Transfer Rumours | Tactics | Who to buy/sell etc

I hope management doesn't wait until these players are terrible and the fans start to dislike them.

Let them leave on a high note.

Look at Marcelo, most fans dislike him now. A few years ago he was one of the best!

Real Madrid always wait too long to sell their legends. Or the legends linger too long and the coach has to play them because, well, they're legends.

We're being linked to Jadon Sancho, and I assume it's just a rumor, but in case it's not - I'm not a huge fan of such a deal. He's going to be really expensive. I've watched every performance of his since the end of last year, and although he's young and talented, there's just something about him that doesn't feel right. I'm not sure how to put it into words, but I'll try.

He's a very good dribbler. I think that's his strongest quality, by far. His technique is very good. He's also an above average finisher, and has shown great vision on some occasions. I say 'some', because when it's not great, I think it can be average at best, and disappointing at worst. To put things into context, I think Julian Brandt is a much more consistent playmaker, but he doesn't provide the hollywood passes that Sancho provides on occasion. They're entirely different players, of course, but in terms of playmaking, Sancho disappoints me much more often than I was prepared for.

Dortmund's playing style and team setup allows Sancho to see the ball a lot. From what I can tell, he's usually the forward who has the ball at his feet the most - largely because he likes to dribble, but also because he likes to dribble into space and take shots or cross it over to Hakimi - who's been excellent going forward. The long shots are fine if you're CR7 or even Kevin De Bruyne, but his long shots aren't great. I personally don't think his finishing is all that impressive either, but his ability to get into scoring positions, especially through dribbling, is excellent.

That said, he's an exciting prospect with potential to become world class. I think he might become very good for a team that wants to build around him, provided he either improves his medium to long- distance shooting ability or stops attempting them. I see him often described as a team player due to his amount of assists, but I think he's a bit similar to Messi in his qualities, just incredibly poor in comparison. What I like the most about him, is that he makes good decisions most of the time, but his vision lets me down relatively often. He's a tricky winger, but his role seems a bit undefined to me. He might become and excellent all-round player in the future, but as for right now, I think someone like, Mbappe would suit us far better.

Thimmy, the talk now is no transfers this year due to loss of gate income (empty stadiums). All transfers are being put off a year, although they would obviously accept sale offers for some players. Problem will likely be same situation for all clubs.

So I would take any Transfer news as someone’s speculation!

@Thimmy, AS are a bum newspaper, I would not take anything they say seriously.

But to your point, as lovely as Sancho looks, I think we need a scoring winger. Not sure who fits that long term for the right side since Mbappe will want to play CF in the future but the level of our right wing is so poor that maybe we don't have the luxury to nitpick

futbol_bill wrote:Thimmy, the talk now is no transfers this year due to loss of gate income (empty stadiums). All transfers are being put off a year, although they would obviously accept sale offers for some players. Problem will likely be same situation for all clubs.

So I would take any Transfer news as someone’s speculation!

Mr Nick09 wrote:@Thimmy, AS are a bum newspaper, I would not take anything they say seriously.

But to your point, as lovely as Sancho looks, I think we need a scoring winger. Not sure who fits that long term for the right side since Mbappe will want to play CF in the future but the level of our right wing is so poor that maybe we don't have the luxury to nitpick

I know it’s likely that there won’t be a transfer window for us this summer, but we were linked to Sancho before the pandemic, and he’s a young, high profile player who plays in a position that we’ll probably look to bolster in the not so distant future. Sancho just frustrates me a little bit, because as much as he’s praised, I think he often gets hyped up for doing relatively little, and then he actually plays really well in one or two games and extends the hype beyond what I believe his quality warrants.

From what I can tell, he’s a very exciting talent that would probably benefit from growing a bit before he becomes a key player in a team where he doesn’t necessarily have the freedom of expression that he’s benefiting from at Dortmund. Personally, I’d prefer if he was either more of a goalscorer, like Mbappe, or more of an orchestrator. Right now, he’s a dribble- horny, decent playmaker who also wants to get on the scoresheet. It works at Dortmund, but I can’t see it working for us. We don’t dominate as much as they do, there’s less room for error. I suspect his shortcomings would be comparatively magnified.

He was praised by commentators for his hattrick in Dortmund’s last match, and hattricks naturally deserve praise, but a hattrick against league relegation fodder, Paderborn shouldn’t overshadow the weaknesses that he put on display in that first half performance. I like Sancho, but I think a moderate amount of his hype isn’t warranted. I assume his young age has something to do with it.

What are the projections on Mbappe? His contract ends in 2022. I would think that PSG won't want him leaving for free... Time for Perez and Zidane to bring Kylian home at the end of next season?

As for our squad, I've been thinking about it as of late, sadly i think that the club will keep going with its cucked Bale/Asensio/Rodrygo et al approach. I personally would loan Brahim (which i think will happen), sell James and Bale, and also offload Isco and Bring in Odegaard as I think Odegaard would offer more than any of those mentioned, whether it be as an RW, CAM, or LCM.

Considering our recent success, i don't mind not winning the CL for a little while, but our league advantage dropping against Barcelona is unacceptable, and our attacking options don't help. Would be great to see Jovic come good, but i've never liked him, looks like an average tree trunk of a player outside of his finishing inside the box.

They wont want him leaving for nothing so they should and will be looking to improve his contract and get him to extend it.....I bet they're already doing all that behind the scenes

And he has been turning down their offers so far lol, they know he will leave after next season.

Mehn, I just want to remain pessimistic so I dont get disappointed. Until I actually see mbappe at a madrid presser holding up the jersey, I wanna believe he will stay at psg and we'll only sign him when he's like thirty something years old

It would be hilarious (hilarious, I tell ya) if PSG managed to lose both Neymar and Mbappé before winning the CL after spending a fortune on them to win it

I mean, I really don't care at this point where they go. Even if it's not Madrid, just the thought of seeing PSG trying to explain to their fans how the project Neymar-Mbappé miserably failed and amounted to zero CL trophies (not even a semi-final finish) after spending close to half a billion on them is worthwhile not seeing Mbappé in a Madrid shirt

I’m still wondering about the economics of the game.

We are seen statements / projections that there will be little transfer activity this summer, (all clubs not just R. Madrid), that games will be played in empty or near empty stadiums, which has a significant loss of income for clubs, perhaps even more so for smaller clubs and also lower divisions, players salaries are being negotiated lower, at least for this season.

So I wonder if transfer prices, salary demands will also drop. Any statements, one way or another, would simply be pure speculation or wishful thinking. No one knows the economic impact nor the recovery.

I feel that the statements about no transfers, lower salaries etc are what we can expect for next season as all clubs, leagues, UEFA, and FIFA struggle to survive and recover.

But to think that by summer of 2021 will be back to normal, I suggest that is just ignoring economic realities .

You won't have to worry about Madrid. I think they are financially stable enough to get past this crisis without major problems.

It will also be understandable (and even recommended) if they don't make any major transfer this summer, mainly because of the economic impact of the current sanitary crisis.

@DoC, I believe you are missing the point!

Sure Madrid, like most large well run companies has the financial strength to survive this economic recession, but it's the consequences of the recession / recovery that is of concern.

Every club will struggle and not all of them will necessarily make it. Just the same as not all businesses, particularly small businesses will make it. Not all people will get their jobs back, thus reluctance to spend on luxuries, i.e. futbol attendance, watching, following or buying accessories. That's what I meant by everyone struggling thru next season, making due with what they have.

The other consideration is what effect this economic downturn will have on salaries. salary demands and transfer prices. It certainly will not increase them and more than likely we will see a downturn.

And as evident by this forum, not every fan is about to return (as a contributor to futbol income).

As I said earlier "to think that by summer of 2021 things will be back to normal, is ignoring economic realities"

Depending on the terms of the TV deals, there may be scope to renegotiate those (obviously pure speculation) on the basis that more people will opt to stay home and watch the game on tv, so viewership numbers should increase.

It's probably a very remote possibility, if even at all, but it's certainly an avenue I'd explore in their shoes.

Kai Havertz or Donny Van de Beek

It seem like top clubs are going to take advantage of the financial crisis and look to buy players for a lot less than their transfer value, compared to last year.

I like both players. Good replacements for an aging midfield

With Valverde and Odegaard coming through. This could be a really good midfield for the next few seasons.

Only issue is none are defensive. That's a hole that needs sorting.

VDB can definitely play defense. I’m not even his biggest fan but he has that going for him

Odegaard has drastically improved his physique and work rate this season. Ronaldo lite transformation. Has more strength and speed.
Valverde can do everything pretty well tbh

Doubt we will go for Van De Beek, his name was sounding alot at the beginning of the season before Odegaard and Valverde blew up. We might end up going for Camavinga next summer, apparently a journalist close to his family says that the Camavingas want Madrid.

I was recently watching some videos of Reinier Jesus, seems to have good things going for him. Good height (6 ft 1, and could possibly grow an inch still), good speed for a midfielder, good acceleration in tight spaces to escape pressure, good handling of the ball, good agility and ability to turn his body 180, good goal scoring traits, and some hints of passing ability.

Only 18, I think Reinier should be loaned Kubo or Odegaard style and develop his physique, defensive ability, and passing/creation from the center of the pitch, could have a future this one, with a Gerrard or De Bruyne sort of profile. Or not. Like Kovacic and Ceballos, awkward CAM's who didn't have enough of an elite passing repertoire from deeper CM positions.

Kovacic has actually looked really good, on the occasions that I watched Chelsea play last year. He seems to have found the right environment, and the right role there.

Ceballos hasn’t. He’s still a RM player, and he reportedly wants to try and fight his way into our starting XI. He had a bright start for Arsenal, putting all of his best qualities on display and imposing energy into a team that was lacking it, but he’s looked clueless on several occasions when I’ve watched them in more recent time. I don’t think Arsenal was the right place for him, and he’s still an awkward CAM who seems to play the same way, regardless of where you put him. Turns 24 in two months, as well.

His work rate is good, so I can see him staying as a squad player for a while. He is a bit similar to Lucas Vasques, after all - they both work hard, and they’re not exceptional at anything. If not, then we might as well sell him. He’s not going to develop here, and he should’ve adapted to a position that’s more timely relevant, by now. He’s no De Bruyne, and no top club is going to play with a CAM to compliment his inclusion to their team.

In other news, Man United unofficially ended their 11-win streak from before the Corona break in a friendly match against West Brom, which saw Bruno Fernandes and Paul, the world cup winner play together in midfield for the first time. They’ll likely play together again against Tottenham next weekend, and I personally hope they form a devastating partnership for the next decade or two

I've been thinking about our transfers recently and truth be told, Perez leaves alot to be desired in regards transfer philosophy. We've signed too many fragile AM's over the past few years and that is precisely the type of player profile that we should stray away from.

Modern football asks for players who are well rounded physically, technically, and mentally, and this sounds especially true for midfielders. I think that we should be buying true forwards, true complete midfielders, and less AM's who are short and not fast or physical.

This is why i've always thought that purchases like Brahim and Kubo were badly planned out, and I would have never made them. Ceballos and Isco go along these same lines, and it's no surprise that Isco never became a full time starter. Too limited of a player.

Kroos and Modric come from this same kind of mold but they were elite enough (particularly Modric) to make it in deeper positions, even at the noticeable expense of physicality in the midfield. I look at Chelsea's midfield from the 2000's, they had Makalele, Lampard, Essien, Ballack, now that's complete. Before Valverde the only physical presence we had was Casemiro.

We seem to lack some sensibilities in our sporting direction, we need less AM's, and i'd make it a policy to not ever buy short, physically lacking AM's ever again. The hope is that Odegaard can successfully hold his own pulling off Modric's role.

Thimmy wrote:Kovacic has actually looked really good, on the occasions that I watched Chelsea play last year. He seems to have found the right environment, and the right role there.

Ceballos hasn’t. He’s still a RM player, and he reportedly wants to try and fight his way into our starting XI. He had a bright start for Arsenal, putting all of his best qualities on display and imposing energy into a team that was lacking it, but he’s looked clueless on several occasions when I’ve watched them in more recent time. I don’t think Arsenal was the right place for him, and he’s still an awkward CAM who seems to play the same way, regardless of where you put him. Turns 24 in two months, as well.

His work rate is good, so I can see him staying as a squad player for a while. He is a bit similar to Lucas Vasques, after all - they both work hard, and they’re not exceptional at anything. If not, then we might as well sell him. He’s not going to develop here, and he should’ve adapted to a position that’s more timely relevant, by now. He’s no De Bruyne, and no top club is going to play with a CAM to compliment his inclusion to their team.

In other news, Man United unofficially ended their 11-win streak from before the Corona break in a friendly match against West Brom, which saw Bruno Fernandes and Paul, the world cup winner play together in midfield for the first time. They’ll likely play together again against Tottenham next weekend, and I personally hope they form a devastating partnership for the next decade or two

Thimmy, i think your read on Ceballos is not correct, not his play last season, but what his ambitions are. It’s true that he doesn’t want to be sold yet and I think he is still hopeful of RM in the long run. He recently said in a recent interview that he desperately wants a club where he will have a meaningful role for next season (and looks like he doesn’t think he will get that at Arsenal). Betis seems to be the likely suitable club. What he is after right now is a spot on seleccion for Euros and Olympics.

But I agree with you re his performances thus far, at the club level. His play however when playing for seleccion has been good. I suspect it is because of the system they play and where he is most comfortable.

He won’t make it at Madrid with Zidane in charge and with the rumoured youth in front of him Valverde, Odegaard, de Beek, Camavinga, Havertz, maybe even Reinier. I also see the future of CAM or AM, (if there is such a role at Madrid) being Rodrygo or Kubo, so again he would lose out there as well.

Bottom line is he is not suitable to Real Madrid. Too bad (for him) that he was so dismissive of Barca as he is a much better match for them.

Ah, well that’s fair. I can’t imagine him breaking into our first team unless he improves and becomes more positionally flexible. A club like, Betis would give both him and the club more time to assess where he stands in regard to his future at Real Madrid. Keeping him as a squad player wouldn’t be doing him any favors.

Achraf sold to Inter and now looks like Oscar going to Villareal for 10M.

I wonder if in this depressed income year, are they looking to sell those who won’t make the first team. If so makes sense, with 50M already nearly booked. Let’s hope they also include Bale and James in the fire sale.

The whole Hakimi ordeal may have been orchestrated by Hakimi's agent to pressure Madrid. If we let him go then surely Zidane and the club didn't bother convincing him to stay because they don't see enough in him. For all the recent noise surrounding Hakimi, i've always considered that he is technically lacking and from what I hear he is still not a trust worthy defender. I'd personally bring him back to suss him out.

James will surely go, as well as Ceballos, if the latter stays then it's purely because he's Spanish. Arsenal fans are already bullying him and nicknaming him "spinning bottle cap" because even they see that other than his ability to turn his hips he offers little.

Apparently there are rumors Milan want Jovic and are willing to pay 40 million. There were those who were excited when Jovic came, I always said that aside from his finishing ability in the box he seemed a trunk of a player, far from elite in pace, acceleration,  technique, agility, etc. Wonder if we can manage to send Bale packing some how.

Apparently, it's still not official yet. Marca is claiming that Madrid is awaiting Hakimi's decision and still haven't received any offers from Inter ( but this is from an article that was published yesterday so maybe things have changed since then).

Anyway, Madrid doesn't keep players against their will, so if he asks to leave, he'll be let go.

If you ask me though, I hope he doesn't leave. I don't think he's good enough to be a starter, but he's definitely good enough to keep Carvajal motivated. Also, he would offer Madrid the same luxury Nacho has given us: which is to back the main starter with a quality sub. That luxury gave Zidane his first league title with Madrid.

But if Madrid decides to sell him anyway, I'll understand. The club spent a lot last summer and they have to balance the books this year.

Yeah it's unexpected but losing Hakimi is not a "blow". Carvajal is plenty good and 45 mil for hakimi is good.

Odriozola is either return to be a back up or we will rely on Nacho. The market for RB is quite dire so no reason to overspend there just for a back up.

The Madrid One wrote:The whole Hakimi ordeal may have been orchestrated by Hakimi's agent to pressure Madrid. If we let him go then surely Zidane and the club didn't bother convincing him to stay because they don't see enough in him. For all the recent noise surrounding Hakimi, i've always considered that he is technically lacking and from what I hear he is still not a trust worthy defender. I'd personally bring him back to suss him out.

James will surely go, as well as Ceballos, if the latter stays then it's purely because he's Spanish. Arsenal fans are already bullying him and nicknaming him "spinning bottle cap" because even they see that other than his ability to turn his hips he offers little.

Apparently there are rumors Milan want Jovic and are willing to pay 40 million. There were those who were excited when Jovic came, I always said that aside from his finishing ability in the box he seemed a trunk of a player, far from elite in pace, acceleration,  technique, agility, etc. Wonder if we can manage to send Bale packing some how.

MTO, i have already posted what I think will happen to Ceballos. As stated earlier the club will be missing gate revenue this year and as a result there likely will be no additions. So the club looks like it is trying to generate additional income to backfill the lost gate revenue. That would appear to be primarily players on loan or in the system that won’t make it to 1st team. Getting 45M for Achraf Hakimi and 10M for Oscar is a very good start. Ceballos could also fit into this strategy as now reported both Betis and Valencia are interested. But there are many more in system and on loan, Mayoral, Vallejo for example.

But for players on 1st team, that likely will be wishful thinking on our part, James and Bale at top of list. Problem with Jovic moving is like always, Milan is looking for a loan deal and there is no other backup (Mariano is more likely to be sold and definitely is inferior to Jovic, plus doesn’t have Zidane’s confidence). If they are going to move any of these 1st team players, it will be because there are buy offers for a decent price, although we can hope that club will reduce demands to a reasonable current market assessment plus ensuring there remains a decent usable squad size. Plus there is the issue of some kids at club in need of loan deals to develop such as Brahim.