the_eristic

Didn't someone start a similar rumour just before last season that turned out to be nonsense? Maybe about Ollie?

Miguel, surely.

Adams is much more mobile and much more proactive than Dendoncker, more akin to Boubs in that regard, which might be a consideration. His passing is fine, it's safe DM passing as a rule, but better than practically anyone else in that Leeds side (and who knows what Emery would do with him) and he's very, very good at winning it back when lost. Another consideration is that Dendoncker may well be pushing to leave. He would start for a lot of decent sides and is well into his prime years, so not improbable he wants a move. Do we know if he's with the squad in Spain yet?

Don't hate the idea of Dest tbqh, especially if he ends up being a free. Not yet 23, can cover both flanks from front to back, very quick, VERY good at playing out of pressure, actually reasonably good at winning the ball back higher up the pitch and keeping possession going in the opposition half as you'd expect from an Ajax/Barca player. Major downside is his tendency to pick up lots of little muscle strains that keep him out a few games at a time which has kept him from finding consistency at club level. As an option to switch our highly attacking fullback to the right side or to go all out if we're trying to break a side down, he might prove useful. The better we are at keeping the ball, the less we actually need to defend, as well, and he's a big upgrade on Cash/Konsa at RB in terms of playing out (unless Ez is beginning his Yaya Toure arc with that run!). The type of player Emery is famous for revitalizing, too.

Can we just, uh, gloss over a few of those?

Given we've had links (however tenuous) with Adams, Koopmeiners and now Amrabat, sounds like we're sounding out a specialist DM to replace The Donck™.

Outdoor exertion midday over here at the moment will kill you.

He'd be Moreno for the right. Lots of pace, great feet, might as well be a winger most of the time. Still only 22 iirc, too. Couldn't play with both FBs that attacking in the majority of matches but would let us switch things around.

If Emery likes him and he wants to stay, he's someone that can play any midfield role, which would be pretty useful.

I imagine we'll see them again if Dendoncker goes. The recent links to Adams likely means we still have eyes on a few, just getting the more urgent stuff done first.

I live in Atlanta, so I see Almada every week. 20M would be nothing for a player of his potential and I'd be amazed if they let him go for so little during the Summer window unless his contract has a release clause. He's a one-man team many weeks and their season will pretty much be over without him. Miles beyond the players around him. He's very much a classic 10, great close control, drives forward with the ball and is hard to dispossess without fouling (not unlike someone we used to know), creative passer, excellent free kick taker, etc. Doesn't do much defensive work but he's not asked to (and Atlanta can never be bothered to defend anyway). I've been expecting him to go to Italy or Spain once the season has wrapped up, but if we have the chance for that money right now, the risk is worth it.

Lots of overhit passes. Feeney looking competitive but soft mistake to give away a goal. Thought JP looked more and more dangerous as he got more time on the ball, raw but highly unpredictable and aggressive dribbler. AJ and Emi marked super tightly and not really getting into the game, though AJ should've gotten on that chance from Ollie. Tim started well with some runs and challenges but play began to bypass him by the end. They can't touch Dougie, he's on a different plane of being. Ring the changes, let's see who else has something.

Looked like he was training in the vids, do wonder if his deleted Xia tweet was hinting at an imminent loan.

Or maybe Moreno won't be fully recovered for the start of the season.

Going to a club like AC Milan as their expensive attacking wunderkind led to unrealistic expectations for kid who'd never played outside of the Belgian league. Definitely has talent, though, a more stable environment where he could be eased in might well get it out of him.

He was on a crutch in those pics from a few days back.

McKennie's head is gone, can be a dynamo but between fitness and some apparent motivation issue, he just doesn't look bothered anymore. Would much rather have Adams of the two, he's the type to readily take on a coach like Emery's instruction and step up a level.

Alas!

We've got the Pau?

Need to get Bernie in there next to him.

Fantastic player defensively but won't give us much of anything going forward as a rule, so maybe an option for the Dendoncker role should he head out.

Like Pulisic, talent is there (significantly more imo) but made of glass, which has negatively affected his mentality (nevermind all the chaos with his folks and the USMNT). Emery loves a project but too much risk there, strong possibility we'd only get a handful of games out of him per season.

I, too, enjoyed Shadow of the Colossus.

We've been playing a kind of double pivot + two "8"s in the wide positions, if we stick with that we'll definitely need another mid, if we shift to three in the middle + the wide mids and/or let almost anyone leave we'll probably need two. We don't have any cover for the JJ and SJM roles on the flanks as Dougie, Kamara, Youri and The Donck are all pretty strictly central and not the quickest, and putting Bailey or Bert out there changes the system. Guess Buendia could be shifted back out wide like at Norwich but he hasn't been used that way much for us.

ITSOTP? WDFAFC?