News: Woody’s Roundup - The Summer 2019 Transfer Thread

He is freaking quick. I hope that is on the right wing, not the left.

 

I like that were refocusing on recruiting players again. We got away from that far too much in recent times.

 

A big thing Daniel James has been working on is pulling defences open with dummy runs. He can play on both flanks and puts in excellent cutbacks with either foot. He's hard to shepherd down one channel to neutralise the threat.

But he's still raw AF. Particularly his finishing and composure. He's the sort of signing a midtable club can take a punt on, and we usually would be the next step from there if he proves he can make another step up. I'm not against it but we shouldn't count it as one of our 5 signings we need to make.

Also he's happy on both flanks and has played false 9, but is probably more left sided than right.

 

As long as there are others, then agree with Sam Peoples in that nice to see we could be making a signing that in all likelyhood would not be of Woodwards choosing (ie he is maybe listening to others finally).

Other teams have unearthed young talent from the lower leagues - Spuds and Deli Ali spring to mind.

Part of a well-rounded transfer policy should be taking a chance on some of these types of signings (ie lower league, as long as they are young players) as well as some more obvious ones.

 

Based on the press conference from Ole, Herrera is leaving. What a screw up job Ed has done on that one. I cannot blame Herrera, he can play for top teams, why would he stay here with a rebuild AND getting paid less? He is around 30, he needs to win, and we are not going to win any time soon.

 

He reminds me bit like James Milner was at newcastle ..

 

What is Raphael Honigsteins reputation as a journalist?

He claims that us and Chelsea have shown clear interest in Kai Havertz. It's thought that 86m gbp is the cost for him.

He'd be well worth that investment. Him and Rice would be the ideal duo to replace Pogba/Herrera next year.

Getting Kai Havertz now would be like getting Michael Ballack at 20. It's a no-brainer piece of business.

 

Would absolutely love it if we really were in for him. Van de Beek and Havertz are the ideal replacements for Pogba from my point of view. And if Honigstein is reporting it, it might have some meat to it.
Chelsea being the other club named is not bad for us, considering their transfer ban (should it hold up). But surely, other clubs would be interested. Regardless though, he'd definitely be worth going after. Not even 20 yet and he's already very impressive.

 

Chelsea's ban was upheld.

 

They're going to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports, so there is a chance it still could be overtuned or delayed...

 

It won't be overruled. A year was a lenient sentence to begin with.

 

It was lenient (but in line with what other clubs got in the same case). And there is a precedent with transfer bans being delayed at minimum. It happened with Real and Atletico Madrid both when they got hit with their respective bans and got a summer to make some moves.

 

Havertz is no Pogba replacement. Havertz is a 10 and looks to be developing quite well, but he floats a lot for Bayer. If you're expecting him to play in a 433 we better have a great 8 and 6 backing him up defensively and doing a lot of the legwork. Havertz is also not very fast.

 

In all honesty, what player that is available who is even remotely a match for Pogba in terms of being the complete midfielder? Van de Beek is the only one who comes to mind, who would come close.
Havertz is an attacking midfielder but it's really not hard to see how he'd flourish in a 4-3-3 surrounded by quality and hardworking midfielders around him. And in that respect, he's hardly no different to Pogba.

 

Mino’s ban is now worldwide. Wonder what this means for Pogba?

Worldwide extension of suspension imposed on intermediaries Carmine and Vincenzo Raiola: https://t.co/1h9L2yxbWq

— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) May 10, 2019

 

PP has 5 league goals this year without penalties.

Havertz, as a 19 year old, has 15 league goals...without penalties.

The kid is more than a No. 10, too. James Rodriguez is a No. 10. Havertz is closer to an attack minded No. 8 than a true No. 10.

A No. 10 is a specialist in finding the space between the lines, excel on the half turn, and are crafty movers.

There is nothing half-turn about the way Havertz picks up and carries the ball. He picks the ball up frequently in transition and runs direct at space with an eye to hit a final pass. In defensive shape he is generally the first presser out of the central midfield. For what he is, he's good at reading passing lanes and tracking runners - which is a very Germanic trait as a footballer.

Havertz and Rice are very complimentary to one another. I think the potential of a Havertz, Rice, and Garner midfield three is exciting and something worth pursuing.

 

I doubt that Garner is ready to be regular starter at this stage of his career: he should get some games in the EL and in league cup games, but that's as far as it goes. Not to mention that Rice and him in the same midfield would be redundant, since they're both DCMs.
With Herrera gone, Fred should absolutely get first crack at the 8 spot, if we don't bring a new one in (like Ndombele). And if Fred is not the answer, McTominay (or even AP) would be more likely to be rather than Garner.

 

So he’s a younger Mata?

 

Havertz has played the 10 role more often than 8 this season, and more often than Fernandes. He's slower and his pressing is often as a second striker not a midfielder. Plus Honigstein mentions the link whilst also saying he seriously doubts Havertz would be interested in us.

He's a good player and all, very intelligent and with great technique. Great passing, likes to drop deep to come and get the ball, and specialises in arriving late in the box. Doesn't fit our playing style. Sounds like a Woodward signing to me, Germany's a market we haven't cracked. Not as big as the Portuguese market, obviously, but still.

 

Literally, and this is very important, in no way, shape, or form is Kai Havertz like a younger Juan Mata.

I think Naboo and Mizzou are just trying to wind me up (again). Naboo's last post is too obvious.

Havertz is 6'2" and physically gifted. He's not lightning fast, but I'd never describe him as slow. If anything his speed is deceptive because his movement is so intelligent.

He is a No. 8/No. 10 hybrid, but because of his starting position and how he prefers to attack, I believe he is closer to an attack minded No. 8 than a positionally disciplined/reserved No. 10. As he gets older it is easy to see how he drifts backwards in the heat map of midfield positioning because of his natural talents.

 

Pogba, a complete midfielder?

Hardly.

 

My preference is still for Pogba to stay (I have a hard time imagining we'd get 3 CMs, even if he left). I am bracing on the possibility that he could bolt, although Raiola's issues might put that on ice. Wonder if it could be this summer's version of the Real fax machine which fortuitously helped us retain Dave and he end up signing a new contract. I guess we'll see...
But in any regard, if he did leave, he'd definitely have to be replaced and fortunately, there are some very good options potentially available to us on the market. Just as pretty much all positions we're looking at, there are different type of players who can fulfill the same role and that's what we're looking at with guys like Fernandes, Havertz and even van de Beek. Give me any one of those 3 to replace Pogs and I'd be delighted.
And yes, all 3 are perfectly fit as potential Pogba replacements on our team. They may go about their play in different ways, but they're all skillful and talented in their own way.
The fact that Havertz does not play well in a 4-3-3,or needs additional defensive support or he's not an 8 are simply not true since the 4-3-3 is Leverkusen's preferred formation. He can play centrally behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1 or at the forward tip of a diamond in a 4-4-2. But that simply makes him versatile, which the way I see it is an asset, and not a liability. He's as it's been stated a prototypical 8/10 hybrid, who we'd have no big problem fitting into our team.
I guess the question as to whether he'd want to come is a valid one, but it's one that can be asked of most of the players we'd be looking at in that spot. But Havertz, just like Fernandes among others would be a great acquisition for us, if we need to replace Pogba this summer.

 

I never said he was like Mata and I stand by what I said. If you think he can do the things Pogbas can do, or even operate as an 8 in our current midfield, you are very mistaken. He would need lots of energy and defensive prowess around him in midfield. And if you get pissed at Pogba for being a bystander in games, this kid does it often as well.

I will say I'm a fan of his and he's a very good 10 and is getting better. But he's just that, a 10, and we need an 8 to replace Pogba unless we're switching formation or bolstering our 6.

 

Brandt next to Aranguiz seems like lots of "defensive prowess" to me...
But the bottom line is that we can't forget that he's still just 19 and therefore nowhere near the finished article. He's is still growing into his development as a player and has plenty to learn before he fully matures as a midfielder.
There is little doubt that we're looking at a potential special talent. 18 goals, with 7 assists in just his second season at senior level, is a very impressive accomplishment for a kid his age.

 

Havertz's acceleration makes him slower. His top speed is actually good, but acceleration is where he lacks on account of being big.

Havertz is an excellent player, and we can cope with his lack of mobility if we bring in a ********ton elsewhere in at a number of other positions. Similarly Fernandes is an excellent player, and we can cope with his lack of physicality if we use the physicality we already have at 8, with Rice or similar at 6.

But I was emphasising the bollocks you came out with yesterday, in the context of you now talking about another 10/8 who shares a hell of a lot of similar traits (winning on physicality, losing on agility) but has spent more time playing further forward and has significantly weaker defensive stats this season (no doubt as a result of being given less defensive responsibility). Combined with the weird bullshit about Woodward signing BF in order to tap into the Portuguese market (population 10.3 million, almost 500k fewer than Greece), I think someone needs to take a minute and think about who's on the wind-up.

Ashur - they've moved to 4-3-3 after the winter break. And in that formation, Havertz has spent most of the time being a RW rather than a midfielder.

https://www.whoscored.com/Players/326413/Show/Kai-Havertz
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/bayer-04-leverkusen/spielplandatum/verein/15