Joao Neves | signed for PSG

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When signing hyped benfica players, you ask yourself will madrid pay that fees for him?

Why am i saying this?Madrid were linked to felix, goncalo ramos, enzo and nunes but walked away due to benfica demand. They all turned out to be flops
 
JE-365 said:
I believe we need some players that can cover large space to play high line but I don’t think it needs to be from midfield position, it can be from other positions. I think you can have this from full backs or centre backs as well.

If we play Mainoo and Neves in pivot and have the right footed CB version of van de Ven who is CB that can cover large space due to having incredible pace and athleticism plus I believe Dalot is someone who has the pace and athleticism to cover large space (which we had seen him making multiple recovery tackles to cover our slow centre back), I think we will be fine in term of balance. I don’t believe Rodri is the player who can cover a larger space, I often see City relying in Walker and Akanji to do it.

I’m not sure the purpose of having a midfielder who can cover large space if the team has defenders who can cover large space. I think it’s more important to have defenders who can cover a large space to play high line because they are the last men in your team after keeper. Defenders have better chance than midfield to recover the ball back when the opposition decide to expose the high line by making long ball.

IMO, for defending purposes, the midfield need to be intelligent or have good tactical awareness about which area or spot they need to move into to cover for others if two of the midfield being pushed up and needs to have aggression and high stamina to keep playing high intensity tempo. And of course the most important is to be able to keep possession unlike Casemiro. I think Neves ticks the boxes for this.
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I think if you look at the rest defense aspects of football clubs who sacrifice defensive stability for goals whilst playing with a higher element of risk in a higher defensive line. It's very clear to see that the players at the back who are designated to control such situations are the ones who are required to stay positionally disciplined. The CBs should only be controlling the wide channels in 1v1s because it allows the fullback or both fullbacks (depending on setup) to play with extra attacking freedom. But a top class DM/holding midfielder will further enhance the rest defense capabilities by locking off the central zones, which is why the space will be out wide and hence the CB will be defending the wide channel against the counter. So if you have a CB who isn't the strongest at defending space, then a holding midfielder can make up the shortfall by supporting the vulnerable side as well. So Walker and Akanji can cover wide spaces in the first line but they can't cover the central space because the pitch is long horizontally and there's a lot of space.

I'm not sure where the notion about Rodri not being able to cover large space has come from. He was always someone that was strong at covering ground quickly and my post below from 2018 points to him being a player who can do it all in midfield. Of course at City he plays in a team that dominates the ball and he's a big part of that, but he was always someone that had the capability out of possession to get about the pitch and win duels both on the ground and in the air.

Adnan said:
The player you're describing is Rodri at Atletico Madrid. He's fast and mobile and has very good passing range.

They just re-signed him in the summer from Villareal and may not be willing to sell or the player may not want to leave. But if there's a chance, then he's the one we need to go all out for.
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I agree that the team needs to have high level composure on the ball and move quickly and effectively through the thirds. But it's equally important to have a team that is balanced and can also win duels at a high level aswell. I don't believe a midfield double pivot of Mainoo and Neves works out of possession without having a player positionally disciplined midfielder next to them. Even at Benfica, Rodger Schmidt utilises Neves as a roaming playmaker with the freedom to effect the game all over the pitch whilst the likes of Florentino Luis and Joao Mario are the midfielders who provide the positional discipline.
 
Adnan said:
I haven't seen Archie Gray play but I've heard he's a very good young player that unfortunately plays for Leeds.
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So did Alan Smith, who was a die hard Leeds fan growing up and that didn’t prevent him from joining us. Gray is on the transfer list being one of their few marketable players and Leeds have to sell quickly. They owe a lot in installments for previous transfers. We would miss a trick if we don’t try for him and then we would complain why we never did anything when he tears it up in the EPL like Wharton. Gray and Gourna-Douth are the two young DMs that we should 100% be looking o acquire this window while their fees are not exorbitant.
 
Adnan said:
I wrote the below paragraph in 2023 about the same subject. After Schone and de Jong were no longer options in midfield for him, he (ten Hag) tweaked things and utilised his CBs and fullbacks to control the game in possession. And he had a midfielder in Edson Alvarez who was never very good on the ball per Ajax standards but he had the height and physicality to help the team out of possession on the ground in the air which complimented the shorter CB pairing of Martinez and Timber.

"EtH made it work because his CBs and fullbacks were better than his midfielders in the build up phase. Blind and Mazraoui were comfortable coming into central areas and with Martinez and.Timber also good on the ball along with the GK, the midfield wasn't relied on to progress the ball."

"And he carried on playing the same style of football but without relying on his midfielders in possession after the double midfield pivot of Schone and De Jong departed."
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.https://youtu.be/HmqfOSPmcTg?si=48gn39MPcGe2_9ey.

There’s a pretty good breakdown of this here if anyone fancies a watch. You can see with our players why we’ve had to change what Erik would have liked to play. But we can definitely get somewhere close with a few signings. We already have 3 of the players he made this work with and some that are very similar is style and stature.
 
Adnan said:
I don't think either Mainoo or Neves are suited to playing the holding role out of possession and both are best utilised as the roaming playmakers. The way Schmidt is using Neves at Benfica is the correct way and it gives him the freedom to play as the roaming playmaker who effects the game in all phases of play. Why would you then sign him and limit his game along with Mainoo's by making them overly defensive in a more disciplined way. You don't buy a player who is being utilised in a certain way at a club and then ask him to perform a role he's not performing. Mourinho did that to Pogba, and with Mainoo already at the club you either sign a holding midfielder alongside Neves or you prioritise signing the holding midfielder to have better team balance. I can understand why many want Neves but I think we as a team would be better served if we prioritised team balance.

It is a collective function and I completely agree that Neves could play his role in the setup. But the problem isn't Neves's role in such a setup but rather we're missing a player to occupy a deeper midfield role with the craft, guile, positional discipline and tactical awareness so the rest of the team can then play off him, which includes interior midfielders like Mainoo and Neves.

The issue as I've mentioned above is quite clearly Neves not being the holding midfielder and he isn't one at his current club with both Joao Mario and Florentino Luis playing a role which allows Neves to potentially excel in his role as the roaming playmaker where he gets involved deeper but is then allowed to get forward and receive the ball in between the lines in advanced areas. So it's not that he's a incompatible player, it's just that he's incompatible with the options we have in midfield right now and signing a proper holding midfielder will be far better for us if it's a choice between Neves and the holding midfielder.
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I agree with this, and I don’t want us to sign Neves for him to be a holding midfielder. I want us to sign Neves in addition to a holding midfielder. I appreciate that fiscally, it may not be possible to get our first choice there plus Neves in the same summer, however, given the growing market for Neves at the very top of the game, I fear this summer may be the best opportunity to win that particular race. I am happy to then revisit say Adam Wharton next summer. I also think we could probably do both Neves and Varela this summer with smart dealing if we were to opt for him.
 
Rozay said:
I agree with this, and I don’t want us to sign Neves for him to be a holding midfielder. I want us to sign Neves in addition to a holding midfielder. I appreciate that fiscally, it may not be possible to get our first choice there plus Neves in the same summer, however, given the growing market for Neves at the very top of the game, I fear this summer may be the best opportunity to win that particular race. I am happy to then revisit say Adam Wharton next summer. I also think we could probably do both Neves and Varela this summer with smart dealing if we were to opt for him.
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If they can manage to do Varela and Neves in the same window then we're set.
 
Adnan said:
If they can manage to do Varela and Neves in the same window then we're set.
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I reckon we could get Mats Weiffer for a decent fee. Ticks all the boxes, height, defensively sound, good passer of the ball. Could definitely get him for 40mil or under
 
lego xavi said:
When signing hyped benfica players, you ask yourself will madrid pay that fees for him?

Why am i saying this?Madrid were linked to felix, goncalo ramos, enzo and nunes but walked away due to benfica demand. They all turned out to be flops
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While true, they also pay huge fees for young inexperienced Brazilians. Sir Alex walked away from Pato because he didnt think so much money should be paid for and to such a young player, Madrid go twice as hard with them. And Madrid did pay the huge fee for Hazard and Bellingham. Hazard worked out worse than any of those you mentioned
 
Ekeke said:
While true, they also pay huge fees for young inexperienced Brazilians. Sir Alex walked away from Pato because he didnt think so much money should be paid for and to such a young player, Madrid go twice as hard with them. And Madrid did pay the huge fee for Hazard and Bellingham. Hazard worked out worse than any of those you mentioned
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Madrid also paid Benfica big money for Di Maria and Coentrao anyway.
 
Wrecking ralf said:
I reckon we could get Mats Weiffer for a decent fee. Ticks all the boxes, height, defensively sound, good passer of the ball. Could definitely get him for 40mil or under
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Good alternative but he’s out with a thigh injury at the moment. I don’t know how that would impact a potential transfer.
 
Wrecking ralf said:
If you look back at how Erik’s Ajax team worked, they used a very fluid interchange of positioning. At times a CB would move up into the DM position and the fullbacks would tuck in alongside the remaining Cb (Inacio/Todibo would fit this role well I think) allowing the 2 midfielders in the pivot to be able to push up supporting the CAM whilst the wingers would either drop deep alongside them or push ahead to support the striker. So in reality the Neves/Mainoo partnership would fit this perfectly as Martinez would move forward as he had down for us in matches previously to utilise his passing ability. So the formation basically changes to.
​
Hojlund​
​
Bruno​

Garnacho Neves Mainoo Amad
​
Martinez​
​
Shaw Inacio/Todibo Dalot​


What we would need is the correct CB brought in to partner him and obviously a new left back as without Shaw being constantly available, we don’t have a good enough backup right now.

I remember ETH being asked about playing his Ajax way and he said we weren’t able to, but that’s only a personnel issue. We could make 3 signings and make real strides in being able to play the way I’m sure Erik has wanted to for a while.
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Ajax still had a defensive specialist in Alvarez in their team. Some of you guys are too eager to bunch the starting eleven full with ballers. Even the great tiki-taka Barcelona side had a defensive specialist in their team at all times. The following machine-like Bayern team had Javi Martinez in it. The Real side who got 5 CLs had Casemiro as a mainstay in it. Shouldn't that be a lesson towards not trying to ignore defensive capabilities? We haven't had that sort of solidity since Carrick. There was a short period when Matic could move a least a little bit but apart from that we didn't have a defensive specialist since Casemiro, who unfortunately seems to be unable to give us more of that any longer.

I can't really wrap my around that there are still people thinking that top teams can get around that.

JE-365 said:
I believe we need some players that can cover large space to play high line but I don’t think it needs to be from midfield position, it can be from other positions. I think you can have this from full backs or centre backs as well.
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Even if that is true, you still see City with Rodri on the field despite them having Walker and Akanji on the pitch.
 
Around 21 mins in talking about the player Roberto Martinez confirms Neves is a natural 6 who can play as an 8.

 
Adnan said:
I think if you look at the rest defense aspects of football clubs who sacrifice defensive stability for goals whilst playing with a higher element of risk in a higher defensive line. It's very clear to see that the players at the back who are designated to control such situations are the ones who are required to stay positionally disciplined. The CBs should only be controlling the wide channels in 1v1s because it allows the fullback or both fullbacks (depending on setup) to play with extra attacking freedom. But a top class DM/holding midfielder will further enhance the rest defense capabilities by locking off the central zones, which is why the space will be out wide and hence the CB will be defending the wide channel against the counter. So if you have a CB who isn't the strongest at defending space, then a holding midfielder can make up the shortfall by supporting the vulnerable side as well. So Walker and Akanji can cover wide spaces in the first line but they can't cover the central space because the pitch is long horizontally and there's a lot of space.

I'm not sure where the notion about Rodri not being able to cover large space has come from. He was always someone that was strong at covering ground quickly and my post below from 2018 points to him being a player who can do it all in midfield. Of course at City he plays in a team that dominates the ball and he's a big part of that, but he was always someone that had the capability out of possession to get about the pitch and win duels both on the ground and in the air.



I agree that the team needs to have high level composure on the ball and move quickly and effectively through the thirds. But it's equally important to have a team that is balanced and can also win duels at a high level aswell. I don't believe a midfield double pivot of Mainoo and Neves works out of possession without having a player positionally disciplined midfielder next to them. Even at Benfica, Rodger Schmidt utilises Neves as a roaming playmaker with the freedom to effect the game all over the pitch whilst the likes of Florentino Luis and Joao Mario are the midfielders who provide the positional discipline.
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I think there is a lot of way to provide cover to maintain balance.

For example, Dalot is capable to provide cover the wide spaces on the right, while the RCB can cover the central space. If Dalot is out of position or pushed up, the left back needs to stay to maintain the balance. Therefore, if the RCB cover the width on the right space, Martinez will move more to the central to provide cover in the central space, while the left back either provide support for Martinez or pay attention on the left spaces.

Is Joao Neves not strong at covering ground quickly? The way how Schmidt utilises Neves in Benfica doesn’t mean he cannot be used in more positional discipline role at other club. He was used as roaming playmaker because neither Luis and Mario capable to play such a role. May be Joao Neves can play both roles, the roaming playmaker and more positional discipline role, which means he can be Mainoo’s cover and play next to Mainoo.
 
NZT-One said:
Ajax still had a defensive specialist in Alvarez in their team. Some of you guys are too eager to bunch the starting eleven full with ballers. Even the great tiki-taka Barcelona side had a defensive specialist in their team at all times. The following machine-like Bayern team had Javi Martinez in it. The Real side who got 5 CLs had Casemiro as a mainstay in it. Shouldn't that be a lesson towards not trying to ignore defensive capabilities? We haven't had that sort of solidity since Carrick. There was a short period when Matic could move a least a little bit but apart from that we didn't have a defensive specialist since Casemiro, who unfortunately seems to be unable to give us more of that any longer.

I can't really wrap my around that there are still people thinking that top teams can get around that.


Even if that is true, you still see City with Rodri on the field despite them having Walker and Akanji on the pitch.
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It’s not ignoring defensive responsibilities, it’s adapting the midfield around having Bruno as a 10, a floating forward more or less. By creating a double pivot set up involving two all rounded players in Mainoo and Neves, they’ll share defensive and offensive responsibilities based on where the possession is. Both are comfortable as a 6 and an 8 and that’s exactly what’s needed in a double pivot set up. If we’re playing with a sole 6 then they are probably better suited as the 8s, like Real Madrid for Modric and Kroos with Casemiro as the 6, but that’s not the case with Bruno in the line up.
 
GueRed said:
Around 21 mins in talking about the player Roberto Martinez confirms Neves is a natural 6 who can play as an 8.

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Interestingly, he describes the player very differently to how I would explain a natural 6. What he explains in that video is mostly Xavi. Which is what most people here allude to as well - he is a progressor that is fantastic on the ball.

JE-365 said:
I think there is a lot of way to provide cover to maintain balance.

For example, Dalot is capable to provide cover the wide spaces on the right, while the RCB can cover the central space. If Dalot is out of position or pushed up, the left back needs to stay to maintain the balance. Therefore, if the RCB cover the width on the right space, Martinez will move more to the central to provide cover in the central space, while the left back either provide support for Martinez or pay attention on the left spaces.

Is Joao Neves not strong at covering ground quickly? The way how Schmidt utilises Neves in Benfica doesn’t mean he cannot be used in more positional discipline role at other club. He was used as roaming playmaker because neither Luis and Mario capable to play such a role. May be Joao Neves can play both roles, the roaming playmaker and more positional discipline role, which means he can be Mainoo’s cover and play next to Mainoo.
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Why would we use him in a way that is different to the way he gained his reputation and a multi-million transfer if it was to happen? That makes no sense at all. The full first paragraph sounds plausible I guess - yet still you see sides lining up with defensive specialists in their midfields everywhere. You think nobody else came up with your ideas? Don't you think that most teams would prefer to add more ballers to their teams? Pep is the epitome of such thinking - and even he had Busquets, Javi Martinez and Rodri.

This isn't a dig at Neves, he is a fantastic player and I'd love to have him in the club but he isn't going to be the solution to all our midfield woes. We'd still need that defensive specialist (who we obviously can hope to be more than that). And given that we have limited funds maybe it isn't the smartest idea to shell out big bucks for somebody where we happen to have our own teenage wonderkid in. No doubt Neves is "the right player". But maybe not for us right now.

(and on a personal note: as an advisor, I'd strongly advise against joining Man United anyway... As much as it pains me to say)

luke511 said:
It’s not ignoring defensive responsibilities, it’s adapting the midfield around having Bruno as a 10, a floating forward more or less. By creating a double pivot set up involving two all rounded players in Mainoo and Neves, they’ll share defensive and offensive responsibilities based on where the possession is. Both are comfortable as a 6 and an 8 and that’s exactly what’s needed in a double pivot set up. If we’re playing with a sole 6 then they are probably better suited as the 8s, like Real Madrid for Modric and Kroos with Casemiro as the 6, but that’s not the case with Bruno in the line up.
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I understand what a double pivot is but a traditional double pivot consisted of a rather traditional defensive specialist and a very rounded CM. And as far as I know and see around us, that still applies. Both Mainoo and Neves sound like perfect - for exactly that rounded CM role. But absolutely not for the 6 role/the defensive specialist role. Think back, van Bommel and Schweinsteiger, later Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez, Scholes and Carrick, Gerrard and Mascherano, even Chelsea set up with Ballack or Essen next to Mikelele - Lampard wasn't part of that double pivot.
There is one way (in my personal view) to get around that necessity - when you set up with 3atb formation where one of the CBs is comfortable at stepping up. This is what Juve did (plus having prime Vidal surely also helped a ton(not even talking about Marchisio)) so they were able to make a midfield consisting of Pirlo, Pogba, Vidal/Marchisio work.

I really don't see how you can say that Neves and Mainoo look like defensively capable to you. They can do a job, no doubt but both of them play and thrive by being covered by other players. Which is not a criticism. Ronaldinho wouldn't have been a great DM. Still doesn't mean he isn't a fantastic player.
 
Ekeke said:
While true, they also pay huge fees for young inexperienced Brazilians. Sir Alex walked away from Pato because he didnt think so much money should be paid for and to such a young player, Madrid go twice as hard with them. And Madrid did pay the huge fee for Hazard and Bellingham. Hazard worked out worse than any of those you mentioned
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Hazard was arguably the best player in the Premier league in 18/19 season and has been top 3 best in his last 5 seasons in England, so that fee madrid paid was justified. Bellingham was also a proven player in CL and bundesliga, and a starter for England national team before his move to Madrid

On the other hand benfica like to overrate their players, no one knew enzo, nunes, ramos, felix one yr before they were sold for exorbitant fees. They literally signed enzo for 20 million from Argentina and 6 months later sold him for 120 millions.
 
NZT-One said:
I really don't see how you can say that Neves and Mainoo look like defensively capable to you. They can do a job, no doubt but both of them play and thrive by being covered by other players. Which is not a criticism. Ronaldinho wouldn't have been a great DM. Still doesn't mean he isn't a fantastic player.
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They are both defensively capable players, statistically speaking, especially Neves. It’s this all rounded skill set that makes him so valuable. They will thrive in those deep positions, and higher up the field whilst covering for each other. I think your opinion of him being a liability defensively is set because of his lack of height and ability to dribble through players, he’s 2 inches smaller than Vidal and the same height as Makelele, it means very little.
 
We need to start implementing the same transfer strategy that Real Madrid are using. Sign for the future, and let them slowly integrate into the team. Neves is young, but can still go right into the starting 11. I´d also sign Archie Gray from Leeds, who admittedly will need more time but is a fantastic talent. Only 18, but I think a midfield 3 of Gray, Mainoo and Neves has the potential to work very well.
 
Sold Angel Gomes to later buy the Portuguese version for a premium, funny club :lol:
 
If he’s a natural 6 who can play 8 as Martinez says then full steam ahead with buying him for me.

I don’t want a Sancho situation again where we think we’re signing a player for a problem area and then find out we playing them in a position where we’ve already got players there.
 
Is João a different type of player to matheus nunes? (Ex wolves now city).

He's hardly lit up the Etihad. Another example of being wary of overhyped Portuguese players.
 
luke511 said:
They are both defensively capable players, statistically speaking, especially Neves. It’s this all rounded skill set that makes him so valuable. They will thrive in those deep positions, and higher up the field whilst covering for each other. I think your opinion of him being a liability defensively is set because of his lack of height and ability to dribble through players, he’s 2 inches smaller than Vidal and the same height as Makelele, it means very little.
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Just for the record - is Makelele for you a player you would describe with "is defensively capable"?

And you seemingly missed my point. I don't see him as a defensive liability at all. I acknowledge his combatativeness and his great stats against the ball. But he is still, just like Mainoo a player who made his name on the ball. Just look at the highlight reels - thats all him turning players. I'd chip in a tenner in no time if it means we'll bring him in and field him and Mainoo next to each other but in front of defensive specialist. But not without it. As I layed out before - next to no team is lining up with two players whose main strength is progression. Even when both are "capable". They are teenagers on top of things - I'd rather imitate the top teams in terms of how they line up than trying to reinvent the wheel.

Nothing against you mate, just for the record. I can see your point but I see Busquets, Rodri, J. Martinez, Casemiro, Fabinho in the latest most successful teams. I see Edson Alvarez even in ETHs latest more successful Ajax team. And I see how people sold us Amrabat a year ago... No thanks. The defensive specialist is important now. Because we have a starter for that position in the team who is going to be a mainstay. And from what I hear, the youth is stacked in that position as well. I'd happily buy him but only if it doesn't influence the other targets this summer.

Escobar said:
Our Portuguese players usually do just fine ;)
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The two latest ones guided us to a glorious 8th place recently. Certainly nothing to worry about. Especially after most of our big money signings really went well.
 
GueRed said:
Around 21 mins in talking about the player Roberto Martinez confirms Neves is a natural 6 who can play as an 8.

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I’ve said many times that Neves reminds a lot of Carrick but with better ball winning ability although his range of passing isn’t yet as good as Carrick’s was, Neves is that type of holding midfielder rather than type who just wins the ball and shields the back four like Makelele or Hargreaves used to do.

I wouldn’t worry about our physical presence with a Neves/Mainoo pairing as just because Neves is 5ft 9 he’s very strong and Mainoo is actually bigger than people realise, both are still growing into their bodies too. If PSR/FFP is a problem then we should bring in Guido from Betis as well although the dream would be Neves along with one of Wharton or Varela.
 
dinostar77 said:
Is João a different type of player to matheus nunes? (Ex wolves now city).

He's hardly lit up the Etihad. Another example of being wary of overhyped Portuguese players.
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The guy has a lot going for him. He is spoken about as a model professional. And the stats are backing him to be a fantastic progressor of the ball while also being really good defensively. It is a small sample size though - he stood his ground statswise in CL and EL but it is only from this year. And the Portugese league isn't the greatest to draw conclusions for the PL from. He is undoubtedly a great talent and most likely will emerge at least as being a very very good player. With the potential to be way better.

But he is going to cost a bomb. Especially because this type of player (and talent is obviously) heavily sought after.
 
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NZT-One said:
Just for the record - is Makelele for you a player you would describe with "is defensively capable"?

And you seemingly missed my point. I don't see him as a defensive liability at all. I acknowledge his combatativeness and his great stats against the ball. But he is still, just like Mainoo a player who made his name on the ball. Just look at the highlight reels - thats all him turning players. I'd chip in a tenner in no time if it means we'll bring him in and field him and Mainoo next to each other but in front of defensive specialist. But not without it. As I layed out before - next to no team is lining up with two players whose main strength is progression. Even when both are "capable". They are teenagers on top of things - I'd rather imitate the top teams in terms of how they line up than trying to reinvent the wheel.

Nothing against you mate, just for the record. I can see your point but I see Busquets, Rodri, J. Martinez, Casemiro, Fabinho in the latest most successful teams. I see Edson Alvarez even in ETHs latest more successful Ajax team. And I see how people sold us Amrabat a year ago... No thanks. The defensive specialist is important now. Because we have a starter for that position in the team who is going to be a mainstay. And from what I hear, the youth is stacked in that position as well. I'd happily buy him but only if it doesn't influence the other targets this summer.


The two latest ones guided us to a glorious 8th place recently. Certainly nothing to worry about. Especially after most of our big money signings really went well.
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You're missing the point if anything, Neves can play the same role as Busquets, Rodri, Carrick etc whilst being defensively reliable, that's what I'm trying to say. He's fine as a partner with Mainoo in a double pivot, with Fernandes as a 10. Once we play without Fernandes, then him and Mainoo can play more advanced with a 6 in behind. We need a 6/8 and a 6 this summer anyway, we're better off going big on the player that can play as a 6 or an 8 whilst we still have Fernandes as the first name on the team sheet.
 
NZT-One said:
Just for the record - is Makelele for you a player you would describe with "is defensively capable"?

And you seemingly missed my point. I don't see him as a defensive liability at all. I acknowledge his combatativeness and his great stats against the ball. But he is still, just like Mainoo a player who made his name on the ball. Just look at the highlight reels - thats all him turning players. I'd chip in a tenner in no time if it means we'll bring him in and field him and Mainoo next to each other but in front of defensive specialist. But not without it. As I layed out before - next to no team is lining up with two players whose main strength is progression. Even when both are "capable". They are teenagers on top of things - I'd rather imitate the top teams in terms of how they line up than trying to reinvent the wheel.

Nothing against you mate, just for the record. I can see your point but I see Busquets, Rodri, J. Martinez, Casemiro, Fabinho in the latest most successful teams. I see Edson Alvarez even in ETHs latest more successful Ajax team. And I see how people sold us Amrabat a year ago... No thanks. The defensive specialist is important now. Because we have a starter for that position in the team who is going to be a mainstay. And from what I hear, the youth is stacked in that position as well. I'd happily buy him but only if it doesn't influence the other targets this summer.


The two latest ones guided us to a glorious 8th place recently. Certainly nothing to worry about. Especially after most of our big money signings really went well.
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Are they poor players then?
 
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