OneMoSalah

I was surprised with how good he was for Juventus last year, I thought his best days were behind him a few years ago but he really just is a classy player. He is a serial winner as well, over 30 trophies in his career, on a free transfer he would be excellent, 34 years old or not.

Regardless, he would be an excellent signing. If anybody in the PL was to sign him what a message it would send out. World class striker.

Would be an excellent signing. Really is up there as one of the best full backs/wing backs in the world.

Isco isnt a RW either. James is a 10, Isco is a 10. They wouldnt exactly be struck out to the wing, they'd be playing infield in all honesty, with the ability to drift in and out to the wing when needed, like Pedro and Hazard do now. James is not slow either. If he is slow then so is Isco.

Seen someone mention Salah, genuinely think Salah would be a much better signing than Mahrez. Overrated. One good season. Beyond poor this year. 30M would be far too much for a player who would struggle to even make our bench when we have Hazard, Pedro, Willian, Fabregas all vying for potential places in attacking midfield positions (albeit Cesc's probably better deeper he can still do one hell of a job closer to the striker).

Slow? He isn't slow? Hes not quite Edens speed but hes probably as quick as Pedro. He played RW beforehand, he started there, even at Real under Ancelotti he played as a RW in the 4-4-2 they played with Benzema and Ronaldo up front. He's obviously has got close control and I've seen him in Real Madrid games get out of difficult situations with it. Isco would be a better option but he is slower than James although hes probably just as good if not better. He would be a good option because the two wide players, well I'm calling them wide players but they really arent in this formation, get between the lines into the half spaces a lot and this would suit him down to the ground as he can operate in there and provide key passes for our forwards/midfield runners.

I don't think this lazy player thing is exactly fair. People have said in the future guys like Fabregas was lazy, Hazard was lazy, Mikel was lazy, Ivanovic was lazy etc and whoever else but as Cesc and Fabregas have shown us this season they aren't lazy because the manager has encouraged them to do the work backwards, improve their game in terms of pushing on and pressing etc. Conte could rejuvenate James' career in my eyes, I am certain hes scored 10 and made 10 goals or more in that Real Madrid side despite not being a regular starter, he has good ability, if he was to come here I reckon he'd be a huge success. I still think Real would be daft to sell him but if they do we should be in for him, suppose they have sold Ozil, Di Maria etc in the past. He is a genuine top player in my eyes, he was superb under Ancelotti at Real, he really was excellent and I reckon he could do some good things here in that 3-4-3 playing instead of Pedro, hes no slouch, can score goals and create them, also has excellent delivery from set pieces and corners. 50m might seem like a lot but at the world cup 3 years ago he probably was the outstanding player for me.

If he was going to leave Juventus he would of already done so last summer I think. I doubt he'll be going anywhere, which is a shame because he is an excellent center back, one of the best out there but I think his ties with Juventus are too strong regardless of him falling out with the manager earlier in the season. If he was somehow to be available he would be an exquisite signing even at 29 years old.

Better be for at least £15m or another pointless signing we'll make a loss on. Although I think he has good potential to be a half decent option at LWB for us but if not, recuperate most of the money we spent on him please...

Put him back on loan to somewhere. I am quite impressed with the work Ajax have done with Bertrand Traore this year, maybe they could work wonders with Kenedy? Maybe not. Who knows.

He called him up for the recent world cup qualifying games in March I think or whenever they were but he didn't play no. The French NT has got a wealth of CB options. that shouldnt take anything away from Laporte or make anybody doubt his ability and potential. Plus hes looked into switching his national team to Spain to play for their NT after making a statement about if France rejected him for the 2016 EUROS before the tournament although obviously France called him up and he has put that on hold.

To be honest, who knows what could happen. Inter are willing to give him £250,000 a week to go there and a huge budget to compete. He said before about missing his family although they are apparently going to be moving here in the summer but still that is a huge amount of money for anybody. Although he has Juventus ties, I wouldn't be so sure that matters, even then there is talk of Allegri moving so for all we know he could go back to Juventus. I think he is going to use this as a ploy to say to Roman look I want these players and these players only, I want this guy to replace Steve Holland, I dont want us to sell player X or player Y regardless of the cost etc, I hope he stays obviously but there is a big possibility that he could leave if he isn't given complete control of transfers, a big budget to compete in the market, choice of staff etc, which is ultimately why he left Juventus. Hes even been linked with the Barcelona job (which although they've claimed they would prefer a Spaniard and whatever else if he was offered that position I don't think he would even think twice, he'd go) so I think really it is hanging in the balance as of just now, although I'm sure he is going to get a new contract offer at the end of the season, like Costa, Courtois, Hazard possibl and whoever else.

YEES YES YES YES. Left footed CB, young, athletic, great bringing the ball out from the back.... ideal for LCB.

I dont think Conte planned to use wing backs this season he started with a 4-1-4-1 probably thinking he could get it to work but since the change to 3-4-3, hell he gave Moses a chance so why not Baba?

50m for van Dijk would be a mistake. But thats modern day football for you, over priced players in the Premier League.

would rather take the 50M and throw it at Juventus for Alex Sandro or Bilbao for Laporte... So I am extremely glad than hes not leaving Southampton.

Fuck the goal difference. Win the game, then win the next game and win the league. Who gives a fuck if its 1-0, 2-1, or 3-2 as long as its two wins from the next 2 games I couldnt care less.

To be honest even at Juventus he was hugely inconsistent (think a few CL goals made everyone think he was this genuine top player) and has been the same at Real. Honestly would be a mistake to sign him to replace Costa I think. If he was an alternative to Costa from the bench maybe but like I said in another thread is he really good enough to push Costa and create healthy competition with him? Like Batshuayi, I don't think so.

Do you really think he is going to play on the left/ring ahead of Hazard, Willian or Pedro here? Regularly? I think we all know the answer to that. Not a chance. His best football has come down the middle (to be fair his one full senior season before we all get too excited regardless) and at the age of 18 he has shown composure and movement of an experienced center forward. Unfortunately now a days, as we've seen with many players in the premier league, different levels to what Mbappe is (better and worse), talent guarentees nothing. If anybody says Batshuayi wasn't a player with 'talent' before he came here, they are lying but just look how that has panned out so far.. talented still yes, but needs to progress and honestly I don't think hes a bad player just now but not at a high enough standard to compete with and push Diego. I doubt signing anybody who is still learning and still developing to compete with Diego is a good idea because chances are they aren't ready and will hardly play, we need to go down the lines of a Torres, okay not the best comparison but still, someone in their peak years, to come in, no need to develop for a few seasons and compete straight away.

I think technically he is excellent. He really suits playing closer to the striker, he has got a good footballing mind and unpredictability, can play one and two touches either simple or even with a flick eg assist for Hazard v Everton at the Bridge, assist for Costa v Spurs a few games ago as well as he can hit it with either foot incredibly well, similar to his mate Cazorla at Arsenal. He doesn't look remarkably quick but he always seems to have a good burst of acceleration when he needs it. Also his experience and attitude is very pleasing to see, not that I ever doubted it because even when he was at Barcelona he would play anywhere and work just as hard but I think Conte has free'd him up in comparison to last year and that along with his footballing intelligence has helped a huge amount. Under Hiddink he played a lot on the right and it didn't suit him really because he wasn't always close to the goal or striker. Different story now.

Surely bullshit. I can't imagine any manager, let alone Conte, replacing the fiery sort of player Diego Costa is with a different sort of player like Alvaro Morata.... no disrespect to Morata, he is good but he isn't even able of getting in the Real team ahead of Benzema who this season has struggled a lot (despite Morata outscoring him, Benzema has almost double the starts). Its not like Zidane hasn't been fair either when you consider Vasquez, Casemiro, Asensio, Kovacic, Nacho, even Morata considerable time from subs bench, all getting playtime ahead of some other guys too who have struggled. Plus who lets anybody sign a transfer deal away from the club who is at this important stage of the season with the league and cup final coming up? I could imagine Morata coming to compete with Diego but honestly can't see him replacing him.

I think this kid would be incredibly stupid to move here this summer coming up. Look at Michy Batshuayi, he has more first team experience than Mbappe, all Mbappe has to do is look at how his season has panned out playing week in week out for Monaco in comparison to Batshuayi's who has played maybe 700 minutes if hes lucky. I would hate to see us or any club sign this kid and kill his development, I watched him play v Dortmund in both legs and against Juventus the other night, he is fast, obviously intelligent off the ball in terms of his movements, reacts extremely well in the box and ice cool in front of goal and for me that strikes a resemblance to Thierry Henry (unfortunate comparison but anyone here to say Henry wasn't a world class player with those qualities is a liar). If I were him I would stay at Monaco for another year at least, hes 18 years old, he has got time on his side. On the flip side if hes moves, who is to say he will be anywhere near as successful as he has been at Monaco this season? He has also got the advantage of the standard of the French league not being as competitive or high as most of the other 'top' leagues in Europe, he should play another season or two and perhaps become a big fish in a small pond so to speak but by then he'd only be 19 or 20 or 21 and could make that move to a bigger club still. If he goes here, Manchester, Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern wherever he will have his development killed.

Watched him play at Celtic and also seen him vaguely in games for Southampton. Not worth 50m. He is a good player but still 50 million? When we have Zouma, Christensen, even Ake (not sure if he will ever make the grade but would rather let him get a chance than pay 50m for Van Dijk). 50m would get Laporte from Bilbao...

Pardew can fuck off. Inexperienced? Alonso has 220 senior games to his name... and even then if he was inexperienced Alonso has been along with Bertrand and Rose, one of the best left back/wing backs in the league this year I think. Plus hes going to be a Premier League Champion come end of this month, Pardew cant exactly say hes done that can he? Theres a reason why hes only managed at certain clubs because he has no idea what hes going on about.

Think he suits playing a slightly more advanced role close to Costa and Hazard in all honesty because he can get in those half spaces and find the runs from those two but Pedro looked decent against Everton and provides a good goal threat so its a tough choice.