Unreliable rumour one….
And two….
Though I am a sure Bild told us last week they had signed Diaz so who knows.
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I don’t trust Sesko to make it in the PL. Same with Gyokeres - I think Arsenal are making a very expensive mistake taking on a 27 yr old striker who has never performed in a top league (Eng/Fra/Ita/Ger/Sp).
I think the two best strikers “on the market” right now are Osimhen, who has proven he can score at every level, but there are a few question marks over his attitude and priorities (seems to want high wages, etc.); and Ekitike who is a risky venture needing further development, only one top season, but has been touted as a top potential talent for some time now, and he looks like he has the tools to succeed at the highest level.
If the rumors are true that Newcastle are looking at bringing in Ekitike, then it will be as a replacement for Isak, not as an understudy. I’d be well happy if that meant they’d sell Isak to us, but the fee would likely exceed what we paid for Wirtz. At that point, Slot would be under MASSIVE pressure to deliver trophies year on year. Not that I don’t think he could or would do that, but the pressure would be immense with that kind of financial outlay in one summer.
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Yeah Isak with his potential price and injury record seems an unlikely gamble. If Ekitike is not possible, might we sign a left of field prospect and keep Chiesa? Diaz, Gakpo, Chiesa, Prospect, Salah, Frimpong.
Or if we were playing Wirtz further forward then either Diaz or Gakpo could move centrally.
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Found Grav last year, so Slot shouldn’t rest on his laurels, and find another Grav like miracle.
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The club knows our financial calculation and limit for this summer better then we do.
That’s not to say that they don’t make mistakes, but potential fan fear is our thing. Reaction from the media is impossible to control. Learn how to live with it.
Masssive pressure to win? Regardless if it’s called normal pressure at Liverpool when things are going well, expectation, favourites to win again or massive pressure, I want that.
The key is that we make the best possible decisions within what the club judges it wants or can do in this transfer window, which is far from over in terms of both incoming deals and outgoing.
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I think a lot of the noise around strikers and central defenders is filling rumour columns, and probably hasn’t got much substance.
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I can’t see why we need another CB when we just sold one, unless we already have something done.
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In relation to strikers, our present bunch won the league at a canter last season, so why do we need to buy another project.
A link to Mateta.
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er…perhaps exactly because we just sold one?
Our centre forwards were probably the weakest part of the team last season with us preferring a Diaz playing there rather than in his preferred role on the wing. With Nunez not appearing to fit the side and Diogo passing away we should absolutely be looking to strengthen that part of the squad.
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Considering Jotta’s injury rate, one of the young lads like Dan’s could take that spot but selling someone only to take a punt on someone else isn’t ideal.
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In regards to the CB could Bajetic be slated for that role.
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Anything Baj ever gives us should be considered a happy bonus at this point.
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If he’s cheap he’d be a decent rotational option
How does that maintain the levels of the forward line, let along improve it (particularly in a season when Mo is likely to be off to AFCON)?
Jota was in effect second choice behind Diaz, so I fail to see why we should be giving his place to a youngster who is himself having problems with injuries and so played relatively little football over the last year or shown a consistency that demands such a promotion. If he is ready for first team playing opportunities, he can be given them without such a commitment.
Furthermore, given the prices being bandied around for players in this market, and what we know about the processes our recruitment team follow, I think it’s inaccurate to say they are simply ‘taking a punt’.
How many games has he played over the last couple of years and in what position? Arne will have had little opportunity to see what this lad offers to justify him being given the fourth CB spot, particularly when Bajetic has had his own fair share of injuries since he broke into the first team squad.
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It should also be noted that Bajcetic is currently recovering from surgery following a hamstring injury and will miss the pre-season. Poor lad.
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Good luck to him in his recovery. Rotten timing, as I was hoping that after playing in Spain, and looking quite good again, he might be able to catch Slot’s eye in preseason and add some depth to the midfield, in anticipation of a couple of exits.
You never say never, but it is getting harder to see Bajcetic break through at Liverpool. A younger breed like Nyoni is starting to march up the hill to get to the fringes that should already be occupied by the likes of Bajcetic.
Good luck to him though. You never know. He looked a good player when he started to make the breakthrough here, but it has stalled.
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We’ve now only got three senior centre backs. Four at a push of you count Endo. After that it’s an 18 year old with almost zero first team experience and what little he has had has shown him to be some way off being ready.
As for strikers, we don’t have “our present bunch” any longer. And if Nunez goes that’s even less of last year’s group. And we don’t need a project, we need a quality player.
There’s a part of me that thinks we may have put a pause on everything for a bit but deals are pretty much agreed. Reckon Palace might be keen not to let Guehi go until after the Community Shield, especially if he’s leaving to come here. And Ekitike seems to surely be on the move and Frankfurt have signed a CF already this summer.
Expect us to wait until Nunez has moved on before we see any movement on the striker front. Partly for squad/finance balancing but also it can then be framed as the new guy being “a Nunez replacement” rather than being seen as us replacing Jota so quickly.
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That’s another good point
But who’s going to pay what we want for Nunez?
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Suspect we’ll reach some kind of compromise with Napoli eventually. I can’t see it being as far along as has been reported without it reaching a conclusion. Once Osimhen has gone they’ll be back.
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I think Guehli gets done before then. Slot will want him involved in our pre season.
I think shifting Elliott might be part of the attack equation as well, be surprised if stuff doesn’t pick up this next fortnight.
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Hmmm, maybe Ekitike isn’t the plan. Move to Newcastle seems to be picking up pace. Odd they’d spend so much replacing Callum Wilson. Unless of course…
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