The Squad planning thread

MCFCFanTX said:
Watched some Girona games and Gutierrez is impressive given his age. Looked good for Madrid in the past too when given a chance. I would be all for us going after him.

Only trouble is he is a fan of Madrid, born in Madrid and played there so he'd probably prefer rejoining them if the opportunity arises.
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if they go for garcia, get guti and vice versa?
 
Delphinho said:
Really like Fram Garcia. Lightning quick, good on the ball and can cross. Only 23. Not many of those type of LBs around
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Not many LB around ever. You can go on transfermarket and filter all players to LB. There is about 10 names on the list where you think, yeah they are good. Beyond that it's all meh.
 
I'm sure everyone would love a big turnover in the Summer with Gvardiol, Bellingham, Leao all joining but it doesn't really look on the cards. But a Bellingham and some chance signings would hopefully be enough for a good window.

Out:

Laporte - £50m
Bernardo - £80m
Mahrez - £25m
Herrera - £10m
Steffen - £2.5m
Harwood Bellis - £20m
Doyle - £10m
Gomez - Loan

TOTAL: £197.5m

Laporte I'm sure would have left in the Summer bar his injury but we're stocked at centre half and could allow him to move on. Bernardo obvious move out, if whoever can pay the fee. Mahrez hopefully can net a few goals and get someone to come in for him. He doesn't offer enough for me. Cleaning out a few of the loans. I think they can be shifted to promoted teams to get us in good position for the coveted net spend trophy again.

In:

Jude Bellingham - £130m
Dango Ouattara - £20m
Ademola Lookman - £30m
Rico Henry - £25m

TOTAL: £205m

If Bernardo leaves, Bellingham is a must. We're seriously lacking in midfield options and we can go and secure the best young talent in the country, who will have nearly 200 appearances come the end of the season just as he turns 20. Will bring some much needed energy to the team.

Ouattara is linked to Leicester at the minute and is having a breakthrough year at Lorient after an adjustment period last year. He's fast, a good dribbler, is good from range, has a killer final ball even if not the best in possession and is always in the right spaces to receive the ball. 19 Key Passes this season, 5 goals, 5 assists from 15 starts. But his most important thing is his work off the ball. He has some of the best defensive stats for a winger you can ask for. I think he fits our playstyle and is a good for a roll of the dice.

Lookman is the one to go for instead of Leao for me. He's fast, solid in possession and a good finisher. Has a non penalty xG+A of 0.71 per 90. Just 0.02 from Leao. But he is underperforming it while Leao is overperforming. Though I would say it's his xA bringing him down. He's better off the ball than Leao, he's a more effective dribbler. He gets fouled more, They lose the ball the same amount (They're opposites though in Leao seems to miscontrol the ball, losing control of play, while Lookman gets dispossessed). Recieves the ball better. His biggest weakness is his size. He can get bullied and won't win headers. But for how similar they are in terms of stats (and how far apart they will be in terms of financials). Lookman would be my no brainer addition to the side this season.

Rico Henry has impressed me every time I've watched him. Such an honest player. Does his job extremely well. Can get up and down the pitch, strong in the tackle, tactically aware. His stats may pop out like the other two I've put forward but I think he's proved himself enough to be given a bigger platform.

This would leave the squad looking like this:

GK:
Ederson - Ortega - 3rd

DEF:
Lewis - Walker - Akanji - Dias - Stones - Ake - Cancelo - Henry

MID:
Rodri - Phillips - Perrone - Gundogan - Bellingham - De Bruyne

MID/ATT:
Grealish - Palmer - McAtee

ATT:
Haaland - Alvarez - Foden - Lookman - Ouattara

It leaves the squad at 25, a good number. 11 English players (12 if you include Erling), our most in a good while, we haven't had 10 or more since 06/07. And our most 'homegrown players' since 09/10 I think? The new additions bar Bellingham are cheap and can be easily moved on if they don't work out. I'd be happy with it and let us go for a Gvardiol/Kvara next year.
 
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The squad needs what it has needed for a couple of seasons.....

A Left Back
A direct and pacey winger or 2.
A mobile/athletic midfield general.

Currently the above shortage limits our approach/tactics and usually results in square pegs.

Our squad should not have been allowed to develop this unbalance.
 
The key for Pep and the club is how do we get back to so many players chipping in on the goal count again?

Haaland is a beast but I was hoping his 30/40 a season would be on top of what we always managed and the real difference going forwards yet it seems goals have kind of dried up elsewhere whilst he of course has been incredible.
 
According to the Sun (I know!!) we are "weighing up a move for Madrids left back Ferland Mwndy.

Take that with a huge pinch of salt but an actual established left back would be an amazing addition.
 
blueinsa said:
The key for Pep and the club is how do we get back to so many players chipping in on the goal count again?

Haaland is a beast but I was hoping his 30/40 a season would be on top of what we always managed and the real difference going forwards yet it seems goals have kind of dried up elsewhere whilst he of course has been incredible.
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It's hard. 80% of teams play us inside their own box and it's hard to break down a block like that. But when we had our false 9 we had a player that could lead away the centre halves and leave space for an on runner. Haaland is the target up front and he likes to position right on the penalty spot so it's a bit more predictable and there's less space for players to move into. Maybe another long shot threat other than De Bruyne/Rodri? Maybe work more on set pieces? It's really a tough one.
 
HaalandEffect said:
Who is getting sold in the summer?
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I'd suggest any of the following
----------------------------

Cancelo
Gundogan
Mahrez
Bernardo
Gomez
Philips
Laporte

Bring in some hungry steel
----------------------

Bellingham
MacAllister
Gnoto
Lavia
Robinson
Gvardiol
Felix
 
HaalandEffect said:
Who is getting sold in the summer?
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For me if would be
Gundo 100 percent ( too old for us now . Fantastic servent)
Silva needs to put a request in or shut the rumours down .
Cancelo miles off form and looks like his heads been turned .
Mahrez playing well atm but that can soon change .
Kdb love him to stay and just hoping his form drop is a one off .
Kyle Walker starting to decline and could go to sheff Utd if they. Get promoted .
Laporte. Is the only defender who could move on back to Spain .
All these players have been legends for us but time waits for no one and it’s time to start to change the guard .
 
Just a thought but Bernardo keeps banging on about retiring at benfica so if there are no other suitors this summer would he entertain going back there now if he’s so desperate to leave Manchester? If he is realistic with his wages at benfica as he’s not exactly skint then maybe Bernardo and €20m to benfica and we get Enzo ? Then if Gundogan left it wages up wages for Bellingham and no doubt Enzo would be on less than Bernardo was anyway and we could rebuild our midfield with Enzo and Bellingham?
 
skyblue92 said:
Potentially - Cancelo gomez gundogan Bernardo laporte and Phillips

Pure fantasy but Theo Hernandez Bellingham Enzo Fernandez and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
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Gomez is more likely to go on loan. Can't see why City would sell Phillips: he's been injured/not match fit, so he's not been able to show his best form & wouldn't get much of a return on the fee we paid.
 
skyblue92 said:
Potentially - Cancelo gomez gundogan Bernardo laporte and Phillips

Pure fantasy but Theo Hernandez Bellingham Enzo Fernandez and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
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Phillips not going anywhere as he still has a big role to play .
 
Paul1970 said:
For me if would be
Gundo 100 percent ( too old for us now . Fantastic servent)
Silva needs to put a request in or shut the rumours down .
Cancelo miles off form and looks like his heads been turned .
Mahrez playing well atm but that can soon change .
Kdb love him to stay and just hoping his form drop is a one off .
Kyle Walker starting to decline and could go to sheff Utd if they. Get promoted .
Laporte. Is the only defender who could move on back to Spain .
All these players have been legends for us but time waits for no one and it’s time to start to change the guard .
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Is walker in decline? Not so sure about that....yes Rico Lewis gives Pep more of what he wants (control in the midfield) but Im not sure its fair to say Walker is in decline...he has never really had the attribute that Lewis seems to have....
Couple of injuries but he aint in decline and would still get in every other prem team in the league as a first choice right back (maybe not the scousers but he is a better defender than TAA)

Agree on Cancello....totally
Mahrez as well I agree on..he has these purple patches bt is far too inconsistent.
Laporte - hmmm...not so sure Id get rid of him - he is a better left sided centre half than Ake (and remember he was willing to leave last summer for Chelsea)

Silva - personally dont want himt o leave as I think we will hugely struggle to replace his skill set (Bellingham is nothing like him) but i think its clear he will go.

Gundo - bit torn....looks like he is in decline but could be a good squad player for one more year....

KDB - big questions around him...not just fitness and age but also attitude......its no coincidence that Pep started to talk about body language/attitude etc and then drops him......stillhas magic in his boots but is cutting an increasingly looking frustrated figure....HOWEVER - how do you replace him....Grealish is not even close to his level and you dont build a league winning team around Grealish.....neither do you with Bellingham (who is probably more a gundo replacement)...how do you replace 15-20 assists a year (especially if you are losing Bernardo and Makrez on top of that - again not with just Bellingham and Grealish
 
I have a feeling we might even look at a new keeper this summer.

So a keeper, left back, attacking midfielder, and a winger required
 
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