We need a Fergie at the club, that’s been the missing ingredient the last decade. Evan Ferguson is destined for this club 
The centre-forward market...
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2 now for the apprentice
What sort of money would they be after when he has just renewed his contract?
I know you're a big fan and haven't watched him much this year. Before he seemed like someone who'd play off another striker, rather than leading the line himself - has that changed this year?
50/60M i'd say. He's not ready to lead the line for us yet. But i would argue that we should be working behind the scenes in terms of signing him in a few years. As long as he keeps developing of course. I have no doubts about his talent though. He's destined for the very top imo. Has a bit of everything to his game.
Maybe we should have been in there before he signed that new contract. I would rather he was here than sulky Martial.
It's an absolute no brainier for me. This club is always about developing players not buying the hype, finished players. He's got all the talent and I'm sure I'd speak for lots of Irish reds, it would be so exciting to see.
Wouldn't disagree with that at all. Think he's at the right club for his development though. He's a Utd fan. As long as we keep an upward trajectory in our own progress, i can see him here in 2/3 years.
Hope so.
No way they let him go for 50/60M right after signing the new contract. I think 80 or even more. They have absolutely no pressure to sell too.
Somewhere in between both our guesstimates is probably where his value lies. He wouldn't be cheap. That's what we know for sure.
Better question is whether it would be a right move for his development. He needs as much playing time as possible I guess, so he might be inclined to stay another year at Brighton.
Only way i can see him leaving this summer would be if a club made an offer Brighton couldn't turn down.
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He absolutely used to be more of a second striker but he’s definitely developed the hold up play side of his game this season.
My issue with him is more his running in behind which I think he’s hesitant to do as much at Lille as the quality of pass just isn’t there often. I don’t think it’s him unable to do it but more that he doesn’t trust those around him to generate that sort of chance.
A decent write up on him is linked below if you’re interested which I think fairly appraises his season.
In short he’s clearly a very good player but there’s still a question as to could he be a great one which is kind of the player we need to gamble on. With Bruno, Antony and Rashford I think he could be a very good PL striker. He’d also be a great replacement for Osimhen at Napoli so it’s really interesting to see where he moves this summer.
https://theanalyst.com/eu/2023/04/jonathan-david-scouting-report/
Signed balogun as a prospect in my fm save. Couple goals early on seems lively.
And clearly football manager is super realistic because first corner routine of the season we played short and went back to the corner taker who was offsides. So clearly super accurate
And clearly football manager is super realistic because first corner routine of the season we played short and went back to the corner taker who was offsides. So clearly super accurate
Thanks for that, it certainly looks like he has scope for development in areas, which in a way, is exciting.
With the work that McCarthy has done this season, I think we could eek out better or more running in behind from him. That is the real question mark though and I can imagine the worry.
I've probably already weighed in on here, but the more I watch them, the more I'm convinced that one of Osimhen or Kolo Muani would be the best we could buy this summer... If we can afford them.
Kane would be great for a couple of seasons and he really is a top level player as well as just a striker so he would improve us massively but only in the short term, so the price should reflect this.
Ferguson is really exciting and I genuinely think he will be a huge star and possibly on a Rooney level. He would fit our ethos and our team perfectly, and I'd probably take him over most just for this but I don't think he's going anywhere after signing a super long contract recently so I'm discounting him as an option.
Hojland has potential and does a lot right. He won't ever be one of the top 5 in the world or anything but for the right price he could be a decent budget option, which we might need to be thinking about given our finances.
Leao at Milan would be a great signing too but don't think we could get him.
Kane would be great for a couple of seasons and he really is a top level player as well as just a striker so he would improve us massively but only in the short term, so the price should reflect this.
Ferguson is really exciting and I genuinely think he will be a huge star and possibly on a Rooney level. He would fit our ethos and our team perfectly, and I'd probably take him over most just for this but I don't think he's going anywhere after signing a super long contract recently so I'm discounting him as an option.
Hojland has potential and does a lot right. He won't ever be one of the top 5 in the world or anything but for the right price he could be a decent budget option, which we might need to be thinking about given our finances.
Leao at Milan would be a great signing too but don't think we could get him.
Imagine
Up front:
Kane
Rashford Mane
Bench: Garnacho, Evan Ferguson, Sancho, Anthony
Behind:
Mac Allister Bruno
Casemiro
Bench: Eriksen, Rabiot, and ???
Up front:
Kane
Rashford Mane
Bench: Garnacho, Evan Ferguson, Sancho, Anthony
Behind:
Mac Allister Bruno
Casemiro
Bench: Eriksen, Rabiot, and ???
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Would love for this to happen tbf. Think he's incredibly average and would just be the next flop on the list for them (and ensure we don't get him). As long as they avoid Hojlund and Osimhen who are streets ahead of Vlahovic.
This is a point I’ve been trying to make too. To get the perfect striker for us, I feel we need to anticipate rather than react. Stop dismissing everyone who has the qualities you like but are yet to play 3 full seasons in the PL and score 80 goals in that time.
Almost every top striker in the PL was at a place where they would only be considered worthy of a 10m ‘punt’ on the caf one move back. It’s up to the club to do their due diligence and not sign a player for what he has done, but what they expect him to do.
I could see buying David and then a young #9 like Hoijlund as they're very different stylistically. David seems like a high floor, low ceiling type to me, very good at linking play and pressing, just not sure he'll ever score 20 without pens in the Prem, so we'd want a top prospect behind him, but he has the mobility and link play that we've looked better with (Martial) than the typical #9 stuff (Cristiano, Weghorst).
We need to make sure we sign the right striker that fits manager's profile but also can get the best out of our other forwards. My concern with our forwards right now is that they are more a shooter than someone who choose to pass or cross and that's including Amad who has much higher xG than xA.
Which club is this for?
The more I think about it, the more I think Jonathan David could be EtH's under the radar choice.
He has the build up qualities Ten Hag looks for in a striker but also has an ability to run in behind and is a striker who takes his chances, which is what we need most in this team.
He has proven himself and performed moving up the league tiers, as did Osimhen before he had his breakout season at Napoli, and if Napoli do find a team to give them the fee they want for Osimhen this summer then I think they will be all over David as his replacement.
It's looking more and more likely we will have a lesser budget due to the takeover dragging on, so we need to start looking at the smarter option.
Instead of springing for Oshimen, we go for the person who would likely replace him and that way we save 80 odd million in the process and so can invest what we do have in other areas.
There are other options for lesser money such as Hojlund (too inexperienced to be the starter), Ferguson (can't see Brighton letting him go), or Kolo Muani (PTSD vibes from Sancho etc. that have majorly flattered to deceive in the Bundesliga).
Personally, if budget isn't an issue I think we should go and get Kane as a proven entity in the ST position, but with Levy's stubborness and the likely smaller budget this summer, David is definitely growing on me as the answer to our no.9 needs.
I think Ten Hag might want a more physical striker, but if he went for Weghorst because of his pressing, then I'd think David would be considered. No idea if he's good enough. He's a very good all-around footballer and we've looked better with more of a false 9 type like Martial than an out and out striker like Cristiano or Weghorst, but he's not special on the ball in tight spaces like say Suarez was, so and I'm not sure how well he would do against teams parking the bus.
I'd be excited as a Canadian, but if we do sign him the next signing has to be some young player we think can be a world-beater, like Sesko or Hoijlund or Ekitike or whoever. He seems like a perfect backup #9, so if you can get him for 45M then sure, that's fine for a guy who can be here for 7 or 8 years as an Ole type, but if he's going for 70M, I can't say I'd pull the trigger.
Good post. I think David should certainly be on the radar for us at his stage of development.
I agree, if the Kane situation was clearer and cheaper, I don't think there's many people who wouldn't want him. I think we're better off investing in someone for the future now and if they don't develop as much as we'd hope, Kane will probably be a free agent next summer.
Manteta Yoonited
Re Jonathan David: Not really watched him except for highlights and as others mentioned here the goal stat is inflated due to at least 5-6 pens. What I did notice was on the goals he scored (most of them relatively simple or just against poor defending sides mind you) he did it with using either foot and a couple of headers. Being genuinely two-footed as well as athletic and seemingly good at positioning might help him in the PL. He does have 2 more years on his contract and would be probably too expensive of a gamble. If it was 1 year left or free transfer it would be a no-brainer.
Genuinely think we would pay whatever it took for Osimhen IF much like City with Haaland we were looking to just add a cherry to the top of a cake. Unfortunately that's not the case so that might be another reason for looking at other strikers.
A new name: Nicolas Jackson. 21 years old, plays for Villareal. 1,88 cm, striker and can also play on the wing.
For me he will be a top striker.
For me he will be a top striker.
Didn't he have a move that fell through with a prem team in the summer? For some reason I think it was Bournemouth.
Really good point. Young players are becoming more aware that signing for a big club when your young isn’t always the best long term idea because you don’t get the game time to develop and end up stagnating.
Tell you what, I'd definitely take Felix as a false 9.
For 100 million euros?
Harry Kane is 2nd top goalscorer in a poor spurs team. Imagine the goals he’s have in our team, we play better football and create more then spurs.
Hard pass on that. As a player though, silky.
He's all fart.
He creates a hell of a lot for his team mates, is way more robust and physical than I thought he was and has superb technique. Looking past the absolute shower of shite he's in, I think he'd be a good buy at the right price - not just for us.
Yeah it's a hard pass due to more pressing issues