Summer '08 Transfer Thread: "40 Million Quid Just Dont Buy What It Used To!"

[Bobinhood]

Well maybe its a bit early but i myself think we need a whole new left side and then if theres any money left a whole new right one too. Assuming we have/will keep mash, my thoughts on our needs would be:

1) a Really Great left back. Fabio can be the pinch hitter and play 1/3 of the games. Risse can go. Pressing Need # 1 imo. I've been a risse fan but he fell right off the tablethis year. Fabio's always hurt and i think would make great cover for a RGLB rather than the starter.

2) a Really Good Left Winger. Kewell can go. Risse can go. Babel im not sure if he stays at this position if so he can split time with the RGLW and get some striker action too. less pressing than lb becouse of babel, but not much.

If we spent 25 mill buying world class guys for those 2 positions i would be thrilled and ask no more. If we got that back four back to smothering with the mids and torres we will win a lot of games.

3) a Really Great Right back. Ive been a huge finnan fan for a long time and Im okay with finnan/arbs but finnan went backwards a bit this year after being very good in the past and hes not 22 any more either. arbs is good but not great, fabio style. imo. New blood needed, but not as bad as at lb or lw.

As an aside arbs must never, ever ever be played at cb ever again. or lb if we can help it.

4) A really good Right winger. although i can live with Peanyoun Jermoussi if it means we cover off the other areas first.

CB, CM, and yes even striker i would say we are good, or at least not as in need as those other areas... Torres and anyone will keep us competitive. Sure i'd like to get in Eto Brutas and Luca Toni or whomever the world form strikers are, but this costs money. With Pepe the 4 CB's (i say keep sami) and the 4 cm's as well as torres we have a damn good spine going down the middle of the park...

ok, am i right? am i wrong? and who and for how much? only 5 months till the window closes. :D

[CCSC_STRIKER20]

Well maybe its a bit early but i myself think we need a whole new left side and then if theres any money left a whole new right one too. Assuming we have/will keep mash, my thoughts on our needs would be:

1) a Really Great left back. Fabio can be the pinch hitter and play 1/3 of the games. Risse can go. Pressing Need # 1 imo. I've been a risse fan but he fell right off the tablethis year. Fabio's always hurt and i think would make great cover for a RGLB rather than the starter.

2) a Really Good Left Winger. Kewell can go. Risse can go. Babel im not sure if he stays at this position if so he can split time with the RGLW and get some striker action too. less pressing than lb becouse of babel, but not much.

If we spent 25 mill buying world class guys for those 2 positions i would be thrilled and ask no more. If we got that back four back to smothering with the mids and torres we will win a lot of games.

3) a Really Great Right back. Ive been a huge finnan fan for a long time and Im okay with finnan/arbs but finnan went backwards a bit this year after being very good in the past and hes not 22 any more either. arbs is good but not great, fabio style. imo. New blood needed, but not as bad as at lb or lw.

As an aside arbs must never, ever ever be played at cb ever again. or lb if we can help it.

4) A really good Right winger. although i can live with Peanyoun Jermoussi if it means we cover off the other areas first.

CB, CM, and yes even striker i would say we are good, or at least not as in need as those other areas... Torres and anyone will keep us competitive. Sure i'd like to get in Eto Brutas and Luca Toni or whomever the world form strikers are, but this costs money. With Pepe the 4 CB's (i say keep sami) and the 4 cm's as well as torres we have a damn good spine going down the middle of the park...

ok, am i right? am i wrong? and who and for how much? only 5 months till the window closes. :D

First off, it's Jermossi Penayoun...:D

I agree.

We need a Clichy-quality left back and a quality, consistent left midfielder. At right back, I don't think we need to spend a lot of money, because I think Arbeloa will come into his own once he gets consistent time there. I could also see our strikeforce getting a shakeup, but I really don't know who would leave. Right midfield isn't that big of a priority to me, because I am not completely certain what Rafa is going to do (Stevie on the right, I mean seriously Rafa is crazy I have no idea what he is thinking)

Here is how I see our team laying out this next season after the transfer window:

Keepers: Reina, Itandje, Martin
Left Backs: New Left Back, Aurelio, Insua
Center Backs: Carra, Agger, Skrtel, Hyypia
Right Backs: Arbeloa, New Right Back
Right Midfielders: Pennant, Benayoun
Center Midfielders: Gerrard, Mascherano, Lucas, Alonso
Left Midfielders: New Left Midfielder, Babel
Strikers: Torres, Crouch, Kuyt

Add in a couple of youngsters here and there and I think we got a damn good team. I say we sell Riise, Finnan, and Voronin/Kuyt. Also if we could get some of our on loan guys off the books and into permanent deals that would also be nice.

[Matt Clark]

A Clichy-quality left back? Christ, I'd stick with Riise.

Actually, we have what we need already: Insua is the real deal.

If we've got £40m to spend (which should be easily possible on the assumption that we're not paying off a manager and his coaching staff and hiring a new guy), then the focus has to be on striker and left-sided midfielder. I'm not going to advocate individual names, because that invokes The Shevchenko Principle*. But clearly we need to finally replace Michael Owen and we do need something to add movement and wit to the approach play.

(*a new Law Of Football, this mandates that fanboy chitchat about which famous name should be a club's striking sensation the following season will immediately and without pity make the chosen name turn into an abject cart horse)

[Red Bird]

A Clichy-quality left back? Christ, I'd stick with Riise.

Actually, we have what we need already: Insua is the real deal.
That is the long and shot of it, in my view. Insua, Aurelio and Riise are perfect for me.

A second striker, maybe, but I think Babel is on his way to being that. I should be wary of another foreigner who would take 2 seasons to settle down. Also we could start blooding Nemeth and Leto (for left-sided midfield) in the cups. Who knows, Voronin may shake off the first-season malaise?

[Bobinhood]

im talking about a Philip Lahm here. a Top 5-10 in the world left back. If you want to work in Insua beside him as cover sounds good to me. For me Risse's not servicable anymore, (unless maybe he solves his off-field money problems and snaps back into it or something) and Fabio's injury prone and hardly one of the best in the world. Insua comes highly touted no doubt but he's not kicked a prem ball in anger.

We need some Quality at this position. We need what Risse coulda been if he'd ever scored 10 goals a year while vastly improving his defence. I think we should put our cash into lb and lw becouse it'll stretch farther becouse really we'll have a net 20 not 40 million pounds i suspect, and that aint much to go build the best team in the world with. If we blow it all on a striker for the second year on a row were gonna have a lot of holes need filling.

First rumour of the season is Rafhina a skilled 22 Brazilian RB with a good left foot as well (wikipedia). Sounds good to me.

[Matt Clark]

If, as you predict, we have just £20m to spend (and knowing the Yanks, that's not beyond the realms of possibility, however outrageous), then the last thing we want to spend it on is a left-back. Which is what Lahm (or anyone at that level) would cost. We need to spend at least £15m on a striker in the summer. Whatever's left after that can be spent on full-backs and other nice-to-haves.

[rockymtn.mike]

Well Rafa has a target

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_3189619,00.html

Rafinha from Schalke

[luciusmagister]

This thread is a bit early for me as the players we have are still in a fight that must be won with what we got. Paid a lot of ducats for some players that haven't given a good return this season.

We need a LB and more flow and cleverness in the mid-field but we have to be careful not to bring in players that are too clever by half. :) We need more from wide positions.

The season isn't over and some players we already have might yet grow into the positions I listed above and some might still return to form.

[European16]

Rafinha is unreal, but you guys wont get him....hopefully not
hes on contrat till 2011 and i guess schalkes manager said he isnt interested.

[usscouse]

Rafinha is unreal, but you guys wont get him....hopefully not
hes on contrat till 2011 and i guess schalkes manager said he isnt interested.
Money talks.
A £5million summer move is thought to be being discussed, and the player himself has now admitted that he would be interested in making the switch to Anfield.
"Liverpool is a top destination," he said.
"If a move would suit Schalke as well as myself, we can discuss it."

[dcc134]

im talking about a Philip Lahm here. a Top 5-10 in the world left back. If you want to work in Insua beside him as cover sounds good to me. For me Risse's not servicable anymore, (unless maybe he solves his off-field money problems and snaps back into it or something) and Fabio's injury prone and hardly one of the best in the world. Insua comes highly touted no doubt but he's not kicked a prem ball in anger.

We need some Quality at this position. We need what Risse coulda been if he'd ever scored 10 goals a year while vastly improving his defence. I think we should put our cash into lb and lw becouse it'll stretch farther becouse really we'll have a net 20 not 40 million pounds i suspect, and that aint much to go build the best team in the world with. If we blow it all on a striker for the second year on a row were gonna have a lot of holes need filling.

First rumour of the season is Rafhina a skilled 22 Brazilian RB with a good left foot as well (wikipedia). Sounds good to me.


Isn't this the logic that had Chelsea trade Gallas for Cole?

Why would we spend 20m on left back? If I'm spending 20m on a single player its for a second striker who can score goals or an young attacking midfielder who is going to challenge for player of year in a few years.

[Bobinhood]

Hell no Doc, i dont want to spend 20 million on a lb. Im saying 20 million might buy us very high quality lb and pretty high quality left wing both. In turn i think those two positions would improve the team the most since they seem to be the current weak points. Seems to me that risse going to hell in a handbasket has weakened us a lot at this position. Same deal to a lesser extent with Finnans slight decline on the right.

So i identify LB,LW and RB as our 3 most pressing needs irrespective of how the rest of the year goes. i mean, obviuosly we are going to win the CL, you just need to read my sig to know that :D And i suppose when we do we may have to consider who brung us to the dance. as to cash im just supposing that we will gto 20 mill NET, ie 20 mill plus sales, plush mash. Based on nada. who knows who will be out. lots of candidates.

btw thought at the time and still do that Well-i-am Gallic is a better over-all player than Cashme hole, although i would really love to slot in a guy of Cashme's ability at our lb slot. Another great striker to complement torres would be great but if we spend the money there im afraid we'll have none left.

[revelationx]

I would say that another top striker is a priority. Not just a finisher but someone who can create as well as score. Someone like Berbatov or Keane. Then another top left winger unless Kewell becomes the player he was at Leeds.

We are set in CM (once we sign Mascherano) and CB and Keeper. At LB we have Insua, Aurelio and Riise as well as Arbeloa. Finnan needs cover but I guess this is Arbeloa. Pennant and Benayoun compete for the RW and Gerrard can play there as well.

I don't know if any youth players (apart from Hobbs) might be good enough to break into the first team next season.

[el-capitano]

Actually speaking of Brazillian right backs- what ever happened to Daniel Alves. I thought every club in Europe wanted him?

[CCSC_STRIKER20]

Actually speaking of Brazillian right backs- what ever happened to Daniel Alves. I thought every club in Europe wanted him?

Supposedly every club wanted him. I bet he goes to Spurs over the summer.

If we are going to get a striker, people have to realize that may involve selling 1 possibly 2 of our 4 strikers. I have a feeling that if Rafa wants to deal he will have to sell some first.

I guess I wouldn't mind Rafinha.

And for those calling for another striker (I want one too), throw some logical names out that we could or should possibly look at? No, this list shouldn't include any quality European top flight team's top striker, unless we are willing to pay through the nose for him. Who do you see us targeting?

[adammac19]

Actually speaking of Brazillian right backs- what ever happened to Daniel Alves. I thought every club in Europe wanted him?

Any time a club wants him they always jack up the price or something else falls through (happen to us and Chelsea).

From what I see, I would list a top class winger as a player to spend big money on. Someone who is direct, has pace, likes to get into the box and chip in with 10+ goals a season. I think he is the type of player this side needs badly.

[Grinners89]

IMO, what our 1st team should look like.

Im not going to make any outrageous claims to buy players because it wont happen.

IN (possible list):
David Silva (LW/AM)...if we win CL and Valencia continue to struggle in La Liga, there is a very small possibility that Rafa could entice him to join the Spanish contingent
Jeremy Menez (LW)...good young left-winger/forward. Plays a similar position to Babel but is left footed (hes also got a very good right foot, almost two-footed)...able to give us goalscoring from a wide position as well.
Ezequiel Garay (CB)...Rafa wanted him in January but Racing bumped up his price to between 20-30 million pounds just to ward off buyers.
Rafinha (RB) - 5 million isnt too much to use on a right-back...whether we need it is questionable...if Finnan goes then yes, if not, then dont buy a RB...if need be, we have mini-Finnan playing in the ressies (Darby)

OUT:
Hyypia (retired)
Riise (sold)
Kewell (sold, free, although he doesnt want to leave and i dont want him to leave it looks like that might happen)
Voronin (sold)

GK: Reina, Itandje, Martin, Mihaylov
RB: Arbs, Darby
CB: Agger, Carra, Skrtel, Hobbs, Mikel San Jose
LB: New LB, Aurelio, Insua
RM: Pennant, Yossi (sorry...Jermossi Penayoun)
CM: Gerrard, Masch, Alonso, Lucas
LM: New LM, Leto (dont forget about him...he is a very good young talent and is natural left winger)
SS: Kuyt, Babel (also playing LM)
CF: Torres, Crouch

Given that Rafa's preference seems to be the 4-2-3-1...this is what we should be looking like (i know its early)...Reina, Carra, Agger, Masch, Gerrard, Torres are 1st XI players. Masch's role in the two central mids seems to be to cover and support full-backs whilst the other CM (Xabi or Lucas), their role seems to be to stay central in front of the CB's.

The good thing about this formation is that it can change to a 4-4-2 almost instantly, a 4-1-3-2, a 4-1-2-3 etc...its a very flexible formation also because a lot of our players can play in several positions (eg Babel, Yossi, Kuyt, Gerrard etc)

_________Reina__________

RB____Carra__Agger____LB

<<<<<<<<Masch>>>>>>>>

________Xabi/Lucas______

RW____Gerrard________LW

__________Torres_______

[Gandalf The Red]

we need to spend the big money on wide men, the ones we have r ************, babbel should move into SS in the future

[rockymtn.mike]

I wish we would look at Daniel Carvalho from CSKA Moscow for the left wing, I just don't think he can get a work permit for England. Also I think we need to get a striker who is a change of pace type of guy (comes off the bench, is fast and will tire out the opposition) Sinama was a nice choice for that role but he's gone. Maybe for left back we can get Wayne Bridge on the cheap since they got Cashley Cole in front of him (For now) those are my thoughts

[CCSC_STRIKER20]

I wish we would look at Daniel Carvalho from CSKA Moscow for the left wing, I just don't think he can get a work permit for England. Also I think we need to get a striker who is a change of pace type of guy (comes off the bench, is fast and will tire out the opposition) Sinama was a nice choice for that role but he's gone. Maybe for left back we can get Wayne Bridge on the cheap since they got Cashley Cole in front of him (For now) those are my thoughts

I wouldn't mind Bridge, but I wonder Chelsea's willingness to give him to us.