Lautaro does seem a miss.
Felt like he was available a year or two back.
Lautaro does seem a miss.
Felt like he was available a year or two back.
Would go for Watkins/Osinenhen now and in a season or two, look at resigning Biereth. Would also love to get Camavinga from Real.
A few other players that have caught my eye over the season, some of whom already on wishlists.
Ait Nouri from Wolves as a LB, Wharton for CM as domestic options.
Ritsu Doan as a CM from Freiburg, and Adeyemi as a versatile forward and Jamie Gittens from Dortmund.
DKGooner Watkins ship sailed in Jan mate
Need to get at least one winger from the group of: Nico Williams, Antoine Semenyo, Jamie Gittens, Bradley Barcola, Ademola Lookman. All of these are players that can create their own space to get a shot off and are decent to good ball strikers.
Need a CF from the group of: Sesko, Isak, Ekitike, Osimhen. Players that are comfortable as focal points of an attack with the skills to bring other players into play but also the requisite finishing ability to score the goals we need from that position and give CBs something to think about centrally. We've sorely missed this since Kai went out and even when he was here, his finishing is always streaky.
If we come out of the summer without at least one of these wingers (ideally I'd get one from that group and then a promising younger prospect like Dibling, Nusa or one of the emerging talents in Ligue 1) and a top CF, then it will be a failure regardless of any additional reinforcements across the pitch. I'm optimistic we will do it though.
My pie-in-the-sky dream summer would be Ekitike/Sesko, Semenyo, Gittens. Add those 3 to our attack and we are title winners IMO.
I'd rather go big on Wirtz and get a young dribbly prospect for numbers.
I don't watch enough Bournemouth to know, but I was chatting to an Arsenal fan in the gym yesterday and he was quite hot on Justin Kluivert - what do people think?
RocktheCasbah good player.
If signing Nico Williams is a problem this is someone we should seriously consider, whenever I've seen him play he has looked great.
JazzG I think I like Semenyo more than Nico Williams now.
Pepe LeFrits I'd love Wirtz but don't think it's realistic for us right now in lieu of adding numbers in attack. This is where not bringing in Sesko and Williams last summer bites us because Wirtz would be the next step this summer if we had been able to strengthen the attack last summer. I understand why it didn't happen - can't make these guys move (although hopefully someone like Berta can change that), but it might have set the project back a season IMO.
samthegooner who knows how realistic Wirtz is given that City have just announced that they are dumping KDB, Gundogan, Silva and that waste of money Grealish this summer. Complete rebuild. That means they have to get Wirtz. But if he should slip through their hands, then we have take him. He is a baller beyond comprehension. I'd rather get him and think about traditional forwards later on
We'll probs end up with Grealish lol
On Lautaro, I remain unconvinced. I'd take him in an instant, but he always seems a nervous wreck for Argentina. I also can't bear to watch him run sometimes, like he's knee-deep in treacle.
Coombs He just feels like a poor man's Sanchez to me. Great when he's on form but lacks the special qualities that Sanchez and Aguero had in spades. I would rather take a chance on Sesko or Ekitike than Lautaro. I'm also more than dubious on the translation of Serie A forwards to the EPL these days.
Claudius if he's available (and willing to leave Germany) there's no reason why we can't compete with City for his signature, especially considering that they'll probably get their punishment /points deduction from the FA soon, and they're still in a downturn. Tough place for any player to go get any traction at the moment, and lots of pressure. Who knows, Pep might be considering a change of scenery as well. There's a lot of uncertainty swirling about them right now.
But he would not be a priority from my perspective.
My focus would be 1) a Top level 9, 2) a top level winger to replace Martinelli in the first team, and then we could try to get some extra creativity in the midfield.
samthegooner agreed. If the desire for those wish listing him is for a maverick type, then we are better off pressing for Cunha...
Yeah that's a good point. It's the only thing about him that gives me pause.