Alexis Sanchez

[Akiva]

Sanchez is world class, but is he better than what we have in that position?

I mean, I think he has been consistently better since arriving in the PL, certainly. Whether he's "better enough" to justify potentially £50m is another issue, but I think he is.

at the moment I'd be looking at the full-back, keeper, and defensive midfield options.

I have no doubt those are our priorities, but I can't see us moving into next season without signing an attacking player ala Sanchez. For all our earlier problems with defense, which is less an issue now you'd agree, Pep always blamed our lack of goal scoring for our lack of success. Even after Monaco.

Didn't see your post until I'd posted mine. I agree with you

I'm not sure the issue of "where would he play?" is do problematic given how much Pep rotates and switches players around. Sanchez even has experience in a David Silva, ie deeper, role and could provide cover there too.

 

[BigOscar]

Good news, Sanchez can play on the right too. He's put in 11 appearances there this season and last for the Arses, but he played 23 games in 2013 alone for Barca there and made quite a few under Pep too (who routinely moved him about, as he is wont to do)

Would like to see Roberts in the squad too though, I think he's earned it.

He can play there, anyone can, but I don't think it's a position he's very effective in. You lose most of what he's good at. We've been at our best this year when both our wingers have been direct, driving at the defence and I don't think Sanchez does that on the right. If you're going to spend a load of money on a player, you should really have a position for them to play in

 

[Andrew___K]

Didn't see your post until I'd posted mine. I agree with you

Rather buy someone who can play on the right. Aguero and Jesus are already sorted in the middle, Sane and Jesus both also great on the left. Only really Sterling on the right, with possibly Roberts returning. Just don't see where Sanchez would play

Forgot to add: Sane is a genuine left-footed RW and I bet he'll return there rather sooner that later. He just needs to sort out some of his technical issues, master the art of diagonal runs, shooting and become a better player tactically. Once it all clicks, playing him as LW can become a bit wasteful. So I'm not sure what side should be strenghtened. Maybe Alexis is the right solution.

 

[Kladze]

Sanchez is world class, but is he better than what we have in that position? Wide forward is where City are strongest:

Sane, Sterling, Roberts. Not sure given his age I would go for him. Arsenal and Barcelona possibly had his best years. He is a great player, but I am thinking that Sane and Jesus are going to be super star players for City. Roberts is very promising. Sterling is young and could easily step up. And Aguero is still scoring. I think if Aguero moves, then we will need to replace him, but at the moment I'd be looking at the full-back, keeper, and defensive midfield options.

I'd definitely say he's better than Sané and Sterling right now, and we've lacked alternatives many times throughout the season. Nolito and Navas will leave, so replacing them with Sanchez would give us better options up top. Sané is steadily improving and will still have plenty of playing time. Sterling too, even though the jury's out on him for me still.

Premier League 16/17:

Sanchez: 24 goals and 10 assists.

Sterling: 7 goals, 6 assists.

Sané: 5 goals, 3 assists.

 

[Akiva]

He can play there, anyone can, but I don't think it's a position he's very effective in.

He scored 6 goals in 9 PL appearances on a the right for Arsenal. He scored 17 goals in 27 appearances there for Barca. That sounds pretty effective to me.

If you're going to spend a load of money on a player, you should really have a position for them to play in

I agree, but sometimes you get a player because he'll make you better and then make a position for him. IMO Sanchez can be that sort of player for us.

 

[BigOscar]

He scored 6 goals in 9 PL appearances on a the right for Arsenal. He scored 17 goals in 27 appearances there for Barca. That sounds pretty effective to me.

Not sure where you're getting these stats from, Whoscored has him as only having played one game on the right all year for Arsenal, whereas at Barca he wasn't exactly setting the world on fire, hence why they sold him. It's clearly not his best position, that really shouldn't even be up for debate. He's best upfront, where we have better options. His next best position is on the left, where we have better options, then he's probably better as a number 10, where we have better options.

Just seems a daft signing, given his age, cost and the fact that we'd be shoehorning him into a team that really doesn't need him. I don't think well run teams buy player just because they are great, then try and figure out what to do with them, that's what badly run teams do.

 

[Blue Elmo]

Sanchez could easily displace either Sane or Sterling on the sheer basis that he scores goals. He is more of a wide forward as opposed to an out and out winger, but that is what we need badly. Sane and Sterling are exceptional wingers and can get you to the byline, but when you're looking for a last minute winner, are they going to be the one in the right place at the right time? Neither of them at this moment, Sterling especially, have the killer instinct required to hit 20-25 goals a season, although given Sane only really started scoring and starting from late December onwards, his haul of 9-10 goals isn't that bad.

Sanchez is in the same league as your Hazards and Pedros in the sense that they will consistently, year on year, contribute with 15 goals minimum in the league. Those two players that I have just mentioned, for me, are a large reason as to why Chelsea won the league. Unlike us, who are very one dimensional through Aguero, they can hit you from any of 3 players. If Costa is having a bad day, Hazard and Pedro will pick up the pieces. Even Spurs work like this to a lesser extent: they had Kane, Alli and Son all hitting over 15 league goals this season. The best teams in Europe the same. Real have Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema; Barca have MSN.

Bringing Sanchez into our team would take us a huge step closer towards this bracket of teams. Signing him would make me 10x more confident in terms of winning the league. Getting him is a must for me.

 

[Akiva]

Not sure where you're getting these stats from, Whoscored has him as only having played one game on the right all year for Arsenal,

6 goals in 9 games was from 2015/2016 season. On Whoscored, go to history, detailed and filter by AMR and MR.

In 2014/2015 he managed another 4 goals in 9 games from the right too.

whereas at Barca he wasn't exactly setting the world on fire, hence why they sold him.

That's debatable, but 17 goals in 27 appearances on the right is a good return regardless.

It's clearly not his best position, that really shouldn't even be up for debate. He's best upfront, where we have better options. His next best position is on the left, where we have better options, then he's probably better as a number 10, where we have better options.

Gabriel Jesus is best up front, where we have better options. That doesn't mean we aren't better having him play on the left than not.

KDB doesn't play in his best position. Or Fernandinho. Pep isn't afraid to mix and match his squad and he loves flexible players who can adapt.

Just seems a daft signing, given his age, cost and the fact that we'd be shoehorning him into a team that really doesn't need him.

Need and want are two different things. Perhaps we need him, we've been wasteful up front this year. Failing that, I can see why we would want him.

I don't think well run teams buy player just because they are great, then try and figure out what to do with them, that's what badly run teams do.

I disagree. Buying quality like Sanchez then adapting the squad to get the best out of him sounds like a good way to start winning things.

Either which way, it's Pep's decision, but I think it's obvious we want Sanchez and it's not because we have nowhere to play him.

 

[Ajm1985]

We did business with him last summer (he's Bravo's agent) and he has a good relationship with Pep from the Vidal transfer.

IMO he's working under the, correct, assumption that Arsenal will fight tooth and nail for Sanchez not to go to City which could, in theory, put his transfer at risk and lose said agent a lot of money.

It's a good sign that Sanchez still wants us though, so I'm hopeful.

Fair enough! I agree, it is a good sign that he wants us. Gives us a decent bargaining position

 

[Sunset]

Jesus - Aguero - Sanchez

That is going to be a nightmare..

When teams park the bus:

Sub off a linking

Jesus - Aguero - Sanchez
Sane FABINHO Silva Sterling

Stones Kompany VVD

No more Bus.