Mo Salah

[Doc_Piptorious]

Think if we sold him, then it'd be about the squad as you say as he is probably irreplaceable.

When Coutinho left, we used the money to help sign Virgil, Becker and Fabinho. Much better as a team but the actual replacement for Coutinho wasn't as good. We'd have to do that again.

When Zidane left Juventus, they brought in Nedved as his replacement but also Buffon abd Thuram. And were a much much better team as a result.

So maybe replacing Salah with 3 players would make the team better. I dont know. But if we did go that route, then one of them being a young forward with bags of potential would be a good move...... Someone like Ansu Fati

Yeah that is why I often mention Adeyemi as the sort of player to bring in should Salah go. Not that I think Adeyemi is currently on Salah's level or even that I think he will become as good as Salah as Salah is one of those once in a generation level players, but rather than I think he is currently good and has to potential to be very good by conventional standards.

Get a player in like Adeyemi, Fati, Diaby etc to add a very direct pacey threat and use the rest of the money to strengthen elsewhere in the team.

Is a similar attitude to what I have had for months after Bellingham was linked with us. I preferred the idea of buying two or three good to very good players for the first team than buying one potentially world class one because we are back to that stage where we need to make the team unit stronger before we can add final pieces.

Bit like how we strengthened the team to a set level in the past before then going big on getting an Alisson or VVD to push the team's level to being elite.



And before anyone jumps on Frank's mention of Fati, I know he mostly plays on the left but afaik he can play on both flanks.

[danperkins]

The assumption there is that it is as easy as all that to replace their output. Its a game of having the best players, not of having the most transfers and money to bring players in.

If we had sold Salah 2 seasons ago we most likely wouldnt have had the season where we fought City to the last day and got to the CL final. He was on fire for the first half of that season.

What we are about to find out is if last season was an outlier, or a trend.

The issue here is City, remove them and the last 5 seasons are so much better for us.

[frank the tank]

Yeah that is why I often mention Adeyemi as the sort of player to bring in should Salah go. Not that I think Adeyemi is currently on Salah's level or even that I think he will become as good as Salah as Salah is one of those once in a generation level players, but rather than I think he is currently good and has to potential to be very good by conventional standards.

Get a player in like Adeyemi, Fati, Diaby etc to add a very direct pacey threat and use the rest of the money to strengthen elsewhere in the team.

Is a similar attitude to what I have had for months after Bellingham was linked with us. I preferred the idea of buying two or three good to very good players for the first team than buying one potentially world class one because we are back to that stage where we need to make the team unit stronger before we can add final pieces.

Bit like how we strengthened the team to a set level in the past before then going big on getting an Alisson or VVD to push the team's level to being elite.



And before anyone jumps on Frank's mention of Fati, I know he mostly plays on the left but afaik he can play on both flanks.

Or maybe that young fella at Dortmund - Moukoko

[Doc_Piptorious]

Or maybe that young fella at Dortmund - Moukoko

He looks promising alright and has a decent amount of experience for a 18 or 19 yo, but think he needs to be at a club that can give him more time to gain experience.

More of a central attacker too so even if we got him he would be behind Darwin and Gakpo straight away.

Adeyemi at Dortmund looks more ready to make the leap up and can play in more positions so he could be a Mo understudy at RW (plus he is a left footer like Mo and has lots of pace) but he can play upo front or on the left too so would be more likely to get regalar game time as cover compared to Moukoko imo where either to move to us.

Adeyemi for me is sort of like Leao or Martinelli in how he will drive at defenders and carry the ball into chance creating positions.

Do think we need someone with pace in that can cover that right side though and for whom it is a natural position. Would give us more options when Salah is at the AFCON or if we needed to move Salah to a more central attacking slot or simply needed to drop him for a few games to rest.


Is why I also like the idea of getting Marcus Thuram on a free as he can play both wings as well as up front. Would also open up the possibility of Jota or another player leaving to further boost our transfer kitty.

[SB]

Dortmund have just sold their most influential player so they are cashed up & if they go to previous form they won’t sell any more of their star players this TW.

[Irishnev]

Dortmund have just sold their most influential player so they are cashed up & if they go to previous form they won’t sell any more of their star players this TW.

He was linked to Madrid today for €80m

[SB]

He was linked to Madrid today for €80m

Who, Mo? 80m euros ?

[Irishnev]

Who, Mo? 80m euros ?

Adeyemi

[Catrin]

Can Mitoma play on the right?

[Doc_Piptorious]

Can Mitoma play on the right?

Think he can play both flanks but there is a very small sample of games where he went onto the right flank, think they were when he was in Belgium, but not sure Brighton will be willing to sell him on top of selling MacAllister and maybe Caicedo in the same window.


Would probably ask for big money for him too.


If we were to spend big money on a left winger that can also play on the right wing and who has just had a really good first season in a top league then would prefer to go after Kvaratskhelia.


And if we are going down that rabbit hole, let's buy Vini jnr and tell all our current left sided attackers that they best get cracking on turning themselves into right wingers because Vini has the left nailed down for good.

[BG1973]

So why haven't we been doing that? Should have sold salah or mane 2 seasons ago when the price would have been high. Before the inevitable down spiral in their abilities.

Covid and then klopp not much left on contract.

By time market reopened we were better off keeping what we had for a couple of strong final seasons.. things changed again when klopp extended.

[BootRoom]

Hope PSG aren't put off by the number of tap-ins and easy chances he's been handed on a silver platter by the team, and table a big offer.

[Buzzo]

Is that you back from Summer camp then?

[Mark79]

Salah propped the team up last season, not the other way around.

[Charly]

Yeah... He was "****e" by Salah's standards.But thats a pretty high bar and still notched 30 goals and 16 assists, which is still pretty ****ing high up there. he pretty much carried us.

For me he looked really sluggish, until the end of the season, when I thought he suddenly had a bit more agility again.

I wouldnt sell unless it was for silly money. Question is, who comes in and gets 30-40 a season? He is the latest in the long line of striking legends we seem to keep coming up with... I feel like this sorta run has to dry up at some point.