Billy Talbot

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jul/08/dominik-szoboszlai-set-to-impress-and-make-big-impact-at-liverpool [quote]Szoboszlai’s father, Zsolt, played in the Hungarian top flight and made sure his son got the proper football education. Instead of playing with toys, as a child Dominik always had a football at his feet. While his peers were having fun, he practised free-kicks. He spent most of his youth at Főnix Gold, the football academy on the outskirts of Szekesfehervar co-founded by Zsolt, where the emphasis was on technique and short passing.[/quote]

If we weren't put off by Kone's innocuous looking injury that finished his tournament then we should have been.

We're not signing Lavia at £50 and that's what Southampton want so we're not signing him. I doubt any other club will sign him for £50m either. Might get a bit more interesting towards the end of the window with him but I doubt it. We'll be heavily linked with a DM for £30m soon enough.

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Yep. I was a big fan of us signing Thiago and really enjoyed watching him play for us. But there's so much frustration with his fitness. If we can put his value into someone who is fit and contributes more of the time and will be here for years to come, I'm all for it.

Yeah, all depends on Southampton and how they perceive the risk of City not coming back in for him and him not being fit enough for a transfer next summer. They could cash out now but there's little incentive for them for them to do that in the coming days rather than at the end of the window, especially given there's several clubs interested. Also - if City don't come back in for him, Southampton get that 20% next summer. So they'd only have to sell at £40m, not £50m. And if they sell at £25m, they're still better off than selling him now for £30m. Selling him at £32m next summer is the same as selling him for £40m this summer. It's complicated. As we've said. £50m+ is a lot of money for any suitor unless they consider him a starter.

It's all a dance. Pearce saying it is offering Southampton and Lavia's agents a slightly different angle at what we're saying in meetings with them, where we won't be saying, "there's no way were paying £50m thank you very much". We will be saying "We know you want £50m and that's fine, we understand that. Can we negotiate some other bits to smooth out the rest of it if we do come to an agreement with the price?". It's up to Southampton what they will take, but like I posted earlier, if they (and his agents) are convinced that City are going to pay £40m next summer and City have a 20% sell-on, then someone will have to be paying more than £50m for him. At least that will be Southampton's current stance. They have no reason to have any other. It might change the nearer it gets to the end of the window and no-one actually has offered £50m, or they lose faith in the likelihood of City actually paying £40m, or realise that no-one else believes them.

Yeah, would take a reinvention.

I've been wondering about that. He's no good for an 8 anymore. Even when he's rested he's hit and miss and then needs resting. Be interesting to see where he plays pre-season.

I agree. Question is for Thiago if he'd like to pick up his huge wedge now or in a year's time after enjoying another year playing proper football. Also, he might fancy going to Italy, in which case the Bosman thing is deffo in play.

Be difficult to move him on if he doesn't want to move now/wants to move as a free agent though.

Lavia deal sounds too complicated if his agents are convinced City will pay £40m for him next year and City has a sell-on of 20% is true. That's nearly £50m before Soton even get compensated for losing Lavia for a year. So £60-£70m for a player that isn't going straight into the first XI, after we've already spent £90m+. No Chance.

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Mac will start.

"So boss laaaa". No-one is ever gonna say his name right anyway.

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Best thing about barbecues is beer.

Some women like that…

Kone off with a knee injury

Another 8, a 6 and cb. So; Thuram/Szoboszlai/Viega Kone/Gravenberch/Lavia Van der Ven? No I'm not. I think the 3rd depends on how much we pay for the 2nd and the CB.

Will his time at Soton qualify him as homegrown after he's 21 though?

Mac Allister

One of the problems with paying 70m odd for mount is that he’s already turned down £240kpw wages at Chelsea. He’s really expensive.

If Jones played for another club and we were linked, other than his weird injury record, I'd be enthusiastic. If he can stay fit and available, I think he'll be good this season. There. I've said it.