Boubakary Soumaré

Nou_Camp99

what would Souness do?
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How is Guardiola managing it at City with two attacking midfielders?
He's not. Have you seen their season? Even we beat them. They have managed it last two seasons because they have Fernandinho and also because they keep the ball so well. Totally different situation to us.

Matic isn't Fernandinho. Bruno and Pogba arent Silva and KDB. Ole isn't Pep and so on.
 

sherrinford

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Guess you’re not really that familiar with Bruno. He’s not just an attacker. He’s actually played further back he also puts in a shift defensively. Actually if you take his tackling stats from this season and put him in our team only BisSams has more than him and last year he played as an 8. This year he has been moved further forward.

I also never said that’s what I want to do but the only set up that really makes sense if we bring in Soumare and Bruno in January. Did you read my post or just see the formation?

Anyway to repeat seems like a weird mix of midfielders and I can’t quite see what Ole is planning to do. If as you say he is going to replace Pogba with Bruno then we could do a hell of a lot better than Bruno for that job and if anything I imagine the one that would replace Pogba would be Soumare and we try and get the creative spark from someone else.
Playing Soumare wouldn’t be any different to playing McTominay and Bruno surely takes Lingard and Pereira’s no.10 spot, no? I’m not sure I’m seeing how bringing those two in affects the overall setup much at all. There was a question mark over what Solskjaer would do with Pogba upon his return with Fred playing regularly, but that was quashed by the injuries in midfield. Were we to bring those two in, it would surely be with the intention of having Soumare and Fred together with Fernandes ahead of them.

Or were you thinking longer term? Though does anyone really factor Pogba into future midfield musings?
 

sherrinford

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That midfield would be an absolute car wreck. No where near solid enough. Bruno n Pogba are basically attackers. They don't do much defending.

Matic on his own would be so bad. My word. Even with Fred n Matic we look like conceding lots of goals and you want to make it more attacking?

Bruno will be coming to replace Pogba not be his partner.
He won’t be coming in to replace Pogba, who has been used deeper in midfield.

Would you expect to see Fernandes alongside Fred, McTominay or Soumare and behind Pereira or Lingard?
 

Adnan

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Soumare has made 20 starts for Lille this season and 14 of those starts have been at DM. His pass percentage in the league stands at 90.2 which is very very good for a 20 year old playing mostly at DM.

His last seasons stats


 

Adnan

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These are his stats from Sky for this season, playing in the league.


It's very clear he's a defensive minded midfielder with huge potential at 20.
 
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beingshe7don

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Just sign Kante, let Chelsea take the plunge on a young uncertain talent.
hell no.... We need to get Soumare. He would make a terrific (defensive) box to box player and would balance Bruno (attacking-minded 10). All we need is a holding midfielder or a deep lying playmaker.
 

SteveW

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The Pogba comparison is bizarre and only added by Sky for dramatic effect imo.

I doubt there's anything in this one either. We've had nothing from any credible source.
 

Son

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Too many getting their knickers in a twist over this player and that.
Some ridiculously heated conversations going on about the relative merits of footballers. From what I can gather; they’re all shit and we should sign all the ballon d’or nominees or no one
Modric, Messi and Ronaldo are too old. Mata is younger and has still room to improve and grow.

Neymar is too expensive and a show pony so I reckon we will keep with what we already have. Lingard and Periera are prospects any side would be envious of.
 

zenith

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Don't think there is anything to it. We do need an a DM for sure, though I'm not sure 20 year old import from the French league for 40 million is the answer.

We already have Mctominay who's doing a brilliant job and growing into his role rapidly and in the likely event that matic is leaving, it would be really good if we can get some proven ability in that area of the pitch. A DM and a CB IMHO are two areas of the pitch where experience counts for a lot.

We can afford to take our time on this, given that matic is there at least till the summer and Mctominay is back next month.
 

Bondi77

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I wish websites that have had some form of credibility would stop putting up crap from other websites as it is so boring.
I know that it is about getting hits but it just insults the intelligence of a football fan in general.
If we are apparently haggling over the price of Fernandes I cannot see how we would pay the price that Lille seem to be asking for Soumaré.
I just base this on how they held out for big money for Pepe and we have all seen how good he is.
 

Nou_Camp99

what would Souness do?
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He won’t be coming in to replace Pogba, who has been used deeper in midfield.

Would you expect to see Fernandes alongside Fred, McTominay or Soumare and behind Pereira or Lingard?
Pogba isnt sticking around longer than the summer. Bruno is being signed as his long term replacement. There will only be an overlap for a few months. It's not going to be a long term partnership.

Our midfield would get destroyed playing both together. Matic or Fred alone can't hold the defence together. No chance.
 

Sayros

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Football is getting so ridiculous sometimes, the guy hasn't even had a full season of professional football and he's already likely to be on his way out. Good for Lille I guess if they get 40M+ for him, he might turn out to be a great talent that'll be worth a lot more, but for so little time out there, it's a good chunk of money for them if the reports are true.
 

NewGlory

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Or Angers is a really crap club against which it is easy to dominate... Would love to see what the stats were against decent clubs

Football is getting so ridiculous sometimes, the guy hasn't even had a full season of professional football and he's already likely to be on his way out. Good for Lille I guess if they get 40M+ for him, he might turn out to be a great talent that'll be worth a lot more, but for so little time out there, it's a good chunk of money for them if the reports are true.
Very true. And that is probably the point in all these speculative deals. They want to cash-in on him before anybody knows whether he is really that good or not.
 

Adnan

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Or Angers is a really crap club against which it is easy to dominate... Would love to see what the stats were against decent clubs



Very true. And that is probably the point in all these speculative deals. They want to cash-in on him before anybody knows whether he is really that good or not.
His stats against Valencia were also posted. Chelsea fans also said he played well against them and both those clubs are more than decent.
 

NewGlory

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Yep lets "just sign Kante". Probably get Messi and see which of Liverpool's front three fancy joining too.
Liverpool's front three Salah (14), Sane (15), Firminho (9) scored 38 goals in all competitions, this season. Martial (11) , Rashy (19), Mason (9 at senior level) scored 39 goals in all competitions this season. And their midfield is way better, supplying way more – yet our front three scored more. So why exactly would we be jealous of their front three?

"Kante" is what we need :) That is spot on. Where do we get one, though :)

His stats against Valencia were also posted. Chelsea fans also said he played well against them and both those clubs are more than decent.
Thank you. That helps. Great to hear.
 

blue blue

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Not sure that Chelsea need any more defensive midfielders. Kante, Kovacic, & Jorginho etc. Add in players like Barkley and Loftus Cheek and you have to question if there is any truth in this. Chelsea need a quality left back and centre half not more of the same.
 

Inigo Montoya

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They could also do with a proven goal scorer. An injury or burn out to Abraham and they are a very thin
 

Preggy99

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I have watched Samouré this season and for me he looks like he needs a bit too much time on the ball and takes too many touches. In the Premier league he won't be given the time and will have to speed up his passing. I hope he can make the transition, at only 20 years old he has good potential.
 

blue blue

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They could also do with a proven goal scorer. An injury or burn out to Abraham and they are a very thin
I agree and there is speculation about them seeking this type of player. Moussa Dembele is on their radar but he'll probably stay put for this window and other clubs, including Utd, are also looking at him.

The midfield is probably their strongest department so for me this is a media story of no consequence or his agent trying to get the price up.
 

Adnan

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Duncan Castles said in his podcast that we have made contact with Lille regards signing Soumare. He also went onto say that Lille want to sell in the current window because they fear the players agent will run the players contract down and the agent also wants 20% from a potential transfer.

Castles also said that he was informed by someone at Chelsea that they weren't in for him. Which is understandable considering the options they have in midfield.
 

sherrinford

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Pogba isnt sticking around longer than the summer. Bruno is being signed as his long term replacement. There will only be an overlap for a few months. It's not going to be a long term partnership.

Our midfield would get destroyed playing both together. Matic or Fred alone can't hold the defence together. No chance.
I’m sorry but other than speaking very broadly regarding midfield bodies in general, that can’t be said with any confidence.

Pogba has played as the link/ deep no.8/ box to box/ in a double pivot as much as he has in the most advanced midfield position over his time here. Again, the deeper position is the one he has been operating in in our current system. It is unlikely that that is the position Fernandes would be bought for. If he is indeed brought in to operate in the no.10 role, he cannot be considered a replacement for Pogba.

When he first arrived, Pogba played in a two with Rooney at no.10. He was paired with Matic in a two with the likes of Lingard and Mkhitaryan at no.10 for significant periods of his second season. This season he has been played behind Lingard or Pereira. What is significantly worse about the idea of him being deployed in the same midfield as Fernandes? How is it any worse or less balanced than any of these lineups?

Lining up with two of Fred, Matic, McTominay or Soumare (who has looked the same kind of player to McTominay, to me) would obviously be a bit more secure defensively, but would lack a bit of balance all the same in that there’s not really a player there to get their foot on the ball a bit deep in midfield - a true playmaker/ dictator.