Players who might improve us

[Johnny Mars Bar]

That lad who looked a bit like Jessie from Breaking Bad who we signed twice, Angelino.

 

[WallyA]

I won't keep Ake or Stones. It's time to be brutally honest. Both 30 and highly injury prone. They are not going to get less injury prone the older they get.

They are only kept because they are unsellable.

I don't consider them serious depth, and it's why I think we need to bring in 4 defenders over the next year, with 2 or 3 asap.

 

[ganganvince]

I would kill to have Laporte back. Seeing how well he played for Spain at the Euros was genuinely upsetting.

Said at the time we would regret that one.

 

[Uglyassin]

That lad who looked a bit like Jessie from Breaking Bad who we signed twice, Angelino.

Mr ‘David’ White’s accomplish.

 

[MCFCFanTX]

DM- Zubimemdi (Sociedad)
RB- Vanderson (Monaco)
CB- Bisseck (Inter)

First two are attainable in Jan due to a RC for Zubi and Monaco generally always being a selling club. Bisseck likely won't be available until the summer but that's the profile to look at. A combination of height, pace and physicality.

I know the report that said we won't be going for Bruno G and Zubi from earlier but I don't buy it.

In the summer we will need to tackle other positions like creative midfield, another goal scoring threat either as a 9, secondary striker, inside fwd or whatever and a proper 8. Someone with a Vitinha/Reijnders profile.

 

[MCFCFanTX]

I won't keep Ake or Stones. It's time to be brutally honest. Both 30 and highly injury prone. They are not going to get less injury prone the older they get.

I'd offer Ake back to Bournemouth at a cut price deal. As for Stones, he's in 250k wages so hard to see a place for him to go. Ake is on around 150-160k a week so presumably easier to move.

 

[simmo]

Do what the Italians do and ask for Douglas Luiz on loan. His physical presence in the midfield would be a good starter.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Palmer, Brahim Diaz, Morgan Rogers, Lavia , Tosin, Pedro Porro, Laporte , Tommy Doyle

Maybe Pep and the club feel justified in letting these go, bearing in my mind that we won numerous trophies and also made a huge financial profit.
It is this season that gets me. We had sold/ released several players over the last few seasons and were going into this season short on numbers.
We sold so many players and loaned out even more and left the squad depleted.
I can understand selling unwanted players to bring in cash but what is the point in loaning out Callum Doyle, Kabore and Yan Couto if you are going to be tight on squad numbers

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Do what the Italians do and ask for Douglas Luiz on loan. His physical presence in the midfield would be a good starter.

Stop talking sense.
People have been reported to the Mods for a lot less.

 

[Delphinho]

I can understand selling unwanted players to bring in cash but what is the point in loaning out Callum Doyle, Kabore and Yan Couto if you are going to be tight on squad numbers

Kabore and Couto wasn’t close to being good enough for City at the time they were loaned out

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

Kabore and Couto wasn’t close to being good enough for City at the time they were loaned out

or doyle yet tbh.

 

[Delphinho]

or doyle yet tbh.

Would make a decent backup CB/LB, but for his development a full season playing regularly for Norwich in the Championship is better

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Kabore and Couto wasn’t close to being good enough for City at the time they were loaned out

Yes they were good enough.
I'm not talking about a player who's going to be guaranteed a starting position but definitely keeping one of these two would have been a benefit to the squad and not cost us any money.
Both are better right backs than Lewis who has had to cover when Walker has been out.
Couto has played international football for Brazil and was with a very successful Girona last season.
Kabore has 44 international caps and was named the Best Young Player of the tournament at the 2021 African Nations.

Again I am repeating myself and saying that they may not be up to the standard that Walker used to produce but are very able deputies in Walkers absence. I wouldn't necessarily go out and buy them but when you already have them, why not make use of them.

Sometimes the girl next door is the best looking.

 

[RayCTID]

Kabore is struggling for game time for Benfica. He isn't the answer in replacing Walker. That signing is for the summer. There is the Belgian Kid but he is still only 20 years old and may suit Arsenal's simpler but effective football better than us.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Would make a decent backup CB/LB, but for his development a full season playing regularly for Norwich in the Championship is better

If he was here now, he'd be playing every week.
Going in to the start of the season thinking Stones and Ake would be readily available is nonsense. We all know their injury record

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

If he was here now, he'd be playing every week.
Going in to the start of the season thinking Stones and Ake would be readily available is nonsense. We all know their injury record

Knowing pep, doubt the kid plays over Gvardiol.

 

[Delphinho]

Yes they were good enough.
I'm not talking about a player who's going to be guaranteed a starting position but definitely keeping one of these two would have been a benefit to the squad and not cost us any money.
Both are better right backs than Lewis who has had to cover when Walker has been out.
Couto has played international football for Brazil and was with a very successful Girona last season.
Kabore has 44 international caps and was named the Best Young Player of the tournament at the 2021 African Nations.

Again I am repeating myself and saying that they may not be up to the standard that Walker used to produce but are very able deputies in Walkers absence. I wouldn't necessarily go out and buy them but when you already have them, why not make use of them.

Sometimes the girl next door is the best looking.

Kabore was average in the PL for Luton. I watched about 70% of Gironas games last season, and Couto is not built to play RB in the PL. Tiny, slow and far too weak. Good on the ball, good decision making and has a surprisingly good final ball, but he’s a terrible defender. Was at fault for 3 goals vs Real Madrid and was literally crying after the game as Vinicius completely tore him to shreds. He’s a more natural RB version of Rico, but would struggle for the same reasons as Rico currently does

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Kaboure is struggling for game time for Benfica. He isn't the answer in replacing Walker. That signing is for the summer

We needed a player last summer, even if it was a stop gap. Kabore was physically our player. His transfer wasn't actually finalised until 2 hours after the transfer window closed.
At that tinme, Pep knew what players were available to him. Kabore had to be higher up on the ladder than Simpson Pusey, Wright and O Reilly.
A direct replacement for Walker may be next summer but that's 6 months away and forward planning.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Kabore was average in the PL for Luton. I watched about 70% of Gironas games last season, and he’s built to play RB in the PL. Tiny, slow and far too weak. Good on the ball, good decision making and has a surprisingly good final delivery, but he’s a terrible defender. Was at fault for 3 goals vs Real Madrid and was literally crying after the game as Vinicius completely tore him to shreds. He’s a more natural RB version of Rico, but would struggle for the same reasons as Rico currently does

But what benefit did we get by letting them go when we knew we were short on numbers and carrying a few players that were injury prone.
I know its hindsight but the start of this season was the first in a long time that we knee we were looking short on squad size.

I'd take average for Luton last season as a stand in when, like today, Stones, Akanji and Kovacic looked likes lads who had spent the day at the OL corral.

 

[RayCTID]

We needed a player last summer, even if it was a stop gap. Kabore was physically our player. His transfer wasn't actually finalised until 2 hours after the transfer window closed.
At that tinme, Pep knew what players were available to him. Kabore had to be higher up on the ladder than Simpson Pusey, Wright and O Reilly.
A direct replacement for Walker may be next summer but that's 6 months away and forward planning.

He wouldn't have provided us with nothing different to what we currently have if he stayed. Benfica was a good club to really test him playing for one of Portuguese and European giants. Failed to make any impact there.