Kyle Walker

[geoff clipp]

Broadly speaking, you could make the case that over the course of the past two years, Spurs have been pretty much the best side in the country. Over that time, Walker has been their first choice right back and many have said that it's the quality they have in their full back positions that has been integral to the way they play. On top of that he's English and has just been voted the best right back in the league. There's no way a player fitting that profile will be acquired at anything less than a hefty price. Sure £45m sounds ridiculous money but at the same time I don't believe that £30-35m gets you a player like that these days. You can shop abroad but it's always a risk. He's a proven performer in a position where we're crying out for vast improvement. Would be a solid signing even at £40-45m for me as I'd rather not take a gamble in this position.

 

[cibaman]

Who cares about the fee.

Kompany was £6m and is the dogs bollocks.

Aguero was £37m and is the dogs bollocks.

Tevez was god knows how much and was the dogs bollocks.

Mangala was £32m and is shite.

It really doesn't matter what the fee is I just hope Walker is good for City. Which I think he will be.

I think the fee is relevant in that there still seem to be clubs that regard City as a soft touch in the transfer market. We've gone some way to eradicating that, by walking away from the Pogba deal and by bringing in players such as Jesus, Sane and Silva cheaply and without any fuss. But some clubs such as Spurs probably still think that if they hold out long enough we'll cough up in the end. I'm not that bothered about the fee itself more the time it takes. If we're replacing almost an entire defence we need the new defenders on board well before the season starts.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Broadly speaking, you could make the case that over the course of the past two years, Spurs have been pretty much the best side in the country. Over that time, Walker has been their first choice right back and many have said that it's the quality they have in their full back positions that has been integral to the way they play. On top of that he's English and has just been voted the best right back in the league. There's no way a player fitting that profile will be acquired at anything less than a hefty price. Sure £45m sounds ridiculous money but at the same time I don't believe that £30-35m gets you a player like that these days. You can shop abroad but it's always a risk. He's a proven performer in a position where we're crying out for vast improvement. Would be a solid signing even at £40-45m for me as I'd rather not take a gamble in this position.

It's a perfectly fair point. And Walker plus Alves will be a strong right back situation, by modern standards.

However, I would like to think, that seeing as we have known for 6-7 years we would need a right back by this time & have a scouting network more widespread than the mafia, that by now, we would have been able to identify ten blokes who can do the right back job & sign at least one of them before having to pay 50 mil, for a big daft English bloke.

It's interesting that whenever there is a disussion re young players coming through, some cliched halfwit will always throw in "I think our club knows better, which players will make it, just by watching them in training".

Well if they do, then they are pretty negilgent when it comes to young defenders, or we would surely have signed a few.

 

[blueparrot]

It's a perfectly fair point. And Walker plus Alves will be a strong right back situation, by modern standards.

However, I would like to think, that seeing as we have known for 6-7 years we would need a right back by this time & have a scouting network more widespread than the mafia, that by now, we would have been able to identify ten blokes who can do the right back job & sign at least one of them before having to pay 50 mil, for a big daft English bloke.

It's interesting that whenever there is a disussion re young players coming through, some cliched halfwit will always throw in "I think our club knows better, which players will make it, just by watching them in training".

Well if they do, then they are pretty negilgent when it comes to young defenders, or we would surely have signed a few.

While that may all be true, the only reason our options are limited is at least two of our targets this summer need to be homegrown, and fullbacks is the only position that players are available and anywhere near good enough for us to buy. Bertrand looks like one, and if not Walker then we are left with very slim pickings for homegrown available right back.
Perhaps the signing of Alves shows that the club still have expectations that Maffeo will be good enough in a year or 2.

 

[Neville Kneville]

While that may all be true, the only reason our options are limited is at least two of our targets this summer need to be homegrown, and fullbacks is the only position that players are available and anywhere near good enough for us to buy. Bertrand looks like one, and if not Walker then we are left with very slim pickings for homegrown available right back.
Perhaps the signing of Alves shows that the club still have expectations that Maffeo will be good enough in a year or 2.

I think Maffeo is good enough now, & was 6 months ago but he's more Zabba MkII than Alves or Walker & Pep doesn't especially want a 'proper' fullback there, imo, he wants an attacker.

But whatever, imo we should not have needed to sign Alves (great signing though he may be) because we should have identified & signed up, someone younger, even if it was on a 'buyback' kind of deal.

 

[RayCTID]

I might be an half-wit but I still stick by my point of view about the EDS players. The first team coach gets a better idea on how they interact with the rest of the squad and whether they can fully take on board on what he demands and fully expects from the youth players. (Kelechi being the latest one being moved on through lack of game time and not fully clicking).

 

[blueparrot]

I think Maffeo is good enough now, & was 6 months ago but he's more Zabba MkII than Alves or Walker & Pep doesn't especially want a 'proper' fullback there, imo, he wants an attacker.

But whatever, imo we should not have needed to sign Alves (great signing though he may be) because we should have identified & signed up, someone younger, even if it was on a 'buyback' kind of deal.

Genuine question here, is there anyone that could be considered a younger version of Alves. Or is he a one off. Just wondering because I wouldn't have thought Alves was considered a target a few months ago and whether we ditched a different target when he became available.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I might be an half-wit but I still stick by my point of view about the EDS players. The first team coach gets a better idea on how they interact with the rest of the squad and whether they can fully take on board on what he demands and fully expects from the youth players. (Kelechi being the latest one being moved on through lack of game time and not fully clicking).

Better idea than us, yes.

Does he know a player for sure at 19-20 ? Absolutely not. And that includes Pep.

If Pep was infallible in that area, Bojan would be playing for City or Chelsea now, & not Stoke. Pep gave him 100 games for Barca.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Genuine question here, is there anyone that could be considered a younger version of Alves. Or is he a one off. Just wondering because I wouldn't have thought Alves was considered a target a few months ago and whether we ditched a different target when he became available.

I've no idea.

The best right back I've seen playing in the Confed Cup, is the lad from Southampton who looks better for Portugal, than Walker has ever done for England. So what do I know ?

 

[RayCTID]

Better idea than us, yes.

Does he know a player for sure at 19-20 ? Absolutely not. And that includes Pep.

If Pep was infallible in that area, Bojan would be playing for City or Chelsea now, & not Stoke. Pep gave him 100 games for Barca.

Every coach in professional get's it wrong, and no-one fully of course there are late developers. We shouldn't slam the door in any of the EDS lads faces when it comes to the first team, but at this time we cannot afford too many gambles when it comes to promoting from within.