If we are going to really challenge the top 4 then we need to have players pushing each other for positions...
Baningime is different to Gana...could develop into a tackle machine but seems quite focused on positioning etc rather than charging around into tackles and harrying.
If we sign Gomes and have him with Gana as the DM/CM combo then the backups imo should be Baningime and Davies....i'd try and sell the others.
That being said, what we would still need would be another top player who is a very good all rounder like Gomes and for me I was suggesting we should take a look at Fred. His stock will be very low at the moment compared to summer and if it stays that way, then we may have a chance In Jan.
Highly unlikely but fits the mould.
We definitely need another central player in addition to Gomes and to punt out a lot of players on/loan currently or those who we just don't need like Schneiderlin and McCarthy.
So I agree with everything you wrote - Beni is a bit different, right now Beni/Davies as DM/CM backups is correct, and yes, it would be nice to have someone a bit better than Beni as backup to Gana. But buying Fred at $35M is a pretty extreme response to that. If anything, if we really want to splash the cash, let's get someone who can play both box to box knowing that we might not be able to keep Gomes and also sub in for DM if need be. Doucoure comes to mind, but someone like that. Doucoure, Ndombele, De Jong - kid is amazing, these guys would be super expensive. I supposed the second tier would be Sander Berge, maybe Arne Meier, who's really good BTW, Tyler Adams (USA!USA!), guys like that. But how much better are these guys than Beni or Tom Davies?
OR find someone undervalued that could be OKAY as backup if we don't think Beni is ready. How's Bayou Ndiaye doing at Galatassary? Someone like that?
But if we are really concerned about buying backups, don't we have bigger holes at ACM? Bernard has never played there, so not sure he's the answer. What about keeper? Is Virginia better than Davies as a backup b/c I'd put Stek in the same bucket as Schneiderlin, McCarthy, etc.
Realistically, we move Morgan, keep McCarthy, and have Beni/Davies as well. Competing with the top 4 isn't going to happen overnight.