Summer Transfer Window 2023

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

It would be Gallagher for me. I don't know anything about Fofana. I wouldn't be unhappy with Ward-Prowse, who covers more ground than people think and is such a danger from set pieces - which is a big part of our game.

alderz

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes said:

It would be Gallagher for me. I don't know anything about Fofana. I wouldn't be unhappy with Ward-Prowse, who covers more ground than people think and is such a danger from set pieces - which is a big part of our game.

I really like Ward-Prowse and I’ll keep saying it until we sell him

Whitehorsehammer

Excellent Alderz, could you please forward that to the club.

Lukerz

Those players are likely to be available as the window draws on. I’d personally prefer McTominay to partner Alvarez.

ASLEFshrugged

Gallagher played in all five of Chelsea's pre-season matches, got more minutes than any other player and played a full 90 minutes in the last game against Dortmund.

I don't think Poch would give him that much pre-season preparation if he intended to let him leave

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

ASLEFshrugged said:

Gallagher played in all five of Chelsea's pre-season matches, got more minutes than any other player and played a full 90 minutes in the last game against Dortmund.

I don't think Poch would give him that much pre-season preparation if he intended to let him leave

They don't really have many midfielders at the moment, to be fair. If they signed a couple, I could see him leaving.

Lukerz

Sky report that Man Utd want £45m for McTominay & £40m for Maguire. Current bids stand at £30m each. I think we may get Maguire with £35m. McTominay I am not sure we will go to that if we feel Ward-Prowse is available for £35m.

buffybegood

Alderz, brilliant work, but (sorry) wouldn't it have been better to use the Rice pairing of 20/21 to try and replicate, when they actually worked well as a pair?

It's interesting though that most of us, without such an aid, can see that JWP and Soucek would provide poor balance with Alvarez.

ASLEFshrugged

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes said:

They don't really have many midfielders at the moment, to be fair. If they signed a couple, I could see him leaving.

In the pre-season matches the central midfield pairings consisted of Gallagher (23yo), Fernandez (22yo) and a few kids. Even if they eventually sign Caicedo and another midfielder they're not overstocked in the middle of the pitch

alderz

buffybegood said:

Alderz, brilliant work, but (sorry) wouldn't it have been better to use the Rice pairing of 20/21 to try and replicate, when they actually worked well as a pair?

It's interesting though that most of us, without such an aid, can see that JWP and Soucek would provide poor balance with Alvarez.

Good point well made. I just replaced Rice & Soucek numbers with 2020/21, and this is what we get. It doesn't make a huge difference, honestly (I think Rice got better as Soucek got... not better, so it sort of balanced out a bit).

EXETERHAMMER

Gallagher would be perfect. He could play different roles if needed. Plus I think he is an exciting player to watch.

ASLEFshrugged

Gallagher would be perfect but I don't see him leaving this window

JWP or McTominay seem far more likely

OutcastLondoner

I'd like Gallagher but perhaps controversially, I think McT might be a better signing. I've seen him put in some really good performances for Man U and he's got far more experience. I think he's also more about carrying the ball from deep while Gallagher carries it higher up the pitch.

I think either would be ok tbh.

chicagohammer

I would certainly welcome Gallagher, a bit of a moot point but I was surprised that there appeared little interest in Pulisic, I think he ended up going to AC Milan for around £20m, I would have thought he would have been a decent shout in the Benny role for that sort of price.

EXETERHAMMER

I really don't want McTominay

EXETERHAMMER

Based on Alderz table, Alvarez looks rather good

Ironduke

BerlinHammer said:

alderz said:

This may be a controversial opinion to some, but I think that the joy I feel from having a “good” season that results in optimism for the next season does not add up to to the level of joy I felt at winning a trophy. I would happily take 20 PL defeats, a successful relegation battle, and the FA Cup / EFL Cup / Europa League this season, and every season.

Thats not controversial, thats just how you feel. I get that.

Lukerz said:

Seen us linked with Tierney today, which would be a great signing. I’m also not convinced with Emerson as a first choice LB.

I would love Tierney but he's very injury prone?

that makes him ideal for us, we always helping the injured before they even recover

alderz

EXETERHAMMER said:

Based on Alderz table, Alvarez looks rather good

He has really good stats, but remember they are for Ajax. I did account for that by reducing his stats to 80% of the total, but there’s a chance they are still higher than they would see from him at West Ham

Slacker

OldCastleSwift said:

alderz said:

This may be a controversial opinion to some, but I think that the joy I feel from having a “good” season that results in optimism for the next season does not add up to to the level of joy I felt at winning a trophy. I would happily take 20 PL defeats, a successful relegation battle, and the FA Cup / EFL Cup / Europa League this season, and every season.

I suspect we all would. If there was a guarantee of a cup every season then it matters little what we do in the league.

But the trophy we won was entirely dependent on how well we did in the league in 2021/22, so the two are intrinsically linked.

No-one is downplaying the trophy, by the way. It was an incredible night and one that we'll all remember. But I don't think that just because we won a cup under Moyes he becomes immune to criticism, which is the attitude that certain sections of our fanbase seem to have adopted (not on here, necessarily).

Oh, and Ansu Fati. Not a chance.

That’s him nailed on then.😉

Lukerz

Hypothetical alert 🚨
So IF we sign Harry Maguire & IF we play a back four, does he come in for Aguerd or Zouma?

You have to pick, can’t say ‘neither’.

Lukerz

Fabianski
Coufal - Zouma - Maguire - Emerson
McTominay - Alvarez - Paqueta
Bowen - Benrahma
Antonio

Areola, Kehrer, Ogbonna, Johnson, Downes, Soucek, Fornals, Cornet, Ings

alderz

Lukerz said:

Hypothetical alert 🚨
So IF we sign Harry Maguire & IF we play a back four, does he come in for Aguerd or Zouma?

You have to pick, can’t say ‘neither’.

Aguerd, for me

IronHerb

I'm surprised Soucek wasn't an option. 😉

alderz

For what it's worth, I'm just looking at Maguire vs Zouma vs Aguerd stats over the past three seasons (basically since Maguire became an internet joke). Maguire makes more tackles than Zouma (nearly double), has a higher tackle success than both Zouma & Aguerd, makes more blocks than both, makes more interceptions than both, makes more clearances than Aguerd. He has comparable pass success (86.3% compared to 88.4% and 88.2%), even though he plays much more progressive passes than both of them.

OldCastleSwift

Lukerz said:

Fabianski
Coufal - Zouma - Maguire - Emerson
McTominay - Alvarez - Paqueta
Bowen - Benrahma
Antonio

Areola, Kehrer, Ogbonna, Johnson, Downes, Soucek, Fornals, Cornet, Ings

You've dropped Aguerd from the squad altogether?! Or are you selling him?

Mind you, wouldn't be the first time we've spent £30m on someone and then decided 12 months later he isn't the right player, I suppose.

steve

I like Aguerd ,Don't like Maguire

OldCastleSwift

alderz said:

For what it's worth, I'm just looking at Maguire vs Zouma vs Aguerd stats over the past three seasons (basically since Maguire became an internet joke). Maguire makes more tackles than Zouma (nearly double), has a higher tackle success than both Zouma & Aguerd, makes more blocks than both, makes more interceptions than both, makes more clearances than Aguerd. He has comparable pass success (86.3% compared to 88.4% and 88.2%), even though he plays much more progressive passes than both of them.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Maguire plays, and has almost always played on the left of a two? So he'd be replacing Aguerd.

Or has he played enough on the right to make him a comfortable Zouma replacement?

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

Let's be honest, Zouma is injured a lot and limping the rest of the time. So a solid back-up is needed, whether that's Maguire or not.

Lukerz

alderz said:

For what it's worth, I'm just looking at Maguire vs Zouma vs Aguerd stats over the past three seasons (basically since Maguire became an internet joke). Maguire makes more tackles than Zouma (nearly double), has a higher tackle success than both Zouma & Aguerd, makes more blocks than both, makes more interceptions than both, makes more clearances than Aguerd. He has comparable pass success (86.3% compared to 88.4% and 88.2%), even though he plays much more progressive passes than both of them.

Anybody would think he’s a decent player…

OldCastleSwift

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes said:

Let's be honest, Zouma is injured a lot and limping the rest of the time. So a solid back-up is needed, whether that's Maguire or not.

I agree, but I guess it's about who Moyes sees as his starting pairing. If Maguire signs, I'm 100% sure he'll be one of them, which means one of Zouma and Aguerd being pushed out.

Harsh, because I don't think either was anywhere near our biggest problem last season. And to lose Aguerd is to lose all of the pace we have at the back. Neither Zouma nor Maguire make that recovery tackle on Callum Wilson last season.