Transfers so far

I'm relatively happy with the 4 we have in so far. A good mix of experience and potential.
It will take several windows to fully rebuild. Rafa has said as much.
3 more though and I'll be positively ecstatic.

 

Agree.

Not sure about Manquillo but Atsu is decent lejeune by reputation looks a good buy and Murphy a very good and promising buy.

Hoping for three more good to very good buys before the window closes.

 

The market is just opening up with the big deals so a lot of that will tumble down. It may end up loans but I'm confident we'll compete next year.

 

There's about 40 days till the window shuts lads.

 

Still plenty of time to Get Some In!

 

I'm happy ish so far. I would have rather us do business earlier but as people have said it's a time game atm and the new money is making things well let's say crazy.

Two more for me. A striker and a cm.

 

Don't you think we need a number 10 bringing in? I'm not sure Perez, Diame or De Jong will be good enough. Perez as back up would be ok I guess.

In CM, we should be getting shot of Colback and Diame so I'd ideally be bringing in two CMs (box to box to compete with Shelvey and a DCM). Wouldn't mind another experienced winger, so we have 2 for each position (can't count Aarons, surely?).

How much have we spent thus far? There must be plenty left to spend?

EDIT: I think we must have spent about £30m. Probably will spend about the same again on whoever else we bring in, but a loan or two might be needed to get the squad the way we would like it?

 

We still need a better left back, right back, central midfielder, attacking midfielder and striker at the very least

 

Yes a number ten ideally but they seem to be the most expensive player these days. I can't see us splashing 20 million and that's what an average number ten will cost. I hope we do sign more though I really do.

I know it's just a pre season game but a 1-1 draw against Preston is pretty poor and highlights the need to strengthen.

This squad is currently still a lot worse than when we got relegated.

 

We are still well short. Striker, no.10, are a must. We need a left back quite badly too unless we are gonna promote Gibson. Holding midfield is vital. Competition for Shelvey would be nice too. Another 5 would be good and there is plenty of time. 4 would suffice. It's all about quality what we need. The 10, striker and holding midfielder need serious money thrown at it or a really smart loan.

 

Agreed - need to put some quality into the spine of the team.

Hopefully the signings to date have left sufficient cash in the pot to get this right

 

Get rid of Diame and Colback and bring in someone far better

 

Agreed, nice little foundation for further transfers but I'm not fooled, defo need at least two more
Reality is we gota shift some of the crap that's been coasting by on our books for years. Its not Benitezs fault for the crap Carr brought in towards the end.
Hearing the name Riviere still makes my balls hurt.

 

If we manage to sell Riviere we would surely get done under the Trades Descriptions Act. What the **** was Carr watching when he signed him?

 

I would say it looks like it has been an ok beginning. It needs to just be a beginning though as we need to get some new first choice players in to strengthen the starting 11. We need a striker good enough to make Gayle the backup, a number 10 who is worthy of the name (de Jong may then make a decent backup if he can stay fit) and a strong, effective holding midfielder.

If we sell Mitrovic we'd ideally get a second striker in too. A left back to relegate Dummett, or at least provide better competition than Haidara will ever manage would be nice. Finally I'd also like to see another creative midfielder to keep Shelvey on his toes... And if I'm feeling greedy a specialist left winger.

The first three - striker, no10 and DM are the most important but will probably take some serious money to bring in the required quality. I'd rather they were sorted at the expense of the other strengthening if it meant we got the right players in.

 

Fabian Delph is available for around £12m. I think I'd make a move for him although Stoke seem to be favourites to sign him at the moment. Wilshere I'd take a chance on but only for a fraction of the £20m quoted considering his injury record.

Money is probably too tight to sign everyone we need, so I'd forego another winger and make do with cover from Aarons, Yedlin and Perez. With Clark able to cover at LB I'd forego a signing in that position too if we had to. So Delph, a DCM, #10 and #9. One of those will probably need to be a loan - perhaps take a chance on Wilfried Bony for 6 months? Not sure how much Bas Dost would cost from Sporting (£25m?) but he looks like quality and capable of hitting the ground running in the Premier League - probably the player Mitrovic should be. We do probably need to look at foreign markets, though - Italy, France, Portugal, Holland, Belgium, etc. - because the prices we will be quoted for anyone good in England puts them out of reach, and frankly are our rivals going to want to sell good players to us?

 

Good shout on Jack Wheelchair General, was thinking the same thing meself although looking at his stats from last season they don't really scream £20m player to me like. £10m - £12m would be the max for me, he's still only 25 and if his injuries are behind him Rafa may well be able to get some decent performances out of him.

 

Surely there must be youngsters who can do a better job than perma crocks like Wilshere and Delph. They wouldn't come anyway and it's probably a good thing. 15 games from each in patches is useless to a club like us. I can't say it enough times, I don't want these crock leeches at our club.

 

There are but they're all locked up in Roman Abramovich's concentration camp for young footballers.

Who should we try and get in then Hank? You more than anyone else have been telling everyone how we're at the back of the queue and playing second fiddle to clubs like Watford and West Brom. Which players should Rafa be signing? We all know the positions but actual names seem to be thin on the ground.

 

Sure I saw something last week that Arsenal would take around £9-10m for Wilshire. Probably worth a shot at that price