Potential striker signings (who aren't named Højlund)

If we're searching for bargains then here is my short list

Beto - 24 year old Portuguese striker currently playing at Udinese. At 6ft4 the guy is fantastic in air and he's got a great eye for goal. He isn't bulky but he's still very strong and on top of that he's also incredibly fast (against Lazio he clocked 33km/h but he state that he can go 37km/h). That would make him perfect whenever we counter attack.

Thuram - 25 years old. He can play both as a winger and as a striker. He's very similar to Beto ie he's 6ft4, he's very fast and he's got an eye for goal. On top of that he's heading toward his last few months of contract
 
I guess this will come down to what ETH thinks will fit best. Seems he likes Martial but neither he or Ronaldo have really been fit at the same time to see who he prefers.
If Martial is whom he prefers, then I would probably go for Nkunku. More direct than Martial, hold up isn’t as good, but he presses more, can pick a pass and isn’t driven by just goals.
Worry would be if your front 3 is Sancho Nkunku Antony then they need to chip in with decent goal tallies as Nkunku to me isn’t a 20+ league goal guy but I think he’d make us a better team.

Really I don’t see that many stand out options yet but I’m sure some will rise this season but again most will probably be one season wonders.
 
devilish said:
If we're searching for bargains then here is my short list

Beto - 24 year old Portuguese striker currently playing at Udinese. At 6ft4 the guy is fantastic in air and he's got a great eye for goal. He isn't bulky but he's still very strong and on top of that he's also incredibly fast (against Lazio he clocked 33km/h but he state that he can go 37km/h). That would make him perfect whenever we counter attack.

Thuram - 25 years old. He can play both as a winger and as a striker. He's very similar to Beto ie he's 6ft4, he's very fast and he's got an eye for goal. On top of that he's heading toward his last few months of contract
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Haven't seen Beto, though his numbers and profile are intriguing. Don't think Thuram is good enough overall. Seems like a mid-table signing. Plea impressed me more when I watched them a couple years back.
 
NoPace said:
Haven't seen Beto, though his numbers and profile are intriguing. Don't think Thuram is good enough overall. Seems like a mid-table signing. Plea impressed me more when I watched them a couple years back.
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Many strikers were considered not good enough for Manchester United. My cousin absolutely hated us signing Andy Cole something I took the piss out of him up until I did the same mistake during the 1996-97 transfer window. Jeez I was miffed that we only signed Poborsky, some shit kid from Barcelona, an unknown goalkeeper from the Dutch league and 2 Norwegian players one of whom from Molde. Turned out that it was one of the shrewdest windows SAF had ever had. Meanwhile Liverpool fans I knew laughed at us signing Teddy Sheringham, Dwight Yorke and Louis Saha.

Don't take me wrong, none of them were WC but that didn't matter. SAF played them into a system which made them brutally effective. Louis Saha even managed to persuade SAF to play him ahead RVN who was, by far, the most lethal striker we had in the past 30 years or so.

Thuram seem to be a ETH's signing. He's tall, he's quick, he's build for the pressing game and he's versatile. Years of Moyes (who was shit), LVG (who couldn't understand the EPL), Mou (who only wanted instant success) and Ole (LOL) had made us forget that players can be actually coached to fit into a system that makes them brutally effective. ETH can do that
 
Andersons Dietician said:
Really I don’t see that many stand out options yet but I’m sure some will rise this season but again most will probably be one season wonders.
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I agree with this. There's really not many impressive, obtainable options on the market and I'd rather wait for a new batch of striking talents to emerge rather than pay over the odds for someone who isn't necessarily going to be top class. That's probably why Munich, who don't get much wrong in the market, spent so much on Mathys Tel; because there wasn't anyone obvious they really wanted to sign and they clearly consider him a can't miss talent.

I suspect Sesko will come back into discussion as I'm fairly convinced he'll become a beast. Most likely in 2 years after he's spent a year at Leipzig. Aside from him, his successor Roko Simic is meant to be very impressive. Although he's only 3 and a half months younger than Sesko, Simic is kinda a year behind in the conveyer belt of striking talent at Salzburg by default (as two u19 strikers is a bit much I suppose). Simic has scored 19 goals in 24 games for Salzburg's reserve team Liefering whereas Sesko scored 22 in 44. Simic has scored 6 in 8 for Croatia u21s too.

Everyone will be after Endrick when he's 18 but I presume Madrid have him basically tied down already. Momo Cho, who made a cameo against us, might have some promise and I believe he'd also count as home grown as he spent 5 years in the Everton academy. I'm not convinced about Joao Pedro. Gelhardt at Leeds has significant potential and might be the best u21 English striker now Greenwood is basically done. I'm curious about Datro Fofana at Molde, Hojlund at Atalanta, Bejlo at Osijek and Karrikaburu at Sociedad. Obviously development isn't linear so maybe one of those currently playing in top level football who I currently feel are overrated/overpriced (i.e. Osimhen, DCL, Abraham, Toney, David, Evanilson etc.) could grow into elite strikers.
 
devilish said:
Louis Saha even managed to persuade SAF to play him ahead RVN who was, by far, the most lethal striker we had in the past 30 years or so.
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I loved Saha.

I still tell people we looked far more lethal with Saha up front the beginning of the 2006-07 season. I loved watching us play then. He moved so much off ball and Rooney, Giggs, Nani, and Ronaldo had acres of space to work in. That was some beautiful football.

Shame he was never the same after the injury.
 
NoLogo said:
How hard is he working for the team? I mean goal scoring doesn't seem to be exactly his strong suite, so I reckon he must have other qualities why people want him?
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He feels very much like the new Dybala. He's quite clearly very good at being a footballer - that is to say he's extremely technically talented and obviously knows what to do with the ball at his feet, but for various reasons, it's not working out fully.

I think it's a culmination of the following: Simeone's tactics/him joining a club that was completely opposite to his development at such an impressionable age; him being very positionally ambigious (he's not quite a no.9, he's not quite a no.10 -- again, very Dybala); maybe he's just not as good as people want him to be? His breakout season at Benfica was good but it was hardly jawdropping-we-must-spend-100m+-on-him worthy.

The assumption for those who really want him is that a move away from Atletico and into a side that will adorn his strengths in a way that the Spanish side just cannot due to their restrictive style of football.
 
DannyCAFC said:
He'll probably be about 50 goals off Shearer's record come the end of this season, highly unlikely he ducks out of the PL in his prime at that point.
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Could see him do it if Bayern come knocking. He wants to win trophies, and that isnt going to happen with Spurs. Not major ones anyway.
 
devilish said:
Many strikers were considered not good enough for Manchester United. My cousin absolutely hated us signing Andy Cole something I took the piss out of him up until I did the same mistake during the 1996-97 transfer window. Jeez I was miffed that we only signed Poborsky, some shit kid from Barcelona, an unknown goalkeeper from the Dutch league and 2 Norwegian players one of whom from Molde. Turned out that it was one of the shrewdest windows SAF had ever had. Meanwhile Liverpool fans I knew laughed at us signing Teddy Sheringham, Dwight Yorke and Louis Saha.

Don't take me wrong, none of them were WC but that didn't matter. SAF played them into a system which made them brutally effective. Louis Saha even managed to persuade SAF to play him ahead RVN who was, by far, the most lethal striker we had in the past 30 years or so.

Thuram seem to be a ETH's signing. He's tall, he's quick, he's build for the pressing game and he's versatile. Years of Moyes (who was shit), LVG (who couldn't understand the EPL), Mou (who only wanted instant success) and Ole (LOL) had made us forget that players can be actually coached to fit into a system that makes them brutally effective. ETH can do that
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Insane comparison. Cole was just coming off what is still tied for the top goal scoring season in Prem history, and a respectable 9 in 18 to start the next year.

Saha is not a crazy comparison though. Better goal scoring record but not remarkably so, similar age and hadn't always turned his physical qualities into being a consistent scorer. But I don't see the same qualities there in Thuram, though I don't watch BMG more than 4-5 times a year. We all loved Saha, but he was ultimately more of a 7/10 kind of signing considering his 2 years where he really struggled to score.
 
Lorrenzo Lucca 22 built like a freak of nature, has good hold up ability, presses well and a good finisher, now on loan at Ajax,

forgive the music.

 
Leicester said to be in for a young striker doing well at Lens (Openda) so I've jumped to the conclusion that Cristiano will go to a team still in the CL in January and we'll sign Vardy on loan and they'll use the money to fix one of their 2 massive holes (LB or RW).
 
NoPace said:
Insane comparison. Cole was just coming off what is still tied for the top goal scoring season in Prem history, and a respectable 9 in 18 to start the next year.

Saha is not a crazy comparison though. Better goal scoring record but not remarkably so, similar age and hadn't always turned his physical qualities into being a consistent scorer. But I don't see the same qualities there in Thuram, though I don't watch BMG more than 4-5 times a year. We all loved Saha, but he was ultimately more of a 7/10 kind of signing considering his 2 years where he really struggled to score.
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He believed that Cole was a one trick pony (ie a goalpoacher) who did well because Newcastle's squad was built around him and that was being bought for silly money. Technically speaking he wasn't that wrong either. However proper coaching made Cole a very effective member of our team and a prelude of what a modern striker would look like. I think we're in similar situation now. There aren't many WC strikers around and we might have to add a striker with the right characteristics/attitude to succeed and coach him to greatness.
 
SparkedIntoLife said:
I agree with this. There's really not many impressive, obtainable options on the market and I'd rather wait for a new batch of striking talents to emerge rather than pay over the odds for someone who isn't necessarily going to be top class. That's probably why Munich, who don't get much wrong in the market, spent so much on Mathys Tel; because there wasn't anyone obvious they really wanted to sign and they clearly consider him a can't miss talent.

I suspect Sesko will come back into discussion as I'm fairly convinced he'll become a beast. Most likely in 2 years after he's spent a year at Leipzig. Aside from him, his successor Roko Simic is meant to be very impressive. Although he's only 3 and a half months younger than Sesko, Simic is kinda a year behind in the conveyer belt of striking talent at Salzburg by default (as two u19 strikers is a bit much I suppose). Simic has scored 19 goals in 24 games for Salzburg's reserve team Liefering whereas Sesko scored 22 in 44. Simic has scored 6 in 8 for Croatia u21s too.

Everyone will be after Endrick when he's 18 but I presume Madrid have him basically tied down already. Momo Cho, who made a cameo against us, might have some promise and I believe he'd also count as home grown as he spent 5 years in the Everton academy. I'm not convinced about Joao Pedro. Gelhardt at Leeds has significant potential and might be the best u21 English striker now Greenwood is basically done. I'm curious about Datro Fofana at Molde, Hojlund at Atalanta, Bejlo at Osijek and Karrikaburu at Sociedad. Obviously development isn't linear so maybe one of those currently playing in top level football who I currently feel are overrated/overpriced (i.e. Osimhen, DCL, Abraham, Toney, David, Evanilson etc.) could grow into elite strikers.
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This guy interests me too. He's banging in goals for Molde (albeit in the Norwegian league) but looks like a young Martial with more aggrssion. He's very good on the ball, has good linkup and is quite strong.
 
DWelbz19 said:
He feels very much like the new Dybala. He's quite clearly very good at being a footballer - that is to say he's extremely technically talented and obviously knows what to do with the ball at his feet, but for various reasons, it's not working out fully.

I think it's a culmination of the following: Simeone's tactics/him joining a club that was completely opposite to his development at such an impressionable age; him being very positionally ambigious (he's not quite a no.9, he's not quite a no.10 -- again, very Dybala); maybe he's just not as good as people want him to be? His breakout season at Benfica was good but it was hardly jawdropping-we-must-spend-100m+-on-him worthy.

The assumption for those who really want him is that a move away from Atletico and into a side that will adorn his strengths in a way that the Spanish side just cannot due to their restrictive style of football.
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He would be best suited playing the "Firmino" role, or what is essentially a slightly higher false 9. You also hope spending time at Atletico he has learned to be effective in defending from the front.

I'd love him here, he certainly would cope with the intensity in the premier league.
 
Seems like we might be shooting ourselves in the foot if we target a false 9 as our only type of forward to target.

It would be good to have one in the squad - but the same for a traditional in the box poacher.
 
devilish said:
He believed that Cole was a one trick pony (ie a goalpoacher) who did well because Newcastle's squad was built around him and that was being bought for silly money. Technically speaking he wasn't that wrong either. However proper coaching made Cole a very effective member of our team and a prelude of what a modern striker would look like. I think we're in similar situation now. There aren't many WC strikers around and we might have to add a striker with the right characteristics/attitude to succeed and coach him to greatness.
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Sure, but the comparison to Cole is someone who bangs in goals but isn't rated, like Immobile or Ben Yedder if they were younger, or at a huge stretch Terrier or Dembele from league one. Cole literally set the Prem goalscoring record the year before we bought him, just wasn't rated as highly as that would suggest. There's just no player like that in the market, so I don't see any Cole comparison. If you wanna look to a Fergie striker buy for inspiration, we'll have to look elsewhere.
 
DWelbz19 said:
He feels very much like the new Dybala. He's quite clearly very good at being a footballer - that is to say he's extremely technically talented and obviously knows what to do with the ball at his feet, but for various reasons, it's not working out fully.
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He's better in the air and quicker over long distances then Dybala, so I think he's more suited to being a lone 9 than Dybala. I was impressed with Felix's physical qualities at times last year.

Maguire would actually be a decent fit there with their tactics. Maybe that could cover 25M of the fee?
 
DWelbz19 said:
He feels very much like the new Dybala. He's quite clearly very good at being a footballer - that is to say he's extremely technically talented and obviously knows what to do with the ball at his feet, but for various reasons, it's not working out fully.

I think it's a culmination of the following: Simeone's tactics/him joining a club that was completely opposite to his development at such an impressionable age; him being very positionally ambigious (he's not quite a no.9, he's not quite a no.10 -- again, very Dybala); maybe he's just not as good as people want him to be? His breakout season at Benfica was good but it was hardly jawdropping-we-must-spend-100m+-on-him worthy.

The assumption for those who really want him is that a move away from Atletico and into a side that will adorn his strengths in a way that the Spanish side just cannot due to their restrictive style of football.
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To me he's a player that doesn't have a position that exists at the elite clubs, but 20 years ago he would've been a star. He's very much a roaming attacker who can't be the lone guy through the middle but doesn't fit out wide but also isn't a 10 in the sense that they need to be more like midfielders than forwards.
 
bosnian_red said:
To me he's a player that doesn't have a position that exists at the elite clubs, but 20 years ago he would've been a star. He's very much a roaming attacker who can't be the lone guy through the middle but doesn't fit out wide but also isn't a 10 in the sense that they need to be more like midfielders than forwards.
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I think he can be a lone striker when he's in his prime. He's only 22, so might get a bit stronger.
 
In a world where it would take £80m to prise Ivan Toney from Brentford, what would it take to persuade City to sell Haaland?
 
Sparky Rhiwabon said:
In a world where it would take £80m to prise Ivan Toney from Brentford, what would it take to persuade City to sell Haaland?
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I think this is the bigger problem rather than there being a shortage of strikers.

It's just so hard to sign any of them.

15 years ago getting Toney in January from a small club like Brentford wouldn't have been a problem.

United get the player, player gets a dream move, Brentford get a decent fee. All done quickly. Everybody happy.

Nowadays any selling club makes such a move as difficult as possible. We don't have a right to sign anyone we like just because the other club is smaller but they're a nightmare now.
 
Thread title should be adjusted. Haaland hasn't been a potential striker signing for a while now.
 
Watched Solanke closely today since Bournemouth are boring and he scored a ton in the Champo and he's big and young so makes sense to be the next Mitrovic or Toney, but his movement isn't great laterally and honestly if you had to pick a #9 from Bournemouth's squad today you'd just convert Billing to a striker as he's massive, won far more knock downs than Solanke and and has scored 8 and 10 in the last 2 seasons and had a really instinctive finish today, and he's never been the subtlest of midfielders. Also watched Leicester-Spurs right after and Daka appeared to be working twice as hard as Billing, who often gave up on the play if the team's attacking move didn't come off and they recycled possession or played an extra pass.

Isak does some good things but he still disappears for huge chunks of the game at this point in his career. I was surprised Howe didn't bring on Wood earlier and just move Isak to the left since Fraser was anonymous against a Championship quality RB in Adam Smith, and instead brought on another Championship player (and only if you're playing on the counter) in Jacob Murphy.
 
JoeyJoJoJrShabadoo said:
That is nuts. It doesn't mean he will leave but I am surprised it kicks in so soon. Might be when Pep expects to leave.
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Haaland is smart or has smart representation. Got rid of his competition (Alcacer's career has gone south but he had 23 in 37 in the league for Dortmund at the time) the week he went to Dortmund, and has the option to leave City if Pep leaves or the move to a Pep team didn't work so well (or the team drops a level and needs a false 9 to get back control of games, which you know Pep prizes above goals) or the UAE gets invaded by the Saudis or some other geopolitical horror.
 
NoPace said:
Haaland is smart or has smart representation. Got rid of his competition (Alcacer's career has gone south but he had 23 in 37 in the league for Dortmund at the time) the week he went to Dortmund, and has the option to leave City if Pep leaves or the move to a Pep team didn't work so well (or the team drops a level and needs a false 9 to get back control of games, which you know Pep prizes above goals) or the UAE gets invaded by the Saudis or some other geopolitical horror.
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Has been in full control of his own destiny the entire time. Has to be respected
 
Griezmann again? please I hope not, great player yes but he's 31 and he's not what we need. We need a true centre forward who can head the ball, hold up play etc.
 
I’m worried that going for a False 9 player maybe playing to a soon to be ‘older style’ of football.

So I’m more interested in players like Schick or Toney instead of players like Nkunku.
 
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