Defensive Midfield Targets/Options

I think with Rice you stay with West Ham for a year or 2 more and see how you go. Playing regularly why would he want to come to City just yet. If he wants to play for England staying where he is there is more chance of him getting in with England if that's the way he goes. Only 20 this could well be more expensive than Mahrez.
 
Idrissa Gueye

PSG rumoured to be in for him with Everton wanting €30m.

I would imagine Everton would much prefer to sell abroad and would demand more from a PL club, but this could be a decent option in terms of DM cover. He's been excellent for Everton and possesses a lot of the qualities that we need for the DM role (the only thing that may stop our interest is his level of passing) - he's a hell of a lot more like Fernandinho than most of the targets that we've been linked to.

Age isn't on his side at 29, but neither was Fernandinho when we bought him from Shakhtar. He'd be a quality rotation option during Dinho's final couple of seasons and would allow us more time to identify a true successor, all the while presenting decent value and not some of these ridiculous figures that have been quoted for other players we've been linked to.
 
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The way I see it we have 3 options for cover/medium-term replacement for Ferna:
1) Sign someone from another Premier League club.
2) Sign someone from another European club.
3) Promote from within.

If we start with option 1, I can see 4 players that could be under consideration. Each of them has pros and cons:
Ruben Neves (pros: young, good passer, Champions League experience, decent shot; cons - bit lightweight, used to playing in a 'double 6' with another defensive midfielder (can he do it by himself?), high transfer fee)
Declan Rice (pros: young, reads the game well, decent passer, physical presence; cons: lack of Champions League/big match experience; English premium - high transfer fee)
Idrissa Gueye (pros: breaks up play well, physical presence, experienced; cons: average passer, 30 this year - too old?)
N'golo Kante (pros: ticks all the boxes; cons: enormous transfer fee/wages needed to get him from Chelsea)

Option 2 (sign from Europe). Two names keep cropping up in this category:
Frenkie De Jong (pros: young, great passer/dribbler, done well in Champions League, schooled in possession football at Ajax; cons: initially too lightweight for Premier League (will take half a season to adjust/strengthen); transfer war with Barca, PSG etc - gonna cost a lot)
Tanguy Ndombele (pros: young, great physical presence, reads the game well, great on the counter; cons: a bit inconsistent; in demand - could be another bidding war)

Option 3 (promote from within). Who do we have already?
John Stones/Danilo (both better in their regular positions - we need a specialist)
Douglas Luiz (on loan at FC Girona - in and out of the side, is he kicking on as expected? Work permit issue again?)
Aleix Garcia (on loan at FC Girona - seems better suited to La Liga - found his level?)
Matt Smith (on loan at FC Twente - doing well, but it's the Dutch second tier; still only 19 - needs another loan at a higher level next season; potential to be a future squad player when Delph/Zinc move on)
Yangel Herrera (training with the 1st team after 2 seasons at NYCFC) pros: has a similar skillset to Ferna (see https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/feat...rld-cup-venezuela-nycfc-mls-manchester-city); did well in MLS; under-20 world cup Bronze ball winner; full international; cons: lack of experience in European leagues (needs a good loan to France/Spain/Holland this month).

Weighing up all the pros and cons, if I was Txiki I would draw up a transfer shortlist of Rice, De Jong and Ndombele, while keeping an open mind about promoting Herrera (subject to performance on loan).
 
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BXLBlue said:
The way I see it we have 3 options for cover/medium-term replacement for Ferna:
1) Sign someone from another Premier League club.
2) Sign someone from another European club.
3) Promote from within.

If we start with option 1, I can see 4 players that could be under consideration. Each of them has pros and cons:
Ruben Neves (pros: young, good passer, Champions League experience, decent shot; cons - bit lightweight, used to playing in a 'double 6' with another defensive midfielder (can he do it by himself?), high transfer fee)
Declan Rice (pros: young, reads the game well, decent passer, physical presence; cons: lack of Champions League/big match experience; English premium - high transfer fee)
Idrissa Gueye (pros: breaks up play well, physical presence, experienced; cons: average passer, 30 this year - too old?)
N'golo Kante (pros: ticks all the boxes; cons: enormous transfer fee/wages needed to get him from Chelsea)

Option 2 (sign from Europe). Two names keep cropping up in this category:
Frenkie De Jong (pros: young, great passer/dribbler, done well in Champions League, schooled in possession football at Ajax; cons: initially too lightweight for Premier League (will take half a season to adjust/strengthen); transfer war with Barca, PSG etc - gonna cost a lot)
Tanguy Ndombele (pros: young, great physical presence, reads the game well, great on the counter; cons: a bit inconsistent; in demand - could be another bidding war)

Option 3 (promote from within). Who do we have already?
John Stones/Danilo (both better in their regular positions - we need a specialist)
Douglas Luiz (on loan at FC Girona - in and out of the side, is he kicking on as expected? Work permit issue again?)
Aleix Garcia (on loan at FC Girona - seems better suited to La Liga - found his level?)
Matt Smith (on loan at FC Twente - doing well, but it's the Dutch second tier; still only 19 - needs another loan at a higher level next season; potential to be a future squad player when Delph/Zinc move on)
Yangel Herrera (training with the 1st team after 2 seasons at NYCFC) pros: has a similar skillset to Ferna (see https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/feat...rld-cup-venezuela-nycfc-mls-manchester-city); did well in MLS; under-20 world cup Bronze ball winner; full international; cons: lack of experience in European leagues (needs a good loan to France/Spain/Holland this month).

Weighing up all the pros and cons, if I was Txiki I would draw up a transfer shortlist of Rice, De Jong and Ndombele, while keeping an open mind about promoting Herrera (subject to performance on loan).
Click to expand...
Big fan of Smith. Dutch 2nd division is shite though. He’s been capped for Wales already, big talent
 
BXLBlue said:
The way I see it we have 3 options for cover/medium-term replacement for Ferna:
1) Sign someone from another Premier League club.
2) Sign someone from another European club.
3) Promote from within.

If we start with option 1, I can see 4 players that could be under consideration. Each of them has pros and cons:
Ruben Neves (pros: young, good passer, Champions League experience, decent shot; cons - bit lightweight, used to playing in a 'double 6' with another defensive midfielder (can he do it by himself?), high transfer fee)
Declan Rice (pros: young, reads the game well, decent passer, physical presence; cons: lack of Champions League/big match experience; English premium - high transfer fee)
Idrissa Gueye (pros: breaks up play well, physical presence, experienced; cons: average passer, 30 this year - too old?)
N'golo Kante (pros: ticks all the boxes; cons: enormous transfer fee/wages needed to get him from Chelsea)

Option 2 (sign from Europe). Two names keep cropping up in this category:
Frenkie De Jong (pros: young, great passer/dribbler, done well in Champions League, schooled in possession football at Ajax; cons: initially too lightweight for Premier League (will take half a season to adjust/strengthen); transfer war with Barca, PSG etc - gonna cost a lot)
Tanguy Ndombele (pros: young, great physical presence, reads the game well, great on the counter; cons: a bit inconsistent; in demand - could be another bidding war)

Option 3 (promote from within). Who do we have already?
John Stones/Danilo (both better in their regular positions - we need a specialist)
Douglas Luiz (on loan at FC Girona - in and out of the side, is he kicking on as expected? Work permit issue again?)
Aleix Garcia (on loan at FC Girona - seems better suited to La Liga - found his level?)
Matt Smith (on loan at FC Twente - doing well, but it's the Dutch second tier; still only 19 - needs another loan at a higher level next season; potential to be a future squad player when Delph/Zinc move on)
Yangel Herrera (training with the 1st team after 2 seasons at NYCFC) pros: has a similar skillset to Ferna (see https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/feat...rld-cup-venezuela-nycfc-mls-manchester-city); did well in MLS; under-20 world cup Bronze ball winner; full international; cons: lack of experience in European leagues (needs a good loan to France/Spain/Holland this month).

Weighing up all the pros and cons, if I was Txiki I would draw up a transfer shortlist of Rice, De Jong and Ndombele, while keeping an open mind about promoting Herrera (subject to performance on loan).
Click to expand...

Good post. I think the answer lies in all of these things.

No reason that Ferna can't play on next season and Gundo does a decent job there when he needs a break so we have some time on our side.

We can and should go in for Frankie DeJong. However we don't need to go balls deep for anyone.

We should also sit back and watch and wait - see how all above develop.
 
Everyone’s overthinking this, we can reassess our options in the summer but for now once mendy is back we can use delph to rotate with fern / manage his fitness. Hopefully this can help preserve him for big matches and avoid an injury
 
Any merit in making KDB into a hybrid. Just a thought. He spent most of last year helping out there in always and breaking from deep. A long term core 3 of Him, Foden and Bernardo with others would sure keep me excited.

Just thinking out loud. He's got the lot for a reinvention of the role. His intensity made us tick most of last season. Wins tackles and heck of a pass on him.
 
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