We have to start understand what the clubs and their transfers are up against.
We spent £60m in the summer on 3 positions, all the clubs in the top 4 spend that on 1 player.
Unless we risk FFP and break out Usmanov, we have to be realistic and take the odd risk on players who need to take the next step.
This transfer policy worked for Moyes but Carlo can't build a team, he has to hit the ground running.
We desperately need a RIGHT BACK and RIGHT WING/ATTACK. I would be looking to spend the majority of our budget on those two positions. They instantly create balance, trust and another line of attack which makes us a greater threat.
Defensively, Holgate has hit his glass ceiling for me, so we need central defender and I would look for more experience someone like a Maksimovic who is on a free, we need more game management at the back.
Thats what ive been saying...£65mil across James, Nkounkou, Allan, Doucoure and Godfrey would be spent by a top 4 side on one player.
We do need a CB but Maksimovic would compound our problems...we need quality.
Why do you think hes off to dourtmund? I havent seen it mentioned anywhere.
Dourtmunds top signing is hummels at £27.45m and I presume that was so high because bayern still owed them money on the deal. If bailey is rated at the £50m you think he is theres no way dourtmund will pay that much for him, its just not how dourtmund operates.
In a season that dourtmund has had to slash the asking price on one of their most prised assets in sancho (from 120m to 70m) because of the financial restrictions covid has placed on them i just can't see them splashing £50-60m on one player personally.
Thats a fair point. I just had the feeling that if they sell Sancho for £80mil then signed Bailey for £50-60mil then they bank some cash + have Bailey to sell for £80mil in a couple of seasons.
2 signings is not going to change much with this group. We don’t keep possession. We don’t score goals. We need 4 starters IMO. RB CB,CM,RW/forward. Back up keeper and another attacker, who has quality so if DCL or Richarlison isn’t performing he’s good enough to put them on the bench for a few weeks.
I’d also like another midfielder to come in, young with real potential. That’s if we can get rid of delph, Gomes abs maybe even punt Davies if we get a decent offer.
i think we need 5. CB, RB, DM, RF, LF...could also do with a CM as well but that can wait a season.
I bet Brands goes after Zaha again, the big goon.
Im no Zaha fan but Keane +Iwobi swap for Zaha would get two players out at least.
Trippier is a much much better player than Emerson... its not close
Trippier is and has been a top player.
The question really is whether you spend £10-15mil on Trippier for two seasons or £20mil on Emerson/£30mil Aarons to cover you for a decade.
Soumare is an absolute beast, pace, strength and vision. Nothing we have comes near him. 22 years of age and heading to Leicester
Hes a good player with high potential, if a bit inconsistent. Actually i think we can do better.
He’s also 31 and our current right back who is a finished mess is 32.
As i mentioned above, do we spend £10-15mil on Trippier or £20-30mil on Emerson/Aarons?
For me its daft to sign Trippier...we need pace at RB and he doesnt have it.
We’ve got to just go big in the summer. We can’t turn out next season looking to win 1-0 every game.
A RB who can actually run and cross would be a start. But a right sided version of Digne would be great, although unrealistic.
Get in a big, demanding CB and partner him with Godfrey. We need stability at the back.
Midfield especially, we’re technically dreadful. Doucoure, Allan & Davies (eg as our midfield today) never look comfortable on the ball and can’t control games. A calming influence in the midfield who can actually pass the ball forwards. Shoot Gomes & Delph into the sun.
RW & ST need stocking. Iwobi is a joke and James can’t be arsed half of the time. We’ve got to get competition for DCL & Richy too, far too many times have they not performed / been poor for stretches of games with no one to bring in.
So mabg positions to fill....
If we had gotten Gbamin, Mina, Gomes and Iwobi right then we wouldnt be in this mess.
We still need players in those positions.
Its a major concern that midfield is still a critical position.
Have Allen and Doucoure actually improved us? I actually think we miss Doucoure much more than Allen. I still dont understand what his role is. He runs around a lot but is never in the right position. He hasn't scored a goal or made an assist and constantly passes square. I'm not a fan at all.
Allan has always been an 8. Ancelotti played him alot as a 6 in Napoli...hes always been better as an 8.
Think of him and Doucoure playing the same position.
Part of the problem is we always want big names, top players rather than players who'll give us balance and options.
I can imagine fume if we signed Coufal, Soucek, Fofana, Martinez.
Look at what Atalanta + Lille are doing with smart recruitment and a real identity in how they play. There's no coherent plan, we're light years away.
Forget more sticking plasters and name signings we need some foundations first. RB, CB, CM, RW/FW. Young, hungry winners.
Seriously sick of groundhog day every summer with Everton we don't seem to build it's all quick fixes there is no quick fix we have to follow a Leicester model. Young, hungry, dynamic players we resemble a Seria A team currently we will go nowhere if we don't change course.
Truth is we can float big names but we need up and coming players why would Bailey come here we aren't even in Europe that's the sad truth?! We need players who can actually do jobs we have a bunch of fair-weather cowards a few players apart.
The other day i put up a list of Brazilians who we could go for...from memory:
RB: Emerson
CB: Bremer
DM: Guimaraes
LF/AM: Cunha
RF: Antony
Plus a few left field options. All of these guys should have improved us this season.
However im also looking at France...theres some top quality talent there coming through and we should be there before Leicester and the rest...
CB: Badiashile (Monaco)
DM:Tchouameni (Monaco)
DM: Kamara (Marseille)
LF: Diaby (Leverkusen)
The two boys at Monaco are monsters with high technical abilility. The CB is left footed which slots him in next to Digne
Kamara i rave about, he can play defence, defensive midfield or central midfield...hes going to be a big name and only one year on his deal. Hes got the lot.
Diaby weve all read about over the past fortnight.
All of those guys are French u21 players, they all have pace and are good passers...all of them want to win games.
Bring the 4 of them in as a group so they can adapt together.
I've always thought that the Prem was a pull, but we do need to find players before they are at a level where other team's like Tottenham and Arsenal who can offer Europe will be in for them? Ie a Bailey.
Also are we attracted to glamour names over what we actually practically need for the squad? We have a squad of "names" but most of them are fair weather players lacking in substance. For instance we could get Anguissa for twenty million, Jack Harrison is available for ten as he has one year on his city contract left. These would be solid additions but are they glamorous enough for Everton as it seems we have a type of player and it's the wrong type, it's an inconsistent player taking a step down with a weak mentality usually.
I saw a video the other day on 'the mighty blues' naming Harrison, Anguissa and Pereira as signings we should make.
The argument was that theyre 'probably' good enough for europa league and we need squad depth.
Honestly, whats the point in signing those three for say £55-60mil instead of just going straight for those 4 French guys ive named above -- who will cost more -- but could well be top 4 level players going forward.