João Palhinha

Rodri is so important to how we play that it's impossible to sign one player to be back up. The drop off is just too steep for anyone else to come in and do his job. And anyone anywhere near close to his level is too good to be a back up.

We need to find other ways of playing and keeping control of games when he's absent that don't involve trying to replace like for like. I'm not sure what that looks like but it inevitably means using different players in different combinations. We're looking for someone who can contribute in covering any Rodri absences but also gets to play when Rodri is fit too. I thought maybe that was the plan for the likes of Kovacic/Nunes/Phillips but that clearly hasn't worked out so far when Rodri has been absent. Maybe this guy can do a job, but whatever happens, I don't think it works to be framing this signing (or any other) as pure back up for Rodri.
 
Alan Harper's Tash said:
We weren’t looking for a 6 in the summer. Phillips going opens the door for another player.

Whether we pay Paulinha’s release clause, I’m not so sure, but we might bring someone in.

Perrone might be our back up 6 next season though.
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Perrone very well could be. His progression at Las Palmas has been steadily upwards...
 
Alan Harper's Tash said:
We weren’t looking for a 6 in the summer. Phillips going opens the door for another player.

Whether we pay Paulinha’s release clause, I’m not so sure, but we might bring someone in.

Perrone might be our back up 6 next season though.
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While I agree with your point for not looking for a 6 at the time however if Palhinha was a higher priority then last summer would be have made more sense rather than either Kovacic, Paqueta or Nunes. I am not sure Perrone will be at City next season either. As for Phillips it will be a cheaper option if we are going to fill that position (slim pickings at this stage).
 
RayCTID said:
While I agree with your point for not looking for a 6 at the time however if Palhinha was a higher priority then last summer would be have made more sense rather than either Kovacic, Paqueta or Nunes/
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Pep and Txiki decided they wanted dribblers in the summer. Hence we got Kovacic, Nunes and Doku and wanted Paqueta.

Paulinha is a destroyer as a 6. He isn’t progressive at all. Whilst he would be awesome to have for games at Anfield and the Bernabeu, we generally wouldn’t need his skill set in games. £65m for a 28/9 year old seems steep, especially when he might not fit.

Txiki will have asked Pep already if he needs cover for Phillips going. We will get that answer in the next few weeks.
 
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Alan Harper's Tash said:
Pep and Txiki decided they wanted dribblers in the summer. Hence we got Kovacic, Nunes and Doku and wanted Paqueta.

Paulinha is a destroyer as a 6. He isn’t progressive at all. Whilst he would be awesome to have for games at Anfield and the Bernabeu, we generally wouldn’t need his skill set in games. £65m for a 28/9 year old seems steep, especially when he might not fit.

Tkixi will have asked Pep already if he needs cover for Phillips going. We will get that answer in the next few weeks.
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I have a gut feeling Pep is going to stick for this season and not chase for the likes of Palhihina (who probably wants Munich if he is going to leave Fulham)
 
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