I’d say he would have to earn those spots.
But this is what we were discussing, when it comes to young players coming here. Grujic turned out to be a very good player for Porto but he couldn’t get his chances here. This conversation goes back to the player development at Brighton, and how they were able to develop players like MacAllister, Caicedo, etc
I just want to ask. Why is this thread in this section but Who do you want to buy in the Albert section?
Is this some sort of thread discrimination?
They were fighting so mom and dad had to separate them 
Quick note on Matip. I love him and he’s been brilliant but between the change in system and the season he had last year, he looks like his race is run at Liverpool. (Although I don’t think he’ll actually leave).
But what I wanted to say is that I can’t believe there aren’t tons of club in for him. In the premier league anyone from Brighton down would benefit from his ability on the pitch and the leadership and experience he has off it. I’m a big believer that having lads who have won stuff is really important and I think he’d be massive for a West Ham or a Fulham or a promoted side. And he’d cost what, £10/£15mill? Feels like a no brainier.
But then equally think he’d be great at a big European club in the champions league an Atletico Madrid a Milan or Dortmund.
Just can’t believe no one is after him.
He will be 32 this summer and has averaged 22.2 games per season in the last 4 years. I think sometimes we expect too much interest/value for our players. If there was anything close to such a fee, we would sell no doubt.
Leaving on a free seems to be very lucrative nowadays - not only for our players.
And £100k a week.
£10m-£15m isn’t going to buy us much and we won’t want to subsidise his wages so unless we get an over the top offer and they’re willing to pay his wages there’s little need to rock that particular boat right now.
Definitely fair and I take the point but that includes a season one big injury wiped him out of and he has had to compete with Konate the last two years who has been a big success. He played what, 40 games or something last season and was excellent. Injury wise the last two seasons he’s been much better.
I see him a bit like a Huth or Jonny Evans or Kolo Toure who spend a lot of time at a big club, winning trophies then move and add experience and winning mentality as well as on field quality.
Yeah that’s true. I wasn’t really thinking about the money one way or another though really. Just that I think if we continue with the current system he’s a bit square peg and I can’t see him contributing a great deal going forward, while conversely think he could offer absolutely bucket loads if he went someone else.
Also frees up space in the squad to get the sort of defenders we’d need to take us forward if we’re gonna continue with some sort of inverted full back stuff.
I don’t see a future here for Matip at this point either. But if he is to move, it needs someone who is willing to buy him. I’m sure the fee we would expect would be very modest, as we could do with freeing up a spot. Still, where are the suitors?
I agree with the point that others, like Johnny Evans, have been going on for years, and Matip is at least that quality, a fair bit better in my eyes.
So it’s a conundrum. I think the outcome will be another season at Liverpool and then a Bosman somewhere to finish off his career.
In the meantime, will we sign a new cb or go another season with what we’ve got, perhaps bringing Sepp back into the equation?
Both is possible. That we sign a new CB this summer, Matip stays and Gomez is more used when we need cover at RB. Still need to see what happens with Tsimi, if a good offer comes in. But for now, I hope he stays.
Long term definitely not, but every team needs 4 CB’s especially one that’s vying in 4 competitions. It remains to be seen whether we sign a RB or CB, both or neither so as it stands those 4 remain Virgil Ibou Matip and Gomez.
Matip’s injury record the last few years has actually been very good so don’t see why that shouldn’t continue if used sparingly…& on his day he’s still a very good option to have and far more reliable than Gomez. To give you a possible scenario, Ibou like the start of last season could suffer a bad injury or at any point during the season, Matip comes in and surprises us all by showing his old self next to Virgil for a few months and it plays onto the clubs mind to give him another year on his deal.
In the event we sign another CB then I’d like to think Gomez time at the club is done, we could get arguable double for him what we could Joel.
100% agree that we need 4 cb’s.
I’ve always maintained that Matip would be the best CB for the club provided his fitness issues aren’t there… And that involves peak VVD.
I’ve always maintained that I’d have a shot with Padma Lakshmi if we ever met. So guess the moral is we all have ways of convincing ourselves of things that arent true.
Just me or could you see a ridiculous offer from Saudi Arabia for Mo Salah?
With the money they’re throwing around and the fact his native tongue is Arabic.
Possibly the most high profile Muslim player in the world so, yes, I could definitely see an idiotic offer from them. Whether we would accept or he would even be interested is another matter.
It might be ridiculous to him, but I don’t see an offer coming in to entice us into selling…& that would need to be a world record fee or round about what Neymar went to PSG for.
Salah won’t push for a move either, his loyalty is towards LFC & he’ll be free in 2 years time to decide the next step for him…the Saudi offer you’d have thought will still be there.
I could, certainly possible.
But maybe not this summer. I see him here next season.
Could be a destination for Mo after Liverpool, whenever that is.
I feel Mane could be the next.