The centre-forward market...

It's Osimhen or bust for me. I don't think he's the end all be all...but It think we can realistically get him with Raspadori on the squad and I think we can get him for a decent price (it will still be more than he's worth). Everyone else either won't be available in Jan or won't be good enough to make a difference.

Moving forward without another ST would be a disaster, so we just don't have the position to be too choosy frankly. Sucks, but it is the reality.
 
I think Ronaldo is done in January. I hope we bring in Gakpo to compete at LW and move Rashford & Martial to permanent Striker positions for the rest of the year.

After the year, we can assess where we are at but for me, Osimhen is the answer. I think he can contribute right now to the team and also has another level or two still in his game.
 
Osimhen is the answer. He is attainable, will change us from moment one, and has the goals in him.

Hope he comes here after home lander leaves in January. I really want him to kick out Barcelona from EL in February.
 
colombianmancunian said:
Osimhen is the answer. He is attainable, will change us from moment one, and has the goals in him.

Hope he comes here after home lander leaves in January. I really want him to kick out Barcelona from EL in February.
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He isn't leaving Napoli in Champions League absolutely guaranteed,many are talking them up as potential dark horses
 
Benjamin Sesko should be target No 1.

The Red Bull academy is a pure talent factory right now. Heard an interview with an ex RB coach who indicated that they might have taken it a bit too far, sounds a bit like one of does Chinese gymnasts schools. Or at least tremendously disciplined and focused on training.

Anyway, just a side note, watch him play, he is just really really impressive. Would take him over Vlahovic any day of the week. Would easily take him over Oshimen. I like Oshimen, but his best game is definitely with some space infront of him against a D standing high.
 
croadyman said:
He isn't leaving Napoli in Champions League absolutely guaranteed,many are talking them up as potential dark horses
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More than that, they have the most legit shot at Serie A glory since Maradona’s two scudettos in the late 80s.
 
Messier1994 said:
Benjamin Sesko should be target No 1.

The Red Bull academy is a pure talent factory right now. Heard an interview with an ex RB coach who indicated that they might have taken it a bit too far, sounds a bit like one of does Chinese gymnasts schools. Or at least tremendously disciplined and focused on training.

Anyway, just a side note, watch him play, he is just really really impressive. Would take him over Vlahovic any day of the week. Would easily take him over Oshimen. I like Oshimen, but his best game is definitely with some space infront of him against a D standing high.
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Sesko would be my preferred signing as, well. Looks like the next Lewandowski to me. I suspect if he was considering moving here he wouldnt have gone to Leipzig though.
 
Scholsey2004 said:
Sesko would be my preferred signing as, well. Looks like the next Lewandowski to me. I suspect if he was considering moving here he wouldnt have gone to Leipzig though.
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Yeah, I agree 100%, I don’t think we are getting Sesko either. It’s so obvious how much talent he has. We don’t carry the weight to get a signing like that done — or haven’t for a long time at least. We can pay 120m for Felix perhaps, but not get a kid like Sesko.

If we can’t get Sesko, I am not against getting someone for like 2 years while spending most money on the MF and defense to properly fix those areas. Patrick Schick is one option in that perspective.

Leverkusen sucks this year. Schick has been there for some time now. Not sure if he is a perfect fit for their manager. If he could be had for like 40m — I think that he also would be a really good fit. Like he isn’t the guy who you win the Premier League with. But you need to learn to walk before you can run. We also need to invest heavily in our midfield and defense. I rather get someone like Schick now for 40m that we could sell for 30m in 2-3 years (or move on from Martial) — and get a top young defender and midfielder, plus some depth at RD and RW — during a period where we establish ourself as a true CL team. Then go out with guns blasting for that top striker in 2.5 years.
 
Messier1994 said:
Yeah, I agree 100%, I don’t think we are getting Sesko either. It’s so obvious how much talent he has. We don’t carry the weight to get a signing like that done — or haven’t for a long time at least. We can pay 120m for Felix perhaps, but not get a kid like Sesko.

If we can’t get Sesko, I am not against getting someone for like 2 years while spending most money on the MF and defense to properly fix those areas. Patrick Schick is one option in that perspective.

Leverkusen sucks this year. Schick has been there for some time now. Not sure if he is a perfect fit for their manager. If he could be had for like 40m — I think that he also would be a really good fit. Like he isn’t the guy who you win the Premier League with. But you need to learn to walk before you can run. We also need to invest heavily in our midfield and defense. I rather get someone like Schick now for 40m that we could sell for 30m in 2-3 years (or move on from Martial) — and get a top young defender and midfielder, plus some depth at RD and RW — during a period where we establish ourself as a true CL team. Then go out with guns blasting for that top striker in 2.5 years.
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With all the big transfers of upcoming young strikers in the last couple of seasons the field is now a lot thinner than it was. Getting a top quality centre forward at the right age would be difficult right now without being taken to the cleaners on the fee.

Edit: Yeah, Schick would probably be a good fit.
 
Messier1994 said:
Yeah, I agree 100%, I don’t think we are getting Sesko either. It’s so obvious how much talent he has. We don’t carry the weight to get a signing like that done — or haven’t for a long time at least. We can pay 120m for Felix perhaps, but not get a kid like Sesko.

If we can’t get Sesko, I am not against getting someone for like 2 years while spending most money on the MF and defense to properly fix those areas. Patrick Schick is one option in that perspective.

Leverkusen sucks this year. Schick has been there for some time now. Not sure if he is a perfect fit for their manager. If he could be had for like 40m — I think that he also would be a really good fit. Like he isn’t the guy who you win the Premier League with. But you need to learn to walk before you can run. We also need to invest heavily in our midfield and defense. I rather get someone like Schick now for 40m that we could sell for 30m in 2-3 years (or move on from Martial) — and get a top young defender and midfielder, plus some depth at RD and RW — during a period where we establish ourself as a true CL team. Then go out with guns blasting for that top striker in 2.5 years.
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Feels to me like we need a couple strikers tbh. We need a replacement for Ronaldo in January. And we need a big splash after the season of a top player to show this team is back. That of course would be affected by our finish, as in if we don't finish top four we can forget any option that would be heavily bid upon. But... If we do finish top four we are in play for the very best options.

For right now, and in replacing Ronaldo, we're probably talking a more budget option. Maybe a young player. Or a guy like the aforementioned Schick. This window is critical because we need to tune this team to be able to get the desired finish.
 
Boondog said:
Feels to me like we need a couple strikers tbh. We need a replacement for Ronaldo in January. And we need a big splash after the season of a top player to show this team is back. That of course would be affected by our finish, as in if we don't finish top four we can forget any option that would be heavily bid upon. But... If we do finish top four we are in play for the very best options.

For right now, and in replacing Ronaldo, we're probably talking a more budget option. Maybe a young player. Or a guy like the aforementioned Schick. This window is critical because we need to tune this team to be able to get the desired finish.
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For sure. And like, ETH is really respected in the football world. Everyone can see that we are building something that has a lot of potential.

If we can get into the Champions League — we are definitely a pretty attractive club for many players out there. There are openings all over the squad.

For that reason alone, it’s really important for us to get into the top 4.
 
Lautaro Martinez…
What Lisandro does at the back, he does at the front. We’d become the ultimate pressing, high octane team
 
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Stobzilla said:
Vlahovic has the best mix of qualities we need against potential outlay, think we can pick up a real bargain with him.
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I understand this is just an opinion, but I don't think it corresponds to objective reality. Certainly not for January.

For someone to become a bargain it means either the club want to push them out, or the player is pushing to leave. None of those apply here. There are 0 noises from Juve or the player that they want to part ways, be it for financial or sporting reasons.

After a very poor start in the league, they started hitting form (6 wins on the trot) and they've managed to sneak into the top 4 by a mere point ahead of Inter. They would not sell their main goal threat mid-season. That would be very likely to cost them the top 4 and UCL football next season. Needless to say, that's hugely valuable to them for financial and reputational reasons. On top of that if anyone is more desperate for this transfer, it'd be us not them. It's us who are left with only 1 injury prone striker for the rest of the season. So why would they throw us a mid-season bargain? They would be far more likely to try and fleece us for every single penny.

On top of that, people forget that when Vlahovic was leaving Fiorentina, the only club he wanted to go to was Juve (Sky Sports | Vlahovic only wanted move to Juventus). There has been 0 noise from the player's camp that he is disgruntled and wants to leave. Even if Juve were ok with striking a deal, it's highly unlikely he wants to come here and frankly what for? Juve offer UCL every year. They won the title 3 times in the last 5 seasons. We've not been in a title race in nearly a decade. The only thing we can perhaps offer more, is money. We'd be in another Dybala/Rabiot situation where we try to lure a player that doesn't want to come with a high salary. Far from ideal.

In either case, if this transfer were to happen mid-season it would cost a helluva lot in fees and salaries. And for this to happen in the summer, Juve would have to finish outside the top 4 and we'd have to finish in it.
 
MadMike said:
I understand this is just an opinion, but I don't think it corresponds to objective reality. Certainly not for January.

For someone to become a bargain it means either the club want to push them out, or the player is pushing to leave. None of those apply here. There are 0 noises from Juve or the player that they want to part ways, be it for financial or sporting reasons.

After a very poor start in the league, they started hitting form (6 wins on the trot) and they've managed to sneak into the top 4 by a mere point ahead of Inter. They would not sell their main goal threat mid-season. That would be very likely to cost them the top 4 and UCL football next season. Needless to say, that's hugely valuable to them for financial and reputational reasons. On top of that if anyone is more desperate for this transfer, it'd be us not them. It's us who are left with only 1 injury prone striker for the rest of the season. So why would they throw us a mid-season bargain? They would be far more likely to try and fleece us for every single penny.

On top of that, people forget that when Vlahovic was leaving Fiorentina, the only club he wanted to go to was Juve (Sky Sports | Vlahovic only wanted move to Juventus). There has been 0 noise from the player's camp that he is disgruntled and wants to leave. Even if Juve were ok with striking a deal, it's highly unlikely he wants to come here and frankly what for? Juve offer UCL every year. They won the title 3 times in the last 5 seasons. We've not been in a title race in nearly a decade. The only thing we can perhaps offer more, is money. We'd be in another Dybala/Rabiot situation where we try to lure a player that doesn't want to come with a high salary. Far from ideal.

In either case, if this transfer were to happen mid-season it would cost a helluva lot in fees and salaries. And for this to happen in the summer, Juve would have to finish outside the top 4 and we'd have to finish in it.
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I should have put that I don't think we get him in January, but I do stand by that he is everything that we need and Juve are not in the best position financially, if we play our cards right and Juve are open to the idea of including players in the deal I think there is a way to negotiate this and get it over the line.

But there are some things that need to happen in our favour and finishing Top 4 or finishing with CL qualification is on that list.
 
Stobzilla said:
I should have put that I don't think we get him in January, but I do stand by that he is everything that we need and Juve are not in the best position financially, if we play our cards right and Juve are open to the idea of including players in the deal I think there is a way to negotiate this and get it over the line.

But there are some things that need to happen in our favour and finishing Top 4 or finishing with CL qualification is on that list.
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Any interested team just needs to lure the player (like Bayern did with De Ligt last window) and make him ask for a move… after that, the three parties (team 1, player, team 2) meet and negotiate until all are satisfied.
 
colombianmancunian said:
Osimhen is the answer. He is attainable, will change us from moment one, and has the goals in him.

Hope he comes here after home lander leaves in January. I really want him to kick out Barcelona from EL in February.
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Aside from the cost issue, why on earth would Osimhen leave Napoli in January? As is they're 8 points clear on top of Serie A and still in the CL having topped their group. In the summer if we're in the CL, it might make sense. Mid-season he'd be stupid to leave where he is.
 
Depending on his World Cup performance, think we should have a go at Jonathan David as a longer term squad option, until we can go for a World Class/ Future World Class striker
 
One thing worth noting now is that any reasonably confidant centre forward looking at joining us will know there are absolutely no concerns about game time. We will spend long swathes of the season with literally no fit strikers if we don't sign anyone.

Someone like Sesko who may have been worried about never getting a start with Ronaldo around certainly don't have that concern anymore.

Anyone who comes in will be starting you'd imagine.
 
I don't think Napoli would entertain Osimen considering their position in the league. Think there's any chance Juve might consider selling Vlahovic? I think they have financial problems. I would have thought it was more possible before Juve's recent improvement in form, but now they're 3rd it seems unlikely. Tbh I feel like we'll probably just sign Depay either permanently or on loan (hopefully the latter).

EDIT: Why are people talking about Sesko? He's already agreed a deal to go to Leipzig at the end of the season so that deal is literally impossible.
 
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With Ronaldo gone, we definitely need a forward in January. Relying on Martial and Rashford, who is best as a left winger, is not the way to go.

I think we'll sign Memphis Depay as a stop gap.
 
Any word yet how much we're saving from his wages? I'm guessing loss of shirt sales and marketing takes away some of it, but would be nice to see how much they can use to target a striker
 
Annihilate Now! said:
It'll be Gakpo won't it? Solid interest in the summer and it sounded like he wanted to come here.
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Maybe the Felix loan rumours have some substance as well.

I would be curious to see how a Felix loan pans out, but I just can't see ATM allowing him to leave permanently for a reasonable price, and that would really hurt our ability to sign any other players, particularly an out and out number 9. The ones I would really like to see us go for are Sesko and Moukoko....
 
Depay on loan until the end of the season, gets him off Barca's wage bill and helps us . Go big in the summer.
Or if Depay works sign him.
 
atkar83 said:
Any word yet how much we're saving from his wages? I'm guessing loss of shirt sales and marketing takes away some of it, but would be nice to see how much they can use to target a striker
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500k per week? A cool 15m or so until July 1st in savings.
 
If ETH wants him, I hope we could do a deal with PSV that we'll take him on loan with Obligation to buy in the summer.

Because I can't see us pay 50m euros on him + putting 50-70m on Enzo Fernandes to Benfica and bringing a CF in the summer
 
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