Yeah, if you are buying him you are definitely looking at
----- Neves ----- Mainoo -----
------------ New DM ------------
----- Neves ----- Mainoo -----
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Joao Neves | signed for PSG
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This is the way it would have to be for me, although it doesn’t need to be like that immediately. Even if Bruno did stay, he will probably leave next summer if he doesn’t get that new big contract he’s clearly been after. He’ll be approaching 31 by that time and the set up above may be more viable with Mainoo a year older and Neves having had an adjustment year.
A dream would be Wharton in that ‘new DM’ spot in the long run. I also like Varela.
Where's #7 Mount?
Bench
Doubt it. I think we'll continue into next season with this 4-2-3-1/4-4-2 we started with towards the end of the season assuming EtH is still here.
Neves will have to adapt to the league, there will shared minutes between all of them. The likelihood of Mainoo and Neves being our midfield pairing instantly and for the rest of the season, seems highly unlikely.
Both seem more comfortable as the deepest midfielder as opposed to the most advanced, and are best as the link in between. So for me, the best you can get with both of them in the lineup would be as a deeper-lying two in any capacity (either one as the designated holder or sharing and rotating responsibility).
Time to find the next Joao Neves.
And it is again that time of year. When teams from Portugal taking a piss out of English clubs.
"Lets sell someone for triple price. English clubs will pay. They always pay."
"Lets sell someone for triple price. English clubs will pay. They always pay."
Jimbo is already on it. I do wonder if he really will that or those were just PR words.
I would love him but we just can't afford him. These are the types of signings we should have been making back when we were the richest club around.
I dunno if he's worth the clause but this is the first Benfica player that I don't consider overrated. I think he will be up there with the best Portuguese players to play abroad when he's done.
at 19....no, he's not worth the release clause as it's a ludicrous amount but that is clearly them projecting on his future value. Benfica are typically very difficult to negotiate with however we just did a deal with them for Fernandez after his loan spell so hopefully we've built in some good will
don't agree at all.... two 19 year olds as our double pivot players would be the beginning of a very bright future.
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Do you personally rate Enzo Fernandez having seen him play in your league?
Enzo was definitely good and his WC performances were impressive but he had half a season in Europe. Benfica just took advantage of Chelsea. They were panicking at the prospect of losing the best young talent of the WC and overpaid. Neves bar WC/National team play, proved more than Enzo at Benfica. He's the only bright spot on that Benfica team. António Silva flatters to deceive.
What I like in Neves is his talent, personality, work ethic and drive. I've seen Benfica TV interviews when he was 13 displaying maturity and knowing what he wanted to achieve in his career. I think he would be a good investment for the present and future.
I don't say that often about Benfica players but he really impresses me.
If we can get Joao Neves for something in the region of £70m that would be excellent business in my opinion. I’d then look to find a Wataru Endo type signing on the cheap for DM with the view of going for Wharton or Archie Gray maybe next year long term.
If we sell Bruno the obvious replacement is Wirtz but based on our position currently in World Football I don’t see us being an option and Lever have said he’s not for sale this summer. Eze at Palace could be a solid and safe option.
If we sell Bruno the obvious replacement is Wirtz but based on our position currently in World Football I don’t see us being an option and Lever have said he’s not for sale this summer. Eze at Palace could be a solid and safe option.
Probably the closest to a certainty as you can get in the current market. Which means he will end up at PSG this or next year.
Would love for us to pick up Gray on the cheap this summer and develop a young midfield chemistry, with Mount rotating.
Would you play him in a double pivot next to Mainoo or would he have to be a #8?
Also unrelated (shoot me modmins) and apologies if you’ve commented on him before, but how do you rate Ousmane Diomande? Better than Antonio Silva and Inacio? And would you consider him an ideal replacement to Varane?
We’re just not going to pay €120m
I guess it depends on how genuine of a generational talent he is, benfica are obviously not selling for anything less than 100 mil and if he truly has the potential of becoming one of the top 3 in his position I'd say we'd do our best before the euros to snatch him up lest he goes on to have a promising tourney and then they'll rinse us even more.
Otherwise we'd be better off walking out and looking for alternatives.
Otherwise we'd be better off walking out and looking for alternatives.
I don't think Benfica will back down from the release clause as Fabrizio Romano alludes to in his tweet below. I think we've come a long way towards creating a well rounded midfield with the emergence of Kobbie Mainoo. Like some have mentioned, I do like the young midfielder from Crystal Palace (Wharton) and I think it would serve us better to maybe target Wharton along with another more established midfield player or two for the money it would take to sign Neves.
https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1797986381299671173?t=u5Hj8q82c9ndU4DVe0fbNw&s=19
I think it's also worth noting that the team that won the league in Portugal (SCP) had the most technical back-line in the league. And I think that backline and how good they were in possession was the key for SCP's success. You can have the best midfielders in the world but if your first line is weak against the opponent's high press, then you will have problems progressive the ball in the build up, and your midfielders won't be as effective.
https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1797986381299671173?t=u5Hj8q82c9ndU4DVe0fbNw&s=19
I think it's also worth noting that the team that won the league in Portugal (SCP) had the most technical back-line in the league. And I think that backline and how good they were in possession was the key for SCP's success. You can have the best midfielders in the world but if your first line is weak against the opponent's high press, then you will have problems progressive the ball in the build up, and your midfielders won't be as effective.
We're going to get the two defenders that pair well with Martinez @Adnan don't worry
That bit somewhat serendipitously worked out because Varane and Evans are leaving and we basically have no central defenders.
The question is if the Neves - Mainoo double pivot would work or if we need someone with more defensive solidarity (A Matic / Rodri / Carrick type player). Maybe a question for @Sly as well.
I personally don't think they'll be selling anyone else in their squad close to what they always expect to achieve every summer. It's fine they they don't want to back down, but I don't think clubs will pay big money for Silva or Luis, so it depends where they think the money will come from otherwise.
Wharton would be just as expensive. He's only had half a season at Palace and unless he has a lower release clause, they'll be wanting a kings ransom for him.
Neves and Gray please and thank you. 102 mil isn’t too bad for ten years of potential generational talent. If we want to close the gap on City then these are the calculated gambles we’re going to have to take. Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are doing the same.
That's negative for me, better to have Mainoo and Neves as a double pivot with a more attacking player ahead of them.
I think it would work well either way, as they are both great dribblers and passers.
Move on lads it ain’t happening.
With Mount barely getting a chance this year because injury, I just don't see us spending >£60m on a non-CDM midfielder.
Casemiro replacement is paramount, as well as getting a forward (or two) to replace Martial/Sancho/Greenwood.
Casemiro replacement is paramount, as well as getting a forward (or two) to replace Martial/Sancho/Greenwood.
Are you high?
I think he can do so, he did it at Benfica but I prefer him as a number 8. If United is able to get Neves at a good price it will be splendid business for you guys. With Mainoo and Neves you guys are set for the next 10 years. Moutinho was an impactful player for Wolves and he was old at that stage of his career. Think of Neves as Moutinho on steroids hyper drive.
Also I don't think any club will pay 120 million euros for him unless he has a stellar Euro in the Enzo Fernandez WC mould.
I've written about Diomande today in the Inácio thread mate. I don't want to derail this thread.
I think if you have a strong back-line with a high technical level on the ball then there won't be a big reliance on the midfield to progress play in today's game where the opponent's high press is a very dangerous weapon that has to be tamed if the aim is to exert control in possession. SCP in that regard is a good example of a team that spreads out the creative elements throughout the back-line and midfield rather than burden just the midfield.We're going to get the two defenders that pair well with Martinez @Adnan don't worry
That bit somewhat serendipitously worked out because Varane and Evans are leaving and we basically have no central defenders.
The question is if the Neves - Mainoo double pivot would work or if we need someone with more defensive solidarity (A Matic / Rodri / Carrick type player). Maybe a question for @Sly as well.
I think Mainoo and Neves could play together, but as @Stobzilla mentions above, you'd probably need a more disciplined deeper lying midfielder which I believe would suit both Mainoo and Neves because they can then play with a bit more freedom.
@Lash
I agree he's potentially a very good player but I'm not sure Benfica will back down on their demands. Recent history has shown that they stick to their valuation and I don't believe spending €120m on a young player in our current predicament when we need to create a balanced team with multiple new signings is the way forward as things stand. I think Benfica have banked a lot of money in recent years, so I'm not sure they need to sell unless a ridiculous offer is presented to them.
As far as Adam Wharton is concerned, I do think he would cost a lot of money. But I don't believe he'd cost anything close to what Benfica are demanding for Neves. I think Wharton's technical quality in possession is backed up by his physical stature and athleticism, which I think is a big plus point. Of course he's still inexperienced and requires further development, but for me if there's one player from Palace I'm signing, then that player would be Wharton. They bought him for about £18m from Blackburn and a offer of around £50m could well be enticing to their board members.
€120m is waaaaaay over the top BUT if we do get a decent fee for Casemiro I wouldn’t say it’s impossible - if he stayed we could have a top player for 10+ years and if we sold him on we’d make our money back at least providing he turned out as good as his talent suggests, however that’s the big if in it all.
I hope we don’t continue to overpay for players but the fact of the matter is Chelsea, City or Arsenal may bite and can we afford to lose out on him?
I hope we don’t continue to overpay for players but the fact of the matter is Chelsea, City or Arsenal may bite and can we afford to lose out on him?
It’s more than Rice with way less exposure. I do think he’s got a really high ceiling though and could be a future captain. I would pay the money for a talent like that but I don’t think we will. Not this summer anyway.
----------- Fernandes -----------
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Something like this...
Young,unproven,overpriced.. when will psg make a bid!
Are you a plum?
It’s dependant on who we sell. If we get enough for Casemiro and McTominay, along with other outgoings like Sancho and Greenwood, we can afford him and still fix the other urgent holes in the squad.
I hope SJR sees it this way too
I think we'll get this done for 70+20 split over a few years or something. Lads a firecracker. Him and Mainoo would be sumptuous
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