KaKa

1 hour ago, McCormick said:

Not a massive fan of his. Looks slow and  lazy in the press; doesn’t really have the athletic gifts you’d expect of a young a Nigerian striker. Seems decent technically though.

I disagree. This was one of many decent performances last season. 

First goal at 0:07 presses well and runs away from the defenders to score.

Second goal at 3:15 shows really good athleticism at his size (6ft4 and 84kg) for the overhead kick.

Just now, BonesJones said:

 

When I hear Anderlecht and a striker doing well I immediately think of Mitro.

The striker that has scored for fun everywhere, including internationally, except for Mike Ashley's Newcastle? 

5 minutes ago, GeordieDazzler said:

Ekitike alternative 

No chance. One for the under 23s I imagine. Plus he appears to be more of a winger rather than a striker.

5 minutes ago, gazza ladra said:

Agree. Though, I think Villa have done well. 

Yeah, Villa have made some decent signings, but I'm just not sure how it all comes together.

Wasn't at all impressed with what Gerrard was getting out of the team he had last season, and I wouldn't say the signings they've made necessarily change that too much.

Their forward players really didn't seem to work too well under Gerrard, and he seemed to struggle with figuring out how to have them lined up to get the most out of them.

Think I'm all in on Joshua Zirkzee now. Really like his profile.

18 goals and 13 assists in all competitions for Anderlecht, in his first experience of first team football last year, was the most goal contributions by any player under 21 outside of Haaland, Vinicius and Adeyemi.

2 hours ago, McCormick said:

Just want to say firstly, that I’m happy with our business so far. I do think however that, with other teams making good moves in the market, we could end up spending 100m and still be no further forward (relatively speaking). 
 

Just goes to show how much money will be required to make that next step up.

Really don't understand why people think this. Think people are just over reacting to other clubs signing players. I think Tottenham probably are the one team that have done some really decent business, but even they still have work to do. Their defence and right wing back spots still need addressing.

Haven't really been particularly moved by anything else that's gone down tbh. Think we'll still be right there in terms of European places outside the top 4.

1 hour ago, SUPERTOON said:

£34 million for Danjuma is a steal 

I'm not sure about him as a wide man. His touch can be a bit loose. I think he really shone at Villareal last year because they used him upfront quite often. He actually reminds me of Antonio in that sense, and for West Ham if they are looking at ultimately using him upfront as a long term replacement for Antonio then it's a really good signing for them. Not sure he would have suited us.

20 minutes ago, Mikky said:

he’s shite 

Think it's a decent punt for a left footed centre back that is still a good age. He was really good for Sevilla which earned him the move to Barca in the first place. Hasn't really worked out at Barca, but could see him doing well in Conte's defensive setup, which is a bit more deep and compact. Good signing IMO.

33 minutes ago, relámpago blanco said:

It's interesting with Madueke as after the first 30 seconds I thought his feet aren't anywhere near as quick as Maxi but then as the video goes on you can see they aren't far away as he probably gets used to a top level league but he is a lot more direct.  If we could make Maxi a bit more direct I honestly think he can be one of the best players in the world.  He has everything offensively.  Impossible to tackle, quick, great on the ball and an excellent finisher from range or up close.  It's easy to forget how talented he is.  I just don't know whether mentally he can adapt his game, if he can, he can be in that top level of players.  Even Trippier said he is impossible to tackle and he is one of the best rightbacks in the world

Madueke is a legit 6 ft tall and so his strides eat up a lot more ground too.

12 minutes ago, HaydnNUFC said:

We're not signing Paqueta. He doesn't fit what we need as a midfielder and some of our fans seem hung up on him because he's Bruno's mate. We need a DM/#6 if we're signing another midfielder but I don't think we will this window as a winger and striker are far more important. 

 

 

What that tweet fails to realise is that in actuality Bruno is a technical number 6, that can also play as a technical number 8.

Pacqueta is a number 10/number 8 that is a lot more robust than many realise. He often played in a midfield three at Lyon and is adept at pressing and tackling.

You can see his defensive stats right there:- https://fbref.com/en/players/9b6f7fd5/Lucas-Paqueta

A midfield three of Joe, Paqueta and Bruno would be immense.

2 minutes ago, Conjo said:

It would be harsh on Schar too tbf  In terms of partnership I could see Howe at least trying him with Lascelles too as his strengths compliments Botman more than the others.

Someone else mentioned this the other day too, and it's a fair point.

If Howe really values Lascelles leadership and physicality. Then there is a chance that Botman may have been brought in as the ideal partner to cover for his deficiencies.

Be interesting to see how it plays out.

1 minute ago, NWMag said:

Think one of the replies on Twitter suggested that we may be holding off until the end of the window due to the size of the fee. 
 

Currently we are painting the picture that we have a ‘budget’ and have been tough negotiators and made reasonably priced signings - if we go and spunk £50+ Million on Paqueta now, could affect the prices we are quoted for other deals, so could be a case of doing other deals first and then leaving Paqueta as the last one. 

That's a really good point too.

23 minutes ago, McCormick said:

I don’t doubt that we’ve sounded him out and have an idea of what his wages would be. Stumbling block would obviously be how prohibitive the transfer fee would be, considering his is not a priority position for us right now.

Might all depend on how much we spend at other positions too. And what moves we make.

I think we really wanted to add goals to the team, and were looking to spend a decent chunk on a high output right winger i.e. Diaby, who had the best output for goals and assists from all our targets in that position.

If the Diaby move doesn't really pan out, and we end up getting someone on the right wing that isn't quite as much of a goal threat and is nowhere near as expensive, then maybe we add more of an offensive minded central midfielder, and put the bigger money towards that i.e. Pacqueta.

I wouldn't rule it out yet, at all.

6 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

Well your last bit there was why I was suggesting starting him straight away ahead of Wilson. There has to be some incentive for him to pick us over Ajax, and while Wilson would rightly be pissed off, he can't exactly leave anyway until January.

 

Realistically you'd want him as an understudy or competition to Wilson, but sounds like he's adamant he wants first team football almost immediately. Not that different to Ekiteke I suppose (who I still think we'll hold out for ultimately). But for the price it seems we should be all over that if we aren't going to pursue the Hugo.

Yeah, I get it, but think he could probably still be sold on it if he knows he will play a good number of games, and will be the future at that position. Also always helps if the manager really knows the players skillset and provides details on how he expects to use him etc. Because it's a much stronger league than the Dutch league, he'd also likely be more open to maybe not coming in and starting right away too.

12 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

I mean if he's really all that, then we could pitch him in ahead of Wilson and see how he does. If he does well and Wilson subsequently wants a move then why not?

 

 

I wouldn't start him ahead of Wilson right away as I don't think that would go down too well! But I think we should rotate Wilson more next season to try and manage him physically, and so you'd hope there'd still be a lot opportunities for game time. He could also play just off Wilson at times too, in a partnership. The 5 subs next season will also help a lot with getting a lot more players game time. Also, with Wilson and Wood going into their 30s, there's a clear pathway for him to be sold on being the future at the position as well.

We'll see. I think the lure of going to Ajax as their new number 9 will be a massive pull to overcome, so it'll be up to Howe and the recruitment team to really convince him of their belief in him really.

5 minutes ago, HTT II said:

Loving Kaka’s posts about African players or players of African heritage as I haven’t a clue about most players outside of the PL these days and even then I couldn’t tell you anything about many that play here. Keep ‘em coming Kaka!

Cheers! Always keep an eye out for young talents with a Nigerian background in particular, as potential prospects for the Super Eagles in the future 

Think Zirkzee and Madueke will likely feature for the Netherlands and England, rather than Nigeria, if they continue on their current trajectories. Still will follow them closely and root for them though. They both look very promising.

7 minutes ago, junkhead said:

Interesting how Zirkzee develops, was always touted as a huge talent at Bayern II and looked to be breaking through around COVID but seemingly stagnated a bit until this loan spell. I'd still prefer Ekitike's versatility of the two, Zirkzee seems more like a pure poacher. 

 

Madueke and M. Edwards are very Ben Arfa-like. Edwards is very small and more of a central player iirc, not sure he's suitable for the Premier League but Madueke looks very promising. 

Wouldn't say Zirkzee was a pure poacher, as he does a lot of great work in build up play, and sets up a lot of goals too. However, I get what you mean from a versatility standpoint as you wouldn't put him out on the left like you could with Ekitike. I'd personally lean more towards Zirkzee though, as I really want a striker outside of Wilson that can link play, because he is likely to miss time, and Wood's general play is poor. Think Zirkzee has the physicality to do that right away in the Premier League, while I'm not so sure how Ekitike adjusts due to his slight frame.

Regarding Madueke and Edwards, I think you're right on Edwards, he is really small. Madueke is a lot more of a physical specimen on the wing.

14 minutes ago, Joey47 said:

 

This guy looks class, going off their highlight videos alone he looks better than Ektike.

 

Had never heard of this Zerkze kid tbh but looks very agile and silky for his size. Seems to have really good vision for a striker as well. I feel like his dynamic movement would really combine well with Maxi and Bruno. 

 

Is he a straight up centre forward or can he play on the wing as well?

 

 

 

 

He's a straight up centre forward that can also play in a two striker setup as a second support striker. Doesn't play as winger.

As far as adjusting to the Premier League and making more of a contribution right away, I'd be a lot more confident in him coming in, the guy is a powerfully built 6 foot 4.

Just seen that Stuttgart and Ajax are in for him, and the latest price mentioned that Bayern are after is 15 million Euros due to his contract running down. Incredible value.

I'd be most concerned about Ajax as they could offer him first team play as a replacement for Haller right away. He is really adamant on getting regular playing time next season, and so we'd have to convince him of that. Big Sven could maybe have a word also as his team mate for the Dutch under 21 team.

Graeme Bailey has mentioned on the 90 mins podcast that we have some interest in PSV's Noni Madueke. Formerly of Tottenham, left footed right winger. Only 20 years old, but left as a youngster to get more game time.

Tottenham seem to have jettisoned a number of really talented wingers from their academy. Marcus Edwards at Sporting Lisbon is another left footed right wing player that had a really good season last year, not sure we are looking at him though.

Noni Madueke at PSV last year.

44 minutes ago, Nucasol said:

Was on loan to Anderlecht from Bayern Munich last season. 16 goals in 38 games, currently 7 in 8 for Big Sven’s Dutch U21 gang. Also another possible argument to why Bayern wouldn’t be interested in Ekitike if they plan on bringing him through. Had an injury interrupted spell at Parma on loan. Ajax and Stuttgart linked but no suggestion on whether it’s a loan or permanent deal.

 

 

 

Ah, the big Dutch Nigerian. I wondered if we might consider him as an alternative to Ekitike, as he is another young emerging striker that scored a lot of goals last season. Looking at his highlights from last season, I like him a lot more physically, compared to Ekitike, as he is really powerful, and should have no issues adjusting to the Premier League.

I would have a lot more confidence in him getting in ahead of Chris Wood in the pecking order too, as he looks to be very good at dropping into space and linking play, he looks very technical, lots of lovely touches and passes, and then gets in the box and finds space to score.

His contract is going into the final year, as it expires in 2023, and he is not keen on signing on at Bayern, as he didn't get the playing time there, and after last season he really wants to play. If he is to join Newcastle, he will definitely need guarantees on playing time, which would also bode well as far as him getting more game time ahead of Wood.

Highlights from last year at Anderlecht.

1 minute ago, Colos Short and Curlies said:

 

You're forgetting about a certain team in black and white (or Saudi green and white)

Don't want to jinx it! But I'm not ruling that out at all either 

4 hours ago, Gawalls said:

So whose gonna finish above them for 4th?

I think Arsenal will continue to do good business and will improve significantly on last year, where they were only 5 points off Chelsea. Depending on what pieces Man Utd get ten Hag, I could see them bettering Chelsea too.

2 hours ago, ponsaelius said:

Lang can play either flank and up tops. Good player. Bit of a knobhead though.

He's put up some great numbers the last two years at Brugge, with a total of 21 goals and 19 assists in the league.

23 years old and just broke into the Dutch setup. Would have been at Ajax around the same time as Botman was too.

Can play left, right, behind the striker and as a striker, and is available this summer for 20 million Euros. Howe has also previously bought from Brugge, where he got Danjuma from.

Would definitely be worth a punt for the right hand side if other options are proving too expensive.

1 minute ago, Mikky said:

There’s him and Cherki who are entering the final 12 month

And Dembele like @nufc123 mentioned.

Lyon have so many really good players. No idea how they managed to finish so low in Ligue 1.

1 minute ago, Mikky said:

Would love to sign someone like Houssem Aouar

I was thinking about him just the other day. Apparently due to not being able to agree with him on his contract, which runs out next summer, Lyon have shockingly made him available for around £13 million!

That's an unreal coup for someone. If we are looking at Eriksen, I'd much rather we went for Aouar instead tbh.