Summer 2022 Transfer Thread

[Brazilian Villain]

I suspect that's what has led to the repeated Suarez links.  He gives us a year, while either one of our homegrown products develops well enough to be a proper first-team option, or it's long enough to find someone else out there more long-term.  If not him, I suspect a reasonably high-profile Bosman as a stop-gap is likely.

That's been my take as well. I'd be happy enough with Watkins/Ings and Suarez (if we got a decent fee for one of Ings/Watkins) for a season with Cam developing out on loan and then see where we're at and what's available. Focus on getting a top quality DM and CB this summer.

[paul_e]

I sort of agree but I think we might see the long term option come in this window as well, especially if Ings or Watkins go out. Suarez and the Darwin fella for example would make sense.

Not many options for the 'experienced old head' player after Suarez though.

There are however a lot of good attacking players going into the last year of their contract who we might be able to do something with.

[CT Villan]

I suspect that's what has led to the repeated Suarez links.  He gives us a year, while either one of our homegrown products develops well enough to be a proper first-team option, or it's long enough to find someone else out there more long-term.  If not him, I suspect a reasonably high-profile Bosman as a stop-gap is likely.

That's been my take as well. I'd be happy enough with Watkins/Ings and Suarez (if we got a decent fee for one of Ings/Watkins) for a season with Cam developing out on loan and then see where we're at and what's available. Focus on getting a top quality DM and CB this summer.

Ditto...I don't see a down-side with Suarez for a year. His relationships with SG, Gary Mac and Coutinho would make for a smooth landing and he's another high-profile name that should elevate the club. If it all comes crashing down, we can let him quietly slip out of the back door after 12 months.

[London Villan]

This is almost as important as the DM position. Neither Ings or Watkins are good enough to lead the line by themselves in SG's various set-ups and having them both playing leaves us short elsewhere.

[boozey182]

I really don't want us to Suarez. I don't really get the appeal at all, other than he used to play with Gerrard and Coutinho.

I think he's scored 11 goals this season, which is the same in Watkins only for a much better team in a much weaker league. He's going to be a year older, a bit slower, and in a more physical league if he comes here. If we are getting him here for our youngsters to learn from him in training, can't we just get a better coach instead?

If we want him to raise our profile, I reckon getting Tom Hanks, Prince William and Usain Bolt to all attend a match together will probably have the same, if not greater, impact.

Also, I am almost certain that Suarez is a bellend.

There must be better options out there, and our scouting has to be more creative than just looking at Liverpool highlights from 10 years ago.

[chrisw1]

I'm not sure about Suarez either.  I reckon he'd score a few goals, but we'd have to compromise how we play to cover for him.  And what's the point really? - we know we'll be back to square one striker wise next season.  For me the upside just doesn't justify the outlay.  I don't agree that Watkins and Cam would be happy just to sit on the bench, clean his boots and learn from him.  Top flight footballers don't think like that.

[Brend'Watkins]

The problem I have with Watkins is that he has no chemistry with Coutinho. They must have worked at routines in training but we see a lovely dinked ball over the defence at the weekend and Watkins flat footed not anticipating what he would do. A top striker is on to that.  I actually think Archer would have been too.

[paul_e]

I'm not completely sold on Suarez but I can understand the appeal for SG.

My bigger concern is that the links we've seen so far are to very different players.

Suarez is an out and out centre forward, leading the line on his and getting on the end of things in the box. That's a similar player to Ings in my opinion and I'd be ok with that if the long term plan is to have the 2 10s pushed slightly wider to line up on the inside shoulder of the fullbacks. If that's how we want to play then why haven't we seen Coutinho and Buendia in those roles either side of Ings because all 3 naturally work in those positions but have never really had chances to show it.

Alternatively we line up with 2 forwards who are expected to drift wide at times and a more traditional 10 in behind them, which our selections point towards more clearly and if we go that way Darwin Nunez and Jonathan David make sense because again that wider centre forward role suits both of them.

It might be that Gerrard wants to be able to do both but in that case I think getting a forward better suited to the wider role than Ings is a much higher priority than getting another forward for the 2 10s setup. I suspect though that the wide forwards option is plan a anyway which is why we've seen Bailey and Traore both get time pushed pretty high up the pitch to see if they can fill in for 1 of those positions.

[London Villan]

Signing Coutinho has probably made SG re-assess his preferred style of play. Emi2 has been our brightest player in the last few games, but can't get a start.

The potential of having two quality 10s is an advantage, but he is yet to develop the system that suits them - or have the supporting players to do that.

[cdbearsfan]

We already have the shortest team outside Lilliput. We are rubbish when opponents know that we have to play it from the back and leave a load of players on the edge of our area, accordingly. We have to have an outlet. Scoring the odd goal from a corner might be nice, too.

Having Ings, Suarez and maybe Archer as our options would make it worse. If we are going to replace Watkins, and I don't think we should, it needs to be with someone who doesn't need to wear high heels to be allowed on the rides at Alton Towers.

[Brazilian Villain]

Having Ings, Suarez and maybe Archer as our options would make it worse. If we are going to replace Watkins, and I don't think we should, it needs to be with someone who doesn't need to wear high heels to be allowed on the rides at Alton Towers.

Well at least that rules out Bono.

[paul_e]

We already have the shortest team outside Lilliput. We are rubbish when opponents know that we have to play it from the back and leave a load of players on the edge of our area, accordingly. We have to have an outlet. Scoring the odd goal from a corner might be nice, too.

Having Ings, Suarez and maybe Archer as our options would make it worse. If we are going to replace Watkins, and I don't think we should, it needs to be with someone who doesn't need to wear high heels to be allowed on the rides at Alton Towers.

This is why i like the link to Darwin, who looks about 6'1-6'2 to me. Add 1 of Kamara, Sangare or Kondogbia at the base of midfield and it'd go a long way towards addressing that problem.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Darwin's buy-out clause is €150m. At 22 he looks a great prospect, scores for fun, 32 goals this season if CDbearsfan allows the European goals (Liverpool, Barca, Ajax, Bayern, etc) and reminds me of a fellow countryman of his at the Plastics. No wonder PSG, Plastic Utd among others are interested.

[cdbearsfan]

He sounds fancy. Get him in.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Did i mention he has an alice band AND a man bun?