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Transfer speculation

I know we are over a month away from the end of the season, but the rumour's are starting to appear with more frequency so I figured I'd start a thread to catalogue them all in.

We can save the "What do we need/potential targets" thread for after the league end's and we know our final position in the league.

Rumoured targets this week
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Zaha - Linked by many papers, we were interested last summer. I'm still not convinced, but the way he has turned things around these last 3-4 months has been impressive. Will be expensive.

Luan Vieira - Brazillian attacker who could offer cover across the midfield. He's 24, but still plays in Brazil which could make him as risky as Paulinho. Youtube scouting shows him to be a good dribbler, decent in front of goal and similar to Dele, loves a nutmeg.

Bruma - 22 y/o pacy left winger at Galatasary. He's got 8 goals and 6 assists from 22 games this season. There have been reports that he's told Gala that he wants to leave for Tottenham and that Gala are willing to do business, with his contract expiring next summer.

Naby Keita - 22 y/o CM at Red Bull Leipzig. He has 7 goals and 8 assists from 25 games. The limited footage I've seen doesn't make him seem like anything better than we have, I actually think Winks looks better.

Sead Kolasinac - 24 this summer, he's a LB at Schalke and will be out of contract this summer. There are apparently a lot of clubs interested and we have supposedly already made an offer to him. He's a big guy and a fierce competitor. Just watching short clips of this guy, shows he's physical and not afraid to use his size to out muscle opponents.

Zaha - us playing mind games on Palace/Zaha
Luan Veira - sounds like clickbait
Bruma - one year left on his contract? 22 yo? Nailed on!
Naby Keita - clickbaot
Saed Kolasinac - hmmm, plausible. I think he can also play CB too...i guess it depends on if he is REALLY better than Wimmer outright and is better at stepping into the team after not having much of a run of games...so perhaps not actually when i think about it...

Zaha - why do we need him, particularly? I still have hope that Lamela will work his way back into the squad next year, and given his lengthy layoff, we could probably tie him down to a new long-term deal for less than it cost us to do the same with Eriksen/Alli. With Lamela, our AM band is tolerably full with Eriksen/Dele/Son/Lamela/Edwards (as a backup), provided none of them leave. Zaha wouldn't fit, especially if we're now set on using the 3-4-2-1 system and having wing-backs provide the width.

Luan Viera - who?

Bruma - again, winger at a time where the 3-4-2-1 seems to be our strongest formation. Not sure why we'd need one, even if we let Gorgeous George go for some reason.

Naby Keita - would love the guy to come in to help solidify our midfield options and provide some competition for Winks as Dembele's designated heir, but there is no way this is happening; he won't leave Leipzig so soon after joining, and when he does, it won't be to us.

Sead Kolasinac - I would have believed that we were in for him had Davies not signed his new deal. Davies signing that removes the need for another LB, unless there's a long-term plan to reshape him into a centre-back - which seems unlikely to me.

@DubaiSpur - for me Zaha would be in addition to Lamela Eriksen Alli and Son and be a bit of a wildcard to bring off the bench and change our approach - I think we can look at the signings of N'jie and N'koudou and deduce that Poch is after that type of player in the squad - maybe N'koudou has a future here and there's no need for Zaha but his very limited involment possibly suggests otherwise.

@DubaiSpur - for me Zaha would be in addition to Lamela Eriksen Alli and Son and be a bit of a wildcard to bring off the bench and change our approach - I think we can look at the signings of N'jie and N'koudou and deduce that Poch is after that type of player in the squad - maybe N'koudou has a future here and there's no need for Zaha but his very limited involment possibly suggests otherwise.

I think this rumour has legs

Click to expand...

I also think it applies logic that we have tried to sign players similar to zaha hoping that they might be the next mane. A player poch has mentioned previously when discussing what our team lacks.

A player that is "direct" the words I think i recall, to change the dynamics of the team. All about the options.

Poch so far has shown that he has the ability to change formations and player duties depending on the opponent and within the game itself.

I'd rather see us go for Tielemans but zaha could become a beast under pochettinos tutelage.

I think we have to look at our squad first and see where we need upgrades. It appears Poch doesnt trust Wimmer, NKD, Sissoko and maybe VJ (although he may be given another season). Consequently, we most need upgrades in these areas - CH, WF and wherever the hell Sissoko was supposed to play.

I think we have to look at our squad first and see where we need upgrades. It appears Poch doesnt trust Wimmer, NKD, Sissoko and maybe VJ (although he may be given another season). Consequently, we most need upgrades in these areas - CH, WF and wherever the hell Sissoko was supposed to play.

Click to expand...

Don't forget njie too

Zaha would be an upgrade on our wide attacking back ups but would come with a premium. I like the Mane comparison though and can see that to be fair

I think we have to look at our squad first and see where we need upgrades. It appears Poch doesnt trust Wimmer, NKD, Sissoko and maybe VJ (although he may be given another season). Consequently, we most need upgrades in these areas - CH, WF and wherever the hell Sissoko was supposed to play.

Click to expand...

I think GKN will be given another season - he's looked lively and talented in his cameos so far.

We need that 6th AM to complement Alli, Lamela, Son, Eriksen and GKN. That's what Sissoko has never done. Otherwise our squad is pretty much the perfect 22

Tielemans is more like Winks from what I remember - a deeper sitting CM ballplayer.

Defour (now at Burnley) was their ACM/playmaker.

Dendoncker (their DM) has always been the best of their famed CM trio IMO.

Click to expand...

Yeah I know you've been banging that drum since we played them in the Europa League - Tielemans is widely regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the game not already at a big club, and by all accounts has stepped it up again this year - just because he had an off day v us in the one game you saw him play doesn't really change that.

I think we have to look at our squad first and see where we need upgrades. It appears Poch doesnt trust Wimmer, NKD, Sissoko and maybe VJ (although he may be given another season). Consequently, we most need upgrades in these areas - CH, WF and wherever the hell Sissoko was supposed to play.

Click to expand...

Poch has already said that CCV, Edwards and Harrison will be part of the first team squad next season? That would reduce the number of positions that we are looking to fill.