Pizy

Tbf, the way you just described Caicedo you can copy and paste to describe Kante. He didn’t score or assist often, isn’t technically excellent, doesn’t have any sort of creative passing, not really two footed, and his best attributes are his tackling, tenacity, and stamina. That’s exactly what we need if we’re replacing Kante. Someone who is as close to him stylistically as possible which Caicedo is. We DO however need to have a natural, disciplined midfield sitter, though. Caicedo isn’t a pure DM.

Comes back to them having a young squad. Most of their key players (Odegaard, Saka, Martenelli, Ramsdale, Saliba, etc) are all super young and not even close to their full potential yet. Liverpool paid the price for letting a bunch of their key players get old and didn’t invest in the midfield at all after a grueling 60 game season. Not really comparable. Of course there are no sure things, but I can’t see Arse falling away next season. All of their best players are back and with experience of challenging now. They add Rice, Havertz, and 1 or 2 others and they’ll be 2nd favorites after City easily.

Much as we hate Arse as a club we have to admit that they’re extremely attractive to any player after that season they’ve just had. They probably played the most exciting football of any PL club over the course of the year, they play a fast, free flowing style, they’re loaded with talented young players, and have a great manager. Rice probably looks at them as a safe long term bet. A couple of key additions and they’re genuine title contenders again. Plus, with some of the shit clubs that were in the late stages of the Champions League this past season there’s no reason Arse shouldn’t be thinking about going deep there as well.

Nah. You forgot Nkunku. Mudryk, Sterling, Madueke, and Nkunku as wide attackers/inside forwards is enough and I think an excellent set of options. I think we’ll see the real Mudryk this season and expect huge things from him. I’d agree normally. If we had finished 6th or just barely missed out on UCL qualification we could sell to these targets that we are on the up and the previous season was a blip. But I actually can’t blame any prospective signing from being reluctant to come here after seeing us finish 12th and in huge turmoil. Think it’s quite right that we have to show everyone that we’re “back” before we become super attractive again. While we supporters think last season was a minor blip and we’ll be right back up there challenging for top 4, players themselves may be skeptical.

Apparently Arse also want Lavia. They’re after pretty much all the same midfield targets we are. So it’s probably going to be difficult to get him to choose us when they can offer UCL football this coming season and seem so much more willing to splash huge money now.

I still maintain that Fofana will be a great signing. A much lighter fixture list this season and better coaching should be a huge benefit to him. Being able to stay fresher and fitter and actually play a long run of games in a settled team could see him realize his talent. Definitely not giving up on him.

I would’ve been super down and depressed a year ago about Gvardiol going to City after we got so close to buying him. But now that we’ve got two 20 year old left footed CB’s with sky high potential and a perfect coach to help them reach that potential I don’t care at all. Colwill in particular can become one of the best CB’s in the world.

Seems like the United ownership stuff could be finalized soon and that they’ll soon be a state owned club. So hopefully we can get Caicedo and a couple of others done before the new owners start throwing wages we can’t touch at players.

One of the biggest, most famous, most successful clubs in the world and we’re going to have to accept a 1 year shirt deal from a crypto gambling company who sponsors some of the shadiest, scummiest people on the internet? 🤢🤢🤢 How is this the best our fancy new commercial team could do?

Definitely not a pure DM. He roams around everywhere like Kante and isn’t someone who sits at the base of the midfield like Rice. So it is still definitely not wise for him to be our only midfield buy. Hope we’re still after Lavia.

Every time Fabrizio gives a series of updates on a player he basically just repeats what he has already said twice before but with different sentence structure. 🤣 So don’t expect anything substantial from him. I really don’t know how to feel about spending more than £80m on Caicedo. I think he’d be a great signing but that kind of money is crazy. This is the most important area of the pitch though and with Rice likely costing north of £100m perhaps it’ll look like we spent wisely in a few years.

Was always going to take a mammoth offer to get Caicedo. Why would Brighton see that Rice is going to cost an absurd fee and sell Caicedo (who is arguably just as good as Rice) for dramatically less? Hopefully we can indeed work out a deal that includes an unwanted player or two. Absolutely no way should Colwill be involved.

Stylistically, Kolo Muani is the sort striker we should be after. But like I said yesterday it really feels like we need a more mature, fully developed striker to lead our line. Hoping that a kid can slot right in and score 20 PL goals is such a long shot. Strikers like Haaland are exceptionally rare. Edit: oh, wow, I just googled and see Kolo Muani is actually 24. For some reason I thought he was like 20

He’s basically a “Kante Lite” in my eyes. Very similar games from what I’ve watched but of course not at peak Kante level yet. Hard to really judge whether he’s overrated. I don’t really see people hyping him up as if he’s a superstar or anything. Most just think he’s a really, really solid player who can become world class. Which I think is fair.

“In the coming weeks…” Bruh, he could be long gone by then. 🤦‍♂️ Seems we genuinely aren’t close to a midfielder yet. Was the entire structure of the hierarchy at the club working on Ugarte? If Rice gets snapped up by one of Arse or City over the next week or so the loser of that battle will surely go for Caicedo. Not to mention United and Liverpool are probably keen. If he’s the dude Poch wants then get it done ASAP. Don’t fuck around for another few weeks.

I just can’t imagine someone of De Gea’s stature at that club sitting on the bench. He’s been their one shining light in so many terrible seasons. Them binning him now that they finally have a competitive team and after he himself had another good season seems super weird. As for Caicedo, not even getting slightly excited at that latest Fabrizio tweet. After getting burned with Ugarte I won’t be happy until a player is announced by the club.

Don’t really get this one. DDG had a great season, didn’t he? Won the Golden Glove. Ten Hag has praised him and vocally stated that he really wants him to sign a new deal. So they’re now after a new keeper that would cost huge money? Anyways, I’m not bothered about Onana. We get him as part of some Lukaku or Koulibaly deal I’m fine with it. Don’t think we should spend mega money on another keeper, though. And if he goes to United I don’t care. We can find someone as good for cheaper I think.

Yeah, makes no sense. Rodri is perhaps the best midfielder in the league at sitting right in front of the defense and dictating the game. And they’ve also moved Stones in midfield where he’s been a revelation. Buying Rice who plays in that same role is insane. How are you going to play Stones, Rodri, Phillips, Rice, Kova, and Gündogan? Even if Gündogan leaves that insane overkill.

Ornstein now saying City may move for Rice as well. How the hell do you play Rice and Rodri together? And what happens to the £50m DM Phillips that they just bought? City don’t even need a midfielder and could sign one before we do. 🤦‍♂️

Man, we’re going to have a completely new team at this point. It’s going to feel like starting from scratch just even more so than this past season. I just pray that Poch is having HEAVY influence on incoming players and it’s not just the scouting and directors buying guys who they hope he can work magic on.

It just feels different to me depending on the position they play. Seeing Jorginho or Kova doin the same sort of boring stuff in midfield they did here doesn’t bother me at all. But when we see Havertz banging in goals for a rival it will be extremely annoying. Especially for the club I despise more than any other.

Exactly. Why tf would we bring in a 21 year old kid to as our new striker when we’ve already got two striker of the same age. We need the finished article, ffs!

I’m 100% confident that Poch will transform most of our underperforming players. Most notably Mudryk. So I’m not buying into this idea that all the money we’ve spent recently was fatal. But damn, when are we going to kick into gear ourselves in the window? Are we seriously going to shed 8 players before we buy anyone? How is that beneficial when negotiating for targets when every club will know we’ve got loads of money we need to spend?

All the reporters are saying we won’t get near £75m. At that price I’d sell.

Yep. In a team with a clear attacking identity Havertz can become lethal and a huge weapon. We’re idiots if we sell him within the league.