Winter Transfer Wishlist

[Japhet]

Our ability to do this effectively seems to have vanished. We used to be so good at it.

Was never that good IMO. Didn't we have a shot at Timo Werner at one point but ended up with Vincent Janssen. Ousmane Dembele was linked at one point but not sure there was anything in that. James Maddison slipped the net. I'm sure there are plenty of others, Dele Alli being the obvious exception. It seems to me that we want young players to prove themselves but then still expect to pick them up at 'unproven' prices which is never going to work. N'Dombele, to me, looked an absolute nailed on upgrade for us but we've missed that train now. The players who've come in and hit the ground running have generally been more expensive (Moura (discounted at 25m), Sanchez, Aurier is getting there), so 40m for N'Dombele was about right and looks like it would have been a very sound investment. Of course, this doesn't take into account the financial situation regarding the spiralling stadium costs though.

 

[danielneeds]

Yup. I do feel our scouting has taken a down turn. Especially in some positions. I'm not confident in our ability to acquire AMs. Aurier, while he's coming good, was an odd buy.

It's not all bad news: Sanchez was good, as were Son and Moura (among others) - but they were hardly unknown.

Watching Ndombele last night, it feels absurd that we didn't go in for him in the summer. He looks an absolute sure thing and we will now (very likely) be competing against the best teams in the world for him

No-one on here knows for sure that we didn't go for Ndombele last summer. And we don't know what figure Lyon would have sold for, if they would have sold at all. Plus all of this was complicated by the fact that we couldn't shift Dembele, too.

 

[coys200]

I think llorente is one that can definitely be replaced with British. Tbh currently it’s almost a redundant position. Virtually anyone that can run is gonna be more use than llorente. Even if they aren’t super talented if say we are 2-0 up with 10-15 mins to go it would give us a chance to rest Kane if we had someone that can run and close down from front. I think a Solanke type signing would do us well.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Our ability to do this effectively seems to have vanished. We used to be so good at it.

It’s become a lot harder now as agents have absolutely screwed everything up, with even young unproven players nowthinking they’re entitled to being first choice at a top club earning six figures a week.

Yup. I do feel our scouting has taken a down turn. Especially in some positions. I'm not confident in our ability to acquire AMs. Aurier, while he's coming good, was an odd buy.

It's not all bad news: Sanchez was good, as were Son and Moura (among others) - but they were hardly unknown.

Watching Ndombele last night, it feels absurd that we didn't go in for him in the summer. He looks an absolute sure thing and we will now (very likely) be competing against the best teams in the world for him

Not sure Aurier was an odd but. Walker has gone, KWP not yet broken through, Aurier was a highly rated energetic full back with a similar skill set to the player we sold.

I think llorente is one that can definitely be replaced with British. Tbh currently it’s almost a redundant position. Virtually anyone that can run is gonna be more use than llorente. Even if they aren’t super talented if say we are 2-0 up with 10-15 mins to go it would give us a chance to rest Kane if we had someone that can run and close down from front. I think a Solanke type signing would do us well.

Llorente is the reason we are still in the CL.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Not sure Aurier was an odd but. Walker has gone, KWP not yet broken through, Aurier was a highly rated energetic full back with a similar skill set to the player we sold.

Buying a RB was crucial - it was the fact the we bought a penalty machine that was the more surprising piece. Ultimately he's turning out fine, so time may prove the management right

 

[Japhet]

I think llorente is one that can definitely be replaced with British. Tbh currently it’s almost a redundant position. Virtually anyone that can run is gonna be more use than llorente. Even if they aren’t super talented if say we are 2-0 up with 10-15 mins to go it would give us a chance to rest Kane if we had someone that can run and close down from front. I think a Solanke type signing would do us well.

Llorente has never let us down on the very few occasions that we've played to his strengths. The simple fact is that we haven't used him well at all, but put the ball into the box in the right places and he delivers. In your scenario of 2-0 up with 15 to go and needing someone to charge about and close down, why do we need a striker to do that? Chances are we already have Moura, Lamela or Son on the bench.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Guardiola commenting on Ndombele in the press, saying what a good player he is

Yay

 

[Ray Ray]

Guardiola commenting on Ndombele in the press, saying what a good player he is

Yay

He also said the same thing about Fred last year... Look how well that turned out ?

 

[Shadydan]

Guardiola commenting on Ndombele in the press, saying what a good player he is

Yay

Pep doing Pep things, he knows how to turn a player's head doesn't he.

 

[daryl hannah]

Pep can't have BOTH de Jong AND Ndombele.

That's just greedy.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Pep can't have BOTH de Jong AND Ndombele.

That's just greedy.

Watch him...

 

[dirtyh]

Pep doing Pep things, he knows how to turn a player's head doesn't he.

that plus the £500k per week wages will do the trick every time.....

meh, just further emphasises how meaningless anything they do/win is.

 

[wrd]

What him...

Look how good my foootball is, it has nothing to do with all the spending I've done, gah.

 

[Gareth88]

Look how good my foootball is, it has nothing to do with all the spending I've done, gah.

I refuse to watch/ go to any man city games I dont like thinking my viewership is giving them any sort of funds.

 

[wrd]

I refuse to watch/ go to any man city games I dont like thinking my viewership is giving them any sort of funds.

I got irritated over weekend that BBC were continually retweeting the news that United spend more on wages than City yet buried the information coming out about how City got their spending. I raised this with my mates and they said well City get away with it because they play good football which kinda felt like the same sort of sentiment that keeps the rich and famous out of prison. I'll always have an asterisks next to man city.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

I got irritated over weekend that BBC were continually retweeting the news that United spend more on wages than City yet buried the information coming out about how City got their spending. I raised this with my mates and they said well City get away with it because they play good football which kinda felt like the same sort of sentiment that keeps the rich and famous out of prison. I'll always have an asterisks next to man city.

and Chelsea

 

[Lilbaz]

I got irritated over weekend that BBC were continually retweeting the news that United spend more on wages than City yet buried the information coming out about how City got their spending. I raised this with my mates and they said well City get away with it because they play good football which kinda felt like the same sort of sentiment that keeps the rich and famous out of prison. I'll always have an asterisks next to man city.

They also use loopholes/evasion schemes to not show how much they really spend on wages. Hence hmrc now investigating them.

 

[Wearegoingtowintheleague]

I refuse to watch/ go to any man city games I dont like thinking my viewership is giving them any sort of funds.

let's see them try to afford Ndombele now.

 

[dtxspurs]

Rumors of Rabiot in the stands today due to a confrontation with Tuchel in training. I could see a scenario this summer where De Jong goes to Barca, Ndombele to City and Rabiot looking to us. Not sure I love it given I like the other two a lot more and I think Rabiot has some serious work ethic issues. Was just watching some clips of him just walking in midfield while players are running past him to PSGs defense. Don't think that would fly with Poch.

 

[Gareth88]

let's see them try to afford Ndombele now. [/

Rumors of Rabiot in the stands today due to a confrontation with Tuchel in training. I could see a scenario this summer where De Jong goes to Barca, Ndombele to City and Rabiot looking to us. Not sure I love it given I like the other two a lot more and I think Rabiot has some serious work ethic issues. Was just watching some clips of him just walking in midfield while players are running past him to PSGs defense. Don't think that would fly with Poch.

Eriksen does fuck all defending is this maybe a possible replacement?