A lot of interesting thoughts in this.
I am not sure I would count Neves and Neto for example, as streets ahead of say Bissouma on this seasons performances. Brighton are a funny team, I live near there and they play a lot better stuff than the league table suggests. Everytime I've seen Bissouma over some time, I've been quite impressed and they are near to Wolves in the table. He just feels to me like someone who would be well suited to playing in a better team, whereas with Neves, I just sense he would need the team built around him.
In general though, you are lowering the risk by signing such players. I'm probably an increasingly big fan, of the "don't mess it up, don't lose money " school of thought.
Serie A players would offer a potential avenue into that, particularly those with Carlo's blessing. So we may see a bit of a mixed approach.
Neto to me would make a lot of sense, but I suspect he may go to a United.
It was more the point that Neto and Neves could be seen as playing for a club with a higher profile in recent seasons. Id probably put them in a similar category to Rice and Soucek if West Ham had been in mid table this season.
Just on Rice, who comes in for him if United dont? Id imagine if someone like Grealish or Saka became available then United, Chelsea and perhaps City and Liverpool would sell players to accomodate them...not so much with Rice though.
i think with Neves or Neto, would the Portuguese links give us a chance of Gomes + a wheelbarrow of cash? I think there could be more swap deals this summer that happen alot more frequently between european clubs.
Neves, to answer your point could slot in alongside Gbamin and/or Allan in a 2. However i think if we were going down that road it would be Rabiot or similar. I think Rabiot may link up quite well with Gbamin actually.
On the surface, a midfield consisting of Gbamin, Allan, Doucoure, Bissouma wont be bullied and would cover the depth and competition for 2 or 3 places with Davies and Onyango also there.
In a diamond, starting with Gbamin, Doucoure and Bissouma with James at the tip gives you alot of power and could overrun and outnumber opposition players.
How much for Bissouma? Brighton have quoted high prices for other players to Leeds and other sides in the last couple of seasons, possibly £40mil ? Could we bring in Kessie instead and which one is the better yet safer option?
If we had the money then id be excited to go for both -- very good profiles.
Thats the type of profile Liverpool have had with their 3 centre mids...but Kessie, Bissouma, Doucoure and Gbamin of course are a quartet of physicality and power.
Deviating across my point really which was just:
1: Players with high profiles at well known teams outside the top few clubs
2: Young high profile players with high potential overseas
3: The big fish in smaller ponds below the mid table down to the championship
Possibly one or two older players with 'eltite' profiles and or maybe a punt on a loan for a Soucek type or South American?
I was surprised he wasn't buried after the performance last week, but was pleasantly surprised at how forgiving people were with him.
What really hit me, as I said after the game was how big he looked. He looks absolutely enormous and you can see by how he takes the ball, he is comfortable on the ball. The aim will be to have him right for next season, but if we are patient, he could make a big difference. It's interesting they see him as a similar type to Doucoure. If we can add a third reliable player, with then Davies and Allan as quite reliable options, we finally have what might be approaching a number of decent midfield options.
I can see why people like Klopp looked very closely at Gbamin though. He has a fantastic build.
The Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Henderson trio (and assuming that was what Keita was meant to be) were dominating midfielders and just recycling the ball forwards.
Thats a nice profile of player to have and with Gbamin Allan and Doucoure we are probably 2 really top players there away from having a serious midfield with quality and depth...will be interesting to see who comes in there this summer.
I expect Brands realises that the Dutch Eredivisie in general these days is very weak, and that players from there often fail miserably. There’s been some absolutely outstanding Dutch players come to England over the years...firstly when Arnold Muhren and Fran’s Thyssen came to Ipswich and later the likes of Martin Jol, Marc Overmars, Ruud Gullitt, Japan Stam, Edwin van der Sar, Robin van Persie, Ruud Nistelrooy and the greatest of them all Denis Bergkamp. We’ve had a few chumps....Andy Van der Meyde, Royston Drenthe and Davy Klassen (Johnny Heitinga was pretty decent). But take a look at what Dutch payers have graced our shores in the latter years.....Donny van der Beek, Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Siem and Luke de Jong, Marco Boogers, Patrick van Aarnholt, El Ghazi at Villa, Riedewald at Palace....the classic Dutch footballer doesn’t seem to exist these days unfortunately. I think Marcel knows this.
Theres been a lack of quality for a generation (in playing terms) bar Van Dijk and Wijnaldum really and one or two others in Italy....
...but De Jong and De Ligt are already superstars in Italy and Spain.
Gravenberch is the next off the list (who brands likes) and they definitely seem to have a new group coming through.
Also, i wasnt only referring to Dutch players...just those in Holland. There are a number of players who are there now or have moved overseas in the past couple of seasons who look very good.
I was never on the Klassen or Ziyech train...but Antony at Ajax looks very good and players like Braaf who was at Citys academy are being brought through.
Seems daft weve got a Dutch DOF and not one player from that league or a Dutchman in the squad.
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