January 2025 Scouting Thread

[Ghost Hardware]

The American dude from betis

Hasn’t been particularly good thus far this season. Certainly not good enough for us to consider buying him.

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

We’re pretty set on the left going forward I feel. Odobert, Moore, Yang all coming through behind Sonny. We don’t have room in the squad for another left winger, even after Werner goes at the end of his loan.

He started RW and moved over to the left when Van Bommel got injured. Looks like he plays on either flank.

Although I would prefer a left footer for RW he looks an interesting talent.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Yeah Eze has been really disappointing this season but to be fair so have CP. Hard to tell how much is down to management but even so he has been a largely peripheral figure who has often failed to stamp any authority on games. I certainly don’t feel at all disappointed that we didn’t sign him.

Of course I say that but no doubt he scores against us next weekend. (Sorry in advance)

Not sure about that, the first 4 games he was really good, scored a rocket, hit the bar and had a wonder goal ruled out.

Palace have been dog, hard for anyone to stand out in that team atm.

 

[tobi]

Not sure about that, the first 4 games he was really good, scored a rocket, hit the bar and had a wonder goal ruled out.

Palace have been dog, hard for anyone to stand out in that team atm.

Olise is a massive loss and the team hasn't recovered yet.

I think he's trying to take responsibility and sometimes he looks selfish.

That's not a word I'd use to describe him previously.

 

[spurs9]

Liked the look of Poku tonight, was lively and caused us problems. A bit raw but he’s only 20. One to possibly keep an eye on.

He's not even good enough for AZ's first team. He only played tonight as Sadiq is injured and some pretty shit wingers have looked good against us in the past (Cantwell springs to mind).

The defenses in the Eredivisie are pretty bad and I would say to be worth signing in the PL for a team with top 4 ambitions, they not only need to be putting up good numbers, they need to also have something special most of the time you watch them play and for me, the only player in last few years that has ticked those boxes is Xavi Simmons. Even Bakayoko, whilst I think he suits the way we play etc, I have major doubts over him.

 

[Snarfalicious]

Yeah, think others have said, LW feels pretty secure with Son, Moore, Odobert and even Richarlison being viable options now. Definitely think letting Werner move on would be ideal, since Moore already looks far superior and he really doesn’t need to split minutes with him. I’m curious to see how Odobert continues to develop and if he can thrive on the right that really helps the whole squad building aspect of our wings.

All in all, it’s good to have 4-5 guys you can trust across 2 positions. However, another versatile option like what Doue may have could be a good way to round everything out. Enzo Millot seems like a good fit in that regard.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

Yeah, think others have said, LW feels pretty secure with Son, Moore, Odobert and even Richarlison being viable options now. Definitely think letting Werner move on would be ideal, since Moore already looks far superior and he really doesn’t need to split minutes with him. I’m curious to see how Odobert continues to develop and if he can thrive on the right that really helps the whole squad building aspect of our wings.

All in all, it’s good to have 4-5 guys you can trust across 2 positions. However, another versatile option like what Doue may have could be a good way to round everything out. Enzo Millot seems like a good fit in that regard.

How we decide to balance the wings is going to be very interesting. Clearly Moore should not be used on the right which means it will be down to Odobert and Yang. Odobert is more comfortable on the left but hopefully he can fully adapt to the RW. It would be in his best interest anyway as I think he'd have more chance becoming a regular in the France team at RW as they are seriously stacked with young potential on the left. Not only is Barcola only 22 there they also have Doué and Ben Seghir. Plus i still think Mbappe is better on the left then CF. I know there is obviously Olise and Dembele on the right but even at youth level there are fewer RW options coming through and Odebert is still some way off the French first team currently.

I do like the idea of a versatile creative midfielder coming in that can cover both wings and AM tho. Honestly every game I watch of him I'm getting more and more won over by Rayan Chirki. A player that I've had big question marks about in the past. It very much seems this summer has had big effect on him because he seems to have matured a lot both on the pitch and off it going by reports. Obviously we would need to see how he goes over the season as he did miss the first few games due to his contract situation and there obviously are weaknesses to his game that would need looking at but he is one of the most ambipedal players I have ever seen and has truly incredible technical ability. I will talk more about him in time tho as im doing a write up at the moment. Anyway there are certainly a good few options if we did decide to go that root, Millot as you mention is certainly another.

 

[djhotspur]

How we decide to balance the wings is going to be very interesting. Clearly Moore should not be used on the right which means it will be down to Odobert and Yang. Odobert is more comfortable on the left but hopefully he can fully adapt to the RW. It would be in his best interest anyway as I think he'd have more chance becoming a regular in the France team at RW as they are seriously stacked with young potential on the left. Not only is Barcola only 22 there they also have Doué, Ben Seghir who i'm a big fan of and Lyon's 19 year old Malik Fofana who has been been one of the revelations of Ligue 1 so far this season. Plus i still think Mbappe is better on the left then CF. I know there is obviously Olise and Dembele on the right but even at youth level there are fewer RW options coming through and Odebert is still some way off the French first team currently.

I do like the idea of a versatile creative midfielder coming in that can cover both wings and AM tho. Honestly every game I watch of him I'm getting more and more won over by Rayan Chirki. A player that I've had big question marks about in the past. It very much seems this summer has had big effect on him because he seems to have matured a lot both on the pitch and off it going by reports. Obviously we would need to see how he goes over the season as he did miss the first few games due to his contract situation and there obviously are weaknesses to his game that would need looking at but he is one of the most ambipedal players I have ever seen and has truly incredible technical ability. I will talk more about him in time tho as im doing a write up at the moment. Anyway there are certainly a good few options if we did decide to go that root, Millot as you mention is certainly another.

If you wanted a pure RW though who would be your choice for our system

 

[Ghost Hardware]

If you wanted a pure RW though who would be your choice for our system

(Sorry in advance for the long reply)

I think the underlying fact is there just isn't a stand out candidate at present. For a start if we are looking for a dedicated RW I really do not think we should be looking at any right footers so that does limit our options.

I know a lot of people want Johan Bakayoko but I am just not 100% convinced, even watching him in the league this season there are still too many question marks for me to say he should be our clear no 1 target. There is no doubt he is talented and from a physical profile he'd obviously suit us but despite his incredible statistics (especially in the league, they do take a noticeable drop in the CL) when I watch him I am yet to be won over. Not that one should only judge on G&A but so far this season he has just 2 goals and those came in his first 2 games against two of the weakest teams in the league and 0 assists. Beyond that he has also looked rather limited in his CL games. Obviously PSV have had some really strong opposition (PSG, Juve and Sporting) but I do think the higher level of defender he is facing has stifled him somewhat. He seems to cut in far more frequently in the CL. That said he did have some good games last campaign, notably against Arsenal, so he could just be going through a cold spell. And to be fair to him he actually had a solid enough game against Sporting a few weeks/month or so back but I actually came away from that match thinking we should be going for Quenda rather than Bakayoko. It's also worth keeping in mind that PSV have been on fire this season winning all 9 of their league games and scoring 29 goals, which is 10 more then 4th placed Feyenoord who are second for goals scored with 19. It’s a shame but his drop in output has actually led to fan backlash and even Bakayoko making a post in response roughly translated as "lonely in this difficult time, but we will be there". Something we can all identify with regarding the treatment of Johnson. Considering his age inconsistency is somewhat par for the course but even last season I was never fully sold, I would like to see him move to a tougher league but obviously if he moves and is a success then our chances of getting him likely drop to 0.

League vs CL overview stats -

Beyond that I have already spoken at length about Conceição and Kubo. Then there is Antoine Semenyo and Dan Ndoye both who i just don't see the point of as they are right footed and we have Odebert and Yang. When looking at more establish players who is there? Edon Zhegrova is good 1v1 but has always struggled with being consistent and will often disappear from games plus he regularly drifts central. There is obviously Bryan Mbeumo who I know is a fan favourite on here and is probably one of those the club will be looking at given his PL experience/goalscoring record and possible lower price point but im not entirely sure if he would suit our system and similar to Edon he comes infield a lot. Maybe he could work but im not sure it’s a natural fit. Clearly a talented play tho who is having an exceptional start to the season.

There are obviously other left footed right wingers out there but I can't really say there are any that have significantly impressed to the level that we should be seriously looking at them. When you start getting to a point where you are trying to convince yourself why any given player should be a target then you are better of forgetting about them. Yeremy Pino for example, a player who looked very bright pre injury has been a shadow of his former self this season and is currently only getting a few mins off the bench here and there. Karim Adeyemi another that has been well covered recently on here, whilst he has seemingly started to sort out his consistency issues he still has long term problems with injuries (he’s currently been out again for over a month although should be back soon) that make him too risky a move. If he could once and for all get over his injury issues and manages to stay consistent over the season I would certainly have a look at him but I do think those are two rather big "IF's". Maghnes Akliouche is having a very solid start to his campaign at high flying Monaco but whilst well regarded he is more of a wide playmaker than wing forward and rarely does he stretch a defence. Adding to that whenever I’ve watched him he is certainly sometimes good but rarely remarkable however I can see that he has potential. Really It’s Eliesse Ben Seghir on the left wing who I’ve mentioned before that is the big talent in that team IMO. Botafogo’s Luiz Henrique is also reasonably well rated but there are new reports suggesting he may be involved with betting fraud so even if I was convinced by him, which I’m not, he’d be a no go.

After that you start moving towards the 20 and under group and that is a touchy subject because we already have 3 young wingers. We all want another "established" WF to add to the ranks but what do we do if there just isn't one we deem good enough? If we were looking for a LW there would be more options but there is a dearth of quality left footed right wingers that don't already play for larger clubs. Hypothetically IF we were willing to look in the younger pool then we could consider Tyler Dibling (18) and Issahaku Fatawu (20), although I’m skeptical if Leicester would let him go. Both of who have also been discussed a few times on here so no point in me detailing them.




Darío Osorio (20) who plays for Midtjylland is another interesting option. I think Nick asked me about him last season at which point I was rather unimpressed but this season he has certainly gone up a level or two no doubt brought on by his inclusion at the Copa America and a change of role at club level. What set's him apart from many others in his age group is his truly remarkable range shooting and long passing. Really his ball striking technique is exceptional for someone so young. This goes hand in hand with his in game intelligence that really does elevate him as a winger. This season his role has been somewhat tweaked because of this ability and he is now being allowed quite a lot of freedom to move central and act as a playmaker at times. It a role he is flourishing in as he does have an eye for a pass. Another notable point is not only is he very fast he also tracks back and puts in the defensive effort something a few other wingers listed here are less than thrilled about.

However as much as he has impressed me this season I don't think he is really the right fit for us. He has a slight build (he has no issues with being physical but it’s still a concern for me given his frame) and although he is a good 1v1 dribbler when there is space to run into im yet to be convinced when faced with a deep block and set defence. And as I mentioned he also comes central a lot now, which really suits him, so im skeptical how well he'd fair as a touchline winger. I think the lad has a bright future but a step up to the PL could well be too big for him at this stage. A move to ligue 1, Seria A or maybe Eredivisie would suit him well at this stage of his development. Still a much bigger prospect than I initially thought.





Much to @Snarfalicious delight, we do have to talk about Geovany Quenda (17) at Sporting. Yes he's very young and yes he has been playing as a right wing back this season but he is 100% a RWF (not a RB playing further forward) and despite his age has already distinguished himself enough at both league and CL level to get a call up to the senior Portuguese national team. Considering how effortlessly he has adapted to first team football I think he needs to at least be in the conversation despite his incredibly young age.

In regards to his profile for a start he is already strong and big in stature, very quick with excellent acceleration and a tireless engine. Really from a physical perspective he doesn’t look his age and most importantly he knows how to impose himself on games, he is a hard worker. He has exceptional ball control with a low centre of gravity and is very adept at dribbling at high speed which is a very tricky skill to master. He will often make quick slight touches of the ball to take it away from the opponents grasp and slalom between defenders whilst barely slowing down. He is happy to receive the ball in tight areas although at times he is a little too direct when under pressure and his close control can sometimes desert him. Really tho he is an excellent dribbler who is completely comfortable operating on the touchline.

On the negative side tho whilst he is comfortable on his right and more then capable of going to the byline + putting in weaker foot cross (which really isn’t that much weaker) he does have a tendency to cut onto his left when facing up a set defender and attacking the box. Not a major issue as he clearly has the ability to go both ways just something he needs to work on. Beyond that his decision making in the final third and his delivery needs a little work. It’s not consistently bad just erratic, sometimes he is spot on, he actually has pretty good vision especially passing from deeper areas, but other times he just makes completely the wrong choice. At times he just needs to slow down as he can be overly direct. Still he plays with his head up which is a big plus point.

Numbers wise In the 861 mins he’s picked up this season in 13 games across all comps he has managed 1 goal and 1 assist. That said it only takes looking away from the stat sheet (which aside from his G&S actually look rather remarkable if you see below) and on to the pitch to realise exactly how influential he is down that right side. Despite his low return and clear areas for improvement he is quickly shaping up to be a very exciting player indeed. Really he is probably worth a long in detail write up because he might just be that special.



(bare in mind the below stats are compared to midfielders not wingers/attackers so will look somewhat inflated in attacking areas but still impressive none the less)

To finish off, again in the lower age group there are others such as such as Ernest Nuamah (20) at Lyon and Braga’s Roger (18) who I’ve written about in the past but maybe aren’t currently at the level as some of the others I’ve listed above. If the club did decide to look at younger players then I also don’t think we should forget Roony Bardghji. If it wasn’t for his ACL i reckon there would have been a high chance we would have brought him last summer. Considering his contract runs out next year and being repped by Base plus the Swedish connection I still wouldn’t be overly surprised if we decided to take a gamble on him. He is still very raw tho and who knows how he recovers from his ACL. We could also maybe see if there is an opportunity to snatch Arda Güler from RM. His minutes have been incredibly limited thus far this season and he may possibly start getting fed up. Rumours of a loan have already started doing the rounds. I also don’t think he usurps Rodrygo any time soon so an opportunity may arise. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up being moved around then sold like Ødegaard. I know last season he did have his injury issues and that would need to be looked at thoroughly before making any sort of move but hypothetically if the chance did come I’d 100% get him if we have no physical concerns. Arda is one of the few players that I’ve seen be just as effective staying wide as he has coming central. I’ve followed him since he very first broke through at Fenerbahçe (spoke about him here at the time) and I think he’s a huge talent which is why it is probably very unlikely RM sell him at this moment.

In conclusion, as I stated at the beginning, there really isn’t an obvious stand out option at present. I think most likely we probably go for Bakayoko which may end up being the best option of those available but i also wouldn’t be that surprised if the club weren’t completely convinced. Or maybe we move for Mbeumo as he is “PL proven”, assuming his good form continues. Although i have a few question marks I maybe would have gone for Conceição as I think despite his size would fit the system well and he’s experienced enough to make an instant impact but but there is a very high chance Juve trigger his clause. At least that is the latest reports coming out if Italy. With that in mind I would probably track all those listed above and wait until next summer before making a final decision but for now I would probably put Quenda, despite his age and current shortcomings, near the very top of my list. (With the caveat of needing to see how he progresses before saying for certain he is the one. And no doubt he will also be beyond our reach if he continues as he’s started)

 

[Blake Griffin]

if we really wanted bakayoko then i think we'd have gone for him by now. for me he's a tad one-dimensional and lacks top end athleticism for the premier league.

my choice would be karim adeyemi, good age and point in his career for what we want. young enough that he still has a lot of growth but not so young that you're looking at a few years down the line until they're ready to contribute consistently. players of his skill set also tend to translate well to english football. admittedly his injuries are a concern so would need to be looked at closely.

 

[djhotspur]

(Sorry in advance for the long reply)

I think the underlying fact is there just isn't a stand out candidate at present. For a start if we are looking for a dedicated RW I really do not think we should be looking at any right footers so that does limit our options.

I know a lot of people want Johan Bakayoko but I am just not 100% convinced, even watching him in the league this season there are still too many question marks for me to say he should be our clear no 1 target. There is no doubt he is talented and from a physical profile he'd obviously suit us but despite his incredible statistics (especially in the league, they do take a noticeable drop in the CL) when I watch him I am yet to be won over. Not that one should only judge on G&A but so far this season he has just 2 goals and those came in his first 2 games against two of the weakest teams in the league and 0 assists. Beyond that he has also looked rather limited in his CL games. Obviously PSV have had some really strong opposition (PSG, Juve and Sporting) but I do think the higher level of defender he is facing has stifled him somewhat. He seems to cut in far more frequently in the CL. That said he did have some good games last campaign, notably against Arsenal, so he could just be going through a cold spell. And to be fair to him he actually had a solid enough game against Sporting a few weeks/month or so back but I actually came away from that match thinking we should be going for Quenda rather than Bakayoko. It's also worth keeping in mind that PSV have been on fire this season winning all 9 of their league games and scoring 29 goals, which is 10 more then 4th placed Feyenoord who are second for goals scored with 19. It’s a shame but his drop in output has actually led to fan backlash and even Bakayoko making a post in response roughly translated as "lonely in this difficult time, but we will be there". Something we can all identify with regarding the treatment of Johnson. Considering his age inconsistency is somewhat par for the course but even last season I was never fully sold, I would like to see him move to a tougher league but obviously if he moves and is a success then our chances of getting him likely drop to 0.

League vs CL overview stats -
View attachment 147026 View attachment 147028

Beyond that I have already spoken at length about Conceição and Kubo. Then there is Antoine Semenyo and Dan Ndoye both who i just don't see the point of as they are right footed and we have Odebert and Yang. When looking at more establish players who is there? Edon Zhegrova is good 1v1 but has always struggled with being consistent and will often disappear from games plus he regularly drifts central. There is obviously Bryan Mbeumo who I know is a fan favourite on here and is probably one of those the club will be looking at given his PL experience/record and possible lower price point but im not entirely sure if he would suit our system and similar to Edon he comes infield a lot. Maybe he could work but im not sure it’s a natural fit.

There are obviously other left footed right wingers out there but I can't really say there are any that have significantly impressed to the level that we should be seriously looking at them. When you start getting to a point where you are trying to convince yourself why any given player should be a target then you are better of forgetting about them. Yeremy Pino for example, a player who looked very bright pre injury has been a shadow of his former self this season and is currently only getting a few mins off the bench here and there. Karim Adeyemi another that has been well covered recently on here, whilst he has seemingly started to sort out his consistency issues he still has long term problems with injuries (he’s currently been out again for over a month although should be back soon) that make him too risky a move. If he could once and for all get over his injury issues and manages to stay consistent over the season I would certainly have a look at him but I do think those are two rather big "IF's". Maghnes Akliouche is having a very solid start to his campaign at high flying Monaco but whilst well regarded he is more of a wide playmaker than wing forward and rarely does he stretch a defence. Adding to that whenever I’ve watched him he is certainly sometimes good but rarely remarkable however I can see that he has potential. Really It’s Eliesse Ben Seghir on the left wing who I’ve mentioned before that is the big talent in that team IMO. Botafogo’s Luiz Henrique is also reasonably well rated but there are new reports suggesting he may be involved with betting fraud so even if I was convinced by him, which I’m not, he’d be a no go.

After that you start moving towards the 20 and under group and that is a touchy subject because we already have 3 young wingers. We all want another "established" WF to add to the ranks but what do we do if there just isn't one we deem good enough? If we were looking for a LW there would be more options but there is a dearth of quality left footed right wingers that don't already play for larger clubs. Hypothetically IF we were willing to look in the younger pool then we could consider Tyler Dibling (18) and Issahaku Fatawu (20), although I’m skeptical if Leicester would let him go. Both of who have also been discussed a few times on here so no point in me detailing them.




Darío Osorio (20) who plays for Midtjylland is another interesting option. I think Nick asked me about him last season at which point I was rather unimpressed but this season he has certainly gone up a level or two no doubt brought on by his inclusion at the Copa America and a change of role at club level. What set's him apart from many others in his age group is his truly remarkable range shooting and long passing. Really his ball striking technique is exceptional for someone so young. This goes hand in hand with his in game intelligence that really does elevate him as a winger. This season his role has been somewhat tweaked because of this ability and he is now being allowed quite a lot of freedom to move central and act as a playmaker at times. It a role he is flourishing in as he does have an eye for a pass. Another notable point is not only is he very fast he also tracks back and puts in the defensive effort something a few other wingers listed here are less than thrilled about.

However as much as he has impressed me this season I don't think he is really the right fit for us. He has a slight build (he has no issues with being physical but it’s still a concern for me given his frame) and although he is a good 1v1 dribbler when there is space to run into im yet to be convinced when faced with a deep block and set defence. And as I mentioned he also comes central a lot now, which really suits him, so im skeptical how well he'd fair as a touchline winger. I think the lad has a bright future but a step up to the PL could well be too big for him at this stage. A move to ligue 1, Seria A or maybe Eredivisie would suit him well at this stage of his development. Still a much bigger prospect than I initially thought.





Much to @Snarfalicious delight, we do have to talk about Geovany Quenda (17) at Sporting. Yes he's very young and yes he has been playing as a right wing back this season but he is 100% a RWF (not a RB playing further forward) and despite his age has already distinguished himself enough at both league and CL level to get a call up to the senior Portuguese national team. Considering how effortlessly he has adapted to first team football I think he needs to at least be in the conversation despite his incredibly young age.

In regards to his profile for a start he is already strong and big in stature, very quick with excellent acceleration and a tireless engine. Really from a physical perspective he doesn’t look his age and most importantly he knows how to impose himself on games, he is a hard worker. He has exceptional ball control with a low centre of gravity and is very adept at dribbling at high speed which is a very tricky skill to master. He will often make quick slight touches of the ball to take it away from the opponents grasp and slalom between defenders whilst barely slowing down. He is happy to receive the ball in tight areas although at times he is a little too direct when under pressure and his close control can sometimes desert him. Really tho he is an excellent dribbler who is completely comfortable operating on the touchline.

On the negative side tho whilst he is comfortable on his right and more then capable of going to the byline + putting in weaker foot cross (which really isn’t that much weaker) he does have a tendency to cut onto his left when facing up a set defender and attacking the box. Not a major issue as he clearly has the ability to go both ways just something he needs to work on. Beyond that his decision making in the final third and his delivery needs a little work. It’s not consistently bad just erratic, sometimes he is spot on, he actually has pretty good vision especially passing from deeper areas, but other times he just makes completely the wrong choice. At times he just needs to slow down as he can be overly direct. Still he plays with his head up which is a big plus point.

Numbers wise In the 861 mins he’s picked up this season in 13 games across all comps he has managed 1 goal and 1 assist. That said it only takes looking away from the stat sheet (which aside from his G&S actually look rather remarkable if you see below) and on to the pitch to realise exactly how influential he is down that right side. Despite his low return and clear areas for improvement he is quickly shaping up to be a very exciting player indeed. Really he is probably worth a long in detail write up because he might just be that special.



(bare in mind the below stats are compared to midfielders not wingers/attackers so will look somewhat inflated in attacking areas but still impressive none the less)

View attachment 147029

To finish off, again in the lower age group there are others such as such as Ernest Nuamah (20) at Lyon and Braga’s Roger (18) who I’ve written about in the past but maybe aren’t currently at the level as some of the others I’ve listed above. If the club did decide to look at younger players then I also don’t think we should forget Roony Bardghji. If it wasn’t for his ACL i reckon there would have been a high chance we would have brought him last summer. Considering his contract runs out next year and being repped by Base plus the Swedish connection I still wouldn’t be overly surprised if we decided to take a gamble on him. He is still very raw tho and who knows how he recovers from his ACL. We could also maybe see if there is an opportunity to snatch Arda Güler from RM. His minutes have been incredibly limited thus far this season and he may possibly start getting fed up. Rumours of a loan have already started doing the rounds. I also don’t think he usurps Rodrygo any time soon so an opportunity may arise. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up being moved around then sold like Ødegaard. I know last season he did have his injury issues and that would need to be looked at thoroughly before making any sort of move but hypothetically if the chance did come I’d 100% get him if we have no physical concerns. Arda one of the few players that I’ve seen be just as effective staying wide as he has coming central. I’ve followed him since he very first broke through at Fenerbahçe (spoke about him here at the time) and I think he’s a huge talent which is why it is probably very unlikely RM sell him at this moment.

In conclusion, as I stated at the beginning, there really isn’t an obvious stand out option at present. I think most realistically we probably go for Bakayoko which may end up being the best option of those available but i also wouldn’t be that surprised if the club weren’t completely convinced. Although i have a few question marks I maybe would have gone for Conceição as I think despite his size would fit the system well and he’s experienced enough to make an instant impact but but there is a very high chance Juve trigger his clause. At least that is the latest reports coming out if Italy. With that in mind I would probably track all those listed above and wait until next summer before making a final decision but for now I would probably put Quenda, despite his age and current shortcomings, near the very top of my list. (With the caveat of needing to see how he progresses before saying for certain he is the one. And no doubt he will also be beyond our reach if he continues as he’s started)

Never apologise for you long posts they’re incredible mate. Thankyou for taking the time.
Frustrating there are no stand out talents for us to go after, it does seem there’s a huge lack of RWs out there at the top level. Doesn’t even seem to be a high profile one we could realistically get.

 

[bceej]

(Sorry in advance for the long reply)

I think the underlying fact is there just isn't a stand out candidate at present. For a start if we are looking for a dedicated RW I really do not think we should be looking at any right footers so that does limit our options.

I know a lot of people want Johan Bakayoko but I am just not 100% convinced, even watching him in the league this season there are still too many question marks for me to say he should be our clear no 1 target. There is no doubt he is talented and from a physical profile he'd obviously suit us but despite his incredible statistics (especially in the league, they do take a noticeable drop in the CL) when I watch him I am yet to be won over. Not that one should only judge on G&A but so far this season he has just 2 goals and those came in his first 2 games against two of the weakest teams in the league and 0 assists. Beyond that he has also looked rather limited in his CL games. Obviously PSV have had some really strong opposition (PSG, Juve and Sporting) but I do think the higher level of defender he is facing has stifled him somewhat. He seems to cut in far more frequently in the CL. That said he did have some good games last campaign, notably against Arsenal, so he could just be going through a cold spell. And to be fair to him he actually had a solid enough game against Sporting a few weeks/month or so back but I actually came away from that match thinking we should be going for Quenda rather than Bakayoko. It's also worth keeping in mind that PSV have been on fire this season winning all 9 of their league games and scoring 29 goals, which is 10 more then 4th placed Feyenoord who are second for goals scored with 19. It’s a shame but his drop in output has actually led to fan backlash and even Bakayoko making a post in response roughly translated as "lonely in this difficult time, but we will be there". Something we can all identify with regarding the treatment of Johnson. Considering his age inconsistency is somewhat par for the course but even last season I was never fully sold, I would like to see him move to a tougher league but obviously if he moves and is a success then our chances of getting him likely drop to 0.

League vs CL overview stats -
View attachment 147026 View attachment 147028

Beyond that I have already spoken at length about Conceição and Kubo. Then there is Antoine Semenyo and Dan Ndoye both who i just don't see the point of as they are right footed and we have Odebert and Yang. When looking at more establish players who is there? Edon Zhegrova is good 1v1 but has always struggled with being consistent and will often disappear from games plus he regularly drifts central. There is obviously Bryan Mbeumo who I know is a fan favourite on here and is probably one of those the club will be looking at given his PL experience/record and possible lower price point but im not entirely sure if he would suit our system and similar to Edon he comes infield a lot. Maybe he could work but im not sure it’s a natural fit.

There are obviously other left footed right wingers out there but I can't really say there are any that have significantly impressed to the level that we should be seriously looking at them. When you start getting to a point where you are trying to convince yourself why any given player should be a target then you are better of forgetting about them. Yeremy Pino for example, a player who looked very bright pre injury has been a shadow of his former self this season and is currently only getting a few mins off the bench here and there. Karim Adeyemi another that has been well covered recently on here, whilst he has seemingly started to sort out his consistency issues he still has long term problems with injuries (he’s currently been out again for over a month although should be back soon) that make him too risky a move. If he could once and for all get over his injury issues and manages to stay consistent over the season I would certainly have a look at him but I do think those are two rather big "IF's". Maghnes Akliouche is having a very solid start to his campaign at high flying Monaco but whilst well regarded he is more of a wide playmaker than wing forward and rarely does he stretch a defence. Adding to that whenever I’ve watched him he is certainly sometimes good but rarely remarkable however I can see that he has potential. Really It’s Eliesse Ben Seghir on the left wing who I’ve mentioned before that is the big talent in that team IMO. Botafogo’s Luiz Henrique is also reasonably well rated but there are new reports suggesting he may be involved with betting fraud so even if I was convinced by him, which I’m not, he’d be a no go.

After that you start moving towards the 20 and under group and that is a touchy subject because we already have 3 young wingers. We all want another "established" WF to add to the ranks but what do we do if there just isn't one we deem good enough? If we were looking for a LW there would be more options but there is a dearth of quality left footed right wingers that don't already play for larger clubs. Hypothetically IF we were willing to look in the younger pool then we could consider Tyler Dibling (18) and Issahaku Fatawu (20), although I’m skeptical if Leicester would let him go. Both of who have also been discussed a few times on here so no point in me detailing them.




Darío Osorio (20) who plays for Midtjylland is another interesting option. I think Nick asked me about him last season at which point I was rather unimpressed but this season he has certainly gone up a level or two no doubt brought on by his inclusion at the Copa America and a change of role at club level. What set's him apart from many others in his age group is his truly remarkable range shooting and long passing. Really his ball striking technique is exceptional for someone so young. This goes hand in hand with his in game intelligence that really does elevate him as a winger. This season his role has been somewhat tweaked because of this ability and he is now being allowed quite a lot of freedom to move central and act as a playmaker at times. It a role he is flourishing in as he does have an eye for a pass. Another notable point is not only is he very fast he also tracks back and puts in the defensive effort something a few other wingers listed here are less than thrilled about.

However as much as he has impressed me this season I don't think he is really the right fit for us. He has a slight build (he has no issues with being physical but it’s still a concern for me given his frame) and although he is a good 1v1 dribbler when there is space to run into im yet to be convinced when faced with a deep block and set defence. And as I mentioned he also comes central a lot now, which really suits him, so im skeptical how well he'd fair as a touchline winger. I think the lad has a bright future but a step up to the PL could well be too big for him at this stage. A move to ligue 1, Seria A or maybe Eredivisie would suit him well at this stage of his development. Still a much bigger prospect than I initially thought.





Much to @Snarfalicious delight, we do have to talk about Geovany Quenda (17) at Sporting. Yes he's very young and yes he has been playing as a right wing back this season but he is 100% a RWF (not a RB playing further forward) and despite his age has already distinguished himself enough at both league and CL level to get a call up to the senior Portuguese national team. Considering how effortlessly he has adapted to first team football I think he needs to at least be in the conversation despite his incredibly young age.

In regards to his profile for a start he is already strong and big in stature, very quick with excellent acceleration and a tireless engine. Really from a physical perspective he doesn’t look his age and most importantly he knows how to impose himself on games, he is a hard worker. He has exceptional ball control with a low centre of gravity and is very adept at dribbling at high speed which is a very tricky skill to master. He will often make quick slight touches of the ball to take it away from the opponents grasp and slalom between defenders whilst barely slowing down. He is happy to receive the ball in tight areas although at times he is a little too direct when under pressure and his close control can sometimes desert him. Really tho he is an excellent dribbler who is completely comfortable operating on the touchline.

On the negative side tho whilst he is comfortable on his right and more then capable of going to the byline + putting in weaker foot cross (which really isn’t that much weaker) he does have a tendency to cut onto his left when facing up a set defender and attacking the box. Not a major issue as he clearly has the ability to go both ways just something he needs to work on. Beyond that his decision making in the final third and his delivery needs a little work. It’s not consistently bad just erratic, sometimes he is spot on, he actually has pretty good vision especially passing from deeper areas, but other times he just makes completely the wrong choice. At times he just needs to slow down as he can be overly direct. Still he plays with his head up which is a big plus point.

Numbers wise In the 861 mins he’s picked up this season in 13 games across all comps he has managed 1 goal and 1 assist. That said it only takes looking away from the stat sheet (which aside from his G&S actually look rather remarkable if you see below) and on to the pitch to realise exactly how influential he is down that right side. Despite his low return and clear areas for improvement he is quickly shaping up to be a very exciting player indeed. Really he is probably worth a long in detail write up because he might just be that special.



(bare in mind the below stats are compared to midfielders not wingers/attackers so will look somewhat inflated in attacking areas but still impressive none the less)

View attachment 147029

To finish off, again in the lower age group there are others such as such as Ernest Nuamah (20) at Lyon and Braga’s Roger (18) who I’ve written about in the past but maybe aren’t currently at the level as some of the others I’ve listed above. If the club did decide to look at younger players then I also don’t think we should forget Roony Bardghji. If it wasn’t for his ACL i reckon there would have been a high chance we would have brought him last summer. Considering his contract runs out next year and being repped by Base plus the Swedish connection I still wouldn’t be overly surprised if we decided to take a gamble on him. He is still very raw tho and who knows how he recovers from his ACL. We could also maybe see if there is an opportunity to snatch Arda Güler from RM. His minutes have been incredibly limited thus far this season and he may possibly start getting fed up. Rumours of a loan have already started doing the rounds. I also don’t think he usurps Rodrygo any time soon so an opportunity may arise. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up being moved around then sold like Ødegaard. I know last season he did have his injury issues and that would need to be looked at thoroughly before making any sort of move but hypothetically if the chance did come I’d 100% get him if we have no physical concerns. Arda one of the few players that I’ve seen be just as effective staying wide as he has coming central. I’ve followed him since he very first broke through at Fenerbahçe (spoke about him here at the time) and I think he’s a huge talent which is why it is probably very unlikely RM sell him at this moment.

In conclusion, as I stated at the beginning, there really isn’t an obvious stand out option at present. I think most realistically we probably go for Bakayoko which may end up being the best option of those available but i also wouldn’t be that surprised if the club weren’t completely convinced. Although i have a few question marks I maybe would have gone for Conceição as I think despite his size would fit the system well and he’s experienced enough to make an instant impact but but there is a very high chance Juve trigger his clause. At least that is the latest reports coming out if Italy. With that in mind I would probably track all those listed above and wait until next summer before making a final decision but for now I would probably put Quenda, despite his age and current shortcomings, near the very top of my list. (With the caveat of needing to see how he progresses before saying for certain he is the one. And no doubt he will also be beyond our reach if he continues as he’s started)

Thanks for the write up - really insightful! Does seem that Quenda would be on everyone's radar next summer and would be a coup in the same way we moved for Gray. Does feel that Bardghji could be a really clear option - all makes sense other than his recovery.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

Never apologise for you long posts they’re incredible mate. Thankyou for taking the time.
Frustrating there are no stand out talents for us to go after, it does seem there’s a huge lack of RWs out there at the top level. Doesn’t even seem to be a high profile one we could realistically get.

Thanks bud for the kind words. You’re spot on, there just isn’t which is why we probably need to wait out the season and see who develops and who becomes available. There is obviously the other move where we just look for a versatile option in another position like Cherki or Marmoush say that can also play RW. Not ideal but maybe better from an overall squad building perspective.

Re Adeyemi as he’s mentioned in the post above yours. I can certainly understand the attraction. From a physical and skill profile he’d probably be the closest to what we want regarding a slightly more developed option that would suit the system and league plus he can play ether wing. His decision making has always been rather questionable and he has had consistency issues but this campaign he certainly looked to have matured, in the early stages at least, but then got injured again. And that’s the thing, he is already on course for his 4th season in a row of missing 10 or more games and it’s only October. For me that just makes him far too much of a risk regardless how talented he may or may not be. Unless we were absolutely sure he can get past his problems, which seem to be some form of recurring muscle issues, and continue to have a consistent impact then I just can’t see him being an option for us.

 

[Wilsy]

Get Mbuemo in. Strong, fast, technical, coming into peak years, proven he can do it in the league. Would rip it up on our right hand side.

 

[traditionneverdies]

How we decide to balance the wings is going to be very interesting. Clearly Moore should not be used on the right which means it will be down to Odobert and Yang. Odobert is more comfortable on the left but hopefully he can fully adapt to the RW. It would be in his best interest anyway as I think he'd have more chance becoming a regular in the France team at RW as they are seriously stacked with young potential on the left. Not only is Barcola only 22 there they also have Doué, Ben Seghir who i'm a big fan of and Lyon's 19 year old Malik Fofana who has been been one of the revelations of Ligue 1 so far this season. Plus i still think Mbappe is better on the left then CF. I know there is obviously Olise and Dembele on the right but even at youth level there are fewer RW options coming through and Odebert is still some way off the French first team currently.

He had his first cap for Belgium (not France) this month against Italy.

Like a few others I am not completely convinced by Bakayoko. A good player but I don't see anything special.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

He had his first cap for Belgium (not France) this month against Italy.

Like a few others I am not completely convinced by Bakayoko. A good player but I don't see anything special.

Yeah you’re right, probably should have edited that. Quality prospect tho, having a great season. That’s where I’m at with Bakayoko, I’m just not really sure what he excels at.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

If true I can’t see us competing with Liverpool.

 

[Dazza86]

I’m actually less concerned with the ‘who’ we buy than I have been in a long time. Think our recruitment setup have a really solid approach now.

For me, it’s about positions.

Having more solid options for cup games and when injuries hit should sustain more challenges/win things.

There’s always moving parts (contracts expiring, players wanting to leaving, long term injuries, etc.) but based on the current squad, I’d be keen to see:

- RWF
- LB
- LCB
- AM

With Werner, Davies and Reggie off over the next year, that should open some slots + wages. However balancing a European squad is still a challenge.

I’d imagine we’ll still apportion some budget and squad building to younger talents too.

If we can buy players who can make an instant and reliable impact in the above positions, plus maybe 1/2 top tier talents within those, I think we’d give ourselves every chance.

Maybe a ‘next season’ type target though for challenging on all fronts, with some more selective targets this season (unless January is very successful) with those being one proper cup challenge and top 4/5 in the league.

 

[King of the Lane]

Lookman can also play RWF and IIRC Trix mentioned we may have looked at him. He can play across the whole front line like Marmoush. Those 2 would probably be my top choices.

One other left out of ghosts list was Adingra, who looks like he could become a very decent player.

 

[ajspurs]

If true I can’t see us competing with Liverpool.

Bloody hell how many forwards do they need.

Nunez, Jota, Salah, Gakpo, Diaz and Chiesa. Surely at least one of them has to go first.