I do think Stones will be looking to move, but feel like City are resigned to losing Garcia and would rather sell Otamendi
In a normal window I would probably say yes to Stones, but not in the market with the budget (or lack of) we have
He's a talented played, but he's been plagued with injuries, is on a high wage and has won pretty much everything during his stint at City so I wonder how he'll respond if the worst happens and we are in a relegation dog fight
Too big a risk imo, so I wouldn't mind us giving him a miss
Part of me thinks it is an ambitious move for a smaller team like us, but another part of me wonders if he'd adapt. Man City play in a style where they have all of the ball and up to an extent your defensive frailties are less heavily exposed. While we play "under the cosh" far more (especially away from home and against the top teams). Therefore, we sometimes need to grind out a result and therefore need defenders who can do exactly that (i.e a James Collins style performance). Would Stones be able to do that? I'm not fully convinced.
I think it's City's style of play that has exposed Stones. He was a good young CB at Everton playing the 'old fashioned' CB role but the move to City involved a different mentality. Same goes for Hart.
It would be good to get another CB but I don't think it's our greatest priority, if we're only making a few signings. Our weaknesses in defence have mostly been at full-back and as a unit (how many times has someone stolen in behind our LB, whether Masuaku or Cresswell?). I think Diop and Ogbonna are good enough, for now.
We have Balbuena as a back-up and Rice can play there in an emergency, plus we have that Cardoso kid, if he's any good. If we do get a CB, that to me is where we buy a cheaper promising talent, not splash on a big club outlet buy.
I'm nervous about relying on Antonio as the only other striking option. I'm not 100% convinced he'll definitely do well there in extended periods, plus I'd like to see him alongside Haller.
His confidence was shot by being a class keeper and then being told he's not good enough. Didn't you rate him pre Pep?
But we didnt get the pre Pep Hart and we arent getting the pre Pep stones. We are getting the one that is in the same situation as Hart was when he joined us, confidence shot who has now been told hes not good enough....and Hart never managed to get back up to that level or even close, similar to how Stones could pan out
He could be a great bit of business, but for me it's a hard pass as we arent in a position to drop £20mil on a player who may or may not be any good (or fit enough to actually stay on the pitch)
We dont need another expensive/injury prone player who gives up the minute the going gets tough
I disagree Outcast, imo we desperately need another CB, unless Cardoso is ready for the Premier League. In the first couple of seasons back up we started the season with only 3 CBs, and each time in January we were desperately punting around for anyone who might be able to play there (I'm not even gonna mention names, I don't want you all having nightmares tonight). I agree Diop and Ogbonna are good enough for this season, but we need another of at least the same standard.
Imo we need 3 CBs who you'd be happy as starters, and that would leave Balbuena as a 4th choice (maybe Cardoso would challenge for that 4th spot). Rice should never be considered a CB as we lose so much from midfield if he played there. One injury for a couple of months, and then a strain, or suspension and Cardoso would be starting as things stand, or we'd stick Rice in and lose out in midfield.
LB, CB, CF, CM are our priorities imo, as I do agree about Antonio; I'm very concerned that his purple patch won't continue and he'll be found wanting as a CF as he generally always been when tried there except for this brief spell post-Lockdown.
I mean the way the club is set up, constantly chopping and changing managers (which was always going to catch up to them) is hardly the ideal setting for a young player, especially one who was already getting minutes in the Premier league
Odd move, but not too concerned as Johnson has justified that we rated him higher than Jeremy
Well it worked out really well for Domingos Quina, getting regular game time there...
I would imagine the package (whether contract length or wage) was more attractive from Watford than us. Otherwise it makes no real sense for him to go there when he basically started after lockdown as our first choice RB & had made that position his own.
Premier League RB or Championship RB at a managerless club? 🤔
There seems to be a lot of rumour about Diangana’s future being uncertain & he may not want to stay at WHU.
I don’t get that. We own him, he signed a new 5-year deal just before going off on loan & now he is back.
If someone wants to offer £20m for him, fine. But surely Moyes will want to have a look at him & he should have the attitude now to break into our first 11.
Mondo Deportivo says we are close to signing Barcelona and Senegal 20yo RB Moussa Wague for £13.5m. He went out on loan to Nice in January but only played 5 time (2 starts) before France went into lockdown.
Two years ago he got a 4-match ban for hitting a fan who was trying to prevent a throw-in (and allegedly being racially abusive at the same time) during a Barcelona B game,
Wague has only made 6 appearances for Barcelona, most of his experience has been in the Spanish third tier with Barcelona B and in the Belgian top flight with KAS Eupen (me neither).
I agree, unlikely we'd spend £13.5m on a virtually unknown and untried kid without taking him on loan or something first.
Are these so called new signings getting worse as each day goes by,Or is it just me
Transfer rumours are like this every window. I assume that newspapers use a random name generator to determine which players to link to each club. None of it really means anything
Wague has only made 6 appearances for Barcelona, most of his experience has been in the Spanish third tier with Barcelona B and in the Belgian top flight with KAS Eupen (me neither).
I agree, unlikely we'd spend £13.5m on a virtually unknown and untried kid without taking him on loan or something first.
Just seen Stephen Hendrie has joined Morcambe, for those of you who don't remember him he joined us in 2015 but never appeared for the first team. He has had alot of clubs since leaving us.
Not really. Roberto had 138 domestic appearances with Spanish top flight clubs, 93 domestic appearances with Olympiacos plus 27 in the Champions League and 12 in the Europa League.
Not really. Roberto had 138 domestic appearances with Spanish top flight clubs, 93 domestic appearances with Olympiacos plus 27 in the Champions League and 12 in the Europa League.
On paper he was a good keeper but...
Also, he was a free transfer in his 30s and Wague is allegedly £13.5m and 20 years old
Comments
In a normal window I would probably say yes to Stones, but not in the market with the budget (or lack of) we have
He's a talented played, but he's been plagued with injuries, is on a high wage and has won pretty much everything during his stint at City so I wonder how he'll respond if the worst happens and we are in a relegation dog fight
Too big a risk imo, so I wouldn't mind us giving him a miss
Part of me thinks it is an ambitious move for a smaller team like us, but another part of me wonders if he'd adapt. Man City play in a style where they have all of the ball and up to an extent your defensive frailties are less heavily exposed. While we play "under the cosh" far more (especially away from home and against the top teams). Therefore, we sometimes need to grind out a result and therefore need defenders who can do exactly that (i.e a James Collins style performance). Would Stones be able to do that? I'm not fully convinced.
We have Balbuena as a back-up and Rice can play there in an emergency, plus we have that Cardoso kid, if he's any good. If we do get a CB, that to me is where we buy a cheaper promising talent, not splash on a big club outlet buy.
I'm nervous about relying on Antonio as the only other striking option. I'm not 100% convinced he'll definitely do well there in extended periods, plus I'd like to see him alongside Haller.
He could be a great bit of business, but for me it's a hard pass as we arent in a position to drop £20mil on a player who may or may not be any good (or fit enough to actually stay on the pitch)
We dont need another expensive/injury prone player who gives up the minute the going gets tough
Imo we need 3 CBs who you'd be happy as starters, and that would leave Balbuena as a 4th choice (maybe Cardoso would challenge for that 4th spot). Rice should never be considered a CB as we lose so much from midfield if he played there. One injury for a couple of months, and then a strain, or suspension and Cardoso would be starting as things stand, or we'd stick Rice in and lose out in midfield.
LB, CB, CF, CM are our priorities imo, as I do agree about Antonio; I'm very concerned that his purple patch won't continue and he'll be found wanting as a CF as he generally always been when tried there except for this brief spell post-Lockdown.
I mean the way the club is set up, constantly chopping and changing managers (which was always going to catch up to them) is hardly the ideal setting for a young player, especially one who was already getting minutes in the Premier league
Odd move, but not too concerned as Johnson has justified that we rated him higher than Jeremy
Remind me of the rules... we offered him a contract but he turned it down. Are we eligible for a fee/compensation. Or is he too old?
I would imagine the package (whether contract length or wage) was more attractive from Watford than us. Otherwise it makes no real sense for him to go there when he basically started after lockdown as our first choice RB & had made that position his own.
Premier League RB or Championship RB at a managerless club? 🤔
I don’t get that. We own him, he signed a new 5-year deal just before going off on loan & now he is back.
If someone wants to offer £20m for him, fine. But surely Moyes will want to have a look at him & he should have the attitude now to break into our first 11.
Liverpool are facing a transfer battle with West Ham for the signature of Real Betis defender Aissa Mandi.
Two years ago he got a 4-match ban for hitting a fan who was trying to prevent a throw-in (and allegedly being racially abusive at the same time) during a Barcelona B game,
Feisty!
I agree, unlikely we'd spend £13.5m on a virtually unknown and untried kid without taking him on loan or something first.
On paper he was a good keeper but...