I'd prefer Watkins, but £60million for a player turning 30 this year is insanity. I'd be tempted if we were in Arsenal's position and only being a few missing pieces away from a complete team, but alas we're not. Would rather we take the punt on the Sesko project considering his age and where we currently are in our rebuilding phase.
Šeško or Watkins?
- Thread starter Bastian
- Start date
- Status
Yeah get him next summer when there will be another year off the contract so gonna be a bit cheaper
I will admit Watkins is the safer bet, however I am intrigued to see what Ruben can do with a potential rough diamond
Hojlund has really scared us into going for a young talent. Sesko is far further in his development than Hojlund and would be considered a senior option for our front line.
How is paying 75m euro for an unproven young player sustainable?
I'd rather use the money to test Brighton's resolve for Baleba. He'd be more expensive but I think you'd get far more net gain out of that signing
Agree. It’s so obvious I don’t understand why it isn’t (CM) being prioritized. Year after year I see links and chasing of just about every position but midfielders.
I suppose the system is considered to be predicated on attacking midfielders both progressing the ball and tracking all the way back to the edge of the box [shrug]
Unproven?
I'm not sold on either, cannot say I've seen loads of Sesko but when I have caught the odd game he hasn't really impressed. Also a little dubious to pay so much for him when we have seemingly missed out twice in the past, 2019 for €2m and again when he chose Leipzig.
On Watkins, I think he'd be a decent signing at the right price. I would put him at around the £40m Arsenal valued him at in January when he was supposedly offered to them by Villa who wanted £60-70m.
We obviously need a striker, but not at an inflated fee when other areas are still lacking.
On Watkins, I think he'd be a decent signing at the right price. I would put him at around the £40m Arsenal valued him at in January when he was supposedly offered to them by Villa who wanted £60-70m.
We obviously need a striker, but not at an inflated fee when other areas are still lacking.
Baleba
Watkins will be about half of the price, so, him
See him as our priority target next summer unless someone else emerges during this season which is possible
Well Hojlund has but so have Zirkzee, Sancho, Pellistri, James, Dalot, Bailly, Memphis, Powell, Zaha, Henriquez, Bebe, Tosic, Diouf, Manucho
Already signed a new contract with Liverpool
I’m not referring to the one getting bitched out- instead, the one we should be signing above all others.
Surely you jest, but can’t pass up the chance to see a scouse getting pushed around.
The thing about all this Baleba talk is that I don't think many disagree that it would be a good way for us to go. It just seems that isn't what the club are prioritising.
I think this summer the priority is to sort out the front line and then with Casemiro leaving next summer we will focus on the midfield.
I do hope we can get a midfielder in towards the end of the window but I imagine it will be far more akin to an Amrabat sort of signing. I've seen a couple of random links to Tolisso, I can imagine someone like that coming in just to cover the season.
Expressed it in the Baleba thread, but i feel that both Sesko and Watkins are risks. One because of inexperience, the other because of committing to a 30 year old. So why reach for players we are not sure about? They were obviously behind Delap, Gyokeres and maybe Ekitike in our wish list and we have more positions of need than just striker.
So why go for 4th / 5th choice striker, when we have already significantly upgraded our attack with Mbeumo and Cunha?
Upgrade midfield with Baleba. Prem proven, young, press resistant, physical, quick, big, a great tackler, stamina and can play in a midfield two. I think he will be one of the best in the league soon.
Baleba is so damn good that when he missed a game for Brighton, they lost 7-0 to Forest!
Just in theory. If you found out we wanted Zubimendi before he signed for Arsenal, then pivoted for Wharton and got rejected and now moved for Baleba.
Would that in any way change your view on how good Baleba is at football?
I will admit they are both risks, however the prospect of signing a proper number 9 is still exciting.
I think Sesko is simply too young for a big club like us - the pressure is just too much if you don’t perform, and all strikers have struggled, with little service.
Also I just don’t think he’s that big a talent. Classic example of how many players can look great in the bundesliga
Also I just don’t think he’s that big a talent. Classic example of how many players can look great in the bundesliga
There are no proper number 9s that would make such a marked difference over where we’re at- hence a midfielder would be the added value to where we stand.
All moot since, as it was pointed out above in this thread, the club believes the frontline still needs sorting out. Maybe a couple more impressive matches from Hojlund and Amorim’s praise of his pivots that thinking. Or not.
He won't get little service when there is the likes of Cunha, Mbeumo, Amad, Bruno and improving Dorgu supplying him
Personally I think he's a real talent hence him being our number one target last summer, my gut feeling is our top CM target either isn't available right now or he is but we can't move Casemiro on.
Im convinced that by next summer, other teams will be in for Baleba. Liverpool, Chelsea, City and Arsenal don't need DMs now. They may next season.
What source is there, that Sesko was our number one target last summer?
Andy Mitten
How is he not?
Andy Mitten on Stretford Paddock yesterday
Don’t think so. Both looking at £60m plus
Yeah will admit he is at the top level, however still believe given an opportunity he can prove himself
Seems pretty unlikely for those 5 teams.
Why would we choose a player that hasn't been great in Bundesliga and pay so much for him?
My gut feeling is we shouldn't discredit Newcastle because of this. He probably knows he's not fully ready just yet, and saw Isak's success - it has to be attractive
Personally wouldn't be too fussed. Not sure how good he actually is and it's a hell of a lot of money.
I like Mitten but I don’t get why he’d just sit on that for a year and not say anything? I get that he doesn’t like reporting on transfer speculation but I’ve never even heard him say Sesko’s name on any podcast when talking about striker options that we could go for.
Yeah will admit that's definitely a bit odd
Pretty much nailed it, including my thought that Arsenal chose correctly between Sesko and Gyokeres but should have considered overpaying for Watkins instead.
Definitely worried about the Sesko punt for us but our ideal option is not on the market anymore. Delap (raw but cheap) and Gyokeres (prime age and semi-expensive) were clearly our top 2 choices. After that, everyone has a downside.
It's not as if Delap and Gyokeres really stood out as brilliant strikers who are guaranteed to succeed either. The market is pretty poor really, when you look at quality vs cost
Definitely, I’m not a fan of Delap in particular. I can just understand why they were the club’s first choices in the striker position.
Sesko is another unproven striker who's numbers aren't great. He's been the next big thing for 3 seasons now but still no big team has take him.
I'd say 60M is the most we should be spending on him considering the market is really dry on number 9s and we should take risks.
Watkins is clearly the better player and more proven but buying him at almost 30 means we'll need to replace him in 2-3 seasons. We should construct a squad for the future as we're no where near to compete in the short term. So if it's between those two I'd say it's better to gamble on Sesko even when it's a risky gamble.
I'd say 60M is the most we should be spending on him considering the market is really dry on number 9s and we should take risks.
Watkins is clearly the better player and more proven but buying him at almost 30 means we'll need to replace him in 2-3 seasons. We should construct a squad for the future as we're no where near to compete in the short term. So if it's between those two I'd say it's better to gamble on Sesko even when it's a risky gamble.
- Status