I want a full refresh at LW this summer and a new striker. For LW, I want an established first teamer ideally from the EPL to avoid much of an adjustment period and then a younger prospect with top potential. For ST, he needs to be first team quality. I think my ideal scenario is unrealistic only in that it requires some big outgoings, which I think will be near impossible in a World Cup summer but this is my ideal scenario, with ranked preferences.
Incomings:
ST: 1. Alvarez; 2. Osimhen; 3. Kroupi
LW starter: 1. Gordon
LW prospect: 1. Goedts
Attacking Midfielder: Guler
Young development CM: Kennet Eichhorn
Backup RB: 1. Marco Palestra 2. Victor Valdepenas
Outgoings: Martinelli, Trossard, Jesus, White, Gyokeres, and Odegaard.
Gordon (Goedts, Eze) —— Alvarez (Havertz, Merino) —— Saka (Madueke, Dowman)
————— Eze (Guler, Merino, Nwaneri) —————— Rice (Guler, Merino, Nwaneri)
————————————— Zubimendi (Norgaard, Eichhorn, MLS)——————————
Calafiori (Hincapie, MLS) — Gabriel (Hincapie, Calafiori) — Saliba (Mosquera) — Timber (Palestra, Mosquera)
————————————— Raya (Kepa or new backup)——————————————
I'd be fine if we kept Odegaard but would want him to sit deeper in the buildup and allow a more output oriented CM like Eze, Guler or Merino to be more advanced. I don't think we will be able to move Gyokeres this summer but really feel like there is no place for him if we want to truly keep growing - he will hold us back. We need to do whatever we can to shift him since it just isn't a good fit. I want this summer to be about refreshing our attack while also adding technical ability across the board and adding Guler, Goedts and Alvarez will go a long way in bringing back some fluidity to our play. I think Gordon is a marginal upgrade on Martinelli with his ball striking and a better ability to get by his man, while still maintaining that work rate we love, and he brings blinding pace to that wing to counter the lack of breakaway speed that Alvarez and Saka possess. We need to work to get Eze in the left half spaces and using him as the advanced CM but on the left instead of the right is how I think we can truly unlock him. I'm dubious on if we can actually get Alvarez but Osimhen or Kroupi wouldn't be terrible consolation prizes.
