Matthijs de Ligt

[Sandro30]

de ligt won't be backup, if one of the starting cb is injured i think we would change to back 4

If we want to play 3 centre halves then fair enough. I then start to worry about our full backs in that scenario but this isn't really to do with De Ligt so i'll stop there.

 

[Sandro30]

If it makes any difference he'll be 19 by the time the season starts..

No, no difference.

 

[wishkah]

Not about the player wanting! The club holds the aces.

ING and Rothschilds apparently

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

de Ligt won't choose where to go based on what they'll pay him, if he doesn't think City is right for him at this time he won't be convinced by their wages, that said I don't know that he doesn't think they are right for him at this moment.

Good point - he could be a factor in City's back line as early as this upcoming season, with age and injuries.

 

[dtxspurs]

If he does come we're not rolling out a back three as our preferred line up with a 22 and a 19 year old CB, I just can't believe that would be the case. He would come as Jan's successor and give us the ability to play 3 atb when we deem necessary or to close out games. I can't believe it would be our every game line up.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

This was all part of Poch's "be brave" comment, as Herc's explained. No one in, one out. Sign players you want and worry about selling after.

Don’t agree. Makes no sense we still need to operate like a business at the end the day. Signing a replacement replacement before selling an asset weakens our negotiating position massively. Time will tell though I suppose

 

[Haddock]

We all knew it was a pipe dream as soon as we heard City wanted him. Is Lenglet still available? He was fantastic in the Manu - Sevilla matches.

 

[dirtyh]

this is exactly the 'brave' step mentioned. will danny pay 60m+ euros for an 18 year old even though he looks he will be world class and potentially our mainstay for the next 10 years? the markets very different now but would you have done the martial deal (38m rising to 53m?) in retrospect several years ago? still not sure to be honest and this is where you have to live or die on the scouts where an absolute ton of cash is involved.

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

Don’t agree. Makes no sense we still need to operate like a business at the end the day. Signing a replacement replacement before selling an asset weakens our negotiating position massively. Time will tell though I suppose

The reverse is true also - sell Toby first, and it weakens the bargaining position in getting his replacement in.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

The reverse is true also - sell Toby first, and it weakens the bargaining position in getting his replacement in.

Not really because we have Foyth and Dier as back up

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

Not really because we have Foyth and Dier as back up

If we are trying to buy a CB - then its clear to the seller we are filling a need.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

If we are trying to buy a CB - then its clear to the seller we are filling a need.

Although we could also say we’re buying a midfielder to allow Dier to cover CB - which will be true to an extent

 

[Spursfan1414]

If he does come we're not rolling out a back three as our preferred line up with a 22 and a 19 year old CB, I just can't believe that would be the case. He would come as Jan's successor and give us the ability to play 3 atb when we deem necessary or to close out games. I can't believe it would be our every game line up.

He's not coming to us to be on the bench or rotate, we're not spending £50m+ on a rotational CB and he could go to better clubs if he's happy to accept that sort of playing time. And what's the big hang up on age? If Davinson was exactly the same player and had had exactly the same season for us but was 28 would that make you feel better? If you're good enough then you're old enough.

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

Although we could also say we’re buying a midfielder to allow Dier to cover CB - which will be true to an extent

I think you are missing the point - we are asking a team to buy their CB, that means we want him.

Its not a case where a team is trying to sell us a CB, and we say, "No, we are good! Come back when his price is a little less expensive, and we'll talk!" That would be using leverage on our part to drive down the price.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Not questioning his talent at all, he's a very good player. Just worried what it says to our academy players in anyone in the U15 or higher if we sign De Ligt, never mind CCV.

We sign young players every summer, it's part of the game. They know that.

Now I agree with you that we should give (have given) more room for our own academy players to shine in the senior squad. Counter-intuitively, a way to ensure that happening is strengthening the selection of core players in the senior squad. The better core selection you have, the less risk it is to include one or two youngsters. But if you are continuously signing average players at 25-26-27, those are the players that stand in the way of our youth. No manager can stomach the risk of playing with both average senior players AND kids. If you have the luxury of fielding strong senior players, tossing a kid or two into the mix isn't that much of an issue. That's why I'm advocating this summer for few signings of really good players, and fill remaining holes with kids.

As far as Carter Vickers goes, I think he is not developing as fast as the club was hoping for.

 

[Sweech]

Probably an unpopular opinion but IMO Foyth has shown nothing to suggest he's ready for the step up to premier league football.

If this De Ligt news is true, I hope that's a sign of keeping Toby - because if Jan gets injured we're quite simply ****ed

I disagree.

Every time Foyth has played he’s looked decent. He should at the very least be given a better opportunity to show what he can do against better opposition as he was clearly good enough for what we played him against.

 

[dtxspurs]

He's not coming to us to be on the bench or rotate, we're not spending £50m+ on a rotational CB and he could go to better clubs if he's happy to accept that sort of playing time. And what's the big hang up on age? If Davinson was exactly the same player and had had exactly the same season for us but was 28 would that make you feel better? If you're good enough then you're old enough.

What top teams consistently plays a teenager at CB in their every day line up?

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

for me - its either de Ligt or we sign Toby to an extension.

Any other outcome will feel like a disappointment.

You are correct. Selling Alderweireld and not signing a capable CB replacement would be travesty of running a top 4 club.

 

[Spursfan1414]

What top teams consistently plays a teenager at CB in their every day line up?

None that I know of, what exactly do you think that that proves though?

And I'll repeat the question that you ignored, if Sanchez was exactly the same player but 5 years older would that make you feel better about a De Ligt, Vertonghen, Sanchez backline? If so, why?

 

[dtxspurs]

None that I know of, what exactly do you think that that proves though?

And I'll repeat the question that you ignored, if Sanchez was exactly the same player but 5 years older would that make you feel better about a De Ligt, Vertonghen, Sanchez backline? If so, why?

It proves that no one does it so why do you expect we would?

Tough question as I think Sanchez still is prone to some mistakes which I hoped he would get over in 5 years playing time. I still don't love the thought of a teenager at CB in a game against, City, Liverpool, ManU and top champions league games. CB above all positions requires experience. So yeah when players have more time playing in a spot (age) it makes me feel better about them.

I'm not saying I don't want de Ligt I'm just saying I don't believe we would go straight into a back 3 every game just cause of his cost.