I’m not sure what qualifies as fine, but even the last three seasons alone has a number of worrying muscle and groin injuries, the latter causing him to miss nearly two months last season and which he’s just gone down with again.
Huge risk to pay out what Newcastle will be looking for imho.
He’s largely been fine this season. A broken toe has been the cause for him missing 7 games. That’s not a problem. His injury record in 2021 - 2023 is what i believe you are referring too. Nothing that suggests that those problems will recur. For what we know , This could be just SandUnited wanting to not risk Isak (for their final)
His previous, month-long groin injury was this time last year, ie 2024.
You’d think with players like Naby, Sturridge, Thiago and Jota in our recent history we might be a little more concerned with signing players with a history of injury.
If we pay 348k for Trent, then Konate, Szoboszlai, Mac all deserve 400k .
We may have greater opportunity for resting him than Newcastle do (depending on what other movement we have in the summer) so he may have lower risk of injury?
Also, following @rab 's lead, I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone like Cunha being our forward target this summer. Has a release clause in his contract, believed to be around £60m so not stretching financially nor difficult to negotiate. Has played across the frontline so perhaps offers some versatility (I don’t know how good he is in those other positions though).
Regardless of how this season ends, I doubt we’ll be getting an established player like Isak from a mega-rich club like Newcastle. They are already quoting him at 150 million pounds. Time for Hughes and co. to earn their stripes and find their own Isak (minus the niggles).
Re our (alleged) new forward… and starting to gauge how LFC now operate, might be worth remembering, had anyone on here heard of a certain Arne Slot at this time last year…!!
He seems to have turned out okay up to now doesn’t he :0)
If we do sign a forward, not sure it will be someone as costly as Isaak…
Given a choice between Isak and Cunha. I’d prefer to say we want to have both.
That probably only becomes a possibility if we can get exhorbitantly good prices for Diaz and Nunez.
Predicting that we will end up with Joshua Kimmich on a free.
It just has been reported that Bayern have cancelled their final offer for him. Big news in Germany.
I think Cunha is probably more achievable at this point. But Isak seems likable from what I’ve observed him and his own pitch demeanour.
Let’s see. The prices they are quoting for him are on the very high side.
Known entity. Can slot in at DM and do well in RB. Provided his salary expectations are moderate and he wants to join the best team in the world. I’ll be all for it.
We would still need another RB but he solves the problems in depth.
£150m is enough for us to get Cunha (£62m release clause), Huijsen (£50m release clause), and one of Hato/Kerkez. I know which one we prefer.
We also need one more midfielder and a new right-back. Getting five new players might be too ambitious.
I think Paris are going to offer Konaté silly money and I think he’s going to go.
All the more reason that we need to smash PSG which will hopefully convince Konate to stay.
It will be a blow to lose Konate now especially after the marked improvement we’ve seen this season with him. Couple seasons more of this improvement and we’ll see him as the leading defender for the best club in the world.
Kerkez would be my pick.
Kimmich as a backup RB/DM regardless of whether Trent stays or goes.
Cunha is achievable provided we are able to move Nunez for a sizable amount.
Not convinced on Huijsen at this point. I think we should be doing better at that 50m outlay. But it’s the transfer window and the prices do get crazy.
I think Kimmich’s had enough of RB, unless it’s an emergency for Germany. I don’t think he goes to another club that will seriously look at him as also a RB option. Probably wants to avoid that. Shown this season that he’s still a high quality midfielder and my guess is that he wants to remain there. Be it at Bayern or somewhere else.
Can’t see him going to a club where he’s not an automatic starter and I wouldn’t pick him over any of our midfield three.
He would still get very good gametime. And I’m sure if slot sees a use for him , he’s pragmatic enough to use him where he’s suited the most.
I don’t mind Grav going into a #8 role at times too. Kimmich at DM would allow that as well.
I don’t think Kimmich is a good choice. We need runners to cover ground to reduce Szoboszlai’s workload. He’s also too old with a big salary.
I like Kimmich, but we also need to think about partnerships. Especially when we talk about double-pivot partnerships. Not only look at different players individually, isolated from everything else. Who would suit each other better or worse, etc.
My feeling is that Slot is happy with how rounded some of our main midfielders are and their capacity to run, but he will want more control.
And Trent possibly leaving might increase that need to add more control (which is obviously not solely down to bringing players, but internal work with everyone).
