It's Quiet 18 - Wanna ring the bell?

[Damanino]

if early summer ITK infos are correct we gonna sign 1 or 2 big names still. otherwise lot of crap was fed to ITKs if Savio is the only name.

and those bigger rumours were way before we knew we gonna cash in on JA.

I expect busy 2 weeks for PL top6/top7, lot of money still to be spent on transfers.

to me it will look fishy if the step on the brake so much with about 100m positive in net spend. either something with the shit ffp case hanging over us or Pep not fancy a renewal or any rebuild and wants one last go with what we have.

sure we had lessons to learn from Phillips, Nunes transfers, but at least the Kovacic type of transfer where we get a cheap, experienced rotational option for a DM and instead of Alvarez wouldnt cost a fortune and could be very useful. otherwise we could have said last summer why bring in Kovacic, Stones can continue to step up to midfield, and Lewis can fill in etc. Kovacic then ended up with decent minutes and became a good rotational option, and see out games etc with also not demanding to be first name on the teamsheet.
and then we even brought Nunes on top thinking we need even more options.

its the opposite this summer.

get Chelsea game out of the way and then I am sure Pep will have a talk with Txiki again albeit any business we might do now we could have done a month ago too.

worried of KDB as well especially fitness wise, and games coming up every 3 days and he is still to play for Belgium a lot too, last season he was more fresh 2nd half of season due to his huge time off 1st half of it. we had end product from Alvarez to offset him missing a lot of games but imo he will still miss a lot of game at least as in rotation but few injuries also expected.
and there are more CL games and new CWC in June and possibly wont go out of Carabao very first game like last season.

 

[Gumzy97]

I thinks it's a possibility that we might.

How likely is it we get a starter or a very decent player this late in the window? Who would want their team to be weakened so late in the window and/or after the season has started?

Last year we got Nunes so my confidence isn't as high after that.

There's always La liga, release clauses their teams have no say.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

The club aren’t stupid though, ask any fan of any club and they’l tell you we recruit and plan long term better than their club. I hear it all the time. So though you or I might not see it, there is a plan a long term plan and it isn’t a fucking seriously stupid one.

I believed that too. Then we signed Nunes and Phillips for £100m and don’t trust them enough to play them.

The club get most things right, but this idea that they have some 4D chess plan to support every single decision they make is clearly nonsense.

 

[Gumzy97]

News from La liga is Real Sociedad promised Zubimendi alot including a nice pay rise, but are struggling to actual give it to him along with other promises.

 

[Fordyboy46]

Unless things are happening behind the scenes re incoming transfers I think it's too late to look for players now with two weeks left. A very odd window for us and the scousers but I expect them to strengthen considerably these next two weeks

 

[applejuice]

Brace yourself…

Man City are forced to accept absent Rodri really is irreplaceable

JACK GAUGHAN: To find somebody good enough to deputise for Rodri(left) but also happy to act as deputy to the world's best in that area of the pitch appears nigh-on impossible.

www.dailymail.co.uk

"It's why the noises around City all summer have been that a conventional holding midfielder is unlikely to be signed before the transfer window shuts, despite a clamour from the fans."

 

[Ric]

This is seriously fucking stupid from the club. Like do they not remember having Ilkay Gundogan and using him as a perfect Rodri understudy, whilst also using him as a starter most games ahead of Rodri? They just have to do the same again, not find a DM that’s happy to be on the bench most of the season. What the fuck are they on about? It’s beyond a joke at this point.

Tbh, that’s kind of how I read the article - they aren’t looking for a specialist 6 to replace Rodri. More someone who can play either as a 6 or 8, like Guimaraes (although I think that boat has probably sailed). Probably wishful thinking though.

 

[applejuice]

Tbh, that’s kind of how I read the article - they aren’t looking for a specialist 6 to replace Rodri. More someone who can play either as a 6 or 8, like Guimaraes (although I think that boat has probably sailed). Probably wishful thinking though.

Yep

I agree with that we cannot find a direct replacement for Rodri but I think we can have a better solution if we bring in a midfielder whose game is more defensive and physical than the existing choices we have. Just like how Spanish national team managed when Rodri is not on the pitch.

 

[117 M34]

Couple of 30+ midfielders who might fancy a back up role
Xhaka
Parades

 

[richards30]

News from La liga is Real Sociedad promised Zubimendi alot including a nice pay rise, but are struggling to actual give it to him along with other promises.

Would be hilarious if we got him