Edu’s Transfer Targets: Summer 2024 - Return of Inak

[Heavy Duty Rom]

Yeah much more exciting than someone like Bruno, the risk is the massive fee and how long it would take him to be starting quality.

You're back to relying on Rice playing 50+ games again.

He'd have to be Camavinga level of talent so I'm not sure if/how he translates to PL.

Not if we keep Partey, you could go Partey Neves Ødegaard. But yeah, that is only if Rice is out. Him or FDJ are the two for me, Fofana if funds don't allow it.

 

[Rasmi]

Saliba and France

I get what he's saying, he's a little inexperienced, but with certain talents, you've just got to take the plunge. We are in a good position where we can go big one 1 or 2 players.

I just don’t think his style mashes well with Rice. Bruno makes sense because we need better ball players in midfield. I still think Joey Vermaan makes a lot more sense.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

Buying a kid from outside the premier league for £100M+ is a huge risk.

Buying Bruno for £80M is little to no risk, you know what you’re getting.

We don't though? Newcastle play completely different to us. Bruno, given his fee, age and regression in form (in my opinion) would be a risk. Risk maybe strong, more i don't see him taking us up a level.

 

[OnlyOne]

Not if we keep Partey, you could go Partey Neves Ødegaard. But yeah, that is only if Rice is out. Him or FDJ are the two for me, Fofana if funds don't allow it.

We shouldn't be keeping Partey under any circumstances and I think we have to buy a player that keeps Rice at 6, maybe Neves can play 8.

 

[HagnSprayGooners]

We shouldn't be keeping Partey under any circumstances and I think we have to buy a player that keeps Rice at 6, maybe Neves can play 8.

Partey has a year left on his contract, if nobody comes in for him and we don’t offer him a deal he’ll stay for the final year. There’s a circumstance.

 

[Batman]

Striker is one of them positions where you need a first choice imo. You spend that much on Isak, a starting striker for a PL club, and it means you'll see Kai LCM.

You buy Isak to play them together. Rice is the left 8, Havertz occupies the CBs and wins the long out ball and Isak operates out of the half space . Isak kills 2 birds with one stone because he solves the wing problem and the problem of the lack of a 9 with pace. Then your project buy is an out and out winger who you can afford to give time to develop.

 

[Rasmi]

Newcastle could very well do a Nottingham here. Them being cheap made them sign Turner cause they didn’t wanna pay for Henderson. 6 months later they regret it and bought another keeper. Pope had two bad shoulder injury and he could very well break down next season see them scramble January for new keeper

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

-----------Havertz
----Leao-----------------Saka
--------------Ødegaard----
-----Neves------------------
-------------Rice------------
Gutierrez Gabriel Saliba White
--------------Raya---------------

This is what i'd like to see, or something similar. So a LW who doesn't hog the touchline, gets closer to Kai. A full back behind him who will overlap. An almost double pivot of Neves and Rice ahead of Gabriel and Saliba. Ødegaard with a little more freedom to drift between the right and left.

I am aware that this isn't the direction we will go though.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

You buy Isak to play them together. Rice is the left 8, Havertz occupies the CBs and wins the long out ball and Isak operates out of the half space . Isak kills 2 birds with one stone because he solves the wing problem and the problem of the lack of a 9 with pace. Then your project buy is an out and out winger who you can afford to give time to develop.

So you'd play Isak LW? I get the idea but it would only really work if we didn't do the whole inverted full back thing

 

[HagnSprayGooners]

-----------Havertz
----Leao-----------------Saka
--------------Ødegaard----
-----Neves------------------
-------------Rice------------
Gutierrez Gabriel Saliba White
--------------Raya---------------

This is what i'd like to see, or something similar. So a LW who doesn't hog the touchline, gets closer to Kai. A full back behind him who will overlap. An almost double pivot of Neves and Rice ahead of Gabriel and Saliba. Ødegaard with a little more freedom to drift between the right and left.

I am aware that this isn't the direction we will go though.

Definitely allowed to have any/all opinions but yeah like you said it’ll probably be a much different direction.

My thought process is more -

——————New 6——————
Ødegaard ————— Rice
Saka ———Havertz———New forward

New forward could be a striker, winger or someone more flexible.

In all honesty if we ever had a shot at Mbappe I’d take him over any other signings. Think that’s all we need. I could deal with Jorginho, Partey and Rice for another season especially with Timber coming back.

 

[OnlyOne]

fwiw, just seen Real Madrid are extending Kroos and Modric & with Mbappe joining I think they're due a big sale.

I wonder.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

Definitely allowed to have any/all opinions but yeah like you said it’ll probably be a much different direction.

My thought process is more -

——————New 6——————
Ødegaard ————— Rice
Saka ———Havertz———New forward

New forward could be a striker, winger or someone more flexible.

In all honesty if we ever had a shot at Mbappe I’d take him over any other signings. Think that’s all we need. I could deal with Jorginho, Partey and Rice for another season especially with Timber coming back.

I think it'll likely be what you've posted. I just don't see Bruno being a good fit for that 6. He hasn't got the ability to take the ball under pressure and turn. For me, he wouldn't be better than Jorginho there.

 

[SA Gunner]

We don't though? Newcastle play completely different to us. Bruno, given his fee, age and regression in form (in my opinion) would be a risk. Risk maybe strong, more i don't see him taking us up a level.

Guimaraes would absolutely do well here. And I'd say the different style of play argument isnt as strong for me anymore, because Rice.

You sign Bruno, and keep one of Jorginho/TP5 and you have a team ready to go next season, provided all players are fit and healthy. Our winger signing can be integrated in rotation with Martinelli and Trossard, meaning we dont lose effectiveness earlier on.

As for Joao Neves, absolutely want him, and would bring him in as the Jorgi/TP5 replacement in summer 25.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

fwiw, just seen Real Madrid are extending Kroos and Modric & with Mbappe joining I think they're due a big sale.

I wonder.

Modric is taking a pay cut. Camavinga isn't going anywhere btw.

 

[OnlyOne]

Modric is taking a pay cut. Camavinga isn't going anywhere btw.

Someone will be going, especially with extending the Kroos and Modric, doesn't matter about pay.

 

[Batman]

So you'd play Isak LW? I get the idea but it would only really work if we didn't do the whole inverted full back thing

I hate the inverted full back and find it unnecessary. You find someone who is a younger and more consistent Jorginho/Partey archetype to play the 6 and handle the buildup so that Ødegaard doesn't have to drop deep. Rice plays the 8 and Timber has the freedom to attack from LB when moments present themselves with Rice covering. Isak starts from a wider position like Thierry used to and then attacks the space created by Havertz drifting. That's one way of playing. We could of course also play him through the middle and bring Havertz off the bench in certain matches as well. What I want are a range of options that make us more difficult to match up against, particularly in the CL knockout stages.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

Guimaraes would absolutely do well here. And I'd say the different style of play argument isnt as strong for me anymore, because Rice.

You sign Bruno, and keep one of Jorginho/TP5 and you have a team ready to go next season, provided all players are fit and healthy. Our winger signing can be integrated in rotation with Martinelli and Trossard, meaning we dont lose effectiveness earlier on.

As for Joao Neves, absolutely want him, and would bring him in as the Jorgi/TP5 replacement in summer 25.

So lets say you sign Bruno and sell Partey. You go Bruno 6, Rice 8, Ødegaard 10. Is that any better than Jorginho 6, Rice 8, Ødegaard 10? From what i've seen, Jorginho is a smarter player than Bruno. The issue with both of them is when they are pressed in numbers, they are in trouble.

 

[2Smokeyy]

I can’t see us spending €120m for Neves. He looks talented but it’s a pretty risky deal as there isn’t much to go off. You only have to look at the mistakes made in recent years when clubs have overpaid or signed a player from Benfica too early - Darwin Nunez, Joao Felix, Enzo Fernandez and even Gonçalo Ramos has been meh.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

I hate the inverted full back and find it unnecessary. You find someone who is a younger and more consistent Jorginho/Partey archetype to play the 6 and handle the buildup so that Ødegaard doesn't have to drop deep. Rice plays the 8 and Timber has the freedom to attack from LB when moments present themselves with Rice covering. Isak starts from a wider position like Thierry used to and then attacks the space created by Havertz drifting. That's one way of playing. We could of course also play him through the middle and bring Havertz off the bench in certain matches as well. What I want are a range of options that make us more difficult to match up against, particularly in the CL knockout stages.

Timber is right footed though. He'll be LB to invert, not be an overlapping full back. I think if we get Isak, it'll be Kai LCM.

 

[SA Gunner]

So lets say you sign Bruno and sell Partey. You go Bruno 6, Rice 8, Ødegaard 10. Is that any better than Jorginho 6, Rice 8, Ødegaard 10? From what i've seen, Jorginho is a smarter player than Bruno. The issue with both of them is when they are pressed in numbers, they are in trouble.

Why has Jorginho looked so comfortable against the most aggressive pressing sides in Europe? Liverpool, Bayern in the CL, for examples? TP5 the same later on, despite him being a pressing target for opposition teams? Look at how TP was targeted against Sp**s and United more recently.

Its because our in possession system allow for passing options and combination play to help players get out of trouble, time and time again. The same will be for Guimaraes, and even De Jong if they join us.

I do get your idea of getting Joao Neves in, he would be a massive coup and probably could contribute immediately as well. The price tag however, is the problem.