Summer transfer thread

[teesred]

I don't know much about Konate, concerns me that he was injured for a lot of last season and only managed 21 games!!

Agree. While he seems to be very highly rated there does look to be fitness issues. Something we can do without but let's see. If we can keep him fit he could be a real player.
Read on that Irish reds group earlier that we are not interested in Bissouma.

[scientificred]

Calhanoglu - The Turkish - Ian Callaghan...

I can dream can't i?

Is he?
Don' t know much about him but Ian Callaghan is a club legend!

[TheDOC1979]

Agree. While he seems to be very highly rated there does look to be fitness issues. Something we can do without but let's see. If we can keep him fit he could be a real player.
Read on that Irish reds group earlier that we are not interested in Bissouma.

Surely can’t be that daft paying 38m for a younger version of Matip?

[Steveo]

Is he?
Don' t know much about him but Ian Callaghan is a club legend!

I have no idea mate - just thought the name sounded like a Turkish version..

[vin]

Still 10 times more games than Matip managed.

Logic

[LEGS]

Surely can’t be that daft paying 38m for a younger version of Matip?

I dont know if you've heard but our new CM is Wilshere 🤣🤣

[Kev0909]

I dont know if you've heard but our new CM is Wilshere 🤣🤣

Some people generally wanted him, he's just been released from bournemouth

[Nineteenx]

If we manage our CBs much better next season and make sure we give them all minutes without overplaying any of the injury prone ones, always having 2 CBs who are dominant in the air at defending and attacking set pieces is going to be absolutely huge for us and Trent and Robbo

Always having 2 CBs available who are quick, strong, aggressive front foot defenders, great in one v one situations and great positionally and at reading the game, step into midfield to dispossess forwards looking to play between midfield and defence, drive the ball forward to cause stubborn opposition to have to break their lines and are great with the ball is also going to be absolutely huge for us.

Of all of them, from everything I have seen, Konate's passing is the best, because through his development to date he operated at CB and RB and that shows in his range of passing, plays the long diagonals and balls over the top and some very good balls through midfield as Virgil and Matip both do, but from his experience at RB he has high quality switches from right to left in his locker, which have long been a feature of Liepzig's play and that absolutely works for us

[Nineteenx]

Apparently we're no longer interested in Afcon Bissouma with Brighton wanting 40m for him, time to nick 18m Soumare from under Brenny's considerably large beak to join his France team mate Konate at Anfield me thinks, he just looks made for that controller roll and has better medium to long passing than Gini had for that role and he's quality at No6 also, which we absolutely need given Hendo's and Fab's medium term injury record over the past 2 seasons, his incredibly high levels of natural fitness, aggression, speed, strength and power are next level and the ability that gives him to recover when he or a team mate is caught out is pretty phenomenal

[Insidious]

Huge shock konate confirmed

Cm and ST now please followed by some young end

Probably have to sell players first mind

Imagine so.

I did a guesstimate that we'd spend £40m-£60m this Summer plus whatever we gather from sales.

Something like -

- Konate in (occupies Kabak's position in squad from 20/21) and perhaps
- Calhanoglu(?) in (occupies Wijnaldum's position in squad from 20/21)

- would roughly tie in with that. As well as the money side of things (transfer fees in/out) we want to have a big squad (4 comps) but not a bloated one (wasted wages, fringe players losing value, less minutes for youth) so I'd be pleasantly surprised to see us doing more business right away and rather imagine we will wait until one or two of Shaqiri/Minamino/Origi/Ox/Keita have departure fees agreed. We won't see all 5 depart, but hopefully 2 of those would be going.

If we persist with a front three (we likely will) you want 6 player. I can foresee business/squad structure looking something like this in regards to the attack -

- Salah
- Mane
- Firmino
- Jota
- incoming signing (funded by Shaqiri/Origi/Minamino departure)
- Elliott

or

- Salah
- Mane
- Firmino
- Jota
- incoming signing (funded by Shaqiri/Origi/Minamino departure)
- incoming signing (funded by Ox/Keita departure)
- *Elliott loading out to a Premiership side in this set-up rather than be 7th-choice*