jackflap

Like the Livaremento deal this one is a bit left field but when you take a step back and look at our recruitment it's really going to pay dividends in the years to come and they've done a great job of lowering the average age of the side. Every position now has a long term option for at least the next 5 years with the exception of RW, RCB and maybe GK. We've 6 first team midfielders and the oldest is 27. We've also a smattering of some very talented youngsters. All this in a little over a year and a half and starting from a baseline of 20th in the table. Now watch out for title contenders talk if they beat City this Saturday.

Don't think so, the high profile most prized asset signing that catches the headlines will go for astronomical fees, think your Mudryk, Fernandez or Caicedo. Because the selling club knows that the idiotic buying club owner on the other side of the table isn't accustomed to not getting what they want. You'll still find value in the next tier of players who could have the potential to be just as good anyway.

Or gauze bandages at the very least

He's like a mafia bruiser, all suave and sophisticated one minute and kicking your teeth in the next, love it

I can see why some people may consider Barnes boring but when you look at his goal involvements today he's just efficient, beautiful in it's simplicity. First goal took a bullet pass in one touch out of his feet allowing him to play a perfectly weighted pass to lay a goal on a plate for Wilson. Second goal he gets the ball 40 yards out, in 2 touches he's at the 6 yard box never needing to break stride and ensuring that he's able to get a clean strike away that has enough power that even a touch from the keeper can't keep out. I think if you put ASM in those scenarios at least one would result in a missed opportunity. That's the evolution of the side in a nutshell, we don't need a winger to create something out of nothing anymore, the team creates now, we just need someone to get in the right positions and make it count when they do.

They're looking at a loan move too, their record signing is 20m Euros so can't see them paying more or less double that for Tierney. If he doesn't want to leave the PL I think Arsenal might do business to get him off the books.

If they've no buyers before the end of the window I could see that changing.

A quality LB improves the team more whereas a serviceable RCB does more to improve the squad. It's strange as I don't recall us being linked with any LB's all summer. Perhaps Tierney on a loan signing is all but agreed and Arsenal just want to hold off until the end of the window in case a long term injury occurs to their other options or to have extra cover until Zinchenko returns.

Ashworth: What tends to happen is pre-season finishes and clubs hold a slightly higher number of players. Players then tend to be released from there and then you have the domino effect when the season starts and it accelerates. Tierney seems like the most obvious going off the above. No doubt Arsenal would be reluctant to do business with a PL rival but if Tierney rejects moves elsewhere I could see it happening but sounds like one that will go down to the wire if it does.

Caulkin: Ideally, Howe wants one more player in – another defender, most likely a left-back – before the window closes. This is his take after an interview with Eales and Ashworth

Was just thinking the same, Euros next summer too and Scotland are a virtual certainty to qualify.

40 million is about the same as Trippiers cumulative transfer fees for his career.

Sounds like West Ham might be walking away from a deal for Ward Prowse, with nobody else linked him staying put would surely help our pursuit of Livaremento.

Such a ManU transfer, overpaying for a knock off Haaland. The lad could be good though looks pretty raw to me. Very one sided. No doubt the comparison to Haaland is inflating the fee though.

Will hinge on how much he wants the move and whether he'll force the issue, can understand Southampton not been keen to sell, he wouldn't be a high earner, will be one of the best players in the championship and will likely be worth more this time next year if injury concerns are put to bed.

Mudryk, Shakhtar still laughing.

Nice stockpile of players with their peak years ahead of them we're building up. If he lives up to his early promise I can see them shoehorning him in at LB after a settling period. Too talented to play understudy and looks very comfortable slotting into midfield so maybe we'll be following the trend of the other top clubs.

Can't see another wide player coming in myself barring further sales or a long term injury. We'll have Barnes, Gordon, Miggy, Murphy, Anderson and Willock/Joelinton capable of playing there. Another player leaves us with too much invested in the position IMO. Considering the investment in Gordon they'll want to see his gametime maximised as well and it's unlikely to come up front barring injury. I could see a scenario where we move towards Gordon and Barnes starting on either side and interchanging frequently, given how much Howe seems to prize tactical flexibility.

Plenty of reasons why he might have struggled other than he's shit. Our recruitment has been spot on so far barring doubts over Gordon and has been given deserved credit for it. Ekiteke was their primary target since day one of the new regime. I'd still trust there's a player there somewhere especially at that money.

Perhaps keeps lads ticking over in the off-season when it's a slow time for putting up games of FIFA on YouTube masquerading as highlights.

Feels like I'm always expecting ASM to explode and have a spectacular season but it doesn't happen. If you took him out of the equation last season I'm not sure it looks that different. Barnes on the other hand guarantees you goals and goals translate to points. I see people refer to needing ASM's dribbling skills against a low block but the evidence from last season doesn't bear that out for me. Thought some of his worst performances were in those types of games where teams had numbers back and funnelled him down dead ends. Even in games where we struggled to score we still got into promising positions inside the box but lacked the quality to take advantage of them. Barnes has made a career out of getting himself into those positions and making it count. If you look at other top teams you don't see many examples of enigmatic maverick players like ASM, top coaches favour percentage players that they can rely upon.

Think Anderson will be kept until January and revisit it then. They'll be hopeful and expectant of a big improvement from him this season. His versatility makes him an attractive bench option.

Can't see Liverpool being consistent enough defensively to mount a serious challenge. It was their Achilles heel last season and all that will have changed is that an already ageing Van Dijk and Fabinho are a year older, Robertson has run the bollix out of himself for another 40+ games and Alexander Arnold thinks he's a midfielder now.

Definitely pickings to be had off Barca though; Dembele, Raphinha, Guler will be vying for the same spot.

Might be worth holding off on a RW for now and sign Guler next season.