Sideshow Luiz

I had kind of moved on and talked myself in to Belotti. I'm having a hard time getting back in to Lukaku.

So, it was Utd and Everton reach agreement. Now, it's "Everton waiting for Utd to meet £90M valuation: http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/10940350/everton-wait-on-man-utd-to-meet-163-90m-romelu-lukaku-demands Which is it?

Wolves? Wasn't this guy one of the hottest young prospects in world football? Varratti-esque?

That's what I thought. We're pulling an Arsenal. Have been for the past few years.

....in the coming hours.....

I think he is referring to Lukaku saying that he knew where he was going weeks ago. So, the idea of "losing out" now is against the idea that Lukaku knew where he was going weeks ago. Personally, I don't know what's true during silly season.

If we don't go for him, who's left? There are only a handful of really great No.9 out there and most of them are already established at a big club.

Good god. Just sign the new contract with Juve and be done with this already.

But...but...the Nike deal.......that's why. They need to be holding a Nike kit.

I'm really quite surprised. I thought this had been a done deal for weeks already.

I don't seem to blame the board like a lot of other people. I know they've made a hash of other things in the past, but the narrative behind this story don't really seem to put them at fault. By all accounts, the fee and the wages are fine, and have been for a while. If Sandro doesn't want to leave, then what are they supposed to do?

I'm not sure about this transfer because I don't know him. But....I think these is a good transfer policy. Have a bunch of targets. Let another club (not English, PSG, Madrid, or Barca) negotiate the transfer fee. Then come in a little higher and steal the deal. Will still be less than what we get quoted right off the bat.

Then I suppose he'll have no trouble taking a wage decrease so that Atletico can pay the required transfer fee. Good for him.

I think he's a great LB, but I can't seem to get too excited. I know we need depth at wing-back, when one of Alonso or Moses was out, it really messed us up. But, I can't get excited because I don't see LWB as a position we need to spend this kind of money on. I'd be more excited if we spent 50M on a RWB, and 10 on a decent back-up for Alonso. I just have to trust that Conte has a plan. This seems like a move he wants, not the board.

The figures being thrown around are bonkers. At this rate, we could spend 90M on Verratti or Dybala and next summer it will seem like a bargain. Kante for 30 was already great, it's looking more and more amazing every day.

Because it wasn't us. We try, and it turns in to this summer long haggling situation.

RWB. I think he can be better than Moses there.

I think it was nice of Arsenal to use him in a 2 man CM as well as a WB during the second half of the season. I think he'd do well here and that it would be a good piece of business. He's not outstanding, but can play a number of roles well. With the current squad, I think he'd be first choice RWB. Thanks Arsene.

I think that Alonso has played some CB. In a pinch, I wouldn't really mind seeing him at LCB in a 3/5ATB formation. Maybe that's the plan if the Sandro rumours are true.

Quality player, makes us better. But, we need a RWB more than a left. Though, we also need depth, so....

Is this our BIG July 1 unveiling? I kind of hope so. This board will melt down.

Can't sell Hazard. I don't really care who the replacement is. The situation is a no-go.

Interesting. I didn't see Verratti on that list <50M Euro. Let's go!!

He strikes me as a very (very) raw version of Yaya. I doubt he can get to that ceiling (simple numbers, you don't just get another Yaya). But, I think he would fit in nicely. Conte obviously likes physical box-to-box midfielders.

That's true, it's a 2 way street and Conte didn't handle his side very well. I don't actually think any of this has cost us millions. Not selling in January has cost us millions. But, I get why it wasn't done at the time.