Superblue

Which emphasises my point. United don't need another player like that. All of their midfielders are a box to box style with varying degrees of quality. Ok he might be an upgrade on the likes of Fred and McTominay but he's not a holding midfielder. I can remember when AVB used to try and play Ramires and Meireles together who were both of the same ilk and it leaves you far too susceptible to being played through. United need a genuine defensive midfielder who is going to hold. Unless Camavinga is viewed as the replacement for Pogba or they'll work on him over time to fill that role, then they are only adding to what they already have.

I just don't see 'it' in Camavinga. In my opinion they need someone like Declan Rice more than we do. If we carry on with the back 3 formation then I don't think a bonafide DM is as necessary. Jorginho is better protected and whilst he isn't physically imposing or the most athletic, he's one of the most intelligent in that position and regularly puts up good numbers for interceptions, etc stopping attacks before they've really started. For United they are desperate for a genuine holding DM to release Pogba and Bruno together. The likes of Mctominay and Fred aren't holders and Matic is way past his prime. I just don't see Camavinga as that player, he'll be another to add to that midfield collection that can do a bit of everything but doesn't really seem to have a specialist role yet. Maybe United see that in him, he does have time on his side.

They've changed their formation to predominantly without a centre forward last season and without Silva there I'd say the biggest beneficiary has been Foden. I think he's certainly been viewed at their club as the one to take over from Silva in his own style. It'll be interesting to see what they do next season. Will they replace Aguero with a new big name striker but then move away from what was successful last season or do they stick with what worked last year (in terms of a no striker style and formation) and will it remain as effective.

Although some of the ages were still off, it is a good point that some of their big players are pushing over the magic 30 number. We do have a couple of our own mind (in terms of important players, not squad players) I'm pretty sure Silva will be 37 (although I see his game time being managed a lot more by Tuchel next season, particularly as there's a valid argument that Christensen could possibly go ahead of him), Azpi is 31, Kante is 30 and Jorginho is 30 mid-season. I think where we do have the edge over City is the bulk of our main players are in their early 20's and arguably still haven't fully tapped into their potential so there should be more to come. What I would say though about City is they have found themselves over the past couple of years in a similar position to us a few years ago when we had to replace a core group of players (Cech, Cole, Terry, Lampard, Drogba, etc) in a short space of time. There was always a bit of a worry within our fan base when that time would come but we managed to get through fairly well and carried on winning trophies. City have been able to replace Kompany and David Silva without really missing a beat, and we'll surely soon see what their plans are post-Aguero. I think given their resources when the time comes to replace these players they'll probably get it right more often than not.

Looking at that, it could actually be a massive opportunity for Tammy to try and clear the decks with Tuchel and work on getting his way back into the squad. The jury is still very much out on him at the top level but beyond the top couple of potential striker targets, you're moving closer into a category that Tammy falls into which is that level below with definite potential but also a number of question marks. It would make sense if the top targets aren't attainable that we stick with him rather than pay £50m+ on a striker of fairly similar standing.

If Barcelona had any sense they'd let Messi walk. He's still an incredible player but the money they are paying him and the over-reliance on him is just pushing them deeper into this financial abyss. They moved away from relying on their academy and started paying stupid money for players. The transfer fee's for Dembele and Coutinho in particular were nothing short of a joke. Coutinho even in his pomp at Liverpool was never more than £50m. Griezmann falls into that category too simply because he wasn't needed when Messi is at the club. Although ironically if Barca let Messi go, they should rely on Griezmann the next couple of years to anchor the attack. I do think over the next few years more players will end up moving clubs at the end of their contracts instead of the big money moves and if Barca cleared the decks somewhat over the next season or two and rebuilt around a younger core of players then they could be in a position to make a play for the likes of Haaland, Mbappe, etc because they'll still hold massive pull for players.

Yeah I couldn't think of many players who they have that would be able to walk into our team currently which as you said speaks volumes for where they are currently. I was thinking more along the lines of if there was someone we could maybe take on loan for a season if we needed to 'make do' because key targets weren't available. For example would a Pjanic or Sergi Roberto be worth taking for a season whilst Gilmour is out on loan to help fill the gaps? I felt the same, he looked superb in his younger days at Lyon.

I've seen the reports for Barca regarding Pjanic and Umtiti. Is there anyone in the Barca squad who wouldn't necessarily be bullet proof for them but possibly a good option for us? Even on a loan move if they're looking to reduce their wage bill, is there someone we could bring in from them for a season to cover an area in the squad that needs an extra body?

Been nothing short of outstanding throughout the Euros so far.

As @Tomo and @Jas have alluded to, earlier in the season we were pretty free scoring under Lampard but leaking goals. At that point how many people were complaining about our defensive and defensive midfield options and wanting major surgery on them? I'll happily admit I didn't think Christensen had developed as expected and should be sold but under Tuchel he looks a completely different player. I'd argue Christensen, Rudiger, Azpilicueta and Thiago Silva are all bordering on world class under Tuchel. Jorginho looks a far better player too with protection behind him and similar with Kante being freed up in a role to hunt the ball. Tuchel has done wonders with the defensive side of the team in a short and busy period. With the summer to plan, along with pre season, why can't he find ways to get more out of this attack? I have full confidence that there's more to come from a number of players in our squad and that Tuchel has the capability of unlocking this.

So who would you suggest then fills this clinical goal scorer position that we need? Because beyond Haaland and Lewandowski (and maybe at a stretch Lukaku), I don't see a striker available on the market that looks a shoe-in to fill that void. So with that in mind, do we just buy someone for the sake of buying and hope they fill that void or do we take stock of what we already have at the club and assess whether we can get more out of what we have. Given his struggles last season it's easy to forget that Werner scored 28 goals in 34 games in the Bundesliga the season before. And whilst that was a 'banner' season for him, it was hardly a one off as the three seasons for Leipzig before that he had 50 goals in 93 games in the league. The players I mentioned before aside, that goal record in one of the top leagues is significantly better than anyone else on the market. I struggle to believe that Werner will have as bad a goal scoring year next season. His pace and willingness to make the runs almost guarantees chances will come his way.

I think the board will want to see progress in the league next season. Winning some trophies will be a huge bonus and will help keep that winning feeling and momentum within the squad. But I think the board will want to see Tuchel put up a sustained title challenge. That doesn't necessarily mean going all the way and winning it, but the last 4 years we've been out the hunt by Xmas and fighting a top 4 battle. To be honest if others kicked on and we finished 4th but were within a few points of top spot I would say that's progression despite not improving our league position. We need to be going into the back end of the season in March, April still within a few points of top spot with every chance.

As @Tomosays, a huge amount was committed last season to the attack and there were a number of factors which could have contributed to them all not performing as well as expected (adapting to a new league, moving countries during Covid, no fans in stadiums, managerial change). Sometimes a bit of patience is needed and trust in the scouting and recruitment that we've already done. Not everybody hits the ground running, some transfers take more time. There has at the very least been glimpses or periods where these signings have looked very good last season which makes me willing to trust the process that there is more to come from not just all of them, but the likes of Pulisic, CHO and Mount too. If somebody like Haaland is available and we have the budget to use on him then let's go and get him. He could well be a generational talent in the early stages of his career. But if he's not available and literally one or two others at the top end of the market, there's then a huge drop off in striking options we could sign. We may also have the same issue as the likes of Werner and Havertz - a new signing may need time to settle in. When people are talking about players like Andre Silva, Vlahovic, Isak, etc - are they really improving on what we already have? I have my doubts which is why we would be better taking the 'risk' that our current attackers can produce better numbers next season. Chance creation, expected goals, etc hasn't been a problem it's converting them. But as long as the chances are being created you have to be confident that those conversion rates will come good. We don't necessarily need a 20+ goal striker, we just need our entire attack to step up with 5 more goals each.

For me it wouldn't be the end of the world going into next season with the same side. Since Tuchel has come in, our form has been at least 'title challenging' and that's him joining mid season when the mood is low, trying to implement a new system and fighting on multiple fronts. I'm very curious and excited to see if this group can progress next season with Tuchel starting the season and having more time now to implement coaching methods, and also whether the Champions League win breeds more belief and confidence throughout the group. A number of players are still developing and growing. Liverpool had a similar situation a couple of years ago where they won the Champions League and didn't add any players, but kicked on. Granted the season before they were pushing City for the title, but I don't think we're as far away as last season suggests because of our wretched form over the winter which was pre Tuchel. Should we add a couple of players? Yes, this squad isn't perfect and there are a couple of areas that do need to be improved. But I've mentioned this multiple times, I do not want squad filler added. If the top targets are not available or attainable then let's not buy for the sake of it.

Pretty sure there will be a middle ground. He might as well shoot high as a starting point for negotiations. I assume there will be a decent bump to put him in our top 10 earners (which is probably where he should be anyway). I fully expect him and Christensen to be resigned this summer. Both were immense in the second half of the season and if Tuchel continues with the back 3, I see barely anything possibly on the market that would upgrade on both of them to be honest.

His dribbling and pace are clearly his strengths. I don't think anybody is disputing he can be a headache for a full back having to match up to him. The problem comes once he's beaten that full back, his decision making leaves a lot to be desired and when it is the right choice his final pass/cross/shot is far too inconsistent. Add to that is he defensively good enough to play that wing back role, particularly at the highest level? I don't want us dropping £30-40m or upwards transfers on what are essentially squad players. We've done far too much of this in the past which is why we have the likes of Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Bakayoko, Batshuayi, Barkley on the books still. For me, he's not an upgrade on Reece James at RWB. Therefore I'd prefer we stick with James and use a combination of Azpi and Livramento to support him. Use that budget on a better quality of player. I'd rather it be used on one or two quality players who can come in and make a huge difference to the squad, rather than three or four more squad fillers just for the sake to freshen the squad up.

I quite like him, he's very aggressive in attack. But he's been a bit of a journeyman his whole career. Is he just a late bloomer or has he just hit a bit of a purple patch in form recently? Although he seems to play mostly on the left, he's right footed so I assume he'd be capable and comfortable playing on either flank. With that versatility in mind, he may not be a bad option, would really depend on Roma's stance. If it's a means of trying to push a player or two in their direction I wouldn't be against it. If it would involve paying upwards of £20-25m though I'd pass.

At least it looks like more of our players then maybe anticipated are having shorter Euro campaigns, especially with another 3 going out tonight regardless of the England - Germany result. Can only be a big positive for Tuchel to get more of the core squad back as soon as possible for pre season.

It's looking like this Norwich move is on the cusp of being completed. I'd much rather keep him here next season. Jorginho can't play every game, and we don't have another player in the squad besides Gilmour who plays his role in an effective manner. I think Gilmour had a couple of good performances at the end of the season when Tuchel needed to rotate the troops and hopefully will have given Tuchel confidence to trust him more regularly next season. I saw Souness' interview about him staying at Chelsea and I would agree. I think working alongside Jorginho daily and learning from him could be just as effective, if not more so, than playing week in week out. As long as he's playing games on a semi regular basis (given the likely number of games next season he could easily end up playing 20 - 25 games across all competitions as backup). For me, Jorginho is one of the best players around for that role in midfield and Gilmour currently is primed for the long term replacement for him, much like Foden was at City with David Silva. I'd worry if the loan doesn't work out like is hoped that could be lost.

As I said before, I agree with you on the Eredivisie. It's not the strongest of leagues, but Ziyech had also shown some good form over the last couple of seasons in Europe for Ajax. I would like to see if there is an improvement in his game this season. His type of player can sometimes take time to adjust to the pace and intensity of the league, along with getting used to new team mates and how they operate, make runs, etc. Jorginho and Kovacic were much better off after their first season to adjust, adapting to less time on the ball and quicker reactions being needed. If he flops this season then we can look to move him on next summer. Even at 29 he'll still be desirable for some clubs on the continent. And I tend to agree with you regarding the Italian league. I think it's the weakest of the 'big' leagues and perfectly suits a number of older players. With that in mind, it also leaves me very wary of a big money move for someone in Italy, especially an attacker (Lukaku, Martinez, Vlahovic) when used to going up against a number of the players you've mentioned.

I wouldn't say it would be a miracle turn-around to see improvements in the likes of Werner and Ziyech next season. In both cases they have produced in other leagues previously, and for a sustained period of time (i.e. not a one season wonder) which would give me some hope that such form can be replicated to some degree. Granted in Ziyech's case the Dutch league isn't the strongest, but he does have some good form in Europe over the same time. I think that both can benefit from the previous season they've just experienced and I believe both should be afforded this coming season to judge them. Particularly with the return of fans into the stadium. Ziyech in particular has been almost completely written off by a lot of Chelsea fans but I do think he offers something completely different from the rest of our attacking options which is the ability and preference to drop a little deeper and find the pass. We question what we need to unlock some of the deeper defences of the 'lesser' sides in the league but I think Ziyech's skill set could help with that. He also isn't afraid to have a shot around the edge of the box which has been a source of irritation for me (the lack of players prepared to do so in our squad). Beyond players like Haaland and Mbappe, the other attacking options being suggested mostly have lesser numbers than the likes of Werner, Havertz and Ziyech were producing before they joined us, and who's to say that such players wouldn't need a similar time period to adjust to a new club, league, culture, etc. That's why for me it just seems to make sense to hold faith with what we already have rather than taking a punt on a new signing coming in and hitting the ground running, unless they are in that real top category of attacker.

Calvert-Lewin is a much better player than you're giving him credit for. From what I've seen, his all round game is significantly better than Tammy and his aerial strength in particular would offer a different option. The 'moving to a big club' question unfortunately is one of those that you just don't know until it happens. My bigger concern would be that Everton don't need to sell him and quite frankly wouldn't want to. As a result you'd be looking at a transfer that would probably be £60-80m range which is simply too much for him at present.

It would completely have to be on our terms firstly to let them leave. Like @Jas said, if our plans don't come to fruition then one may be retained. I'd personally prefer Tammy to stay and Tuchel to try and get the best out of him. However I'm fully aware of his contract situation and if a bid of £30-40m did come in for him then it would be difficult for us to turn it down. So I think Giroud would be the more likely to stay. The other option is to find more of a stop gap option next season to not disrupt plans for the following summer. Perhaps promote Broja to the first team squad as an extra attacker? Or is there a veteran type that could be picked up cheap and fulfil a role similar to Giroud? What we don't want is to spend a fortune on a player who appears high risk before a ball is kicked and leaves us stuck with them if they flop, when better options may be available next summer.

Beyond the first 3, we roll with what we already have.

But would this just lead to buying for the sake of it? A case in point would be Alexsander Isak. I like the look of him and his all round game, but he hasn't yet shown that he could be a consistent goal scorer. He's scored 26 goals in 71 games across the last 2 seasons in Spain. How much more confident could we be that he could solve the goal scoring issue over somebody like Werner for example who at least has an extended period of time in his career where he has been a regular goal scorer. And to boot he is likely to cost £60-70m this summer. I just think that the money being asked for some players is astronomical. If it came down to such options I'd rather we retained Tammy or Giroud, rolled the dice that our attackers step their game up next season and then place ourselves in a position to make moves next summer when perhaps the likes of Haaland and Mbappe will be available.