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Comments
Hes on big wages for what would be a 4th choice CB, unless their are two injuries then he won't get gametime
Also we do go to a back 3 but Moyes likes Cresswell as the LCB so I don't think that makes it any more likely
This also gives a HUGE opportunity for young Baptiste, the club sure hope is the next Rice and he can be our 4th choice as he's already been named in our squads
100% Nikola Vlasic is better than Jesse Lingard.
Reid seems to be completely out of the clubs plans, but still has two years on his deal (at something like £75k pw?). It seems unlikely that he'll see out that contract, but we don't seem to be actively trying to shift him, he just seems forgotten.
Silva is 24 now, 25 in March. He's too old to be considered a development squad player, but clearly has no future here. I'm surprised he's not been shipped out yet.
However, if Kral is coming in you could argue that he'd provide that 4th CB cover as well as cover behind the really established CM pairing of Rice and Soucek. I'd still rather keep Diop as I'd like to see if he can fulfill his potential alongside Zouma (when Ogbonna is injured or rested) and in front of Areola (surely it won't be long before he replaces Fabianski as first choice keeper), but I do understand that the clock is ticking on his contract (only a year left come next summer) and letting him go (even if only on loan) may mean he plays more football and might increase the fee we'd get for him.
Personally I think he'd end the season ahead of Dawson in our CB rankings if he stays, but if we get Kral it's not the end of the world if he goes.
Silva has returned to Aris Thessalonika, this time on a permanent deal, so says Twitter.
Edit: Is rumoured to be returning.
LB/LWB - Cresswell not getting any younger, Masuaku can't really play LB and has not been reliable fitness-wise, and Johnson is out of position although can just about do a job at LB (not at LWB imo).
CM - Huge drop off in quality from Rice and Soucek, so much so that it may necessitate a change of formation even if we'd prefer to stay with 4-2-3-1. 90 mins would be a real struggle for Noble imo, Lanzini offers something different but that wouldn't always be appropriate, and Coventry is both untested and looks like he's going out on loan.
Forward - Whether it's a CF, a winger or an AM, we still need someone extra that can play in a forward position imo. Really excited by Vlasic coming in, but that's still only one effective replacement covering 4 spots, one of which is occupied by Antonio with his glass hamstrings. Again a big drop off in quality to Yarmalenko and Lanzini, especially given the pacey and interchangeable nature of our first choice players and the style that has been so effective for us recently.
I'm really pleased with the quality of the 3 additions we've made (Dawson was here last season so I'm not really including him, even though technically he's a new signing too), but I'll be disappointed if we don't bring in at least one more in one of the positions I've outlined above; I'd be fairly happy with 2 of those, and it's fair to say I'd be overchuffed in the extremely unlikely event we fill all 3 of those gaps.
That makes travel to the UK a bit easier if it's necessary.
But the Zouma deal was conducted in France, and the lack of video and photos around the Vlasic deal makes me think that was done outside of the UK too, so maybe everything can be done remotely nowadays.
- Left Back (Tagliafico / Sanusi / Pellegrini)
- Central Midfielder (Kral)
- Attacking Midfielder (Vlasic / RLC / Lingard)
- Striker (Origi)
added to the list
Signed:-
- Vlasic
Also gives young Coventry as chance to get 30+ starts this season in the Championship
You do get better value the later you do business, you do get a better deal & more willingness from clubs/players to move &, yes, it's easy to get swept up in the impatience of wanting signings early, but I can see why Moyes has left it late & it feels like a very deliberate ploy.