Summer Transfer Window 2019

[ijjysmith]

Mariano Diaz was a ghost this year in Madrid but he was brillant in Lyon, this is the kind of player we have to purchase, perfect for the PL. Make me remember the good Falcao when he was a Porto player, great header, effective in the goal area...

We could try to get him and Malcom on loan easily

I don’t think we should be buying dead people.

 

[catcherintherye]

I do think Brands and the model he implemented at AZ and PSV albeit in an inferior league, should help us in the long term.

People still say we have money, and I have no doubt we will spend again, but in comparative terms we are nowhere near the top clubs in terms of fees paid and most particularly wages.

It isn't that we try to compete like for like anyway as we clearly cannot but the focus must be on loading the squad in the medium to long-term with players in their teens or early 20's.

I'm encouraged by the fact that Brands has already said that this will be the focus. It is not rocket science but our scouting really has to be top notch. It's really a buy cheaper and sell-on at (significant) profit model where the squad is constantly rejuvenated and done so more and more off the back of trading profits rather than cash injection.

The ultimate aim is to sign a player who can become a mainstay in the team for a decade or more, but I think we will have to get used to sacrificing one of our better players every so often in order to finance a younger replacement for a fraction of the fee we get for the player leaving. As long as the profit is ploughed back into the team and Brands/Silva make mostly the right calls on signings, I have no objection to this if it means we become more sustainable and competitive.

We may see Gueye sold in the summer along these principles, and could see Richarlison leaving the summer after this along the same lines.

We can't spend our way into the top six, we have to be disciplined but creative and it all starts with Brands and Silva. There are plenty of clubs who have done this but not really in the EPL although Spurs are UCL finalists with a modest outlay under Pochettino.

In terms of long term sustainabilty, I still think Atletico Madrid are the best example - we should take inspiration from them as they have had to cope with being in Real's shadow. They may never reach their heights, but they are competitive and win things occassionally with a new stadium and some world class talent. They have had an excellent model of knowing when to sell and knowing who to buy. I think there are many valid comparisons between the state we find ourselves in now, with the RS as neighbours, and Atletico when Simeone got hold of them. I must say I'm not overly familiar if they have a DOF/Sporting Director or not, but their model clearly succeeds for what it is.

Yes excellent post mate.

There is some discrepancies in belief as to how much money we have. It generally correlates to how far you believe Usmanov is involved with the club! Oddly though I am not sure now that it makes an overwhelming difference as to what we try to do. I think we try to do the same thing irrespective of money available, but the scope and speed we can do it increases with more money.

What's clear if Brands has a strong professional relationship and is not going to overpay for players. He is not going to do bad deals. He is not going to be hasty in order to satisfy the demands for a quicker transition. Whether we spend 10, 50, 100 million a season his aim will be to spend it well. That is a good approach.

With the way inflation has gone in football, it is now extremely questionable whether anyone could emulate what Abramovich did when he first arrived. A crude inflation calculator puts him at around 1.5 billion spent in the first 3-4 seasons. City's is around 1.2 billion in todays money spent in the first 3 seasons. I can't see any club being able to spend in that manner now. So we need to let go of that particular idea.

He has also been equivocal as to what he intends to do. He will buy younger players. We were the 18th youngest in Europe and 4th youngest in the league last season for recruitment. I suspect this figure may be reduced further.

What I think we will see is we are targeting highly rating young players. We may even spend more on these too as we have quite a settled team. I also think we may target some lesser known players. The team is now quite settled. Someone like last seasons NDombele could happen.

 

[Connor]

Like Klaasen, like Avares, like Bogarde, like AvM?

I get that for every one of them there is a van set Vaart, Sneijder, Robben, de Ligt etc but we won't sign them. IMHO.

Klaassen is good Jay

 

[Zatara]

Yes excellent post mate.

There is some discrepancies in belief as to how much money we have. It generally correlates to how far you believe Usmanov is involved with the club! Oddly though I am not sure now that it makes an overwhelming difference as to what we try to do. I think we try to do the same thing irrespective of money available, but the scope and speed we can do it increases with more money.

What's clear if Brands has a strong professional relationship and is not going to overpay for players. He is not going to do bad deals. He is not going to be hasty in order to satisfy the demands for a quicker transition. Whether we spend 10, 50, 100 million a season his aim will be to spend it well. That is a good approach.

With the way inflation has gone in football, it is now extremely questionable whether anyone could emulate what Abramovich did when he first arrived. A crude inflation calculator puts him at around 1.5 billion spent in the first 3-4 seasons. City's is around 1.2 billion in todays money spent in the first 3 seasons. I can't see any club being able to spend in that manner now. So we need to let go of that particular idea.

He has also been equivocal as to what he intends to do. He will buy younger players. We were the 18th youngest in Europe and 4th youngest in the league last season for recruitment. I suspect this figure may be reduced further.

What I think we will see is we are targeting highly rating young players. We may even spend more on these too as we have quite a settled team. I also think we may target some lesser known players. The team is now quite settled. Someone like last seasons NDombele could happen.

I think we will go for 2 big money 21 ish year old players...someone like Lo Celso fits the bill in a key area of the pitch and he can play anywhere in the centre.

Then i think a couple of under the radar players and a couple of cheap punts...

 

[catcherintherye]

I think we will go for 2 big money 21 ish year old players...someone like Lo Celso fits the bill in a key area of the pitch and he can play anywhere in the centre.

Then i think a couple of under the radar players and a couple of cheap punts...

I suspect it may only be 1 big star name, but as you say possibly 2. Don't discount the loan/free transfer market either, particularly loans.

 

[Jayhow15]

Klaassen is good Jay

He flopped. That's not up for debate surely ?

 

[buskwhi2]

I think we will go for 2 big money 21 ish year old players...someone like Lo Celso fits the bill in a key area of the pitch and he can play anywhere in the centre.

Then i think a couple of under the radar players and a couple of cheap punts...

Giovani Lo Celso would be the one for me. 23 years old, Argentinean international, scores and creates from midfield. Looks very talented.

 

[buskwhi2]

I suspect it may only be 1 big star name, but as you say possibly 2. Don't discount the loan/free transfer market either, particularly loans.

I really hope we can take advantage of this. We’ve benefited massively from loan transfers in the past and teams like Juventus show the benefit that can be gained by looking at free transfers (same with us with Bernard).

 

[Zatara]

Giovani Lo Celso would be the one for me. 23 years old, Argentinean international, scores and creates from midfield. Looks very talented.

Definitely, hes a good player in deep, centre or attacking midfield.

Very good all rounder and has a bit of pace too.

 

[Frenchguy]

I don’t think we should be buying dead people.

Digne, Gomes and Zouma were six feet under, no ?

 

[CRIMHEAD]

For 16m euro in this market he's a bargain even if only as a squad player.

Agreed. Probably a dubious link, but he was terrific in this league last year. West Ham never really replaced him. Superb Siggy backup or 2nd midfielder when we are going to have the ball a lot.

 

[riddick]

Go get the next Ziyech. I love that he can play right, but are we looking for playmaking midfielders? If the idea is to sell Vlasic, get someone younger and talented. Julian Brandt is awesome, but even he's expensive.

He's not tho, his release clause is 25mil. That's insanely cheap for a player with his talents.

 

[buskwhi2]

Agreed. Probably a dubious link, but he was terrific in this league last year. West Ham never really replaced him. Superb Siggy backup or 2nd midfielder when we are going to have the ball a lot.

Showed at inter he can play in a 4-3-3 and also did quite well at West Ham once he’d had chance to adapt.

 

[Verbal Kint]

Silly season is in full swing i see

 

[billyblue80]

Gomes and Zouma(if we can get him) and a few left field signings is my guess.