1 hour ago, Sexyfootball said:

Funniest thing is his prolific output ... I get that he is young, and set records for youngest player blah blah blah, but I'd love to know what our scouts and recruitment team are seeing in a winger with 5 goals in 129 appearances for Santos. especially when they've already signed Hutchinson, Mudryk, Madueke, Sterling, Jackson, Nkunku, Moreira, Matos .... plus we still have CHO, Anjorin, Vale, Ziyech ... and I bet even Leo Castledine will turn out to be a better attacking midfielder than at least half of them LOL. 

Wingers are the new left backs I guess ... 

I mean, when you put it like that it does look mad 😂

On the other hand, Matos, Hutchinson and Moreira where all free transfers. Seems likelt that they're investments that will simply go into the development squad or on loan with an ambition to sell them on in the future. 

CHO/Ziyech are being sold by the looks of it. Anjorin might as well, while a loan is still an option - just as Vale seems to go out on loan.

I can't imagine Jackson or Nkunku being played as wingers. This leaves us with Mudryk, Madueke and Sterling as out-and-out wingers.

Pulisic is gone. Ziyech is pretty much gone. We've only really replaced them with Mudryk and Madueke.

At the same time we've said goodbye to Mount, Felix and Havertz in the offensive positions. Nkunku and Jackson can't cover all of them IMO...

and aother day sails past with little or no activity. No movement on Caceido, no movement on Lukaku. I think these two are essentially stopping anything else from happening for us at the moment. Seems all very reminiscent of the f*ckery with Barca from last summer. Raphinha, Dembele and Kounde taking up weeks to get nowhere

Inevitable really.

22 minutes ago, Dr. Socrates said:

Inevitable really.

Note to self put Graeme Bailey on the bullsh*t list.

Clickbait.

We'll see. Would anyone really be surprised if it happened. Christ let's hope not.

Won't be a popular opinion of course but could do a lot worse than Maguire, either on loan or permanent - can fill in for W Fofana or Badiashile and has something to prove. As it stands we're in dire straits in terms of squad depth/experience.

Edited July 18, 20233 yr by the special one

I'd rather we play with ten men than sign Harry Maguire. He's dross.

Let's see if this gets any traction in the upcoming days, if it does happen it's going to be comedy gold to a few cynical shed enders on here who have defo not drunk any of the Clearlake Kool Aid  !

If Maguire signs I'll be taking an indefinite break from football for my mental health. 

2 hours ago, WhiteWall said:

We'll see. Would anyone really be surprised if it happened. Christ let's hope not.

Lukaku 2 seasons ago, Koulibaly and Sterling last season, all 3 players I have never been a fan of, we signed them all. So no, I wouldn't be surprised if we signed the biggest joke of them all.

Edited July 18, 20233 yr by Scott Harris

1 hour ago, BordeauxBlue said:

If Maguire signs I'll be taking an indefinite break from football for my mental health. 

it will be dreadful, at least 15 points extra lost,he is really rubbish and will be even worse in our team.

2 hours ago, the special one said:

Won't be a popular opinion of course but could do a lot worse than Maguire, either on loan or permanent - can fill in for W Fofana or Badiashile and has something to prove. As it stands we're in dire straits in terms of squad depth/experience.

We couldn't really do any worse,Fofana with one leg is twice as good as Harry..have you watched him?

9 hours ago, the special one said:

Won't be a popular opinion of course but could do a lot worse than Maguire, either on loan or permanent - can fill in for W Fofana or Badiashile and has something to prove. As it stands we're in dire straits in terms of squad depth/experience.

Personally I can't ever see Fofana being fit enough, for long enough. It seems every time he takes the field or training he is getter one step nearer his next lengthy lay off. 

Therefore we need to discount him totally for now. If he can get fit and stay fit he can be pencilled in as the eventual Silva replacement.

We need to get a proper CB and I'm sorry much as I like him I don't see it being Chalobah. Personally I would go for Aymeric Laporte as I think he could be got for a reasonable fee. Marquinhos, if we haven’t queered our pitch with PSG too much. Upemecano if he has lost confidence at Bayern. Somebody like this anyway.

2 hours ago, WhiteWall said:

Personally I can't ever see Fofana being fit enough, for long enough. It seems every time he takes the field or training he is getter one step nearer his next lengthy lay off. 

Therefore we need to discount him totally for now. If he can get fit and stay fit he can be pencilled in as the eventual Silva replacement.

We need to get a proper CB and I'm sorry much as I like him I don't see it being Chalobah. Personally I would go for Aymeric Laporte as I think he could be got for a reasonable fee. Marquinhos, if we haven’t queered our pitch with PSG too much. Upemecano if he has lost confidence at Bayern. Somebody like this anyway.

Agree that Chalobah doesn't seem to have a cealing high enough for a starter role at a team that consistantly want to challenge for the PL and CHL.

Laporte is a left-footed CB. He's been playing in the LCB-spot most of his career. We probably need a right-footed for the RCB-role. 
- Marquinhos also features in the LCB-spot - but will potentialy be able to play all over the centerback-line. Sadly I can't see PSG selling - or him choosing us right now.

Upamecano is an interesting shout. If Bayern were to consider offers we should definately try. 

On the other hand there are quite a few decent talents we could look into. Personally I'd love to see either Antonio Silva or Bella-Kotchap. Lacroix is antoher option. 

All of the above would be investments for both now and the future (ie. Thiago Silva won't play forever). 

 

 

2 hours ago, WhiteWall said:

Personally I can't ever see Fofana being fit enough, for long enough. It seems every time he takes the field or training he is getter one step nearer his next lengthy lay off. 

Therefore we need to discount him totally for now. If he can get fit and stay fit he can be pencilled in as the eventual Silva replacement.

We need to get a proper CB and I'm sorry much as I like him I don't see it being Chalobah. Personally I would go for Aymeric Laporte as I think he could be got for a reasonable fee. Marquinhos, if we haven’t queered our pitch with PSG too much. Upemecano if he has lost confidence at Bayern. Somebody like this anyway.

Laporte was my pick also until I realised he is also left footed & plays on the left. Ideally we need a right footed player for some balance, even though having 2 left footed CBs starting could be a blessing. 
Andersen or Guehi would be my pick in the PL even though I reckon Palace will demand around £50m for any of them. Hincapie at Leverkusen or Schlotterbeck at Dortmund will be my pick in the Bundesliga, and Lucas Martinez at Fiorentina will be my pick from Serie A. 

Looking for an experienced DM on a free transfer?  Oriol Romeu left Southampton to return to Barcelona. Maybe we should have brought back to the bridge for a bit?   I guess we should just sign that other Southampton DM now?   Romeo being linked with Arsenal and the scousers.

8 hours ago, Hanzen said:

Agree that Chalobah doesn't seem to have a cealing high enough for a starter role at a team that consistantly want to challenge for the PL and CHL.

Laporte is a left-footed CB. He's been playing in the LCB-spot most of his career. We probably need a right-footed for the RCB-role. 
- Marquinhos also features in the LCB-spot - but will potentialy be able to play all over the centerback-line. Sadly I can't see PSG selling - or him choosing us right now.

Upamecano is an interesting shout. If Bayern were to consider offers we should definately try. 

 

 

 

Not the Upamecano we saw having a total mare in the game at the Emptyhad. He was diabolical.

Maguire's not a bad shout. We could start selling masks of his big slab head in the megastore, that plus shirt sales with his name on them will recoup his transfer fee and more. I suppose he'll also be throwing his massive hat into the next-captain ring. 

Edited July 19, 20233 yr by Hessleboink

Leicester charged MU for his forehead by the kilo.

I suppose we might get the amusing spectacle of Maguire incredulous at being sent off for kicking Rashford in the nuts, having overlooked that what is permissible in a red shirt is very different from what you can get away with when wearing blue !

But that aside, it is a hard pass from me.

I'd go so far as to suggest a public lynching for the journalist who has even suggested this transfer ... 🙂 

2 hours ago, Backbiter said:

Not the Upamecano we saw having a total mare in the game at the Emptyhad. He was diabolical.

Exactly. For that one game and had enough of a mare to have possibly made Tuchel think about moving him on.  Seeing one or two televised poor performances is still not a measure of what a player can offer. After all we watched an entire season if diabolical performances. 

What other seasoned professional CBs will want to join an average, 12th placed premier league team with no European football, chocked full of kids with minimal senior experience.  Undoubtedly we're going to have to shop cleverly.

11 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

What other seasoned professional CBs will want to join an average, 12th placed premier league team with no European football, 

For the same reason Kante came here when we finished 10th or Enzo came fresh of a world cup win when European football was looking highly unlikely.

One swallow doesn't make a summer.

1 minute ago, Argo said:

For the same reason Kante came here when we finished 10th or Enzo came fresh of a world cup win when European football was looking highly unlikely.

One swallow doesn't make a summer.

What, money? Ah got ya.

We're still linked with Disasi although so are Newcastle apparently.

https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/transfer-news/chelsea-now-considering-signing-44m-centre-back-amid-wesley-fofana-injury-news-journalist/

And City have just signed Gvardiol so looks like Laporte may be on his way out.