More transfer rumours

[The College Dropout]

Zaha would be our best player like. Been one of the best players outside the top 6 for some time.  
 

Leandro Trossard - has not.  

[Lenny]

Does Zaha work hard defensively? I always had him down as a similar mould to ASM with little defensive discipline or desire.

 

I'd be very surprised if we go out and buy a player that's not going to defend from the front. Howe seems to like an extremely aggressive press so imagine he'll be looking at players that buy into that. 

[Nine]

Players in the bracket like Paqueta, Antony, Diaby, Haidara.. I’d consider us lucky to secure even one of these names, they will all be looking for big wages with a move to the PL let alone to a club with the financial clout that we are believed to have now. All young players from foreign leagues with apparent potential behind them will not typically fall into our current wage structure. People will point to Bruno but he is more of an exception than the rule, I think we were fortunate to sign him at all especially during the winter window. 

 

Players like Eze and Trossard will seem underwhelming to some but they fit well for the next season, sensible proven worth buys and the likes of Trossard is also a massive upgrade on Murphy for example. I still want Zapata and I think a deal like that could be done, he is ready made for the prem and at 30 he will take one last bigger contract than he has right now (currently £55k pw).

 

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by Nine

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

Zaha is a 1 good game in 4 player, and more whiney than ASM. He's not got the willpower to do it outside of a smaller London club, especially at 30. I cant see Zaha being picked up by anyone, he'll finish at Palace.

[Lazarus]

41 minutes ago, Whitley mag said:

This is the team I’d like to see kick off next season, tried to keep it realistic but hard not to get carried away.

 

                               Dubravka

 

              Trippier - Schar - Burn - Hickey

 

                            Bruno - Haidara

 

                   St Max - Paqueta - Diaby

 

                                   Wilson

 

If we got the above which would be a hefty outlay, I’d be happy with any of the following as backup with huge potential.

CF Hlozek / Ekitike

CB Kelly / Gvardiol

 

 

 

ASM on the right??

 

Schar and Burn as 1st choice??

 

And Gvardiol as backup?

[Nine]

6 minutes ago, Lazarus said:

 

ASM on the right??

 

Schar and Burn as 1st choice??

 

And Gvardiol as backup?

Also an outlay of at least £250m to still be starting Schar and Burn!

[Rafalove]

We need a pacy centre back to play alongside  Burn on the right hand side to. I’m fine with Maxi on the right though. Instead of Paqueta our first choices should be Zielinski. I know that’s ambitious but can’t hurt to try.

[Yorkie]

Zaha's got more goals per minute this season than the coveted Raphinha, as well as others who are much more fancied like Bowen and Saka. Gets a few assists too and obviously wins a lot of penalties (18 in the PL ffs ). 

 

He wouldn't be my first choice because he's a left-winger and that's not the side that necessarily needs strengthening first, but I could certainly put up with him on the opposite wing to ASM. An alright option at CF too.

[Whitley mag]

6 hours ago, Lazarus said:

 

ASM on the right??

 

Schar and Burn as 1st choice??

 

And Gvardiol as backup?

Gvardiol would work his way in as Bruno did, he’s young despite being better than the current 2 and the PL is a different animal.

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Whitley mag

[Manxst]

7 hours ago, Nine said:

Players in the bracket like Paqueta, Antony, Diaby, Haidara.. I’d consider us lucky to secure even one of these names, they will all be looking for big wages with a move to the PL let alone to a club with the financial clout that we are believed to have now. All young players from foreign leagues with apparent potential behind them will not typically fall into our current wage structure. People will point to Bruno but he is more of an exception than the rule, I think we were fortunate to sign him at all especially during the winter window. 

 

Players like Eze and Trossard will seem underwhelming to some but they fit well for the next season, sensible proven worth buys and the likes of Trossard is also a massive upgrade on Murphy for example. I still want Zapata and I think a deal like that could be done, he is ready made for the prem and at 30 he will take one last bigger contract than he has right now (currently £55k pw).

 

 

 

Zapata turned 31 at the start of this month. I can’t see us shelling out for a striker on a hefty contract, who will have turned 32 before the end of next season, and who relies on pace and physicality for his successful characteristics. 

the likes of Antony are currently on £20k pw and a move to the PL would see them quadruple or more their present salary- it’s a no brainer for them and certainly achievable for us, in the same way Bruno came. We were lucky to get him, but I don’t see him as an exception. The issue we have is other teams providing competition to us who may be able to offer European football and chance of immediate silverware. It seems that we snuck in under Arsenals nose for Bruno so potentially were the only bidder- that’s unlikely to happen in the summer for our targets, and those players you’ve mentioned- however, they’re all certainly achieveable imo, especially if the club ‘gets sold’ to them in terms of our future plans, as Bruno himself was.

[DubblyDubblyDubbly]

Manchester City are ready to trigger Real Sociedad's £50m (60m euros) release clause for Spain and former Newcastle United midfielder Mikel Merino, 25. (El Confidencial, via Manchester Evening News)

Still only 25 

[Groundhog63]

Whilst not unexpected its a bit unhelpful people slating, virtually, the whole squad. 

In reality, imho, there's going to be 4 signings per window. Ish. 

Anything else is, as I say, unrealistic but also won't work. 

Has to be transitional. 3-4 years. 

[macphisto]

11 minutes ago, Groundhog63 said:

Has to be transitional. 3-4 years. 

Where would you expect us to be after 4 years? Personally, I'm expecting something along these lines:

2022/23-bouncing around between 6th & 11th place

2023/24-bouncing between 4th-10th place but finishing in the lower half of that spectrum

2024/25-A real sustained challenge for the top 4

2025/26-Genuine top 4 team, we may finish 5th but say on the last day or by a point or two

2026/27-Possible challenge for the league

 

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by macphisto

[Groundhog63]

45 minutes ago, macphisto said:

Where would you expect us to be after 4 years? Personally, I'm expecting something along these lines:

2022/23-bouncing around between 6th & 11th place

2023/24-bouncing between 4th-10th place but finishing in the lower half of that spectrum

2024/25-A real sustained challenge for the top 4

2025/26-Genuine top 4 team, we may finish 5th but say on the last day or by a point or two

2026/27-Possible challenge for the league

 

 

 

 

 

Seems reasonable. There'll be no major overhaul because...

a) it costs a fortune and, more importantly..

b) doesn't work

 

Given that timeline there's a huge number of that squad will stay, improve, do a job

[Tiresias]

My expectation/hope would be

 

2022/23 - Solid midtable, maybe 9th with fun cup run

2023/24 - Pushing for top half 6th or 7th and a semi final at least in a cup

2024/25 - First genuine push to get top 4 maybe even expense of a cup, just get 4th

2025/26 - Would expect a very good squad with depth by now so now 3rd and cup final

2026/27 - Now basically in league or champions league contender, not that it won't take time to actually win something still but this is where probably any excuses for not being in the mix due to still building stop

 

Looking back think may well take another season before we get to the top 4 push, but who knows.

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Tiresias

[RodneyCisse]

What was City’s first trophy?

[Lazarus]

1 hour ago, macphisto said:

Where would you expect us to be after 4 years? Personally, I'm expecting something along these lines:

2022/23-bouncing around between 6th & 11th place

2023/24-bouncing between 4th-10th place but finishing in the lower half of that spectrum

2024/25-A real sustained challenge for the top 4

2025/26-Genuine top 4 team, we may finish 5th but say on the last day or by a point or two

2026/27-Possible challenge for the league

 

 

 

PIF:

 

[Sima]

8 minutes ago, RodneyCisse said:

What was City’s first trophy?

FA Cup in 2011

[bowlingcrofty]

I’d be happy with just not having to see the Relegationometer on the first page of this forum after this season.

[Nobody]

5 minutes ago, bowlingcrofty said:

I’d be happy with just not having to see the Relegationometer on the first page of this forum after this season.

It'll still be there when we lose away to Man City on the opening day of the season. 

[jack j]

58 minutes ago, RodneyCisse said:

What was City’s first trophy?

Fa cup 1903-04 season

[Nine]

4 hours ago, Manxst said:

Zapata turned 31 at the start of this month. I can’t see us shelling out for a striker on a hefty contract, who will have turned 32 before the end of next season, and who relies on pace and physicality for his successful characteristics. 

the likes of Antony are currently on £20k pw and a move to the PL would see them quadruple or more their present salary- it’s a no brainer for them and certainly achievable for us, in the same way Bruno came. We were lucky to get him, but I don’t see him as an exception. The issue we have is other teams providing competition to us who may be able to offer European football and chance of immediate silverware. It seems that we snuck in under Arsenals nose for Bruno so potentially were the only bidder- that’s unlikely to happen in the summer for our targets, and those players you’ve mentioned- however, they’re all certainly achieveable imo, especially if the club ‘gets sold’ to them in terms of our future plans, as Bruno himself was.

I disagree, depending on the contract I think we could make very good use of Zapata for 3 seasons despite the age and physical attributes. He was kind of an example anyway, I was saying much like Trippier we will be looking at players of that age not just 20-24 year olds with potential to fulfill.  

 

Paqueta, Diaby and Haidara are on contracts at £40-50k a week at their current clubs, a move to the premier league (and us specifically) would have them looking at contracts well over £100k a week which we just wont see as realistic for at least another season or two. Antony is fair enough, I actually thought he was on more than £20k a week.. for the foreign players we are looking at it will be those of around that number (20-30k pw) whos wage we can triple and the money will still be reasonably around the same as the current core of our squad. Completely agree with what you are saying about the competition we will face from other clubs in the summer and I think that will price us out of moves for the likes of the players I mentioned even more so, Antony will have alot of suitors that might offer him more than the 60-70k pw that we will.. Villa signed Bailey last summer and he is on 90k+ pw, Fabio Silva at Wolves the same. Brining in 4/5 new young players on that kind of money will likely just upset our squad and our current players will want their slice of the pie, it will take 2/3 more windows to get to the point where we can offer contracts of 100k+.

[Manxst]

25 minutes ago, Nine said:

I disagree, depending on the contract I think we could make very good use of Zapata for 3 seasons despite the age and physical attributes. He was kind of an example anyway, I was saying much like Trippier we will be looking at players of that age not just 20-24 year olds with potential to fulfill.  

 

Paqueta, Diaby and Haidara are on contracts at £40-50k a week at their current clubs, a move to the premier league (and us specifically) would have them looking at contracts well over £100k a week which we just wont see as realistic for at least another season or two. Antony is fair enough, I actually thought he was on more than £20k a week.. for the foreign players we are looking at it will be those of around that number (20-30k pw) whos wage we can triple and the money will still be reasonably around the same as the current core of our squad. Completely agree with what you are saying about the competition we will face from other clubs in the summer and I think that will price us out of moves for the likes of the players I mentioned even more so, Antony will have alot of suitors that might offer him more than the 60-70k pw that we will.. Villa signed Bailey last summer and he is on 90k+ pw, Fabio Silva at Wolves the same. Brining in 4/5 new young players on that kind of money will likely just upset our squad and our current players will want their slice of the pie, it will take 2/3 more windows to get to the point where we can offer contracts of 100k+.

We’ll see on the likes of Zapata. I’ve read several reports recently about wanting to lower the age of the squad, as well as targeting younger up and coming players. 
I think older players were needed in the Jan window to make an instant impression, but with safety nearly guaranteed, we will want players to grow with the club now and see their best years with us, rather than being brought in at the back end of careers.

[Stottie]

Since Howe's first game, Nov 20, we are eighth in the form table over what is now 20 games. One more point and a game in hand over West Ham in ninth. Twenty games is over half a season.

 

I don't think we've been especially lucky over all twenty games. Most have been without Wilson, and the early ones had Lascelles as a starter and Joelinton as a striker, so I don't see how this twenty-game form could be dismissed as flukey or not a geniune indication of where the club currently is. I believe we are already eighth to tenth in the PL level. As the summer priority, we need to move out the deadwood, to complete the De-Ashleyfication if you like, and replace them with players capable with challenging for the first eleven. Assuming that we stick with 4-3-3, the main signings, as everyone says, should be a striker and wide forward. Targett too, but he's a given. If the initial goal is to thereabouts for a challenge for Europa League, I don't think we need wholesale changes, and would be tempted put them off until challenging for CL places becomes the goal. Spurs look like they are heading for fourth and that's with Conte, Kane, Son, .... That is streets ahead of what is at Wolves or West Ham, with a bigger jump from Spurs to West Ham than from West Ham to us.

 

Zaha is out of contract in 2023, so he won't command an exhorbitant fee any more. He'd definitely improve the team and wouldn't look out of place at an Arsenal/Spurs level team, but is not one for the future. If the immediate goal for next season is just sixth or seventh, this would open up the possibility of using the season to bed in high-potential young players like Ekitike or that lad at Forest. The past twenty games have demonstrated that ninth is something that can be achieved with Krafth, Ryan Fraser, Murphy, pick your least favourite midfielder, and an off-form Wood up top. We're likely to have better players than all of them for the majority of games next year.

[Guest HTT II]

Zaha has WHU all over him, or Everton maybe. I’d like us to stay clear, can’t stand the diving, remonstrating, points the blame to team-mates all the time for when things don’t go his way cunt.