Jase

So, pre-season starts this Friday and we still haven't bought any new players other than Werner and Ziyech and we still have all the deadwoods...

Back this Friday apparently. Don't think the players would lose much of the match fitness etc in just two weeks. As long as there is no heavy training, overworking of the players (HA!), they should be fine.

You got lucky... And sure but there wasn't long left in the game.

Looks like a classic case of hijacking.

lol Lazio must be fuming...

If only we had gotten Nicolo Barella under Sarri...

Lukaku and Martinez were on a hat-trick and Conte took both off. What a troll.

The Europa League gods will probably have Sevilla win the whole thing again but Inter should really win the final. Have looked solid and dangerous upfront in this mini tournament.

This could probably be said about every team but when a Conte team is in the mood, it's fun to watch. Brutal efficiency and relentless. If only he wasn't such a moaning *****...

Lovely but why did they have to put the shit music on the background!?

Setien has been sacked by Barcelona. Officially confirmed. Election will be next March.

While the sentiment is true, would Duncan Castles have said the same thing had it been Mourinho instead?

On the subject of Fernandes, shouldn't forget that the pundits, journalists are also wanking themselves over his penalty technique/style when it's basically the same as Jorginho's!

Get Marina a statue outside the Bridge!

But Batshuayi has played under Bielsa at Marseille previously.

Why is this in a transfer thread?

Think the better question is whether Lampard is a good judge of talent and quality. Don't think experience matters much at all as long as that person knows how to spot a talent.

Not sure why you only mentioned those average players/flops because let's be fair here, do Werner, Havertz, Chilwell, Reguilon etc not fit into the same profile too?

I did call you out on it because Pulisic has shown the qualities that you thought he didn't have. The quality is there and it is obvious. The fitness is the issue but that's another debate and if you want to move the goalpost, then sure.

He may play in La Liga but he plays for Sevilla. Unless they are playing one of the notable sides in the league, people may not watch Sevilla at all.

This is exactly why I posted this earlier... Have you seen Reguilon play week in week out before we were linked with him? Or did you only watch him recently, like most other people? Of course, United did not make much of an impact down their right side. Greenwood, as well as he has done, is not exactly an out-and-out winger and he is only 18 years old, who isn't consistent yet. Wan-Bissaka is also hardly an attacking right back or is rather poor at going forward. And again, doing well in an one-off game against United is one thing but to do it over the course of 38-50 domestic games is another. Scouts, managers etc do not base players off 1-2 games. On top all of this, what if we decide against pursuing Reguilon because of the buy-back clause that Real Madrid reportedly want to have in the contract?

So we are moving the goalpost here from "whether he can do it in the Premier League?" to "whether he can perform beyond a season?"? Few games? Pulisic was already good when he broke into the first XI since last October and he got even better after the restart. He has shown the qualities that he can succeed here, especially when his playing style is similar to Hazard. The question of course is whether he can stay fit for at least 90% of the season. Otherwise, I have no doubt that he will do well for us and he also has the right mentality and attitude to go with his talent. Not sure about the Jorginho comparison because he is ultimately a limited player and a system player - which Pulisic isn't. Play him in a system like Sarri's, yeah, he will likely do well. Otherwise, he is unable to do that and although he plays in a different position to Pulisic, Jorginho has so many more flaws to his game. Hazard and Costa led us to the next level? That certainly made a difference domestically in helping us to win titles but I don't they carried us to the level like Man City and Liverpool are at. Granted, it's not entirely their fault that we didn't build a great squad all those years ago but yeah, we yo-yo-ed between success and disaster, even with them. Hazard did well domestically but didn't (still doesn't) turn up in Europe. Costa also somewhat similar and he tended to fall off the pace in the second half of the season.

If we are strictly talking about the fee, then for sure. Going for Reguilon makes more sense all day long. But based on what you said there, do we want another defender who is not good defensively when we seemingly already have so many of them? Plus and am just throwing this out here, can Reguilon handle the physicality and intensity of the Premier League? Maybe the club aren't convinced about it? I know some said he handled it well against Wan-Bissaka yesterday but that was only a game and it's different to do it in an one-off game and 38-50 domestic games. Also given we are seemingly going to change half of the squad this summer, it might be wise to get someone who already knows the league at the very least rather than have another player to settle in and all that. And if Real Madrid insist on having the buy-back clause, then the Reguilon deal is off the table.