I couldn’t agree more, especially as Dunk comes to the end of his career, it would be great to have another local lad as a mainstay in the team and as you say, he has all the potential to become something very special.
Your Hidden Gems or under the radar - Wanted Signings
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Anyone seen much of Amine Gouiri? Is he any good as a target for the striker position?
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When you’re the best player by a mile at 18 and people aren’t “doing their jobs” I get that.
He’ll move this summer it’s just a question of how big a club. He’ll definitely want (and deserve) gametime.
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I hope his family ties keep him there. So many players have nomadic careers now bring back the one club man!
In short no. I think he’s talented but the move to Marseille is perfect for him and his level.
Maybe as an inside forward
Not really a hidden gem, but I think we should target Martin Baturina if Bruno leaves us. He would bring the creativity that we would lose and would fit perfectly in the CM role in Amorims system.
Vivell hands on this if we sign him
Highly rated but I'm concerned by his exit from Salzburg. He was released on a free in December. Apparently his behaviour was awful leading up to this and he's had loads of injury issues. Sounds like he's had a great spell at Udinese but it's hard not to have doubts about him.
Not exactly hidden gem but I think James McAtee would be a shrewd, Cole Palmer esque, deal. Would be ideal for the R10 role.
With Mbeumo almost safe I doubt we will sign another 10 though.
I really wanted us to sign him 2/3 summers ago. Looked like heir to Benzema when he broke through at Lyon until a big injury....then he was starting to look good again at Nice.
He is talented but never quite reached the level he promised and dont think he fits what we need currently.....but always liked him
hard pass on Solet, based on his Salzburg tenure. Stay far away.
I came across Lucas Stassin a Belgian young striker that seems to have something special about him. His movement in the box reminds me of a young Ruud, his finishing is exceptional, I don't know much about him but he could be one to watch. A young finisher like him and an experienced striker is what we should be looking at. Check him out.
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Looking just at data, Lamine Camara (21, CM, Monaco) suits the profile we need. In every attacking and defending category he is among top 5 young midfielers. He's great at passing, defending, attacking. Seems like he is the full package.
Top 5 League U21 Midfielders: Progressive passes per 90
No U21 midfielder has more successful defensive actions per 90 (11.27) or defensive duels per 90 (10.32) than Lamine Camara in the Top 5 Leagues
(U21) Midfielders with the most long passes in the Top 5 Leagues
Top 5 League U21 Midfielders : Defensive duels
U20 midfielders with the most sliding tackles in the Top 5 Leagues, 2023/24:
All League U20 Midfielders, 2023/24 : Shot assists
Top 5 League U21 Midfielders: Progressive passes per 90
No U21 midfielder has more successful defensive actions per 90 (11.27) or defensive duels per 90 (10.32) than Lamine Camara in the Top 5 Leagues
(U21) Midfielders with the most long passes in the Top 5 Leagues
Top 5 League U21 Midfielders : Defensive duels
U20 midfielders with the most sliding tackles in the Top 5 Leagues, 2023/24:
All League U20 Midfielders, 2023/24 : Shot assists
Looks destined to join Brighton and replace Baleba after we buy him for 100m next summer
He’s my pick for a CM.
Young but has 2 full seasons in Ligue 1 under his belt. Has a lot of similarities to Wharton but is probably half the price (40-45m)
Covers ground well, can carry the ball well, can sit and act like a DLP.
Yeah, had a good season considering how bad Saint-etienne were. I think he'll need an interim move before a big side and patience.
Should be cheaper than 40m as his market value is at 22m Euros (transfermarkt). But I worry that he's a bit small though (1.73)...
Not a hidden gem, but United should be looking at Ugochukwu, has all the attributes to play alongside Bruno and be cover or replacement for Ugarte. Chelsea have no room for him and would very likely sell if a half decent offer came in.
Same height as the likes of MacAllister, Joao Neves, Douglas Luiz. Yes, from set pieces height is important, but for our general play we need high-intensity, technical players in CM.
French league of course, but he seems like he can handle himself in the vid below.
McAllister has Gravenberch covering for him, Douglas Luiz had taller teammates, J. Neves plays for PSG. We have serious height problems in CM and they said we were specifically looking at physical players. Although he seems a great talent, I doubt we would be after him. If he was 1.80 minimum, would be a no brainer.
Maybe I'm biased but this is a player from my club in Chile who suddenly appeared and stunned everyone in the domestic league, had a very good Copa Libertadores and is now undisputably the main threat at my current NT's very poor attack. All in the space of a little more than one year.
Lucas Cepeda Barturen, 22 years (bit of a late bloomer), currently plays for Colo Colo and Chile's NT. Very dangerous left footed winger who can also play as both a second striker and an insider left. His main strengths are acceleration (which makes him good in take ons) and mid-range shots (which has made him score a bunch of stunners), it also has a very good eye at passing in the last third.
Here's a goals and skills video:
For a more balanced view this is him against Argentina last thursday:
Currently at £2.6 to £3.7M, I think it's a good gamble.
Lucas Cepeda Barturen, 22 years (bit of a late bloomer), currently plays for Colo Colo and Chile's NT. Very dangerous left footed winger who can also play as both a second striker and an insider left. His main strengths are acceleration (which makes him good in take ons) and mid-range shots (which has made him score a bunch of stunners), it also has a very good eye at passing in the last third.
Here's a goals and skills video:
For a more balanced view this is him against Argentina last thursday:
Currently at £2.6 to £3.7M, I think it's a good gamble.
Height isn’t the problem though, general physicality is.
Amorim highlighted this the moment he stepped into his seat here, highlighting that we simply aren’t fit enough to compete at the top level of the league. This is where the modern game has shifted to over the past years, and the physical level of the football is higher than it’s ever been.
Height is of course part of a players physical make-up. But apart CB, GK and maybe ST, height is not a key physical attribute for players. Work-rate, stamina, pace and to a lesser extent strength are the core attributes for players in the current game, due to the high intensity pressing style that is enabling the top teams to dominate. This is especially the case for CMs.
Of course there is more than one way to be successful football team, but Amorim core philosophy requires all of his players to be fit, hungry, workhorses in order for his system to work.
I’ll leave you with a question. Would Mainoo improve our team more by having Pogba’s height or Moises Caicedo’s intensity/aggression?
Well Mainoo looks like he's 1.80ish, so that example is not the best one. But I get what you mean. I still have my reservations of a CM of Bruno and that guy.
There's definitely a few good young strikers in Ligue 1. Wouldn't mind getting someone like Ramos on a season loan but also taking a punt on the likes of Stassin, George Ilenikhena or Mohamed Meite who all look like exceptional talents.
He'd be essentially replacing Casemiro though who is one of our better players when it comes to set pieces so it would be a big downgrade. I would definitely like my DM to have good aerial ability like Baleba or Amaadou Onana.
Boubacar Kamara of Aston Villa
Could have gotten him on a free, but decided to rather splash 65m and 300k per/week at an ageing Casemiro instead. We don’t do the sensible transfers.
Ayyoub Bouaddi.
17 year old from Lille (best academy in France?)
Central midfield, can pick the ball up from CB's, pass long and short, or carry it through midfield.
I'd love for us to sign him before PSG
17 year old from Lille (best academy in France?)
Central midfield, can pick the ball up from CB's, pass long and short, or carry it through midfield.
I'd love for us to sign him before PSG
Demir Ege Tiknaz looks a real good player, good feet, good movement and passing range and just 20 and 6'4 also recently linked to Celtic for around 8.4mil.
Ayyoub Bouaddi is the one! he's the next generational midfield talent coming out of France. I would start talking to him now with a view to getting him next year once Case leaves.
He can play with any of our midfielders. In fact, him and Mainoo would be a good pairing as he can offer the long passing that Mainoo doesn't seem to have.
He looks a very promising player but I don't think he has the speed to be Mainoo's natural partner in a midfield. Its the reason I think Mainoo is nearly always going to struggle in a midfield two - doesn't have the athleticism and doesn't currently have the ability to progress the ball through either.
Lennon Miller. He’d cost maybe 5m tops, and in few years be worth significantly more.
He could be a bargain but in January I’m pretty sure his ex-player Dad said his priority in his next move will be game time.
So I think that possibly removes us from the equation but as we’ve shown with Heaven, Yoro, and Mainoo the season before, there is potential to get minutes here.
My guess is he makes a boring move to Celtic or perhaps Sunderland as a Jobe replacement.
His dad was a decent player up in Scotland. He’s a barber now, one of my pals gets his hair cut by him.
There’s no chance if we went in for Lennon Miller he’d turn us down.
Yep can definitely see the similarities.
I don't think Bouaddi is slow at all and will get stronger, faster as he fills out. I'm not as worried about his speed as I am with Mainoo.
But, Mainoo can play in a two. Look at a player like Tielemans who's not fast or athletic but has played in the EPL for years at a high level. I think if Mainoo can just get a little bit stronger, increase his acceleration with speed training and improve his long passing, he can definitely play in a two.
Yeah but that's a lot of ifs. Tielemans isn't athletic but he's press resistant like Mainoo and is also good at moving the ball forward. Mainoo's very talented so hopefully he can improve in this area but not sure how common it is for players to improve their passing habits over time. Usually players just get better at what they're already good at,.
Feel like we were linked with Habib Diarra not that long ago, he seems like a good RWB candidate watching him against england. Covers a hell of a lot of ground.