The ones that got away. Bullet dodging!

[JimJams]

So we had a summer where we were linked to a lot of players and ultimately missed out on a lot of targets. And generally speaking our high profile targets didn't come off.

I tend to think it's quite interesting to see the trajectory of players that we have solid links to (not just rumours or fan fancied moves) because while it might be disappointing that you miss out on a player, there's always a bit of a "what if?" when that player goes on to do well elsewhere, and conversely a "bullet dodged" attitude when it goes south for them.

However in theory we should hope that they generally turn out good as vindication that our scouting network and transfer team know what they're doing.  So I thought I'd make a thread on some of the high profile players we chased but ultimately missed out on, and see what conclusion we can draw.  Still early days but...

 

Fotis Ioannidis - Panathinaikos - Prices varied but were mid £20mill+ and seemingly rising, stayed at parent club.  This season, 6 league apps, 0 goals, 0 assists, 11 games in all competitions, 1 goal.

 

Adam Hlozek - Hoffenheim - Poached away from us seemingly at the 11th hour for €18mill. This season, 6 league apps, 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 in 2 Europa League.

 

Mateus Soule - Roma - The summer saga, went to Roma from Juve for €25mill, a fee apparently substantially less than we offered.  8 games total, 0 goals, 0 assists.

 

Yaser Asprilla - Girona - This one dragged out too, and it looked like he might cost us somewhere in the early to mid £20m bracket. Went to Girona for €18mill! This season, 8 games, 1 goal, 0 assists.

 

These were probably the biggest targets we were looking to buy this summer, the biggest spends, arguably the biggest profiles. And so far...  Well, they look like they would have been an absolute waste of money.  Now just because they're not doing well currently or aren't doing well in new clubs/leagues doesn't mean that would have applied if they came here, but what does it tell us about our targets and the methods we're using to select them?  When we go big  (for us) it doesn't really seem to pan out. Aside from Fofana really.  Tielemans was a big outlay but we got a try before you buy in that in the end.  Trincao sticks out as a player we were willing to break the bank on and his career path has gone right down the shitter.

 

Anyway, too many words...

 

Anybody got a take on it? Concerns when the wallet comes out?  The £20mill* on Ayew looks like good value right now!

Edited 19 October 2024 by JimJams

[Spiritwalker]

I was going to ask the same question. I wondered whether we’d go back in for the Greek player in Jan.

 

[Lambert09]

50 minutes ago, Spiritwalker said:

I was going to ask the same question. I wondered whether we’d go back in for the Greek player in Jan.

 

tbf if he dropped in value i’d still take a punt on him.  Strikers go through form, that’s normal. His quality is still there and worth a try

Edited 19 October 2024 by Lambert09

[MPH]

19 minutes ago, Lambert09 said:

tbf if he dropped in value i’d still take a punt on him.  Strikers go through form, that’s normal. His quality is still there and worth a try

Or maybe last season WAS the improvement and he’s gone back to normal now?

[Lambert09]

6 minutes ago, MPH said:

Or maybe last season WAS the improvement and he’s gone back to normal now?

There’s a reason strikers are the hardest players to get right. You just never can tell whats form, what’s finding their peak, what was just a year of good luck on the end of the finishing. 

 

I remember watching a video on Darwin Nunez when he signed for Liverpool highlighting that he’d only had one good season and every other season had a terrible xg. The season he smashed it the xg was off the scale which pointed to either he fluked in goals he shouldn’t have, or absolutely mastered finishing for one year. The video basically pointed out that based on the history he’d fluked the year and would probably flop as he doesn’t usually finish the chances. They were absolutely bang in tbf as he has proved them exactly right. 

Edited 20 October 2024 by Lambert09

[ozleicester]

For me its a bit like Xg and all the "stats"... what theyve done in different teams in different leagues has zero relationship to what may or may not have happened had they come here.

[pmcla26]

You can say that for all of them but it’s early in the season. We splashed out on Bilal and his stats aren’t impressive so far, but off of what I seen I have high hopes for him. 

[Webbo]

Has Sensi played a game since we didn't sign him?

 

[TheGoldenGod]

Those Adam Hlozek stats are fine, not sure you can comfortably say "bullet dodged" with him.

 

People have been blinded by the output of Messi and Ronaldo for years that a 1 in 2 ratio for G/A somehow is being painted as poor

[Out Foxed]

tielemans was playing in the champions league from the age of 16 before we bought him so i think that gives you a degree of confidence. 

[Realist Guy In The Room]

How is Zaha getting on?

 

Out of all of them, he was the one I wanted the most.

[TheGoldenGod]

13 minutes ago, Realist Guy In The Room said:

How is Zaha getting on?

 

Out of all of them, he was the one I wanted the most.

Talk he's struggled to settle and already upsetting the applecart . Classic Zaha. Wasn't in squad for their last two games, unsure if its injury related though!

[CosbehFox]

On 21/10/2024 at 20:21, Webbo said:

Has Sensi played a game since we didn't sign him?

 

35 mins in the Cup 

 

[CosbehFox]

Soule in a right mess at Roma. They signed him with the idea to get rid of Dybala. Didn’t happen and then they’ve struggled to come up with a cohesive plan which sees both of them play. De Rossi got sacked, Juric not any better 

 

Gabriel Sara done well for Galatasaray - 13 apps, 2 goals, 4 assists 

 

 

Edited 24 October 2024 by CosbehFox

[Royston.]

lots of bullets dodged but we still managed to shoot ourselves in the foot with Reid

[LFEFox23]

If we would have signed any of the above players, probably means we wouldn't have gone in for Buonanotte !

[ClaphamFox]

On 06/11/2024 at 02:46, Royston. said:

lots of bullets dodged but we still managed to shoot ourselves in the foot with Reid

Given that it was a free transfer, we only shot ourselves in the foot with one of those plastic darts with a sucker at the end.

[Royston.]

2 hours ago, ClaphamFox said:

Given that it was a free transfer, we only shot ourselves in the foot with one of those plastic darts with a sucker at the end.

yeah but we're giving him wages that could be going to more worthy causes so the dart bounced off our foot and went up the arse

[Plastik Man]

1 hour ago, Royston. said:

yeah but we're giving him wages that could be going to more worthy causes so the dart bounced off our foot and went up the arse

Looking for the positives, that same suction dart might at least help to shift any unwanted and lingering turds? 

[indierich06]

On 24/10/2024 at 14:14, CosbehFox said:

Soule in a right mess at Roma. They signed him with the idea to get rid of Dybala. Didn’t happen and then they’ve struggled to come up with a cohesive plan which sees both of them play. De Rossi got sacked, Juric not any better 

 

Gabriel Sara done well for Galatasaray - 13 apps, 2 goals, 4 assists 

 

 

Remember that he 'didn't want to join a team that has no sporting project' - how's that working out for you mate? 😂

[Supergray22]

On 21/10/2024 at 02:09, pmcla26 said:

You can say that for all of them but it’s early in the season. We splashed out on Bilal and his stats aren’t impressive so far, but off of what I seen I have high hopes for him. 

Definitely settling in now and I have a feeling he is going to be a star for us. Along with buonanotte who already is a star we made two very decent signings. 

[cropstonfox]

On 05/12/2024 at 18:36, Supergray22 said:

Definitely settling in now and I have a feeling he is going to be a star for us. Along with buonanotte who already is a star we made two very decent signings. 

Good work by Rudders and his recruitment 

Gurus. 

[Foxmeister]

On 17/12/2024 at 15:10, cropstonfox said:

Good work by Rudders and his recruitment 

Gurus. 

You're going to get called John for this

[Blue ROI]

From a few years ago

Elounoussi

Jahanbakhsh

Eduorad could also count as we didn't spend millions on him

 

 

 

[goose2010]

Looks like Ronnie Edwards is going back out on loan to the championship, another one people were fuming about us not singing in the summer.