LAM09

Less is more when it comes to De Laurentiis. I have no idea how many players he has likely priced out of a move away for his own benefit. It will be a sad sign if he ends back in Ligue 1. It's terrible to see players squander their prime years over there.

I'm talking about carrying on from where they left off after coming to the EPL. The latter two had a notable drop off, but I'll agree with Auba; he was a relatively consistent goalscorer for a large part of his time at Arsenal. My comment was largely based on CF's inability to deliver similar numbers, which most have fallen foul of. Also, I was thinking more of the mid-2010s onward, considering a lot has changed.

I actually forgot about him, tbh. He was a top prospect going back to his time in Austria, so he seemed like a nailed on success. His numbers last season exceeded most people's expectations. Let's see if that continues.

Do Haller and Jovic ring any bells? I'm sceptical about attackers coming from Germany in general, as most have failed to show up after making the move in recent times. Dzeko and Son are the only two that come to mind who were exceptions.

Osimhen. Not only is he the perfect fit, but he would actually love to play for the club and follow in his idol's footsteps (Drogba). There's no point going on about price at this point when Mbappe will probably end up costing two or three times more when all is said and done. However, if the club really think Vlahovic is the solution, I'll be disappointed. Bono is literally the answer. It all comes down to how set he is on remaining in Spain.

I feel like we either need a WC GK or CF during this window. If we fail to sign either, it will come back to haunt us before Christmas.

Him and Kepa leaving as well would be the cherry on top in terms of outgoings. I was talking about it in general with regards to PSG's dominance compared to those in Eredivisie. No side is head and shoulders above the other in the latter, so it makes sense that a number of teams have a fighting chance of winning the league title. Just look at what the Englishman with a Dutch accent did over there only a decade or so ago.

They don't exactly rule the league in the same fashion Bayern do: Lille, Monaco, and Montpelier won the league since PSG were taken over, and they scrapped past the finishing line last season. Eredivisie might be more competitive on the whole, but the top sides in Ligue 1 are far superior.

You and I both City's interest in him just made matters worse, and Boehly was willing to throw silly money around due to the circumstances.

They know it worked last year. Whoever is dealing with negotiations needs to make a final offer and say, take it or leave it. We don't need this dragging on because Brighton keeps moving the goalposts, from the sounds of things.

This Mbappe saga is getting tiresome now. Will he, won't he, can they afford him, etc. The second point is awful on so many levels. It honestly feels like Spanish and Italian FA's don't care in the slightest and will only start doing so when those being subject to such disgusting behaviour boycott games affecting them, where it really hurts.

Vinicius Junior 'signs new contract with Real Madrid until 2027 which includes €1bn release clause' | Daily Mail Online I know the source is meh, but I've read for a number of weeks that he was going to sign a new contract, and he took Hazard's number recently. I imagine it's one of those three midfielders you mentioned.

That's in Euros, so it works out at just over £10m. The worry would be whether he'd be able to lead the line without someone alongside him to play off.

I rated F.Mendy at one point; he's unfortunate that Ancelotti just doesn't fancy him at all. Another player you've mentioned in the past is Udogie. It will be interesting to see how his career develops at that other London club.

I'm with you on the need for a CF, just not with the idea of buying someone to hopefully fill the void that we're stuck with. Morata, Lukaku, etc. If you are going to splash the cash for an undisputed starting CF, it has to be the right option. I might sound like a broken record at this point, but Osimhen and Kane are the only options that fill me with hope of being good fits; one will seemingly require us to break our transfer record by some margin, and the other is a pipe dream because of Scrooge. According to a recent interview with Davies, he's eager to play further up the field, where his career began, stating his desire to finally fill the void left by Robben (the reason he was supposedly bought for to begin with).

He hasn't vocally bashed the club, so his odd 5 min cameo would be bearable. Lukaku, on the other hand, is a non-starter. Inter buying local talent while trying to play us like a fiddle. It's grating at this point.

They were still willing to sign him, but on reduced wages. He obviously declined to remain on our bench...

I feel like that ship has sailed.

A simple ultimatum would do: Milan must match Lyon's bid or you're off to France if he's dead-set on leaving. I think it says more about their priorities, tbh. You only have one career, so if they wish to waste it away on our bench, it's their loss at the end of the day.

And people say player power doesn't exist at this club. Third player to supposedly do that.

Isn't it based on the year you were born when qualification started?

We don't. However, it will help massively, going by the amount of points we dropped last season alone, thanks to a makeshift frontline that would even make a non-league side feel ashamed. As do I. I just believe we can't afford to miss out again, as potential signings will start to think more about the lack of European football than our recent triumphs. In addition, considering the amount we've spent (probably adding another £150-200m from now), it isn't too much to ask to have a long term plan in place while also expecting results on the field.

Grealish offers far more on the ball than Sterling ever did, so his goal tally doesn't matter as much. It isn't one of his strong suits either (8 league goals is his highest return). Any desire to answer this as well - Short-term pain means another season outside of the top 4? He just scored. The skill prior to the finish 🤌

Short-term pain means another season outside of the top 4? I'd imagine you're putting Lukaku and Sterling as two of those three. If so, they are extremely inconsistent and aren't what I'd classify as proven PL goalscorers (players that can guarantee 15+ league goals each season). Also, the latter excelled thanks to a set up that worked to his strengths rather than his actual abilities.

We can't afford that. A proven goalscorer is a must, and we should probably let Broja go out on loan in an attempt to rediscover some form. I agree with this notion, unfortunately. He isn't appealing at all.