Small correction, Thiago’s deal is up to 2024.
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Jones started 1 PL game in 19/20, not 14. He’s been injured/ill about 3 different times this season too - concussion, freak eye injury, covid.
We don’t need two midfielders, one would do. Replacing Chamberlain’s minutes with a proper midfielder would be a big improvement.
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Gravenberch looks good, but I don’t think we do business with his agent, Raiola. If we can find a way, I’d be all for it.
Gravenberch, Tchoumeni, Bellingham… someone young, talented, athletetic, who can do the lot and has a chance to be world class for years to come.
I am sure we will sign at least one midfielder in summer, possibly two depending on departures. I think Ox is vulnerable and will probably leave. Keita frustrates me because he has talent but he misses so much football. He is coming to a stick or twist sort of juncture and I suspect he will sign a modest extension here. Milner is aging out as a relevant force, but there has been talk of one more year. Fabinho, Henderson and Thiago are great, but all of them are starting to pick up nightly injuries as they get older. The younger crop of Elliot, Jones, and maybe Morton, are the future, and need to be bolstered with one or two more.
Right back back up? Maybe. If we can find a Tsimikas level player who will be happy to be on the bench for most of the time, great. I suspect it will be filled by Gomez or the best youngster coming through. I agree Milner’s days there are numbered, as he doesn’t have the legs. No disrespect to him though, he has been an amazing pro.
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Really? That’s awesome, I thought it was 2023. Excellent.
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With the exception of Mo, haven’t we got all the big hitters tied down to long terms deals?
Alisson - 2027
Kelleher - 2026
Adrian - 2022
Karius - 2022
Virgil - 2025
Matip - 2024
Konate - 2026
Gomez - 2024
Trent - 2025
Robertson - 2026
Tsimikas - 2025
Henderson - 2025
Fabinho - 2026
Thiago - 2024
Milner - 2022
Keita - 2023
Jones - 2025
Chamberlain - 2023
Elliott - 2026
Firmino - 2023
Salah - 2023
Mane - 2023
Jota - 2025
Diaz - 2027
Origi - 2022 (+ performance based option for more)
Minamino - 2024
Other players like:
Phillips - 2025, R. Williams - 2026, van den Berg - 2024, Davies - 2025, N. Williams - 2025, Bradley - 2023, Morton - 2025, Woodburn - 2022, Ojo - 2023.
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Jesus Mane 2023 as well?!? And all the talk for the last 12 months has been about whether Mo will sign or not…
Gomez 2024, I wonder what we end up doing with him.
As for all those 2023 contracts - mainly the front three and Keita - I guess what we do there with extensions and sales is pretty big in relation to players incoming the next 12-18 months.
Yeah, was wondering the same a few months ago when I realized he’s got 2 years left and not playing much this season.
Also thought that Bradley had more than up to 2023, but these contract details are not always 100% accurate, so we need to have that in mind also.
Front three, I see one extending, one leaving on a free, and one being sold. Which way that goes I’m not sure.
Joe Gomez, I see a reluctant sale in the summer, not because we especially want to, but because he does, to see more action.
We might be in for a big summer, in need of a cb, a striker, and even without any of the above happening, you would have to think we will be in for a midfielder.
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If it’s true Monaco ‘won’t accept less’ than £42m then I would ‘reluctantly agree’ to pay it.
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Sure, I’ll pay it but you’re going to have to tell me what we’re buying with the money first.
Tchoumeni.
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gesundheit
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Danke schön.
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Maybe @Sweeting gets us a candidate on someone who does what keita does for us…
Not that keita should be changed. But any incoming would be an upgrade over Jones / Ox at the very least.
Keita for sure hasnt kicked on to what was expected. But if you look at the stats for a #8. I doubt that we will get any better right now.
Keita with his luck for injuries and the very position of #8 where the mistakes are lot more highlighted is in that position.
Would love sweeting to prove me wrong but there probably will be less than 5 #8s who do what keita does the world over.
There’s nothing wrong with Keita or Jones, both are better than generally given credit for. Keita in particular is having a good season.
A high quality midfielder to replace Milner & Ox would be a significant upgrade, those two have been by far our weakest midfielders. That’s the obvious move to make in the summer for me.
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A few months ago I’d have said Ox and/or Keita, but now it’s just Ox. Keita has improved injury wise which was my only concern, but Ox is visibly a shadow of the player he was before his injuries. In ability and attitude.
Obviously I don’t see anything more than what the cameras on match day show, but after the Carabao Cup and after his substitution on Sunday, he doesn’t look like a player enjoying his football.
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