Transfer window finally open and for a change we have been very quick off the mark and already got two internationals over the line. Aaronson and Kristenson are great additions on paper, but everyone who has experience of them see them as top players and a big improvement within a depleted squad. Yes we expect some players moving out, but looks more than likely that Raphinha will need to stay at least until January to make sure he gets picked for the Brazil WC squad. Barcelona cannot afford him, so unless a CL club comes in with over £60m, he stays. Phillips to Man City could happen as he wants to improve and knows Pep can do that for him. His mate Grealish is also at City. Any other players moving out will only be players we need to move on, except maybe some of the kids sent out on loan. Interesting times. Here is a list of players that the sports media have us linked to. Some of these names are very strong possibilities, some are lazy journo’s and some are not without substance: 1: Gonzalo Plato - 25yo Ecuador international winger - Spanish L2 - 30 games and 6 goals. International 25 games and 5 goals. 2: Marc Roca - top top player and only 25yo - will cover for Phillips or replace him with ease. Top signing if we can do it. 3: Alberth Elis - 26yo Honduras international striker plays for Bordeaux - 20 games with 9 goals and international record of 56 games with 12 goals. 4: Noa Lang - 22yo barnstorming winger we all know about. Not a great season this time as he played 37 games and scored only 8 goals with 12 assists. Last season it was 29 games and 16 goals. Dutch international. 5: Sonny Perkins - 18yo promising striker from WHU who has 3 first team appearances. He was top scorer in the U23s with 21 games and 12 goals. Can only assume this is a player for our U23s to complement Max Dean and Mateo Fernandez. 6: James Maxwell is a 20yo left back at Rangers, where he played 34 times for the SPL side and even scored 5 goals. One to watch. 7: Dreis Mertens - everyone knows this striker and he has an incredible record at international and top clubs. He is however 35yo but a freebie. PSV fantastic record and 295 games for Napoli where he scored 113 times. 8: Junior Adamu - 21yo promising striker who has been mentioned on here this last week. Another RBS player, but his record so far isnt as good as Joffy? 9: Valentin Castellanos - golden boot winner in the MLS and scores goals for fun. Argentinian, self confident, arrogant. Played for New York 105 times scoring 44 goals. So far this season he has played 17 times and scored 11 goals. 10: Kai Wagner - mentioned on here a lot this week - another defender, but dont see this happening. Red Bull links again. 11: Minamino - much mentioned yesterday on here, but funnily enough not much mentioned in the media. We found out his price, but Liverpool named 7 players who were going and Minamino wasn't mentioned 12: Ben Breretin-Diaz - had a great season up to the last month or 6 weeks and dropped away? His price also seems to have dropped which could be as he has only got a year left. So a dozen of the more sensible transfer links, but now the window is open lets see what happens. Orta has played a blinder so far. I also notice this morning another player we have been linked with Ola Aina is linked again. He started in the Chelsea academy and loaned to Fulham where he played LWB 33 times before signing for Torino in Seria A. Hearing that Sonny Perkins has a high opinion of himself and is leaving WHU because they wont pay him first team wages. He is trying to get a move to Spurs now as long as he gets first team wages. Villa and Leeds were rumoured to be battling for him, but I wonder? Lets also remember that Leeds have been heavily linked to James Garner from Man Utd who quarterbacked Notts Forest promotion whilst on loan. Yes Leeds like him a lot, but Man Utd wont sell, will probably loan him out but probably to Forest. Last night I read an amazing report that said Kiko would be back at Leeds within days. Now my understanding is that Kiko was to either get picked up by Elche the club hes been on loan at, or a deal would be done to allow him to leave and stay in Spain. If the report is correct it means something has happened within the Leeds coaching set up. Has Marsch decided to get rid of Marcos Abad our keeper coach who has a contract to 2025? Could Kiko be coming back to coach? Or is it bollox? In my view we require a striker, so should it be a better Bamford or a back up to Bamford. Same question at LB. We now have a better Ayling so RB is sorted and may even keep Drameh yet? We also have a better Klich/Rodrigo. We still deffo need a couple more for the middle as Dallas, Klich, Forshaw are good for the bench, so hoping Roca arrives Diego Llorente isnt everyones cup of tea, but what do we know. Louis Enrique has been loving his partnership with Pau Torres in this International break. Luis Enrique on Diego Llorente, after he helped Spain keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Switzerland: "I know a lot about football and he comes [Spain squad] because he is amongst the best. He has played with continuity. Him as much as Pau [Torres]."
Julian Nagelsman quoted in BILD: “I never ever apologise to a player or tell a player how well they played, in front of team mates, but to Roca in front of the team I apologise for not playing him enough and for the way he made us win today. He played as a single pivot in front of the defence and won everything, he was magic, awesome. We normally play with 2 pivots but he played like two men” Roca is looking to leave definitely.
From what I can gather Minaimino is the more likely an option as his agent has flown in to discuss a transfer with him.
James Maxwell seems.loke an interesting choice..A LB with 5 goals and only 20 however they have come for Ayr utd and he's free.
Mark Noble now getting involved in the Sonny Perkins debate, saying Sonny wont leave, hes WHU through and through. He needs to sort his agent out before this goes too far….
Just no more RB Salzburg players, if we get a third I’ll start to wonder why Jesse can’t transfer his methods and plan over to any half decent player. To keep raiding your old club spells danger, one is fine, two raises an eyebrow but not three. Minamino for me, PL experience and settled in the country, yes there are far better players I’d like but let’s keep our targets realistic Roca looks good but even Rodrigo and Firpo look good on YouTube
Minamino was at Salzburg with Marsch too. That would make a third player from his Salzburg side which you don't want. please log in to view this image
Evening all. Thought I'd check out our new right back against Croatia tonight but he's on the bench. At least he can't get injured I suppose
Well… I might make one exception Seriously though, is it just me who has slight concerns that Jesse just wants his ex players joining?
In a two horse race division though so does that count? I just feel slightly uneasy about signing all his ex players
Well at least they will know the system I suppose, and it's probably not Ortas choice Sure wilko raided Wednesday when he came to us. Im Honestly i know nothing of their standard but I'm happy with the signings so far
The question I'd rather ask is would these players sign for us if Jesse wasn't the manager ? It does seem as though Marsch was coming in this summer regardless of how we did under Bielsa.
I disagree. For me, his two main faults are losing track of his man (set pieces especially) & getting himself involved in tight situation that he really shouldn't get into, particularly in the box. By that I mean that he holds on to the ball far too long in many cases, & falls foul to the opposition nicking the ball from him in perilous situations. I don't really see why a better midfield in front of him would make him perform better in either of these situations.
Well we know Borrusia Dortmund thought they had Kristenson tied up, and we also know Milan and Brentford were interested. Aaronson was wanted by a few German clubs, 2 Italian sides and a Spanish team. They obviously enjoyed the way Marsch coaches? seems that the new Ozzy Celtic manager has managed to give his mate a coaching job now. Harry Kewill
