Maldini

Am I right in thinking Rayan can't move again til January?

He said we enquired about Guimaraes a while back too

Yeah, we were ahead of the curve 10 years ago but everyone has caught up on the data and scouting front. I think this is why Edwards is so keen on getting a second club. I think smaller teams like Brighton, Bournemouth and Brentford are signing younger players we have watched but can't take the risk on. They can offer them games to develop that we can't. The Brexit/EU thing is also stopping us getting the best talent until they turn 18.

Great breakdown of Diomande, has me excited for what we can get out of Wirtz with him in the side https://youtu.be/LRjsNT3iMEM?is=-v6fFtoa1xnNAaOw

We tried to sign him a couple of years back so it'd fit our pattern of returning for players who fit the profile

If Chelsea are signing another RB we should try and get Acheampong from them. He's great at RB and CB

Just looking at his stats from before last season and it seems like he only really became a out and out left-winger when he went to Osasuna. 24/25 for Real Madrid B he played 19 games at centre forward (9 goals, 5 assists) and only 10 at LW (2 goals, 2 assists) and another 6 at right wing.

I don't think any of us can say he is or isn't worth that kind of money unless we've watched a ton of him and I don't think anyone on here has. It's obviously a big risk at that fee but I think the comments of "£100m for potential" are overstating the case a bit. He had 23 goals and assists in 36 games last season (31 starts). The reality is Chelsea's spending on young talents has changed the game and big clubs are having to spend money that makes them a bit nervous on players they're not 100% sure of or else Chelsea will just hoover them up.

Seems we're lining up a deal for this kid from Georgia, hijacking Arsenal's deal. Don't think he can sign til next season though

We could do a hell of a lot worse than him if we're losing Jones and Mac Allister

ITKAdSpace

Interesting that they've dropped the £50k a year thing, it's competitive out there now!

I'm presuming there's going to be another bigger named wide player like Diomande coming in but if your first choice wingers are 17 and 19 with about 80 games in total between them you need another viable option to rotate with them and this lad seems ideal both in his level and his style.

We've currently got three fit forwards, one of whom and Chiesa who'll leave. We need 6 so getting this guy and say Diomande or Barcola makes a ton of sense. Rio can't play 60+ games a season at his age and this guy can play both sides, he's played through the middle a bit too

Watched a couple of vids of him there, he looks like a mix of Bellamy and Jota I reckon this means Gakpo is off

There's a clause. Happy with this, I think if we're going to get 6-8 players this summer at least half of them are going to be squad filler. This guy seems like he can be that and maybe blossom into something more.

We're signing one of Everton's best kids Josh Chigwada, brave kid! Sounds like we're getting a keeper from Wolves as well, they apparently think he'll play for England in future and didn't want to lose him

Makes it impossible to sign players for the academy like clubs used to though

You can only really play one nine though, Rio, Barcola and Diomande can all play either side. We'll have about 120 starts for those two wide positions next season, plenty of games to share around

Looking at those WC pitches, if I was a DOF selling players I'd be looking to get things done early. There's already been a load of injuries and there'll be a ton more, the pitches are a shambles

Mrs.

I've just learned that Pickford is not our short-armed friend's real name. His dad changed the family name before he was born from Pigford

We were linked with him recently, I haven't seen much of him but anyone who watches German football raves about him to a mad degree

Brexit is a factor too given English clubs can't sign foreign players til they're 18 now

Seems like there's way more movement of lads going into their first year scholarships than there used to be. I'd say agents have started to get involved