Summer Transfer Window 2017

[windymiller]

I think the Dutchman has stated he will be targeting players of 26/27/28 which is probably code for top quality. Let's see if he gets them.

Nobody would be happier than me if we signed 6 (and I think that is the minimum we need) top class players in their prime and in priciple I don't disagree with your position, I'm just not sure it is practical. If we sell Ross and Rom we will have £100-120m plus whatever we would have had to spend anyway. That makes (for arguments sake) £160m but we now need another 2 players to the 6 already mentioned, that gives us £20m per player which in today's market is not what top quality players are going for (we will probably generate another £20-40m by selling other squad players but we will also need to replace them as we have a very thin squad).

Personally, I would be happy to see 2-3 genuinely top class players supplemented with some young players with great potential and some solid pros with premier league experience. It's not as sexy as some people would want and it may mean that 5th or 6th would be our target for next year rather than 4th but I think it is achievable and, if done early enough in the window, would make us look like a proper professional outfit (which has been, and remains, a problem for us). I do worry about how we are going to replace Rom's goals though.

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

Leno is a FAR better keeper for roughly the same money and same age. Don't understand the 'they play in England so that's what we want!' mentality here. Keeper has to be one of the easiest transitions between leagues for any position on the pitch.

If you speak English? Yeah probably.

If not, it's arguably the toughest.

 

[navidson]

Not sure about Pickford - Got a horrible 'David Marshall' vibe about him

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

Not sure about Pickford - Got a horrible 'David Marshall' vibe about him

There's been several times this season (and the last couple!) when I would have bitten your hand off for David Marshall to be fair.

 

[bluestevon]

Not sure about Pickford - Got a horrible 'David Marshall' vibe about him

Except that Marshall was already 29 and had 3 clubs and about 200 games under his belt before he suddenly started getting talked about. Marshall was a player who'd been round the.block.

Nothing at alike these two,

 

[navidson]

Except that Marshall was already 29 and had 3 clubs and about 200 games under his belt before he suddenly started getting talked about. Marshall was a player who'd been round the.block.

Nothing at alike these two,

But he did have a tremendous season (better than Pickford's IMO) at a team that got relegated and then fell off a cliff

 

[MACCA75]

But he did have a tremendous season (better than Pickford's IMO) at a team that got relegated and then fell off a cliff

No wonder he wasn't the same player.

 

[hetion]

Re: Sigurdsson. I like him, he works hard and his set pieces are hugely valuable.

He has zero creativity in open play though. This season he's had 0.72 open play key passes per game which is around the bottom 5% for players in his position. For reference, Barkley has 1.72 per game. An elite player in that position like De Bruyne has 2.51. If we buy Gylfi then I think we'll need a clever creative passer to be a part of our attack/midfield. An attacking midfield of, say, Sigurdsson / Rooney / Barkley leaves us with very little 'magic' around the box and very little pace too. I'd be surprised if we weren't thinking about buying another player in that area.

 

[windymiller]

Re: Sigurdsson. I like him, he works hard and his set pieces are hugely valuable.

He has zero creativity in open play though. This season he's had 0.72 open play key passes per game which is around the bottom 5% for players in his position. For reference, Barkley has 1.72 per game. An elite player in that position like De Bruyne has 2.51. If we buy Gylfi then I think we'll need a clever creative passer to be a part of our attack/midfield. An attacking midfield of, say, Sigurdsson / Rooney / Barkley leaves us with very little 'magic' around the box and very little pace too. I'd be surprised if we weren't thinking about buying another player in that area.

Kevin De Bruyne 31 appearances 13 assists
Gylfi Sigurdsson 35 appearances 12 assists

Not too far apart on creating goals, Gylfi's stats are probably tilted towards free kick and corner assists but goals is goals!

 

[Nymzee]

Re: Sigurdsson. I like him, he works hard and his set pieces are hugely valuable.

He has zero creativity in open play though. This season he's had 0.72 open play key passes per game which is around the bottom 5% for players in his position. For reference, Barkley has 1.72 per game. An elite player in that position like De Bruyne has 2.51. If we buy Gylfi then I think we'll need a clever creative passer to be a part of our attack/midfield. An attacking midfield of, say, Sigurdsson / Rooney / Barkley leaves us with very little 'magic' around the box and very little pace too. I'd be surprised if we weren't thinking about buying another player in that area.

Sigurdsson AND Barkley starting maybe?

 

[Carlito]

I'd have Bret Hart in goal before Joe. The only possible positive to that signing would be that I'd get to call him Gianluigi Buffoon on a more regular basis.

Pickford or Schmeichel would be fine, but if Premier League experience is high on Koeman's agenda, then I'd sooner buy Vorm. At the time of his move it seemed to be an open secret that Lloris was going to PSG, but surely now he's spent enough time waiting on the bench.

 

[hetion]

Kevin De Bruyne 31 appearances 13 assists
Gylfi Sigurdsson 35 appearances 12 assists

Not too far apart on creating goals, Gylfi's stats are probably tilted towards free kick and corner assists but goals is goals!

Absolutely, his set pieces are fantastic and he's worth buying. I just mean we need an open play creator as well to balance it out. Probably a player similar to, sadly, Del. Pace, moments of magic, opening up defenses.

 

[windymiller]

I'd have Bret Hart in goal before Joe. The only possible positive to that signing would be that I'd get to call him Gianluigi Buffoon on a more regular basis.

Pickford or Schmeichel would be fine, but if Premier League experience is high on Koeman's agenda, then I'd sooner buy Vorm. At the time of his move it seemed to be an open secret that Lloris was going to PSG, but surely now he's spent enough time waiting on the bench.

 

[windymiller]

Absolutely, his set pieces are fantastic and he's worth buying. I just mean we need an open play creator as well to balance it out. Probably a player similar to, sadly, Del. Pace, moments of magic, opening up defenses.

Tielemans, maybe?

 

[nsnojosh]

What is with people's agendas against Schmeichel? Looked like one of the best keepers in the league and the CL this season to me.

Wonder if people's opinions would change if he was young and English.