Centre Back... Who do we go for?

[red woppit]

To me De Ligt is the one, I think we are busting a gut to get him, Umtiti sounds possible, but I'm always wary of big clubs like Barca, Real and Bayern when they seem to want to get rid of players.

 

[Freak]

De Ligt
Koulibaly
Maguire
Milenkovic
Skriniar

In that order.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

Do people not feel Tuanzebe is good enough?

If Olé trusts him to start, there’s plenty of other areas that need strengthening too.

 

[lukepowell1988]

Ramos I think would be a decent back up for when one of the other CB's is injured ( so will get plenty of game time ) but would need a second CB signed also so maybe Toby at a £25 Million price tag

 

[Gandalf]

Do people not feel Tuanzebe is good enough?

If Olé trusts him to start, there’s plenty of other areas that need strengthening too.

I think he has a future here but what we are missing is a leader of the defense so we do need to bring in someone to organize the back line. De Ligt is young but has shown that he has what it takes at Ajax and that is also the attraction in a guy like Maguire who can be vocal and get in peoples faces. I know we won't clear all of the old guard out this window but I would only want to keep Lindelof and Tuanzabe long term and so we need to add numbers. Jones, Smalling, Rojo and Bailly should be moved out over the next 2 or 3 windows.

 

[Mark Pawelek]

Do people not feel Tuanzebe is good enough?

If Olé trusts him to start, there’s plenty of other areas that need strengthening too.

He's a bit too like Linderof. You would not play the two of them together.

We need to lose Rojo, Bailly, and Jones. Bring in a beefier CB to play with Linderof or Tuanzebe. Keep Smalling as 2nd beefy CB.

 

[Mark Pawelek]

De Ligt
Koulibaly
Maguire
Milenkovic
Skriniar

In that order.

How is Maguire a serious candidate for a job in a team rivaling for promotion? Squawka stats show he made 4 errors in defense last year. One of them leading to a goal. Many CBs can play a whole season without making a single error. Let's go for a player like that.

 

[Freak]

How is Maguire a serious candidate for a job in a team rivaling for promotion? Squawka stats show he made 4 errors in defense last year. One of them leading to a goal. Many CBs can play a whole season without making a single error. Let's go for a player like that.

How many errors did De Gea make last season? I guess he too must be a shit footballer who hasn’t been saving our arses in the last 5 or 6 years.

Just because a player goes through a bad season does not mean he’s a bad player. There is always form factor in football.

 

[Mark Pawelek]

How many errors did De Gea make last season? I guess he too must be a shit footballer who hasn’t been saving our arses in the last 5 or 6 years.

Just because a player goes through a bad season does not mean he’s a bad player. There is always form factor in football.

We should get a discount when we buy a player after he's gone through a bad season. But we'll be expected to pay £70m, or whatever silly price Leicester demand. Maguire's too expensive for what he offers. There are lots of better, and less expensive players around.

Would I sell de Gea? Yes. Given he won't sign a new contract, I'd sell now.

 

[Sea-Cow]

Do people not feel Tuanzebe is good enough?

If Olé trusts him to start, there’s plenty of other areas that need strengthening too.

I do not. Tyrone Mings seemed to be the leader, commanding CB of the partnership. And I think Villa fans would agree.

But you would get laughed off the Cafe if you suggested we should sign Mings. For some reason he isn't anywhere near what we need, but Tuanzebe is the answer and could easily come in and start over Smalling and Jones.

Not to be a wet-blanket, but he can't. He is nowhere near good enough. He is all potential and hope and youth teamer optimism rolled into one. Maybe in a few years when CBs normally hit their stride, he can be a prem quality CB. But not next year, and definitely not for a team that has aspirations of regaining the top-four.

 

[Sea-Cow]

I think we will waste time on De Ligt only to lose out and panic buy Maguire for 70m.

Haha that's a bingo

 

[golden_blunder]

To me De Ligt is the one, I think we are busting a gut to get him, Umtiti sounds possible, but I'm always wary of big clubs like Barca, Real and Bayern when they seem to want to get rid of players.

People keep mentioning diddy man but there’s a reason Barca would gladly sell. His knees are finished

 

[Sea-Cow]

People keep mentioning diddy man but there’s a reason Barca would gladly sell. His knees are finished

He's still pretty young though, correct? You think his injuries are career threatening?

I am genuinely curious as I think he could be a great option for us on paper.

 

[Lee565]

whilst getting the likes of Koulibaly or De Ligt would be brilliant, it's probably unlikely but there are still plenty of other defenders out there worthy of buying to improve our central defence.

Leipzig's Upamecano looks a promising prospect, funny but Michael keane would be an improvement (well done Van Gaal), Dakoman of Getafe looks a good defender who isn't too bad with the ball at his feet, the real wild card would be to sign Bissaka and convert him into a central defender.

 

[golden_blunder]

He's still pretty young though, correct? You think his injuries are career threatening?

I am genuinely curious as I think he could be a great option for us on paper.

He’s young but I believe he’s got Hargreaves type knees so he’s going to be prone to bouts of injury. We don’t need another sick note

 

[Sea-Cow]

He’s young but I believe he’s got Hargreaves type knees so he’s going to be prone to bouts of injury. We don’t need another sick note

Yeah fair enough.

We can't afford to take the risk, but it will just be very annoying when he goes somewhere else, stays healthy and dominates for a few years.

Ahh well, we've still got my dude Phil Jones!

 

[Ajaxsuarez]

Alderweireld - Seems interested in returning to Ajax, nothing else reported

Although Alderweireld has been very vocal about his affection for us since the Spurs ties (just yesterday again), there's no way he's coming back this summer. He's only just turned 30 and if anything is looking for a step up, both in club stature and financially. Ajax can't offer him what he's looking for.

Vertonghen would be the one to come back this summer but don't think that's on the cards sadly, though there was talk of this around the early months of 2019.

 

[FootyGirl88]

Although Alderweireld has been very vocal about his affection for us since the Spurs ties (just yesterday again), there's no way he's coming back this summer. He's only just turned 30 and if anything is looking for a step up, both in club stature and financially. Ajax can't offer him what he's looking for.

Vertonghen would be the one to come back this summer but don't think that's on the cards sadly, though there was talk of this around the early months of 2019.

If De Ligt goes who will you get to replace him?

 

[Keeps It tidy]

If De Ligt goes who will you get to replace him?

They have already signed Kik Pierre and Lisandro Martinez at CB. They also have January signing Lisandro Magallan.

 

[jderbyshire]

A lot of people on here turn their nose up at Harry Maguire.

If he's so shit, how come City want him?

 

[dutchred]

If we cant get De Ligt I would go or Ake. The only reason he is not automatic choice for Holland is because of De Ligt and van Dijk. he is young has PL experience and left footed. Would compliment both Axel and Lindelof or Smalling. could also cove at left back for Shaw

 

[Fosu-Mens]

If we cant get De Ligt I would go or Ake. The only reason he is not automatic choice for Holland is because of De Ligt and van Dijk. he is young has PL experience and left footed. Would compliment both Axel and Lindelof or Smalling. could also cove at left back for Shaw

I would prefer Ake over the de Ligt, because of the wage and giving Raiola more "influence" at this club.

I find it strange that he is not mentioned more on here. The only real issue is his height at only 180cm, but he is still good in aerial duels.

 

[Sea-Cow]

A lot of people on here turn their nose up at Harry Maguire.

If he's so shit, how come City want him?

They also, apparently, were interested in Fred.

City aren't magical in their talent identification -- they do, however, rectify mistakes without hesitation. If a signing doesn't work out the way they intended, then they buy another.

 

[Sea-Cow]

I would prefer Ake over the de Ligt, because of the wage and giving Raiola more "influence" at this club.

I find it strange that he is not mentioned more on here. The only real issue is his height at only 180cm, but he is still good in aerial duels.

I think Ake is just average and is not the dominating aerial presence that we really need to partner with our current options. He does, however, have youth, potential, expected price, and left-sideedness in his favor.

I just can't get over the mistake he made in our game at Bournemouth this year. He was good the whole match, but then unexplainably and horribly mistimes a simple header into the box.

If one of our favorite CB punching bags made a similar mistake the Cafe would have been merciless.

Basically, Ake would be an OK signing and might even be an upgrade on our current options. But if we are looking for a colossal, club-changing, VVD-style signing, then he ain't it. I am not sure that defender is out there or available, but that is what we should be going for.

 

[beergod]

A lot of people on here turn their nose up at Harry Maguire.

If he's so shit, how come City want him?

His name isn't exotic enough for the Caf.

 

[Isotope]

He's still pretty young though, correct? You think his injuries are career threatening?

I am genuinely curious as I think he could be a great option for us on paper.

If Barca's famous medical team couldn't fix Umtiti, we should be worried.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Although Alderweireld has been very vocal about his affection for us since the Spurs ties (just yesterday again), there's no way he's coming back this summer. He's only just turned 30 and if anything is looking for a step up, both in club stature and financially. Ajax can't offer him what he's looking for.

Vertonghen would be the one to come back this summer but don't think that's on the cards sadly, though there was talk of this around the early months of 2019.

Alderweireld is looking for a big payday. He knows he's worth more than £25m, so will look to appropriate the reduced transfer fee into his wages. No way is he going to Ajax when he will find a club to pay him in excess of £150k per week.

 

[golden_blunder]

How is Stefan DeVrij these days?

 

[Ljungster]

If Barca's famous medical team couldn't fix Umtiti, we should be worried.

It's not a case of "fixing him". From what I know he have a cartilage problem which does make his knee less accepting of load. It's more a case of managing his load and keep him in form while not overworking the knee. Any competent medical team should be able to manage that. Surgery is an option but not mandatory in any way.

 

[dev1l]

Alderweireld is looking for a big payday. He knows he's worth more than £25m, so will look to appropriate the reduced transfer fee into his wages. No way is he going to Ajax when he will find a club to pay him in excess of £150k per week.

Most posters look only at transfer fee when wages and other fees (like agents commissions) make up a considerable percentage of total expenses incurred.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

I do not. Tyrone Mings seemed to be the leader, commanding CB of the partnership. And I think Villa fans would agree.

But you would get laughed off the Cafe if you suggested we should sign Mings. For some reason he isn't anywhere near what we need, but Tuanzebe is the answer and could easily come in and start over Smalling and Jones.

Not to be a wet-blanket, but he can't. He is nowhere near good enough. He is all potential and hope and youth teamer optimism rolled into one. Maybe in a few years when CBs normally hit their stride, he can be a prem quality CB. But not next year, and definitely not for a team that has aspirations of regaining the top-four.

I agree with what you said about Mings. Everytime I watched Aston villa he seems be the matured one rather than Tuanzebe. My Aston villa mate said the same thing.

Playing Tuanzebe with no true leader at the back will result something similar with our last season. What we need is a leader at the back like Koulibaly or may be Maguire, De Ligt has shown how good he is as a leader despite of him being so young, already became Ajax regular captain. He’s basically like Keane in term of already showing sign of leadership at a very young age.

If we somehow don’t get the 3 names I mentioned then I really hope we don’t start splashing money randomly on centre back, that’s where I don’t mind to see Tuanzebe as a starter.

 

[Jammiedodger]

Ive read a few times that Rojo has been told he has a future at OT.
I seriously hope this is nothing more than press gossip because he's one of the deadwood brigade. Offering Jones and Smalling contract extensions is bad enough but keeping this fool is worrying.

 

[Isotope]

It's not a case of "fixing him". From what I know he have a cartilage problem which does make his knee less accepting of load. It's more a case of managing his load and keep him in form while not overworking the knee. Any competent medical team should be able to manage that. Surgery is an option but not mandatory in any way.

Barca’s medical doctor is as competent as they’re out there, to get player strong and healthy.

Meanwhile, ours couldn’t even keep a healthy players to be fit the whole season.

 

[Bearded One]

Why do we seem to be putting all our eggs in the De Ligt basket? Surely there should be a plan B at the least. Alderwiereld shouldn't cost an arm and a leg so I would like us to chase him as we hope that De Ligt comes through.

 

[Irwin99]

Why do we seem to be putting all our eggs in the De Ligt basket? Surely there should be a plan B at the least. Alderwiereld shouldn't cost an arm and a leg so I would like us to chase him as we hope that De Ligt comes through.

Played very well yesterday too.

 

[Lash]

Any one know much about this Ozan Kabak we got linked to? Stuttgart lad, only 19. Cheapo now they've been relegated.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

Any one know much about this Ozan Kabak we got linked to? Stuttgart lad, only 19. Cheapo now they've been relegated.

I did a thread about him a while ago. https://www.redcafe.net/threads/ozan-kabak-stuttgart.445509/

 

[Lash]

I did a thread about him a while ago. https://www.redcafe.net/threads/ozan-kabak-stuttgart.445509/

Thanks!

 

[BlueHaze]

I'm actually starting to worry that we won't get one at all and will still see the likes of Jones and Smalling featuring most of the games next year. We seriously need a leader at the back. If it was up to me I'd even get two if Tuanzebe will not start every game. I would be happy just getting one top quality CB. If not then just make Lindelöf and Axel the main pair.

 

[Adnan]

A dominant CB who is not only good on the ball but is physically imposing and has recovery pace. Koulibaly is someone that fits the profile.

Jonathan Tah?
Akanji?
Milenkovic?

If we sign someone with the above attributes then we'll be on the right track. I haven't seen much of Tah or Akanji though.