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The Transfer Wishlist Thread

dontcallme

SC Supporter
Mar 18, 2005
33,988
81,937
The fallout from COVID19 will have considerable impact on our transfer targets and expenditure. As stated above there will be clubs needing to sell creating opportunity and economic uncertainty will reduce the likelihood of bigger money offers for star players (i.e. Kane) - Levy has no need to sell now, with his value only likely to increase next summer assuming normality has started to resume. Good news!

Whilst Spurs financially appear stable the latest accounts exclude last summers net transfer spend, cost of managerial changes and significant lost revenue of COVID19. All this makes it unlikely that Levy will be willing/even able (when you consider the financial engineering we had to do for Bergwin in January) to sanction significant expediture, especially if we miss out on Champions League qualification. The likely shortened transfer window, uncertainty around planning, scouting etc. (just look at the challenges facing the NFL draft) mean we will have to act quickly and decisively, which given our track record and the amount of business we may wish to do doesn't bode well. Bad news!

With this in mind, I expect us to push through any largely agreed deals for younger players ie. Eze (known quantities reduce risk, hold value etc.). Actively explore loans particularly using the Mendes/Mourinho connection (ie. another Fernandes). Focus on budget options (or ones where we can spread expenditure - ie. Arsenal and Pepe) to balance squad and add future cover, ie. Giroud, Willian, PSG full backs etc. or going for the likes of Ferguson/Bogle rather than a bidding war for Max Arrons - again reducing FY20 upfront expenditure and investment risk.

I'd be very surprised if we made more than 1 or 2 signings over £20m+, with Jose having to prioritise a few key positions and compromise in other areas.
The next transfer window right now is a complete mystery.

Levy's brinkmanship reaped benefits when there was less money in the game and teams were financially struggling. He got great deals to buy players from Leeds and Portsmouth and we got other good deals from Championship sides.

In recent years fees for good Championship players has gone up considerably.

After all this it is possible that many lower league clubs won't be in a position to turn down decent offer for their top players.
 

GetSpurredOn

Well-Known Member
Jun 18, 2006
5,022
8,922
I have a feeling that we wont be buying players like Osimhen now. Giroud and Willian on free transfers seem more logical once things get up and running again

100% agree. My expectations are we need arguably 5/6 players needed in, but potentially seek bargains for 3-4 of them and focus any cash available on 1 or 2 key signings. Something along the lines of
RB - Sell KWP and replace with Ferguson or Meunièr as they are off contract, or a championship performer like Bogle or Spence. Maybe even a left field punt like Fosu-Mensah who I believe is also coming out of contract. Avoid Aarons.
LB - Kurzawa, or make do with Davies, Sessegnon, Tanganga and Cirkin. Lewis and Grimaldo may be too pricey.
AM/WF - Willian on a free, and a young talent like Eze. Don’t think we’ll spend big here given we have Son, Bergwijn Lamela and Moura, plus Clarke.
CF - for all the talk of Osimhen, Dembele etc, I think it’ll be Giroud on a free, limited outlay, known quantity in the league, and just bridges and gap for a year or so as Parrott matures. This is the one area I do think could go either way. If we get William for RW, then an out and out CF like Giroud makes sense. If we don’t go for Willian, then maybe a bigger signing who can cover both WF and CF makes sense.

Leaving the two key roles I think we may invest more heavily in. I’m thinking double raid on either Lille or Benfica. Gabriel Magalhaes and Soumare from Lille using the (hopefully incoming) Luis Campos link, or Ruben Dias and Florentino Luis from Benfica using the Mendes connection.
 

carpediem991

Well-Known Member
May 31, 2011
8,836
20,308
I think a key could be a leader in CDM. A real battler and someone who doesnt want to get easily beaten.

Maybe Grealish fits that mood, maybe someone slightly more defensive. I really think we lack character and spirit, not talent.
In addition of that dynamic full backs who are solid at the back and contribute in front.

In goal I honestly would like to see Dean Henderson or Nick Pope for a change if possible

My wishful squad:

Gk: Henderson, Gazzaniga, Austin
Rb: Aarons, Aurier
Cb: Alderweireld, Sanchez, Tanganga, Dier, someone a bit more experienced
Lb: Davies, Cirkin
Cm: Grealish, Winks, Lo Celso, Ndombele, Talented ball winner
Rm: Lamela, Gedson, Lucas/Sissoko
Cam: Dele, Eze
Lm: Son, Bergwijn, Sessegnon
St: Kane, Giroud, Parrott

Not sure we will have the funds for all this but feel thats around the best we could do.
 

Yiddo100

Well-Known Member
Jan 16, 2019
9,894
52,009

pedrodelawasp

Morton season ticket holder, Spurs fan from afar
Jan 14, 2019
1,446
2,449
On the free transfers front, I’d be all over Meunier and Willian. Both have proven track records at a high level and are consistent. Besides the bait and switch that took Willian from a medical at Spurs to signing for Chelsea I can’t recall hearing many bad things about their personalities or professionalism.

Giroud too shouldn’t be scoffed at. He has shown for Chelsea and France that he has a lot to offer as a strong No.9 who is a pain for centre backs to play against. He’s not going to win the golden boot, but he’ll hold up the ball, bring others in to play and give us an out from defence or someone to hit crosses towards. I think Kane could actually really benefit from playing just off of him on occasion.

I think the next transfer window could prove to be very interesting, though i’ve thought that before and it’s been a snooze fest right through to the end of deadline day!
 

kthwlsn

Well-Known Member
May 4, 2019
945
2,658
Besides the bait and switch that took Willian from a medical at Spurs to signing for Chelsea I can’t recall hearing many bad things about their personalities or professionalism.

Besides the time he pulled one of the most unprofessional, cowardly, bullshit moves I’ve witnessed in my almost 40 years of following sports, you can’t recall hearing many bad things about his personality or professionalism?

Fuck Willian. I don’t think I’ve ever dropped an F-bomb in any of my posts here but I feel that strongly in my hatred towards him.
 

pedrodelawasp

Morton season ticket holder, Spurs fan from afar
Jan 14, 2019
1,446
2,449
Besides the time he pulled one of the most unprofessional, cowardly, bullshit moves I’ve witnessed in my almost 40 years of following sports, you can’t recall hearing many bad things about his personality or professionalism?

Fuck Willian. I don’t think I’ve ever dropped an F-bomb in any of my posts here but I feel that strongly in my hatred towards him.

Yes, besides the same example you and I have both cited, I don’t recall hearing many bad things about his personality or professionalism.

I’m no fan of what happened, though don’t reserve the sort of hate you feel for the guy. I don’t find it any more objectionable to someone interviewing for a job, being offered it and all but signing on the dotted line before opting instead to accept a new offer of a higher paid job elsewhere. In the pantheon of bad things footballers (*or sportspersons in general) have done, the debacle of his failed transfer to Spurs ranks very, very low and the blame would be shouldered by multiple individuals as opposed to only Willian himself.

ETA*
 

double0

Well-Known Member
Aug 29, 2006
14,423
12,258
The longer we leave things or wait the more we lose out the more we'll end up paying.
 

Japhet

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2010
19,232
57,392
Besides the time he pulled one of the most unprofessional, cowardly, bullshit moves I’ve witnessed in my almost 40 years of following sports, you can’t recall hearing many bad things about his personality or professionalism?

Fuck Willian. I don’t think I’ve ever dropped an F-bomb in any of my posts here but I feel that strongly in my hatred towards him.

More down to Mourinho than Willian IMO, and many seem to think the sun shines out of Jose's arse now.
 

kthwlsn

Well-Known Member
May 4, 2019
945
2,658
Yes, besides the same example you and I have both cited, I don’t recall hearing many bad things about his personality or professionalism.

I’m no fan of what happened, though don’t reserve the sort of hate you feel for the guy. I don’t find it any more objectionable to someone interviewing for a job, being offered it and all but signing on the dotted line before opting instead to accept a new offer of a higher paid job elsewhere. In the pantheon of bad things footballers (*or sportspersons in general) have done, the debacle of his failed transfer to Spurs ranks very, very low and the blame would be shouldered by multiple individuals as opposed to only Willian himself.

ETA*
Personally, I don’t need any more examples of his personality or (lack of) professionalism. That said it all right there for me.

Regarding your comment that “the debacle of his transfer to Spurs ranks very, very low” I’m genuinely curious of what Spurs-related ones rank higher. I don’t mean that in a nasty or antagonistic way. As was established in a different thread last week I understand that there’s a lot of history from before my time supporting that I don’t fully know yet.
 

pedrodelawasp

Morton season ticket holder, Spurs fan from afar
Jan 14, 2019
1,446
2,449
Personally, I don’t need any more examples of his personality or (lack of) professionalism. That said it all right there for me.

Regarding your comment that “the debacle of his transfer to Spurs ranks very, very low” I’m genuinely curious of what Spurs-related ones rank higher. I don’t mean that in a nasty or antagonistic way. As was established in a different thread last week I understand that there’s a lot of history from before my time supporting that I don’t fully know yet.

I suppose it depends on what you mean by “Spurs-related ones”. Do you mean you want me to come up with another example of a very similar transfer nearly, but ultimately not being completed that is in some way worse? I was thinking more along the lines of other people who have acted criminally, violently or in other morally reprehensible ways. For example, I’d be far more critical of Emre for racism, Lance Armstrong for doping, Roy Keane for deliberately trying to injure opponents, Tonya Harding for trying to cripple Nancy Kerrigan, Adam Johnson for his heinous crime and so on. The Willian issue seems trifling in comparison. It boils down to him accepting a better offer from another club before he signed for us.

i get that you’d prefer by some margin another player to join rather than him. Absolutely fair enough. There are other players in the world I’d rather we could get too. I’d still maintain, though, that a free transfer for a player that could improve us or at least be a very good squad member at the moment (or whenever we get to play again) is not to be sniffed at.
 

kthwlsn

Well-Known Member
May 4, 2019
945
2,658
I suppose it depends on what you mean by “Spurs-related ones”. Do you mean you want me to come up with another example of a very similar transfer nearly, but ultimately not being completed that is in some way worse? I was thinking more along the lines of other people who have acted criminally, violently or in other morally reprehensible ways. For example, I’d be far more critical of Emre for racism, Lance Armstrong for doping, Roy Keane for deliberately trying to injure opponents, Tonya Harding for trying to cripple Nancy Kerrigan, Adam Johnson for his heinous crime and so on. The Willian issue seems trifling in comparison. It boils down to him accepting a better offer from another club before he signed for us.

i get that you’d prefer by some margin another player to join rather than him. Absolutely fair enough. There are other players in the world I’d rather we could get too. I’d still maintain, though, that a free transfer for a player that could improve us or at least be a very good squad member at the moment (or whenever we get to play again) is not to be sniffed at.

I did mean a Spurs transfer that was that close to being completed that went tits up in such a disappointing way that revealed the player to be such a spineless bitch, yes.

That being said I would never think to compare what Willian did to things like racism, cheating and assault. Seems an odd equivalence to try to make. But because I’m not a hypocrite I’m equally opposed to the club signing any of the other people you listed.
 

pedrodelawasp

Morton season ticket holder, Spurs fan from afar
Jan 14, 2019
1,446
2,449
I did mean a Spurs transfer that was that close to being completed that went tits up in such a disappointing way that revealed the player to be such a spineless bitch, yes.

That being said I would never think to compare what Willian did to things like racism, cheating and assault. Seems an odd equivalence to try to make. But because I’m not a hypocrite I’m equally opposed to the club signing any of the other people you listed.

Well, I did originally say that Willian’s actions ranked very low in a hypothetical list of bad things a sportsperson has done. You then asked for an example of something worse - but to narrow the field to ‘something almost exactly the same but worse’ seems quite aimless to me.

This idea of an odd equivalence - I haven’t made it. I am saying what Willian did is in no way equivalent to anything a sportsperson has done that could reasonably be considered worthy of ire and vitriol. I’m sure your distaste for him doesn't in any real sense measure up to how you’d feel about the other people I mentioned, but I’m just not ever going to get what irks you (and lots of others, not getting at you personally) just quite so much about Willian. What is so “spineless” about accepting a better job offer?
 

kthwlsn

Well-Known Member
May 4, 2019
945
2,658
Well, I did originally say that Willian’s actions ranked very low in a hypothetical list of bad things a sportsperson has done. You then asked for an example of something worse - but to narrow the field to ‘something almost exactly the same but worse’ seems quite aimless to me.

This idea of an odd equivalence - I haven’t made it. I am saying what Willian did is in no way equivalent to anything a sportsperson has done that could reasonably be considered worthy of ire and vitriol. I’m sure your distaste for him doesn't in any real sense measure up to how you’d feel about the other people I mentioned, but I’m just not ever going to get what irks you (and lots of others, not getting at you personally) just quite so much about Willian. What is so “spineless” about accepting a better job offer?
Totally understand it’s not personal. Same from me...unless you’re actually Willian in which case it is quite personal.

The spineless part is not in accepting another job offer. It’s in the how he accepted the other offer. And I know it’s easy me to take the high road anonymously on a message board. But for it to get as far as it allegedly did than assurances were most likely given by both sides and verbal commitments made that he backed out of and that’s issue I have. Stick with the job you committed to and if you’re better than the job you accepted then an offer for a better one won’t be far off.

Look, I don’t want Giroud either but that’s just because I’ve spent so much energy rooting against him as a member of rival teams. Not because of any past utter lack of integrity. I could get past my Giroud issue if I had to.
 

GetSpurredOn

Well-Known Member
Jun 18, 2006
5,022
8,922
I always though Giroud was a bit of a plodder, not his biggest fan. Could the the Arsenal and Chelsea history. However, as this potential transfer seems to gather more and more media coverage I’ve started to think about it more, and Gallas had the same history, but I can’t fault his attitude whilst playing for us. Equally, as I’ve started to watch a few more highlight videos of Giroud, he’s actually more skillful than I thought, not flashy, but technically very good, works hard, and does have an eye for goal. Like a more rounded version of Llorente.
As for Willian, again, he has very good technique, decent work rate and provides regular end product. Were his actions when signing for Chelsea over us acceptable, maybe not, but it was some time ago now, and he’s shown loyalty, perhaps a young player badly advised but his character has won through as he’s matured.
To get a backup CF and potentially starting RWF both on frees, leaving cash to reinvest elsewhere wouldn’t be the worst business, and would be upgrades for the squad on where we are right now.
When you think in Meunier and Kurzawa we could also improve our fullback options too, without any transfer fees, that’s not bad. Plough resources into CB and DM/CM, with a couple of promising young players like Ferguson and Eze to round out the squad.
 

double0

Well-Known Member
Aug 29, 2006
14,423
12,258
I'd personally like to see more pace in the squad. A back up young striker would be my preference. Parrott it seems isn't quite ready yet therefore a loan would be ideal for his develop, there is talk of Luka Jovic from RM, imo that's the level we should be looking at. He potentially could player with Kane and rotate across the forward line.

Looking at our squad imo there's a lot that needs to be done ie We have to really start questioning Lloris our full backs need up grading we need a LCB DM and a left footed wing forward ( Grealish) and of course a striker.

At present the most important thing is good health for all in this Covid-19 era so total concentration on this pandemic.
 

Japhet

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2010
19,232
57,392
I always though Giroud was a bit of a plodder, not his biggest fan. Could the the Arsenal and Chelsea history. However, as this potential transfer seems to gather more and more media coverage I’ve started to think about it more, and Gallas had the same history, but I can’t fault his attitude whilst playing for us. Equally, as I’ve started to watch a few more highlight videos of Giroud, he’s actually more skillful than I thought, not flashy, but technically very good, works hard, and does have an eye for goal. Like a more rounded version of Llorente.
As for Willian, again, he has very good technique, decent work rate and provides regular end product. Were his actions when signing for Chelsea over us acceptable, maybe not, but it was some time ago now, and he’s shown loyalty, perhaps a young player badly advised but his character has won through as he’s matured.
To get a backup CF and potentially starting RWF both on frees, leaving cash to reinvest elsewhere wouldn’t be the worst business, and would be upgrades for the squad on where we are right now.
When you think in Meunier and Kurzawa we could also improve our fullback options too, without any transfer fees, that’s not bad. Plough resources into CB and DM/CM, with a couple of promising young players like Ferguson and Eze to round out the squad.

Those free transfers will be very tempting to a lot of clubs. Would be good if we could get some players in that way. If we're going to spend any significant amount I'd like it to be on the best DM we can get and hopefully switch to a predominantly 433 setup.
 
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