How many players do we need?

[Michael Tsui]

You basically need two teams of 11 to play on so many fronts.

Adding some midfielders, wingers and forwards for different playstyle to mix it up, and another backup keeper (3 keepers is a minimum), 25-28 isn't too large a number.

 

[bluestevon]

We don't need 28 players either imo. Man City have competed strongly in four different competitions this season and have only used 23 players.

Combine the fact that the eufa isn't anywhere the same level as the CL difficulty wise until the last 16 usually so can get by with rotating and resting players certainly in the group games vs the dross

 

[technojoe]

7 new additions imo.

 

[bluestevon]

Of all the players currently in the team the one I'd be most tempted to sell if it meant the difference in getting in someone like a Tadic, Lukaku, Markovic type would be Naismith actually, looking at the price we got for both Jela and Chebes I actually think he'd bring in around the 8-9m mark and could be worth it

 

[West]

Need around 5 new additions not including loans imo

 

[Joao Moutinho]

Barry, Diame, Milner, Martins-Indi, Lukaku/Bony, Deulofeu (Loan), Traore (Loan) and Tadic

Promote - Browning, Garbutt, Ledson, Mcaleny

 

[SpeedEFC]

Not including this season's loans in the squad, I reckon we need about 8 players to properly compete on all fronts next season. We need a centre back (preferably one that's yet to reach his prime), 2 Strikers, a quality creative centre mid/wide midfielder who can play a through ball, 2 defensive mids, a pacey winger and a utility player or two like Pienaar or Naismith who can fill in numerous positions. We should be looking to sign Lukaku and Barry as well as a CB and creative midfielder on permanent deals then use either frees or loans to patch the holes in the squad. Any positions where the right player isn't available then we promote from within with the likes of Browning being the CB we need or Lundstram or Ledson being the CM cover we need.

To be honest we should be able to get 4 quality players on permanent deals with £30m then pad the squad with options using the loan system as well as promoting from within, that should be easily enough to make sure we stay competitive even when injuries and fatigue takes hold.

 

[Liam Tait]

Am I the only one who thinks we ain't got a hope of getting Lukaku? No doubt he'd want to play but can't see us spending 80% of our budget on one player.

We need six players minimum to compete effectively in both PL and EL.

We will deffo need...

Replacement for Barry, can't see us paying his wage. Would love it if I'm wrong.
Good shout Deo will come back.
Another top quality centre mid.
Striker to replace RL, not sure Kone will cut it.
Another decent centre half, Distins legs have got to give up some time soon.

 

[ijjysmith]

If we spend anywhere near £30m I'd be majorly shocked.

If we spend anywhere near that without selling someone ace I'd be even more shocked.

 

[bluestevon]

If we spend anywhere near £30m I'd be majorly shocked.

If we spend anywhere near that without selling someone ace I'd be even more shocked.

Serious question though mate, would you sell Naismith this summer? was thinking about it earlier and out of the potentials we'd get a decent fee for he's the only one i could see us coping without missing hugely

 

[ijjysmith]

Serious question though mate, would you sell Naismith this summer? was thinking about it earlier and out of the potentials we'd get a decent fee for he's the only one i could see us coping without missing hugely

Hmmm.

No I don't think I would. My reasons are two fold:

1 - We wouldn't get very much for him so it's not worth it.
2 - He's alright in'he?!

 

[toffeejack]

Serious question though mate, would you sell Naismith this summer? was thinking about it earlier and out of the potentials we'd get a decent fee for he's the only one i could see us coping without missing hugely

no. i think he's that type of goalscorer every squad needs. he's the only player in our squad atm who is very aware around the pen area. he could keep improving and we'd look like mugs selling him for around £3m, can't see anyone offering more than that.

 

[bluestevon]

Hmmm.

No I don't think I would. My reasons are two fold:

1 - We wouldn't get very much for him so it's not worth it.
2 - He's alright in'he?!

Aye I think he's come on massively, but looking at the price we got for both Jela and Anichebe this season could easily see the likes of a Hull or Stoke or newly promoted team stumping up 8-9m for him this year given the season he has had, and still don't think he is the ideal fit for the system Martinez is putting in place

Good squad player but with Barkley hopefully playing more and more in the hole next year, can see him featuring less and besides playing dropped off he looks poor when out wide

 

[bluestevon]

no. i think he's that type of goalscorer every squad needs. he's the only player in our squad atm who is very aware around the pen area. he could keep improving and we'd look like mugs selling him for around £3m, can't see anyone offering more than that.

He'd fetch a decent bit more than either Jelavic or Anichebe mate IMO

 

[Zaschrona]

Bobby said he wants 27 outfield players in our squad if we make Europe. We are in Europe now, so we need 27 players. We practically used 16 outfield players in this season we have a contract for the next season. So we need 11 new players - via transfer, loan, free agency or we can just promote some players to the first team from loanees or youth teams.

Martinez likely wants to work with a squad of 25 senior players plus 5 young players with keepers, so then we need quite a huge squad. I will go position by position...
GK: Howard, Robles, a youngster from club as third GK (Stanek/Springthorpe/Taudul)
RB: Coleman, Browning (+ Stones if needed, youngster Jonjoe Kenny may get a chance as well)
RCB: Jagielka, Stones
LCB: a new player (Lescott/Martins Indi/???), Distin, Alcaraz/Duffy
LB: Baines, Oviedo, Garbutt
DM: a new player (Barry), a new player (Rodwell/Cork/Diame), Lundstram/Ledson
CM: McCarthy, Osman, Gibson
RW: Mirallas, a new player (Deulofeu)
AM: Barkley, a new player (Cleverley/Firmino)
LW: Pienaar/a new player (Tadic/???), McGeady, Kennedy/McAleny
ST: a new player (Lukaku/Bony/Lacazette/???), a new player (Traore/Batshuayi/???), Naismith, Kone

In other words, in my opinion we need to sign 7 or 8 players, 2 of them we are almost sure to get (Barry and Deulofeu on loan) and we can likely get another player on a loan/free as Traore, Rodwell or Lescott to the squad as well. That means we need to sign 4 or 5 players with our whole budget.

We should have at least that £27M available from player sells, Bobby told us in an interview, plus at least little bit more thankfully to us getting to Europe, then it should be possible for us to get Lukaku for £20M, a player like Cleverley for £6.5M, a DM for £3.5M like Diame, Lescott for free and Traore on loan. And that's a possible scenario even we would not spend almost a single penny on transfer fees we got from new big extra TV money. I would be really happy with a summer like this, if nobody goes out. But I believe we could even spend some of these TV money as well, so we could hopefully change a player like Pienaar who we would let go home, MLS or somewhere else for a player like Tadic or Lacazette... or instead of taking Lescott which would not be the ideal solution, we could invest into a new young CB like Caulker or Martins Indi...

I am so excited for this summer.