Monkeypuzzle

If there's one thing I've learnt, it's never ignore a pooh-pooh!

So....you do think he would be bad?

Since someone mentioned Inheanacho from Leicester, can anyone explain why Ndidi is still there? I'd have thought he'd have been snapped up as he and Tielemans worked really well together. Their best two midfielders by far. I'd consider replacing Dendoncker with him and I'm a big fan of our Belgian brick wall. Am I missing something about him?

Another great assist!

If only he could do more, like, I don't know, score free kicks against Man Utd or other tougher clubs!

Apparently Unai didn't really want Philogene-Bidace to leave but the player, understandably, wanted regular first team minutes. I'm guessing that Iroegbunam will follow them out the door with a buyback. It seems to be a great way to test them in the Premier League (not in Philogene-Bidace's case obviously) but there is a possibility that Unai wants to keep him to compete for those DM and CM spots. I guess it also depends what the player wants.

Yes but we are only light in defence and LM temporarily! For one season, or a few weeks in Ramsey's case, we can cope with what we have. I don't even think a loan is vital in either position!

A quick analysis of the players we have for each position we play (not new formations that we don't use). GK - Martinez, Olsen - Nothing to discuss. We all know who is first and how much the drop off is in quality. RB - Cash, Chambers - Cash has been great for us since he arrived but has injuries and dips in form where it would be nice to rotate him with another quality player. Unfortunately, we have Chambers, who can fill in for a few games but I would not want to face a season with him as our starting player. * New player needed. RCB - Konsa, Carlos - Two great players competing and rotating with each other. Carlos can even comfortably fit in the other side if needed, perfect with Mings'injury. LCB - Mings, Torres - As above. Sadly Mings is injured at present but between Torres and Carlos we have cover. Most teams cannot boast the quality of our three fit centre backs, let alone all four when fit. No new additions needed here. Technically we still have Hause too, but he's injured and not in Unai's thoughts I don't think. LB - Moreno, Digne - Moreno we a signing that few people thought we needed but he has revolutionised the way we play. Digne is a great competing player, offering a slightly more defensive, crossing alternative to Moreno's driving runs! If Digne leaves, as reported we need an equally good player in to replace him. If he stays, great! DM - Kamara, Dendoncker - Two great defensive midfielders, with one clearly ahead in the pecking order. However either is perfectly capable of playing against a top team. CM - Luiz, Tielemans - Two amazing players who can dictate the play in a game. Both are potential match winners and this choice makes you want to play both each game! We also have Iroegbunam, who we think is injured, but I think he is more likely to be sold with a buyback clause based on recent transfer behaviour. RW/RM - Diaby, Bailey - There's no doubt that Bailey plays better out on the right than when he was used as a CF behind Watkins. So far Diaby has been used in the CF role but with Zaniolo's arrival I can see him playing on the right or competing for that CF role still. He may even do both within a game. McGinn can also play here but looks even better in that CF role. Same can be said for Zaniolo. There is also Traore, but I think he will be sold at the first opportunity as he is now 4th/5th choice for this spot. LM/LAM - Ramsey, Buendia - Two quality players with different styles but both to great effect. Ramsey carries and drives in to the box with the ball, Buendia plays great through balls with amazing vision. Both work their butts off to press and harass the opposition when out of possession too. Sadly, with both being injured at the moment we are playing McGinn here and he is closest to Ramsey in style. Going forward it may well be a three way struggle between them for this spot! Coutinho can also play here or at CF but his constant injuries have seen him out far more than he is available and fit to play. CF - Zaniolo, McGinn - As stated already this is a position currently played by Diaby, and boy does he look good there. Maybe it will be Zaniolo who plays on the right instead, we will have to wait and see. McGinn was playing great on the right last season but with Baily struggling in the middle, they swapped, and what a difference it made, with both players improving. This seems to be our captain's best position but the versatility that we now possess makes for mixing and matching across the three positions behind the striker. Technically we also have Coutinho for this role if he can stay fit but I think he will be sold ASAP as he is never fit! ST - Watkins, Duran - Watkins has been great under Emery and we are so lucky that he hasn't had any big injury absences. Duran is young and raw but we have high hopes for him. The drop off in quality is quite big at the moment and maybe another striker is planned, especially with Archer leaving. * New player needed. So in summary: Better reserve keeper to replace Olsen would be nice but not a priority it seems. New right back to replace Chambers seems obvious but no apparent links? New left back seems to be in the mix, but not an obvious requirement to most. Iroegbunam possibly moving on when fit with buyback clause inserted, based on other outgoings. Traore, Hause and Coutinho can all be moved on with no need of replacement when everyone is fit. Possibly a new striker whilst Duran is developing. In theory, with Mings, Moreno, Ramsey, Dendoncker, Buendia all fit we have a great squad with two players for each position with only three obvious drops in quality at GK, RB and ST in that cover. Worth mentioning that those three (Olsen, Chambers and Duran) all have international experience! We are very lucky to have this squad guys. Any new additions are just cherries on the top. No wonder players like Ramsey, Philogene-Bidace and Archer have to be sold as the depth of quality is so great at the moment.

Not to replace Cash! I'm one of his most vocal supporters here. I mean as a second player to compete for that role. If he gets injured we have Chambers and Konsa. Konsa is being used in the middle and I don't think Chambers is of the same quality as Cash, so I'd like another right back.

Archer leaving really makes me feel another attacker must be planned. Just like last January, many of us are thinking why are we going for a left back when it's a right back we need? I'd like to think we will get a right back too but right now I'm thinking left back and forward are what we will go for this window!

As a school boy I used to play water polo to a high standard. The best school team in the country at that time was Grantham. They were like professionals playing against semi professionals, they were that good and consistent. However, I will never forget one tournament, we were watching them from poolside as they destroyed another team and one of their lads got the ball, rolled past his marker, shimmied sideways, sold a couple of dummy shots before throwing it like a rocket into the top right hand corner of the goal. What happened next will stay with me always. Their coach, Jim, yelled at the scorer in outrage "James! No! Bottom left!" All we could do was laugh as he soon afterwards got subbed out and yelled at some more. I guess some people are never satisfied.

Is this transfer actually going to happen now or has Emery changed his mind? I'm surprised it is taking so long.

Have we had any updates on Tim Iroegbunam recently? Haven't seen anything official about an injury, not even rumours about at transfer and no idea if he is part of the main squad or another who will be sold with a buyback clause when he is fit.

If Acuna is injured and we are not going for him any more I hope we keep Digne. He is better than Tavares.

Bertie has shat on enough opposition teams to make this statement ridiculous. He scores plenty when he plays for us.

Hopefully!

At £20 million I would be raising my eyebrow thinking too much. £34 million is insanity. Much better value to be had elsewhere. How is this guy £14 million more than we are linked to Torres for?

Signing Alonso, an ageing left back, who's good at free kicks, on high wages to replace Digne, an ageing left back, who's good at free kicks, on high wages? Of course! It makes perfect sense.

Has he signed for them yet? When does thread get moved?

Gotcha! Thank you. So selling him this summer for £15 million would be a very small profit and free up huge wages. Loaning him for no fee but full wages covered, then selling him for £7.5 million next summer costs us £7 million in transfer fee but saves us £6.5 million in wages, so just about breaking even, followed by freeing up huge wages. I get your point, but I still think saying we're screwed is a bit extreme. We stand to break even on a guy we paid quite a lot for and put on huge wages, as he approached the latter part of his career. Meanwhile we have had plenty of good performances out of him and have just gone fore someone on lower wages, hopefully without a drop in quality. If Digne had virtually never played for us, then left on a free at the end of his contract I would agree fully. However he has played lots, often played very well and we don't need a ridiculous transfer fee to break even on him. It's just not the perfect transfer, but better than lots of others!

Based on this we make a profit on him if we sell for £15 million this summer. £7.5 million next summer. We'd also save a fortune on wages. How are we screwed if any loan club has to cover his wages in full as suggested?

Bailey plays on our right. McGinn has played on the left both games so far. I know this doesn't alter your point, it's just that I'm pedantic!

Good luck @Don_Simon!

I haven't bothered yet. I'm picturing Sweeney Todd on holiday in Australia! Edit* have now looked and can't see what the fuss is about, but hey, good luck!

And yet he is playing really well for us at the same time.