The Wish List

[Liam_Og]

Sander Berge looked really solid until picking up an injury. Offers stability and can drive with the ball from deep. May also help with maintaining Ødegaard long term if thats what the club want, the 2 of them are good pals and play together nationally.
With the Blades looking certain to be relegated he might be decent value too.

 

[truth_hurts]

Bogle, Koulibaly, Saul Niguez, Berge/Ceballos, Ødegaard, Depay.

In fact we don't need Depay. Let's develop Martinelli

 

[Goonger]

Doing an analysis of the team & squad going forward, I think we are starting to see a picture of the future. I think yesterdays team was close to our best team, bar Auba for Laca.

--------------------Leno-------------------

Soares-----Luiz-----Gabriel------Tierney

--------------Partey-----Xhaka--------------

Saka------------Ødegaard----------ESR

----------------------Auba---------------------

For that team going forward, I think the areas we need to improve speak for themselves. Right back, centre back, & a long term partner for Partey & somehow retain Ødegaard.

However, I'm hoping the centre back will be Saliba, so the funds we save their should go on a long term centre forward to replace Laca & compete with Auba.

So, going forward, sign a new right back dream Hakimi, but realistically more like someone like Mazraoui or Bogle.

Centre midfield must be press resistant & mobile to improve on Xhaka. Think someone like Kalvin Phillips seems tailor made for the role but unrealistic, so perhaps the best option from someone like Berge, Bissouma, maybe even Kessie.

Forward I like Toney. Think he had a very decent all round game, & would be a good alternative to Auba to start with the potential to take over from him. Think Tierney having actually someone to get on the end of his crosses would add another dimension to the attack. Someone like Edouard I'd be ok with as well.

Who we should sell is dependent on our budget. I think for me, in an ideal world, we find buyers for Bellerin, Chambers, Kolasinac, Torreira, Guendouzi, Lacazette & Nketiah at the very least.

Controversial but I'd keep Luiz for 1 more year with the proviso he has a diminished role, this would allow Mavropanos 1 more year at Stuttgart on loan to get regular game time & to get over his injuries.

Our young guys like Maitland-Niles, Willock & Nelson, I think ideally I'd extend & send on loan for 1 more full season to properly assess, but I understand those guys might want something more permanent & we might need to raise funds. Martinelli should be getting more involved as well as we phase out Willian.

Squad depth we need cheap cover at left back & sign Ryan on a permanent deal.

------------------------Leno-----------------
-----------------------(Ryan)----------------

Mazraoui----Saliba-----Gabriel----Tierney
(Cedric)----(Holding)---(Mari)----(New Lb)

----------------Partey----Bissouma----------
---------------(Xhaka)----(Elneny)-----------

Saka-------------Ødegaard----------ESR
(Pepe)----------(Martinelli)------(Willian)

------------------------Auba-------------------
----------------------(Toney)-----------------

The major worry with that squad is of course AFCON, so obviously that needs taken into consideration in terms of signings & squad depth behind those, so perhaps a Berge would be better over a Bissouma, or even better in an ideal world sell Elneny & sign both.

By my count, that's an ideal number for non home grown places as well. Adding Luiz to that squad would give us 16 non home grown numbers if I've worked it out right (depending on lb nationality).

 

[dashsnow17]

Man I love Lautaro, hopefully he and Lukaku stay at Inter and knock Juve off their perch. For me we need a CF like this. Laca and Auba have their qualities but it's clear neither of them would ever score a goal like this.

 

[asukru]

Man I love Lautaro, hopefully he and Lukaku stay at Inter and knock Juve off their perch. For me we need a CF like this. Laca and Auba have their qualities but it's clear neither of them would ever score a goal like this.

That finish was Alexis-esque

 

[dashsnow17]

That finish was Alexis-esque

Yh you don't even have to be tall to be good in the air, Suarez for example isn't tall but he's lethal in the air. Laca and Auba are very average in the air, I wish we had someone with a more rounded skill set.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

I think Aouar makes more sense than Ødegaard. Think he can play more left-sided. He and ESR could swap positions during games. Could be good tactics.

I like Ødegaard so far though but if we can't get him hopefully we go for Aouar.

 

[dashsnow17]

I think Aouar makes more sense than Ødegaard. Think he can play more left-sided. He and ESR could swap positions during games. Could be good tactics.

I like Ødegaard so far though but if we can't get him hopefully we go for Aouar.

GFFN wrote a piece explaining why Aouar hasn't been starting all the time for Lyon this season, and that they think Caqueret is the better player. They say Aouar is a luxury player who chooses the big games and doesn't show up in the smaller games.

I'd still love Aouar, his ceiling is so high, but maybe Ødegaard has the talent but also a good hard-working attitude?

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

GFFN wrote a piece explaining why Aouar hasn't been starting all the time for Lyon this season, and that they think Caqueret is the better player. They say Aouar is a luxury player who chooses the big games and doesn't show up in the smaller games.

I'd still love Aouar, his ceiling is so high, but maybe Ødegaard has the talent but also a good hard-working attitude?

Well if that is the case then its no brainer we try to go for Ødegaard instead!

 

[2Smokeyy]

Caqueret is a fantastic talent. Surely they’ll be some teams interested in him this summer.

We should make the smart move and go for him instead of Aouar.

Guendouzi for Caqueret would be amazing.

 

[Sebastes]

If it’s a low-action summer we need to be smart and address our most urgent needs.

I don’t think Auba has good enough link up to play CF for this team. Feel we desperately lack that when he plays and he tends to go missing. Laca on the other hand gets involved, which help to move the ball around (could be recency bias from NLD).

Bellerin is one who seems to have some resale value and I think it’s best for both parties if he left. Though I have no love at all for all these English RB’s and I definitely don’t want us near Hakimi. Mukiele or Mazraoui are still my top choices, preferably the latter.

As main creator Grealish would be the dream but that ship must’ve sailed by now. Think we could actually get Ødegaard on another loan, maybe with obligation but I think it could be worth it. Talent is clear and he’s still only 22. If not I think ESR has earned a shot at being the main man there.

Gerson I think is a good shout for CM. Good profile, good age profile and affordable. Ceballos has done little this season to be made permanent. Will be interesting to see what happens with AMN and Willock come summer, but hopefully at least one of them can take another step after game consistency. Otherwise we need to get another CM. Don’t think Dani is the man tbh.

RCB I can see us extending Luiz by 1y and gradually onboarding Saliba over the course of the year. Two of Holding, Mavro and Chambers will be sold.

For backup LB I think we should target Lee Buchanan of Derby or see if we can get Bernat on a free. There will be enough starts behind Tierney for any of them and we should be able to pay decent wages to Bernat.

Leno
Mazraoui, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney
Thomas, Xhaka
Saka, Ødegaard, ESR
Depay

Ryan
Cedric, Saliba, Mari, Buchanan
AMN, Gerson
Pepe, Willian, Martinelli
Auba​

 

[Sebastes]

Doing an analysis of the team & squad going forward, I think we are starting to see a picture of the future. I think yesterdays team was close to our best team, bar Auba for Laca.

--------------------Leno-------------------

Soares-----Luiz-----Gabriel------Tierney

--------------Partey-----Xhaka--------------

Saka------------Ødegaard----------ESR

----------------------Auba---------------------

For that team going forward, I think the areas we need to improve speak for themselves. Right back, centre back, & a long term partner for Partey & somehow retain Ødegaard.

However, I'm hoping the centre back will be Saliba, so the funds we save their should go on a long term centre forward to replace Laca & compete with Auba.

So, going forward, sign a new right back dream Hakimi, but realistically more like someone like Mazraoui or Bogle.

Centre midfield must be press resistant & mobile to improve on Xhaka. Think someone like Kalvin Phillips seems tailor made for the role but unrealistic, so perhaps the best option from someone like Berge, Bissouma, maybe even Kessie.

Forward I like Toney. Think he had a very decent all round game, & would be a good alternative to Auba to start with the potential to take over from him. Think Tierney having actually someone to get on the end of his crosses would add another dimension to the attack. Someone like Edouard I'd be ok with as well.

Who we should sell is dependent on our budget. I think for me, in an ideal world, we find buyers for Bellerin, Chambers, Kolasinac, Torreira, Guendouzi, Lacazette & Nketiah at the very least.

Controversial but I'd keep Luiz for 1 more year with the proviso he has a diminished role, this would allow Mavropanos 1 more year at Stuttgart on loan to get regular game time & to get over his injuries.

Our young guys like Maitland-Niles, Willock & Nelson, I think ideally I'd extend & send on loan for 1 more full season to properly assess, but I understand those guys might want something more permanent & we might need to raise funds. Martinelli should be getting more involved as well as we phase out Willian.

Squad depth we need cheap cover at left back & sign Ryan on a permanent deal.

------------------------Leno-----------------
-----------------------(Ryan)----------------

Mazraoui----Saliba-----Gabriel----Tierney
(Cedric)----(Holding)---(Mari)----(New Lb)

----------------Partey----Bissouma----------
---------------(Xhaka)----(Elneny)-----------

Saka-------------Ødegaard----------ESR
(Pepe)----------(Martinelli)------(Willian)

------------------------Auba-------------------
----------------------(Toney)-----------------

The major worry with that squad is of course AFCON, so obviously that needs taken into consideration in terms of signings & squad depth behind those, so perhaps a Berge would be better over a Bissouma, or even better in an ideal world sell Elneny & sign both.

By my count, that's an ideal number for non home grown places as well. Adding Luiz to that squad would give us 16 non home grown numbers if I've worked it out right (depending on lb nationality).

Just saw this after I posted. We have similar, although not identical ideas. But I like your thinking here

 

[MutableEarth]

Rarely do much wish-listing but been thinking about what the team might look like in the Summer and what I specifically want the team to look like.

Looking at the weaker areas of our team, I've pinpointed CM and RB. Could also argue LW aswell but we have a lot of options there at the moment and ESR/WIllian seems to be the lock-in (I'm not super pleased about Willian being such a prominent option but he's here to stay for now). I'm also very cognisant of the very possible exodus that may occur at CF too, with all 3 of Lacazette, Nketiah and Balogun potentially leaving the club. So here's what I would like to see:

RB:
The way Arteta seems to use this position is multifunctional compared to the pretty simplified role Tierney has as a LB in our system. The right back tends to head inside more often and get involved in the passing moves, stations themselves slightly inside compared to the right sided attacker ahead of them, and they very often switch roles. This necessitates a RB who's very comfortable on the ball in both central and wide areas, and has a good amount of acceleration also. Defensively it would be helpful if they had recovery pace - something that Bellerin still has a bit of, but not quite with the same explosiveness and agility as he did pre-ACL injury. Cedric has been a lot more impressive than I expected him to be but he's still not the long term answer, and while I like Bellerin, he's not looking quite himself and it's a possibility that he leaves. Two options stand out for me in terms of replacements with respect to the criteria above.

1. Noussair Mazraoui


I've seen one match of his, and along with this compilation, he looks like a pretty sturdy RB with a good nous for attacking on the right hand side. He also looks relatively comfortable in the middle of the park and has the energy and acceleration needed to play such a demanding role. I'm pretty impressed with his timing of tackles and his ability to evade pressure, the latter indeed is something Bellerin has struggled with in the past. He would be a great option IMO.

2. Jayden Bogle


I shouldn't need to go into it too much as everyone knows how much I rate this player, but I will anyway; he's not quite as defensively solid as Mazraoui but IMO he's a more talented attacker and is extremely comfortable in central areas with the ball as well as 1v1 on the outside vs his opposing full-back. He'd be very useful in overloads on his side and can allow an attacker to both come inside and go outside due to his dribbling and technical ability on the ball. He has a pretty decent final ball but it could improve, as could his defensive positioning, but I think Arteta is the perfect manager for him to improve the latter aspect of his game especially. He's fairly competent 1v1 against attackers, but it's his offensive game that can make him a standout. Additionally, due to the plethora of talented RBs available, he's likely to continue to go under the radar, despite his considerable talent. I reckon £15-20m gets him.


CM:
This to me is still the weakest area of the pitch, despite the decent performances of Xhaka and Partey. Xhaka in particular has improved quite a bit in recent months but he's still a player with flaws that should be mitigated by signing a player with a little more dynamism in his game. I would like to see Arsenal go back to signing midfielders with a bit more athleticism, power and thrust, like we have with Partey. Of course, there should still be some level of technical quality but I think we're better off finding a combo of both elements. Here are a few that I think fit the mold perfectly.

1. Orel Mangala


@Toby Andrl put us all on with this one. Excellent acceleration and a very strong ball-winner, Mangala is also a very skilled dribbler and has a really useful ability to turn away from pressure and bring the ball into space. A useful quality in a midfield that sorely lacks that kind of dynamic midfield play. Even Partey has found it difficult in recent weeks to evade pressure consistently, albeit he is lacking fitness to a degree. Mangala gives us the ability to both add to our midfield next to Partey or to rest Partey without losing much of what he brings.

2. Josh Dasilva


One of our own, and my personal pick to add to our midfield. He is slightly more attacking than Mangala and not quite as defensively solid, but he's a very capable duel winner owing to his physical strength but he marries good upper body strength with very quick feet and is capable of carrying the ball forward extremely well. His passing is another strength of his and he frequently makes smart decisions on when and where to pass. What's also interesting to me is that because he used to be an attacker at Hale End, he's very good at dribbling 1v1 against full-backs on both flanks, which is incredibly useful if we want a midfield that's capable of helping to create overloads in our approach. One I'd definitely look at.

Honourable mentions - Zambo Anguissa & Yves Bissouma

Zambo Anguissa is so Underrated ..
Yves Bissouma - Welcome to Arsenal? - 2021ᴴᴰ

Interesting playesr, and admittedly Anguissa is a more attractive one to me than the very popular and talented Bissouma. The latter will probably cost more but I don't think that Anguissa lacks in any capacity in comparison and will probably be more affordable. That said, I'm continually impressed by Bissouma compared to initially when he was recommended.

Extra honourable mention - Joe Willock. A player we already have. Who's to say he comes back with the requisite knowledge needed to make a case for a shot in our midfield permanently?


CF:
This is tricky because there aren't any options I really like or have much time for. In terms of what I would like - someone with pace, technical ability to be able to link up with fellow attackers and can score goals of different types. I'm not really into target men so that wouldn't be on my agenda. I've been able to come up with 2 options, one I know a lot about - the other not so much.

1. Patson Daka

Patson Daka is The Perfect Striker For Many Teams - 2020ᴴᴰ

So I've only seen compilations of this guy but he's very interesting to me because at first I thought "poacher" but he's got a really interesting all-round game. Capable of playing decent passes to other attackers and pretty handy on the dribble, he strikes me as pretty close to complete. That said, I've not seen much of him otherwise.

2. Donyell Malen

Donyell Malen - Beast in the Making

Another former player. This guy is a player I really, really like though ever since his time here. It's tricky with him because he's a Raiola player and that will always be an issue when it comes to keeping the player happy overall but I thought it was worth the effort then and it's worth it now. He can play CF or outwide for us and actually has the dribbling ability and technical quality to do so. I really like how I've seen him play the CF role though and I could see him doing this in the prem. He has qualities of both Laca and Auba and that should be enough for us to look into bringing him back as there is far more we can do with him. He's still young, might be a bit expensive but he could be a top class CF - especially as we stand to lose a few CFs, he's a great replacement.


I don't really have any LW suggestions as I haven't been looking hard enough and honestly, I really hoped Nelson would pull his finger out and be that guy but that's not happening. I'm hoping instead that Kido Taylor-Hart is the one that steps up.

 

[Jack_The_Lad]

I don't really have any LW suggestions as I haven't been looking hard enough and honestly, I really hoped Nelson would pull his finger out and be that guy but that's not happening. I'm hoping instead that Kido Taylor-Hart is the one that steps up.

Pepe + cash = Sancho

 

[truth_hurts]

Pepe + cash = Sancho

That possibly is slightly feasible. Sancho has more output, but I don't think he is definitely better than Saka.

I'd genuinely rather Zaha than Sancho, but actually have faith that Pepe is a top player waiting to explode.

Pepe plus 60-70m for Sancho is bad business.

Reiss Nelson plus say 25m for Zaha is much smarter.

 

[dashsnow17]

Caqueret is a fantastic talent. Surely they’ll be some teams interested in him this summer.

We should make the smart move and go for him instead of Aouar.

Guendouzi for Caqueret would be amazing.

Lyon fans really like him. Most probably next season will be his breakout season, the best place for him right now is Lyon tbh

 

[Goonger]

Just saw this after I posted. We have similar, although not identical ideas. But I like your thinking here

Yeah, good thing is we all seem to agree on the position we need & also the type of player we need. Let's hope Edu & Arteta see the same.

 

[dashsnow17]

Rarely do much wish-listing but been thinking about what the team might look like in the Summer and what I specifically want the team to look like.

Looking at the weaker areas of our team, I've pinpointed CM and RB. Could also argue LW aswell but we have a lot of options there at the moment and ESR/WIllian seems to be the lock-in (I'm not super pleased about Willian being such a prominent option but he's here to stay for now). I'm also very cognisant of the very possible exodus that may occur at CF too, with all 3 of Lacazette, Nketiah and Balogun potentially leaving the club. So here's what I would like to see:

RB:
The way Arteta seems to use this position is multifunctional compared to the pretty simplified role Tierney has as a LB in our system. The right back tends to head inside more often and get involved in the passing moves, stations themselves slightly inside compared to the right sided attacker ahead of them, and they very often switch roles. This necessitates a RB who's very comfortable on the ball in both central and wide areas, and has a good amount of acceleration also. Defensively it would be helpful if they had recovery pace - something that Bellerin still has a bit of, but not quite with the same explosiveness and agility as he did pre-ACL injury. Cedric has been a lot more impressive than I expected him to be but he's still not the long term answer, and while I like Bellerin, he's not looking quite himself and it's a possibility that he leaves. Two options stand out for me in terms of replacements with respect to the criteria above.

1. Noussair Mazraoui


I've seen one match of his, and along with this compilation, he looks like a pretty sturdy RB with a good nous for attacking on the right hand side. He also looks relatively comfortable in the middle of the park and has the energy and acceleration needed to play such a demanding role. I'm pretty impressed with his timing of tackles and his ability to evade pressure, the latter indeed is something Bellerin has struggled with in the past. He would be a great option IMO.

2. Jayden Bogle


I shouldn't need to go into it too much as everyone knows how much I rate this player, but I will anyway; he's not quite as defensively solid as Mazraoui but IMO he's a more talented attacker and is extremely comfortable in central areas with the ball as well as 1v1 on the outside vs his opposing full-back. He'd be very useful in overloads on his side and can allow an attacker to both come inside and go outside due to his dribbling and technical ability on the ball. He has a pretty decent final ball but it could improve, as could his defensive positioning, but I think Arteta is the perfect manager for him to improve the latter aspect of his game especially. He's fairly competent 1v1 against attackers, but it's his offensive game that can make him a standout. Additionally, due to the plethora of talented RBs available, he's likely to continue to go under the radar, despite his considerable talent. I reckon £15-20m gets him.


CM:
This to me is still the weakest area of the pitch, despite the decent performances of Xhaka and Partey. Xhaka in particular has improved quite a bit in recent months but he's still a player with flaws that should be mitigated by signing a player with a little more dynamism in his game. I would like to see Arsenal go back to signing midfielders with a bit more athleticism, power and thrust, like we have with Partey. Of course, there should still be some level of technical quality but I think we're better off finding a combo of both elements. Here are a few that I think fit the mold perfectly.

1. Orel Mangala


@Toby Andrl put us all on with this one. Excellent acceleration and a very strong ball-winner, Mangala is also a very skilled dribbler and has a really useful ability to turn away from pressure and bring the ball into space. A useful quality in a midfield that sorely lacks that kind of dynamic midfield play. Even Partey has found it difficult in recent weeks to evade pressure consistently, albeit he is lacking fitness to a degree. Mangala gives us the ability to both add to our midfield next to Partey or to rest Partey without losing much of what he brings.

2. Josh Dasilva


One of our own, and my personal pick to add to our midfield. He is slightly more attacking than Mangala and not quite as defensively solid, but he's a very capable duel winner owing to his physical strength but he marries good upper body strength with very quick feet and is capable of carrying the ball forward extremely well. His passing is another strength of his and he frequently makes smart decisions on when and where to pass. What's also interesting to me is that because he used to be an attacker at Hale End, he's very good at dribbling 1v1 against full-backs on both flanks, which is incredibly useful if we want a midfield that's capable of helping to create overloads in our approach. One I'd definitely look at.

Honourable mentions - Zambo Anguissa & Yves Bissouma

Zambo Anguissa is so Underrated ..
Yves Bissouma - Welcome to Arsenal? - 2021ᴴᴰ

Interesting playesr, and admittedly Anguissa is a more attractive one to me than the very popular and talented Bissouma. The latter will probably cost more but I don't think that Anguissa lacks in any capacity in comparison and will probably be more affordable. That said, I'm continually impressed by Bissouma compared to initially when he was recommended.

Extra honourable mention - Joe Willock. A player we already have. Who's to say he comes back with the requisite knowledge needed to make a case for a shot in our midfield permanently?


CF:
This is tricky because there aren't any options I really like or have much time for. In terms of what I would like - someone with pace, technical ability to be able to link up with fellow attackers and can score goals of different types. I'm not really into target men so that wouldn't be on my agenda. I've been able to come up with 2 options, one I know a lot about - the other not so much.

1. Patson Daka

Patson Daka is The Perfect Striker For Many Teams - 2020ᴴᴰ

So I've only seen compilations of this guy but he's very interesting to me because at first I thought "poacher" but he's got a really interesting all-round game. Capable of playing decent passes to other attackers and pretty handy on the dribble, he strikes me as pretty close to complete. That said, I've not seen much of him otherwise.

2. Donyell Malen

Donyell Malen - Beast in the Making

Another former player. This guy is a player I really, really like though ever since his time here. It's tricky with him because he's a Raiola player and that will always be an issue when it comes to keeping the player happy overall but I thought it was worth the effort then and it's worth it now. He can play CF or outwide for us and actually has the dribbling ability and technical quality to do so. I really like how I've seen him play the CF role though and I could see him doing this in the prem. He has qualities of both Laca and Auba and that should be enough for us to look into bringing him back as there is far more we can do with him. He's still young, might be a bit expensive but he could be a top class CF - especially as we stand to lose a few CFs, he's a great replacement.


I don't really have any LW suggestions as I haven't been looking hard enough and honestly, I really hoped Nelson would pull his finger out and be that guy but that's not happening. I'm hoping instead that Kido Taylor-Hart is the one that steps up.

Dasilva seems to be one of the best CMs in the Championship. He's a year older than Willock. Do you think if Willock was playing for a dominant team in the Championship for a year he'd also be getting the hype that Dasilva has got this season? Essentially i'm asking whether Dasilva is better than Willock or is he just playing at a lower level with more minutes than Willock.

 

[Dutch D]

I highly rate Caqueret, at least based on the few games I have seen him play. Would be a deeper midfielder than Aouar and could fit next to Partey. Thought it would be a bit too early for him to move, though, and I have some doubts about how he would deal with the physicality of the PL, which is why I haven't wishlisted him yet. Keeping an eye on him, though. Those defensive and passing numbers are nothing to scoff at.

 

[dashsnow17]

If it’s a low-action summer we need to be smart and address our most urgent needs.

I don’t think Auba has good enough link up to play CF for this team. Feel we desperately lack that when he plays and he tends to go missing. Laca on the other hand gets involved, which help to move the ball around (could be recency bias from NLD).

Bellerin is one who seems to have some resale value and I think it’s best for both parties if he left. Though I have no love at all for all these English RB’s and I definitely don’t want us near Hakimi. Mukiele or Mazraoui are still my top choices, preferably the latter.

As main creator Grealish would be the dream but that ship must’ve sailed by now. Think we could actually get Ødegaard on another loan, maybe with obligation but I think it could be worth it. Talent is clear and he’s still only 22. If not I think ESR has earned a shot at being the main man there.

Gerson I think is a good shout for CM. Good profile, good age profile and affordable. Ceballos has done little this season to be made permanent. Will be interesting to see what happens with AMN and Willock come summer, but hopefully at least one of them can take another step after game consistency. Otherwise we need to get another CM. Don’t think Dani is the man tbh.

RCB I can see us extending Luiz by 1y and gradually onboarding Saliba over the course of the year. Two of Holding, Mavro and Chambers will be sold.

For backup LB I think we should target Lee Buchanan of Derby or see if we can get Bernat on a free. There will be enough starts behind Tierney for any of them and we should be able to pay decent wages to Bernat.

Leno
Mazraoui, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney
Thomas, Xhaka
Saka, Ødegaard, ESR
Depay

Ryan
Cedric, Saliba, Mari, Buchanan
AMN, Gerson
Pepe, Willian, Martinelli
Auba​

I also like the idea of Depay, first of all no transfer fee, going into his peak, big character etc, but also he's a big creative force too as well as someone who can score. I'm not sure i'd play that first formation though because I suspect you don't have enough finishers. If we brought in Depay the logical thing would be to play Auba on the left who could then run into the space that Depay vacates in the middle. Saka/Ode/ESR/Depay is maybe too many creators without a clinical finisher.

I still like the idea of having a proper no. 9 though.