Midfield

[spud_gun]

Yep, both at a premium price tho, no way Alison, VVD would have arrived unless they had been sold ?

The Suarez money was spent/wasted on the likes of Lallanna, Lovren, Markovic & Balotelli

[Rich]

Declan Rice would be a great addition, but I don't think we'd stump up the cash for him. He's rejected £200k a week at West Ham and even though he's down to last 18 months, I can still see West Ham holding out for £70/80m for him.

[danperkins]

I think he would absolutely take 200k pw at a club that has a chance of winning things and playing in the biggest comps unlike West Ham. Will definitely be a big fee and they will get it imo. Can't see us being in the mix for him though. Chelsea or United imo.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Declan Rice would be a great addition, but I don't think we'd stump up the cash for him. He's rejected £200k a week at West Ham and even though he's down to last 18 months, I can still see West Ham holding out for £70/80m for him.

So basically you could get Barella and Laimer for what Rice would cost?

Barella for around 60m to 70m. Laimer on a free next summer or for a nominal fee in January.

Then if Rice is indeed looking for north of 200k a week for wages, that figure would go a long way towards the combined wage for Barella and Laimer.

Barella, Laimer and Tonali is back on


McAllister has been removed from my list as he is no longer free next summer as he just signed a new contract.


Of course we could just go balls out and get my current Fifa23 midfield trio of

Pedri--------Barella
------Tonali---------


Thiago, Laimer, Elliot, Carvalho, Jones and Henderson being my current depth for the CM slots. Who needs the real world for a footy fix.

[danperkins]

I do think Barella would be a bit less high profile than Bellingham and Rice. Certainly as talented, maybe even better than the other two currently but everyone will duke it out for Jude & Rice, imo we will avoid both as we won't be able to compete financially.

[Doc_Piptorious]

I do think Barella would be a bit less high profile than Bellingham and Rice. Certainly as talented, maybe even better than the other two currently but everyone will duke it out for Jude & Rice, imo we will avoid both as we won't be able to compete financially.

Barella is world class right now with probably three or four years in his prime left in him before he becomes simply a good midfielder.

Would have him above Rice every time (not saying their playing styles are comparable) as Barella can do more than Rice imo. Rice is more decent than he often gets credit for but he is not a high level CM in every department. Barella on the other hand attacks well, defends well, presses well, defends well against presses, is combatitive, is skillful, reads the game well and works his arse off and best of all he seems to want to fight for every inch of the pitch.

Bellingham is a good player right now but despite all the obvious potential (and youth) he is still very much in that he may become world class bracket.

If we had a chance at Barella and for less than the other two, then I am going with the current world class guy over the maybe guys.


Barella at RCM for us would be a huge upgrade on anyone we have for there and imo he would be an Alisson/VVD level signing as in one that would be expected to be top class straight away.

[danperkins]

He isn't world class imo but he certainly a fantastic player and would improve us no end & would be that little be less high profile than the other two when it comes to the inevitable bidding wars.

[Exiled_red]

As was mentioned in one of the other threads the Homegrown quota is going to come into this at some point, currently we have 17 non-HG players in the squad, if we want to bring in players who don't count as HG then we have to move a non-HG player on. At the moment I am assuming that come the summer we will move on Keita, Ox, Milner and Melo will go back that's 2 HG players and 2 non-HG players, if we bring in 2 non HG players we are back at 17 again meaning we can't bring anyone else in unless they are HG. While you could make the case that given how little Ox and Keita play replacing 4 with two is an improvement unless we can identify a HG player we probably aren't going to be in a great place numbers wise a couple of injuries would put us back in the **** again.

If we need more non-HG players we have to move other people on Firmino and Adrian are out of contract in the summer, but again they would need to be replaced.

[brightred]

So basically you could get Barella and Laimer for what Rice would cost?

Barella for around 60m to 70m. Laimer on a free next summer or for a nominal fee in January.

Then if Rice is indeed looking for north of 200k a week for wages, that figure would go a long way towards the combined wage for Barella and Laimer.

Barella, Laimer and Tonali is back on


McAllister has been removed from my list as he is no longer free next summer as he just signed a new contract.

So Jaco, just to be sure.

Of course we could just go balls out and get my current Fifa23 midfield trio of

Pedri--------Barella
------Tonali---------


Thiago, Laimer, Elliot, Carvalho, Jones and Henderson being my current depth for the CM slots. Who needs the real world for a footy fix.

Do you rate Barella and Laimer?

[brightred]

Just wanted to be sure!

[calvoboy]

I know next to nothing about Laimer, but this sounds promising https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/10/3...blem-for-free/

I'd take him in January for a reasonable fee rather than free in summer though, if he's anywhere as good as Jaco thinks.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Do you rate Barella and Laimer?

Pair of bums.

[baitman]

Caicedo at Brighton is a very decent young player.
He has signed till 2025 so that bumps his price but a proper talent.

[frank the tank]

I think we should sign yer man Laimer....and if possible Barella too.

You heard it here first

[Slinky Skills]

Kessie is another maybe? Who else can we go for that's robust. What about the Danish lad that plays for Spurs, Højbjerg?