Winter Transfer Window Scouting Thread 23/24

[Cochise]

Gallagher does make more sense to me than Phillips just because I think Gallagher can cover both the #8 roles whilst I don't think Phillips can be more than the #6. And we've already got Bissouma and Bentancur for that.

 

[hero]

I've been watching some of his CL matches on the TNT sports app so I can watch him across 90 mins (watched some of their recent highlights too) and I'm getting worrying Vincent Janssen vibes. A lot of his play is extremely scruffy, he seems to miss quite a lot of sitters and he just isn't that convincing. I don't think he has anything attributes wise that would make him stand out in the PL.

The more I've seen of him, the more my gut feeling tells me we shouldn't go for him.

I have done the same. I saw nothing in him what could make such a splash.

 

[rossdapep]

CF is not high importance.

CMs, a CB and a winger are much higher importance IMO

Although, if Solomon and Perisic were fit I doubt we would even need wingers.

 

[jpascavitz]

Gallagher does make more sense to me than Phillips just because I think Gallagher can cover both the #8 roles whilst I don't think Phillips can be more than the #6. And we've already got Bissouma and Bentancur for that.

Totally agree. Before the season I would have argued that Bentancur is probably more of a fit in the box-to-box type role as he was chipping in with some goals before his ACL injury. However, seeing glimpses of him under Ange and Ange's system in general as we play higher up it's not even a traditional CDM role really. More recoveries, keeping the ball ticking around very quickly and I think Bentancur fits that role like a glove.

Gallagher gives me the Sarr vibes where he will provide some transition, defending, and burst into the box to create/finish opportunties. I'd be very happy with those four in those two positions.

 

[HildoSpur]

Totally agree. Before the season I would have argued that Bentancur is probably more of a fit in the box-to-box type role as he was chipping in with some goals before his ACL injury. However, seeing glimpses of him under Ange and Ange's system in general as we play higher up it's not even a traditional CDM role really. More recoveries, keeping the ball ticking around very quickly and I think Bentancur fits that role like a glove.

Gallagher gives me the Sarr vibes where he will provide some transition, defending, and burst into the box to create/finish opportunties. I'd be very happy with those four in those two positions.

Yeah I agree. Gallagher would be the Sarr rotation option in that position and for what it's worth I think he would be a very astute signing.

 

[Lappi]

I really don't think cm is high priority.

For 3 positions we have...

First choice, long term:

Bissouma
Bentancur
Sarr
Maddison
Kulusevski

Backup now:
GLC
Holberg
Skipp

Long term youth:
Devine
Donley?
Moore

That's a lot more quality and potential than anywhere else in our team. Buying just because we have injuries now and some players away in Jan is not a good idea.

If we sold GLC, holberg and skipp then we probably need one more first team cm, but that should be a passy 6/8 not a runner like Gallagher.

 

[dontcallme]

I really don't think cm is high priority.

For 3 positions we have...

First choice, long term:

Bissouma
Bentancur
Sarr
Maddison
Kulusevski

Backup now:
GLC
Holberg
Skipp

Long term youth:
Devine
Donley?
Moore

That's a lot more quality and potential than anywhere else in our team. Buying just because we have injuries now and some players away in Jan is not a good idea.

If we sold GLC, holberg and skipp then we probably need one more first team cm, but that should be a passy 6/8 not a runner like Gallagher.

I don't agree.

I think the issue is with our depth on the deeper role. We currently start Bissouma and Sarr and have Bentancur as competition for the 2 places. This is top quality.

But once Skipp or Hojbjerg play, the drop off in quality and suitability for the role is all too clear to see. It's fine thinking Hojbjerg is fine for 4th choice until he has to start an important game.

It's such an important position and one that takes a huge amount of energy that 4 high quality players for the role is vital if we want to push on.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

 

[Pochemon94]

I’m really curious to know if they are still actively trying to get him to sign a contract extension. It’s been rumbling on for a while and Gallagher himself seemed pretty sure it would happen judging by his quotes a while back but now it’s all gone quiet. I wonder if it’s a case of them not offering him equal terms as those others around him or if they just see him as expendable so put it on hold.

Ether way £40 sounds about right. I’m sure that’s what they wanted in the summer for him so doubt it would have gone up considering his contract as you say.

I'm sure they would want to keep him but they can't due to FFP regulations and needing that extra 50 mil of pure profit for the books so they can sign someone to get the heat off of their backs/so poche can't throw them under the bus in a press conference for "not getting his guys" in January.

He is just a casualty of their self made problems.

 

[Stoof]

WLB thought that Gallagher was a possible deadline day manoeuvre if we shifted Hoj.

Can imagine that save game is being reloaded; I like him and think he would be a great Postecoglite.

 

[JayB]

I don't agree.

I think the issue is with our depth on the deeper role. We currently start Bissouma and Sarr and have Bentancur as competition for the 2 places. This is top quality.

But once Skipp or Hojbjerg play, the drop off in quality and suitability for the role is all too clear to see. It's fine thinking Hojbjerg is fine for 4th choice until he has to start an important game.

It's such an important position and one that takes a huge amount of energy that 4 high quality players for the role is vital if we want to push on.

I see your point but I still don't think it's a high priority, at least not this January. We've got Bentancur and Bissouma for the No. 6 role, and for the No. 8 role we have Sarr and Bentancur, plus both Lo Celso and Kulusevski would work well as No. 8s with Maddison (or the other of GLC/Kulu) in the No. 10 role, IMO.

Even assuming Hojbjerg were to leave without being replaced, you still don't get down to the likes of Skipp in the pecking order until you're absolutely flooded with players being unavailable. It just so happens that we've had both Bentancur and Maddison injured at a time when Bissouma missed a couple of games through suspension and Sarr picked up an injury on international duty, while simultaneously experiencing an injury crisis among our wingers which prevented us from playing Deki through the middle as much as we otherwise might have done.

Any more than we currently have and you'd have players lacking game time and potentially kicking up a fuss. Pretty much any club would have struggled with our injuries and suspensions in recent weeks.

Had it not been for Matty Cash I don't think we'd even be talking about strengthening in CM, even despite the long list of other injuries/suspensions that affected central midfield. I can see the argument for an additional No. 8, but for me a one-v-one specialist winger who can get to the byline (which we're clearly lacking) would itself strengthen our CM options by allowing Kulusevski to play through the middle more frequently.

With funds supposedly being limited in January, we should be spending them on areas where we aren't nearly as well-stocked IMO.

 

[Yid-ol]

I see your point but I still don't think it's a high priority, at least not this January. We've got Bentancur and Bissouma for the No. 6 role, and for the No. 8 role we have Sarr and Bentancur, plus both Lo Celso and Kulusevski would work well as No. 8s with Maddison (or the other of GLC/Kulu) in the No. 10 role, IMO.

Even assuming Hojbjerg were to leave without being replaced, you still don't get down to the likes of Skipp in the pecking order until you're absolutely flooded with players being unavailable. It just so happens that we've had both Bentancur and Maddison injured at a time when Bissouma missed a couple of games through suspension and Sarr picked up an injury on international duty, while simultaneously experiencing an injury crisis among our wingers which prevented us from playing Deki through the middle as much as we otherwise might have done.

Any more than we currently have and you'd have players lacking game time and potentially kicking up a fuss. Pretty much any club would have struggled with our injuries and suspensions in recent weeks.

Had it not been for Matty Cash I don't think we'd even be talking about strengthening in CM, even despite the long list of other injuries/suspensions that affected central midfield. I can see the argument for an additional No. 8, but for me a one-v-one specialist winger who can get to the byline (which we're clearly lacking) would itself strengthen our CM options by allowing Kulusevski to play through the middle more frequently.

With funds supposedly being limited in January, we should be spending them on areas where we aren't nearly as well-stocked IMO.

It won't be a priority, but if someone comes in for Hojbjerg, and a player we want in CM becomes available or someone else starts bidding, we would be silly to not go for them also. We can still address the key areas we need also.

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

Bakayoko is so, so good, he is literally made for Ange and our system.

He has skinned scum players quite a few times and is so good for his age.

 

[King of the Lane]

Bakayoko is so, so good, he is literally made for Ange and our system.

He has skinned scum players quite a few times and is so good for his age.

We should go all out for him imo

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

We should go all out for him imo

He is the perfect age for us to develop him further and he really has all of the skills for Ange to turn him in to a top class winger.

 

[dontcallme]

I see your point but I still don't think it's a high priority, at least not this January. We've got Bentancur and Bissouma for the No. 6 role, and for the No. 8 role we have Sarr and Bentancur, plus both Lo Celso and Kulusevski would work well as No. 8s with Maddison (or the other of GLC/Kulu) in the No. 10 role, IMO.

Even assuming Hojbjerg were to leave without being replaced, you still don't get down to the likes of Skipp in the pecking order until you're absolutely flooded with players being unavailable. It just so happens that we've had both Bentancur and Maddison injured at a time when Bissouma missed a couple of games through suspension and Sarr picked up an injury on international duty, while simultaneously experiencing an injury crisis among our wingers which prevented us from playing Deki through the middle as much as we otherwise might have done.

Any more than we currently have and you'd have players lacking game time and potentially kicking up a fuss. Pretty much any club would have struggled with our injuries and suspensions in recent weeks.

Had it not been for Matty Cash I don't think we'd even be talking about strengthening in CM, even despite the long list of other injuries/suspensions that affected central midfield. I can see the argument for an additional No. 8, but for me a one-v-one specialist winger who can get to the byline (which we're clearly lacking) would itself strengthen our CM options by allowing Kulusevski to play through the middle more frequently.

With funds supposedly being limited in January, we should be spending them on areas where we aren't nearly as well-stocked IMO.

All fair points.

I just think we look a completely different team when playing 2 of Sarr, Bissouma and Bentancur.

I don’t think Lo Celso or the others is the right fit and we look considerably worse when they play.

I think Gallagher is an interesting prospect and if available would complete that position.

 

[Flobadob]

Bakayoko is so, so good, he is literally made for Ange and our system.

He has skinned scum players quite a few times and is so good for his age.

Completely agree, I really wanted him in the summer. Soule looks a good young player but I think Bakayoko is ahead of him in terms of fit for the system. Soule looks a Dybala/Lamela style winger whereas we need someone closer to what Arsenal have in Martinelli and Saka. We need someone that’s going to breeze past the fullback all game long. He’s tremendous at that and has end product too, for me he’s the standout option for a tricky winger for our current system.

 

[Guntz]

I think Liverpool will go for Bakayoko next summer when Salah leaves on a free to Saudi.

They were linked with him last summer.

 

[he is you know!]

I think Liverpool will go for Bakayoko next summer when Salah leaves on a free to Saudi.

They were linked with him last summer.

He won't be leaving on a free, contract until 25.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

He won't be leaving on a free, contract until 25.

There’s a lot of talk that they will offer Liverpool absolutely crazy money for him next summer. A lot of pool fans think he will be sold because he only has a year left and the money will be too good to turn down.