Summer 2024 Transfer Window - hopes, speculation, rumours etc.

[Demitri_C]

Both have had setbacks through major injuries. Both have been better in the past than they are showing. Both are young enough to still have very good careers in the game.

However this season Zani has been better than ESR, Zani had the worse injury troubles and Zani was far better before injuries than anything ESR has ever shown. There's a reason he was lauded as the replacement for Totti.

Indeed. Zaniolo's best is better than Smith-Rowe's best. Neither get into our first team. Neither has shown enough that we should be spending £20-30m on them.

How ? Zaniolo has not even come remotely close to ESRs best season in england. In 21/22 season ESR got 10 goals and 2 assists in 33 games and that was young. Zaniolo hasnt even scored 3 league goals this season and has lookes totally hopeless most of season.

This is based on england being onw of the most difficult leagues in the world.  Zaniolos stats 24 games 2 goals 0 assists. Absymal

Because football exists in a world outside of the Premier League.

thats a bit of a weak argument in this scenario dave because ESR has only played in PL and at arsenal. Zaniolo has come to PL one of the toughest and flopped

[Demitri_C]

Zaniolo is miles better on Football Manager. Here endeth discussion.

He is so good on that! If only he was this good for us.

Both have had setbacks through major injuries. Both have been better in the past than they are showing. Both are young enough to still have very good careers in the game.

However this season Zani has been better than ESR, Zani had the worse injury troubles and Zani was far better before injuries than anything ESR has ever shown. There's a reason he was lauded as the replacement for Totti.

Indeed. Zaniolo's best is better than Smith-Rowe's best. Neither get into our first team. Neither has shown enough that we should be spending £20-30m on them.

How ? Zaniolo has not even come remotely close to ESRs best season in england. In 21/22 season ESR got 10 goals and 2 assists in 33 games and that was young. Zaniolo hasnt even scored 3 league goals this season and has lookes totally hopeless most of season.

This is based on england being onw of the most difficult leagues in the world.  Zaniolos stats 24 games 2 goals 0 assists. Absymal

I know Serie A isn't the same up-and-down standard as England (though it does better in Europe, and without the weekends-off cheating tactic too...but I degress). However, Zaniolo before the injuries looked like the next phenomenon. Smith-Rowe is talented but skittish; Zaniolo is more talented, but something always seems to get in his way (often himself).

I think thats a fair analysis monty but for me he has looked totally out of his depth in english football. He seems to be only good at getting bookings for us

[Monty]

He's had a tough year but so do many when going from league to league. Even Diaby, who despite putting up some good numbers has quite famously looked lost for long spells.

I'm not suggesting we should spend the £30m or whatever. I just don't think Smith-Rowe is better, just because he once scored 10 goals in the Sky Hype League.

[Dave]

If you “don’t see it” with Bailey, then you’re not looking properly, or don’t know what you’re looking for.

As I said, someone who doesn't give the ball away as much.  Look at the comparisons in the teams where we should be aiming to be.

I guess his closest comparisons would be Doku at Man City, Dias at Liverpool and Saka at Arsenal then?

I've not watched as much of any of them as I have of Bailey, but certainly the first two don't strike me as much better at keeping the ball than Bailey does for us.

Splitting hairs Dave, but Salah and Foden are the direct comparisons at Liverpool and Man City (ie. left footers playing on the right). 

Ok, so the "it" that you don't see with Bailey is that he's not Salah or Foden?

Tough crowd.

You haven't taken the context of the original post into account Dave.  I said in the original.post that I felt we needed to address the full-back areas, central midfield, and possibly Duran as a back up to Ollie Watkins this summer if we are going to remain competitive in the top seven mix and push for a Champions League spot again.

I then said, if we are really going to push on and become a regular fixture in the top four and possibly even challenge for the title in the coming years, we would need to do the above and add absolute top quality players into those two attacking positions.

You might have said all sorts of things, but I think it's this part that is currently causing you to get a few pelters:

I know I'm in a minority on here when it comes to this, but I still just don't see it with Bailey if we're talking the levels we're currently at.

[LeeB]

He has, at times, looked hopeless, but there is no doubt for me an extremely talented player there and I feel it's temptingly close. His ceiling is no doubt higher than Smith Rowe, and also I think we've got one eye on the physicality of new players, Zaniolo hasn't always used it to his advantage but it is an advantage and we could do with more of it in the squad.

[Drummond]

Of course just about every player can be improved upon, but when you get your make a list of players who need upgrading, it'll take quite a few before you get to Leon. Just about everybody else except Martinez or Watkins, in fact.

Yep, it's an interesting one, this. Our first choice eleven is pretty strong, and the bench too. If it hadn't been for the injuries we've had, I think we'd be third at least.

Our full squad is decent. though there is clearly scope to improve. I've done the list for next season... though the attacking midfield/forward thing is harder to define....

GK - upgrade reserve?
Martinez
Olsen
Gauci

RB - upgrade and add?
Cash
Nedeljkovic
Konsa? (who knows if that's the plan for the future)

CB - replace loan, two to go
Konsa
Torres
Mings
Carlos
Lenglet (loan)
Chambers
Hause

LB - one in, one out?
Digne
Moreno

DM - strengthen reserve
Kamara
Iroegbunam

CM - add one?
Luiz
McGinn
Tielemans
Ramsey

AM - strong, leave loan to go and strengthen?
Rogers
Buendia
Zaniolo (loan)
Bailey
Diaby

CF - need another
Watkins
Duran

With the potential for Archer to return.

[Demitri_C]

He's had a tough year but so do many when going from league to league. Even Diaby, who despite putting up some good numbers has quite famously looked lost for long spells.

I'm not suggesting we should spend the £30m or whatever. I just don't think Smith-Rowe is better, just because he once scored 10 goals in the Sky Hype League.

I think the difference with diaby is we can actually can see what he can do. I think diabys is a mix of playing too much, not enough rotation due to injuries and low confidence.

Zaniolo for me has added nothing at all to us. Been a massive disappointment. Even trezuguet and el ghazi contributed more in poorer sides in the PL for us than he has.

[Monty]

I agree he's been disappointing, but that's just an exaggeration.

[Drummond]

He's had a tough year but so do many when going from league to league. Even Diaby, who despite putting up some good numbers has quite famously looked lost for long spells.

I'm not suggesting we should spend the £30m or whatever. I just don't think Smith-Rowe is better, just because he once scored 10 goals in the Sky Hype League.

I think the difference with diaby is we can actually can see what he can do. I think diabys is a mix of playing too much, not enough rotation due to injuries and low confidence.

Zaniolo for me has added nothing at all to us. Been a massive disappointment. Even trezuguet and el ghazi contributed more in poorer sides in the PL for us than he has.

That goal against Sheffield United gave us the point that's reinforcing why Spurs have to beat Man City. I think everyone would have given in way before now if he hadn't scored it.

[Somniloquism]

thats a bit of a weak argument in this scenario dave because ESR has only played in PL and at arsenal. Zaniolo has come to PL one of the toughest and flopped

But isn't your argument weak. You want to ignore Serie A where Zaniolo (two years earlier then the ESR good season) had a good a season which he also spent 6 months missing with a cruciate tear, a period where Roma lost most of their matches, and on his return they won all but one game he played in. But ignoring that, you then state he came into the Prem and flopped, yet also has 2 goals in that time frame, where the not flop ESR, has scored none during the same season.

If we get him in, we get him in, but i honestly don't see him as massive improvement to who we will have in the same positions who is Rogers / Ramsey one side and Bailey / Diaby the other. But as this season has shown we definitely need squad depth.

[OCD]

With several new pages since last night, I thought there was some sort of news. Wasn't expecting a Zaniolo-ESR debate and certainly wasn't expecting to see Bailey get questioned, who is the least of our worries. There's a few positions that are a much higher priority.

[Dogtanian]

I've been sort of expecting us to focus on our back four this summer. Especially if we are going to have to play it cool due to FFP.

Our goals scored is good enough for CL qualification next season, it's letting in all the crap easy goals that has made it tougher than it could have been.

Our defence has pretty much looked like a bodge of what's available all season. I'd like to see a settled and more consistent back four next season.

[OCD]

I've been sort of expecting us to focus on our back four this summer. Especially if we are going to have to play it cool due to FFP.

Our goals scored is good enough for CL qualification next season, it's letting in all the crap easy goals that has made it tougher than it could have been.

Our defence has pretty much looked like a bodge of what's available all season. I'd like to see a settled and more consistent back four next season.

We've conceded a lot of goals from crosses. Having Mings back will be massive with that. At centre back we've got Konsa, Carlos, Torres and Mings. So we would only need someone in if we were to sell Carlos. It still seems like we'll have Hermoso come in too who could play centre back but might also be a defensive left back who might trigger us selling Digne.

In January, Kessler-Hayden was brought into the squad because Emery wanted an alternative to Cash but KKH has probably played less than 10 minutes. We've got the young Serbian lad coming but who knows what the integration plan is for him. We might even have a look at him in pre-season before we decide whether to sign a first choice right back.

What's really affected the defence and even Douglas Luiz's performances, has been losing Kamara. That's got to be the priority. We need someone who's good enough to be an option even once Kamara's fit again as this has shown how reliant we are on him. I wouldn't be surprised if we brought in another too, either on a free or a loan, who can cover for Kamara while he comes back too.

[tomd2103]

If you “don’t see it” with Bailey, then you’re not looking properly, or don’t know what you’re looking for.

As I said, someone who doesn't give the ball away as much.  Look at the comparisons in the teams where we should be aiming to be.

I guess his closest comparisons would be Doku at Man City, Dias at Liverpool and Saka at Arsenal then?

I've not watched as much of any of them as I have of Bailey, but certainly the first two don't strike me as much better at keeping the ball than Bailey does for us.

Splitting hairs Dave, but Salah and Foden are the direct comparisons at Liverpool and Man City (ie. left footers playing on the right). 

Ok, so the "it" that you don't see with Bailey is that he's not Salah or Foden?

Tough crowd.

You haven't taken the context of the original post into account Dave.  I said in the original.post that I felt we needed to address the full-back areas, central midfield, and possibly Duran as a back up to Ollie Watkins this summer if we are going to remain competitive in the top seven mix and push for a Champions League spot again.

I then said, if we are really going to push on and become a regular fixture in the top four and possibly even challenge for the title in the coming years, we would need to do the above and add absolute top quality players into those two attacking positions.

You might have said all sorts of things, but I think it's this part that is currently causing you to get a few pelters:

I know I'm in a minority on here when it comes to this, but I still just don't see it with Bailey if we're talking the levels we're currently at.

The "levels we are at" meaning being in the top four and hopefully Champions League. 

[Olneythelonely]

I’m going to give the guy, who is one of the biggest reasons we’re likely to be in the CL, a chance to prove he isn’t good enough to perform at that level.

I’ve seen absolutely nothing to suggest he isn’t.