Who would you buy?

The Albert
5106

Jota is one example. Midfield this season or perhaps further back at least another. Not signing a centre back in 2020 another. Diaz was reportedly only signed in January because Spurs were strongly linked. Good chance we would have signed him anyway but the club were hardly on the front foot. Maybe that’s ok though.

The club neglected the domestic cups for the most part until the last season or two due to the general nature of the squad.

There will be nuance around a lot of this but the overriding feeling remains.

5107

Sure, but if the example used to justify the feelings doesnt hold up then it’s reasonable to question the validity of those feelings.

These debates are tough, because when you start the clock can be manipulated to prove a point, but if you look at the players we’ve added since we won the league (the point used as when a club might be willing to rest on its laurels) we’ve still got near enough a full side we could put out.

Keeper
Ramsay, Konate, CB, Tsimi
Elliott, Thiago, Carvalho
Jota, Nunez, Diaz

There are ever clarifying arguments for bad decisions having being made in certain areas of the pitch, but if we’re accepting nuance is inportant, then that needs to be separated from a more general criticism of not being willing or able to turn over the squad.

2 Likes
5108

Doesn’t matter if the player doesn’t want to leave

5109

yes there is.

5110

I’ve been a supporter for full twenty years now, so I’m used to seeing close failures being followed up by colossal ones. Bar 2018/19, every season we finished second was followed by one where we finished seventh or something like that. I should have known better but, like I previously mentioned, I got carried away by Salah’s new contract.

I wonder which players you have in mind when you say this. My guess is that Gomez and Fabinho are among them? In hindsight, a few players have probably overstayed their respective welcomes (AOC, Origi, Firmino) but the club probably deemed it financially feasible to let them run down their contracts. Milner, Henderson and Alcantara are likely to follow down the same path, Van Dijk and Matip, too, probably. Keita is as good as gone.

I think that only Fabinho and Gomez are likely to be sold for a significant amount of money, even if that’s less than what club paid for Fabinho. I presume that club will target players of Leipzig’s Konate profile for CB, 2x DM/CM and some forward role (a rival for Salah?).

If Ramsay proves the scouting staff right, then Gomez becomes redundant for RB role - and he’s not far off from being a disaster at CB this season. His homegrown status might be the only thing that will keep him here in short-to-medium term but if he was playing for any other manager, he’d be on borrowed time.

If Alcantara is a nailed-on starter for games he’s fit to play, then Henderson, Elliott and Jones will likely become the guys who will fight it out for starting spots with two new midfielders. Let’s face it, you can put De Bruyne among them and there still wouldn’t be a title challenging midfield trio to pick from there. This is where we’re short of those two quality players that you mention.

I’d like to see another left footed forward for the balance of the side if nothing else (come to think of it, it wouldn’t be bad to give Salah a rival for the starting spot). If Klopp decides he has a team that is good enough to revert to 4-3-3, you’ll have Diaz/Carvalho, Nunez/Jota (I really like him better when he’s starting from the centre) and Salah/no one, so…

To sign four such players over the next two transfer windows probably isn’t asking too much. Without CL participation and money, though, that might be a bit difficult. Then again, that’s AOC, Keita, Milner and Firmino off the books, with Phillips, Fabinho and Gomez possibly following them in my imaginary scenario…

1 Like
5112
5113

Possibly this summer we could see the last of Adrian,Milner, Ox, Keita and Bobby( I see Bobby new contract) so spaces in the squad to fill.
I think we will be looking for a couple of free agents and a top talent.

5114

Brilliant, he’s better than teenagers. :roll_eyes:

5115

Of all u21 players lol?

Who else is there that plays every minute of every game as he’s done.

1 Like
5116

The problem with getting Prem players now is that there’s no value, unless the contract is winding down. Even the lower teams in the Premier League are rich these days. Caicedo would be a lovely buy at the 40M mark, something like that. Brighton get him for 10M, take the risk, he does well, they quadruple their money. Everyone is a winner.

We even go as high as 50M for their trouble, and our need.

Except they probably won’t do business at that sort of sum.

85M is a LOT of money. Is he that good? Is he that proven? Big decision there if we are interested.

5117

Why don’t you actually look up their injury histories and then re-evaluate your position?

5118

Keita who has missed 73 games since 2018 through injury? He’s played 76 games in the Premiership with only 48 of those as a starter.

So in 4 years Keita has started on average 12 games a season.

He’s been injured since the end of pre-season this year, so yet to be available… So available for 0% of games…

For a £55mil signing that’s an atrocious injury record, the very definition of “injury-prone” and it is an extremely risky strategy relying on him, as the evidence points to the fact he is hardly ever available for selection.

Do you want to re-evaluate your bizarre position? This is why I call you a troll, you can’t possible actually believe a player like Keita is not injury prone. The facts literally tell you he is, so you must have another reason for continually posting such contrary opinion…

2 Likes
5119

Some More Players that are not Bellingham etc…

CB
Jaka Bijol - 23 - Udinese
Slovenian centre back has been one of the better defenders in Serie A, amassing 3.5 aerials won and 5.92 clearances per game. Statstically similar to Napoli’s standout defender Kim Min-jae.

Rasmus Nicolaisen - 25 - Toulouse
Probably the busiest defender in Ligue Un, Nicolaisen is a dominant defender aerially (4.26) while also being one of the highest ranked for tackles (1.95), interceptions (2.04), blocks (1.60) and clearances (5.76). Also wins 73.7% of his challenges with dribblers.

Facundo Medina - 23 - Lens
Twice capped Argentine international, Medina is one of the most comfortable defenders in possession. He completes 73.33 passes per game, 5.58 progressive passes and 1.25 shot creating actions. However, defensively he is one of the weakest on the market.

DM
Ruben Neves - 25 - Wolves
One of the strongest midfielders defensively with high stats for tackles (2.46), interceptions (1.59), blocks (1.48) and clearances (1.83). 4.61 progressive passes per game and a metronomic 66.65 passes. A player I have previously been resistant to but with less than 2 years on his contract and Wolves struggling, he suddenly looks like a much more suitable player given his qualities on the ball.

Maxime Lopez - 25 - Sassuolo
61.83 passes per game, 87.5% completion and 6.18 progressive passes. Lopez is one of the top passing midfielders in world football. Defensively he is much weaker than an option like Neves however, with below average rankings across the defensive categories.

CM/AM
Azzedine Ounahi - 22 - Angers
Moroccan international midfielder is one of the most press-resistant players in world football with 2.97 dribbles completed per game while only being dispossessed 1.05 times per game. He is a non-factor aerially but gets an above average 1.31 interceptions. Ranks highly for shot creating actions (3.66), progressive passes (5.23).

FW
Amine Gouiri - 22 - Lyon
A player who has benefitted from a move forward having previously been an attacking midfielder. Gouiri creates 3.88 shots per game, has an npxG+xAG of 0.78 and is defensively solid for a forward (0.97 tackles). Technically strong players he completes over 50% of his dribbles. Compares statistically to Jonathan David.

Jonathan David - 22 - Lille
American born striker ranks in the 85th percentile for practically every attacking category. npxG+xAG of 0.74. 84% pass completion (98th percentile for forwards) and 1.41 key passes. Strong defensive player, he challenges 0.78 dribblers per game (69th percentile) while winning the ball back 50% of the time, making his potentially suited to a high press. Very weak aerially.

Youssoufa Moukoko - 17 - Borussia Dortmund
Moukoko ranks highly for npxG+xAG (0.69) while also managing to get 56.3% of his shots on target (88th percentile), he is not a great passer, ranking below average right across the board but is an excellent dribbler (1.42) and is very strong defensively tackling dribbling players 60% of the time.

Marcus Thuram - 25 - Monchengladbach
Lilian Thuram’s son has taken time to shine at this level but is currently putting up similar numbers to Sadio Mane. npxG+xAG of 0.73 ranks in the 94th percentile. He completes 1.58 dribbles per game and is also strong defensively (60% of dribblers tackled). Wins a below average 35.7% of aerial contests but competes for far more than the average forward also. Low ranks for his passing. Contract expires June 2023.

7 Likes
5120

The facts are that much of that time missed has been due to illness, or a single injury that he wasn’t able to properly recover from.

He also received lengthy time off from damage done by a ridiculous attempt to maim him.

We’ve had the debate over what constitutes “injury-prone” many times over many threads, if you want to ignore the context around absences then I can’t help your poor, blinkered mind.

You’re calling me a troll for looking at context? Or simply because I disagree with you? It’s quite pathetic how you constantly need to call everyone who disagrees with you a troll, a WUM, etc. Grow up.

1 Like
5121

I presume the resistance is down to his presumed cost for a transfer?

5122

6 games missed due to covid, 2 random games due to illness. That’s it.

So maybe stop going on about context and actually read the facts. Trying to spin context about Keita and being injury prone is like fucking comical ali and the denial of the invasion of Iraq whilst tanks are seen behind him…

You’re a troll because all you do is post contrary opinion, and double down with silly words like “missing context” when shown the actual facts of a situation. So you must have some other sort of angle, you can’t be that thick to ignore actual facts.

5123

Partly cost and partly mobility, I think he needs to be deployed in a two man midfield to really shine. His defensive stats ease my mind a bit about that concern.

BY way of comparison here is Neves compared to Fabinho (the “better” stats is highlighted in yellow)

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Big take away for me is Neves tackling 51.7% of dribblers, compared to Fabinho’s 35% - and Neves is doing that on significantly more attempts also. Amadou Onana, the new Everton signing, is the best in the top 5 leagues at tackling dribblers (73.7%).

2 Likes
5124

@Sweeting thank you for the analysis and adding some new names to the pot.

I think we might sign a left footed forward to come in from the right, as an understudy to Mo. Arguably Kaide Gordon might be that player, but he’s not there yet.

Given the midfield needs, I expect us to go cheaper on the forward, so Moukoko or Jhon Duran, someone like that, might be the one.

But obviously the midfield is the priority. Our need there is so great that I think we will end up going with a Bosman to offset a high priced signing.

5125

Honestly, there are very few players after this season who if we accepted a bit, or pushed out in someway that i’d be surprised at. Mostly its the guys who aren’t producing, but if at this sage if we decided to use a player like Virgil to raise money, or even to fire a shot over the bow, I would not be shocked.

1 Like
5126

David is one that interests me a lot. Would like to see more of him. Strikes me as a nicely rounded forward, who provides both good enough numbers and also other aspects of the game, like the defending/pressing phase, taking part in creation, etc. If Bobby leaves then we’ll need a forward and preferably someone who doesn’t “only” look in behind the opponent’s defence. Not to end up with too much of those.

1 Like