Realistic Transfer Targets (2023/24)

[ShoTime]

I'd be more than happy if we bought Targett and another left back for competition.

 

Going into the summer though, Botman should be our #1 target to be the mainstay of our defence for the next 5 seasons and beyond. I wouldn't be too bothered if he was the only CB we brought in, but I suspect we'll go for more and better.

 

Wide forward is a position that needs improved as a priority, as much as I like Fraser and he's grafting his bollocks off for the team, he's the obvious one to upgrade as well as another, more dynamic striker to go ahead of Wilson and Wood in the pecking order, although again I'm not adverse to Wilson starting when fit as with a more possession-based team that creates chances he can be fucking clinical, it's just a shame about his injury problems.

 

Like Jan though, I have little idea to what the club will do, I'm even reluctant to speculate! Just enjoying the ride and loving having my football club back pushing for more.

[STM]

Personally I think Tarkowski on a free is an absolute no brainer. We are going to have a cull of squad players, especially in defence. Something like: Botman, Burn, Tarkowski and Lascelles (I think Schar may leave), would leave us looking strong. Perhaps another young CB to challenge for places if we need a back 3.

 

Clark, Fernandez and Dummett have no future.

 

Signing Tarkowski on a free doesn't stop us targeting our top targets, it just enhances our squad.

 

 

Edited February 11, 2022 by STM

[Krabbe2]

Would rather have someone younger in their early 20s than Tarkowski as a backup. Since he comes for free, he will probably demand a lot in salary. It would have been a little different if we had 7-8 games in Europe.

[Mazzy]

Tarkowski on a free is a pre takeover signing for sure. It's not that I wouldn't take him as a back up but at his age I don't see him wanting that. I imagine he still has dreams of playing for England and maybe even the World Cup squad. He won't do that if he's not playing and starting consistently next season.

[Conjo]

Why would we need Tarkowski when we just signed Burn? Let's reserve our available squad places for someone different and hopefully better.

[Mahoneys Tache]

4 hours ago, Lush Vlad said:

No. Loses the plot too often, doesn’t inspire confidence with the defence and on set pieces and he seems to make howlers galore.
 

Pretty much always quality for England, mind. But I think the set up really suits him.  

Pickford is brilliant when he hasn’t got time to think. When he has to make a decision he fucks up. 

[Shearergol]

Tarkowski seems to have lost 2 yards of pace this season and he wasn't even quick to begin with. I'd rather sign players on the up in their career, not coming to the end of it. 

[andyc35i]

Just go to Monaco and buy the three youngsters they have. The two CBs Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile and then the DMF Aurelien Tchouameni - job done 

[ToonScotman]

https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/02/10/guimaraes-former-team-mate-could-now-join-newcastle-for-free-in-summer/?amp
Interesting that

[BeloEmre]

What a signing that would be. 

[JNK]

1 hour ago, BeloEmre said:

What a signing that would be. 

Imagine, Shlevey, Bruno and Tielemans, what a trio! 

[Emotic]

All the top clubs have world-class goalies and I think it’d be a priority come the summer. The kind comfortable on the ball and can distribute effectively. Trouble is I can’t think of any good ones available in the summer. Onana has gone and Atletico probably won’t let Oblak go. We won’t progress with Dean Henderson, iyam.

[LRD]

4 hours ago, JNK said:

Imagine, Shlevey, Bruno and Tielemans, what a trio! 

 

Spot the odd one.

[LRD]

2 hours ago, Emotic said:

All the top clubs have world-class goalies and I think it’d be a priority come the summer. The kind comfortable on the ball and can distribute effectively. Trouble is I can’t think of any good ones available in the summer. Onana has gone and Atletico probably won’t let Oblak go. We won’t progress with Dean Henderson, iyam.

 

That Lunin at Real is supposed to be highly rated? Not sure if he is any good.

 

Dubravka is 33. If we can get a young GK in who will be here for the next decade or so, like Lloris/ Spurs, Buffon/ Juve, it would be amazing.

[LRD]

Any Brazilian GKs we can consider? Match the ones at Man City and Liverpool. Makes @Flip happy too.

[ToonScotman]

Livakovic ?

[Phoenix711]

12 hours ago, Emotic said:

All the top clubs have world-class goalies and I think it’d be a priority come the summer. The kind comfortable on the ball and can distribute effectively. Trouble is I can’t think of any good ones available in the summer. Onana has gone and Atletico probably won’t let Oblak go. We won’t progress with Dean Henderson, iyam.

 

Oblak's contract expires in 2023 and he has a €120m release clause. He's had an ok season but far from his best and Atletico have been rumoured to sell for around €80m+ in the summer. It seems a fair price for a 28yo with 1 year left but I think that might be a bit too much for us. I recon we'll have £200m (€240m)+ transfer budget. To blow a third of it on the goalkeeper when the defence and attack need major upgrades might not be worth it. And even if we could agree a price, there's a big possibility Oblak won't want to come.

 

Liverpool upgraded their defence from Sakho + Lovrens => Van Dijk + Matip before they bought in Allison and I think we need to upgrade the CB before the keeper. Remember the keeper needs to pass out from the back for EH's style and Lascelles + Schar are not the CB you want to be passing the ball out to.

 

2 hours ago, ToonScotman said:

Livakovic ?

 

He's not a Sweeper Keeper afaik. His distribution isn't that great either. I think he is a great shot stopper and an upgrade on Dubravka, he is Croatia number 1 after all. However, he's fixed to his 6 yard box a lot and I don't think he's the kind of keeper EH wants. He'd be great value for money though, around €12m has been quoted.

 

My thoughts on positions to upgrade in terms of priority:

 

I put them into three groups. 

 

Group 1 - Must upgrade

1 x CB - A world class/ potential to be world class CB who is comfortable with ball at feet and can resist the press - the last is important. Schar is actually decent with ball at feet but when pressed panics.

1 x CF - A world class goal scorer, must be capable of 15+ goals a season. Ideally good in air and can lead the line in a 3 man attack.

1 x RW - A world class creator/ scorer to play opposite flank to ASM. Goals win matches and the CF and RW will make the biggest difference to a mid  table team and European team.

 

Group 2 - Needs upgrading (ideally this summer too but will make less impact than group 1)

1 x LM/LB - depending on the formation, need a replacement for Ritchie/Lewis who can create from the left flank and protect ASM.

1 x CB - the second CB to pair with the first. Needs to be comfortable with ball but ideally has a bit of pace so we can play a higher line to try and press the opposition

1 x GK - With 2 CB and a LB/LM and Trippier, we should have a pretty good defence so can now get the best keeper we have with the money

 

Group 3 - Final upgrades, budget depending

1 x CM - Partner in midfield, this could be a DM in a 3 man midfield. 

1 x CM/CB - extra midfielder if 3 man midfield or extra defender if 3 man defence

 

In total, if we say ASM, Trippier and Guimaraes are good enough for a top 7 team, replacing the above 8 would mean we should be aiming top 7 and higher. 

[STM]

I'd save Rashford from Man United, if he was willing to move. Give him the number 9, stick him up front.

 

A player with amazing potential but needs to leave OT.

[JNK]

15 hours ago, Emotic said:

All the top clubs have world-class goalies and I think it’d be a priority come the summer. The kind comfortable on the ball and can distribute effectively. Trouble is I can’t think of any good ones available in the summer. Onana has gone and Atletico probably won’t let Oblak go. We won’t progress with Dean Henderson, iyam.

Neto is available at Barcelona, basicaly spent he's whole carrer as a world class bench goalkeeper. Buffon, Ter Stegen etc. Could be a good short-term signing. 

I'd also take a look at Altay Bayindir from Fenerbahce, he's a turkish international, is only 23 and he's huge 1,98.

 

 

Edited February 12, 2022 by JNK

[Guest HTT II]

6 minutes ago, JNK said:

Neto is available at Barcelona, basicaly spent he's whole carrer as a world class bench goalkeeper. Buffon, Ter Stegen etc. Could be a good short-term signing. 

I'd also take a look at Altay Bayindir from Fenerbahce, he's a turkish international, is only 23 and he's huge 1,98.

 

 

 

Kwick Save 

[Rich]

As it stands, and assuming we stay up, for me there are only a handful of truly “secure” places in the team:

 

Trippier at RB

Guimarães in CM

Joelinton in CM

ASM at LW

 

Beyond those, I think there’s a second tier of players who could happily stay and still be part of the first XI, provided the rest of the team was improved:

 

Dubravka at GK

Burn at CB

Wilson at ST

 

That all leaves us with likely needing to be in the market for a CB, a LB, a CM, and a RW. All of whom could walk into the first team based on ability.

Still, I do think we’ll also be looking for upgrades at GK and ST, and probably for more than one CB, too.

 

Getting way ahead of myself, but for the Summer window I’ll be looking for us to end up here as a 25-man squad for a 10/10 on the old Transferometer:

 

New GK

Dubravka

Darlow

 

Trippier

Manquillo

 

New CB
Lascelles

Schär

 

New CB

Burn

 

New LB

Targett*
 

Joelinton

Willock

 

New CM

Shelvey

 

Guimarães

S. Longstaff

 

New RW

Fraser

 

New ST

Wilson

Wood

 

Saint-Maximin

Murphy

 

I’d be looking to sell/loan/release Gillespie, Woodman, Krafth, Fernandez, Clark, Dummett, Lewis, M. Longstaff, Hayden, Hendrick, Almiron, and Gayle.

 

FIRST XI (2022/23)

 

New GK

 

Trippier New CB New CB New LB

 

Joelinton New CM Guimarães

 

New RW New ST Saint-Maximin

 

SUBS: Dubravka; Manquillo, Burn, Targett; Willock, Shelvey; Fraser, Wilson, Murphy.

 

Think this is realistic just based on the names we were linked most strongly with in each position in January, to be honest:

 

GK: Henderson

CB: Diego Carlos

CB: Botman

LB: Bakker

CM: Bissouma

RW: Lingard

ST: Zapata

 

If we can attract those players or better, which I think we can if we stay up, the first XI looks fucking magic next year. The bench will still leave a fair bit to be desired, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. Easily good enough for top 10, more likely in the mix for the European spots if we don’t succumb to injuries too much.

 

E I E I E I O being sung weekly again, it’ll be fucking great.

[Manxst]

As good as Joelinton has been this year, I’d personally have him in your second tier- he shouldn’t be in the top ‘secure’ bracket if we can get an improvement on him (which I think we can). 

[Rich]

He was the only one I agonised about, but I honestly think he’s only getting better in that role and his attitude is second to none.

 

From what Longstaff said the other week he sounds like he’s far and away the best player in training, to the point where fellow professionals are desperate to have him on their teams for five-a-sides, etc. That says a lot, to me.

 

The shirt is his easily at the moment, and if we keep building around him I don’t see any reason why his own level won’t continue to climb.

[Ikon]

Can definitely grow more as a player, and cm. But yeah, we still need at least one cm in no matter what. 

[Guest HTT II]

14 minutes ago, Pardiola said:

He was the only one I agonised about, but I honestly think he’s only getting better in that role and his attitude is second to none.

 

From what Longstaff said the other week he sounds like he’s far and away the best player in training, to the point where fellow professionals are desperate to have him on their teams for five-a-sides, etc. That says a lot, to me.

 

The shirt is his easily at the moment, and if we keep building around him I don’t see any reason why his own level won’t continue to climb.

I feel we can get someone in who can do all he does, but much better on the ball and be more creative, or at least not as one dimensional. Joelinton for example does everything great in his own half, but the minute he gets into the box, well… if we can get a DCM better than him who can also get into the box, we will score more and create more due to that player not being Joelinton inside the attacking final areas!