Yes I was quite impressed by him before his injury which seem to have set him back abit but still look like a real prospect
How was Martinelli even spotted. 4th division of Brazil with an average goalscoring record
Winning the best prospect award in that league probably prompted the scouts to recommend him.
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It’s called scouting.
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I don’t know who I would buy, but I do think we need to freshen things up. Not just for the sake of it, but I think some hard decisions need to be made around the squad.
While there’s nobody really that we desperately need to move out, I don’t think we want to be here in two summers time with the same team and having to solve every problem at once.
30-32 isn’t as old for a player as it used to be, but if you get to the point where your Keeper, your CB partnership, the majority of your midfielders and your entire foward line are in that bracket or higher, then something has gone wrong.
Konate, Tsimikas and Jota all look like genuine contenders to be first team players, but I would like to see more arrivals and the moving on of some older players. Even though I like them all, at some point you have to be pragmatic about some of these issues.
I don’t expect that to be this month. But fully expect 1 or 2 high profile signings in the summer.
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Completely agree with the above. We can’t let too much of the team grow old together. We have been addressing that somewhat, and a couple more key signings are needed to continue to evolve and future proof the side.
We need a midfielder who is durable and has a chance of being a fixture in the side for years to come. Bellingham the dream, but would be very costly.
We need a striker/winger, maybe two, depending on outgoing. How high up we shop depends on who signs a new deal and stays for the long haul.
Hopefully Mo signs a new deal, and then at that point I could see Mane as vulnerable. I would prefer to keep him, but I suspect we won’t want both Mo and Sadio on bumper new deals, getting old. Alternately people would say Bobby could be sold, and Jota replaces him, but I’m not sure how much cash Bobby would fetch at this point.
So maybe something like Mane and Origi out, and also AOC to leave and play more elsewhere; and then two in of the sort of profile of Adeyemi/David/Nkunku/Doku… plus Bellingham for the midfield.
Age profile of the team comes down, immediate quality level sustained with potential for upside as we grow.
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Hate to say it… but Milner should be moved on or put onto the coaching staff…
Bite the bullet and free up a space for one the youngsters…
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That’s actually the thing, he wouldn’t actually be making room for a kid, the kids are on the unlimited lists for squad rules. If they’re good enough Klopp will make opportunities for them. But Milner being on the squad list takes up a slot that can be filled with a “homegrown” player in their prime. It certainly isn’t terrible having a professional, passionate, leader and role model in the team like Milner and he certainly still has uses on the pitch. But realistically speaking he can’t play 2/3 times a week anymore full matches. He doesn’t have the recovery time and reserves.
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Blasphemy. Before there was Milner, there was Kolo. Every team needs that kind of influence in the dressing room
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Free agents in Summer 2022
According to TransferMarkt, the 23 most valuable players on a free this summer.
- Todd Cantwell LM (Norwich, ~€20m)
- Jason Denayer CB (Ol Lyon, ~€20m)
- Alessio Romagnoli CB (AC Milan ~€20m)
- Jesse Lingard AM (Man Utd ~€20m)
- Alexandre Lacazette CF (Arsenal ~€20m)
- James Tarkowski CB (Burnley ~€22m)
- Jesus Corona RM (Porto ~€22m)
- Remo Freuler CM (Atalanta ~€24m)
- Matthias Ginter CB (Gladbach ~€25m)
- Boubacar Kamara DM (Marseille ~€25m)
- Sardar Azmoun CF (Zenit ~€25m)
- Denis Zakaria DM (Gladbach ~€27m)
- Andrea Belotti CF (Torino ~€28m)
- Ousmane Dembele RW (Barcelona ~€30m)
- Andreas Christensen CB (Chelsea ~€35m)
- Antonio Rudiger CB (Chelsea ~€35m)
- Niklas Sule CB (Bayern ~€35m)
- Lorenzo Insigne LW (Napoli ~€35m)
- Marcelo Brozovic DM (Inter ~€35m)
- Franck Kessie CM (AC Milan ~€48m)
- Paulo Dybala AM (Juventus ~€50m)
- Paul Pogba MF (Man Utd ~€55m)
- Kylian Mbappe CF (PSG ~€160m)
Any you’d try and bag? Any players we’ve been rumoured to have an interest in?
Personally I’d be all over Kessie, and he is a player we’ve been linked with. I think he could be what we need post Wijnaldum.
The name Todd Cantwell on this list strikes fear into my heart.
I agree pretty much with your post, except this part. Unless you consider Fabinho or Jota as high-profile signings.
Todd Cantwell is probably better than Kessie.
Yes I don’t necessarily mean high profile like Mbappe (though not impossible). But someone who will improve us while allowing the likes of Ox, Milner or Origi to move on.
Kessie has been shit whenever i’ve seen him (which isn’t super often).
I would sign Mbappe. As for everyone else on the list, I would consider all except Pogba, but wouldn’t go for them just because they are free, only if they fit the profile of what we’re looking for.
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Belotti would be a solid replacement for Origi or Minamino. Hard worker, reasonable goal record, captain, great attitude. And unlike Divvy, he’s not injured every other game.
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I was taking it as read that’s he’s off to Madrid.
If my FM saves over the last couple of years is anything to go by, Belotti, Romagnoli, Freuler, Sule, Kessie, Dybala and Mbappe would be the ones I would look to go after.
Whether my FM savees is good enough scouting or not, who really knows?
Kessie is basically Can, too big, too slow, not enough energy. Both times we played them he’s been blowing out of his arse within 10mins.
Azmoun is a player linked before and he’s scored a lot in Russia, I like Dybala but probably just a bit too old at 28 to be worth the salary he’ll want.
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Rudiger is always good against us, worth considering imo.
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Rudiger is an excellent defender. A while ago we were talking him down in here, but he is very good indeed. I don’t like him, as he plays on the edge and isn’t afraid to mix it up, but if he was ours I would like him for it. Konate could do with developing some of that sort of nous if he is to go on and become a world class and dominant defender. The physical tools are all there.
Rudiger will either sign a new deal at Chelsea, for a fortune, or benefit from a Bosman, pocketing a hefty signing fee and a large salary. That part of the pitch doesn’t need to be strengthened for us, though he would improve it.
Strikers and midfield are the most important parts of our team to look at.
Strikers/wingers… who? All depends who signs and who is sold, as to how high up we shop. I could see Mane and Origi sold, and two of the sort of profile of Nkunku/Adeyemi/David/Doku come in.
Midfield… who? We have a nice selection to choose from if they are all fit and firing. Which they never are! And some are getting older, while others haven’t proven durable enough. It’s easy to see one or two leave/retire, and at that point, like everyone else, I’d love to see Bellingham come in. If too expensive, we need someone who is good, durable, and can be a mainstay for years to come.
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