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Siuuuuu to Cymruuuuuuuthis is where we've got to.
The Centre Forward Stop-Gap Market
- Thread starter Sparky Rhiwabon
- Start date
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is Bebe available?
Ighalo?
Forlan?
Ighalo?
Forlan?
I kind of agree. Dont think Rashford is a striker personalyl and little faith in MArtial, but either as stop gaps are fine. Dont think it has to be Osimhen, but I do think the worry is doesnt seem a huge amount of options, but we should certainly be looking long term...I mean when was the last time we signed a long term striker? I have probably missed someone but isnt i even Martial?
We signed Lukaku for long term, but it didn’t end well.
I think it's meant considering that we apparently don't have any money to buy a better one. A striker who actually stays fit and is available to give 100 % whenever he plays and can deliver a 5-6/10 each time he plays would actually be quite useful, I think.
But yeah, Manchester United signing Kieffer Moore does sound absurd.
Aha, yes, one I am glad to forget. Never liked him since he left Anderlecht, thought it was a terrible signing at the time. Will always get goals, but bafflign the money has been spent on him by various clubs and laughable when he came back to Chelsea all the pundis saying what a different player he was......one of the most over rated and hyped players of all time for me, was never what we needed in terms of the type of player, elt alone the pretty average obe he has always been....always misses crucial chances in huge games, for Belgium to I remember a few moments that ould have been trophy ones for them
OK, let’s never buy a striker again
Always makes me laugh when stop gap players lie kthis thread are mentioned.....people bring up players absolutely nowhere near good enough quality wise and do we want a target man anyway? 5/6 out of 10 each time?
We have signed a few world class strikers passed here peak short term which is semi understandable but for me the wrong move, signing players who wouldnt start for 95% of the premier leage sides....where is there merit in that?
We are Macnehster United, I dont expect us to go out and spend millions on every plaeyr we need, but come on, as the other guy said you responded to....seriously?
Agree, sums him up nicely.
Did see rumours we were scouting the South AMericam market for a striker recently. Interesting that bar Alvarez from City....there seems to barely be a young striker in the SOuth AMerican sides at the world cup
I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea, I've never even seen him play. If he's that terrible I retract my comment that he'd be useful. I wouldn't mind a competent stop-gap though.Paul Mullin would be willing to come from Wrexham, could be shrewd purchase.
Ah yes, all young strikers are going to look up to the legendary Keiffer Moore.
Honestly, still can’t get over someone suggesting Moore.
Islam Slimani is very gettable
5/6 out of 10 every game is just a shit player.
we can get that performance with what we already have (and even that would be a poor game for both Martial and Rashford)
Joao Felix loan move if it’s true he‘ll be allowed to leave on loan then it’s the best stop-gap signing and potentially long-term signing.
Yes, I agree from an individual ability point of view, then getting a player like Joao Felix in January would be a very good addition to a squad. And better than the usual January fare.
But is it not a similar issue to the Cody Gakpo discussion? In that he's more of a winger / wide striker, most suited to starting from the left wing same as Rashford, Garnacho, etc? Both Felix and Gakpo have the height, mobility and versatility to maybe be able to fill in as a makeshift #9 at times, and might be able to develop into ones in the long term, but neither are currently the kind of #9's that we need in the short term?
But both would provide another senior option for the left wing, leaving Rashford and Martial for the #9 role for the second half of the season. So, yeah, in the short term, Felix coming in on loan may well be the best short term option until we address things more permanently in the summer.
Felix been spending most of his career at no 9 or no 10 at Benfica and Atl Madrid. If he comes as no 9 then it will be false 9, will play like how ten Hag used Tadic in 18/19.
If it's true he has a release clause of 6M then he's basically free since we can just sell him for that much in the summer.
You're being mocked for this, but IF the club isn't willing to just spend an extra 15-20M on securing an actual target like Jonathan David or Gouiri in January, then this isn't the worst shout I've ever heard.
28 in 64 the last 3 years in the Champo and 9 in 29 for Wales and he's definitely above average in terms of pressing/defending and setting up teammates (mostly flick ons but he's just a consummate team player and not selfish).
I'd have no problem with this. Obviously Memphis, Dembele and probably Thuram (who we would have to pay probably 10M more than if we got him on a pre-contract to come in the summer) are far better options, but we might be in Ighalo territory.
My guess though is Ten Hag will just buy Gapko and make him a #9 or keep trying to mould Rashford into a #9 rather than go for a random Prem striker he's seen play like 3 times in his whole life for Wales while he was watching various Dutch players as we haven't even played Bournemouth.
But yeah, he'd start 10 games here, score 3 goals and give us a threat in the air for the last 10 minutes of games. Link play wouldn't be good enough, but it would probably come out to a C+ type deal and as I've said, if we can't get Memphis or Dembele, I won't be surprised if whoever we do get is some Eredivisie/Dutch option Ten Hag at least feels can apply his tactics within 2 weeks of joining. Even worse would be if we panic bought a 45M striker for 70M who doesn't fit.
I imagine Ten Hag is furiously looking for a #9 as we speak and if it's true Moore has a 6M release clause I'd be surprised if he isn't watching Wales and Bournemouth tape on him. That's a pittance in a league where Chris Wood's release clause was 30M when Newcastle found themselves in the same spot we're in last January.
I'm not sure why people think we can just instantly grab a Callum Wilson, Dzeko or Giroud in January, just because Ten Hag is here and he knows what he's doing. Maybe a decent option will present itself, but right now I don't exactly see a bunch of great options.
I do think it will be Memphis, but Chelsea are said to be interested and also Lewandowski could get hurt over the next 6 weeks or Memphis could have a great World Cup, Fati breaks down again or Ferran gets hurt and Xavi decides he wants to keep Memphis.
Might not be the worst thing. Firmino didn't make the Brazilian team and a 9 as good as him might be cheaper without national team appearances.
That's good. Then, yeah, if there's any truth in the suggestion that he'd be available on loan in January then that seems a decent short term solution. With the added potential, if he impresses, of a more permanent deal?
Buy Depay. Cheap and actually decent.
With Ronaldo gone, should we close this stop-gap thread? Now it will be for a full on signing.
I of course get where you are coming from, and I do think many have just been spittin names to establish who even remotely might be available.
But — I do think part of the reason we are in the position we are as a club is because we have never been able to get more out of a player than what their price tag commands. Very often, getting the opposite. If we bought a failed Maxim Choupo-Moting from Stoke, or picked him up for free, the same could of course be said. Right?
But that is what Bayern have done (getting Choupo-Moting). And he is playing as their striker now when Mane is hurt. They could have spent 50-60m on a backup to Mane, but they found one for free. Sure PL isn’t the BL etc etc etc. But…
Why should we get a stop gap option for striker? We only have so much to spend. We have a ton of holes in the squad. It is perfectly possible that there will — not — be the right long term solution available on the market this January.
Let’s say we have a total of 150m to spend this January, the summer of 23’ and in January 23’. Perfectly possible. Possibly a bit high.
If we want say Oshimen and he is available for 100m this summer. Should we spend 35m on a stop gap now, then 100m on Oshimen next summer and only have 15m left for a RW, CM, RB and CB?
Lautaro Martinez has to be the long term plan if we can get him. Offers everything up front we need, pressing, aggression and decent finisher.
Has to deal with Lukaku so we know he can be a team player as well, would fit into the system well.
No stop gap needed, wait for the summer and buy him, we have Garnacho bursting through and we should just run with it. Worst case we have Elanga as well for the wings and Rashy and Martial up front. Im sure Antony and Sancho can play up front if needed, wont be ideal but just to get us through until the end of the season.
Has to deal with Lukaku so we know he can be a team player as well, would fit into the system well.
No stop gap needed, wait for the summer and buy him, we have Garnacho bursting through and we should just run with it. Worst case we have Elanga as well for the wings and Rashy and Martial up front. Im sure Antony and Sancho can play up front if needed, wont be ideal but just to get us through until the end of the season.
Wouldn't mind Giroud if possible
If we need to wait until summer for a proper long term signing
If we need to wait until summer for a proper long term signing
Of all players, why Sancho? He appears to be the least likely option.
Glad we're in agreement
The thread was only started on Thursday, based on the assumption that Ronaldo would be leaving and that we'd need another #9 - and that could be a stop gap until the summer.
So confirmation that Ronaldo has indeed left doesn't change that. And the news about the potential ownership sale means a permanent, and expensive, #9 signing is even less likely in January.
Thuram, Moukoko, Memphis and Dembele all have contracts expiring in June.
I'd go for Thuram for now and Moukoko for the future if possible.
I'd go for Thuram for now and Moukoko for the future if possible.
For all those saying we don't need a stop gap, belittling some interesting suggestions, or suggesting some fanciful names, stop being ridiculous. Currently, we have one striker who has been injured most of the season. Rashford is not a striker, and has not done well there, and it is not his natural position. We have even played Maguire there because we had no-one else to fit ETH's style of having a target man. Antony and Sancho are both good players, but they are not strikers and never will be. As for Mbappe joining us in January, I can also play FIFA. We have to be realistic, most clubs do not want to sell in January, and even if we can spend £35-45m on a player in January, is that more sensible than saving a bigger chunk of that to put towards the right players (we need more than just a striker) in the Summer.
Oh I see! My bad on the thread genesis. But I actually think the impending sale of United makes it even more likely we would spend in January to try and secure 4th at least. Increases the value of the club etc.
I'll just leave this here, copied from the other thread.
Breel Embolo
He's been on fire since arriving at Monaco, and he'd fit in pretty nicely in a high pressing system.
I know he's flown under the radar since his teenage hype, but injuries got the better off him nearly every season.
Now he's matured his decision making, still needs to work on a better finishing but is a physical force and good in the air.
Expect him to have a fantastic WC
I think he'd be a far better option for the system EtH wants to play than someone like Depay. He's like a more robust Martial in the build up. Worse finisher but he's a tank.
Would be more of a stop-gap but if it works, he's not too old to become a permanent signing.
Breel Embolo
He's been on fire since arriving at Monaco, and he'd fit in pretty nicely in a high pressing system.
I know he's flown under the radar since his teenage hype, but injuries got the better off him nearly every season.
Now he's matured his decision making, still needs to work on a better finishing but is a physical force and good in the air.
Expect him to have a fantastic WC
I think he'd be a far better option for the system EtH wants to play than someone like Depay. He's like a more robust Martial in the build up. Worse finisher but he's a tank.
Would be more of a stop-gap but if it works, he's not too old to become a permanent signing.
Memphis is my vote now, Moukoko on a free in the summer as well is a great one (he can play RW too and is left footed). Sort out the position without spending stupid money.
Some of the suggestions in this thread 
He could be an option up front to get us through to Summer, not saying we should be starting him or going with him every game but hes an option if Rashford and Martial are injured.
Thankfully we are only replacing one league goal
the bar is low
the bar is low
I'll always fondly remember that scene from the 2016 Olympics final when Lukas Klostermann won a sprint duel over 15 meters with the famed Gabigol, after starting about 10 meters behind him. Slow as feck.