Not a perfect fit, but I don't see any player out there that is available at a reasonable price that is. He's a bit different than Fede, some similarities to Jude, but has much more of a nose for goal and loves to get into the box. I just don't see any reasonably available players that fit. I'm not a fan of Enzo at all.
Yeah Reijnders is great but hes also more of a ball carrier and final pass maker rather than conductor. Its a bit surprising to see us get linked with all of these attacking midfielders and not more deep playmakers. At this point Stiller is the best link which is reported, even though there are others of a similar profile that would be better (Kone, Rovella etc). Enzo is a bitch and he would cost a shitload of money and demand a regular starting spot so no thanks.
I would be VERY disappointed if the club signed Wirtz. It's obvious that we don't need any attacking midfielders right now.
I wouldn't be that disappointed considering he's indeed a creative force and he would be Xabi's direct wish that fits immediately in his vision. The drawback is obviously Bellingham being pushed further back, but for me its a good feeling that the coach actively demands and shapes the squad and the system, rather than just accepting whatever hes served from above and trying to figure it how to put square pegs in round holes. But since its the transfer thread we get to imagine we are coaches and discuss these targets from that perspective, which is fun.
Yeah, that's fair. I was just trying to be a bit wary of too many somewhat similar players, while it is quite clear what our midfield needs in terms of profile. But yeah, I also don't see many good fits too. I feel similarly re Enzo, not a fan at all.
I wish he were younger as he's 26, but if we're willing to spend the funds for someone like Wirtz or Enzo, I think one of the better profile fits would be someone like Declan Rice.
I said already todays market lacks midfielders like Modric,Kroos,Iniesta,Xavi,Pirlo etc.....there are a lot of AMC players but no so many who can play as deep playmaker role
That profile at elite level was rare 10 years ago as well. Gotta grab when there is an opportunity like we did with Modric and Kroos. PSG did it with Vitinha. And he probably doesn't have the vices of Verratti.
what kid wants to practice hitting 40 yard balls over and over again with various turns, touches and weight/speed when they can do other stuff. That and the modern game also has shorter passing distance as well so it’s less emphasized.
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Mastantuono please. A year ago we could have gotten him for so cheap. I watched three matches with him and I didn't think he is anything special. I was wrong, he has loads of potential and he'd give Arda a run for his money at that RW/CM spot.
Liverpool beating City for Wirtz is a big W.City midfield is garbage and Wirtz was the main target,Liverpool may dominate the EPL for the next few years
There is a bit of a roster crunch.... Forwards Mbappe, Vini, Rodrygo, Endrick Hybrid Forward/Midfielders Guler, Brahim Midfielders Bellingham, Valverde, New Signing, Camavinga, Nico, Tchouameni, Ceballos Central Defenders Rudiger, Huijsen, Asencio, Militao, Alaba Fullbacks TAA, Carvajal, Carreras, Fran, Mendy Goalies Courtois, Lunin This is 25 players I suspect they will try to buy out or move Alaba, but it sounds like they tried that last January. If they have to pay him his full salary, they may as well keep him as a 5th CB insurance for this last year. But recent rumors of another CB transfer tells me they want to move on. They will probably try to move Fran or Mendy but that is harder than it sounds. I have heard some talk that Mendy's new contract is actually heavy on incentives because of his injury history. That makes it sound like its tied to appearances. So if he ends up being the 3rd choice and never plays, it could be in his interest to move on. I have already mentioned in other posts that I think trying to force Fran to move is likely very hard because he is probably perfectly fine as the backup. In a perfect world, I would probably try to move them both out. I pencilled in a new midfield signing because those rumors seem to have some substance, and I think its why they have moved on from Modric. Without knowing the tactics/formation or how Xabi's views each player, it is hard to get a good sense of how this plays out. If a roster spot does open up, there is a good chance that they promote Gonzalo to provide them a more traditional #9 off the bench. The CWC is basically a tryout for Gonzalo to prove his worth.
I feel like Floro is developing dementia. This is a Floro signing if I ever saw one. Compared to his usual out of place galactico signing, this one is not actually difficult to incorporate. Wirtz is tied to your new coach, on a team that has to sell, and it basically just means you move Bellingham back to his historical position. And he is the biggest signing of the summer, which is just the cherry on top for Floro.
Bellingham has hinted multiple times that he prefers AM position. He had a chat with Carlo about that after a month or so last season. He wasn't gonna play #8 as he loves making those runs into the box and scoring. If Wirtz came, it would have been 2 AMs 4-2-2-2 system with Rodrygo sold.