We need a CM, but a first XI CM. The money on Mount was wasted.
Potential striker signings (who aren't named Højlund)
- Thread starter sullydnl
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Loan a goalkeeper to save money. Heaton is only injured.
Midfield is needed regardless.
Striker/lack of goalscorers is by far the biggest gap in the squad.
Ignore it and our season is fecked
There is no such thing as a first XI CM anymore, the amount of games last season alone should tell you that.
Most top teams now have multiple options for positions and play who fits the bill tactically for the opposition.
Whoever we sign will be being signed to play a lot of minutes this season.
That’s not true. Don’t tell me if Man City are in a big match that Rodri doesn’t start. Don’t tell me that Casemiro isn’t a first XI midfielder. There is a first choice XI. Others will play a lot, but the big clubs have a best XI and they know what that is.
He will be waiting a long time then
You're talking about one off games. The season can be upwards of 60 games. Football is more of a squad game than ever before given the physicality of the game.
Of course teams have preferred players for a position, but the days of signing squad players to make up the numbers and come and do a job incase someone from your ever present XI are injured are long gone.
Whoever we sign will be in the clubs eyes good enough to start games for us. We won't be signing someone who's only ever going to play when someone needs a rest.
What about this Ekitike guy? Is he any good? I’d be okay with another backup striker.
Considering his age and what he'd cost, I would rather sign Sesko who has a even higher ceiling than Hojlund imo. Why should we be against having two top potential CFs who can fight for a place or even play together? It would give us the tactical versatility to play with two strikers up front. We never had that in the recent years, but remember we once had Rooney, Tevez and Berbatov all playing together.
But teams just dont play two strikers up top anymore ---- unless the ol' 4-4-2 comes back in vogue.
I cant see us getting the ol' Fergie 4 striker rotation for the foreseeable future.
Oh there are other options than just the flat 442. 442 diamonds, 4132 or 352 systems are all used by some teams currently (albeit this isn't very common). At least having that option can be valuable, even if it is not the default system to use.
Good point. Brain freeze when I wrote it.
Would have been a good shout if only he didnt proclaim himself a massive 'pool fan just the other day.. which would indicate they're working on a deal in the background.. or he's just a bit weird
Sesko + recogniser striker would be my pick over Rasmus, but if there is a option of Sesko+Rasmus that could also work well, less pressure on each one and we let them battle it out for the starting spot based on formEven in a system with 3 forwards, some will have two wide men and a traditional number 9, whilst others will have a playmaker with split strikers either side. There are lots of variations, but we can only try them if we have suitable players.
Until recently, I think ETH was working on the assumption that MG was coming back, and he could play on the right of Hojlund, or as the number 9 if needed when Hojlund is struggling for form or out injured (like at the present). Now we know he isn't come back any time soon, if at all, we have two positions to fill, ST and RW. I think the second striker is more urgent, and we hope one of Antony, Sancho, Pellistri or Amad finds some form, or we switch one of Rashford / Garnacho to the right.
Worryingly, we haven't been linked with any strikers for a while, and Marcos Leonardo (who we were linked to) has apparently agreed to move to Roma in January, and Spurs are after Orban. I can't really think of any cheap (sub £30m) strikers I would like outside of these two....??
Sesko's not a bad shout, but I think he will be too expensive for this year. I would rather hijack the Orban deal now, and go for Ferguson in a few years to have three great strikers.Would have been a good shout if only he didnt proclaim himself a massive 'pool fan just the other day.. which would indicate they're working on a deal in the background.. or he's just a bit weird
If the club can't find a striker before the end of the window we should get Ivan Toney in Jan imo.
Prem proven and give us another option on how to play.
Prem proven and give us another option on how to play.
I really don't see us signing anyone else now, despite the very obvious needs we have.
Where is the money coming from though? We can’t sell players now, I’m not sure where we get money from if we can’t afford anyone else this window.
I do like Toney mind.
We will save wages on Greenwood at least, which helps towards FFP
I see Arsenal are bidding 100M for Evan Ferguson, probably no way we can swing the FFP.
is there anyone that would do a swap deal for Greenwood?
is there anyone that would do a swap deal for Greenwood?
Iheanacho anyone? See Palace linked to him today.
Toney would be a transformative signing I hope we pounce for him in January. He would have gone this summer if not for the ban.
Pretty sure that's just a rumour, and it's planned for next summer if it's true. 2024.
Just call me mystic mac
Suddenly no one is interested in Dušan Vlahović's service anymore. Did he do really bad in Juventus?
His Fiorentina time was hugely inflated by pens and a hot finishing run... If you build off it then you can look past it, but with him it looked like a one off hot finishing season among an average to above average striker level.
It's not gone at all, there are clear tiers in terms of minutes played. At least there is a main 8 or so, with 3 starters rotating similarly with 3 top subs. Something like that.
Toney I was originally against due to us needing top end potential, but now that we have Hojlund, then Toney to rotate and be the other striker with Hojlund is good. He'll be 28 in March, so a decent age to balance Hojlund.
Looks like Fullkrug may go for around 15M. Could be worth it just to have a reliable backup #9 and someone who can come in against packed defences and be a threat in the penalty area. He is 30, though, so it's probably only the sort of move you make when the player is available on a free. He looked handy for Germany, though.
Manchester United are reportedly interested in long-time Roma target Marcos Leonardo of Santos.
https://romapress.net/manchester-united-join-roma-in-race-for-marcos-leonardo/#google_vignette
https://romapress.net/manchester-united-join-roma-in-race-for-marcos-leonardo/#google_vignette
A must buy in football manager.
You could say that Brighton have brought the 4-4-2 formation back, and are having significant success with it.
I wonder if ETH is willing to try.
Can we afford to wait until January?
I wonder if we should be looking at Awoniyi? He looked a real handful today - big, powerful, fast and he knows where the net is!
Would be an exciting replacement for Martial if we ship him.
Would be an exciting replacement for Martial if we ship him.
Does he own a bar?
Great promising season at Reims, went to PSG and was stuck in the position of being the backup for Mbappé etc so didn't do as good production wise nor get more minutes. He's shopped around but last I heard the reports were that he would prefer a French team to rebound. Need minutes, not sure being backup of backup at a massive club if the right move.
Frankfurt were interested to possibly replace Kolo-Muani, so they must see something there.
I get excited if martial is shipped off and nobody replaces him
He made us played like 12 v 10 he helps the opposition more
250k per week for that dross
Can we get Zlatan out of retirement? Might as well try Falcao and Cavani whilst we’re at it. Pretty poor to start a season with an injured striker and injury prone striker
Think we would have to somehow sell McTominay/Maguire in next 4 days to fund a deal for a striker which looks impossible