Nicolo Barella

[Vesper 30,083]

6 hours ago, DDA said:

Strong links with this guy recently.

Looks average to me so I guess there is a strong possibilty we will buy him.

 

Average as compared to who?

Average (or worse) is what we have in Cesc, Drinkwater, Barkley, and  RLC

I am not saying Barella is atm as good as SMS, Saul, Verratti, Pogba, Kroos, Koke, Corentin Tolisso, Arthur, Goretzka, Pjanic, Thiago, Frenkie de Jong (my choice) level as a CMF, but we will never drop the money for those players and many of those are not for sale.

The main realistic MF targets we have (NO, not counting Barca scraps Denis Suárez, who is, unfortunately probably who we DO end up with, then it is truly a hit-n-hope situ that he finally comes good) IF we lose Kovacic

are (in no order)

Barella

Tanguy Ndombélé  everyone wants him

Houssem Aouar (similar to Barella, Pep loves him, Arsenal wants him badly to replace Ramsey)

Adrien Rabiot (would be superb here, but he wants a top CL playing club, ie, Barca, Real, Shitty, Juve, Bayern)

Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis will exercise option to buy him from PSG (he is on loan) he has been superb for them, I think a huge blunder by PSG, as Rabiot is leaving

Piotr Zielinski (Poison Dwarf will block us)

Marcelo Brozovic (really tough pull, we tried for years and failed)

Bryan Cristante (great young, bigger version of Barella type player, very underrated, not quite as technical though, was just a beast at Atalanta last year, I love him)

Rodrigo Bentancur (Juve will not sell him now)

Matías Vecino (Sarri loves him, he is better than I initially thought, but is near bottom of this list, especially as he turns 28 in the summer)

Amadou Haidara  RB Salzbug  (Injured atm, has superb potential, best player in Austrian league, I do not think our board rates him at all, which is a shame)

Roberto Gagliardini   (I rate him over Vecino, behind Brozovic)

Rolando Mandragora   Udinese (great young Italian CMF. doesn't have the hype Barella does, maybe a notch below)

Lorenzo Pellegrini   (super tough pull from Roma, harder than Cristante I would think)

 

 

 

[DDA 9,924]

50 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Average as compared to who?

Average (or worse) is what we have in Cesc, Drinkwater, Barkley, and  RLC

I am not saying Barella is atm as good as SMS, Saul, Verratti, Pogba, Kroos, Koke, Corentin Tolisso, Arthur, Goretzka, Pjanic, Thiago, Frenkie de Jong (my choice) level as a CMF, but we will never drop the money for those players and many of those are not for sale.

The main realistic MF targets we have (NO, not counting Barca scraps Denis Suárez, who is, unfortunately probably who we DO end up with, then it is truly a hit-n-hope situ that he finally comes good) IF we lose Kovacic

are (in no order)

Barella

Tanguy Ndombélé  everyone wants him

Houssem Aouar (similar to Barella, Pep loves him, Arsenal wants him badly to replace Ramsey)

Adrien Rabiot (would be superb here, but he wants a top CL playing club, ie, Barca, Real, Shitty, Juve, Bayern)

Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis will exercise option to buy him from PSG (he is on loan) he has been superb for them, I think a huge blunder by PSG, as Rabiot is leaving

Piotr Zielinski (Poison Dwarf will block us)

Marcelo Brozovic (really tough pull, we tried for years and failed)

Bryan Cristante (great young, bigger version of Barella type player, very underrated, not quite as technical though, was just a beast at Atalanta last year, I love him)

Rodrigo Bentancur (Juve will not sell him now)

Matías Vecino (Sarri loves him, he is better than I initially thought, but is near bottom of this list, especially as he turns 28 in the summer)

Amadou Haidara  RB Salzbug  (Injured atm, has superb potential, best player in Austrian league, I do not think our board rates him at all, which is a shame)

Roberto Gagliardini   (I rate him over Vecino, behind Brozovic)

Rolando Mandragora   Udinese (great young Italian CMF. doesn't have the hype Barella does, maybe a notch below)

Lorenzo Pellegrini   (super tough pull from Roma, harder than Cristante I would think)

 

 

 

My assumption is based from watching a few youtube videos... and after reading what you have written, maybe I have been a bit hasty on my evaluation of the player.

[Vesper 30,083]

3 minutes ago, DDA said:

My assumption is based from watching a few youtube videos... and after reading what you have written, maybe I have been a bit hasty on my evaluation of the player.

Its easy to fall into YouTube highlights trap, I do it all the time!!

but then I really go try and watch some full games

if you get a chance, watch that Italy v Poland game, Barella was a fucking boss

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

The question is:  Is he better than Kovacic, and what are the fees like for both players? 

[Vesper 30,083]

12 minutes ago, Sideshow Luiz said:

The question is:  Is he better than Kovacic, and what are the fees like for both players? 

I think he is pretty close to Kovacic now, and his upside potential is greater. I would have to assume that both would cost in the £35m to £50m range.

Neither are AMF's which, if Kante and Jorginho are the 2 lock starters (lock as in guaranteed, not going all rugby here, lol) we actually do need. I like RLC and especially Barkley as players, as people, BUT I am NOT at all sold that they are our AMF answers.

I will list the AMF's who are better than either Barks or RLC (I only list the ones remotely available)

In order

Kai Havertz Bayer Leverkusen (only AMF's in world I rate over him are De Bruyne, Coutinho, and Alli)

Isco  Real Madrid

James Rodríguez (on loan at Bayern Munich)

Nabil Fekir (his knees terrify me)

Julian Draxler (LW as well)

Talisca       GZ Evergrande (my number one value pick for last 2 years)

Carlos Soler Valencia

João Félix  Benfica  (19yo potential superstar, Sarri LOVES HIM)

Pablo Sarabia  Sevilla

Pablo Fornals  Villarreal

Lucas Paquetá  Flamengo

Bruno Fernandes  Sporting Lisbon

Amine Harit  Schalke

Hakim Ziyech   Ajax

Aleksandr Golovin Monaco (maybe)

those are who we also need to be looking at

as Kante is apparently untouchable in his slot

we need a SUPER AMF to balance it out

Sarriball will never work without it and I do NOT see Barkley or RLC as reaching that level, I just don't (but we will probably muck along with them, as our board has zero ambition to go top 5)

[BlueLyon 9,359]

I feel our players hang on the ball too long. Try to dribble and stop the play instead of passing fluidly. Not sure how Barella fits this but Aouar is definately the better pick in keeping possesion under pressure and quick pass'n'move.

Barella despite his size is very agressive and hard player which I like. 

Whoever Sarri thinks will suit us more. Considering we will sell Fabregas, Bakayoko, Drinkwater and maybe not buy Kovacic, either two of Aouar, Ndombele or Barella would be great. Kante, Jorgi, RLC, Barkley and two more would make our midfield seriously competitive.

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

2 minutes ago, Vesper said:

I think he is pretty close to Kovacic now, and his upside potential is greater. I would have to assume that both would cost in the £35m to £50m range.

 

But Barella's wages are surely lower. making him probably the cheaper option.

Our AM needs to work defensively as well (not saying this is where Barella will play).  Fekir (and players like him) for me would be best as a CF in our system.  IMO.  Ziyech has those traits, and I really like him.  But, I don't know if he's good enough for us (Starting XI).  He also takes left footed free kicks, so that's a bonus.

On you list, who's playing in a 433?  Those attacking mids have to play defence too.

[!Hazard! 3,394]

5 minutes ago, Sideshow Luiz said:

But Barella's wages are surely lower. making him probably the cheaper option.

Our AM needs to work defensively as well (not saying this is where Barella will play).  Fekir (and players like him) for me would be best as a CF in our system.  IMO.  Ziyech has those traits, and I really like him.  But, I don't know if he's good enough for us (Starting XI).  He also takes left footed free kicks, so that's a bonus.

On you list, who's playing in a 433?  Those attacking mids have to play defence too.

Ziyech would be a great buy. He's basically a hardworking and more dynamic version of Ozil, whoever gets him will be in for a treat

[Vesper 30,083]

4 minutes ago, Sideshow Luiz said:

But Barella's wages are surely lower. making him probably the cheaper option.

Our AM needs to work defensively as well (not saying this is where Barella will play).  Fekir (and players like him) for me would be best as a CF in our system.  IMO.  Ziyech has those traits, and I really like him.  But, I don't know if he's good enough for us (Starting XI).  He also takes left footed free kicks, so that's a bonus.

On you list, who's playing in a 433?  Those attacking mids have to play defence too.

Every one of those would take the place (some eventually, like Felix) Barkley/RLC's place

Barella is square peg in round hole (like Kovacic is) as their natural role is the Kante position

I TRULY wish Kante could play DH DMF, but it just will not happen.

If we had a front 3 of 

Eden

Icardi

Dembele

then we could cope with Barella as third MF

but that front 3 is a pipe dream (Eden will soon leave, our board will not buy Icardi, and Barca will not sell Dembele, they would be insane, given his talent, which is 2nd only to Mbappe IMHO in terms of under 21yo's)

This is why I posit a super true AMF as a partial cure.

Like I have said so many times, we are (by far) the most complicated team in the world to fix (especially counting the potential transfer bans, Euro bans, and Roman as hardcore global geo-political target issues) We have so many issues at so many levels it drives me absolutely mental.

 

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

2 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Every one of those would take the place (some eventually, like Felix) Barkley/RLC's place

Barella is square peg in round hole (like Kovacic is) as their natural role is the Kante position

I TRULY wish Kante could play DH DMF, but it just will not happen.

If we had a front 3 of 

Eden

Icardi

Dembele

then we could cope with Barella as third MF

but that front 3 is a pipe dream (Eden will soon leave, our board will not buy Icardi, and Barca will not sell Dembele, they would be insane, given his talent, which is 2nd only to Mbappe IMHO in terms of under 21yo's)

This is why I posit a super true AMF as a partial cure.

Like I have said so many times, we are (by far) the most complicated team in the world to fix (especially counting the potential transfer bans, Euro bans, and Roman as hardcore global geo-political target issues) We have so many issues at so many levels it drives me absolutely mental.

 

I'm would fully expect Barella to be Kante's back up since we don't really have one.  This could be the issue with Kovacic.  I'd expect Barella to be more on board with being a rotation option for us.  Kovacic wants away from Madrid because he wants to play more.

On the other side of midfield we have 2 english players, one of which is HG.  One will have to leave to make room for a better target.  Plus, we have Mount coming through.

[Vesper 30,083]

2 minutes ago, Sideshow Luiz said:

I'm would fully expect Barella to be Kante's back up since we don't really have one.  This could be the issue with Kovacic.  I'd expect Barella to be more on board with being a rotation option for us.  Kovacic wants away from Madrid because he wants to play more.

On the other side of midfield we have 2 english players, one of which is HG.  One will have to leave to make room for a better target.  Plus, we have Mount coming through.

Mount is indeed a wild card. NOT sold on him yet, BUT he could overturn all my AMF positing if he is truly the real deal.

I MISS LAMPARD!!!!!!!!

OMG do I

Perfect Chels player, my all-time Blue Love along with Claude Makélélé

add in Alessandro Nesta, my 3 favourite footballers of all time

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

2 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Mount is indeed a wild card. NOT sold on him yet, BUT he could overturn all my AMF positing if he is truly the real deal.

I MISS LAMPARD!!!!!!!!

OMG do I

Perfect Chels player, my all-time Blue Love along with Claude Makélélé

add in Alessandro Nesta, my 3 favourite footballers of all time

I'm not suggesting that Barkley or RLC are good enough to be regular starters for us, but neither is bad enough to never see the pitch, either.  One will have to go if we want to "upgrade"  Of course, we'll see.  Both are much better now than they were are the start of the season, so let's see where we are in May.