I don’t think so. I’m not convinced our interest in Thuram is as an 8. But even if it was he has tended to play a lot on the left side with Viega on the right. Sure, we’ve already got MacAlister, who most seem to be assuming is the new right sided 8, but he’s also someone who can play in any of the roles so questions still to be answered about which role he’s been earmarked to fill.
Regarding Thuram, I know people have seen the highlight videos showing the Yaya like surges forward with the ball and thinking that is who is he as a player, but I think that is more a reflection of those are just the most youtubable highlights. I view him as a player who is likely to play deeper, but has that youtube worthy game breaking ability to carry the ball forward when called upon. I think Vieria is a better model for what to expect of him than the Yaya who played at City.
A midfield when in possession next year at some point could theoretically be
MacAlister Viega
Thuram Trent
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Really??
Most analysis I read was suggesting Mac Allister would more likely play on the left, and I had thought that was the general thinking among the more tactical thinking members of the forum?
The three of Alex Mac, Kephy Thuram and Veiga would be a real statement.
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Yes. From the Club.
Would make up for not bringing a midfielder in in the last few years. For not fighting harder to keep Gini and for the stupid decision to bring in Thiago which navigated the midfield in the wrong direction.
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I think Thuram is essentially now at the same level of development as Tchouameni was when he was looking to leave Monaco last year. That year of difference in age has meant that younger man has a much bigger challenge to establish himself in the senior french side as the players a year or two older than him have already had the opportunity to fill in for the older guard. So he may not end next season with the 20+ senior caps Tchouameni now has, but I dont see how there can be cries over not landing one last year and then not recognizing the profile of the one we’re linked to this summer.
Viega has considerably less pedigree and his rise this year has seemingly surprised people even at Celta, but he was an absolutely stand out in La Liga last year in a struggling club. And that’s a stand out among all players, not just young players. I think it Barca had money they’d be falling over themselves to buy him.
MacAlister, if he didnt seem so sold on our project that he wanted to listen to other offers (agent Lallana?) and had that convenient clause, I think we’d have seen a fee for him close to 100m this summer.
So yeah, if we can somehow pull off that business it will be a huge statement of the level of attractiveness the club holds for players.
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Fair enough. For me a statement summer would be like the one where we bought Alisson, Fabinho, Keita and Shaqiri (should have been Fekir). FSG have really lowered everyone’s expectations over the last couple of years 
It’s all just opinions, but I think that might be overstating/misremembering the stature of Fabs and Keita at the time we bought them. They were both far from proven at the level we needed them to play at for those signings to not be a big miss in terms of cost and opportunity cost. I find it hard to draw too much of a distinction between a midfield addition of Fab and Keita vs Mac and Thuram (as the example being given).
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I think Mac Allister is a great signing. Just not sure on the other players we have been linked with. Whoever we get I just hope they can push us forward for a title challenge next season.
I might be wrong but Mac Allister was a nobody before the World Cup while Thuram was an ‘elite’ talent from his late teenager years.
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I think that’s a really harsh assessment of MacAlister. He arrived at Brighton with several Argentina caps already and throughout Potter’s last season there was already a lot of good things being said about him. Sometimes you need a bit of a coming out moment though to make the wider footballing world recalibrate their assessment of you when you’re at an unfashionable club and I think the world cup was definitely that for him. But he was already very well regarded before then.
Maybe Baggio in 90 is a decent comparison. While still at Fiorentina most football people knew who he was and were disappointed to see him not used in Italy’s early games, but then he finally got his shot and got that platform he needed to demonstrate he could do it on the higher stage. A couple of months later he had a big money move to Juve and there were riots in Florence.
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If we end up formalizing into more of a 3 at the back system then England U20 CB Ronnie Edwards, currently at Peterborough, would be a good investment. Edwards and Quansah line up together for England and could look really good as the CB and RCB in our hybrid 3223 formation.
Edwards is supposedly available for around 5m.
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Oh weird, I saw an article from that same website saying he was one of the players expected to leave Peterborough this summer but missed this one directly linking him to us. I’d be happy with it though, I saw that Chelsea were in for him last season but my assumption was that he would go to Man City.
Mind you the Echo article it is originally also talking about also mention Alex Scott, Gustavo Hamer, Ismaila Sarr and Gabriel Sara as potential Liverpool signings… they are just guessing and three of those are terrible guesses.
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Many posters where expecting a box2box midfielder (Mac Allister) and another who is more defensive.
Bringing in a very attacking midfielder in Szoboszlai is probably Klopps way to fix things.
Those two signings don’t really put Fabinhos place under threat like many were hoping (not me).
Or maybe it leaves the door open for a third new midfielder.
Not sure if we moved away from Thuram who can cover #6 too.
Guess a third one would have to be homegrown - Lavia?
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Never really saw us adding 3 midfielders in one window. Seems most unKlopplike.
Would have loved cover for Fab, who was woeful last season, but if Jürgen has a plan let’s see how it works.
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