Non-Chelsea Transfer Pub

[Korea 734]

If we buy cavani, lukaku will be. Loan

[Hutcho 8,443]

He has been very good for reading and is a good finisher.He would be cheap,english,would be happy as 3rd choice and if god forbid ba and lukaku get injured then he would still be good enough to lead the line.Dont think there are a whole lot of options for the 3rd choice striker position who also would not demand a lot of playing time.

True. He wouldn't be a bad signing at all. But he is best utilised to play a two up top system. Which atm we haven't even tried. Depending on the manager it could be a good choice. But next month there will probably be a new player who shines for a lower league team to buy.

[DDA 9,925]

Falcao is coming in the summer! So Ba should be third choice behind Lukaiu also!

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

Falcao is coming in the summer! So Ba should be third choice behind Lukaiu also!

Falcao is going nowhere, also Suarez or Cavani, as much as i would like him here is not coming for less than 50m and I do not see us spending so much on a striker again, no matter how different the signs are this time. I think it is much more likely and also retracable to buy someone cheap in the 23-27 y bracket and I appreciate that. Even though we lack a big name in that department, I would appreciate that.

Le foondre sounds a valid option, but he is not someone who would fit that well into our team specifically, his link-up play is average. He is a clinical finisher has great reactions and movement, reminds one of Inzaghi or Roy Makaay the way he is ghosting around and that he is English makes him almost attractive, but there is a reason why he does not play from Start at Reading; he is not able to lead the line, he is just a poacher but no modern striker. He would be a fourth striking option at best, cos he can always score, but we are looking for someone who we can rely on a constant level.

Iago Aspas comes to my mind, cos his linkup play is excellent and his finishing is good.

Overall I think, if we want to continue that 4-2-3-1 which is probable as our 3 maestros can feature within, we should incorporate these 5 players in our squad, whether it is buy, academy or get back from loan I do not care, it is more about the player type, so the squad continues to evolve. we do not have to be perfect, you do not even have to be good to win big titles as Utd and ourselves have shown so often.

- a CB of international standard in or approaching his best years. We need it for numbers cos 3,5 CBs are not enough IMO and our prospects will either be never good enough or will only be it when Terry and maybe even ivanovic are about to leave/retire. But we also need him not to have open house every time we face a better opened, we have conceded at least two goals agaisnt atletico madrid, man city twice and ManU twice in our big games this season. Possibilites: Hummels (very expensive), Papadopolus (still young, but amazing statistics), Otamendi (well, getting better every game and 15m release clause, reasonable), Juan Jesus (well, very young but top prospect)

- a holding midfielder who can run, pass, tackle, is fine technically, robust and at best can also shoots. Candidates: our very own Chalobah, Etienne Capoue, Sung-Young Ki, Tiote

- a Deep Lying Playmaker, obvious reasons: McEachran (prob not ready yet), Kevin de Bruyne (not really deep-lying, but prob can also play there), Benat (not my favourite option, too expensive and too incapable defensively, rather a no. 8), Ever Banega,

- an out-and-out winger, Bale (lol, never gonna get him, Gaitan (too slow, imo), James Rodriguez (do not know much about him) at best right sided cos Hazard is set for the left wing: Jonathan biabiany, Antoine Griezman, Germaine Lens (all just before reaching their peak and damn damn fast), Iker munian

- a striker who offers a plan B to the big/strong thrust-striker Ba/lukaku: Iago Aspas, islam Feruz (mentioned so often lol, no idea whether he is rady), iago aspas, le fondre,

[JDY 1,290]

A deep lying playmaker isn't essential. I get the feeling a lot of people want a Xabi Alonso-esque player in the pivot but you can benefit from different types of players in there, ones without the playmaking capabilities.

A player who can hold the ball and link the play from midfield to attack is needed, if they can provide defence splitting passes then that's a bonus. Dembele for Spurs isn't the most creative of players, and has been criticised in the past for being indecisive in the final third. But this season he has improved in that aspect, and his ability to retain the ball even if there are 100 players on him is incredible. Him and Sandro probably make up the best pivot in the league at the moment.

[Blue Gino 377]

I believe Lazar Markovic is a done deal. There was more to his visit to London to that of Taison. They wined and dined this kid along with players joining him for dinner to convince him. This team needs more options out wide and along with KDB the team then has that.

[The Skipper 20,609]

A deep lying playmaker isn't essential. I get the feeling a lot of people want a Xabi Alonso-esque player in the pivot but you can benefit from different types of players in there, ones without the playmaking capabilities. A player who can hold the ball and link the play from midfield to attack is needed, if they can provide defence splitting passes then that's a bonus. Dembele for Spurs isn't the most creative of players, and has been criticised in the past for being indecisive in the final third. But this season he has improved in that aspect, and his ability to retain the ball even if there are 100 players on him is incredible. Him and Sandro probably make up the best pivot in the league at the moment.

Dembele plays as a deep lying playmaker for Spurs...

[nadavTKL 1,787]

I believe Lazar Markovic is a done deal. There was more to his visit to London to that of Taison. They wined and dined this kid along with players joining him for dinner to convince him. This team needs more options out wide and along with KDB the team then has that.

Source? never heard of a link with him.

[Jase 43,479]

La fondre as 3rd choice striker?Ba,lukaku and la fondre looks OK to me.

With that strikeforce, we'll never be able to challenge for the league. Might get away with it in the cups but not the league.

Lukaku has massive talent and potential but he's nowhere near the finished article yet to provide us the quality needed to challenge the two Manchester clubs.

Ba is good but not great. As for Le Fondre? No thanks. A sub impact he is for Reading but he's just mid-table range player.

Think after years and years of having just 1 top notch striker in Drogba(and maybe Anelka), it's really time for us to acquire a world class striker in the team. Otherwise, come this time next year, we'll just be moaning about the same old thing again. No quality striker in the team and then compare ourselves with United and City. Failling behind in the league and struggling to finish in Top 4 because we don't have a top notch striker etc.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

If we are going after big shot striker, it should be either Suarez or Cavani. If we are going to play Lukaku as main striker, we should look after cheaper options like Lewandowski, Jovetic,...cheaper (in comparison to Cavani, Falcao,...) versatile and still class if Lukaku and Ba fail to perform good.

A deep lying playmaker that has both; offense (dictating play, long balls) and defensive (tracking, hard working, tackling) abilities. Definately not someone like Isco...Modric, Moutinho or Benat seems good options, but with Mata, Oscar we already have enough small players. Might work with Moutinho or Benat as both are hard workers, but I think we need someone a bit stronger, someone who wont get bullied by Yaya Toure, Ferdinand,...I realy cant tell who, but Gonalons, Strootman are that kind of players, but they are not established too well. Might go after De Rossi, who is certainly a "you wont fuck with my team" type of player.

As from defending areas, I feel no need. This team has enough quality in defence, with proper coach and another midfielder it would work well. But if we are going after, then it should be someone like Verthongen. Brilliant defender, versatile, CHEAP and very no-nonsense. Nkolou, Alderweireld, Benatia are just few options...

And obviously new coach; Laudrup, Mou, Klopp (impossilble) or De Boer from Ajax are my favourite at the moment. No Capello, Etc bullshit who are not long term options, but very expensive...

So if Gourlay was true about signing three players this summer, it should be striker like Lewandowski/Jovetic, hard working CM with full package of abilities like Gonalons, Benat, Fellaini or Moutinho and maybe another DM (Capoue?) or CB.

Lukaku and De Bruyne to join team, Malouda, Torres and maybe Marin to leave.

But first we should sign new coach in may and then let him decide who to sign, recall, etc...

[JDY 1,290]

Dembele plays as a deep lying playmaker for Spurs...

He doesn't, and hasn't got the vision or passing range to be one. A deep lying playmaker dictates play from deeper, Dembele utilizes his dribbling to drag opponents out of position and provide the pass, his chance creation heatmap shows that nearly all of chances created is deep in the opposition half.

All I was saying is that it isn't a must to have a playmaker alongside Mikel. I would prefer a dynamic runner like Sebastian Rode, or an all round machine like Lars Bender..

[The only place to be 11,313]

With that strikeforce, we'll never be able to challenge for the league. Might get away with it in the cups but not the league.

Lukaku has massive talent and potential but he's nowhere near the finished article yet to provide us the quality needed to challenge the two Manchester clubs.

Ba is good but not great. As for Le Fondre? No thanks. A sub impact he is for Reading but he's just mid-table range player.

Think after years and years of having just 1 top notch striker in Drogba(and maybe Anelka), it's really time for us to acquire a world class striker in the team. Otherwise, come this time next year, we'll just be moaning about the same old thing again. No quality striker in the team and then compare ourselves with United and City. Failling behind in the league and struggling to finish in Top 4 because we don't have a top notch striker etc.

I've mentioned it elsewhere, but Lukaku has already scored more goals this season (13) than Drogba did in all but two of his seasons for us. That includes the two league wins under Mourinho (10, 12).

What's impressive about Lukaku's goals (7 of which came since the 1st of January) is that they've been key goals for his club. The goal at the weekend was the equaliser, as was his first against Sunderland. His first goal against Reading was the first in the match and the one against Liverpool was the one that secured the win for the Baggies.

Saying we can't win the league with that strikeforce is unfair. I think we're always going to be a team that needs the whole team to contribute goals and we're fortunate in that we have the likes of Mata, Hazard and Oscar. What we need is someone who can lead the line, score the odd goal and create space for the players behind him.

The Manchester clubs are nowhere near as far away from us as some people think.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

I've mentioned it elsewhere, but Lukaku has already scored more goals this season (13) than Drogba did in all but two of his seasons for us. That includes the two league wins under Mourinho (10, 12).

What's impressive about Lukaku's goals (7 of which came since the 1st of January) is that they've been key goals for his club. The goal at the weekend was the equaliser, as was his first against Sunderland. His first goal against Reading was the first in the match and the one against Liverpool was the one that secured the win for the Baggies.

Saying we can't win the league with that strikeforce is unfair. I think we're always going to be a team that needs the whole team to contribute goals and we're fortunate in that we have the likes of Mata, Hazard and Oscar. What we need is someone who can lead the line, score the odd goal and create space for the players behind him.

The Manchester clubs are nowhere near as far away from us as some people think.

On the other hand, Lukaku scored those 13 games for smaller club, lets see if he can do same for big club like Chelsea...

(and he has all my faith in him)

[The Skipper 20,609]

He doesn't, and hasn't got the vision or passing range to be one. A deep lying playmaker dictates play from deeper, Dembele utilizes his dribbling to drag opponents out of position and provide the pass, his chance creation heatmap shows that nearly all of chances created is deep in the opposition half.

All I was saying is that it isn't a must to have a playmaker alongside Mikel. I would prefer a dynamic runner like Sebastian Rode, or an all round machine like Lars Bender..

I still think he can be considered as Spurs' midfield general, he's just got an unorthodox way of playing it. His short passing game is sublime, and he makes up for not having that long range passing range by like you rightly said using his dribbling skills. IMO he's still a deep lying playmaker, just an unorthodox one.

[JDY 1,290]

I still think he can be considered as Spurs' midfield general, he's just got an unorthodox way of playing it. His short passing game is sublime, and he makes up for not having that long range passing range by like you rightly said using his dribbling skills. IMO he's still a deep lying playmaker, just an unorthodox one.

Fair enough. His role is more box-to-box IMO.