The summer transfer window 2019 thread

[Graza]

For those saying we need another CM, given we currently have 7 senior CMs on the books, if we were to sign another who would you like to see leave? Sanchez? Noble? Snodgrass? Wilshire perhaps?

Or are people saying they think we need to carry 8 senior CMs in a squad?

The call has always been for a defensive central midfielder.

We have Lanzini, Formals and Snodgrass who all play more of an advanced midfield role. Noble, Wilshere and Cullen who are more in-between central midfielders. Rice and Sanchez for defensive midfield.

If we play with 1 in each category we have more than enough in the AMF role in Lanzini and Formals with cover if needed from Snod. Noble is the only utility central midfielder I have any faith will play often. For a sitting midfielder Rice is great but Sanchez the bed last year then got injured. If he picks up, great. IF. But given that I fully expect Wilshere to break down for at least half the season again we need to keep everything crossed that Noble and Rice stay healthy.

I'm also concerned that given our defensive frailties we should be looking to deploy 2 covering midfielders at times this season, meaning if either of the two specialists are injured someone less suited would need to be drafted in.

In short Sanchez has a massive question mark over his head in a West Ham shirt.

Who would I be happy to see go? Snodgrass, Sanchez and because I fully expect him to keep breaking down Wilshere. We played virtually the whole season without 2 of them last year anyway and Fornals looks a much better player than snods.

[WTID]

Djene Dakonam solves 2 problems we have. Strong, quick and can tackle. DM or CB.

[Wilko1304]

Snodgrass, for me, is not effective as an attacking midfielder. His passing isn't incisive enough and he hasn't the speed of foot or thought. I also think his set pieces can be replaced, with Anderson, Lanzini and Fornals all technically good enough. I actually liked Anderson's corners, they were so pacy that the felt like they'd be terrifying to defend the times they were right.

I do like him deeper, but I think the guile of Wilshere is what Pellegrini wants. He is also a little reckless and he makes up for positional weakness with hard work, but that can be exposed.

[Peaches]

I really think we should be after a younger centre back. For me our best options are Jordan Torunarigha from Hertha Berlin who can play Centre back or lift back and defensive midfield, Dael Fry from ‘Boro, although he’s currently out with a hamstring strain, he can play anywhere across the back 4 and is home grown. I also like Joe Worral at Forrest who is equally good at right or left sided centre back and again is home grown. All 3 are 22 (or will be this month) and are very experienced for their age, and would all likely cost a bit more than the mooted 5 or 6 m we have available, but I doubt any would cost as much as Maripan. They are all in the Chris Mepham/ Ezri Konsa price range( £12m), Worral May be available for a bit less as he is out of contract at the end of the year.

[Lord Zoltan]

I really think we should be after a younger centre back. For me our best options are Jordan Torunarigha from Hertha Berlin who can play Centre back or lift back and defensive midfield, Dael Fry from ‘Boro, although he’s currently out with a hamstring strain, he can play anywhere across the back 4 and is home grown. I also like Joe Worral at Forrest who is equally good at right or left sided centre back and again is home grown. All 3 are 22 (or will be this month) and are very experienced for their age, and would all likely cost a bit more than the mooted 5 or 6 m we have available, but I doubt any would cost as much as Maripan. They are all in the Chris Mepham/ Ezri Konsa price range( £12m), Worral May be available for a bit less as he is out of contract at the end of the year.

We are going for the American Long

[funky chicken]

Ex tweeted 2 hours ago after today Pellers is even more convinced we need to sign another centre back. And that they should get an answer soon on whether that Aaron Long. As well as exploring other options for that position.

I reckon we'll end up with Gary Cahill. He'll add to the homegrown quota. Plus he's 30+ years old and free, so right up Sully's street!

Hopefully that doesn't mean we'll be ignoring midfield now. Even if we have to loan a player in.

Sounds like Chelsea will moreless accept any loan, or permanent deal for Bakayoko, so just go for him!

[Graza]

I reckon we'll end up with Gary Cahill. He'll add to the homegrown quota. Plus he's 30+ years old and free, so right up Sully's street!

We need a vomiting one of these :shock: really...

Long is an interesting idea, but who the hell does out research to go for a player unlikely to get a work permit? Bonkers.

[paulhs1]

Ex tweeted 2 hours ago after today Pellers is even more convinced we need to sign another centre back. And that they should get an answer soon on whether that Aaron Long. As well as exploring other options for that position.

I reckon we'll end up with Gary Cahill. He'll add to the homegrown quota. Plus he's 30+ years old and free, so right up Sully's street!

Hopefully that doesn't mean we'll be ignoring midfield now. Even if we have to loan a player in.

Sounds like Chelsea will moreless accept any loan, or permanent deal for Bakayoko, so just go for him!

Midfield is not the problem. Its defence, we dont have enough defenders and notably full backs.

I appreciate it's highly unlikely now taking into account that we have 5 days left but id personally bring in Cahill for Ogbonna and move on Cresswell and bring in a proper left back that can defend.

Sorting out at least one full back position should be of the highest priority for now.

[Wilko1304]

We have 5 full backs and 5 centre halves, including Rice.

[Cellar-door]

Long has a £4m release clause.

Someone at Sky reported that and everyone has taken it as gospel.
Only problem..... it isn't true.

Not only does every MLS reporter say it isn't true. His agent just publicly complained that Red Bull had set his price at $15M (so obviously no release clause).

[Up the Junction]

His agent just publicly complained that Red Bull had set his price at $15M (so obviously no release clause).

Link/source please?

[paulhs1]

We have 5 full backs and 5 centre halves, including Rice.

I disagree, we have 2 full backs(Zabaletta and Johnson) and 3 wing backs....Cresswell, Masuaku and Frederick's are not defenders.
Address this issue and we go a long way to sorting out the teams defensive frailties.

[MB]

.

Not only does every MLS reporter say it isn't true. His agent just publicly complained that Red Bull had set his price at $15M (so obviously no release clause).

But that was £4m when we made the offer

[Cellar-door]

Link/source please?

Long's agent called ESPN
https://www.espn.com/soccer/soccer-tran ... move-agent" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
He also tweeted about it: " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[HoustonHammer24]

They’re asking for $15m (roughly £12.4m), but the record transfer fee for a defender from the MLS was Matt Miazga to Chelsea for around $5m. Miazga was very highly rated, and was a youngster (age 20) with incredible potential and was bossing the MLS.

Long is a late bloomer, just now coming on to the scene at 26-27, and is probably reaching the age where this is the last chance to get a move. They will be lucky to get £5m, and the player and agent already sound like they are pushing for a move.

Also, we wouldn’t even be interested if he was £10m+

[Universidad-de-Chile]

I agree with paulhs1, we have only 2 GOOD full backs..

- Reid is 30 and stats says, hes performances are in decay since years + the big injury he had.

- Ogbonna has also not the discipline, pressing and hes not agressive enough for this role.



And from the 4 candidates:

- Cahill is a same case as Reid, in decline, played almost nothing last 2 seasons.

And from Long and Dakonam, the best is Maripan, imho.


Actually Dakonam is a very good defender, but hes not that composed, bit undisciplined, and smaller, older and cost more than Maripan. And, if you see the stats by whoscored, his season 2017-18 was better than the last one, so from that you cant say his on decline, but by Maripan is the opposite, as he has improved massively from the season 2017-18 to 2018-19.



Even more, if you compare Maripan to Balbuena and Diop´s last season, :

- Maripan has double more long balls (3.7 per game) than Diop (1.6), and more than Balbuena (2.2) / Dakonam (3.1)
- Double more aerial duels won (4.2) than Diop (2.3) and Balbuena (3) / Dakonam (2.6)
- More clears (5.7) than Diop (4.7), with Balbuena the most (7.5) / Dakonam (4.4)
- More blocks (0.8) than Balbuena (0.6), with Diop the most (1.1) / Dakonam (0.3)
- Almots the same (1.7) interceptions than Diop (1.9), with Balbuena the most (2.3) / Dakonam (2.2)
- More assists (2) than Diop and Balbuena (0) / Dakonam (0)
- More tackles (2) than Balbuena (1.7), with Diop the most (2.1) / Dakonam (1.6)
- Similar amount of yellow cards (5) than Diop (4), wuth Balbuena the less (2) / Dakonam (11)


Here you can also see it and take your own conclusions:

https://www.whoscored.com/PlayerComparison

[bubbles1966]

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Sevilla, Valencia, Newcastle, Everton & West Ham are all interested in Portuguese attacking midfielder Rony Lopes, who Monaco want to sell for between €25m to €30m, according to L'Équipe.

[Hayden]

I love that we're still being linked to players over £5 million :lol:

[YorksHammer]

Full backs
We need to address 1 now. The only proper full back we have is Zabaletta. The rest are wing backs.

I think this is just the way modern fullbacks are - essentially every highly rated fullback since about 2008 has been what would have once been seen as a wingback, much better going forward than going backwards, more comfortable with the ball, able to move up and down the pitch, with a primary role of attacking rather than defending.

The days where your back four was a flat line have gone. A back four of Irwin, Stam, Johnson, and Neville would not get you anywhere in the modern Premier League.

I'm almost surprised we haven't signed a player from Ligue 1 this window. We always seem to get one from there. For that reason, I'm lumping on our last signing of the summer being Frederic Guilbert of Caen. Can play across the back four as well as further forward into the midfield.

[hammerman11]

long for around 5m would be ok as we cannot rely on reid and ogbonna even for cup games !

yesterdays game was crying out for someone to tackle in the middle of the park. wilshere tried a bot but we are all worried he will get injured by doing so.

a central midfielder who has some speed and strength is what we need to help rice out. we cant play fornals wilshere Anderson lanzini every game .

Hernandez needs to be sold asap and someone else bought in. maybe Sturridge ?

long
hayden
Sturridge

wouldn't cost too much especially if we shift ogbonna and/or Hernandez