Saliba, Gabriel and Saka. You don't sell one of the best in the world to get another one of the best in the world in another position. You just weaken yourself on an area where you are one of the best to strengthen another. If you want to get a top striker you get him and keep the most important players. You don't sell one of your only world class players to do so.

Burnwinter 45 is a bastard, I've gotten reading glasses and gotten twice as gray in the past couple of years

I feel you man. Got quite a few new greys popping up as well as feeling my eyesight get worse over the past year and I just turned 38. I'm in denial and avoiding wearing my prescription glasses for now.

      Big Willie Comes at you pretty fast eh? I'm not doing appallingly badly, but the eyesight thing is a bit annoying. Means I'm wearing glasses 80% of the time since I work with software. Also need to shave the beard, but that's been necessary for a little while, just working round to it.

        Eketike had another good game against Stuttgart yesterday. He really should be ahead of Sesko in the reckoning for us.

        USArsenal can't believe I'm only just over two years away from this milestone - I still feel like I'm 27. But I think it's a curse and a gift that most men feel like this, sure I've said before but I'll never forget my Grandad telling me and Jo he couldn't wait to see what happened when he grew up. He was about 85 at the time. 🤣

            RocktheCasbah "Growing up", at least where one's had the luck not to be run into the ground by a hard life, seems a one-two punch. The jab is the realisation you're never going to grow up, but the cross is still gradually getting bored by your own nonsense.

                Burnwinter might be ahead of the game on that one, Jo helped me see the light when I was about - oooh look, 27... 😃

                She used to play this to me quite a lot back then.

                  Him, Sesko, Ekitike and Delap offer cheaper alternatives to Isak.

                  Any of them would improve us.

                  Not interested in Gyokeres. Overvalued (even by today's standards), one dimensional and with limited scope for improvement.

                  Hope this is a case of 'assessing our options'...

                  Gyokeres is a good player but at 26 years old, turns 27 soon, he isn’t going to get much better. I honestly don’t think he is a top tier striker, he wouldn’t be the first player to tear shit up in Portugal and then struggle in other leagues.

                  He’d probably do well for us, he’d get a fuck load of chances but if we are gonna splash out on a striker to replace Havertz he needs to be special.

                  When we played sporting this season our CBs dealt with him comfortably, we need a player that would make our CBs uncomfortable. Isak is probably the most notable example. But reality is there is very little chance Newcastle sell to us so we need to explore all viable options.

                    This kid is going to be a killer. Must be nice to have a monopoly on French talent

                    • CPM replied to this.

                      I don't think Havertz is being replaced. I actually think it's unlikely our striker signing plays more minutes than Havertz next season. At least in the short term, Havertz will be a better player overall than whoever we sign (barring an Isak longshot). And I also wonder whether we might benefit from more 4-4-2 if we had a proper box finisher in the squad.

                      We need a plan for parked buses. We don't need to play those games with a 6 and two 8's, which is what we've been doing this year with Partey-Rice-Ødegaard. Particularly with our defensive strength and use of inverted fullbacks, a two-man midfield should be enough to control the game. Havertz can keep the tactical/movement responsibilities of a #9, and then there's room for another forward with less responsibility, who hangs around the box looking to finish chances. Old school big man-little man. I'm not in love with Gyokeres but he could be the little guy goal poacher. Nwaneri might be able to play that role too. You could start certain games in this state (away at Everton, etc.), or substitute into it around 65'.

                      It's great to have the ControlBall capacity, it's made us really strong in big games, but sometimes you need to fit a poacher or a maverick into the team to make the difference. Fergie used to stack his teams with forwards who weren't the best all-around players but had a knack for scoring goals. United won a lot of leagues scoring off of scrubby rebounds.

                        Claudius I really don't understand why we weren't in for him. He's the one LW who moved in the last year that I wish we had signed.

                          CPM I'm not in love with Gyokeres but he could be the little guy goal poacher.

                          He's 6'2"

                            I don't really think we are in a position to be picky...there are risks with any player we sign.

                            Was actually impressed with Gyokeres against us. I like how direct he is too. We need that. If he has a sight on goal you can be sure he's pulling the trigger not like our other 9's who will pass it off or take too many touches.

                            Quick google seems to suggest he has been consistently outperforming his xg too which is always a good sign for a striker.