Alassane Plea

[Hercules]

RMC are normally on the money.

 

[Keefo]

RMC are normally on the money.

Hope he's llorente's replacement and not Martial.

 

[robertgoulet]

Hope he's llorente's replacement and not Martial.

Probably optimistic, but if Llorente and Janssen are going maybe he's the replacement for those 2..with Martial still coming.

 

[JRHartley1]

Whilst €26 million is cheap, this guy has had 3 big injuries in the last 3 years:

16/17 - Meniscus tear - Feb 18, 2017 - Jun 30, 2017 = 132 days
15/16 - Ruptured cruciate ligament - Oct 26, 2015 - Feb 8, 2016 = 105 days
15/16 - Knee injury - Sep 22, 2015 - Nov 15, 2015 = 54 days

Does this mean we're saving the money from Martial for someone else????

 

[Keefo]

I'd hoped that but apparently he's played on the left a lot last season.

I don't think we should give up on martial so quickly,just yesterday hertyid and hec seem confident that we could get Martial .

 

[George94]

Whilst €26 million is cheap, this guy has had 3 big injuries in the last 3 years:

16/17 - Meniscus tear - Feb 18, 2017 - Jun 30, 2017 = 132 days
15/16 - Ruptured cruciate ligament - Oct 26, 2015 - Feb 8, 2016 = 105 days
15/16 - Knee injury - Sep 22, 2015 - Nov 15, 2015 = 54 days

Does this mean we're saving the money from Martial for someone else????

If we're signing Plea, we're not signing Martial - they are almost identical in their playstyle apart from one is a lot more effective, younger and less injury prone than the other

 

[Keefo]

Whilst €26 million is cheap, this guy has had 3 big injuries in the last 3 years:

16/17 - Meniscus tear - Feb 18, 2017 - Jun 30, 2017 = 132 days
15/16 - Ruptured cruciate ligament - Oct 26, 2015 - Feb 8, 2016 = 105 days
15/16 - Knee injury - Sep 22, 2015 - Nov 15, 2015 = 54 days

Does this mean we're saving the money from Martial for someone else????

I thought we were getting Martial by saving the de ligt money ?

 

[stonebrow]

RMC are normally on the money.

I’m hanging on to the normally part of this post

 

[U.S. Spurs Fan]

Seems pretty underwhelming mainly due to his age. Spending 25 mil on an 18-19 year old that has a lot of potential is one thing. At 25, this guy is probably close to his max potential. If he was a difference maker, wouldn't he be costing more?

Still wondering what we are "building" towards? No signings before WC, most links to big names seem to be getting shut down. Hard to be super optimistic given we've seen this story before. Hope I am wrong obviously.

 

[robertgoulet]

I'd be much more open to this signing if it weren't for his injury history. Just can't believe we'd go after someone with that list.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

RMC are normally on the money.

Im assuming, hoping, that this implies RMC are not correct in this regard.

 

[Streetspur77]

I'd be much more open to this signing if it weren't for his injury history. Just can't believe we'd go after someone with that list.

I’d be much more open to this signing if it wasn’t just an older, cheaper, shitter version of a player we were supposedly targeting

 

[13VanDerBale13]

Hope he's llorente's replacement and not Martial.

Considering reports suggests United want 70m for martial, I think it’d safe to say this is the cheap alternative

 

[JonnySpurs]

I like Plea, he's a very classy player but his injury record concerns me.

I would much prefer Martial, as would we all.

The only way I would accept Plea over Martial is if it meant that we could get a player like Kovacic with the money we saved.

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

Get Plea now, then we can play hardball with Yanited ‘til deadline day.

 

[daniel chagas]

Assuming that RMC got this right and we are indeed after him, this feels like a mediocre option. We should be pushing for players that challenge the starting 11. Plea is another "Kane backup" that I can't see being a dangerous option to scary our opponents.

Even if we don't get Martial there are plenty of options in between.

 

[George94]

Get Plea now, then we can play hardball with Yanited ‘til deadline day.

So basically, end up paying £25m to Nice for Plea, and wait until deadline day to knock around £20m off the price of Martial - what on earth would be the point of doing that?

Just give United the money for Martial if that's the case!

 

[Univarn]

I like Plea, he's a very classy player but his injury record concerns me.

I would much prefer Martial, as would we all.

The only way I would accept Plea over Martial is if it meant that we could get a player like Kovacic with the money we saved.

I agree but itk on Kovacic has been a tumbleweed. Same for most of the high profile CMs we have been linked to. I mean Plea also seems to have come out of nowhere so we can maybe cross fingers.

 

[RichieS]

I agree but itk on Kovacic has been a tumbleweed. Same for most of the high profile CMs we have been linked to. I mean Plea also seems to have come out of nowhere so we can maybe cross fingers.

Son came out of nowhere as well. In fact, this would be a very similar transfer all round.

 

[Spursh]

Scout report published in March...

http://www.espn.com/soccer/blog/soc...ting-spotlight-rodrialassane-pleathilo-kehrer

Following a brilliant start to the 2016-17 campaign, the season-ending knee injury Plea suffered in February signalled the end of Nice's Ligue 1 title hopes last year. He has made a full recovery following a prolonged spell on the sidelines, and scored four goals in a 5-2 thrashing of Guingamp at the weekend.

Playing style

A mobile forward who can play through the middle or on either flank, Plea's position has gradually switched from the wing into a typical centre-forward role. Although he occasionally still appears on the left of Nice's attack, cutting inside to deliver dangerous crosses on his favoured right foot, his greatest strengths are displayed around the box.

The 25-year-old is a composed finisher on either foot and exhibits a keen positioning sense, playing off the shoulder of the defender to race on to through-balls. He is a threat at set-pieces owing to his strength in the air, and can hold on to possession up the pitch, looking to link play and bring teammates into attacking moves.

Form

Plea's four goals against Guingamp marked a return to form in what has been a challenging campaign.

The striker came storming back from his injury absence with seven goals in 11 appearances at the start of the season but managed only four goals, plus three assists, in 28 games before Sunday's haul. At 25, Plea is entering a key stage of his career as he looks to cement his status as one of Ligue 1's leading attackers.

Where would he fit in?

Despite signing a new contract in January with a reported release clause of €50m, Plea has expressed his desire to move abroad in the future.

West Ham and Southampton have both been linked in recent months, but Leicester could emerge as his most likely destination. Claude Puel brought Plea to Nice for just £450,000 from Lyon in 2014 and remains an admirer of the forward's technical qualities.