SydneyChelsea

This deal apparently is a no go but depending on their injury status, Zinchenko, Brozovic and Alaba would all be very good fits for Alonso's system.

I enjoyed the first season but I struggle with season 2.

@SydneyChelsea said that Lamine Camara is more like Jorginho than Caicedo. If that's true we should be thankful we have dodged that bullet.
TBH, reading some of the comments, I think a lot of people on here thought we were getting Lamine Yamal.

It seems the PL 'deal sheet' was agreed but the contract for sale itself was yet to be concluded, so unlikely to have much grounds and in any event it would be for the principle rather than any monetary gain.
Ligue Un already imposed a wage cap sanction for non-compliance, and that was on the assumption that they could still sell players to improve their financial position.

Someone at Monaco better know how to grovel in Arabic or Turkish

Enzo's goals are such a furphy. 10 goals and just 4 assists is pretty good for an AM, but's a very average return for a second-striker which was essentially his role under Maresca/Rosenior.

Rogers playing in a similar attacking role adds the same stats but also with the additional ability to carry the ball on the dribble, which Fernandez cannot do.

Cherki has been known to have some serious attitude issues when things aren't to his liking. I doubt he makes it past this season with City.

I fully agree with what you're saying. There is no good 'replacement' for Fernandez right now and like you said, it was a once-in-a-lifetime to extract maximum profit from a problematic player. It's no different to Inter Milan selling Lukaku or PSG ditching Mbappe, sometimes a toxic player is not worth even the most extraordinary of outputs and their numbers mask an overall negative impact on the team.

Maybe a bit of a conspiracy of our own here but that's my take on City too. I think it's telling that, despite knowing Maresca was a fan and that Fernandez was available all summer, City didn't meaningfully move for him until all of their other targets were signed, sealed and delivered. Illiman Ndiaye was more a priority apparently! Fernandez is clearly a vanity signing, a statement to give the impression they are backing Maresca. So the bolded part is just my view that as much as Maresca may have wanted Fernandez I don't think everyone at City fully agreed or that he justified the expected price.

The side effect of not rushing into deals this summer (whether that was intended or not...) is that clubs know we have money to spend. The problem for them is they already know our top targets are Scott and Wharton, both of whom will necessarily have to be cheaper next season as their contracts run down. Anderson's transfer also created a very inflated midfielder market this season, but that effect wears down over the year. I really do think that keeping our powder dry either for January or next summer is the smartest play.

We shouldn't undersell how good this window was on paper. If we don't make the top 4 or win a trophy, that's not on the recruitment.

Sure, but we will not get much more than a few million in compensation, at the very best. It almost wouldn't be worth the legal fees. It would be different if Camara himself objected to Monaco's decision, or believes he was inconvenienced, then FIFA might consider sporting sanctions as there would be a contractual stability issue.

Hopefully CAS rules that the breach is so severe that Monaco must not just refund us for Laurence Stewart, Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile, but actually have to take them back as well as penance.

I agree that our midfield is weaker than last season. Barco and Henderson looked like great signings when they were squad players that raised the overall floor, but we will go into this season without any of our first-choice midfielders from the last two seasons. However, I don't think that Alonso or the board should be let off so lightly by the 'squad not good enough' approach. We scarcely have a game a week for most of this season. We should be competitive for the title and comfortable for 3rd, anything else is a sideways step at best.
We do have enough quality in James, Lavia and the others to maintain good performances at least until January. Only Santos is a real loss. Fernandez has no role in Alonso's system, he is unwilling to play as a deeper midfielder and insists on playing as a second striker. His role is usurped entirely by Rogers, Palmer and Estevao.

I am more worried about striker. Pedro has been crucial to our system and it's unclear whether Welbeck will offer even a similar reference point for the attack. Welbeck also has a shaky injury history himself so it's likely we are going to see Rogers, Estevao or Neto as a false 9 at some part of the season because Emegha is not the answer.

Enzo's goals are such a furphy. 10 goals and just 4 assists is pretty good for an AM, but's a very average return for a second-striker which was essentially his role under Maresca/Rosenior.

Rogers playing in a similar attacking role adds the same stats but also with the additional ability to carry the ball on the dribble, which Fernandez cannot do.

Cherki has been known to have some serious attitude issues when things aren't to his liking. I doubt he makes it past this season with City.

Rogers alone makes us a title-challenging squad. I'm not going to be a doomsayer about the squad, it is objectively the best we've had under BlueCo and more than capable of winning trophies. An unproven 22-year old from a middling French team isn't going to meaningfully move that needle, Camara looks a great prospect but he is essentially Valentin Barco in a different font.

As for rotation, well God forbid we have to give a youth player from the best academy in England a few minutes in midfield here and there. We should be doing that far more often than we have done under BlueCo. It's moments like this that have allowed clubs to discover their Lewis-Skelly, Rico Lewis or Nico O'Reilly, or Trent Alexander-Arnold.

I think that blaming Fernandez's transfer for the lack of action is a bit much. I have no doubt it will be the narrative encouraged by BlueCo. The transfer is the biggest financial boon we have had since selling Hazard and at the end of the day, this window was the last time the club could have ever meaninfully profited from a very mediocre transfer. However, it's pretty clear that the main targets are Scott and/or Wharton, and it actually seems unbelievably sensible to wait for them to become available next year instead of splashing cash on yet another unknown young player.

Another way of putting it,
Out: Essugo, Enzo, Santos
In: 36 year old dressing room cheerleader Henderson.

He reminds of that RIP Mourinho, second greatest poster after Clown Lake

Rogers alone makes us a title-challenging squad. I'm not going to be a doomsayer about the squad, it is objectively the best we've had under BlueCo and more than capable of winning trophies. An unproven 22-year old from a middling French team isn't going to meaningfully move that needle, Camara looks a great prospect but he is essentially Valentin Barco in a different font.

As for rotation, well God forbid we have to give a youth player from the best academy in England a few minutes in midfield here and there. We should be doing that far more often than we have done under BlueCo. It's moments like this that have allowed clubs to discover their Lewis-Skelly, Rico Lewis or Nico O'Reilly, or Trent Alexander-Arnold.

I think that blaming Fernandez's transfer for the lack of action is a bit much. I have no doubt it will be the narrative encouraged by BlueCo. The transfer is the biggest financial boon we have had since selling Hazard and at the end of the day, this window was the last time the club could have ever meaninfully profited from a very mediocre transfer. However, it's pretty clear that the main targets are Scott and/or Wharton, and it actually seems unbelievably sensible to wait for them to become available next year instead of splashing cash on yet another unknown young player.

Enzo's goals are such a furphy. 10 goals and just 4 assists is pretty good for an AM, but's a very average return for a second-striker which was essentially his role under Maresca/Rosenior.

Rogers playing in a similar attacking role adds the same stats but also with the additional ability to carry the ball on the dribble, which Fernandez cannot do.

Cherki has been known to have some serious attitude issues when things aren't to his liking. I doubt he makes it past this season with City.

Enzo's goals are such a furphy. 10 goals and just 4 assists is pretty good for an AM, but's a very average return for a second-striker which was essentially his role under Maresca/Rosenior.

Rogers playing in a similar attacking role adds the same stats but also with the additional ability to carry the ball on the dribble, which Fernandez cannot do.

Cherki has been known to have some serious attitude issues when things aren't to his liking. I doubt he makes it past this season with City.

As one of his former fans, I fully agree. In fact the thing that struck me against both Fulham and Brighton is that they are incredibly similar with the same strengths and weakness.

The only differences being that Acheampong is one of our own, is 5 years younger and still has a drivers' licence.

I fully agree with what you're saying. There is no good 'replacement' for Fernandez right now and like you said, it was a once-in-a-lifetime to extract maximum profit from a problematic player. It's no different to Inter Milan selling Lukaku or PSG ditching Mbappe, sometimes a toxic player is not worth even the most extraordinary of outputs and their numbers mask an overall negative impact on the team.

Maybe a bit of a conspiracy of our own here but that's my take on City too. I think it's telling that, despite knowing Maresca was a fan and that Fernandez was available all summer, City didn't meaningfully move for him until all of their other targets were signed, sealed and delivered. Illiman Ndiaye was more a priority apparently! Fernandez is clearly a vanity signing, a statement to give the impression they are backing Maresca. So the bolded part is just my view that as much as Maresca may have wanted Fernandez I don't think everyone at City fully agreed or that he justified the expected price.

The side effect of not rushing into deals this summer (whether that was intended or not...) is that clubs know we have money to spend. The problem for them is they already know our top targets are Scott and Wharton, both of whom will necessarily have to be cheaper next season as their contracts run down. Anderson's transfer also created a very inflated midfielder market this season, but that effect wears down over the year. I really do think that keeping our powder dry either for January or next summer is the smartest play.

We shouldn't undersell how good this window was on paper. If we don't make the top 4 or win a trophy, that's not on the recruitment.

Even when it had nothing to do with them, they still want the spotlight

I saw that their CEO was interviewed at the Conference League draw, and he said they needed to sell at least one more player (eg Camara or Balogun) before Tuesday to comply with the wage restriction.

...oops

Enzo's goals are such a furphy. 10 goals and just 4 assists is pretty good for an AM, but's a very average return for a second-striker which was essentially his role under Maresca/Rosenior.

Rogers playing in a similar attacking role adds the same stats but also with the additional ability to carry the ball on the dribble, which Fernandez cannot do.

Cherki has been known to have some serious attitude issues when things aren't to his liking. I doubt he makes it past this season with City.

More likely he didn't want to move to the city of Liverpool and have his burgled.

I agree that our midfield is weaker than last season. Barco and Henderson looked like great signings when they were squad players that raised the overall floor, but we will go into this season without any of our first-choice midfielders from the last two seasons. However, I don't think that Alonso or the board should be let off so lightly by the 'squad not good enough' approach. We scarcely have a game a week for most of this season. We should be competitive for the title and comfortable for 3rd, anything else is a sideways step at best.
We do have enough quality in James, Lavia and the others to maintain good performances at least until January. Only Santos is a real loss. Fernandez has no role in Alonso's system, he is unwilling to play as a deeper midfielder and insists on playing as a second striker. His role is usurped entirely by Rogers, Palmer and Estevao.

I am more worried about striker. Pedro has been crucial to our system and it's unclear whether Welbeck will offer even a similar reference point for the attack. Welbeck also has a shaky injury history himself so it's likely we are going to see Rogers, Estevao or Neto as a false 9 at some part of the season because Emegha is not the answer.

They can’t get off that light. They must be forced to bench Camara and reinstate Bakayoko in his place also.

Well, I absolutely do not want to encourage @just and @PloKoon13 but
...Yves Bissouma is a free agent, although it's unclear whether he signed with Fulham

Bissouma has no driving licence ala Fofana and inhaled nitrous a la Sterling. Culturally, he seems a great fit.

Bissouma (30). Wijnaldum (35). Ndombele (29). Pogba (33).
Desperate I know. But once the directors learn Bissouma played for Brighton they’ll find a way to pay for a free transfer.