Transfer targets 2020/21

[Chocolate Teapot]

8 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

Which would have been a huge risk as well - he would be signed effectively as cover for Fofana injured for a month and there’s absolutely no guarantee he’s going to pick up to the speed of English football (hence Liverpool made the signing of Davies). 
 

Generally defenders from Bundesliga take time to get up to speed - Soyuncu, Koch, Metresacker off the top of my head I can think of. 

Yep fair point. At this stage I'd prefer competition for Evans so Tarkowski in the summer would be preferable for me.

[CosbehFox]

Just now, Chocolate Teapot said:

Yep fair point. At this stage I'd prefer competition for Evans so Tarkowski in the summer would be preferable for me.

I’m not picking on you, so apologises if it feels this way but for me signings fit two criteria’s in January.
 

You are either going for tried and tested because the player isn’t playing elsewhere or you are bringing a player from abroad and use the second half of the season to bed him in. 

 

There’s a lot of factors clubs bring into signings - another may be setting off a chain of transfers which sees your direct rivals become stronger. That’s why I find the Minamino loan daft from Saints - they get a player for six months developing at their cost for Liverpool’s long term gain.
 

What do Saints achieve at their maximum this season? 10 pts off the top 4 now. Cup win probably or top 6. 

[Ric Flair]

Morgan Sanson and Odegaard are the only signings that I'd have wanted us to get prior to panic stations yesterday. But now we are facing potentially 20-30 games with a squad thats very vulnerable to injuries with history for succumbing to crumbling because of injuries and a loss of momentum. To put ourselves in as good, if not better position than last season given we are in Europe and not strengthen again is unforgivable if it backfires. People can hide behind the story that we wanted to bring in a midfielder and that not many clubs did business, but if we were like all the rest and an average joe then we'd never have done what we've done over the last 5 seasons. 

 

We are risk averse right now, maybe thats shrewd but if it backfires then there's an ambition question mark over our head. There's only so many chances we'll get to turn the screw on the elite and its easy to look back and see where we could have tried to hammer home that chance. 

[shen]

13 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

Which would have been a huge risk as well - he would be signed effectively as cover for Fofana injured for a month and there’s absolutely no guarantee he’s going to pick up to the speed of English football (hence Liverpool made the signing of Davies). 
 

Generally defenders from Bundesliga take time to get up to speed - Soyuncu, Koch, Metresacker off the top of my head I can think of. 

I don't think there is a general trend there. Kompany, Rüdiger, Fuchs slotted in immediately for example.

[CosbehFox]

6 minutes ago, shen said:

I don't think there is a general trend there. Kompany, Rüdiger, Fuchs slotted in immediately for example.

Only Rudiger started regularly upon joining and was part of a 3-2 loss to Burnley on debut. He was in and out of the team. He’d also experienced Italian football compared to the other examples. 

 

Kompany didn’t start play for the first half of the season upon joining Man City, part injury and then couldn’t keep his place. He only had a stretch of regular games from Feb/March. 
 

Fuchs also barely played for first two months at Leicester as well. 

[coolhandfox]

52 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Morgan Sanson and Odegaard are the only signings that I'd have wanted us to get prior to panic stations yesterday. But now we are facing potentially 20-30 games with a squad thats very vulnerable to injuries with history for succumbing to crumbling because of injuries and a loss of momentum. To put ourselves in as good, if not better position than last season given we are in Europe and not strengthen again is unforgivable if it backfires. People can hide behind the story that we wanted to bring in a midfielder and that not many clubs did business, but if we were like all the rest and an average joe then we'd never have done what we've done over the last 5 seasons. 

 

We are risk averse right now, maybe thats shrewd but if it backfires then there's an ambition question mark over our head. There's only so many chances we'll get to turn the screw on the elite and its easy to look back and see where we could have tried to hammer home that chance. 

I got call out on the a thread for saying the club lacked a bit of ambition, which is fine.

 

But I agree they opportunity to give the established elite a bloody nose doesn't come along often.

 

Last season we should have made top 4, and a good signing would have probably got us over the line.

 

It would be sad if it plays out the same way this season.

 

People seem to think we are going to be in this position every year moving forward that my not be the case.

[FoxinNotts]

I’d like to see the club take the pressure off itself, for once, by announcing a couple of pre-contract agreements.

For example, they could work in the background to get Florian Thauvin (on a free) and Odsonne Edouard (for relatively cheap) for the start of next season. 
 

 

[Dusty]

3 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

I got call out on the a thread for saying the club lacked a bit of ambition, which is fine.

 

But I agree they opportunity to give the established elite a bloody nose doesn't come along often.

 

Last season we should have made top 4, and a good signing would have probably got us over the line.

 

It would be sad if it plays out the same way this season.

 

People seem to think we are going to be in this position every year moving forward that my not be the case.

As much as I see your point, there’s no guarantee a signing would have got us top 4 last season. When it restarted all of our players bar 1 or 2 were woeful, not sure how 1 player would have fixed that. 
 

And the same can be said this season. We need players in several positions so which one do we choose to strengthen now with a player that will need time to bed in and may struggle to make an impact anyway. The club lives for making long term signings, these need to be well thought out transfers. It just may be that nobody we wanted was available this window and that’s why we haven’t signed anyone. I think the clubs right to do that rather than panic buy a £20m Vardy replacement that ends up being as useful as slim or nacho.

[Chocolate Teapot]

With the amount of free players and expiring contracts we could have a very good summer for little outlay without selling a name. If we picked up 2 out of otavio, thauvin, calhanoglu and then sign tarkowski and edouard we'd spend circa 30m or less. Sell iheanacho and hamza we'd recoup 20m or so. 

 

Simples.

[oadby.fox]

Another missed opportunity imo.

 

I know that January signings are tough to make, but the club should’ve sprung for a loan signing (either a more experienced player out of favour or a young and hungry player from a bigger European side). 
 

Yes, like other posters have noted, there is no guarantee that they will hit the ground running and they may even amount to squad filler, but having another option (especially with moving on Gray and our many injuries) would not hurt us and can sometimes freshen things up. 
 

We should’ve finished in the top four last season and we didn’t. It looks very much like it could be the same again this season (mainly due to injuries) and despite our improvement, I can’t imagine that we will be handed this opportunity to fluff up year after year. Likewise, our top players will not want to stick around for very long if we become known as perennial top four bottlers. We should’ve gone for a striker or midfielder, with my personal preference being a striker with some kind of physicality, strength or tenacity who can come in to the team and at the very least inject a bit of energy and urgency. 
 

Perez and Nacho are just not good enough up top and if anything this could allow us to rotate the former with Maddison if he got injured again which lightens our midfield woes. 
 

I honestly hope that given our lack of signings, that BR will at least look to the development squad in terms of different options up front. I really am at the end of my tether with both Perez and Nacho and would be happy to see pretty much anyone else given an opportunity at this point. Unlikely though.

[Simonb]

1 hour ago, Ric Flair said:

Morgan Sanson and Odegaard are the only signings that I'd have wanted us to get prior to panic stations yesterday. But now we are facing potentially 20-30 games with a squad thats very vulnerable to injuries with history for succumbing to crumbling because of injuries and a loss of momentum. To put ourselves in as good, if not better position than last season given we are in Europe and not strengthen again is unforgivable if it backfires. People can hide behind the story that we wanted to bring in a midfielder and that not many clubs did business, but if we were like all the rest and an average joe then we'd never have done what we've done over the last 5 seasons. 

 

We are risk averse right now, maybe thats shrewd but if it backfires then there's an ambition question mark over our head. There's only so many chances we'll get to turn the screw on the elite and its easy to look back and see where we could have tried to hammer home that chance. 

I have to agree. I think we've missed a huge opportunity to bring someone in here and give us that extra bit of an edge.......... only issue is, how realistic were the targets vs our finances? But surely, it's a risk worth taking

 

I can see the usual big name out and one or two in during the summer, maybe 2 out if we're targetting a striker... who knows

 

Main worry is the amount of games coming up vs the other teams battling for top 6... Not wanting to come across as negative, but I think we've accepted our fate in not signing anyone in challenging for 5th or 6th other than the top 4, I just don't think we have enough in us. Then there is the issue of the fixtures piling up and additional travelling in Europe, vs team like West Ham, Villa, Everton and if they find themselves again... Southampton.. It's not going to be easy. Youri's been the standout midfielder for me, but he looks burnt out, and he's not going to get a break now for a few months with no Praet

 

Fingers crossed, game by game, hopefully we'll fall over the line

[North Leeds Fox]

So we need a cb, striker and right winger (if we don't sign under) and whoever else we sell this summer. Hopefully we can get a couple of frees like otavio to enhance the squad. Also interesting that the French TV rights were a lot lower than expected yesterday which may mean dia, faivre etc are available at lower prices than expected if we are interested in them. 

[CosbehFox]

If you know a club in the middle of the season willing to let go of a total bagsman for anything 50% over their market value, get your ideas off to the club. 
 

I’m reading a lot of ‘this is a missed opportunity’ and not a lot of suggested names. I think Jovic was probably the best available but he’s got to have himself intended on going back Frankfurt 

Edited 2 February 2021 by Cardiff_Fox

[oadby.fox]

2 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

I tell you if you know a club in the middle of the season willing to let go of a total bagsman for anything 50% over their market value, get your ideas off to the club. 
 

I’m reading a lot of ‘this is a missed opportunity’ and not a lot of suggested names. I think Jovic was probably the best available but he’s got to have himself intended on going back Frankfurt 

You’re right and it was never going to be possible to bring in a big name but I think you’re looking at the situation incorrectly.

 

For me, I’m not considering the possibility of whether we could bring in someone to rival Vardy this window, or an outstanding winger for that matter, but rather whether we could bring in anyone that could add to what we have when those first team choices are either not fit or firing. 
 

Put it this way, we are already light in midfield and up top and we have players all over the pitch who have been struggling with recurring injury problems. Let’s say Vardy comes back vs. Liverpool and is then able to play in every single game after that til the end of the season... great but how likely is that scenario? 
 

An injury to Vardy, Barnes, Maddison or Tielemans and we are truly screwed. And given that Youri already looks a little burnt out and that Maddison and Vardy have both had injury troubles, this isn’t an unlikely scenario. Even if we keep all of them fit, are they really going to be able to go for 90 mins twice a week and be able to keep the same level of performance in both Europe and at home? We shouldn’t be asking who could be an upgrade on these players but who could (at least temporarily) compete with their replacements and come in and do a job when needed. I.e, could we bring in someone who offers a bit more than Nacho/Perez out wide or upfront or at least challenge them? I don’t think that’s such a tall ask given their lack of contribution, that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to find a 20 goal a season player. But even if it’s someone who can come on and effect the game, it’d be a huge step in the right direction. 
 

Likewise, in midfield, we are not looking for a Youri or Maddison replacement, but asking whether someone could do a better job than Hamza in the no.10/8 position. 

 

 

[AKCJ]

1 hour ago, Ric Flair said:

Morgan Sanson and Odegaard are the only signings that I'd have wanted us to get prior to panic stations yesterday. But now we are facing potentially 20-30 games with a squad thats very vulnerable to injuries with history for succumbing to crumbling because of injuries and a loss of momentum. To put ourselves in as good, if not better position than last season given we are in Europe and not strengthen again is unforgivable if it backfires. People can hide behind the story that we wanted to bring in a midfielder and that not many clubs did business, but if we were like all the rest and an average joe then we'd never have done what we've done over the last 5 seasons. 

 

We are risk averse right now, maybe thats shrewd but if it backfires then there's an ambition question mark over our head. There's only so many chances we'll get to turn the screw on the elite and its easy to look back and see where we could have tried to hammer home that chance. 

Is Sanson and Odegaard considered to be turning the screw on the elite then?

 

Doubt Liverpool and Man city would give a single shit if we signed those two players.

[CosbehFox]

7 minutes ago, oadby.fox said:

You’re right and it was never going to be possible to bring in a big name but I think you’re looking at the situation incorrectly.

 

For me, I’m not considering the possibility of whether we could bring in someone to rival Vardy this window, or an outstanding winger for that matter, but rather whether we could bring in anyone that could add to what we have when those first team choices are either not fit or firing. 
 

Put it this way, we are already light in midfield and up top and we have players all over the pitch who have been struggling with recurring injury problems. Let’s say Vardy comes back vs. Liverpool and is then able to play in every single game after that til the end of the season... great but how likely is that scenario? 
 

An injury to Vardy, Barnes, Maddison or Tielemans and we are truly screwed. And given that Youri already looks a little burnt out and that Maddison and Vardy have both had injury troubles, this isn’t an unlikely scenario. Even if we keep all of them fit, are they really going to be able to go for 90 mins twice a week and be able to keep the same level of performance in both Europe and at home? We shouldn’t be asking who could be an upgrade on these players but who could (at least temporarily) compete with their replacements and come in and do a job when needed. I.e, could we bring in someone who offers a bit more than Nacho/Perez out wide or upfront or at least challenge them? I don’t think that’s such a tall ask given their lack of contribution, that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to find a 20 goal a season player. But even if it’s someone who can come on and effect the game, it’d be a huge step in the right direction. 
 

Likewise, in midfield, we are not looking for a Youri or Maddison replacement, but asking whether someone could do a better job than Hamza in the no.10/8 position. 

 

 

Again I see no suggested players - just lots of we could do with this type of player or that type of player. 
 

Of course we do with players in those roles but it’s all about availability - given the press we’ve had in the last three weeks, it’s quite evident we were working towards getting players in. We looked at Eriksen and Odegaard, the two outstanding candidates for a midfielder. Both didn’t come off for differing reasons 
 

Last season we brought in a body for a body’s sake and it was a total disaster. Equally the policy of just bringing players ‘do a job’ completely stagnates a squad and gives you a wage bill to get rid of it (hello it’s just happened here). 
 

It’s the same balance every club currently faces and it’s going to be luck which can go either side of the coin for any team 

Edited 2 February 2021 by Cardiff_Fox

[Dahnsouff]

Nicolás De La Cruz for free in the Summer, assist machine, before Everton nick him

[AKCJ]

40 minutes ago, Simonb said:

I have to agree. I think we've missed a huge opportunity to bring someone in here and give us that extra bit of an edge.......... only issue is, how realistic were the targets vs our finances? But surely, it's a risk worth taking

 

I can see the usual big name out and one or two in during the summer, maybe 2 out if we're targetting a striker... who knows

 

Main worry is the amount of games coming up vs the other teams battling for top 6... Not wanting to come across as negative, but I think we've accepted our fate in not signing anyone in challenging for 5th or 6th other than the top 4, I just don't think we have enough in us. Then there is the issue of the fixtures piling up and additional travelling in Europe, vs team like West Ham, Villa, Everton and if they find themselves again... Southampton.. It's not going to be easy. Youri's been the standout midfielder for me, but he looks burnt out, and he's not going to get a break now for a few months with no Praet

 

Fingers crossed, game by game, hopefully we'll fall over the line

"Fall over the line"

 

As if we've not just come off a 9 game unbeaten streak and are currently on a run of being outside of the top 4 for two weekends since September 2019.

 

We are absolutely fine. None of you lot would be whinging if we'd beaten Leeds.

[Simonb]

1 minute ago, oadby.fox said:

You’re right and it was never going to be possible to bring in a big name but I think you’re looking at the situation incorrectly.

 

For me, I’m not considering the possibility of whether we could bring in someone to rival Vardy this window, or an outstanding winger for that matter, but rather whether we could bring in anyone that could add to what we have when those first team choices are either not fit or firing. 
 

Put it this way, we are already light in midfield and up top and we have players all over the pitch who have been struggling with recurring injury problems. Let’s say Vardy comes back vs. Liverpool and is then able to play in every single game after that til the end of the season... great but how likely is that scenario? 
 

An injury to Vardy, Barnes, Maddison or Tielemans and we are truly screwed. And given that Youri already looks a little burnt out and that Maddison and Vardy have both had injury troubles, this isn’t an unlikely scenario. Even if we keep all of them fit, are they really going to be able to go for 90 mins twice a week and be able to keep the same level of performance in both Europe and at home? We shouldn’t be asking who could be an upgrade on these players but who could (at least temporarily) compete with their replacements and come in and do a job when needed. I.e, could we bring in someone who offers a bit more than Nacho/Perez out wide or upfront or at least challenge them? I don’t think that’s such a tall ask given their lack of contribution, that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to find a 20 goal a season player. But even if it’s someone who can come on and effect the game, it’d be a huge step in the right direction. 
 

Likewise, in midfield, we are not looking for a Youri or Maddison replacement, but asking whether someone could do a better job than Hamza in the no.10/8 position. 

 

 

Exactly this, we need to bulk the squad a bit as like I say, the teams battling us for top 6, potentially have a lot less games than we do, don't want to be sitting here now challenging on three fronts, to end up burnt out with nothing do we

 

That being said, I do get the point in not signing short term. If the only available option was Chalobah, with Hamza going out, there was no improvement. The type of player we needed would have been from the competition, who will never loan to a rival and a short term from abroad rarely works as they need time to adjust to the league usually

 

I'm hoping now that the next 5/6 months are spent actively looking at the new striker we desperately need, tying down Under and upgrading on Hamza. I don't feel much else needs doing, unless we sell one of the first team squad

 

We've managed to offload Gray (for a fee) and Slimani, so that's one less thing to have to sort out

 

How times have changed though... genuinely disappointed that we're only 4th due to some bad performances and not recruiting enough (in my eyes)......... imagine thinking like that just over 10 years ago 

 

Windows shut now, so we go with what we have....................... and a bit of hope

[Simonb]

3 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

"Fall over the line"

 

As if we've not just come off a 9 game unbeaten streak and are currently on a run of being outside of the top 4 for two weekends since September 2019.

 

We are absolutely fine. None of you lot would be whinging if we'd beaten Leeds.

Last two games have been poor, should've finished everton off, but you're right ....hense why I put in my last statement about how times have changed, its a good thing to moan about... I'd rather this than be down the other end

 

Only thing I will put to you is on recent history, we had the same last season and fell short... don't want that 2 years running... but we are over achieving so I'm relatively happy, just want more.. as we should as an ambitious club

[Ric Flair]

25 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

Is Sanson and Odegaard considered to be turning the screw on the elite then?

 

Doubt Liverpool and Man city would give a single shit if we signed those two players.

Is Fofana, Castagne, Ünder " turning the screw " either? Liverpool and Man City didn't want any of them and often don't want the players we sign. Does that mean we cannot proclaim to take advantage of the good position we put ourselves in each season? My point is, which I will try and spell out to you as you seem to want to argue with an empty room is that we have chosen not to strengthen and out of the players that went to other clubs they are the only 2 in the position we were supposedly looking to bring someone in that I'd have wanted. 

 

It's not about whether our rivals " give a shit " its about whether we can improve our squad to give us the best possible chance of maintaining our position in the top 4. In the last year Vardy has picked up several niggles and Ndidi has had 2 injuries that have kept him out for some time and now is injured again. We have countless other injuries we are juggling and it would be hugely frustrating to see history repeat itself here. 

 

Pick the bones out of that, I'm sure you'll have something mesmerising to come back at me with. 

[RowlattsFox]

This season is different to last, not finishing top 4 last season was terrible because of the lead we had, this year is so tight and even that its hard to say where we should finish. 

 

We should've signed a all-round midfielder, to replace Praet or recalled KDH early in the window. I understand why, clubs signing from european clubs are taking gambles because there is no way they could've watched or scouted them properly.  Victims of our success when it comes to domestic transfer and no-one in the top half is going to give us a player, would Liverpool have loaned us Minamino for example?

You can't over-fil you're squad in case of injuries but there is one spot in our squad missing and that is Tielemans cover. We will have no choice but to start with a combo of Ndidi/Mendy/Choudhury at some point to rest Youri or if the disaster happened and he got injured. 

 

We never signing a striker unless someone came in for Iheanacho so that's a non-starter no matter how ineffective Perez/Iheanacho have been. 

[AKCJ]

3 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Is Fofana, Castagne, Ünder " turning the screw " either? Liverpool and Man City didn't want any of them and often don't want the players we sign. Does that mean we cannot proclaim to take advantage of the good position we put ourselves in each season? My point is, which I will try and spell out to you as you seem to want to argue with an empty room is that we have chosen not to strengthen and out of the players that went to other clubs they are the only 2 in the position we were supposedly looking to bring someone in that I'd have wanted. 

 

It's not about whether our rivals " give a shit " its about whether we can improve our squad to give us the best possible chance of maintaining our position in the top 4. In the last year Vardy has picked up several niggles and Ndidi has had 2 injuries that have kept him out for some time and now is injured again. We have countless other injuries we are juggling and it would be hugely frustrating to see history repeat itself here. 

 

Pick the bones out of that, I'm sure you'll have something mesmerising to come back at me with. 

Give me actual names of players that are happy to come here and sit on our bench that are better than Perez and Iheanacho or Mendy and Choudhury. You seem to be under the impression that there are dozens of players that just can't wait to join us, only to rarely play.

 

January is a nightmare to work in. Even Liverpool struggled like hell to get a centre back despite having three first team centre halves out for the season.

 

We were dealt an incredible amount of misfortune last season. Unprecedented amount of injuries coupled with an unprecedented amount of luck for Manchester United, not to mention the unprecedented nature of Covid-19 which meant we didn't have the fans cheering us on and Manchester United didn't have the burden of 70k fans expecting them to win 5-0 in each game. We missed out on top 4 last season because Manchester United have the ability to sign world class players whenever they fancy. We don't have that luxury.

 

The squad has proven time and time again that it's good enough to be in the top 6. We've not been out of it since the start of last season ffs. What more do you actually want? I cannot fathom how a single Leicester fan can think we're not being ambitious. We're by far and away the most ambitious side in the country, of that it isn't even close. 

 

If we don't make Fofana/Castagne/Under like signings in the summer then i'll eat my hat. But you and I both know full well that we absolutely will do that.

 

[coolhandfox]

1 hour ago, Dusty said:

As much as I see your point, there’s no guarantee a signing would have got us top 4 last season. When it restarted all of our players bar 1 or 2 were woeful, not sure how 1 player would have fixed that. 
 

And the same can be said this season. We need players in several positions so which one do we choose to strengthen now with a player that will need time to bed in and may struggle to make an impact anyway. The club lives for making long term signings, these need to be well thought out transfers. It just may be that nobody we wanted was available this window and that’s why we haven’t signed anyone. I think the clubs right to do that rather than panic buy a £20m Vardy replacement that ends up being as useful as slim or nacho.

100% no guarantees, we were woeful in 2014/15 but the signing of Huth made a massive difference.

 

If you don't roll the dice you will never know. 

 

 

 

[majaco]

It was obviously a difficult window.  In the summer, I suspect we will lose a major player and get three additions to the squad.  A forward, a midfielder and a replacement  for the player we lose.