Summer transfer thread!

[Blue Blood]

This is starting to make sense now. Clearly engineer is planning to use proper centerforward and have another striker playing off him and covering lot of ground. CF will be competition between Dzeko and Negredo and Guidetti will provide cover for Aguero in that other spot.

So youre thinking:

Dzeko
Silva Aguero Navas
Yaya Fernandinho
Back 5

????

No

I'm thinking

-------------------Dzeko----
----------Aguero
--Silva------------------Navas--
------YaYa----Fernandinho----

Back 5

In fact I'm almost sure that will be the BASE formation unless Spafia really are meddling with tactics. Which I don't believe. We will see lot of different formations and line ups bu I believe that is the basis of it all. That is unless he has completely changed his philosophy since he has joined us.

NT: PLEASE tell me "Wazza" isn't who I think it is.

I see the formation the same way NQDP, the move for Negredo has just galvanised this in my mind.

As for the whole "85", instant success thing, I think there is merit to it, so long as the total deal makes sense.

I mean if we sign Negredo, with the view that he will play his peak years here, then be sold for half or less the amount we have paid, so long as he does the business on the pitch, it still represents good value. At the end of it all, we could have paid £10 million for a 1 in 2 striker, which isn't bad business in my book.

But honestly I would rather sign a 27/28 year old who has proven year on year that he delivers than gamble on the potential of a 20 year old. We want success now, to do that we have to sign players who aren't learning but know their game and make it count.

The academy can provide the youth, the first team can provide the youth's inspiration.

Continuing the debate... When it comes to people saying "well Negredo isn't the quality of Cavani" you are right overall, however he isn't going to kick up if he doesn't play every game like Cavani, he also isn't going to get wandering eyes when inevitably Real Madrid come knocking, he also isn't going to cost a half... hell a third of what Cavani would.

Negredo will come in and just get on with his job. He may not be the stellar name some would want but imo If the ball drops in box, Negredo will put it away same as Cavani. The lad knows how to finish, that is all that counts.

Mark my words this is a shrewd move.

[Blue Blood]

Negredo is a fine player, I am not seeing any other top side after him though, He could end up at AM according to Marca the deal is close. For me go and get the best possible Centre forward we can, he is the main man and will cost, Negredo is ok, ok aint gonna win anything and is not replacing Balo or Tevez oe better than we already have.

30 goals last year is better than ok.

1 in 2, is the standard of what most would deem a top striker. He has these credentials.

The key to the whole thing is the new system, if Pelle, like we are assuming, uses Negredo/Dzeko as a poacher/target man, the goals will rain.

Horses for courses, as they say.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Continuing the debate... When it comes to people saying "well Negredo isn't the quality of Cavani" you are right overall, however he isn't going to kick up if he doesn't play every game like Cavani, he also isn't going to get wandering eyes when inevitably Real Madrid come knocking, he also isn't going to cost a half... hell a third of what Cavani would.

That's the bottom line. With Guidetti posting those messages on Twitter (or something) after meeting with The Engineer, I kind of knew that we weren't going to sign any big name superstar striker. I think he will roll the dice with Dzeko and Aguero and Negredo and Guidetti will provide back up. That's how we'll go at least until january once he has had time to asses them and mainly see what he can get out of Dzeko.

It wouldn't have made much sense to go hard after Cavani if The Engineer fancies Dzeko.

[Slim]

Negredo is a fine player, I am not seeing any other top side after him though, He could end up at AM according to Marca the deal is close. For me go and get the best possible Centre forward we can, he is the main man and will cost, Negredo is ok, ok aint gonna win anything and is not replacing Balo or Tevez oe better than we already have.

30 goals last year is better than ok.

1 in 2, is the standard of what most would deem a top striker. He has these credentials.

The key to the whole thing is the new system, if Pelle, like we are assuming, uses Negredo/Dzeko as a poacher/target man, the goals will rain.

Horses for courses, as they say.

What I have seen of Negrado isn't much, he seems to have a decent left foot, willing to fling himself at the ball and is very quick with the ball at his feet. Doesn't seem to have a right foot and has a penchant for chipping the keeper which I am not sure isn't down to the crap positioning of the keeper, an opportunity he won't have if the defence is playing deep, which most all teams do against us these days.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Negredo is a fine player, I am not seeing any other top side after him though, He could end up at AM according to Marca the deal is close. For me go and get the best possible Centre forward we can, he is the main man and will cost, Negredo is ok, ok aint gonna win anything and is not replacing Balo or Tevez oe better than we already have.

30 goals last year is better than ok.

1 in 2, is the standard of what most would deem a top striker. He has these credentials.

The key to the whole thing is the new system, if Pelle, like we are assuming, uses Negredo/Dzeko as a poacher/target man, the goals will rain.

Horses for courses, as they say.

What I have seen of Negrado isn't much, he seems to have a decent left foot, willing to fling himself at the ball and is very quick with the ball at his feet. Doesn't seem to have a right foot and has a penchant for chipping the keeper which I am not sure isn't down to the crap positioning of the keeper, an opportunity he won't have if the defence is playing deep, which most all teams do against us these days.

He can cover the ball pretty well so that's not a worry. You are spot on about breakthrough goals but that's pretty much the same with any player from Spanish league. Teams there play so much more adventurously even against Real and Barcelona that those opportunities will always arise more than in Premier League.

[Slim]

Like I said, I watched about a half dozen videos and that's what I got from it. Wish I knew more, maybe someone who watched more Spanish league last year than the El Classico would be more informed.

[Nigels Tackle]

Like I said, I watched about a half dozen videos and that's what I got from it. Wish I knew more, maybe someone who watched more Spanish league last year than the El Classico would be more informed.

videos?

[Blue Blood]

Negredo is a fine player, I am not seeing any other top side after him though, He could end up at AM according to Marca the deal is close. For me go and get the best possible Centre forward we can, he is the main man and will cost, Negredo is ok, ok aint gonna win anything and is not replacing Balo or Tevez oe better than we already have.

30 goals last year is better than ok.

1 in 2, is the standard of what most would deem a top striker. He has these credentials.

The key to the whole thing is the new system, if Pelle, like we are assuming, uses Negredo/Dzeko as a poacher/target man, the goals will rain.

Horses for courses, as they say.

What I have seen of Negrado isn't much, he seems to have a decent left foot, willing to fling himself at the ball and is very quick with the ball at his feet. Doesn't seem to have a right foot and has a penchant for chipping the keeper which I am not sure isn't down to the crap positioning of the keeper, an opportunity he won't have if the defence is playing deep, which most all teams do against us these days.

I think I read somewhere that last year in the league he scored 15 with his left peg, 5 with his right and 5 with his head.

Definitely left footed but not unable to use his right, which is useful.

[sidSmith]

So youre thinking:

Dzeko
Silva Aguero Navas
Yaya Fernandinho
Back 5

????

Saul. No offence, but you've mentioned a back 5 a few times and it confuses me. Either you want us to play with 12 players or you're including the goalkeeper in this back 5, which nobody does, ever.

You will have heard of 4-4-2, 4-3-3, etc. You will notice that this only includes 10 outfield players and is the normal way to describe a team's formation.

[Goaters 103]

Two things worry me however. The players we've signed this summer have all been born 1985 making them 28 this season. This sounds to me like we are looking for instant success. However none of these guys are world class. All of them are "pretty good" but touch behind best in the world. I'm not entirely convinced we were lacking quantity like that. Second, these were all "easy" transfers. Club looking to sell for the right price and player looking to leave should potential club be interested. Spaniards need to show they can compete with/for best in the world in transfers.

This. Absolutely hits the nail on the head.

Seen Negredo play 6 or 7 times over the past couple of years, admittedly mostly against Barca or Real, but anyone with a Sky box in the UK has the potential to have seen quite a bit of him, and he hasn't exactly sprung to mind at any time as a guy I thought/hoped we would chase. Soldado looks a better all round striker from what Ive seen, and Negredo is a 2nd tier level of playing. He looks like a back-up for Dzeko to me.

In 2012 we had Aguero, Dzeko, Balo & Tevez - that quartet is far superior to Aguero, Dzeko, Negredo & the eternal sicknote and "Bojinov style" legendary tales of the skills of Mr Guidetti.

Similarly in midfield the swap of De Jong for Javi Garcia, and Adam Johnson for Sinclair has also weakended our hand. I had hoped the lessons of last summer, and our failings in both the CL & Prem last season had persuaded our powers that be that top top quality was what we lacked, not the 2nd tier guys we seem to be settling for.

[Alioune DVToure]

Saul. No offence, but you've mentioned a back 5 a few times and it confuses me. Either you want us to play with 12 players or you're including the goalkeeper in this back 5, which nobody does, ever.

I completely disagree with that. If someone says 'the back five all played out of their skin,' I understand that to mean the defence and the goalkeeper, no problem.

Moreover, he was probably just saving time and energy, given that our back line picks itself and Joe Hart is the uncontested number one.

[Hazy2]

Picking a player I want is easy, Pelli must know who he would have, and for me it has to be meet the Dortmund BOC and get the lad who can play on his own with his back to goal and scores goals like the one against Malaga. That is the player who excites fans.

[Slim]

Like I said, I watched about a half dozen videos and that's what I got from it. Wish I knew more, maybe someone who watched more Spanish league last year than the El Classico would be more informed.

videos?

What about that word confuses you?

[Alioune DVToure]

This is starting to make sense now. Clearly engineer is planning to use proper centerforward and have another striker playing off him and covering lot of ground. CF will be competition between Dzeko and Negredo and Guidetti will provide cover for Aguero in that other spot.

If we are looking for just player not the age I don't see much between Higuain and Negredo. They are quite similar. Neither of them are truly top class but both pretty good poacher types.

Two things worry me however. The players we've signed this summer have all been born 1985 making them 28 this season. This sounds to me like we are looking for instant success. However none of these guys are world class. All of them are "pretty good" but touch behind best in the world. I'm not entirely convinced we were lacking quantity like that. Second, these were all "easy" transfers. Club looking to sell for the right price and player looking to leave should potential club be interested. Spaniards need to show they can compete with/for best in the world in transfers.

Navas and Negredo are proven performers in Spain, an established attacking partnership, and their respective playing styles are tailor-made for English football. Both signings make a great deal of sense and signing the pair of them makes perfect sense.

People need to be more willing to think outside the box. There's more to building a team than fantasy football. God forbid we make another Robinho-type signing just for the sake of it.

[sidSmith]

I completely disagree with that. If someone says 'the back five all played out of their skin,' I understand that to mean the defence and the goalkeeper, no problem.

Moreover, he was probably just saving time and energy, given that our back line picks itself and Joe Hart is the uncontested number one.

Fair enough, but this is a different context to how I was reading it. Having said that, he did accidentally list 12 players in one post, so I think the concept occasionally confuses him.

[Blue Blood]

Two things worry me however. The players we've signed this summer have all been born 1985 making them 28 this season. This sounds to me like we are looking for instant success. However none of these guys are world class. All of them are "pretty good" but touch behind best in the world. I'm not entirely convinced we were lacking quantity like that. Second, these were all "easy" transfers. Club looking to sell for the right price and player looking to leave should potential club be interested. Spaniards need to show they can compete with/for best in the world in transfers.

This. Absolutely hits the nail on the head.

Seen Negredo play 6 or 7 times over the past couple of years, admittedly mostly against Barca or Real, but anyone with a Sky box in the UK has the potential to have seen quite a bit of him, and he hasn't exactly sprung to mind at any time as a guy I thought/hoped we would chase. Soldado looks a better all round striker from what Ive seen, and Negredo is a 2nd tier level of playing. He looks like a back-up for Dzeko to me.

In 2012 we had Aguero, Dzeko, Balo & Tevez - that quartet is far superior to Aguero, Dzeko, Negredo & the eternal sicknote and "Bojinov style" legendary tales of the skills of Mr Guidetti.

Similarly in midfield the swap of De Jong for Javi Garcia, and Adam Johnson for Sinclair has also weakended our hand. I had hoped the lessons of last summer, and our failings in both the CL & Prem last season had persuaded our powers that be that top top quality was what we lacked, not the 2nd tier guys we seem to be settling for.

The new quartet is weaker.. on paper. In practise however how many times did Balo ever do the business? Dzeko never really suited Bobs system either. On paper, with the squad we have we should have won the league again last year.. but it's just on paper. If Pelle can bring together a group of forwards who compliment either other and get the best out of them, i'd rather that, than have a bench of stellar names.

As for the De Jong / Garcia thing, it is an utter myth De Jong was leagues better than Garcia, honestly I think Garcia has a ton more to his game. De Jong was an out and out destroyer, he did it well but offered nothing else. His sideways passing used to annoy the hell out of me.

And as for Johnson for Sinclair, well tbh I can't judge that. 5-10mins at the end of the odd game isn't enough to say Sinclair is shit. He was not even close to given a chance to show himself last year, feel sorry for the lad.

This "2nd tier player" mentality is staggering to me, people like Negredo are not second tier, they just aren't the "world class level" of which there are only 10 players, at best in the world of that level and they all come at a massive premium, with massive baggage.

Football is about how a team plays, not about how it looks on paper. Compiling the best players doesn't mean you have a winning team. Look squarely at Real Madrid for evidence of that!

[Dubciteh]

Two things worry me however. The players we've signed this summer have all been born 1985 making them 28 this season. This sounds to me like we are looking for instant success. However none of these guys are world class. All of them are "pretty good" but touch behind best in the world. I'm not entirely convinced we were lacking quantity like that. Second, these were all "easy" transfers. Club looking to sell for the right price and player looking to leave should potential club be interested. Spaniards need to show they can compete with/for best in the world in transfers.

This. Absolutely hits the nail on the head.

Seen Negredo play 6 or 7 times over the past couple of years, admittedly mostly against Barca or Real, but anyone with a Sky box in the UK has the potential to have seen quite a bit of him, and he hasn't exactly sprung to mind at any time as a guy I thought/hoped we would chase. Soldado looks a better all round striker from what Ive seen, and Negredo is a 2nd tier level of playing. He looks like a back-up for Dzeko to me.

In 2012 we had Aguero, Dzeko, Balo & Tevez - that quartet is far superior to Aguero, Dzeko, Negredo & the eternal sicknote and "Bojinov style" legendary tales of the skills of Mr Guidetti.

Similarly in midfield the swap of De Jong for Javi Garcia, and Adam Johnson for Sinclair has also weakended our hand. I had hoped the lessons of last summer, and our failings in both the CL & Prem last season had persuaded our powers that be that top top quality was what we lacked, not the 2nd tier guys we seem to be settling for.

The new quartet is weaker.. on paper. In practise however how many times did Balo ever do the business? Dzeko never really suited Bobs system either. On paper, with the squad we have we should have won the league again last year.. but it's just on paper. If Pelle can bring together a group of forwards who compliment either other and get the best out of them, i'd rather that, than have a bench of stellar names.

As for the De Jong / Garcia thing, it is an utter myth De Jong was leagues better than Garcia, honestly I think Garcia has a ton more to his game. De Jong was an out and out destroyer, he did it well but offered nothing else. His sideways passing used to annoy the hell out of me.

And as for Johnson for Sinclair, well tbh I can't judge that. 5-10mins at the end of the odd game isn't enough to say Sinclair is shit. He was not even close to given a chance to show himself last year, feel sorry for the lad.

This "2nd tier player" mentality is staggering to me, people like Negredo are not second tier, they just aren't the "world class level" of which there are only 10 players, at best in the world of that level and they all come at a massive premium, with massive baggage.

Football is about how a team plays, not about how it looks on paper. Compiling the best players doesn't mean you have a winning team. Look squarely at Real Madrid for evidence of that!

Just to pick one point, have a look at the season review from when we won the league, Johnsons role has been underestimated, granted he wasnt a world beater but what he did bring we didnt replace and was one of the many reasons why we struggled last season.

I do agree with both points, matches arent won on paper and we may end up a better team than last season but the lads are right we do look weaker than before while the others look stronger.

I was hoping for a top class player this summer, i thought bale was that player and someone we should have a realistic chance of signing, i guess the owners dont agree with me.

[gillie]

Chelsea sign Marco Van Ginkel for 8 million pounds from Vitesse Arnham.

[PeterParker]

No fucking way, not Negredo. What the hell are we doing, we have only knobheads on our list. Lewandowski, now Negredo and we want to pay 25 mil? For that money we can get Higuain or even Benzema.

Tbh I don't think there is a massive difference between Negredo and Higuain. Age perhaps, but 27 isn't exactly past it (in fact I'd say the lad should be at the peak of the powers now).

People talking about the price look at the total of the deal, not just the sum up top.

Tevez was on 200+k per week, Negredo, his replacement, will at most be on half that. This is a big factor.

The 24 million euros transfer price being banded around (if true) also is likely going to be broken up with performance based triggers, so say 15 million euro up front, with the rest if we win the league, or something like that. Look at the Navas deal as an example, the media initially quoted that as £25 million up front and in the end was £15 with bonuses. Not bad.

So when you look at this deal in its entirety, and the players we currently have, imo it makes much more sense to bring in a proven 1 in 2 striker like Negredo to supplement our main strikers rather than break the bank getting Cavani.

Aguero
Dzeko
Negredo
Guidetti

More than happy with that front four with 3 out of the 4, proven 1 in 2 scorers. Spoilt for choice.

I don"t know what to say, i saw a lot of Sevilla and Negredo and he looked mediocre. One game perfect, two games shit. I would rather have Soldado, rather than Negredo.

My point is that, imho, we are on a downfall, from Tevez and Balotelli, problematic players, but briliant in some moments, to Negredo, unproven and Guidetti who looks like a sicknote.

I think we are back at the moment were we are paying a shitload of money for players that aren't that good, like Garcia and now Negredo.

[Goaters 103]

This. Absolutely hits the nail on the head.

Seen Negredo play 6 or 7 times over the past couple of years, admittedly mostly against Barca or Real, but anyone with a Sky box in the UK has the potential to have seen quite a bit of him, and he hasn't exactly sprung to mind at any time as a guy I thought/hoped we would chase. Soldado looks a better all round striker from what Ive seen, and Negredo is a 2nd tier level of playing. He looks like a back-up for Dzeko to me.

In 2012 we had Aguero, Dzeko, Balo & Tevez - that quartet is far superior to Aguero, Dzeko, Negredo & the eternal sicknote and "Bojinov style" legendary tales of the skills of Mr Guidetti.

Similarly in midfield the swap of De Jong for Javi Garcia, and Adam Johnson for Sinclair has also weakended our hand. I had hoped the lessons of last summer, and our failings in both the CL & Prem last season had persuaded our powers that be that top top quality was what we lacked, not the 2nd tier guys we seem to be settling for.

The new quartet is weaker.. on paper. In practise however how many times did Balo ever do the business? Dzeko never really suited Bobs system either. On paper, with the squad we have we should have won the league again last year.. but it's just on paper. If Pelle can bring together a group of forwards who compliment either other and get the best out of them, i'd rather that, than have a bench of stellar names.

As for the De Jong / Garcia thing, it is an utter myth De Jong was leagues better than Garcia, honestly I think Garcia has a ton more to his game. De Jong was an out and out destroyer, he did it well but offered nothing else. His sideways passing used to annoy the hell out of me.

And as for Johnson for Sinclair, well tbh I can't judge that. 5-10mins at the end of the odd game isn't enough to say Sinclair is shit. He was not even close to given a chance to show himself last year, feel sorry for the lad.

This "2nd tier player" mentality is staggering to me, people like Negredo are not second tier, they just aren't the "world class level" of which there are only 10 players, at best in the world of that level and they all come at a massive premium, with massive baggage.

Football is about how a team plays, not about how it looks on paper. Compiling the best players doesn't mean you have a winning team. Look squarely at Real Madrid for evidence of that!

I take it you didn't watch Garcia much last year did you? He was one footed, one paced, incredibly soft in the tackle for a guy his size, gave the ball away or lost it for fun and looked about 3 yards off the pace. When the pre-requisite job of the holding/deep central midfielder is to win the ball and maintain possession, he failed in just about every criteria. De Jong was/is a superior player.

In regards to the players we have signed, in the past year we have aimed for RVP, Javi Martinez, De Rossi, Hazard, Isco & Cavani and come up empty on each one. The players we have signed, are those that we were not competing with another elite CL team for; granted they may turn in to diamonds, but we are not buying guaranteed finished articles here.

When we won the Prem in 2012, we had a great opportunity to strengthen and move forwards by making the squad even better - we plainly haven't done that. If you are waiting for the likes of Scott Sinclair to come good, it'll be a wasted exercise.

As for the "we should have won the league last year" argument - we finished umpteen points back and weren't even close, that's the plain fact of it. Wouldve/could've/should've doesn't apply when you finish 10 plus points south of the title winner.