They lost. Wow! Relegation play off spot will be played on Thursday and Sunday. I believe they are playing Toulouse.
Well, Gino's favourite wheeler dealer agent Mogi Bayat is involved with Nantes. Some random account with quite a few followers reckons that he's been tasked with getting Abdoulaye Toure (defensive midfielder apparently) a move to England... https://twitter.com/GodSaveTheFoot/status/1396589222254059525?s=20
Yes! Wanted to sign him last summer. http://wfcforums.com/index.php?threads/transfer-suggestions.54511/page-60#post-2888671
Re: Abdoulaye Toure - Nantes fans really don't rate him and want him to leave the club. They mostly seem to criticise his technical ability. But if Bayat is involved, and he'd be a cheap physical midfield presence, then who knows. I almost wouldn't be surprised if he ended up here, but don't think he'd be the right signing for us personally.
Agreed - Although I can't say Louza has overly stood out to me when I've watched them, however I've generally been more focused on Kolo Muani so I'm not saying that as a criticism. Their fans rate him however. Ludovic Blas does stand out naturally, a definite talent, I could almost see him doing better at Udinese than Watford though.
Which is hilarious considering he’s literally been their best CDM during the 17/18, 18/19 and 19/20 season. This is his first season that he hasn’t been as good as he normally is. Look at what everyone was saying about Capoue before we signed him. Fans will always have a biased view of their own player, positive or negative. If we sign him, everyone will be singing his praises. Having him and Chalobah as our CDM’s options, makes us better.
I think Toure is fine, but I don’t see the need for him tbh. I’d much prefer someone like Adrien Thomasson from Strasbourg who’s a pressing machine and a decent set piece taker, whilst having very good technical ability
Disagree in the sense of not having a need for him. We don’t have competition for Chalobah. If Chalobah were to get injured long term with our current squad, we would be screwed. Toure is a physical CDM who will do well in the Prem. In fact if you compare his numbers to Capoue for 17/18, 18/19 and 19/20 seasons, with the exception of the 18/19 season which Caps blows him out of the water, he fares very well per 90 (according to Squawka Comparison Matrix who use Opta). At 27, in his prime, cheap due to his contract expiring next summer, for me this would be a no brainer. That’s my opinion anyway.
Yep, we really could do with some extra midfielders, we could get by in the Championship with Sanchez and our forwards dropping back, but the Prem is a totally different ball game. Might not be a player on the up like Ferguson, but he's at a similar stage in his career to Capoue when he came here, and we got 5 good years of service out of him. Don't know about Thomasson, is he more of an advanced midfielder?
Would much rather we try and put together a deal (loan/permanent if we can afford it) for Yangel Herrera personally. I hope we have maintained our interest in Kolo-Muani. Although he does seem more like one for the future rather than someone who can come in and do an immediate job - which is what we need. I just pray we can get a striker who you just look at and think 'if he's fit, he plays and is our regular striker' - I think getting someone in that mould would be the quickest way of convincing the other tat we have lying around that they have no future here. For as long as we keep looking for players not in that profile, the others will think they can get enough minutes to stick around IMO.
£17m is the agreed price Granada can sign him for - but they can't afford it. If we can get him on a loan to buy - or fix the financial package so it doesn't swallow all this summers funds, then I'd be all over it. Maybe even bung Foster in City's direction as a sweetener... Unless City want considerably more now of course.
Chalobah isn’t used as a DM in our system though, he’s more advanced. I don’t see Toure having the technical ability to play that role effectively enough
Not happening according to Leventhal https://twitter.com/adamleventhal/status/1399396343387279366?s=21 #WatfordFC transfer latest Understand Nantes midfielder Imran Louza set to join & deal to be completed now Ligue 1 POs over. Elsewhere, Louza’s teammate striker Randal Kolo Muani focused on options elsewhere - in France (Lille, Lyon) but E Frankfurt favourites @TheAthleticUK
Source? Since when? According to the, erm, ?sometimes? reliable Athletic message just before yours we're not in for him anymore. Though if our main competitors for his signature were Frankfurt and they've now signed Borre instead then maybe it has left Muani for us? Why is it anyway that we keep getting linked with the same players as Frankfurt this summer?!
Yeah they're clearly fishing in the same pond for a striker as we are. Ugbo, Borre and Muani all linked. You'd think they'd have more money to spend on a CF considering they're going to sell Andre Silva (who outscored Haaland last season) for 40m+
"In February 2021, it was rumoured that Kolo Muani was the subject of a controversial video filmed by William Saliba in 2018 that showed a France youth international teammate touching himself and masturbating.[7] Kolo Muani has denied on social media even being in the same dressing room as Saliba in France youth teams.[8]" Going to fit in great with our dressing room.
Reports that his agent Mendes get an absolutely massive cut of the sale proceeds - some German papers are saying he gets everything over 23m
I’m sure there’s more complexity to it than that but if it were that simple it would be ever so satisfying for Frankfurt to sell him for exactly €23m
Would be hilarious if true, given AL has literally just written an article that he doesn't want to come here and we're looking elsewhere.