Ismaila Sarr hasn’t taken long to tear his first team to shreds. Running riot against Villa today.
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Not really. Other than the two under 30, the only two out of that list that are still playing a a similar level to their peak days are Suarez and Benzema. Ronaldo and Messi are a shadow of their former selves. They might be still very good but there has been a massive drop off. Aguero has been injured a lot, something more of a risk the older a striker gets. Think about the difference, for example, between Torres at Liverpool and Torres post injury at Chelsea. Aubameyang did have one good season at Arsenal but was not very good last year. Of course, it depends upon the individual. Whether we should sell any of the front 3 also depends upon how much money they are asking for.
Yes, really. You’ve missed the point.
Ronaldo is 7 years older than our front 3. Nobody is claiming we should keep them on until that age, just that they can play until a similar level into their early 30s. And great players who are past their best are often still capable of playing in the best sides in the world, as that list demonstrates. Messi scored 38 goals for Barca last season and then had a great Copa for Argentina, does it matter that he isn’t at his very best anymore? You don’t have to get rid of players because they’re just beyond their peak.
And it’s quite something to claim Lewandowski is past his best when he’s just put up those numbers last year.
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Barcelona are willing to pay half of Brazil forward Philippe Coutinho’s salary in an attempt to secure a loan move to Lazio for the 29-year-old. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
If true (which i doubt),
we should be all over this,
how funny would that be?
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As to the future of midfield, I’d like to see us go for Bellingham, Odergaard and Camavinga. Add them to Jones and Elliott and that could be quite something for the next decade.
It seems we have some useful players in the youth teams coming through but not sure we have anyone at those levels. @Sweeting could give a better perspective on that probably.
Buy one of those 3 each year for the next 3 years and that should keep the standard high as the older guys start to get phased out.
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Kind of agree but think there’s a real chance of lads like Elliott and Jones turning into top top talents, with Woodburn and Balagazi around as well I’m not sure we need to add a more creative/attacking CM type like Odergaard (even though it would be nice if we can find a way to make it work as he’s a childhood red). I think the challenge in years to come will be deeper CM and DM types as not sure I have full faith in Clarkson and Cain etc. and only really Fabinho looks nailed on to be here for the long term in those areas. Camavinga and Bellingham are both dream signings of mine and them two, Jones, Fabinho and Elliott could be an amazing base for a future CM with maybe Balagazi being developed and/or Woodburn for some depth.
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When Milner, Ox and Thiago leave in the next two years I want our midfield to be
Henderson, Fabinho, (Naby), Jones, Elliott, Bellingham and another new signing.
Bellingham for me is going to be the best English midfielder of the next decade.
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Agree about Bellingham, looks a top prospect. Not sure why, but I think Odergaard could become something special as well.
You mean the third best behind Jones and Elliott I presume
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Bellingham is certainly an interesting prospect, yeah.
Let’s see if there’s a deal like that which we could attract enough and get it done.
Sort of like a long term replacement for Hendo (not necessarily meaning that he would leave in the same window).
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I’d actually sign both Bellingham brothers happily. I see Jude becoming a real tall, all action, commanding CM general who can play DM, CM and AM to (near?) World class levels when fully developed. And the younger one Jobe is an exciting young right winger breaking through at Birmingham and tearing it up from the looks. Appears to be a right footer though so with us he’d be converted to left wing and play opposite left-footed, right-winger Kaide Gordon whose only a year older. Plus the club shop would make a fortune as they couldn’t have just Bellingham or even J. Bellingham on the back they’d have to have full names 
Sorry, but I prefer not to overhype our players - but would love to be proved wrong.
Elliott too young and too early to call him the next Trent. Lets see how he will do in our cup games this season.
Curtis for me might turn out to be our Isco (can’t believe he is 29 already). Never really a starter (depends on who we sign over the next years, but we want to sign real quality, right?).
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Err he’s two months older than Bellingham though…
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But Jude is more experienced. A starter at Dortmund now. Will soon start CL games while Harvey won’t be coming on in many more PL games when all our senior players and Curtis are back.
Thats just your opinion it’s not a fact.
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It is possible to merit more game time, we have a lot of examples under Klopp.
Same how Jones managed to earn more minutes, sometimes ahead of some other senior/more experienced players in the last year or so…
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Like Thiago, Hendo, Naby and Ox getting injured. Another injury crisis at CB so that Fabinho has to play there.
Yep, if that happens Elliott will surely start PL games.
There were plenty games last season when Jones either started or came off the bench or got good minutes when we had other senior midfielders on the bench…
Even Klopp doesn’t know on August 15th who will play how many minutes.
You have a general idea of course, if we have a ‘normal’ season with injuries, but the rest (and even more so) is very much up to the players: how much they earn it.
Elliott is not only an option for midfield, but for the right side as well. We obviously think he could be useful this season, hence why he’s staying.
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That’s crazy. I had no idea Bellingham was younger than Harvey.
I never watched Bellingham play before he came to Germany other than the YouTube highlights, so I didn’t know what to expect of all the excitement. All I can say is wow. His physical stature, style and approach belies his young age.
Just my opinion of course, seems a generational talent. I can’t imagine him at 25, 26.
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Not by much. For instance he only played 61 minutes at Dortmund last season more than what Elliott played. He got a lot more playing time at Birmingham City than Elliott got at Fulham and Liverpool but still less than a full season equivalent playing time. Can argue it was better experience certainly but Elliott is now a fully integrated part of this side and ready to kick on for us this year in the same way Bellingham did at Dortmund last year as a new arrival. Bellingham is a generational talent but I don’t think Elliott is miles off.
Edit; Didn’t realise this season had started and some of Bellinghams minutes at Dortmund were from this year, instead of playing 61 minutes more than Elliott last year he actually played 67 minutes less.