Ray wrote:

Ziyech isn't as good out wide as he is centrally, they're better off with someone like Sancho.

The fact that Chelsea have seemingly backed off Sancho, means that he is headed elsewhere.

Bad feeling, but he does seem United bound.

We just have to execute our business, and make sure we do everything we can.

Any stalling in this next transfer window, and we will regret it more than any other window. With Chelsea having an absolute stormer before the window has even opened, United heavily linked with Sancho, and City and Liverpool already so far ahead, we can’t hesitate.

Edu’s baptism of fire.

We definitely need to be careful this summer. We have to get one or two starters, arguably midfielders, and they need to take us up a level. We can't afford another Pepé right now. This is not the time to sign adapting players.

At the same time I feel we also need to have a little ice in our stomachs and trust the talent we've got. We committed to young players, we committed to Arteta. Let's give them a season to sort it out. Chelsea are richer than us and will always have it easier, but they are in the position they are right now because they decided to build something while we were pissing away two seasons on Emery's bland, unambitious football.

Good things come to people who have a solid plan instead of just throwing stuff at the wall in panic in the hope that something will stick. We spent incredible money last summer and there has been zero improvement on the actual pitch in spite of it. Spending big sums is not always the answer, especially now when we're out of Champions League again. Get Partey, keep Auba, pick up one or two blokes from the relegation teams for better depth (Buendia and Mings both seem like excellent targets to me) and we might be going places soon.

Klaus wrote:

Good things come to people who have a solid plan instead of just throwing stuff at the wall in panic in the hope that something will stick. We spent incredible money last summer and there has been zero improvement on the actual pitch in spite of it. Spending big sums is not always the answer, especially now when we're out of Champions League again. Get Partey, keep Auba, pick up one or two blokes from the relegation teams for better depth (Buendia and Mings both seem like excellent targets to me) and we might be going places soon.

This is the key. As long as we have a plan and trust in it, I don't really care what other teams are up to. This is how we will stay out of all Coutinho and James conversations. It's not about keeping up with the Jones', it's about executing our plan. I have a similar perspective to you. I think Partey is our biggest lift. I then think an AM solves the Aubameyang problems that a lot of people seem to be misdiagnosing.  

If we cannot get the best possible central defender this summer, I would wait a year. We have a deep bench there and can afford to push them another year while we wait for the title winning central defender to partner Saliba. 

Klaus wrote:

We definitely need to be careful this summer. We have to get one or two starters, arguably midfielders, and they need to take us up a level. We can't afford another Pepé right now. This is not the time to sign adapting players.

At the same time I feel we also need to have a little ice in our stomachs and trust the talent we've got. We committed to young players, we committed to Arteta. Let's give them a season to sort it out. Chelsea are richer than us and will always have it easier, but they are in the position they are right now because they decided to build something while we were pissing away two seasons on Emery's bland, unambitious football.

Good things come to people who have a solid plan instead of just throwing stuff at the wall in panic in the hope that something will stick. We spent incredible money last summer and there has been zero improvement on the actual pitch in spite of it. Spending big sums is not always the answer, especially now when we're out of Champions League again. Get Partey, keep Auba, pick up one or two blokes from the relegation teams for better depth (Buendia and Mings both seem like excellent targets to me) and we might be going places soon.

I absolutely agree with you

We have to make sure that our plans are executed, no half way measures.

If Arteta wants to revamp the midfield, then do it.

[size=small]Matheus Henrique, Szoboszlai, Partey, Grealish etc are all going to be available. Even loftier targets like Aouar could be available with some creativity.[/size]

[size=small]We just have to make sure we back Arteta and do what we can, if we do, with the current youngsters we have, and Arteta’s seemingly good training methods, we will be a lot better.[/size]

There are rumours that Liverpool and Chelsea are looking at Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara. He’s a central defender I’ve liked for a long time. Reminds me of Vermaelen. Really sharp on the ball, mobile. Can double up as a DM. He stands out for his skills from the glut of French u20 and u21 defenders. Only reason he wouldn’t be my top pick for Arsenal is he’s only 6ft and not an aerial beast like an Ayala.

Claudius wrote:

There are rumours that Liverpool and Chelsea are looking at Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara. He’s a central defender I’ve liked for a long time. Reminds me of Vermaelen. Really sharp on the ball, mobile. Can double up as a DM. He stands out for his skills from the glut of French u20 and u21 defenders. Only reason he wouldn’t be my top pick for Arsenal is he’s only 6ft and not an aerial beast like an Ayala.

https://www.whoscored.com/Players/331790/Show/Boubacar-Kamara
Don't think height is such as issue in a back3 - particularly for the outside CBs, and Saliba is over 190cm IIRC.
Unfortunately OM are in the UCL next season so I think he would be beyond our current revenues, more so if we are to go ahead with signing Partey.

https://twitter.com/gffn/status/1281142580630167553?s=21

Seems like an English club has bid for Gabriel for Lille

I think I also saw something about a 'traditional top6' PL club having made an offer re Sarr?

Anzac wrote:

I think I also saw something about a 'traditional top6' PL club having made an offer re Sarr?

Leeds?

You know the rumor is bullshit when they write it like that. "A club with red on their logo has bid for him".

I remember one a couple of summers ago "Arsenal have made an approach to a Spanish club for a midfielder". Its the football journalists versions of "I'm feeling that someone in the rooms has some one close to them who's very sick".

Qwiss! wrote:

Anzac wrote:

I think I also saw something about a 'traditional top6' PL club having made an offer re Sarr?

Leeds?

Everton / NUFC ?

Breaking | Gianluca di Marzio announces that Napoli will sign Victor Osimhen from Lille for €50m + €10m in bonuses, after the player said yes, if they can agree final terms with the Nigerian striker’s new agents.

Gunner89 wrote:

Breaking | Gianluca di Marzio announces that Napoli will sign Victor Osimhen from Lille for €50m + €10m in bonuses, after the player said yes, if they can agree final terms with the Nigerian striker’s new agents.

There was a story last week that he had put off a decision until Tuesday this week (MC verdict?) supposedly hoping for an offer from us or CFC(??).

HomeSteak wrote:

So Valencia want to sell: Parejo, Rodrigo, Coquelin, Kondogbia, Mangala, Diakhaby, Gameiro, Cillessen, Rubén Sobrino y Correia. Are they broke or something? Should we go for any of these players?

That is because Peter Lim is a terrible owner and at war with most of the squad and also the supporters.

Other issue is that they have a big wage bill and must balance the books with no European football in prospects for the next season. Therefore they have to get rid these players who are on champions league wages (by Valencia's standards) and have little to no resale value.

From this list, the only player I would go for is Rodrigo Moreno. Versatile striker who can play up front or on either flank.

I would have gone for Parejo if he was a few years younger. He is a very good passer and a reliable set piece taker, something which we lack in my honest opinion.
Now with his legs gone he is not so mobile anymore and I don't think we can build a midfield around an aging player to compensate for his weaknesses.

Not to mention Parejo struggled badly in his time at England football.

Ferran Torres and Lee Kang-In is my absolute top picks from Valencia, Carlos Soler decent too

Ferran Torres would be the one to take if there weren't more pressing concerns. High ceiling

Ferran has much bigger teams than us who are also behind him.

Guardiola is very publicly a big admirer and Bayern/Barcelona have also been seriously interested in the past.

With him stalling on signing a new contract, it would be interesting to see who get him.

Ah, hadn't been following transfer talk. Just seen him a few times and he's a baller. Guedes has trailed off like an Iwobi, unfortunately. And I just remember Lee Kang-In trying to tussle with the chief of dirty, Sergio Ramos, and getting himself sent off in the process . idiot.

CFC 'linked' to spend over 200m in transfers - Ziyech, Wernere, Oblak, Chilwell & Havertz.

Guardiola to be given 150m towards rebuild.

Hey Chelsea £100m and you can take your pick between Leno and Martinez

News of £18m Everton bid for Hojbjerg by
@JBurtTelegraph
Southampton ready to sell but are hoping for more like £30-35m. He has only a year left on his contract and starting tonight against Brighton

He is decent, but I can’t believe the amount of interest in Hojberg.

I don’t get it either.

HomeSteak wrote:

Some rumours about Oblak to Chelsea, Simeone talked about it.

Diego Simeone: I am not surprised that Chelsea admire Jan Oblak, he is a decisive player for us, but he is the captain and our participation every year in the Champions League helps us keep our best players so I hope he will continue with us. #Oblak

Dortmund doing what they do best.

Wonder which English mugs they’ll flip him to for £60m in 3 years.

Is Bellingham really that good or did he just break through early? What's his edge exactly? I watched him once or twice in the Championship before the covid break. I saw a 16 year old matching seasoned players physically but I'm not sure if there's more to him.

Made me think of how Lee Cattermole was playing in Premier League at the age of 17.

Because Conte is already starting to stir the pot and throw out the toys out of his pram.

He has started complaining that the board does not back him on who he wants in terms of purchases and investing in the squad.
Also he feels that that his squad lacks depth and needs to sign more.

For context, Inter have signed 15 players in the two transfer windows since Conte has joined them and have spent about 160 million pounds on players.

He does that every single club he manages. Remember the fight he had with Marotta because the Juve board wouldn't sanction Juan fucking Iturbe

jones wrote:

He does that every single club he manages. Remember the fight he had with Marotta because the Juve board wouldn't sanction Juan fucking Iturbe

Yes, I do. He also threw a fit at the Juve board because they did not reportedly approve his request of signing Walcott to play the wing back role.

To be honest, Pochettino at Inter would be very interesting. Less fighting for the board, and a very good manager.

Hopefully they splash the cash on some of our players.

Not exactly a people's person. Pushe Costa out of the club (who at the time was world class) because he wanted Lukaku, Morata or whoever it was.

Conte is a very strange man.

Conte was dead right about Costa to be fair to him. He saw a shitster who didn't train right and refused to listen and booted him out of the squad, and history has proven him right. How many league goals has Costa scored since he re-signed for Atletico Madrid? Ten? He's been completely useless. Even the much maligned Morata has scored more this season than Costa has managed in the previous three combined.

Klaus wrote:

Conte was dead right about Costa to be fair to him. He saw a shitster who didn't train right and refused to listen and booted him out of the squad, and history has proven him right. How many league goals has Costa scored since he re-signed for Atletico Madrid? Ten? He's been completely useless. Even the much maligned Morata has scored more this season than Costa has managed in the previous three combined.

If his face was anying to go by his body probably wasn't aging well.

Klaus wrote:

Conte was dead right about Costa to be fair to him. He saw a shitster who didn't train right and refused to listen and booted him out of the squad, and history has proven him right. How many league goals has Costa scored since he re-signed for Atletico Madrid? Ten? He's been completely useless. Even the much maligned Morata has scored more this season than Costa has managed in the previous three combined.

Honestly I feel that Costa has run himself into ground and the physical decline has been coming. The amount of of the ball work he did for years for Simeone/Atletico was something.

He always seemed like the kind of player who'd burn out rather than fade away to me to be honest. Incredible talent but shitty application, which is why he was working in a shop in his 20s. Remember when he came back to Chelsea in his second season, 20 pound overweight after eating nothing but barbecue for three months? He was late too. When he moved back to Atletico from Chelsea he was similarly a stone overweight and the coaching staff put him on a training bike on the touchline where he had to pedal away while the rest of the team trained on the pitch. They felt shaming him in front of his teammates was the only way to get him back into shape.

I think he's the sort of footballer who'll play out of his skin when he has a point to prove, like he did at Atletico and Chelsea early on, but once he gets comfy he'll train and perform like a Championship midtable player.