It's Quiet 18 - Wanna ring the bell?

[Rammy Blue]

The replacement is Lukeba, this was a cheap-ish prospect signing.

Any news on this Lukeba geezer then too?

 

[vanchi]

It’s a central defender, surely that’s all that matters?

i really hope i’m wrong but they need to sign more. and he only played 14 games, started 6. diallo left, klosterman is injured. if gvardiol leaves that means only orban has actual experience, ok they could have simakan play as cb but still. with their first opponents being bayern and leverkusen i don’t see that kid replacing gvardiol. there’s no news about lukeba transfer since the first offer got rejected, complete silence.

 

[nmc]

No thanks . Not a single automobile name can rhyme with his name .

Lincoln Mercury !

 

[blueblueblue2]

Any news on this Lukeba geezer then too?

Last I saw they had a bid rejected. I find the whole idea of waiting endlessly for replacements annoying. How can the club accept just waiting until an arbitrary date?

 

[yarny101]

Last I saw they had a bid rejected. I find the whole idea of waiting endlessly for replacements annoying. How can the club accept just waiting until an arbitrary date?

I assume it's to keep in RB Leipzigs good books going forward in case we fancy going after anymore players.

 

[TheBlueCat]

Last I saw they had a bid rejected. I find the whole idea of waiting endlessly for replacements annoying. How can the club accept just waiting until an arbitrary date?

We can’t. At some point we will move on. This may be the reason Laporte is still with us as I can’t see us letting Walker and Laporte go without a replacement. I would think we are pretty close to pulling out. We need to prepare our players for next season. If we go into next season without Gvardiol but retain our CBs we will be fine. We don’t really need him. Bit like Rice, if he comes, then ok, if not, no big deal.

 

[bell_mcfc]

So keep Bernardo and have him available for CM/RW, same as Foden.

Ederson, Ortega, Carson

Akanji, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Stones, Lewis, Pavard (for Walker?)

Rodri/Phillips

KDB, Kovacic, Bernado, Foden, McAtee

Grealish, Alvarez, Bobb, Sane (for Mahrez?)

Haaland

Think that leaves us 1 light in midfield. Also have the risk of Phillips not playing much. Would be good to see someone like Veiga that could play central or wide if needed, unless we are all in on McAtee and/or Bobb. Pre season will help with that.

Thats 22 on the list, 9 homegrown, 4 club trained.

 

[SouthernPlastic]

Why do people keep saying Sane like it’s happening. I’d love it to happen, but can’t see it and also haven’t seen any links.

 

[Summerbuzz]

I was playing it cool, but it's ridiculous to see everyone else's shabby accounting yet again come up 'everyfing gud!', yet again. You lot are remarkable. Sure, don't winge. Whatever. Be honest, smallest squad in the PL says something, doesn't it.

Now there's Gundo, Laporte, Cancelo, Mahrez, Walker going. So many starts in that bunch! All reliable at elite CL level.

How many minutes? 14000. The equivalent of 155 full games. One hundred and fifty five starts. Gone.

That leaves Pep 4 whole players short. Absolutely pared to the bone accounting of the loss there. I could argue 5, easily. But let's say the loss is 4 players. 4 players each putting in more minutes in all comps than either Bernado or KDB did last year.

Let's not forget, when this started, the brief was the Kovacic was NOT Gundo's replacement. He was an essential purchase to make up the numbers in midfield, which had been pitifully short for 3 years, leading to KDB playing on one leg for the last month of the season - as well as potentially playing a part in Gundo saying he'd take the easy life in Spain.

So I'm pretty sure Pep will want Gvardiol + a winger, AND 1 more defender, AND 1 more midfielder.

MAYBE just one winger or midfielder. MAYBE. Either way, we oughtn't to worry about THB, McAtee and others getting time. They will.

Still not sure Phillips stays. Two years out is just crazy IMHO. Nice kid. "Nice". Has he got the fire? Hmm. Would honestly be more impressed if he's said a lot less. Far too easy to make the easy option of coasting sound like something else. What is the point in a player who clocks less than 600 minutes?

 

[bell_mcfc]

Why do people keep saying Sane like it’s happening. I’d love it to happen, but can’t see it and also haven’t seen any links.

I don’t think there are any genuine links to a Mahrez replacement out there yet as it’s only reports of Mahrez leaving so far.

It will probably all happen quickly but I think Sane is a great example which is why I used him. Top quality player to replace Mahrez with UCl experience and can play both sides. Sane having the advantage of knowing the manager and team/Manchester