goodrobotusses

Napoli played silly buggers thinking they could get someone to pay a massive fee for him after they'd already pissed him off to the point of making him want to leave. No one did, so a supposedly €100m-rated striker ended up on loan in Turkey. In fairness, Fürth isn't that far from Munich.

Someone needs to tell that fella that there are other footballers out there, not just the ones he's met.

I think Diaz wants Barca and not Saudi, so Barca think they can get the player for below what a Saudi club would pay, knowing the player will dig his heels in. This planted story from the club seems to be their way of saying to both Barca and Diaz that we're willing to dig our heels in too: "If you want him and if he wants only you, the price is the Saudi price. Otherwise you can try to lowball again next summer or he can join for free in two years."

This is what I think. Horses for courses when we need Szobo's energy off the ball.

Exactly where I am with it. He's a very good player, would gladly keep him, but if the club thinks there's someone younger and potentially better out there, whose purchase could be funded by a sale, then great. Maybe we were spoilt by having peak Mane and Salah, but that should be the benchmark.

Not least Barcelona, who were desperate to sell him so they could register Olmo.

The catch here could be if Diaz only wants Barca or simply doesn't want Saudi. Barca can't pay with the offer of a sweet Spotify playlist, so nothing ends up happening.

Translation: LFC would sell him but don't want to make it too obvious because they don't want to drive his price down. Think if he stays he will be a mix of first-choice LW and back-up striker, yeah.

Think we need far more pace in the team so happy with both Frimpong and Kerkez. Ait Nouri is a good player but never had the impression he's especially quick (could simply have missed this, however).

Correct, although I wonder if they'd sniff at money for Barcola or Zaire Emery.

It is, but I think they're intelligent enough players to make it work. Not that we're signing Alvarez, sadly. I'm sure I've only been seeing the wrong games, but I'm convinced this lad is a massive fraud.

Don't think Cherki would have anything to do with Diaz going. Cherki is left-footed and playing from the right, but really more of a No10 than a winger given his lack of pace. Seems like Guardiola's Grealish replacement: take a maverick dribbler, put him high and wide, and then ask him to pass back to the full-back 99% of the time. Not sure if Cherki likes a night out as much as Grealish, mind.

Just wait till those five Vojvodina separatists get their way. Then Kerkez will have a decision to make.

This is just a fancy way of saying Arteta has Moyes DNA and s***s himself after getting in good positions.

He's alright:

I'm as guilty as anyone of combing the internet for transfer/Wirtz news multiple times a day, but not sure it's healthy to be analysing individual words in individual tweets/reports for signs of the deal faltering. We're negotiating a massive, complicated deal, the details of which even the biggest Twitter ITK isn't gonna be privy to. It seems extremely likely to happen, but might take a few more days, a week, maybe even a fortnight (gasp). So in the meantime we should collectively go walk the dog or something (my mother's answer to the stress of penalty shootouts).

Hope he walks around the City training ground giving all the lads a copy of his book.

Sometimes those "last 60 shots" compilations can have that effect.

Presumably selected because it was a good performance, and only vs Braunschweig, but this video of Ekitike gives you a bit of an idea of his game. Lots of dropping off and linking play, like a gangly Firmino.

€20m signing fee apparently. Buy lots of nice clothes with that.

I think we would keep him if no one offered big money for him, maybe even give him a new contract. But I think we'll basically sell anyone beyond a couple Slot loves if someone bids high enough, and it seems Saudi has a big bag of money with our name on it. That said, I think if we sell one of Diaz or Gakpo, the other would then stay. If you switched their ages, I would prefer that Gakpo were the one being sold, as I think Diaz is the better player and gave us an interesting option at No.9 this season while Jota and Nunez were being too injured/out of form/stupid to play the role effectively. I also think Jota only stays (probably as back-up striker) simply because no one will pay money for his injury record.

I think the biggest change was Salah having arguably his best ever season. Otherwise I think any of them could be upgraded, although Gakpo and Diaz had much more productive seasons, making it a bit mean on my part to say we could do better. It's all Sadio Mane's fault for being better than either of them at his peak.

I think the squad will be better but smaller next season. I can see Diaz and Chiesa going and their replacements also being the replacements for Elliott and TAA in the squad (Wirtz, Frimpong), with the new No.9 being a replacement for one player only (Nunez). Not sure I buy the idea of Wirtz coming to play false nine either, apart from maybe for some very specific game plans. Slot has said repeatedly he plays with and wants a No.9 in the team. Wirtz will play as he has for Leverkusen and Germany, either as a No.10 or from the left.

Think those confirmations are usually linked with trying to get people to buy the new shirt with a name and number. Obviously that's been complicated by the whole Nike/Adidas contract hiccup.

Read that Alonso wants Stiller at Madrid so would be impressive if we can get him in. Also saw another one of those Transfer Flow scouting reports on Akliouche at Monaco the other day: