Maybe not £25m CB’s. But that position should be the clear priority. The finances of the club are such that we will never have the perfect squad - not all our weaknesses will be addressed in one window. The most pressing weakness we have is at CB and that should be top of the list. The strikers we have, perhaps with the addition of Lukebakio/Cucho, are enough for another year if funds are limited. As much as I’d love a new £20m striker, I will despair if that is prioritised over CB’s and we have Mariappa/Kabasele as starters next season. Really don’t see Deulofeu being allowed to leave. Personally don’t see anyone paying what we will want for Doucoure either. Pereyra is the one who I think will go, as I think a new contract would have been offered and signed by now.
This summer will show if the owners are comfortable being mid table obscurities or really want to push on. If they are getting enough money just keeping us safe then can't see any reason they'd want to risk or overstretch themselves any more than they already are. A bit of squad coverage here and there with a few players we've never heard of may be all they're looking at and we may all be disappointed again come August. We'll obviously still be linked with about a million players that west ham, Leicester, bournemouth, palace, Brighton, Newcastle and Wolves are.
The centre back situation has deteriorated significantly. First season up. Prodl in prime. Cathcart younger. Britos serviceable veteran. Ake an option. Now? Cathcart older. Kabasele flakey and largely unimproved. Mariappa considered first choice. Prodl and Britos considered obsolete. Horrendous downwards curve from the owner and recruitment team. They need to step up. Gracia has performed miracles.
Would be a brilliant signing. But would be between £20m and £30m. Think we’ll be looking at around half those amounts...and that’s if we look at all!
Can't believe I'm saying this but I've been impressed with Mings on loan at Villa. John Terry has made him into a very useful left sided CB. A consistent run of games has no doubt helped.
Yes. http://wfcforums.com/index.php?threads/weve-signed-kane.55797/ We have in fact completed all our summer signings already so stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
Someone might go for Mendez-Laing at Cardiff after his last couple of games... an upgrade on Sema Or possibly the new Success
And to think that Prodil was POTS 2 years ago and being touted as our new captain I'd say goodbye to Gomes, Prodil, Success, Pereyra, Sema, Britos and Sinclair There is a decent chance that Lailana, Sturridge, Mitrovoc, Sessiongon ( sp ) and Delph could all be available this year, all looking for something probably outside of the top 6. Plus of course our final day unknown bargin
I would say new centre back, replacement for Doucoure, replacement for Pereyra, new right back if Janmaat goes plus Femenia out as he has shown he's not ever going to be consistent enough as a FB or a winger when isolated (Hughes or Janmaat work well with him). Success, Prodl, Navarro, Okaka, Zeegelar all out and save the wages for a bit of a dip into the Championship again for some talent with a bit of grit. Delefeou to stay unless he throws his toys out then sell for mega money. Big season ahead for Chalobah, Hughes and Masina hopefully.
I'd be amazed if we didn't go back in for Craig Dawson. He's in his last year of contract and this is the last time WBA would get any money for him. I don't think we'd offer anything like the reported £10m either. We'd probably get him for around the £5-7m mark now. So Dawson for £6m and Cahill on a free, would solve our defensive issues at a very Watfordable price. On the forwards, looks like we're serious about Remi Oudin. Probably would be within our reach financially. Reims wanting £10m and we're offering £7m, so if he's a serious target I think a deal would be done here. He's a left sided striker. Has a powerful left foot, but can score with his right too. We don't have a player like him in our squad. He has a similar playing style to Richarlison I'd say, and would no doubt be a replacement for Pereyra if we did sign him.
Cahill and or Dawson is a yes from me. My only concern would be pace. It always seem to come back to that word against the top 6.
Would Cahill be available for a ‘Watfordable’ price though as you say? The likelihood of it is that he will want at least 2 years at his age and want big wages. Not really sure either of those things would appeal to us. It’s got Palace or West Ham - or maybe even a move back to Villa written all over it!
That will be the sticking point for Cahill, his salary and length of contract. I don't see Watford having an issue with giving a 2 or even 3 year deal, but he would need to come down from his £100k a week salary. We cap off at £70k. He's going to have to come to terms with less money, as a top 6 club would not want him now and even the tradition big spenders like West Ham have Zabeleta as their top earning defender on £75k. I do not think they'd push above that significantly. Palace are paying Sakho £100k a week, so Palace could be a realistic destination for him. Previously linked Fulham are now out of the equation since their relegation. I don't think there would be too many other clubs in for him. Everton possibly, I don't think Leicester would need him, maybe Villa if they go up with John Terry as a contact. I don't think the other clubs would pay the salary he'd like such as Southampton, Newcastle or Wolves, but could be wrong about that. Bournemouth could be interested, but again their salary cap is low. They'd need to offer around £70k per week and I'm not sure they'd do that. If we're moving on Britos, Prodl and Kaboul, who is already gone, that's a saving of £105k per week. The salary is there to get Cahill (£70k) & Dawson (£35k).
I would take Dawson, but I think we also need a centre back with pace as most Premier League clubs have quick forwards. We also need a right back as Femenia is not strong enough.
Oudin is a right sided player - 32 of his 36 appearances have been on the right side of the pitch, as either a right sided midfielder, or right sided forward. Get it right. https://www.whoscored.com/Players/322421/Show/Remi-Oudin They would only solve our issues for one season at most though - can't see Cahill lasting much longer at this level. As davisp2 mentions as well above, it would also be a pretty slow pairing.
Everyone is saying we should move Britos out, but I think he could be worth keeping along with Mariappa as back up only, as they are both versatile and reasonably reliable when called upon. We would probably need to bring a couple of CB's, possibly Dawson and Cahill as others have suggested. Prodl and Sadly Hoban, as he has never recovered fully from injury, Zeegelar also needs to go, as for the defenders that I have not named, other than Cathcart who should stay, I'm not sure who else should go and who should stay, there are arguments both ways for many of them.
He can play on both sides. Get it right. He's very left footed. Regardless of where Reims play him now, I think we'd use him on the left in place of Pereyra if he goes, or centrally if he stays. But it's good to have a players that can play across the line.
Pace isn't so important if you can read the game well. Thats the main issue with Mariappa - he has decent pace but his reading of the game at times has been very poor.
By jove, you are literally incapable of ever admitting you're incorrect, even when the facts are staring right at you. You're not also a member of the Tory cabinet, by any chance? You said "He's a left sided striker". Last season, he played there once. Meanwhile, he played on the right side 32 times. You chose to define him by playing on one side of the pitch. In your first post, which I quoted, you did not say "he can play on both sides", you said "he's a left sided". Meanwhile, if any sane person had to define him as playing on one side of the pitch, they would surely choose the one on which he has played 97% of the time. He can play on both sides of the pitch, if necessary, but that's not what you said in your first post. PS while you're inside Gracia's head, reading his mind as to where he will play a player who appears to prefer starting on the right wing and cutting inside on to his favoured left foot (which is the opposite of Pereyra), how about you also share what he's planning for dinner this evening?
I can't be arsed to look at the link, but presumably this means we've signed Harry Kane? Good move if so.
I hope it's not our only summer signing though, if only that we can hopefully partner him up top with Abel Hernandez.