Country: Norway
Someone need to find us a good right back.
Would love to have Calvert Lewin here. All round striker, big heart, you’ll be sorted.
He can hold up play well, makes runs in behind and score goals. He's also fairly quick.
Problem is Everton are probably slightly ahead of us now, and they're pretty well backed financially with a world class manager in charge. Even if we could afford the ridiculous wee Everton would want, why would he leave? For me only if City, Chelsea or maybe if United got in Allegri, would you even think of leaving Everton if you're DCL.
Ivan Toney is the Aldi version of him as others have said.
We can afford him but like you say as soon as DCL went on that scoring run he was a pipe dream like Grealish.
Some potential bargains to be had this summer:
FW - Dembele (1 year on deal, Barca desperate)
FW - Depay (free)
CF - Odsonne Edouard (1 year on deal)
CF - Alexander Isak (under the radar)
AM - Ødegaard (pushes to leave, Madrid need to raise funds)
RB - Mazraoui (1 year on deal, under the radar)
LB - Robin Gosens (1 year on deal)
LB - Jordan Amavi (free)
CB - Tarkowski (1 year on deal)
CM - Renato Sanches (2 years on deal, under the radar)
FW - Manor Solomon (2 years on deal, under the radar)
CM - Yves Bissouma (2 years on deal, pushes to leave)
AM - Rodrigo de Paul (pushes to leave)
Not the only players out there, just possible players to be bought for less than their potential value. Guys like Grealish or Aouar are still the dream obviously, but you're paying full whack for them.
We're gonna have to be a bit more clever, we're getting into a situation now that although we're decent financially, if we're constantly finishing mid-table we'll have to start looking maybe down the league or into the championship. Toney has been tearing it up this year, he might be worth the gamble.
My heart is still set on Edouard, for me he's just crying out for a team like us take a chance on him.
Leicester, Villa and West Ham have all done it regularly and look at them now.
Leicester, Villa and West Ham have all done it regularly and look at them now.
I'm not disagreeing that the Championship should be looked at, but don't we have to distinguish between a good PL level player and a good CL level player?
You mention Leicester, Villa and West Ham, but only one of those teams is CL level and their success is built on the back of Vardy, a player bought from the Conference into the Championship who turned into an elite striker...but like, that's not a repeatable thing, that's an extreme one-off. The lower leagues aren't full of Vardy's.
Watkins for example is a very good player PL player, great pick-up from Villa, but it's a stretch to say he's a good CL striker. Toney likewise no doubt could step up to PL, but don't we need more than that? We need to step up to CL level.
I think PL teams would be wise to pick up the best Championship talents, lots of PL level talents down there, but not all of them are CL talents.
Depends what you want your striker to do? If we supposedly want an all rounder you can put quality playmakers and inside forwards around him and still compete.
I like his game a lot and he could help us get back to the CL. Like what Abraham and Mount did for Chelsea last year straight from the Championship.
This is a key point. We're nowhere near even thinking about what someone can do in the CL at this time. It's even challenging to get in that position that we need to think about.I like his game a lot and he could help us get back to the CL.
I want us to go all out on Grealish. Even if it means that it will be our only signing. A front four of Grealish, ESR, Saka and Auba would be so good. Let the three Englishmen create for Auba and he will score for fun. They can all interchange positions as well so we would be very dangerous.
Pick up a LB for free (Amavi or Mitchell). Only thing I'm concerned about then is RB but that could be solved the season after or with selling Bellerin and buying a replacement from that money.
Tbh I'd accept another season of Bellerin and Xhaka if it meant having Grealish in the team. Elite talent, instantly takes us up a level.