Winter Transfer Window Scouting Thread 23/24

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

Completely agree, I really wanted him in the summer. Soule looks a good young player but I think Bakayoko is ahead of him in terms of fit for the system. Soule looks a Dybala/Lamela style winger whereas we need someone closer to what Arsenal have in Martinelli and Saka. We need someone that’s going to breeze past the fullback all game long. He’s tremendous at that and has end product too, for me he’s the standout option for a tricky winger for our current system.

Spot on mate, exactly how I see it.

I have watched some more footage of Soule and he definitely prefers to play in the pockets where as we need someone who plays wider and is 2 way with their dribbling, relentlessly challenging their fullback. That’s Bakayoko.

I think he looks so well suited to the PL and would raise our ceiling massively.

 

[Tucker]

Have there been any solid links to Bakayoko?

 

[Hercules]

Have there been any solid links to Bakayoko?

No! Have not heard anything indoors on him

 

[Ghost Hardware]

Have there been any solid links to Bakayoko?

The only real repeated link we’ve had is to Illing-Junior and I’m really not convinced by him if he’s our WF option.

 

[Hercules]

The only real repeated link we’ve had is to Illing-Junior and I’m really not convinced by him if he’s our WF option.

He is one of the names pushed by the agents. Can’t see us spending on a winger/forward. See loans on favourable terms. LCB, I see us spending smart

 

[Ghost Hardware]

He is one of the names pushed by the agents. Can’t see us spending on a winger/forward. See loans on favourable terms. LCB, I see us spending smart

Makes sense. I really didn’t think Illing-Junior was a great fit for our front line. Could have been an interesting option as a LB but hardly a priority. I’m not really expecting much beyond a LCB tbh unless PEH goes.

 

[Pallyali]

Is Phillips injured at the moment or not even making the match day squad.

Man, joining City May have been a nice financial decision, but if you actually enjoy playing week in, week out, it was a catastrophic decision. Makes me question his character. Did he do it for the money or did he really think he was good enough?

Gap year

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

Have there been any solid links to Bakayoko?

I have seen links in the press (not great sources) and there were some ITK rumours online but nothing so far that I would suggest is too concrete.

But with our data approach and the fact he’s essentially THE standout winger candidate, I’d be surprised and disappointed if we weren’t in for him.

Here is his Data MB chart compared to Saka and Soule, with the caveat that he’s obviously playing in the weaker league.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

I have seen links in the press (not great sources) and there were some ITK rumours online but nothing so far that I would suggest is too concrete.

But with our data approach and the fact he’s essentially THE standout winger candidate, I’d be surprised and disappointed if we weren’t in for him.

Here is his Data MB chart compared to Saka and Soule, with the caveat that he’s obviously playing in the weaker league.

Aside from anything what stands out for me is how impressive Soule’s stats are in comparison to the others when taking into consideration how strong Seria A is, especially in comparison to the Eredivisie, and how weak a team he is playing for by comparison to PSV who are by far the strongest team in their league at moment which is highlighted by them being 10 points clear. Not that i don’t like Bakayoko.

Anyway the discussion is somewhat pointless going by Herc’s update as probably neither are on our list. Makes you think again that if we bring in a WF it will probably be ether Jota on favourable loan or nobody.

 

[Finchyid]

CF is not high importance.

CMs, a CB and a winger are much higher importance IMO

Although, if Solomon and Perisic were fit I doubt we would even need wingers.

CF is our most important role to find. We lose son for like 6 months in Asia!

perisic will never play again and solo is still finding feet

Personally CB and CF are key in January

 

[Carson35]

Have there been any solid links to Bakayoko?

probably not now. but we were interested in him last summer, as he was one of the 3 options before we opted for Johnson. Another one was Fati, I believe. I remember the news said that he wanted to stay. Not sure now.

 

[brasil_spur]

I see your point but I still don't think it's a high priority, at least not this January. We've got Bentancur and Bissouma for the No. 6 role, and for the No. 8 role we have Sarr and Bentancur, plus both Lo Celso and Kulusevski would work well as No. 8s with Maddison (or the other of GLC/Kulu) in the No. 10 role, IMO.

Even assuming Hojbjerg were to leave without being replaced, you still don't get down to the likes of Skipp in the pecking order until you're absolutely flooded with players being unavailable. It just so happens that we've had both Bentancur and Maddison injured at a time when Bissouma missed a couple of games through suspension and Sarr picked up an injury on international duty, while simultaneously experiencing an injury crisis among our wingers which prevented us from playing Deki through the middle as much as we otherwise might have done.

Any more than we currently have and you'd have players lacking game time and potentially kicking up a fuss. Pretty much any club would have struggled with our injuries and suspensions in recent weeks.

Had it not been for Matty Cash I don't think we'd even be talking about strengthening in CM, even despite the long list of other injuries/suspensions that affected central midfield. I can see the argument for an additional No. 8, but for me a one-v-one specialist winger who can get to the byline (which we're clearly lacking) would itself strengthen our CM options by allowing Kulusevski to play through the middle more frequently.

With funds supposedly being limited in January, we should be spending them on areas where we aren't nearly as well-stocked IMO.

It’s more about the opportunity, if we can sell PEH for a decent fee and get someone like Gallagher opportunistically for a reasonable price then we’d be mad to pass up the opportunity of ensuring we have a robust squad for next season. Can only imagine the state of our players right now if we’d be playing mid week European football as well this season.

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

Aside from anything what stands out for me is how impressive Soule’s stats are in comparison to the others when taking into consideration how strong Seria A is, especially in comparison to the Eredivisie, and how weak a team he is playing for by comparison to PSV who are by far the strongest team in their league at moment which is highlighted by them being 10 points clear. Not that i don’t like Bakayoko.

Anyway the discussion is somewhat pointless going by Herc’s update as probably neither are on our list. Makes you think again that if we bring in a WF it will probably be ether Jota on favourable loan or nobody.

Don’t get me wrong, Soule looks really impressive and his output is superb for his age in a league like Serie A, especially for a smaller team.

Just looking at the footage though, I worry he isn’t the exact profile we need. He looks more of a Dybala who wants to drift inside constantly when what we really need is someone who is prepared to hold their width and attack fullbacks both ways, like Saka and Martinelli for Scum.

I am just concerned we will end up signing the likes of Soule and Iling-Junior and yet will still fail to sign the actual profile we need.

 

[Wig]

Don’t get me wrong, Soule looks really impressive and his output is superb for his age in a league like Serie A, especially for a smaller team.

Just looking at the footage though, I worry he isn’t the exact profile we need. He looks more of a Dybala who wants to drift inside constantly when what we really need is someone who is prepared to hold their width and attack fullbacks both ways, like Saka and Martinelli for Scum.

I am just concerned we will end up signing the likes of Soule and Iling-Junior and yet will still fail to sign the actual profile we need.

I wouldn't be too concerned. As much as there is a scouting team behind him, I don't think Ange would sign off anyone who isn't the right profile. Look at the senior players we spent money on in the summer - Johnson, Vicario, Maddison and Van de Ven - all excellent purchases in the short time they've been with us.

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

Some footage of Bakayoko's performance against scum last night, for those who haven't watched him.

 

[djhotspur]

All fair points.

I just think we look a completely different team when playing 2 of Sarr, Bissouma and Bentancur.

I don’t think Lo Celso or the others is the right fit and we look considerably worse when they play.

I think Gallagher is an interesting prospect and if available would complete that position.

I mean, I am not sure you compare a game against city and villa to a game against a very depleted and low on confidence newcastle. Plus, we created countless chances against villa, in the first half we definitely did not look worse.

 

[mmidgers]

Some footage of Bakayoko's performance against scum last night, for those who haven't watched him.

Looks class! His acceleration is frightening.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Some footage of Bakayoko's performance against scum last night, for those who haven't watched him.

Nice but surely we need a left winger as Johnson & Kulu have RW locked down between then whereas LW its sonny's spot but beyond that Perisic might not play for us again and Solomon could be ok but early days and not sure he will score the goals we need, although for me I'd rather we signed a striker than a winger or at least a winger who can also play as a striker would be ideal, 2 birds 1 stone.

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

Nice but surely we need a left winger as Johnson & Kulu have RW locked down between then whereas LW its sonny's spot but beyond that Perisic might not play for us again and Solomon could be ok but early days and not sure he will score the goals we need, although for me I'd rather we signed a striker than a winger or at least a winger who can also play as a striker would be ideal, 2 birds 1 stone.

I would use Deki in midfield, honestly think he looks much better there.

Johnson looks like he could develop to play on both flanks.

So a quality RW and LW would give us 4 options out wide:
New LW/Solomon
Bakayoko/Johnson

With Johnson also capable on the left, so Solomon would probably be more of a 5th choice (which is fine if we get in to europe).

Of course there might be certain games where we want to push Deki out wide but with the way we play I really think pace and dribbling ability out wide on both flanks is key to raising our ceiling as a team.

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

Another RW to keep an eye on but seems to be the right kind of profile for us and is doing well.

Abdul Fatawu at Leicester. He is on loan from Sporting for the season and is a 19 year old Portuguese winger.

So far he has 2 goals and 3 assists in 10 starts (6 sub apps) but he looks a really explosive young player.

Some footage here: