Summer 2017 Transfer Speculation

SuzanneClaret

Yeah, I thought as much myself of Baz... it's more of a wish list.

3 or 4 keys players in.
The loanees back to their parent clubs. (I don't want any of them).
Put Valencia , Sahko and Carroll on auto trader.
Cullen, Burke and Oxford promoted to the senior squad.

ASLEFshrugged

Defoe more likely to go to Bournemouth and in my opinion not worth the money. With Walker likely to go in the summer Trippier likely to be guaranteed a starting place at Spurs. King as what baz says,. Giroud will stay at the Arse.

Give it up, just develop the team we have and look for a mid-table finish.

baracks_a_hammer

If we made it clear to king he was our number one target there's every chance he would come IMO

Also don't get the doom and gloom on the keeper front. I would have thought the club have already done a lot of leg work on that front already. So what if Everton have put in a bid for Pickford? Doesn't mean we can't join the race if we wanted to. True Koeman is a draw but he will be Everton for a maximum of one more season IMO. Lukaku will likely be off this summer. So it'll be tough for them too.

Yeoldhammer

4 Quality first teamers and we are looking at top 10 / 8 imo.

steve

9 quality first teamers and we are looking at top 5 ;biggrin

MunichHammer

steve said:

9 quality first teamers and we are looking at top 5 ;biggrin

9 quality first teamers and we are looking at bankruptcy. Can't afford that many and if they don't turn up as expected it's money down the drain.

alderz

It depends on the tactics that Slaven wants to adopt for next season. IMO we look far, far better in the 3-4-2-1 formation than any other we have tried, so I hope that'll be Plan A.

If that's the case you probably need:
GK x2, DC x5, RWB x2, LWB x2, DM x2, MC x2, AM x5, STx3

Based on that, I think we need a RWB & ST to bring the numbers up to scratch, and then you're looking at better quality replacements (GK).

Yeoldhammer

Not convinced our DMs / CMs are top 10. They do a job and certainly are PL players but not top half imo. After the priority positions I think this department needs a tune up.

But I think everyone is in agreement with a Striker and RB is first on the list.

alderz

Yeold ;ok

I think there are arguments that we could improve in every position, but (as you say) it's about prioritising the right areas.

Position wise, I would probably prioritise in this order:
RB > ST > GK > AM > DM > MC > DC > DL

buffybegood

alderz said:

Yeold ;ok

I think there are arguments that we could improve in every position, but (as you say) it's about prioritising the right areas.

Position wise, I would probably prioritise in this order:
RB > ST > GK > AM > DM > MC > DC > DL

If I knew what all your abbreviations were, I might agree ;biggrin MC? DC? DL?

Probably ST>RB>ST (we need 2 imo)>GK would be my priorities.

Bazshuayi

Perhaps I can clear that up...

MC refers to a Scottish player most likely Snoddy
DC is an American transfer target. Pulisic?
DL is the player in the squad that will eventually come out as gay after they've retired. Im guessing most teams will have one at least.

#simple

IronHerb

And there was me thinking we need a new Master of Ceremonies ;run

Bazshuayi

.....................Adrian
........ Fonte....Reid.....Ogbonna
Antonio..............................Masuaku
............ Kouyate.....Obiang
.................... Lanzini
............. Ayew......Carroll

Fernandes Cresswell Byram Nordtveit Fletcher Oxford Fegouli

Recent Acquisitions:

Ayew – Perhaps will not be an every week starter when we have a largely fit squad (and we’ve brought in 2 amazing strikers). For the time he’s been in the team, which isn’t that much, he’s still banged a few goals in which sadly others haven’t

Nordtveit - I believe will work out as a decent squad player

Snodgrass - Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. There’s a player who’d consistently scored and assisted for more than one club before he arrived. He hasn’t done it for us though

Feghouli - has decent pedigree but hasn’t done an awful lot. To be fair he hasn’t had a lot of opportunity either. He was a free and, with a decent pre-season could easily come good and be a dangerous off the bench player or starter if he recaptures Spanish form. If not, at least we’ll make a profit on him

Calleri - Hes still young and there are things to his game that are good. I don’t know if practice sharpens up your finishing but it worked for Lampard Jr. I don’t want to write him off, especially if he’s given a contract, (recent comments suggest he may very well be offered one) but I’d say Fletcher looks more of a forward than him.

Fletcher - If he gets some games in either here or on loan, I believe we’ll see why he was so highly rated at Man Utd. He’s got skill, movement a bit of pace and with those games I’d guess finishing too

Other comments:

I’d be interested to see how Ogbonna gets on in a back three with Reid and Fonte

Arthur Masuaku looks like a decent LB or LWB with plenty of potential and he didn’t cost a lot either like Cresswell which is a bonus.

For me, Nobes isn’t a first teamer when we’ve got Obiang and Kouyate fit. He’s a tackling liability, lacks pace and his control recently has even been questionable (maybe rustiness?) For defensive MF cover I’d rather have Nord. For a most progressive MF change I’d rather have Fernandes. I’ll not make many friends saying it but Noble has heart and pride but I don’t think he can justify a first 11 place anymore and isn’t even on my bench.

Priorities and movement:

I believe we could do with 2 new strikers, not 1. Defoe hopefully one of them because simplistically he’s still fit, motivated to go to the World Cup and he knows where the goal is! A Bats loan to buy would be nice. Or perhaps Perez at Arsenal?

RB/RWB competition for Byram (no suggestions as to who that is though) as although I’d have Antonio at RWB to fit him in team above, he can obviously play elsewhere too. RWB ok but not RB. In that team above, bringing on Byram and shifting Antonio up field (e.g. where Ayew is) is always an option

Try and shift Sakho and (reluctantly) Carroll for reasons plenty of us have already commented on. I doubt we’ll be able to get rid of both however.

If we can get our money back on Snoddy, I’d sell. I think clubs would want him still and I don’t think long term he’s a first teamer for me

Not sure if Randolph will want to be back at 2nd choice but Adrian has kept the clean sheets. He may also be off so I’d imagine we’re looking at perhaps a new keeper coming in whether it’s a first or second choice one.

.....................Adrian
........ Fonte....Reid.....Ogbonna
Antonio..............................Masuaku
............ Kouyate.....Obiang
.................... Lanzini
............. Defoe......Batshuyai

NEoldiron

baz, not a lot to disagree with there ;ok

Bazshuayi

Thanks ;thumbsup I called up Garth Crooks before posting to see if he wanted to have any input. He hasnt replied to my voice message yet though...

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

The way I look at our squad we have 5 players that with our budget we probably can't get better than (we could but they'd be an expensive luxury)

Lanzini
Antonio
Obiang
Reid
Masuaka - Odd one I know but think he's class and we also have Cresswell so LB really isn't a worry

I think that Kouyate and the Ogbonna of the season before this could also be included in this list

Think if we can keep these 7 positions and focus on the others, particularly RWB and Striker

Adrian
Fonte - - - Reid - - - Ogbonna
Byram - - Obiang- Kouyate - - Masuaka
Ayew - - Antonio - - Lanzini

That's probably our best XI (gonna exclude Andy as essential just never fit)

Think the people who we can upgrade over is, in order:
1. Ayew - Get a striker and push Antonio to RW
2. Byram
3. Adrian
4. Fonte - He is 33 and can't go on forever

This squad isn't awful, just full of players that are all at the same level

Need more firepower that a given, we are light with natural strikers and have to accept Carroll and sakho aren't the solution

Pearces_Left_Foot

I think we have to sort Antonio and Lanzini's contracts asap we can't afford to lose either of them

alderz

Is there anything to actually sort out, though?

Lanzini's contract runs to 2020 and Antonio's to 2019.

It would be nice to get them both on new 5 year deals, but it's not until next summer that we will have a decision to make about Antonio, IMO.

Pearces_Left_Foot

I think they both earn a lot less than some of our recent signings I would rather sign them on improved terms now than risk them becoming unsettled as they are both key players and a good age. Players than can become central to our plans for the next 5 years

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

The club have been pretty good in the past renewing the contracts of our biggest players so I'm sure they are working on it

grey_til_I_dye

Champo ;ok

Over the last few years they have made a point of rewarding players who raise their standards.

Adam

Including a certain someone who then decided he was - DELETE! DELETE!

grey_til_I_dye

Adam

Indeed, but all the club can do (and they seem to be) is to be fair and decent with the players, and hope that for the most part that is reciprocated.

Vorselaarhammer

West Ham have been in talks with the representatives of Lamine Kone. Sunderland are prepared to sell him for £10m.

[via @footmercato]

Vorselaarhammer

Enner Valencia has held talks over a return to his former club Pachuca, in the Mexican league.

[via @TransferLigaMX]

SuzanneClaret

;wave

Fortuneseeker

Vorse, do we want Kone, wouldn't Maguire from Hull be a better option?

How much are Pachuca going to pay?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/west-ham-eye-transfer-lukasz-10382557

If we are watching Anderlecht we ought to have seen Mbadj their Centre Half a friend of Kouyate's.

OutcastLondoner

Might not need another though? Keeping all happy would be tough.
1st choice: Fonte, Reid, Collins.

Ogbonna (though prob 1st team?), Oxford, Burke as backups. Also Kouyate and Nordveidt can fill in.

Lukerz

GK
Fonte - Reid - Ogbonna
RWB - Obiang - Kouyate - Cresswell
Antonio - Lanzini
ST

Adrian/Randolph, Collins, Masuaku, Noble, WG, Ayew, ST

That's kind of what I'd be looking at and the positions we could do with improving currently.

I get Byram is a prospect, but I'm going on the now, and I don't think he's quite good enough just yet.

I also think there are better options than Antonio and the CM pairing of Obiang and Kouyate could be upgraded with one player. But I don't want too many changes.

Yeoldhammer

Anyone got a list of all current player contracts ?

Also what players do people think will leave as it will need a trim to get more players in ?

Also are we not close to the "minimum number of British quota"