Sometimes players just aren’t as good as previously advertised either.
Saka and Martinelli are younger than Sancho, are playing for a bang average manager in a bang average team, and are doing much better.
Sancho will go on to become a good player, but the likelihood of him reaching the early hype (best wide player in the world level) is looking increasingly small.
Saka would be quality. Shame he turned us down to sign a new contract for the arse.
When you look back, it was probably the right decision.
Playing a lot of football being so young.
He’s now still only 20, will have 2 years left on that deal from next summer, so maybe the next step would be for other clubs to think about and for him to think about his future at Arsenal as well.
Yeah and he’s a boyhood fan so I understand. I have read some reports we want him in the summer but Very tenuous.
I liked the idea very much when he had a year left, a very good talent, a lefty, can play multiple positions, looks/sounds like a normal kid as well. But it was best for him to stay at Arsenal, keep growing and then we’ll see what happens with him until the summer of 2024.
I can see why you’d think that, mate, but bear in mind that Sancho joined a side that proved disjointed and directionless. Imagine him joining Man City, for example… He’d kill it there even if he still needed a bit of time to settle. I think he’s going to be a huge player for them regardless but I can see why he makes you have reservations over Bellingham. For what it’s worth, I think that Bellingham will be a special character in the future, one who will take responsibility and lead his side by example, not trick and flick his way through games. I still don’t expect Liverpool to sign him unless he runs his contract close to its expiry.
I think we need another CM, ideally one that can play as a six so we’re not as reliant on Fabinho to play so often or Henderson to drop in should Fabinho not play.
Zakaria isn’t a world beater but he’d be perfectly fine for a good proportion of the games we do play. He could be available now for reportedly as little as £6m. I don’t like buying “squad players” as such but with where our midfield is right now, it might not be the worst idea.
With more of a long term eye on things I think Boubacar Kamara could be an astute pick up. Again plays mainly as a DM but also CB. Could be incredibly handy given Phillips is likely off and none of the current youngsters look close to being able to step up any time soon.
A couple options to get an alternative to Fabinho for no fee or a very modest one and that means we can put more of what we do have into the forward line.
Fabinho + Hendo + Morton is perfect for the #6 role for the coming years.
#8
Gini left.
Milner and Hendo are (slowly) worsen.
Thiago, Naby and Ox are not reliable with their injury records.
It’s great to to have Curtis and Harvey.
But we clearly lack the energy we used to have in midfield.
Too early to count Morton if you ask me. Also got some way to go to have the physique to play that role.
Look for an 8 should Milner hang up his boots or move on in the summer or should we get a decent offer for Ox or Naby.
Not saying we don’t need an 8 but from the bosman list there are a couple of options at 6 that could be intriguing. Get one of those without spending on the fee or a very nominal fee and there’s more for an 8 and a forward player come the summer. Just don’t see an 8 option in that Bosman list I think is realistic or worth it.
Morton still needs to prove he can be one for “coming years”. For now he’s here, next season(s) who knows.
I’d say Hendo is still very much on the same level (one of our most consistent players to be honest), one bad game doesn’t mean he’s slowing down.
But yeah, I agree that we need a new dynamic option. We’ll see what are the names we’re properly/reliably linked with and then we can feel what are our needs.
The question isn’t whether they’re good players or not, it’s whether they’re worth fixating over instead of the many other good players around.
The way some go on about Bellingham it is as if there are no other good midfielders available. The year before it was Camavinga getting the treatment.
Pedri at the euros was the best young midfielder I’ve seen for a long time. Bellingham isn’t the only good talent out there, and next summer you’d think Dortmind would be looking at approx 100 million for him. Not worth it.
Pedri for £1bil why not? 
I’ve read links to Gavi, he’s a very good midfielder and not yet signed that contract with the crazy release clause numbers.
I don’t disagree about there being other midfielders out there btw. I just really like Bellingham, sorry, not sorry but he does remind me a bit of Stevie G.
Really? Don’t think he’ll ever be as powerful or athletic as Gerrard.
Stevie really was something else.
Just want to say that Cantwell is a shit Lallana.
That’s bad.
These are the interesting ones for me. Guys who can be squad players in areas we are weak but have potential to be more than just squad players.
I don’t disagree with this but I can see why people would be amazed by Sancho’s and Bellingham’s performances at Dortmund. That said, there’s certain arrogance among fans of big/rich clubs who probably wouldn’t be rating either if Dortmund weren’t said to be demanding 100 million pounds for either, while players like Jota and Bowen are snubbed by the same type of fans.
We all want to see the next big thing join our club (I would certainly love it if Bellingham joined, fulfilled his promise at Liverpool and became the club’s mainstay for the next fifteen years), that just how fan expectations work. However, I’d prefer Jota’s midfield and wing equivalents joining for the same price, at least at this moment. I honestly don’t know which names would be feasible in 2022, so I’ll stick to positions. That is actually one of the reasons I mention Bellingham and Bowen in particular - at the moment, I can’t remember any alternatives.
I also find it funny that this thread had virtually been deserted until the recent slump happened. 
I wonder if FSG will stick to their reported promise of spending big this summer after keeping the powder dry last year.
Can’t speak for anyone else, but for me, since mine was the first post in 29 days, it had more to do with the transfer window actually being open.
Didn’t look brilliantly oiled last few games. TBH, looked like shit. And played like it, except for some brief periods of ball movement quickly followed by shit finishing
It’s always been like this and I registered to TIA in 2007. Who would you buy and the unreliable rumours threads have always been in overdrive, especially during some very poor runs of form (I’m ashamed when I think which players I advocated Liverpool to sign on the back of a sudden, good run of form, expiring contract etc.). It’s a bit different in the last two or maybe three years but I think this was the longest dry spell in this thread, that’s what I found funny.
No, Stevie was a freak of nature, that combination of physicality and everything else is hens teeth rare.
Moreso the tall, athletic, technical, commanding elements… I’ve seen him score some goals bursting into the box from midfield.