Who would you sacrifice?

[leth]

How many of the current squad were in the u21 allotment last year but won't qualify this year? Sterling, jesus. Sane? Not sure so any help would've grateful.

In terms of the Premier League squad, Sane and Zinchenko were previously considered Under 21 players and from next season will have to be named in the squad list. Jesus has one more year as an U21 player.

It's the Champions League squad that we need to think about. Sane, Zinchenko and Jesus have always had to be registered for our A List so nothing changes on that front, although a weird quirk in the rules mean that we'll be able to name Jesus in the B list between January and the end of next season before he has to go back on the A list the following season.

We're always maxed out on A List spots. Yaya leaving frees up one space, but we'll almost certainly use that for a deep-lying midfielder, most likely Jorginho.

So if we want to buy a forward, we'll need to free up a space for him. To my mind there's two options - we can cut Zinchenko from the squad for the group stage, although we'll have room to name him in the Premier League squad if we didn't want to sell/loan him and as mentioned above, we'd have room for him after January. The alternative option is if Bravo leaves, we could keep Gunn as our back-up keeper and he can fill one of our four unused 'club-trained player' slots, freeing up a "free" player slot. This would be my preference.

 

[Barcon]

Yaya and Bravo.

 

[kiam06]

Aguero for a top level striker like Dybala.

Gundogan for Jorghino.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Aguero for a top level striker like Dybala.

Quit the WUMming please kiam.

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

Aguero for a top level striker like Dybala.

Gundogan for Jorghino.

Yawn

 

[Chris in London]

Aguero for a top level striker like aguero
.

Fixed

 

[jayfx]

I don't get people digging gundogan out, I fuckin love him.
Great touch, eye for goal, calm on the ball.

I really don't see it myself. Maybe it's his lack of game time since his injury but I don't rate him in this team. I'd agree with eye for the goal though, too much so.

 

[jayfx]

Same here,pep did mumble maybe an attacker on sky but i think help for dinho is more important,we need his sucessor in for when dinho runs out of steam

Agree with this. Shouldn't wait til Fernandinho is passed it before bringing someone in, like we did with the all our fullbacks. I'd like to see a DM brought in this summer. I do think we also need another striker but to rotate with Aguero and Jesus, not to replace any of them. Plus surely it's time up for Bravo. Either promote one of our younger keepers to number 2 or bring in ankther keeper. Even bring Hart back but please put Bravo out of his (and our) misery.

 

[bluealf]

I'm an utter bell end, I can't seem to help myself, it is no wonder Noel told me to fuck off.

Truth

 

[Gabriel]

Toward the end of the season, I never saw any hint of 'goodbye' from anyone save Toure, naturally, and perhaps Zinchenko. Assuming we add 2+3 players (e.g. De LIgt/Jorginho/Mahrez), and everyone is fit, we would likely have 3 senior key players and Foden and Diaz not even on the bench for some games. Injury and suspension are inevitable, of course, and there can be no guarantee that certain players maintain the same level of form, so everyone will not always be available. Still, when they are, Guardiola is going to earn his corn keeping them match fit and hungry.

One thing that seems evident is that we recognise that players often need time to make the transition to England and our style of football. Stockpiling players might look unnecessarily extravagant, then, based on where we are and what we have done, but with senior players earmarked for departure in the coming seasons, it appears prudent and sensible to buy now and have the players acclimatise.