Enzo Barrenechea - on loan at Benfica

[PaulWinch again]

Barrenechea from all the stats, scouting reports etc, looks like he's got massively higher potential than McKennie. Solves a problem we have potentially, and could end up being hugely valuable. Wouldn't be shocked if he wasn't the first one we asked for and the answer was no, then McKennie started fecking about and Juve caved

Really? Like I say I hope he’s brilliant, but McKennie was starting for Juventus last year and is an established international. Enzo appears to have played one senior season in a relegated team and the difference in value is €5m. It doesn’t on the face of it seem that great, when you add in we’re losing one of the best midfielders in the league when he’s in his right role.


Hope Enzo is excellent and this all works out, but doesn’t on the face of it look brilliant for us as a deal.

[pauliewalnuts]

He looks more like an Unai signing than Fat Wes.

[Mister E]

Barrenechea from all the stats, scouting reports etc, looks like he's got massively higher potential than McKennie. Solves a problem we have potentially, and could end up being hugely valuable. Wouldn't be shocked if he wasn't the first one we asked for and the answer was no, then McKennie started fecking about and Juve caved

Really? Like I say I hope he’s brilliant, but McKennie was starting for Juventus last year and is an established international. Enzo appears to have played one senior season in a relegated team and the difference in value is €5m. It doesn’t on the face of it seem that great, when you add in we’re losing one of the best midfielders in the league when he’s in his right role.
Hope Enzo is excellent and this all works out, but doesn’t on the face of it look brilliant for us as a deal.

I think the same was said of the Rogers acquisition ...

[Monty]

Pathetically, the rumour that Brighton want him significantly alters my view of the deal.

[Drummond]

I’m confused.

Your posts are getting shorter and shorter. Is this the shortest yet?

[algy]

Barrenechea from all the stats, scouting reports etc, looks like he's got massively higher potential than McKennie. Solves a problem we have potentially, and could end up being hugely valuable. Wouldn't be shocked if he wasn't the first one we asked for and the answer was no, then McKennie started fecking about and Juve caved

Really? Like I say I hope he’s brilliant, but McKennie was starting for Juventus last year and is an established international. Enzo appears to have played one senior season in a relegated team and the difference in value is €5m. It doesn’t on the face of it seem that great, when you add in we’re losing one of the best midfielders in the league when he’s in his right role.


Hope Enzo is excellent and this all works out, but doesn’t on the face of it look brilliant for us as a deal.

Yeah, but how would we have described Morgan Rogers the week before he signed?  And how would we now?

I generally have a lot of faith in Emery for buying players who are just starting to break in to the first team of whoever they're playing for.  The man's football obsessed, it wouldn't at all surprise me - as ozzjim mentioned - if we'd asked about this guy first.  He just strikes me as an Emery signing ...  I imagine him sitting at home, watching Frosinone vs Udinese so that he can cheer on big Keinan from the sidelines ... then he notices Barrenechea make a pass or something.  Pauses the telly, phones Monchi, tells him to dig up everything he can about the player ... then puts it back on to enjoy the rest of the game.  By full time, Monchi's emailed over videos of every single one of Enzo's games for the past 5 seasons, edited in to a 3hr long reel. Emery's spent the whole night watching it, then phoned up Monchi and said "get it done".

That's how I imagine he works.

[chrisw1]

I reckon if you put a Tim showreel together it would probably be just as impressive as this lad and Tim is 2 years younger.

But yes Monty, Brighton wanting him does help.

[Sexual Ealing]

Barrenechea from all the stats, scouting reports etc, looks like he's got massively higher potential than McKennie. Solves a problem we have potentially, and could end up being hugely valuable. Wouldn't be shocked if he wasn't the first one we asked for and the answer was no, then McKennie started fecking about and Juve caved

Really? Like I say I hope he’s brilliant, but McKennie was starting for Juventus last year and is an established international. Enzo appears to have played one senior season in a relegated team and the difference in value is €5m. It doesn’t on the face of it seem that great, when you add in we’re losing one of the best midfielders in the league when he’s in his right role.


Hope Enzo is excellent and this all works out, but doesn’t on the face of it look brilliant for us as a deal.

Yeah, but how would we have described Morgan Rogers the week before he signed?  And how would we now?

I generally have a lot of faith in Emery for buying players who are just starting to break in to the first team of whoever they're playing for.  The man's football obsessed, it wouldn't at all surprise me - as ozzjim mentioned - if we'd asked about this guy first.  He just strikes me as an Emery signing ...  I imagine him sitting at home, watching Frosinone vs Udinese so that he can cheer on big Keinan from the sidelines ... then he notices Barrenechea make a pass or something.  Pauses the telly, phones Monchi, tells him to dig up everything he can about the player ... then puts it back on to enjoy the rest of the game.  By full time, Monchi's emailed over videos of every single one of Enzo's games for the past 5 seasons, edited in to a 3hr long reel. Emery's spent the whole night watching it, then phoned up Monchi and said "get it done".

That's how I imagine he works.

I think you're underestimating Unai's requirements for a player. No mention of staying power at a Toby Carvery.

[ozzjim]

Pathetically, the rumour that Brighton want him significantly alters my view of the deal.

Scary isn't it.

[Des Little]

It'll be more scary if he chooses them over us.

[paul_e]

Barrenechea from all the stats, scouting reports etc, looks like he's got massively higher potential than McKennie. Solves a problem we have potentially, and could end up being hugely valuable. Wouldn't be shocked if he wasn't the first one we asked for and the answer was no, then McKennie started fecking about and Juve caved

Really? Like I say I hope he’s brilliant, but McKennie was starting for Juventus last year and is an established international. Enzo appears to have played one senior season in a relegated team and the difference in value is €5m. It doesn’t on the face of it seem that great, when you add in we’re losing one of the best midfielders in the league when he’s in his right role.


Hope Enzo is excellent and this all works out, but doesn’t on the face of it look brilliant for us as a deal.

We can't look at it as Enzo for Luiz though, it's about the depth and balance of the squad. Luiz is world class but as 8s we also have Tielemans, McGinn and probably JJ. As 6s we have an injured Kamara, a nearly sold Tim and a clearly unwanted Dendoncker. If we're bringing in Barkley and this lad I think we look better set to cope without Kamara for the first half of the season and that will probably see us get better results.

On top of that we get a very promising young winger who gives us an important alternative on the left and money to put towards strengthening elsewhere.

[Rigadon]

Agreed Paul_e.  But I don't think I'd class Luiz as world class - he's in the bracket just below I reckon.

[chrisw1]

World Class is always a subjective definition.  But in my opinion, Luiz was one of the best midfielders in the PL (for most of) last season and that certainly has to put him in the conversation.  Other than Rodri and Rice, were there any other better performers?

[Duncan Shaw]

No there weren't, up until Christmas.  Boxing Day was the first game I noticed his level drop off in that awful 2nd half, and I don't think he got those levels back after that.  I love him and yes I'd like him to stay, but he doesn't want to, so we are doing the best we can from the situation we find ourselves in.

[Rigadon]

World Class is always a subjective definition.  But in my opinion, Luiz was one of the best midfielders in the PL (for most of) last season and that certainly has to put him in the conversation.  Other than Rodri and Rice, were there any other better performers?

Put another way, I'd swap Luiz for Rodri (in a heartbeat) or Rice.