I’m not sure if we need another midfielder. A CB is a priority now.
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There’s also the possibility where our incomings are complete before certain outgoings (who are not named Nat Phillips, Berg or Kelleher). This summer it’s absolutely vital to try and get them early enough for them to have a good portion (if not all) of our pre-season. Maybe we don’t know the full picture yet who might leave this summer.
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I have a feeling we might jus end up with jus one or the other… my head says it will be lavia. Im selfish and want both but after signing big D, i jus dont see it…
If we bring in a midfielder especially a CDM then expect that’s it for Fabinho.
I wouldn’t sell the following:
Alisson
TAA
Konate
Salah
Anyone brought within the last 18 months. There is also the thought process that perhaps we won’t big spend next year.
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we do need a DM still
Southampton will ask silly money as City have a sell on fee of 20% and they’ll be factoring that in.
If Lavia pushes for a move there probably comes a point where they’re better asking for less and hope City come in and match an offer.
Selling at £30m to anyone but City gives them about £10m profit on what they paid. But if City pay that then they’ve essentially doubled their money in a year. Ask for £50m and they’ll net £25m profit but I can’t see City buying him back for that unless they get Phillips gone.
He’s a talent but I’m not sure he’s worth £30m to us let along £50m, £10m of which ends up in City’s pockets anyway.
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Ifti - Thiago to Saudi for 80 million. Lavia and a cb in for 40 million each.
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Just.
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Do we?
If our tactical switch of moving Trent into midfield has shown anything, it’s that defending is not our primary concern.
Let’s face it- we are in possession most of the time, and teams hope to hit us on the counter or from a set piece.
We don’t need a dedicated “destroyer” type of defensive midfielder; what we need are players capable of breaking down stubborn defences but also able to recover quickly when we lose the ball.
Both Mac and Dom meet these criteria.
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true, but we need a runner to play jus in front of TAA and also cover ala gini… i think both thuram and lavia fit the profile but more so lavia
Definitely not, Thuram might have been a smoke screen for Zobos
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I’ll keep and eye out for the likes of Joyce saying we are still looking as beyond that I doubt anyone knows bar the club.
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I dont know that I buy the idea of smoke screens, but for a club who have become so famously tight lipped, there is a lot of mileage can be gained from allowing players you are genuinely in contact with to give the press things to focus on while you continue working on other priorities.
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Didn’t some one from Southampton say yesterday we are after Lavia and expects him to join Liverpool.
Perhaps we were genuinely interested in a number of options and Dom was top of the list and once he said he only wanted us and Newcastle weren’t going interest the player the deal was done.
I guess we will see mind if we do anymore deals and who we sell.
This is what I’m really curious about now. I think a lot of people have missed the context of the number of players we have leaving on a free and loan - our squad was bloated and needed to be trimmed down as part of bringing in new players. 2 new players in midfield who will hopefully be routinely available and perform well all of a sudden puts a completely different spin on what our remaining midfield corp looks like. It’s a LOT of players. It really wouldnt surprise me to see us move on one o the players still under contract, and if we bring in another midfielder I dont see anyway we dont do that.
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It was @J_Tanswell who is reliable for Southampton news. Can’t access Twitter though as it’s been shit recently.
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Yup I could see Fabinho move on if we get anyone else in.
Only one I can think we should shift bar perhaps Elliott who I can’t see is selling. Suppose he could shift on Jones.
There is also the defence which I would expect to see any further purchase being in this area.
No need to offer an amount we think that city won’t match. City matching doesn’t mean the player has to go there, and if he accepts city just to sit on the bench, then so be it.
Southampton have evey right to ask for £50m. Doesn’t mean they’ll get it, but then interested clubs can then negotiate closer to his real value.