Judas
Open to offers
Mount excluded, seems some on here will get excited over anyone if it means a signing.
Madrid have the luxury of not missing out on Europe even if they have an absolute crap year by their standard .I wouldn’t mind it. Some seem to be missing the point that there really isn’t much striking talent readily available on the market this summer. It may very well need to be a fill in year, like what Madrid is doing.
To answer the question of what do our scouts do?Wow... another "never heard of him" 30+ player found out of the blue. Do wejust put a few names in a hat and draw out one or two every pre-season?
We can't afford any of the spoken-about names. Names which aren't guaranteed to be a success either. The only sure thing out there is Kane, and we're not getting him. So what options do we really have?Madrid have the luxury of not missing out on Europe even if they have an absolute crap year by their standard .
We can’t faff about with the striker position next season, 58 league goals isn’t sustainable for a top 4 side:
Ollie Watkins have 2 years left on his contract, we can see if £50/60m can get it done. Callum Wilson has one year left and Newcastle already bought Isak as the long term option. I would even take Toney, ban and all, if we have no other option to turn to. Unspectacular midtable PL strikers who have consistently scored 10+ league goals over the years is still better than gambling £80m on 2 unproven players. We can even be ruthless and shift whoever we sign this year on a loss next summer if we find someone better.We can't afford any of the spoken-about names. Names which aren't guaranteed to be a success either. The only sure thing out there is Kane, and we're not getting him. So what options do we really have?
Villa would demand £20/30m more than your ballpark figures, United tax and their own ambition. Just look at what Chelsea did to us on the Mount deal for reference. Toney is a good shout but as soon as we show interest the prices touted will be stratospheric and eye-watering.Ollie Watkins have 2 years left on his contract, we can see if £50/60m can get it done. Callum Wilson has one year left and Newcastle already bought Isak as the long term option. I would even take Toney, ban and all, if we have no other option to turn to. Unspectacular midtable PL strikers who have consistently scored 10+ league goals over the years is still better than gambling £80m on 2 unproven players. We can even be ruthless and shift whoever we sign this year on a loss next summer if we find someone better.
Sounds like description of Ten Hag's favourite type striker. Physically strong finisher (hello, mr Haller), tactically aware, decent passing with vision etc...Taremi has also the bonus of being tactically cult, which probably ETH is well aware. At Porto he's been deployed as forward, winger and midfielder so the team can adapt to the game circuntances. There were several games where he started as a forward and then was moved to another position so Porto could change their tactics during the match.
But as many pointed, he's a good player., not a starlet. Excelent for the portuguese league level, but it will be a good squad option for the Premier League that will guarantee some goals + assists during the season and make sure the team can rotate.
I have no issue with gambling on a top prospect like Hojlund or Ferguson, but We dont need to double down on it by bringing in a ‘veteran striker’ who is untested in the league. Take the Madrid example, spent €60m on Jovic, failed miserably, now they got a top prospect in Endrick and cover him by a veteran striker from Espanyol who just scored 17 league goals, that’s the proper way to go about it. Taremi might be decent, he might be great, even, but that’s a risk we shouldn’t have to take especially with our current goalscoring issue and the increased competition next season.Villa would demand £20/30m more than your ballpark figures, United tax and their own ambition. Just look at what Chelsea did to us on the Mount deal for reference. Toney is a good shout but as soon as we show interest the prices touted will be stratospheric and eye-watering.
Getting a veteran striker and a young promising one is the right move. Gives us depth, insurance and a possible upside. A player like Hoijlund is like maybe 12 to 24 months away from exploding and it would be a wise move to get him whilst he is still within reach. Like I always say, having Rashford around will be an excellent foil should he need a settling period but I am on board with bringing Taremi.
We probably need to bring in more than one striker. Wouldn’t mind a cheap veteran as the second.I have no issue with gambling on a top prospect like Hojlund or Ferguson, but We dont need to double down on it by bringing in a ‘veteran striker’ who is untested in the league. Take the Madrid example, spent €60m on Jovic, failed miserably, now they got a top prospect in Endrick and cover him by a veteran striker from Espanyol who just scored 17 league goals, that’s the proper way to go about it. Taremi might be decent, he might be great, even, but that’s a risk we shouldn’t have to take especially with our current goalscoring issue and the increased competition next season.
We need to bring in more than one striker, but my point is the veteran needs to have some sort of goalscoring pedigree in this league as a fallback option. Ighalo was a cheap veteran, Weghorst was a cheap veteran, see how those worked out.We probably need to bring in more than one striker. Wouldn’t mind a cheap veteran as the second.
I don't think that's their plan for next season. Endrick won't join them till 2024 and he will need at least a couple of more years till he's ready. Joselu alone isn't gonna close the gap with Barce or help them not get embarrassed again in the CL.I have no issue with gambling on a top prospect like Hojlund or Ferguson, but We dont need to double down on it by bringing in a ‘veteran striker’ who is untested in the league. Take the Madrid example, spent €60m on Jovic, failed miserably, now they got a top prospect in Endrick and cover him by a veteran striker from Espanyol who just scored 17 league goals, that’s the proper way to go about it. Taremi might be decent, he might be great, even, but that’s a risk we shouldn’t have to take especially with our current goalscoring issue and the increased competition next season.
I don't think Taremi is at the 'warm body who we can register to fill out the squad' stage of his career quite yet like those two, he still seems fairly useful. Though I agree, unproven at higher levels.We need to bring in more than one striker, but my point is the veteran needs to have some sort of goalscoring pedigree in this league as a fallback option. Ighalo was a cheap veteran, Weghorst was a cheap veteran, see how those worked out.
I'm just wondering why the likes of Everton or West Ham aren't all over thisFor 20 million seems too sensible a transfer for us
Doesn’t have to be THIS league at allWe need to bring in more than one striker, but my point is the veteran needs to have some sort of goalscoring pedigree in this league as a fallback option. Ighalo was a cheap veteran, Weghorst was a cheap veteran, see how those worked out.
I get your point but please remember Ighalo was way better than WW.We need to bring in more than one striker, but my point is the veteran needs to have some sort of goalscoring pedigree in this league as a fallback option. Ighalo was a cheap veteran, Weghorst was a cheap veteran, see how those worked out.
I don’t blame him for OGS’s management of his minutes, but he ended up a pretty expensive loan signing (on wage) that disappeared from the team after the initial few months. Disappointing all in all.I get your point but please remember Ighalo was way better than WW.
Strikers playing in this league can still fail, but at least you have more chance of them working out in the short term. Bringing in a veteran means you want to see returns asap.Doesn’t have to be THIS league at all
Issue is you have absolutely zero chance of paying a decent feeI don’t blame him for OGS’s management of his minutes, but he ended up a pretty expensive loan signing (on wage) that disappeared from the team after the initial few months. Disappointing all in all.
And it’s hard to be worse than WW, probably the worst player with 20+ apps for us in the last couple of decades.
Strikers playing in this league can still fail, but at least you have more chance of them working out in the short term. Bringing in a veteran means you want to see returns asap.
Ighalo was absolutely terrible whenever he played after the Covid lockdown. Obviously he didn't play much after that, but presumably the reason he wasn't playing was because of how bad he was at that stage. He seemed slow, unfit and couldn't get his first touch right.I don’t blame him for OGS’s management of his minutes, but he ended up a pretty expensive loan signing (on wage) that disappeared from the team after the initial few months. Disappointing all in all.
Yet we decided to extend his loan.Ighalo was absolutely terrible whenever he played after the Covid lockdown. Obviously he didn't play much after that, but presumably the reason he wasn't playing was because of how bad he was at that stage. He seemed slow, unfit and couldn't get his first touch right.
I will always remember him fondly because of his pre-lockdown form where he was a good option for us, but after that he struggled badly.
And what’s the cost of missing out on CL would be if we miss out by gambling on unproven options?Issue is you have absolutely zero chance of paying a decent fee
Yes, you're right. We should buy Kane and Osimhen instead and be guaranteed 30 goals from each.What about the outcome that both of them have a crap season, because one is a very young unproven forward coming from a league where retirees like Dzeko, Giroud and Ibra dominated for years, and the other is a journeyman in the Portuguese league?
Wout Weghorst goalscoring record looked rock solid before he signed for us too, except the obvious 2 goals in 20 for Burnley. In this case, we don’t even have that PL sample to go off.
I can confidently guarantee you that neither will be worse than what Weghorst and Ighalo gave us.What about the outcome that both of them have a crap season, because one is a very young unproven forward coming from a league where retirees like Dzeko, Giroud and Ibra dominated for years, and the other is a journeyman in the Portuguese league?
Wout Weghorst goalscoring record looked rock solid before he signed for us too, except the obvious 2 goals in 20 for Burnley. In this case, we don’t even have that PL sample to go off.
It's just that Mount is a known quantity to pretty much everyone around here. You know Mount would rank among the lowest if you had polled with a list of midfielders we need.Mount excluded, seems some on here will get excited over anyone if it means a signing.
I didn't even think of him. He could be an amazing fit for now. Though, he doesn't exactly replace the biggest concern we have with Martial... But as a player profile, he is one of the few (affordable?) options in case Kane cannot be bought and you still want a striker who can play along as well. Plus, he scored quite a lot before his injury last season. Other than that it seems like it's still only Felix who would have a similar profile, and last season mostly showed we still won't know what we'll be getting with him. And if we're talking affordable option, we're definitely not talking Felix.I'd rather buy a EPL proven stop gap like Rodrigo Moreno
On the other hand I feel like these are the sort of smart, cheap signings we don’t make enough of. I wanted us to sign Ben Yeddar for about 5 years.These stop gap solutions, especially from inferior leagues, is one of the root causes of our problems. It is not like we are buying a goal scorer from the Spanish League.
No, please, move on.
Really? I am not saying he is Maradona or Messi or 100٪ guarantee but why belittle him that much?I’d be absolutely delighted to sign him if I supported Crystal Palace.
This guy is not of the required quality for a team with PL and CL aspirations.
His biggest merit would be that he is EPL proven and doesn't need to adapt, while someone like Taremi could end up like Weghorst.I didn't even think of him. He could be an amazing fit for now. Though, he doesn't exactly replace the biggest concern we have with Martial... But as a player profile, he is one of the few (affordable?) options in case Kane cannot be bought and you still want a striker who can play along as well. Plus, he scored quite a lot before his injury last season. Other than that it seems like it's still only Felix who would have a similar profile, and last season mostly showed we still won't know what we'll be getting with him. And if we're talking affordable option, we're definitely not talking Felix.