Riyad Mahrez

[The Skipper 20,593]

3 hours ago, Jason said:

Why do that? Will end up having the same situation as now. Decent first team options but no back ups.

Replacing Pedro and Willian for Mahrez and Lemar is a huge upgrade. Lemar wouldn’t be my first choice though. 

[Pizy 18,368]

21 minutes ago, The Skipper said:

Replacing Pedro and Willian for Mahrez and Lemar is a huge upgrade. Lemar wouldn’t be my first choice though. 

Honestly, we shouldn't be replacing them at all but rather adding to them. As Willian has shown this season, he's the perfect super sub or occasional starter. Whether or not he's happy with this role is another question. Pedro has always been a rotational player rather than a nailed on starter both here and at Barca so I'm sure he won't have any issues.

We need loads of top quality options like City and the other elite European sides have. If we truly had ambition and if Roman is seriously annoyed to see us miles off a title challenge we'd be adding rather than replacing.

[It's too big 625]

The more the great form he's in, the more his price goes up. Leicester certainly won't be willing to let him go now, not without a lot of resistance. 

[Jase 43,479]

1 hour ago, The Skipper said:

Replacing Pedro and Willian for Mahrez and Lemar is a huge upgrade. Lemar wouldn’t be my first choice though. 

This.

1 hour ago, Pizy said:

Honestly, we shouldn't be replacing them at all but rather adding to them. As Willian has shown this season, he's the perfect super sub or occasional starter. Whether or not he's happy with this role is another question. Pedro has always been a rotational player rather than a nailed on starter both here and at Barca so I'm sure he won't have any issues.

We need loads of top quality options like City and the other elite European sides have. If we truly had ambition and if Roman is seriously annoyed to see us miles off a title challenge we'd be adding rather than replacing.

 

[Jase 43,479]

1 hour ago, Pizy said:

Pedro has always been a rotational player rather than a nailed on starter both here and at Barca so I'm sure he won't have any issues.

Pedro...always...a...rotational player...Barca? That only happened after Guardiola left the club and he left them because he couldn't play week in week out.

[The Skipper 20,593]

7 hours ago, Pizy said:

Honestly, we shouldn't be replacing them at all but rather adding to them. As Willian has shown this season, he's the perfect super sub or occasional starter. Whether or not he's happy with this role is another question. Pedro has always been a rotational player rather than a nailed on starter both here and at Barca so I'm sure he won't have any issues.

We need loads of top quality options like City and the other elite European sides have. If we truly had ambition and if Roman is seriously annoyed to see us miles off a title challenge we'd be adding rather than replacing.

As I said Lemar isn’t my first choice if we’re spending big money like that. Let’s say we add £20/30 mil on top of that and went for someone like Dybala. 

Mahrez is much better than Willian and Pedro imo. We should be selling these guys if opportunities rise. If you want to challenge City, we need to improve the overall quality of the squad and that includes our squad players as well. See Rüdiger for the sort of level our squad players should be on. 

@Jason^

[Jase 43,479]

12 minutes ago, The Skipper said:

As I said Lemar isn’t my first choice if we’re spending big money like that. Let’s say we add £20/30 mil on top of that and went for someone like Dybala. 

Mahrez is much better than Willian and Pedro imo. We should be selling these guys if opportunities rise. If you want to challenge City, we need to improve the overall quality of the squad and that includes our squad players as well. See Rüdiger for the sort of level our squad players should be on. 

@Jason^

If we have to sell them, then I would ditch Willian and keep Pedro. Think Willian has run his course at the club but not Pedro. Still think he, with his skill set, has something to offer this side.

On a different note, we'll be lucky to even have a deep quality in the squad like City. Our transfer businesses in the last couple of years have been to replace players rather than add onto them.

[Blue Armour 4,278]

Well if not Mahrez, I hope we get someone of similar caliber or better.

 

If you saw Pep's reaction today to the Sanchez question, there are signs that they already have something lined up. Not that anything that City does matters much these days...

[The Skipper 20,593]

On 14/12/2017 at 9:06 PM, Jason said:

If we have to sell them, then I would ditch Willian and keep Pedro. Think Willian has run his course at the club but not Pedro. Still think he, with his skill set, has something to offer this side.

On a different note, we'll be lucky to even have a deep quality in the squad like City. Our transfer businesses in the last couple of years have been to replace players rather than add onto them.

Pedro is 31 at the end of this season, he needs to be replaced just as soon as Willian does imo. 

[Jase 43,479]

8 hours ago, The Skipper said:

Pedro is 31 at the end of this season, he needs to be replaced just as soon as Willian does imo. 

So? We have kept players over 30 in the past. Need experience as much as quality in the squad. Plus as alluded to earlier, it would be foolish to expect the board to buy players for first XI AND backups in the same transfer window.

[OneMoSalah 8,776]

3 hours ago, Jason said:

So? We have kept players over 30 in the past. Need experience as much as quality in the squad. Plus as alluded to earlier, it would be foolish to expect the board to buy players for first XI AND backups in the same transfer window.

Totally agree. Especially somebody like Pedro who has won the World Cup, European Championships, CL, Super Cup, Club World Cup, Premier League, La Liga, Copa Del Rey and whatever else. He is a serial winner.

The thing with olders players is that they are more likely to accept being squad players as opposed to young guys and players in their prime who don’t want to be sitting on the bench. Pedros game is not necessarily about relying on break neck speed either, he’s always been quick to a degree but not that quick, I think he’s more than good enough to be an excellent squad player option if he’s willing to take on the role. He always seems to have an impact of some sort too when he comes on. 

[DYC. 7,542]

Don't know what people see in this guy. Star man at Leicester, yeah, but for a club like Chels... squad player at best.

In that role I'd personally prefer Zaha. Man goes hard for the full 90 min. And he can play.

[LAM09 6,744]

Don't know what people see in this guy. Star man at Leicester, yeah, but for a club like Chels... squad player at best.
In that role I'd personally prefer Zaha. Man goes hard for the full 90 min. And he can play.

HG as well

[The Skipper 20,593]

6 hours ago, Jason said:

So? We have kept players over 30 in the past. Need experience as much as quality in the squad. Plus as alluded to earlier, it would be foolish to expect the board to buy players for first XI AND backups in the same transfer window.

Same thing we said about guys like Ashley Cole and we’re still looking for a LWB now. Pedro and Willian should be upgraded on ASAP imo. 

Saying that, out of the two I’d definitely prefer if Pedro stayed. 

[Jase 43,479]

2 hours ago, DYC. said:

Don't know what people see in this guy. Star man at Leicester, yeah, but for a club like Chels... squad player at best.

Speaks volume that only Roma and Arsenal (?) were genuinely the only clubs who were interested to sign in previous transfer window. Didn't see the likes of Bayern, Juventus, Barcelona, Man City, Man Utd targeting him.

[ulvhedin 507]

2 hours ago, Jason said:

Speaks volume that only Roma and Arsenal (?) were genuinely the only clubs who were interested to sign in previous transfer window. Didn't see the likes of Bayern, Juventus, Barcelona, Man City, Man Utd targeting him.

Wasnt there rumors he is joining Barcelona last transfer window? 

[Jase 43,479]

3 minutes ago, ulvhedin said:

Wasnt there rumors he is joining Barcelona last transfer window? 

But how strong were the rumours? They practically spent the entire transfer window trying to get Coutinho, even after signing Dembele. The only club that got as far as the transfer fee were Roma.

[Pizy 18,368]

He's definitely got a bit of Özil about him in that when his team is playing well he's amazing but like today when his team is struggling he also goes missing a bit. I'd still take a chance on him because I think he'd be even better and more consistent with much better teammates.