully we can agree a deal with Upamecano in January instead if he's serious about coming here, which it sounds like he is. He would be a great arrival in 2021. I think integrating both Upamecano and Saliba next season will be too much for us anyway.

From what I've seen Maddison isn't in a different class than Ziyech,and definitely doesn't deserve to be mentioned with Sancho.

Quincy Abeyie wrote:

From what I've seen Maddison isn't in a different class than Ziyech,and definitely doesn't deserve to be mentioned with Sancho.

Maybe I didn't make myself clear, but I was talking specifically about the level of interest in a player rather than exactly how good they are. Although that is usually a good indicator of their quality.

Ziyech was available for €25m in the summer, Overmars talked publicly about the release clause and actively encouraged bids for him, and yet nobody bit. If it was revealed that Maddison had a €50m release clause this summer, there would be clubs clamouring to get his signature. Rightly or wrongly, he is a far more sought after player than Ziyech.

Sancho is another level all together, but the point is these two players have both been heavily linked to Chelsea in recent times, and lots of their fans, and rival fans for that matter, seem to think it could happen: I don't think there's a chance.

Ricky1985 wrote:

Quincy Abeyie wrote:

From what I've seen Maddison isn't in a different class than Ziyech,and definitely doesn't deserve to be mentioned with Sancho.

Maybe I didn't make myself clear, but I was talking specifically about the level of interest in a player rather than exactly how good they are. Although that is usually a good indicator of their quality.

Ziyech was available for €25m in the summer, Overmars talked publically about the release clause and actively encouraged bids for him, and yet nobody bit. If it was revealed that Maddison had a €50m release clause this summer, there would be clubs clamouring to get his signature. Rightly or wrongly, he is a far more sought after player than Ziyech.

Wrongly

I can't see Maddison doing what Ziyech did in the CL in a million years

If anyone could guarantee me that Upamecano will be a third of the player Sol was I'd be down with spending all our money on him. Can't believe how underrated Campbell is these days. Best defender to ever set a foot in the Premiership bar none.

Not by me. Sol is my favourite ever centre back. As a teenager, the signing was magical. Remember it like it was last week.

jones wrote:

Ricky1985 wrote:

Maybe I didn't make myself clear, but I was talking specifically about the level of interest in a player rather than exactly how good they are. Although that is usually a good indicator of their quality.

Ziyech was available for €25m in the summer, Overmars talked publically about the release clause and actively encouraged bids for him, and yet nobody bit. If it was revealed that Maddison had a €50m release clause this summer, there would be clubs clamouring to get his signature. Rightly or wrongly, he is a far more sought after player than Ziyech.

Wrongly

I can't see Maddison doing what Ziyech did in the CL in a million years

I like Maddison but I don't see him becoming a difference maker at the highest level either. But then I also think Ziyech is a step below that level too. He was very good last season, but some times it just clicks when the team is set up right and the team is better than the sum of its parts. Similar with Tadic. Or most Liverpool players.

Klaus wrote:

If anyone could guarantee me that Upamecano will be a third of the player Sol was I'd be down with spending all our money on him. Can't believe how underrated Campbell is these days. Best defender to ever set a foot in the Premiership bar none.

I would say it's a close run thing with Rio Ferdinand. No one else in my time watching PL football comes close to those two, in my view.

[Twitter]

Better get that pay rise sorted quickly!

Meanwhile, Liverpool's trying to stack their attack:

Ricky1985 wrote:

[Twitter]

Better get that pay rise sorted quickly!

I don't like this. How did we not give him an improved contract the minute he started getting first team games? He's been a regular match-day fixture for six months now.

Gunner89 wrote:

I am a bit too young to really say how Campbell and Adams matched up to one another. That's why I said "in my time watching the PL". My first real memory of Adams was his goal against Everton to clinch the double in 1998, and I was 12 at the time. He was already 32 by then and perhaps past his best?

Ricky1985 wrote:

[Twitter]

Better get that pay rise sorted quickly!

I’m not worried. We’re giving him loads of mins, would be mad to go elsewhere at this stage of his career.

Don’t see what the concern is. They’ll be interested in him and Martinelli. That’s natural. And the papers will play it up. Because those fools have to type their 200 words every few hours. Not stressed. Give the man his £30k in the summer and keep it moving.

So what? We have so much talent on the wings. With Nelson, Pépé, Saka and maybe Martinelli, I’m not sure that I’m going to cry myself to sleep over missing out on Sancho and seeing United pay £120m for him in the summer.

Let’s focus on our needs. 1-2 attacking mods and a central defender if Mari fails.

I prefer we went for someone a bit more agile than Upamecano. The stocky build reminds me of Mustafi..

How would you feel about someone like John Stones?

I would rather play Holding week in week out or try to integrate Mavropanos.

Guardiola bet big on Stones, had him earmarked as his next big defender, literally gave him years of opportunities, and he still couldn't straighten him out. I don't think there's much hope for anyone else either. Stones is just a bunch of good attributes bundled with a subpar brain stuck in a 2/10 body. Infuriatingly fragile player in addition to being shit at almost anything except passing the ball. I'd rather bring back Kyle Bartley.

I know he's injured but honestly, is Stones really any better than Chambers? We need a centre back that will walk right into the starting XI as a clear improvement, otherwise there's no point.

Yeah personally don't think Stones is markedly better as a RCB than Chambers, if it all. But he does have pace, and is relatively quick from a starting position. Only reason I mentioned him, and whether we want to couple Saliba/Holding with someone thats foremost rapid.

Holding of course I have huge hopes for at LCB. Shame he'll be in a tough spot when Saliba comes through.

When Leicester sell Soyuncu for big money they'll pick Stones up for cheap and somehow make him look world class.

Saliba is a RCB though. TBH someone like Kimpembe would be ideal to partner with Saliba.

Ah thats what I once thought too. He's recently been playing LCB in a back three it seems? oh well.

Stones is beyond hope. Decision making and intelligence is something you can never teach a football player

Ray wrote:

I prefer we went for someone a bit more agile than Upamecano. The stocky build reminds me of Mustafi..

i don't like him all that much, i prefer his teammate Konate.

Kimpembe's defending is very dodgy in my opinion. He's quick and has good technique, but he's full of mistakes. I wouldn't want us spending our money on him.

I really like Gabriel Margalhães at Lille. French journalists said we made a move for him in January but Lille wanted €30m and we didn't have the money. Reports say he was our first choice before Pablo Mari and we'll move again for him in the summer. I saw a fair bit of him towards the end of last season when I was watching Pépé and he really has a lot going for him: 6'3", very quick, agressive in his marking, agile and quick on the the turn, good left foot, doesn't dive in or do daft things. Hope he really is on the list.

[Video=youtube]

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

Upamecano won’t hit the heights Sol did

sol campbell had long legs and a short torso, so at 6'2" he had the legs of someone taller. these arsenal defenders that drive me insane are the opposite, with their short legs.

a powerhouse. when i saw him run i always imagined that the ground shook underneath him.

Had a hell of a slide, too

Meatwad wrote:

a powerhouse. when i saw him run i always imagined that the ground shook underneath him.

Remember how he caught up with/outpaced Gareth Bale in his second stint with us aged 35?