Summer Transfer Thread and Gustavo Cisneros Type Rumours.

[paul_e]

Who's the right defensive midfielder?

That's the important question. There's 4-5 I rate (and Pape Sarr who I'd never heard of but who looks like exactly what we want). The problem is that I'm not sure the club are particularly looking for one.

Koopmeiners would be my first choice now that Engels has left because he's played centre back as much as DM (he's also a superb penalty taker and very good free kick taker). He's been linked with Leeds and Arsenal so is definitely one that we could get if we want to.

[DrGonzo]

Seb Revan to Grimsby on loan for the season.  Good news for me, we have lacked in our attitude towards loans, and I feel this had negatively impacted our youth development.  Good luck Seb!

[Beard82]

Seb Revan to Grimsby on loan for the season.  Good news for me, we have lacked in our attitude towards loans, and I feel this had negatively impacted our youth development.  Good luck Seb!

Agree - think it can only be a good thing

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Seb Revan to Grimsby on loan for the season.  Good news for me, we have lacked in our attitude towards loans, and I feel this had negatively impacted our youth development.  Good luck Seb!

Indeed. That's Revan the Younger, I think he's only 17.

[OCD]

Defensive midfielder - the next Kante/Nididi. Nakamba has shown the defensive nous at times but has proven to be inconsistent and he's not good enough technically. His questionable passing skills led to a goal towards the end of the season, think it was away at Spurs. Luiz was excellent after the first lockdown and again at the start of last season but didn't look the same player after a point in the season. He looked great away at West Ham but I don't remember him doing much after that.

It's pretty clear that the clubs are going to get players out on loan to help with their development. Hopefully some of them will come back and be ready to break into the first team, or at least have market value.

[Ads]

I'm sure I read that Nakamba has some of the best defensive stats in the league.

[ASHTONVILLA]

I'm sure I read that Nakamba has some of the best defensive stats in the league.

He does, he is a good player. Gueye had similar stats, went to Everton and ended up at PSG! Think we should keep him, play Luiz higher up the pitch and get someone younger in too like Pape Sar who seems to be the type of player we need and could compete with Nakamba.

[OCD]

We've got a balancing act of making ourselves more competitive but also not making signings that block the pathways of players we think have a real chance of breaking through. This might be one of those cases. Bogarde, Raikhy or Lindley could develop into the player for that position but if we spent big money on a 22/23 year old, those kids would probably end up leaving to find first team football. 

[Ads]

Think with a potential front 4 of Watkins, Grealish, Emi and Bailey, we'd spend a good chunk of time in the attacking third of the pitch, which would aid the defensive side of things further.

[Hockley Lion]

I'm sure I read that Nakamba has some of the best defensive stats in the league.

I think he was somewhere around 5th or 6th. From memory.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Keep Jack and add Bailey and Buendia to the mix and we will make and score a lot of chances next season.

We already have one of the best defensive units going, and have better back up at fullback now too.

The main weakness then is the middle of the park, where we are still quite lightweight with the exception of Nakamba. Would like to see a more combative midfielder come in. That and the lack of cover for Ollie, but could be that Traore does that for us.

[Ozzjim]

Alvarez looked a good fit as cover for Ollie to be fair at a decent price.

Berge in midfield was heavily linked before the season ended, wonder if he's still on our radar.

[pauliewalnuts]

I'm sure I read that Nakamba has some of the best defensive stats in the league.

He's such a confusing player.

He clearly can do it - I have seen him sometimes look absolutely immaculate, just doing his job effectively, not putting a foot wrong. But I've also seen him look like me trying to play.

AEG is another one. We've quite a few players who are capable of putting in really good quality performances but also absolute stinkers.

The trick is to not find ourselves overly reliant on them and to work on them in the background to improve them.

[Ozzjim]

I think Luiz and to a lesser extent McGinn sit in that category too, which then poses a problem if your midfield doesn't contain a solid 8/10 every week and 7 when they have a bad day type. We have seen the influence a Fernandinho, Kante type can have. I really think that is the big gap to fill in our side to push us on. With or without Jack.

[olaftab]

Looks as though we are just about there with Bailey.
https://m.bild.de/sport/fussball/fussball/stiefvater-bestaetigt-verhandlungen-bailey-wechsel-es-geht-nur-noch-um-die-abloe-77210442.bildMobile.html###wt_ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bild.de%2Fsport%2Ffussball%2Ffussball%2Fstiefvater-bestaetigt-verhandlungen-bailey-wechsel-es-geht-nur-noch-um-die-abloe-77210442.bild.html&wt_t=1627551594424