^ ha, I understand your point but Wirtz would definitely be a luxury. I’d like to see the club get creative and find a player close in style to Vitinha, even if it isn’t a household name yet in world football. Is there a sleeper mid in Germany or Spain or or Argentina that can spray passes and step on the ball a bit?
Marca in their article about Barca's options conclude Rasford as the affordable one while Nico is ruled out, Isak too expensive. Insists RM could be Nico's next destination. https://www.marca.com/futbol/barcelona/2025/05/23/extremo-vale-pastizal.html
Pedri plays as an 8, casado 6 and olmo as 10. None of them are a strong presence but it doesnt matter because their whole team presses as one. I dont see why we cant have a jude, fede, wirtz. It would jus require the entire team to be bought into being a team in defence.
Manchester City have started club to club talks with AC Milan for Tijjani Reijnders as top target. Negotiations to continue next week as opening bid expected to arrive soon. City want to be fast for Club World Cup + anticipate other European top clubs keen on Reijnders. 🚨🔵 Manchester City have started club to club talks with AC Milan for Tijjani Reijnders as top target.Negotiations to continue next week as opening bid expected to arrive soon.City want to be fast for Club World Cup + anticipate other European top clubs keen on Reijnders. pic.twitter.com/C4r6WAZUxM— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 23, 2025
It is clearly preferable and more balanced to playing Rodrygo as a starter. But I feel like this was Carlo's biggest problem. Trying to create formation/tactics to appease the players. Vini wants to score goals and not track back, so you create a two striker system to appease both Vini and Mbappe simultaneously. Rodrygo wants to start every game, so you shoehorn him into a right wing spot with Vini and Mbappe, creating a lineup with 3 forwards who are very direct and just want to score. Bellingham got a taste of scoring goals so now he wants to be an AM in a lineup starting Vini, Mbappe, and Rodrygo. All these moves are just setting up the team for failure. Xabi better set the tone early and not let the players dictate things otherwise he will not go very far. It is not really a question of who is playing, but how they are set up to play to appease their own ambitions to the detriment of the team.
Funny but one of the people he was in frequent contact with at Leverkusen said what Xabi understands is that he's not quite fully responsible for selecting the team in Madrid, some players are playing by default.
You just hit it on the head. The problem is not playing this assortment of players, the problem is playing this group and having players walk around and not defend as a unit. I am fairly convinced that unless Xabi can get Mbappe and Vini to do the bare minimum defending or pressure up top, the midfield will just get over run.
Some players will play by default but if Xabi allows Mbappe and Vini to do no defending at all, and not apply any pressure on the opposition. There is only so much the midfield will be able to do.
BTW, really appreciate how you post the tweet text as well as the tweet, 90% of the time tweets don't show up.
A move involving #Rodrygo and Arsenal is proving to be very complicated. There have been new talks in recent hours. The biggest issue is his wage demands, reportedly around €10 million net per year. Arsenal are not prepared to go that far. Rodrygo is willing to leave Real Madrid if the right offer comes in. 🚨🛑 A move involving #Rodrygo and Arsenal is proving to be very complicated. There have been new talks in recent hours. The biggest issue is his wage demands, reportedly around €10 million net per year. Arsenal are not prepared to go that far.Rodrygo is willing to leave… pic.twitter.com/8fHqAbBEII— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) May 23, 2025
We need to stop getting into the trap of collecting players and start thinking in terms of player profiles. We clearly lacked a proper player profile at high volume passer last season and no amount of attacking midfielders whether Nico Paz or Reijndeers is gonna fill that spot. My wish list is Adam Wharton , 21 year old. Very competent defender , Amazing ability to find players and accurate passing. Not bad long ball game as well. If pep gets his hands on him he would develop into a Rodri 2.0. Stiller is a better passer and better long ball player as well but he doesn't defend anywhere good as Wharton or even Xhaka. Carlos Baleba is another prodigy that can be turned into a jewel. He plays like a much more agile Tchouameni. Better back to goal play and better at dribbling. Good long pass and terrific dueler.
🇵🇹🔴 Rafael Leão (Milan, 25)🇧🇷🔵 Rodrygo (Real Madrid, 24)🇪🇸🟢 Nico Williams (Athletic, 22)Compare players 👉 https://t.co/McR5zrPSJm https://t.co/5GXV8tXXj8 pic.twitter.com/sY2oD9FfxT— DataMB (@DataMB_) May 22, 2025
If there is no worthwhile DLP available in the market, maybe Dean and TAA could share that role. They're pretty good passers.
If Rodrygo is joining Arsenal, Marca cover about Nico Williams deal could have some truth. And multiple sources had reported RM set to meet with Paz agent to discuss invoking buyback clause which makes sense now that Modric is leaving. Anyways, I don't think Arsenal would want Rodrygo to go through CWC and be tired/risk injury for PL start so a deal could happen before the tournament if the interest is serious.
Interesting coincidence since Spanish media, Romano etc talked about RM wanting to focus on Spanish players this season. There was same narrative in 2013. We signed a British player, then Spaniards Isco, Illara, canterano Carva back from Leverkusen, promoted Jese from Castilla and replaced Higuain with Morata promoted to senior team full time. This summer signed a British player, Huijsen, Carreras expected next. If remaining two are Nico Williams and canterano Paz back, eerily similar to 2013 window.
Vitinha and Neves are fantastic - basically what the Barca hype machine pretended Pedri and Gavi would be - so one would assume that PSG does everything to keep them. With those two being locks and Warren Zaire-Emery in the wings, does Fabian Ruiz become expendable? Not my first choice, but he is Spanish and a pretty good tempo setter.