Here's my two cents. We need a left-back who can play week-in, week-out so we can move Baines into the Central Midfield position for certain games where he'll get through less running and allow his killer boot to really make an impact. Someone decently young and energetic with a decent cross and the ability to defend and keep it tight, someone like Jonas Hector, 25, good at defending and chipping in a few goals as well. I'd bring in a CB to play along side Stones and build the heart of a defensive unit.
If we're getting De Boer (oi oi), then someone like Joël Veltman would be an absolute shout, good on the ball and a good tackler, 24 as well with title-winning experience at Ajax.
Also, pivotal to a defensive change is a new half-back to play alongside McCarthy, who is a roaming forward-sweeper rather than a disciplined half-back, in the role currently occupied by Gareth Barry. Someone like Saul, 21 from Atletico would do this to good effect, or, further afield, we could attempt to lure Johannes Geis from Schalke. He's the archetypal half-back, strong, good at dictating tempo, able to tackle and able to distribute further up field, he would really stabilise our ball-retention and circulation.
