I think these windows are always concerning until moves are made.
Have to say I don´t really know or understand what we are doing. Could be that lots is happening behind the scenes of course.
I thought Wharton was an obvious pick up and him not being at the World Cup meant go for him asap. Maybe we don´t want him. So then it´s curious who we do want and who we are making moves for. All very secretive.
I suppose the frustration is that we need wingers but the ones we want are tied to PSG and we’re waiting for them to sell or sign players. Still not sure why we haven’t moved for a midfielder or defender though.
Must be others out there though.
The next Mane or Salah. Could be even in a lesser league like they were initially.
That could be down to Andoni wanting to evaluate the players he has before we make a move on the defence, and/ or seeing if any of our players are looking to leave this window.
Perhaps even the choice of winger may impact the signings needed elsewhere.
I just feel like the global exposure of the sport these days makes this increasingly unlikely, which is why we’re seeing the prices now going through the roof for younger and younger players.
We have seen a shift in recent years as a result, targeting youth players, such as Rio, Trey, and albeit a higher fee, Leoni.
Weve secured the Columbian kid for next season, and when you look in the youth squad list there are plenty that have been brought in from elsewhere or are othet nationalities in there.
Problem is, these players are rough diamonds, long term prospects, and statistically, won’t become first team players.
Im hoping Trey and Rio progress this season. Certainly have faith in Iraola over Slot in integrating and trusting young players in games.
It’s all good investing in youth but we don’t exactly have a great record of bringing them to the forefront and the guys that we did bring (note Trent) left us on free.
Not that I’m very bitter about Trent leaving but we got nothing for him.
I don’t think either of these points are true.
We got £10m for Trent didn’t we?
There are other players we have brought through to be first team regulars or squad players, just not at the numbers we would like. In many cases their sales have helped fund the signings of the players we needed.
Next to nothing. That was a 80m player that we only got 10m for because we agreed to release him early for the club world cup.
I judge by how many youth players make it properly into the first team as regular starters. So far only Trent and to some extent Kelleher(due to alisson’s injuries) have done that.
We won the title 2 years ago with 5 academy graduates in the first team
And how many are really there now.
We sold quansah because slot never got around to improving him.
We let Trent go.
We sold Kelleher without getting a noticeable improvement by spending big money for Mamar
Elliot (If he counts as a youth academy player) is more out than in.
And finally Jones. Oh and the ever injured Bradley
Here’s a few others. There are others we can probably name too.
Bradley when fit is our starting right back.
Curtis has played frequently for us and is good enough to be a regular starter.
Quansah was a regular in Jurgen’s last season and good enough to be so under Arne.
Bajcetic looked promising until his injuries.
Neco Williams was a promising player and is performing well at Forest.
Some of them having moved on doesn’t eliminate the track record of them having been produced in the first place.
He’s a substitute at best. Not a regular starter.
Sith trying to keep his bad argument together once its flaws are pointed out
In hindsight which ofcourse is what it is , neco Williams and quansah moving clubs was a disaster.
I’d rather have neco over Bradley as the right back.
I am making the hole and I intend to keep digging it.
I wish people would stop using this. I always glance and think it’s a cock picture!
Its perfect for the impatient ones.