Strike

I'm glad the club has done nothing - I don't think anyone better is available/has moved in the positions we are targeting.

Fabrizio is sorted for another week

That's true. This signing can be left for later. But do think that Kai needs a genuine #9 backup if we can't sign Haaland/Lukaku

Disagree. I now don't have the belief that Timo's finishing issue will ever be resolved. We will have another year of him trying to force goals from tight angles, taking the wrong option and panicking under pressure. We need another striker option and not someone green like Broja who will have issues of his own to work through in his game. I am not sure if Ings is the right option because I think the striker should not just be a poacher/finisher but be equally good at pressing, making runs all game. But having Broja as option #2 screams bad management

How has he not finished?

Another non-update by Fab

No one. Only Arsenal and maybe Villa with Grealish money will even come close.

City will get him I feel - seems like the time has come for a move for Grealish.

No agreement on Kounde. Sevilla asking for 45m euros + Zouma via Fabrizio.

Best 3rd choice keeper in a while? Better than Turnbull, Hilario, Schwarzer at 41, Caballero. Feel like I've missed a few keepers but don't remember when we had a 29 year-old keeper as third choice. Perhaps he wanted to stay in London - his dad is a academy GK coach at Fulham too.

Posturing to attract a big bid. They did the same with Sancho and United didn't go for it. I wonder if Dortmund will be wary of that and accept the first bid this year with Haaland.

In my mother tongue in India, Kounde means ass

When so many teams are pressing high up and hardly any top team plays a CB like Zouma regularly. For the longest time, we have been trying to do away with hoofball too. Sarri's 4-3-3 and Tuchel's 3-4-3 play out of the back and the latter won the Champions League without really breaking a sweat. I don't see Zouma getting minutes under Tuchel other than being thrown on when closing out games. Firmly the 5th choice CB under him at the moment.

On course for 10 updates from Fab before there's anything new or concrete.

Conveniently ignoring how bad Zouma was under Tuchel and how uncomfortable he looked in a ball-playing role. Zouma's set-piece goals last year - Brighton, Palace, Burnley, Leeds, Palace - Just one of them in a tight game vs Leeds.

Gallagher in the pivot is interesting.

Lol. Pep's CB signings - Stones 2016, Laporte 2017, Ake and Dias 2021. None of them have flopped actually. He won the title playing 3 of them at CB and Ake maybe a backup but hardly a flop when he's competing with the other 3 for a spot in the team.

Fabrizio hasn't mentioned the price for Kounde. Man City bid 55m euros last year and it was rejected, contract is till 2024. This is 50m on a position we don't necessarily need to strengthen.

Someone check on @Vesper

Reports about Chelsea signing Bettinelli as third choice keeper

Not the way to approach negotiations - leaving it till late in the window. The club has its targets - Rice for DMF and Haaland for ST. The only thing that explains this window is that the club is looking for the ideal moment to strike a deal - Rice was with England NT and is now coming back from holiday. There should be a bid soon.

Has to be said Ole has done okay since taking over. There is a semblance of a system and a team forming over there - only Fred and AWB need upgrading. They have serious pace and trickery up front at the moment too. Thankfully he is not an elite coach in the Klopp, Pep, Tuchel category but United have spent and built a good squad.