I think Brexit makes it easier to sign South American talent, particularly if they’ve played in a continental competition (as Marcos Paulo has.) But the Championship definitely makes us a much less attractive destination. Still, he played together with Joao Pedro at Fluminese so that could add some pull and help him settle. I’d imagine he’d cost around £5m now, but free in the summer and we can approach on a pre-contract now.
Having had a quick look, he would probably qualify for a work permit under the new regulations. He plays in the same position as JP though and is the same age, so doesn't really seem necessary. Plus his highlights don't seem as impressive as when JP was at Fluminense.
Is highly rated and known about so I think we’re likely out of the running. Decent relations with his club and the added fact of JP being here could help but still very doubtful! Plus seems he plays in almost identical positions to Joao Pedro...(and Richarlison)
Agreed left sided forward is not what's needed. I'm expecting Zinckernagel to start in that position tomorrow in a three. What waste of space will be in the middle I don't know. Sema will possibly drop into a three behind. Paulo looks a talent for the future but we need a striker who brings an instant impact on us.
I expect Zinckernagel to play just off Deeney tomorrow personally and Gray to be benched. Allows Xisco and the team to fluidly move between a few different systems without having to make changes. With Gray and Deeney, it’s 4-4-2 and only changes really by using subs.
Fair point. I was just hoping that neither Gray or Deeney would play. I mean we alone lost by a single goal at Swansea without them.
Having watched most of VVV's games this season via Bet365 (I went to watch them a couple of years ago when staying nearby at Centre Parcs and sort of fell in love with them and their crap stadium, yellow and black kits and scraping to safety in the Eredivisie every year) and I wouldn't hesitate to get this guy in. They are a pretty poor team and he creates goals out of nothing sometimes. He also holds it up well and finishes way better than any of the turd on our books. He's just signed a 2 year contract thought so would push the price up. Always a risk, but he reminds me of Helguson and is way more suited to the Championship than anyone we have.
That's an impressive little vid. Have to agree there is a some H in there. He looks alive in the box which automatically means he's an improvement. Having not seen him live what are his attributes? For instance link up play?
Excellent news that Ravel Morrison has cancelled his contract at ADO. Let's hope Janmaat has had a word in his ear
WBA have loaned out Austin to QPR Under pressure after losing in the FA Cup to lower league opposition Grant already out with an injury Deeney not in our squad The stars are aligning...
Would obviously have to take a huge pay-cut...but clubs in China are trying to purge their high-earners... Could we entice Ighalo back for 6 months at least? Was more or less promised minutes tonight by OGS and yet still didn’t get any - guaranteed not to stay at United once his loan ends at the end of the month. I accept it’s not the exciting striker move we all want but I don’t think we are going to get that this month.
I'd have him back in the Championship, but Deeney won't allow it. No one can be allowed to come in and challenge his position.
2 more goals for him today. First was a Deeney style penalty down the middle and the second was running onto a ball through a crowded defence and curling it right into the bottom corner from the edge of the area. A million miles away from the cack our forwards serve up.
The lad who scored the hattrick for the Spuds today and even that 16 year old who also scored for the Spuds. We should try and get them on loan, as they are both better strikers than anyone we have.
Unfortunately unless the stars crash into one another, creating a super massive blackhole, I'm not sure anything is strong enough to pull Deeney away from our club.
The Voice of Foolishness once again - Carlos Vinicius is already on loan at Spurs until the end of the season from Benfica (who paid £15mil for him 18 months ago).
I see John Lundstram's contract is up in the Summer. Will be 27 in February so a good age. Definitely the box to box type midfielder were screaming out for. Got a few injury problems at United so could cause problems but some help from Udinese would help. We could quite easily be swapping places with them come Summer.
Could we be one of the clubs after Alex Mowatt? Barnsley News: Two Championship clubs submit bids for Alex Mowatt (footballinsider247.com)
Similar apart from the fact they play in different positions and have a completely different style of play.
I think Mowatt is thought of as an attacking midfielder because he chips in with goals, but he has played as part of a midfield 2 under Ismael and under Struber was one of the more defensive of the three central midfielders. Mowatt and Hughes looks a little lightweight defensively perhaps, but both are quite tenacious and quite creative. Would be great business for £1.2m.
So for approx. £2mil we could have had Ben Whiteman and Harry Pickering. Solving our LB problem for the next few years until we would sell him for £10m-20m. Then Whiteman also being sold for another £10m-15m. Watch this space, three years from now we will be kicking ourselves for not signing these two. Absolutely ridiculous by our owners. Hopefully three years from now they have sold the club and we have been bought by some trillionaire Saudi prince. Heart and soul of this club is already dead and buried. So we might as well have the dirty oil money to go with it and buy Isaac.
I guess we will wait and see . We have had quite a few great young hopes over the years with mixed results.
Harry Pickering would be ideal for a dominant side in the championship chasing promotion, but he might be a little limited defensively for a bottom half Premier League side. Still worth getting for a low price but I’m not convinced he’s a £20m player. Whiteman also a good option but not convinced he’ll hit the heights you seem to think. Is he better than, say, Ben Pearson or Alex Mowatt, who are both of a similar age, and have Champ experience? I don’t think either Pickering or Whiteman will end up being regular, long-term starters in the Premier League.
If the Athletic are too be believed, we're not signing another striker. I think that must have been edited, as the original first line must have been. "The striker department is full of sh1t".