Transfer targets 2020/21

[shen]

18 hours ago, ALC Fox said:

Probably beyond us now that the big boys are interested and may cost a pretty penny but Patson Daka at RB Salzburg looks the business.

This mentality of us vs. the 'big boys' is getting less and less credence. By all accounts, we are among the 20 biggest/richest clubs in the world. Our wage bill would suggest we are more than capable of competing against the likes of AC Milan, Dortmund, Ajax, Spurs, Inter, Marseille etc. We need to start letting go of this inferiority complex when, as a club, we have proven to have the financial muscle to resist poaching of our key players for a number of years.

[LVFox]

Think a Vardy backup option is the only area we are really lacking (Other than maybe a specialist left footed left back?)

I like the look of Armstrong at Blackburn. Young, quick, knows where the goal is and I would imagine happy to sit on the bench 75% of the time.
Also allows Vardy a couple of years to mentor him a little.

[AjcW]

4 minutes ago, LVocey said:

Think a Vardy backup option is the only area we are really lacking (Other than maybe a specialist left footed left back?)

I like the look of Armstrong at Blackburn. Young, quick, knows where the goal is and I would imagine happy to sit on the bench 75% of the time.
Also allows Vardy a couple of years to mentor him a little.

I think we will hold off on this whilst Nacho and Perez are around.

 

I don't think BR has made any secret of wanting Edouard to replace Vardy. If things carry on the way they are in Glasgow this season, it'll be a piece of cake to grab him in the summer. 

[LVFox]

1 hour ago, AjcW said:

I think we will hold off on this whilst Nacho and Perez are around.

 

I don't think BR has made any secret of wanting Edouard to replace Vardy. If things carry on the way they are in Glasgow this season, it'll be a piece of cake to grab him in the summer. 

I'd love Edouard but I'm not sold on the fact he would come here to play 2nd fiddle. 

[AjcW]

4 minutes ago, LVocey said:

I'd love Edouard but I'm not sold on the fact he would come here to play 2nd fiddle. 

It's the position we're in isn't it, we're blessed to have Vardy... but also a little cursed on the replacement front.

 

I think our pitch to any new striker signed next season will be 'here is how many appearances/starts Nacho made last season, you'll make x amount more than that this year and next year you'll be our starting number 9'

 

I don't see JV slowing down any time soon, but I also don't think he or we can say he'll be our starting number 9 as a 35.5 year old for the 2022/23 season. He'll become an incredible asset to use off the bench that season, literally wind him up and let him go for 20 minutes! 

Edited 4 November 2020 by AjcW

[HighPeakFox]

I hope that a plan has been discussed with Vardy that he will not ever be dropped as such, so much as rested in order to elongate his career with us. 

[Dahnsouff]

16 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

I hope that a plan has been discussed with Vardy that he will not ever be dropped as such, so much as rested in order to elongate his career with us. 

His final moment of greatness can be to select his successor 

[Leycestrian]

Ideally a replacement for Vardy would now be playing in our development squad. 
It's been a long time since the academy produced a striker for the first team.

[Ric Flair]

Vardy will still score 15-20 a season until the world ends in 2025

[ARM1968]

5 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Vardy will still score 15-20 a season until the world ends in 2025

Thereafter 30-40 a season in the Pantheon of the Gods. 

[Leicester_Loyal]

Think we'll get a loan in in January, honestly no idea who though. It might depend on if we make it out of the EL group stage, if we don't then realistically we can just use the players we've got at the minute. The only positions where we could do with an extra body are striker and winger, but that's only because Slimani and Gray are useless. We'll have to go for someone out of favour or young and give them the odd start every couple of weeks.

 

I think all our business will be done next summer, Thauvin, Tarks and maybe we'll try for Edouard as well.

[casablancas]

2 hours ago, Leicester_Loyal said:

Think we'll get a loan in in January, honestly no idea who though. It might depend on if we make it out of the EL group stage, if we don't then realistically we can just use the players we've got at the minute. The only positions where we could do with an extra body are striker and winger, but that's only because Slimani and Gray are useless. We'll have to go for someone out of favour or young and give them the odd start every couple of weeks.

 

I think all our business will be done next summer, Thauvin, Tarks and maybe we'll try for Edouard as well.

Still linked with jovic right?

[Finnegan]

16 hours ago, shen said:

This mentality of us vs. the 'big boys' is getting less and less credence. By all accounts, we are among the 20 biggest/richest clubs in the world. Our wage bill would suggest we are more than capable of competing against the likes of AC Milan, Dortmund, Ajax, Spurs, Inter, Marseille etc. We need to start letting go of this inferiority complex when, as a club, we have proven to have the financial muscle to resist poaching of our key players for a number of years.

 

The only thing that separates us from most of the clubs considered "bigger" than us (excluding the obvious hyper giants like Liverpool, Real, Bayern, etc) is Champions League qualification. 

 

Unfortunately that's kinda a big deal. Especially given that the way the Prem is going, there's too many pieces to fit the puzzle. We've got so many competitive clubs at the moment that even in a normal season somebody has to miss out. 

 

Meaning, until we can qualify several times in a row we're going to remain second or third tier when it comes to attracting the best. 

[Elvis hammond]

We need a striker that's fact. I'd love to see jack grealish in a Leicester shirt but that's just me. 

[FrankieADZ]

20 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Boadu 

decent one that, remember his name a few months back being linked with Newcastle, and i think it was reported AZ want around £20mil

which isnt too bad for a player of his potential and age

only thing that worries me some forwards from the dutch leagues can be very hit and miss

[shen]

40 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

The only thing that separates us from most of the clubs considered "bigger" than us (excluding the obvious hyper giants like Liverpool, Real, Bayern, etc) is Champions League qualification. 

 

Unfortunately that's kinda a big deal. Especially given that the way the Prem is going, there's too many pieces to fit the puzzle. We've got so many competitive clubs at the moment that even in a normal season somebody has to miss out. 

 

Meaning, until we can qualify several times in a row we're going to remain second or third tier when it comes to attracting the best. 

Yeah, you could have a point there.

We are in the most lucrative league in the world and by extension can offer higher wages, even without CL.

The fact we ARE competing for European places, really since the 17/18 season and especially since Rodgers joined, is only an extra carrot. 

We probably cannot compete with the hypergiants ever, but then which clubs would you consider us unable to compete with?
 

 

 

[Finnegan]

1 minute ago, shen said:

but then which clubs would you consider us unable to compete with?

 

I mean, for example, someone in this thread was talking about Plea and Thuram. I don't see any BMG players coming here in a hurry while they've got a good shout for top four fairly consistently atm. 

 

Likewise RBL. I don't think either of those clubs will offer what we will in either transfer fees or wages, or agent fees for that matter. 

 

But I'd put more money on RBL being in the CL next year than us. 

 

It's a similar situation with the likes of Lazio, Napoli, Sevilla, Lyon, etc. I think we can out spend all of these clubs now but there's more to it than that. 

[Ric Flair]

49 minutes ago, FrankieADZ said:

decent one that, remember his name a few months back being linked with Newcastle, and i think it was reported AZ want around £20mil

which isnt too bad for a player of his potential and age

only thing that worries me some forwards from the dutch leagues can be very hit and miss

I watched a fair bit of AZ games last season before the pandemic and they became my favourite team in Europe last season. So many talented young players, Boadu is easily the one with the most potential which given they have other full Dutch internationals suggests he will become a top player. 

[shen]

2 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

I mean, for example, someone in this thread was talking about Plea and Thuram. I don't see any BMG players coming here in a hurry while they've got a good shout for top four fairly consistently atm. 

 

Likewise RBL. I don't think either of those clubs will offer what we will in either transfer fees or wages, or agent fees for that matter. 

 

But I'd put more money on RBL being in the CL next year than us. 

 

It's a similar situation with the likes of Lazio, Napoli, Sevilla, Lyon, etc. I think we can out spend all of these clubs now but there's more to it than that. 

Sure, there is.

And we can offer more in the sense of being a PL club and with a state-of-the-art training centre very soon.
This can play into players' ambitions of getting into their respective national teams - playing in Spain or England WILL get you noticed more.

It will also bring more lucrative sponsorships and image rights deals, which is only going to be more and more important with time for footballers.

 

Neither Leipzig or Mönchengladbach are hotspots of culture, so that's not going to count in their favour. Neither is their climate any better.

 

In Germany, you will have Bayern and Dortmund taking up two CL places year in year out. The last one or two places (because let's face it, Germany could easily yoyo with France and Italy for that dreaded 5th place in the coefficients table) will be hotly contested between Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, BMG and occasionally Hoffenheim, Wolfsburg and Schalke. So one could argue that CL is not a much safer bet at either RBL or BMG.

 

I think in the current climate, the only times Plea and Thuram wouldn't at the very least be interested to talk to us, should we show interest, is if they are earmarked for any of the giants i.e. Bayern, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus etc.

[Xen]

13 hours ago, Leycestrian said:

Ideally a replacement for Vardy would now be playing in our development squad. 
It's been a long time since the academy produced a striker for the first team.

Recently Barnes has started to have the same effect on opposition sides as Vardy has always had, where they know his threat and change their play style in an attempt to contain him. If he can improve his conversion rate as we know he's capable of doing, then I wouldn't be too surprised if eventually we see some sort of transition to him being the main striker. After all, he had some success centrally for WBA and he's learning from the best, so it's a possibility.

 

I'd still like to see us bring in a new striker anyway (or at least see how Iheanacho fares with better wingers supporting him, like Ünder), but Barnes could potentially give us some flexibility on that front if a top-class LW becomes available instead.

[Steve Earle]

We need another no.8 more than any other position. We have Tielemans, Praet & Maddison either starting or coming off the bench every game. There's no other position (save during injury crises) where you're guaranteed game time if fit!

 

Arguably Hamza gives us a 4th choice, but not one at the same level. I'd say he's more of a 6 anyway, ie the position Youri now plays for us and Belgium - not quite the second pivot but not as advanced as the 8 or 10.

 

Which really leaves us Praet and Maddison to cover every minute of every game between them. It can't be done!

[casablancas]

13 minutes ago, Steve Earle said:

We need another no.8 more than any other position. We have Tielemans, Praet & Maddison either starting or coming off the bench every game. There's no other position (save during injury crises) where you're guaranteed game time if fit!

 

Arguably Hamza gives us a 4th choice, but not one at the same level. I'd say he's more of a 6 anyway, ie the position Youri now plays for us and Belgium - not quite the second pivot but not as advanced as the 8 or 10.

 

Which really leaves us Praet and Maddison to cover every minute of every game between them. It can't be done!

Hamza shouldn’t be near the first 11. He’s just not good enough atm. I’d have loved us to have gone in for JWP from the saints. But doubt he’d have come has 2nd fiddle. I am sure we can steal one of the upcoming young Belgians. I mean we have like all their players haha. I wonder and this is a big wonder ... if matty James could still do a job should he stay fit? He’s technically very good. I mean he ain’t gonna be a starter but just a rotational option x

[Leicester_Loyal]

1 hour ago, Steve Earle said:

We need another no.8 more than any other position. We have Tielemans, Praet & Maddison either starting or coming off the bench every game. There's no other position (save during injury crises) where you're guaranteed game time if fit!

 

Arguably Hamza gives us a 4th choice, but not one at the same level. I'd say he's more of a 6 anyway, ie the position Youri now plays for us and Belgium - not quite the second pivot but not as advanced as the 8 or 10.

 

Which really leaves us Praet and Maddison to cover every minute of every game between them. It can't be done!

I'd imagine once Ndidi is back and fit we'll use Mendy as an 8 in occasional parts?

 

We'd need to lose Gray from the squad too as we need more space.

[Finnegan]

2 hours ago, Xen said:

Recently Barnes has started to have the same effect on opposition sides as Vardy has always had, where they know his threat and change their play style in an attempt to contain him. If he can improve his conversion rate as we know he's capable of doing, then I wouldn't be too surprised if eventually we see some sort of transition to him being the main striker. After all, he had some success centrally for WBA and he's learning from the best, so it's a possibility.

 

I'd still like to see us bring in a new striker anyway (or at least see how Iheanacho fares with better wingers supporting him, like Ünder), but Barnes could potentially give us some flexibility on that front if a top-class LW becomes available instead.

 

I can't personally see Barnes ever being lethal like Vardy is. 

 

Vardy has never really had the problem Barnes has. 

 

The myth of Vardy is that he's this great late bloomer who only learned to be a good striker in his late twenties. Its pretty offensive. The truth of Vardy is a fable in trusting stats, regardless of the level a player is playing at. The guy scored goals at every level on his way up. 

 

I'm not suggesting he hasn't developed at all and there's no doubt that top coaching and a shit tonne of confidence have done wonders for him. But the predatory instinct was always there. 

 

I'm not entirely convinced any of us see that instinct in Barnes. 

 

Edit: I just want to clarify, there's nothing wrong with that. Not everyone can be a world class 9, Barnes is starting to develop in to a brilliant winger. We should all be delighted with that, no need to pigeon hole him in to something else. 

 

Edited 5 November 2020 by Finnegan

[Xen]

53 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

I can't personally see Barnes ever being lethal like Vardy is. 

 

Vardy has never really had the problem Barnes has. 

 

The myth of Vardy is that he's this great late bloomer who only learned to be a good striker in his late twenties. Its pretty offensive. The truth of Vardy is a fable in trusting stats, regardless of the level a player is playing at. The guy scored goals at every level on his way up. 

 

I'm not suggesting he hasn't developed at all and there's no doubt that top coaching and a shit tonne of confidence have done wonders for him. But the predatory instinct was always there. 

 

I'm not entirely convinced any of us see that instinct in Barnes. 

 

Edit: I just want to clarify, there's nothing wrong with that. Not everyone can be a world class 9, Barnes is starting to develop in to a brilliant winger. We should all be delighted with that, no need to pigeon hole him in to something else. 

 

Fair enough, I can agree with pretty much all of that.

 

I guess my reasoning is that I think we're going to struggle to replace Vardy with an equally (or close) striker, especially whilst he's still first choice, whereas we could potentially get someone of that level out on the wing instead of Barnes, with him capable of filling that ST role if needed.

 

Again, it'd take a shift in Barnes' conversion rate to allow that to happen anyway, and I still think keeping Barnes at LW and signing a new ST would be the better route. I just think its an option we might consider for the next few years whilst Vardy is still playing and phases out.