Raul's Transfer Targets: Summer 2019

[Hunta]

Seen a few suggesting Rugani, he's at the bottom of the list at Juventus.

Yeah that’s what I’m thinking. Whoever we get will be last choice at their club if we shop around the top tier.

 

[Hunta]

Kimpembe loan with an option maybe.

I’m spitting out guesses that I’ll be quoting as ITK info if they happen by the way.

 

[Ricardinho]

When you look at juve options at the back, is bottom of the pile really a bad thing?

 

[HairSprayGooners]

They got nowhere near the league title, 8th, 4th and 4th, worse average than any of Wenger’s 3 seasons, without Van Dijk. What part of that don’t you understand?

Add Allisson and Fabinho to Van Dijk and now you have an attacking machine that isn’t shipping goals. It’s not rocket science bro.

Mkhi, Özil, Laca and Auba are good enough to score 80 goals imho. Let’s sort out the defensive side first and foremost.

You're completely missing the point ffs. They were only able to buy VVD after getting into the CL for starters AND after selling Coutinho for huge money.

1) where can you see a CB on VVD's level that we'd be able to sign?
2) where are we getting £75M from to buy said CB

Its just not realistic in the slightest. Klopps first season he didn't make CL, similar to Emery. So this is where Emery needs to get CL football, to aid that WE NEED Tierney and Zaha/Soares. Then the quality of CB we can sign will actually join us and we'll have the money to buy them.

Its a gradual process, Klopp didn't just go out and buy VVD straight away. Our attack is still limited by a very poor left hand side. Same as what Liverpool had problems with, until buying Robbo and Mane which transformed that side.

Like I said, this is the year we should be following the same model, then next summer we get Saliba in and a top top CB.

 

[Malky]

You're completely missing the point ffs. They were only able to buy VVD after getting into the CL for starters AND after selling Coutinho for huge money.

1) where can you see a CB on VVD's level that we'd be able to sign?
2) where are we getting £75M from to buy said CB


Like I said, this is the year we should be following the same model, then next summer we get Saliba in and a top top CB.

You're seriously over rating our current CB's if you think we need to spend £75-80M on one to upgrade on them. We could buy Schar or Dunk for this season and they'd be an upgrade. Next season we have Schar/Dunk, Holding Saliba and replace Sokratis with the high quality, big money CB. We then end up with serious strength in depth at that position.

 

[HairSprayGooners]

You're seriously over rating our current CB's if you think we need to spend £75-80M on one to upgrade on them. We could buy Schar or Dunk for this season and they'd be an upgrade. Next season we have Schar/Dunk, Holding Saliba and replace Sokratis with the high quality, big money CB. We then end up with serious strength in depth at that position.

I want the absolute best, not to stockpile mediocrity. Also Dunk would cost £45M, its a pure waste of money.

 

[Tourbillion]

Many dreadful players still littering our squad. Edu and Raul, earn your ****ing money.

 

[TornadoTed]

We need at least 4 (on top of pizza boy and Saliba) to freshen up the squad. Anything less and fear we looking at more of the same from last season.

I know it's a cliche but Martinez, Willock, Chambers and Nelson are like new signings. Add in 4 new players and Martinelli and suddenly you are looking at 9 new faces in the squad which is around a third of it.

I am all for freshening things up but stability is also important. I would be against any more changes than that in all honesty. I really do think we need to shift a few more though, only 4 players have left so far and we could really do with shifting out another 3-4 for sure. Kos, Jenks and Elneny are the obvious targets, maybe Monreal if we finally get Tierney over the line.

Mustafi, Kolasinac, Özil, Mkhi and Xhaka will have to wait.

 

[Mitch]

Chambers playing ahead of Mustafi in preseason games and playing well also with Holding returning has eased my worry over CB a bit.

 

[Makingtrax]

You're completely missing the point ffs. They were only able to buy VVD after getting into the CL for starters AND after selling Coutinho for huge money.

1) where can you see a CB on VVD's level that we'd be able to sign?
2) where are we getting £75M from to buy said CB

Its just not realistic in the slightest. Klopps first season he didn't make CL, similar to Emery. So this is where Emery needs to get CL football, to aid that WE NEED Tierney and Zaha/Soares. Then the quality of CB we can sign will actually join us and we'll have the money to buy them.

Its a gradual process, Klopp didn't just go out and buy VVD straight away. Our attack is still limited by a very poor left hand side. Same as what Liverpool had problems with, until buying Robbo and Mane which transformed that side.

Like I said, this is the year we should be following the same model, then next summer we get Saliba in and a top top CB.

That post is a mess. Where Liverpool got the money from isn’t relevant to this particular discussion. You say where are we getting £75m from, but only a few posts ago said we were one of the richest sides in Europe.

And it wasn’t a gradual process for Liverpool. Last season was a big leap in quality over the season before where there was no consistency.

We need CBs now, not later. Even if we go for Dunk, Cahill quality it’s a big upgrade on what we have. Kos is finished, Mustafi worse than useless, Sokratis is ultra rash, Chambers and Mavropanos not up to standard. Holding is perhaps the only one who is half decent.

There’s a good article by Charlie Nicholas on Sky, ‘Arsenal need two CBs immediately’.

 

[dka1]

So Saliba is done? Ceballos is almost done if not done.

Out of Tierney and a winger which would you choose if we could only get one done?

If we do get both done and we make CL suddenly our defence could change drastically season after next (20/21) as we'd have Saliba and probably enough money to get in one ready quality CB, giving us Saliba, New CB, Holding and Sok.

 

[Ashybashy86]

Many dreadful players still littering our squad. Edu and Raul, earn your ****ing money.

We need Jorge Mendes type super agent to convince clubs to buy our dross.

 

[SingmeasongSong]

So Saliba is done? Ceballos is almost done if not done.

Out of Tierney and a winger which would you choose if we could only get one done?

If we do get both done and we make CL suddenly our defence could change drastically season after next (20/21) as we'd have Saliba and probably enough money to get in one ready quality CB, giving us Saliba, New CB, Holding and Sok.

Unthinkable of not getting a LB. It has to be both. Walk away from Zaha, if it makes a LB signing impossible.

Holding+Chambers looks okay'ish to me as long as the sides and the middle of the park are properly protected.

Any CB pairing would look mediocre to rubbish with Koa/Nacho and a bad day of AMN on the sides + Xhaka having an off day.

 

[dka1]

Unthinkable of not getting a LB. It has to be both. Walk away from Zaha, if it makes a LB signing impossible.

Holding+Chambers looks okay'ish to me as long as the sides and the middle of the park are properly protected.

Any CB pairing would look mediocre to rubbish with Koa/Nacho and a bad day of AMN on the sides + Xhaka having an off day.

I'd agree, I also would pick a solid LB over a winger, especially because we do have some "options" from the youth squad.

It's a shame Monreal declined as badly as he has, it'd be useful if one of him or Kola were somewhat reliable.

Holding and Chambers would be ok, though I'd have thought Holding and Sok would be our preferred starting pair this season.

I just pray that Holing, Sok and Chambers can keep it afloat as I don't want to see Mustafi play again.

 

[HairSprayGooners]

That post is a mess. Where Liverpool got the money from isn’t relevant to this particular discussion. You say where are we getting £75m from, but only a few posts ago said we were one of the richest sides in Europe.

And it wasn’t a gradual process for Liverpool. Last season was a big leap in quality over the season before where there was no consistency.

We need CBs now, not later. Even if we go for Dunk, Cahill quality it’s a big upgrade on what we have. Kos is finished, Mustafi worse than useless, Sokratis is ultra rash, Chambers and Mavropanos not up to standard. Holding is perhaps the only one who is half decent.

There’s a good article by Charlie Nicholas on Sky, ‘Arsenal need two CBs immediately’.

Where Liverpool got the money from to sign 160M's worth of players to challenge for the title is very relevant. They never spent more than what they sold before that.

Of course it was a gradual process. 1st year they were a mess, Klopp came in and gradually changed that over 3 years now look at them. That's gradual, it didn't happen over night. Van Dijk was bought in January to help them towards a CL final and CL finish, after that CL final they used the money to sign Fabinho and Alisson which turned them into a title challenging side.

If you think we can just go and buy a CB and suddenly challenge you're wrong, its going to be gradual, just like what happened with Liverpool.

In fact Liverpool already did what you're suggesting to do, they signed Lovren and such hoping they'd be stop gaps or solve the problem. They didn't, I'm saying to you I don't want to waste money on more Lovren rated stop gaps. We wait until we can sign a defender that significantly improves us. You've mentioned no names that can do that. End of story.

 

[14Henry]

Monreal is the best left back defensively in the league or close to it. Even as an all round left back he's still up there. He's aged now but he is not a cripple. If anything he's underrated. I'd get rid of Kolasinac, a poor defender, before letting go of Monreal right now. He'd be a quality backup and still a decent starter for me if it came down to it.

What league are you talking about? Robertson, Chillwell, Rose, Jonny (Wolves) albiet wing back all better than Monreal. Shaw probably on par but better when in form.

 

[Makingtrax]

Where Liverpool got the money from to sign 160M's worth of players to challenge for the title is very relevant. They never spent more than what they sold before that.

Of course it was a gradual process. 1st year they were a mess, Klopp came in and gradually changed that over 3 years now look at them. That's gradual, it didn't happen over night. Van Dijk was bought in January to help them towards a CL final and CL finish, after that CL final they used the money to sign Fabinho and Alisson which turned them into a title challenging side.

If you think we can just go and buy a CB and suddenly challenge you're wrong, its going to be gradual, just like what happened with Liverpool.

In fact Liverpool already did what you're suggesting to do, they signed Lovren and such hoping they'd be stop gaps or solve the problem. They didn't, I'm saying to you I don't want to waste money on more Lovren rated stop gaps. We wait until we can sign a defender that significantly improves us. You've mentioned no names that can do that. End of story.

I’m not saying it’s not important where Liverpool got their money from, just that it’s not relevant to the discussion. And in any case we don’t need to spend £50m on a keeper.

And Liverpool’s improvement was not gradual. They had two seasons at 4th, still shipping goals. 75 points and 76 points. The sort of inconsistencies that stops you being a title challenger. Only last season when Allisson, Van Dijk and Fabinho got their feet under the table did things change and they got 95 points!!!

I can’t believe you think that’s gradual, that’s a huge and difficult leap that Arsenal have never been able to make for 15 years.

 

[isop]

What league are you talking about? Robertson, Chillwell, Rose, Jonny (Wolves) albiet wing back all better than Monreal. Shaw probably on par but better when in form.

Not defensively, there's a reason he's sometimes picked to play as a CB, and thats not a position I would expect any of the others to be able to play. He's decent going forward too, and overall I'd rather have a fullback who is a really good defender with decent attack than a really good attacker with ok defending. Or someone who excels at both, like Tierney apparently does.

 

[HairSprayGooners]

I’m not saying it’s not important where Liverpool got their money from, just that it’s not relevant to the discussion. And in any case we don’t need to spend £50m on a keeper.

And Liverpool’s improvement was not gradual. They had two seasons at 4th, still shipping goals. 75 points and 76 points. The sort of inconsistencies that stops you being a title challenger. Only last season when Allisson, Van Dijk and Fabinho got their feet under the table did things change and they got 95 points!!!

I can’t believe you think that’s gradual, that’s a huge and difficult leap that Arsenal have never been able to make for 15 years.

The point from me is more they waited to sign Van Dijk. They could've kept on signing 20-40m CB's who didn't make a true difference, but they waited for the right player to come along.

And that's what I want us to do. I don't want us wasting £45M on a soon to be 28 year old Lewis Dunk who just isn't good enough to take us up a level.

The gradual process was getting into the CL by signing the likes of Mane/Robertson first to then be able to sign VVD for big money and for him to say yes, I want CL football i'll go to Liverpool.

If we could go and sign Upemacano/Konate etc right now, i'd completely agree with you, splurge on that CB. But we can't do that right now and those two players wouldn't join. So we sign players who can get us into the CL in other positions.

 

[14Henry]

Not defensively, there's a reason he's sometimes picked to play as a CB, and thats not a position I would expect any of the others to be able to play. He's decent going forward too, and overall I'd rather have a fullback who is a really good defender with decent attack than a really good attacker with ok defending. Or someone who excels at both, like Tierney apparently does.

But You have to be able to do both things as a full back. Up and down tirelessly. Nacho hasn't the legs for that.

We seen against Rennes he lost the ball in the other teams half and just stood there cause he knew he wasn't getting back. Robertson would have bust a gut to try.

He's picked to play centre back because our centre backs are either injured or crap.

Why does Robertson not play centre back. Because Liverpool have V.V.D alongside Matip (steady but nothing more),Lovren (steady but nothing more) and Joe Gomez who is excellent. They also have Fabinho who can play the odd match effectively at CB.

We were trying to play 3 at the back with only Mustafi, Sokratis, Koscielny and Monreal. What a comedy.