Kun Aguero said:
bluechampion7891 said:
bluesimon said:
In a top side, he would be gold. He is clearly going to be a top striker, given a year or two more, so I say, get the bid in during the next window and set the marker for the summer.
striker? he's a box to box player in the #10 positon. his future is a B2B MF
He's the nearest thing to Rooney in the past 10 years, I'd be happy to sign Barkley(although I don't think he's consistent enough for the Wonga Everton want) but I'd be fucking distraught if we sold Yaya and signed Barkley to play in a 2 man midfield.
no, he cannot replace Yaya and he cannot play as a midfielder in 2 at the
moment.
However, I see no reason why, after a year or two of tactical development, he coudnt start alongside fernando or someone like Koke, the former being very good defensively and the latter giving an element of yaya's control. He has the makings of a very special box to box player, if we sign him as a number 10 or as Yaya's direct replacement i'll question our recruitment team.
We already have the best #10 in Silva, and we have a plethora of academy talent (Pozo, Lopes, even Iheanacho is more a #10 forward than a striker) who I'd like to see as the future. Barkley will have to improve his goal output a lot or play precise killer balls or show that he can run the game in the final third to be worth the #10 position, and IMO at the moment I don't see it.
Similarly, he lacks the passing ability and control that Yaya provides, and gives possession away too easily to be the midfield dictator.
But his engine, strength, power, pace, dribbling, long shots and ability with both feet means he can be an elite box to box midfielder with time. I see him as more fernandinho's heir than as Yaya's or Silva's. I wouldn't mind if we got him for something like 30M + milner, with his role being in rotation with fernandinho with him eventually taking his position, as long as we get either Koke or Pogba to be the controller in midfield.
