You also wonder, given the friendly dynamic between Usmanov/Abramovich if something could be worked out.
Upwards of 60m would help a lot re FFP too, but also give us the opportunity to probably go on a big spending spree.
£60mil for a CF who scored 16 league goals in 33 games? England international and only 24 ?
If were trying to build a side we need to keep our best players and id say we need to keep the 3 England guys in the spine, Pickford, Godfrey and DCL.
We were sat incredibly deep last season and our metrics were shocking yet he hit 16...he should improve as we improve.
I'd love a great centre back in. I'm not convinced by any of ours bar Godfrey, and he's still got some developing to do.
I think our defensive frailties were mostly covered by playing quite deep, and with fifty defenders. Needing to play that way creates too many problems elsewhere as far as I can see.
An athletic unit of a centre back would go a long way to making us better. It's a big ask though, especially with other areas of the side needing repair.
101% aside from the last sentence, i think its critical.
I think Southgate prefers Mings as he has more of the 'big grock' quality when Maguire is missing. White isn't a tall centre-half, he and Stones would be too similar. Godfrey as the pure athlete and White as the 'brains' in a partnership is, to me, the natural long term England partnership after Maguire in the next three or four years.
I think White has a very high ceiling in terms of potential. You can easily see him being worth £70m in four years time, and I think it's a risk free signing in terms of the quality he'd offer immediately. He's not one of those signings that's a gamble IMO. I'd be all for binning off two of Mina/Keane/Holgate and bringing White in.
Do I think it'll happen? Unfortunately, no. I think this is newspaper nonsense.
Thats the exciting part really...them both forging a long term partnership for Everton and England. On paper a great fit and worth paying a premium for.
I just can't see a world where it makes sense to get rid of Mina and Keane mate. They were our best partnership last season, and with Mina we were averaging nearly 2 points per game. At Liverpool he tended to sit deep with cloggers and they fit the bill. I'm not sure White is currently better than Mina, and if we sit a bit deeper, even Keane.
I see CB as our strongest area on the pitch.
I actually think our defence is shocking. The reason we picked up points in many games was through playing a very deep defence and midfield and scraping out a goal.
As weve seen, that impacts the team getting forward, you cant push up or else the defence is exposed...meaning the forwards suffer.
Mina has 2 years on his deal and picks up injuries while Keane is an oaf.
If were looking to build something consistently around top 4 for the long term then neither of them are going to be a 30+ league game starter for us.
If Benitez sits deep as much as last season then we'll be miles off the pace again...to beat the lower teams you need to play further up the pitch...we failed at that last season.
Doesn't surprise me. I got laughed at a few months back for saying it, but in terms of signing top level centre-forwards that are remotely available this summer, there's Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and then next in the list for me is Calvert-Lewin.
Chelsea, United, City, Spurs (if Kane goes) will all be looking at him closely. I think he'll stay, but if a bid of £80m approx comes in it'll be an interesting one.
Thing is with £80mil who do you go for?
Theres Vlahovic and one or two others who may step up but with all the talk of Moshiri wanting to be at the top i think its a massive drop off.
Ideally would want 2x forwards coming in - one with potential but also one proven goalscorer.
Something like Ings + Toney or Abraham + Edouard to reduce the risk.
Jesus Christ. I think someone needs to send that to Brands so he gets DCL an extension.
