This is why I genuinely think Jose is looking at Belotti. He name checked Hernandez last month and pretty much said we need a striker of that ilk. That is why I think he may sign Belotti. Remember he will be rotating with Rashford to so he is not necessarily going to be our only attacking outlet. Especially if we get Griezmann to play behind.
Andrea Belotti
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Yeah, exactly. He needs a striker that will be hungry to impress and will settle for a rotation spot - whilst having quality. Makes a lot of sense, IMO.
I am not slagging off anyone. Inzaghi was a one trick pony too and I rate him highly. All I am saying is that its stupid to compare Belotti to Chica. Chica is a goal poacher. Belotti is the complete package. FFS, you've got people like Gattuso and Capello likening him with former legends and friends like Sheva and Batistuta here. Its like Gaz and Carragher saying that player X reminds them of Scholes and Gerrard. Its not a praise that can be taken lightly.
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Belotti is a far more complete player then Chica. He's got great movement, he's better in air, he's very hardworking and he's great with both feet.
I think we will sign him. Maybe a little too expensively but i think he will be worth it at end of the season.
We need someone more complete than Chicharito and someone on the rise, not someone whose career is slowly going down. The only 2 options i see are Lukaku and Belotti.
I agree with you. What i'm saying is that Jose has already came out and said he wants a goalscorer like Hernandez, and Belotti fits that bill.
I don't think that he's searching for a run in the mill goal poacher though. If that was the case then it would be stupid to bid for Belotti as there are cheaper options around.
Belotti is more than that. He's a goal machine whose lethal in air and with his feet (both feet). He's also extremely hardworking + he's quite physical in his game. That makes him quite an asset to have around. His previous experience as a winger and as a no 10 allows him to have a better vision of the game then the typical goal poacher whose only aim is to score goals. Bellotti can and will drop deep when you need him to do so. If he's marked then he won't mind switching roles with other players (Griezmann? Rashford? Martial?) during the game to disorientate defenders. That's the sort of player we need.
I like Belotti but seems like the token Italian striker that we're linked with on a seasonal basis.
It was Icardi for a while. I loved the Quagariella days.
It was Icardi for a while. I loved the Quagariella days.
Icardi had been doing well for quite some time now. Quagliarella was quite good in his day although his career was hampered by private issues.
Its more like im describing his style of play. Also a few matches is sufficient to note a players strengths and weaknesses. Unless one is dimwitted, no offence though we learn at our own pace. How many times have you watched him?
Are you having a dig at me?
First, yes a few matches is a good indication of a player's style. But you've watched a few youtube videos, not matches?
I haven't seen him, not once. But then again, I'm not going about comparing him to Batistuta.
Since when did Capello start smoking crack?
Since when he left our national team
I'd love us to sign Icardi. Hes a consistent goal scorer who seems to always pop up in the right place at the right time.
I'm not fully sold on Belotti yet but he's had a great season.
Slightly changed my mind on this guy, he's better than what I thought he was. Still raw technically, but he's a mobile tank of a striker, powerful aggressive and knows where the back of the net is. Is he ready for a top club I don't know but there is something Falcaoesque about his game.
wheeler and dealer.
I would pick him over Icardi.
Calling him a "poacher" is incorrect.
But what Capelo said is just absurd and is not true at all.
I like the look of this Belotti. Works hard, takes up good positions and has pace and strength. I hope the rumours are true that we're in for him.
I'm incredibly confused. Two days ago I was reading his first touch and hold up play is terrible, today people are discussing whether he is as good as Batistuta.
The more bonkers the differing opinions are the more I'd rather go with my gut that, from the little I've seen, he is the best option out there and exactly what the team and Mourinho needs.
The more bonkers the differing opinions are the more I'd rather go with my gut that, from the little I've seen, he is the best option out there and exactly what the team and Mourinho needs.
Not seen anything of Belotti other than the YouTube clips so I'm not even going to start to go on about if he's good enough etc, but does look very good from the videos. Looks like he'd suit the Premier League. Seems strong, quick, aggressive and attacks the ball really well when it comes into the box, really commits to it and you get the sense he's a nightmare to defend against. Some of the goals he just bulldozes over and above defenders. Carries the ball well too which I didn't expect.
The last video I watched of him it seemed 80% of his goals were headers... Also the defending in Serie A and goalkeeping in some of those...
Anyway, I do hope we buy a no.9 this window in addition to Griezmann, our attack has been somewhere between underwhelming and a complete shambles going on 3 years.
The clip of the game against Juve put me off. He looks technically average. That said he would score goals.If you know how to score goals, it translates across all leagues.
I'm pretty sure we're signing a poacher. What other cheaper options, though?
Hernandez or Immobile for example.
Pretty underwhelming, if you ask me. Belotti would at least offer us some hope he might become important. And he would probably feature more in supposedly easy home games, precisely those types of games we draw last season.
I don't know the player well, but from the little I've seen it looks like he would work great in a Mourinho team. What is his injury record?
Torino will sell to us because 'F*ck Juventus'.
- Adductor problems at the beginnig of 2014 (2 months)
- Hamstring injury in September 2016 (a couple of week)
I can see why he'd make sense given his ability with his head in the box and fancy he'd chip in with a few goals but, he's not exciting me if I'm being honest. Pardon the cliched generalisaton but I actually think English defences deal with physical strikers better than Italian ones do on the basis that there are more teams in England with this style of striker and most teams have a big daft defender who will throw their lot in with an aggressive striker.
As we are looking for a striker, and our repeated interest in him would suggest there is a decent chance of him being targeted.
Tuttosport reported yesterday Torino rejected a bid of 70m Euros from Inter for him + 3 players . Dont think the lad will be cheap, but Lukaku wont be any cheaper too.
Tuttosport reported yesterday Torino rejected a bid of 70m Euros from Inter for him + 3 players . Dont think the lad will be cheap, but Lukaku wont be any cheaper too.
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Worth to spend 100m euros on? Never seen him play
I was quite intrigued with him after watching all of 1.5 games and a couple of youtube vids. After some more youtube "scouting" and reading comments about him, I've cooled on him somewhat. His physical profile and mentality probably fit a Mourinho striker very well, but his touch doesn't seem any better than Lukaku's and might even be worse, plus he's only really had one elite season in a league that plays a lot differently than the PL. It would be a risky transfer for the sums mentioned.
We won't sign this guy. Morata seems a bit more likely, but I still think we'll end up signing Griezmann.
Griezmann and Belotti are completely different players. Belotti is a target man and has a phenomenal work ethic which is something Jose will love. He's also excellent at off-the-ball movement and seems to get (pardon me if I have this wrong; going by highlight reels largely) a lot of goals from set piece situations / headers (despite being under 6 feet tall). This again is a massive and glaring weakness for us. He's a battering ram (a favourite trait for Jose) and at a pinch can also play wide positions running the channels at pace with the ball.
Morata is heading to Milan, so that can be ruled out.
Griezmann doesn't fit the traditional #9 role. He's more a goal-scoring playmaker / #10 / second striker / wide forward (at a pinch). If we do land him as seems likely, we will still need a target man (though Zlatan seems intent on being back in time!). Rashford isn't ready yet and Martial isn't ready yet either for holding that spot down (not sure he will be either in a Jose team, with his attitude from the past season). As such, it makes sense that we go for a player like Belotti.
It won't be the most exciting signing ever - but then, Jose has a record for such signings and they work out more often than not. Let's just go with what the manager wants, eh?
I wouldn't be against his signing per se, I just don't think there's anything concrete in these rumours.
When was the last time an Italian striker was successful in the Premier League? Actually when did a striker straight from Serie A actually do well in the Premier League? I can't think of many.
Similarly with Mbappe he is just a kid with one full season under his belt. Any club willing to pay over £100m is mad. He needs to stay at Monaco for at least another year.
If Aubameyang is available at the price quoted we should surely have to stop him going to PSG. A proven goal scorer, cheaper than most options, wants to leave and can play on RW as well, which is another position where we are lacking.
Other than that maybe Lukaku but again make him hand a transfer request in and get his price down, £100m is a joke. Other than that I would get in Sanchez as priority to play LW. Maybe use him as a striker with Martial on the left until Zlatan is fit again. He did well as a CF for Arsenal.
Similarly with Mbappe he is just a kid with one full season under his belt. Any club willing to pay over £100m is mad. He needs to stay at Monaco for at least another year.
If Aubameyang is available at the price quoted we should surely have to stop him going to PSG. A proven goal scorer, cheaper than most options, wants to leave and can play on RW as well, which is another position where we are lacking.
Other than that maybe Lukaku but again make him hand a transfer request in and get his price down, £100m is a joke. Other than that I would get in Sanchez as priority to play LW. Maybe use him as a striker with Martial on the left until Zlatan is fit again. He did well as a CF for Arsenal.
Italian strikers who played recently in EPL:
- Mario Balotelli
- Manolo Gabbiadini
- Graziano Pellè
- Simone Zaza
- Alberto Paloschi
- Stefano Okaka
No one successful, but frankly only about Balotelli there were great expectations.
EPL teams didnt buy many CF from Serie A, in recent years I remember only Stevan Jovetic
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