Transfer Rumours V4

I am just hopping they are saying this so the teams do not pump the prices of their CBs cuz we need a couple badly.

Zubizarreta (sports director): "Puyol gained the right to decide his future. He told me he want us to sign a new centre back quickly." [catr]

Puyol having to force it down their throats.

The Franchise wrote:We got a million play-makers,what we need another one of them for?

We need a player who has some level of athletic ability who can mix it up and graft while still being capable going the other way.

I am faster than all of our mid fielders and im a part timer.

Iniesta doesnt even play in between the lines, he is left, he is deep (where he drives from).

We lack control when Xavi isnt in the game, no question, but unless we have a Thiago (), or a player like this, we will lack that and have to compensate in other area's.

I am beginning to see the merit of a Vidal type player.But there are 2 issues the way I see it.First is getting Juve to sell him.No chance of them accepting anything less than 60 and I am not sure he is worth that high a price.But I can propose an alternative.
What do you think of Henderson?I initially thought he was an average player but I have been mighty impressed by him this season.Has had a great campaign and he ticks all the boxes that you mention.He is athletic,has a great engine,can graft,offers things up front and can go up and down all day.He doesnt score as many goals as Vidal and his offensive output is still a bit lacking but that can improve given he is young.Plus he is tall which helps.

The second issue I have is the one futbol mentioned.On the off chance Vidal comes, Vidal,Busquets,Iniesta will be our midfield.Now who is the conductor and tempo setter in that midfield?As great a player as Iniesta is,he is not that player.Just have to watch the Sociedad game.We play a Busquets,Song pivot and in a game where Iniesta should have taken over from Xavi and controlled the game,he tries doing his usual stuff.Instead of playing central and controlling play,he plays like he normally does,drifting to the left,dribbling down that flank and linking up with the fullback.
Just dont think Iniesta can play the conductor role.Maybe he can but then again it would take away a lot from what makes him such a special player.
Hypothetically speaking,if we do get Vidal and play a Busquets,Vidal,Iniesta midfield how would it work in your opinion?Specifically how would their positioning,movement and roles be like?

I actually really rate Henderson, even when he was getting criticism I felt like he was doing alot of positive. But the chances of us signing him is 0. I just dont see us having the foresight to sign someone of his stature or even Nationality.

I agree, Iniesta as a constructor of play isnt what he is about. I think he can do it, but it's a total waste of the rest of his game because everytime he does it, he has to restrict himself. We see this when he plays with Cesc in the 2 already.

Truely I dont know how to make it work, but I do know we miss that kind of player. If we had kept Thiago, this would of been alot simpler because my idea would be him, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets and this dynamic Vidal type player filling in as a back up to Busquets or in the midfield 2 in front if required.

For it to work with Busquets and Iniesta, it would require an expansion of the play of Busquets, no question about that.

He would have to play more directly (balls over the top, directly into the frontline and thus initially skipping the midfield 2). If Busquets played those balls more often his % would go down, but the way Martino has us playing it might not even be such a bad look.

If Messi at least jogged back onside we could play directly to him, who can control nearly any ball, and with his back to goal can lay it off back into the midfield and we can construct play from there.

Then Messi could drop deep (instead of doing so before the ball is anywhere near this zone as he currently does) and this would allow for a midfield runner (insert Vidal type) and/or Alexis to move in behind.

In fact, in certain situations playing directly into the front would help us. Because I cant help but notice, if we cant pass our way through the midfield our plan is to keep pointless possession in our own half. This also hurts us in defence, because when we do lose the ball the opponant is that much closer to the goal naturally and with great numbers.

We need to dominant possession in the final third and keep teams pinned in. While the possibility to lose balls are higher, the direct ball into the front, then back into the advancing midfield and THEN circulating the ball wide, in, back and across will pull the opponents back and the ball would be in the more dangerous area automatically.

Really, it would be all about Busquets ambition with the ball. Right now, he plays the simple ball and does so well and that is his job. So the fault is not with him, untill he has a different set of instructions.

Interesting.So you are envisaging more of a Pirlo role for him.Our midfield would then be more like the Juve midfield.
Busquets in the DLP role.Vidal the agressive box to box and then Iniesta.Can see it working.I dont know about the direct balls to Messi though.He is going to be too tightly marked by the CB.With his back to goal,the CB will be very tight to him in case of such a ball and I can see us losing quite a bit of possession that way.Might offer some variety but all the time I am not in favor of it as it will lead to lost possession.

Zubi says we are close on signing valdes replacement..
we are linked to all hell with David Luiz, hope we get that guy from spurs over him or honestly i would be happy with both.
we still need a midfielder to replace Xavi and loan out Sergi Roberto
we need to sell our large amount of wingers, one of Pedro or Sanchez, get rid of injury prone Cuenca, sell Tello, sell Afellay, sell Bojan. Deulofeu should play as our bench player not be loaned out another season at Everton.

You guys know that if Vidal comes he will be our new CB, right?

alexjanosik wrote:Interesting.So you are envisaging more of a Pirlo role for him.Our midfield would then be more like the Juve midfield.
Busquets in the DLP role.Vidal the agressive box to box and then Iniesta.Can see it working.I dont know about the direct balls to Messi though.He is going to be too tightly marked by the CB.With his back to goal,the CB will be very tight to him in case of such a ball and I can see us losing quite a bit of possession that way.Might offer some variety but all the time I am not in favor of it as it will lead to lost possession.

If not Busquets, then perhaps Sergi Samper in a few years.

But yes, that's a bit more like Juve. But I dont think that needs to the way we go forward by any means. Merely what might have to happen to progress when Xavi doesnt play/if we cant replace him with an ideal candidate in time.

As for the balls to Messi, tight or not, why couldnt Messi be able to hold on to the ball and lay it off? He has become incredibly hard to knock off the ball and obviously has the technique for it. The bigger problem to me is him, he wants to be a 10 and this is even closer to a 9.

But I agree overall with you. However, is it not the biggest games in which we would theoretically need the more dynamic midfielder in and also we struggle to most in breaking down the 2 solid banks?

According to MD we are following Kroos!   
IMO Kroos is a good market opportunity as well as Gundogan (as far as he is not a cripled forever) and we should try to sign at least one of them.

Which do you prefer?

I liked Gundogan more, but unless doctors can give assurance he will recover well and for next season, I think Kroos should be the target. They are both very top midfielders anyway.

That would be the most *bleeped* up thing ever. Thiago at Bayern and Kroos at Barca? What's the point?

Pay them with their own coin.

Thiago should be at Barca and Kroos at Bayern. I think both sets of fans would prefer it that way. Would be weird if the Bayern prospect took over at Barca and the La Masia prospect at Bayern. What's the point?

That Thiago is better and they get the better end of the deal?

Thiago should have stayed, but he joined Bayern and we need a Midfielder for next season...
*Maybe he'll be back with Pep in 2016*

Kross and Gundogan (if fit) are the best available options.

Fußball wrote:Thiago should be at Barca and Kroos at Bayern. I think both sets of fans would prefer it that way. Would be weird if the Bayern prospect took over at Barca and the La Masia prospect at Bayern. What's the point?

I agree, but the point is this is no longer possible. In real world Thiago is at Bayern and there's almost 0 chance for us to sign him back in the near future. But Kroos is a possible and good option that we should really consider.

Khaled wrote:

That's a pretty shitty list, Ter Stegen aside.
Laporte is just a prospect and needs to improve a lot, I think we should sign a more ready CB. Bruno is a poor man's Busquets, it only makes sense if we sell Song. Vidal is a very good player but he would be extremely expensive and I'm not that sure he fits us that well.

Thank god papers usually know nothing.

I agree, pretty crap list.

Why do we need Bruno at all? Even if Song goes, lets imagine we did sign Vidal. He could easily play that role aswell as further forward so Bruno is totally pointless.

The prices im hearing for Laporte is crazy. Also we need someone who's been around the block. Again we will have the same problem of noone taking charge of the backline in the absence of Puyol.

Even though I have said we need a Vidal type player, I dont think it should be him in particular. The price he will cost, obviously we cant pay for that aswell as a CB at the level I think we need.

but who is a vidal type player at low cost? seems to me like box to box player that are really good will be priced in that 35mil-50mil range by their clubs. And who are we talking about? Pogba, Vidal, Strootman, Matuidi? who else is out there? you will most likely have to gamble on someone and hope he becomes good. maybe someone like Paulinho

Here is the list of possible transfers by Sport:

I am good with a "gamble" because in reality, it shouldnt be a gamble. We should simply take a good look at players and ignore what it says on the back of their shirt and job is much easier.

I liked Fernandinho in the limited action I saw long before City signed him, same for Vidal, same for Paulinho (who I think is pretty talented now that you mentioned him).

TBH, why not Rakitic? Why not Sporting's kid William Carvalho? Why not a Romulo?

These just off the top of my head without really thinking much.

ah rakitic, forgot about him. Really good player, but a lot more attaacking oriented no? I see what you mean, but i think your club will go for names because they cant afford to get burned

He is high energy, I think he would do well. For Croatia he plays deeper than Sevilla I have been told and does so just aswell. No matter really, I think he would be capable, he puts in a defensive shift.

I dont know what the club will do because the people directing the ship dont know what they are doing.

If they look closely at previously signings, they will see guys like Marquez, Yaya, Etoo and others coming from relative obscurity in terms of what club they were at, and doing very well for themselves.

Obviously it can go the other way, see Caceres for example, but that's why intelligent scouting is there for.

Ter Stegan
Benatia
Gundogan (if fit) or Kroos

That should be our main targets, Ter stegan is a done deal. So next we need a CB & CM. Then, when these players are bought and if the club have enough money... buying a young CB or a defensive minded FB or an experienced CF would be logical.

Why would we sell Pedro or Alexis! That's just stupid, just adding another problem. If Deulofeu returns he'll replace Tello.