DonAK
Well-known member
What do you think Gyokeres would cost?
Or rather who should we have signed instead?
Viktor Gyökeres
- Thread starter ZenI
- Start date
What do you think Gyokeres would cost?
Or rather who should we have signed instead?
Psychotsek
Member
Gyökeres could easily cost more than €60m. He was signed only last year, has several years left on his contract, and we would have practically no leverage in negotiations similar to Julián.
Maybe a loan could have been an option if Flick and Deco really liked him. But my point is that we could have signed Espi for around €25m, on lower wages than G. Jesus, and rotated him with Raphinha.
More importantly, we need to sign players we can actually rely on,players who are available consistently, not players with recurring injury problems.
Khaled_a_d
Well-known member
Espi was available with buyout until the end of July, and only competition that Madrid had for him was from Ipswich.
The club, among most other clubs, just didn't rate him that high. Not even 25M high.
The club, among most other clubs, just didn't rate him that high. Not even 25M high.
ajnotkeith
Well-known member
Hamza is not really meant to have any playing time though. He is with the first team as emergency cover.
Espi would be considered capable of entering the first-team rotation.
malvolio
Well-known member
Exactly! This forum of cultists would hype any dead horse the club signs. I'll be very surprised if this Hamza chap plays as starter for any LL side next season, be it trough loan or transfer.
Jay-Jay
Well-known member
Of course they won’t. Espi scored two goals and suddenly he’s WC, and we should’ve signed him just for the last 15 minutes so Flick could change the tactics, and we could start playing Xavi-ball by crossing the ball into the penalty area and praying that somehow something ends up in the net.
malvolio
Well-known member
Will the Deco/Flick worshippers say the same thing if the names being signed were Alvarez, Kane or Haaland?
This "doesn't want that kind of striker" is just an excuse cooked up by deluded fans. If the player is good enough and available then any manager would want him.
Espi is on another level to Jesus the washed up cripple.
ajnotkeith
Well-known member
Nobody said he is world-class, but we literally didn't have a single striker on the squad, and now we signed a guy who hasn't played football for 2 years, compared to those options, he is more than a beneficial signing.
Given we knew ahead of time that Lewa and probably Ferran were leaving, picking him up early was logical just to fill the backup role and still pursue a starting striker.
thestig
Well-known member
This target man bullshit obsession between cules was going on since Pep days. If Flick wanted Espi or a guy like that I'm sure Deco would bring him but it's obvious he has a plan that doesn't include a tall not mobile striker who can't press like Flick wants him. He would not play enough because he doesn't fit the system and it's stupid to just have him for a few matches where we have no idea how to score except crossing. We used Pique and Araujo for that, not bringing a striker just for that (except Luuk of course but Koeman was clueless, Flick doesn't need that). It has been said a million times but some just don't want to accept it even if it's obvious.
How do you explain us getting 3-4 wingers instead of classic any 9? I agree Flick would probably adjust this strategy if Haaland or Kane were available but they aren't. He should change his idea completely for Espi? It's obvious for months the idea is to replicate PSG's attack with the ball and be as aggressive as possible without it. All the players we got and we were linked with fit into that idea, guys like Espi don't.
How do you explain us getting 3-4 wingers instead of classic any 9? I agree Flick would probably adjust this strategy if Haaland or Kane were available but they aren't. He should change his idea completely for Espi? It's obvious for months the idea is to replicate PSG's attack with the ball and be as aggressive as possible without it. All the players we got and we were linked with fit into that idea, guys like Espi don't.
ajnotkeith
Well-known member
We lost Rashford, Roony and to some extent Ferran, who were 3 players covering the wing positions. Those are not replacements for the striker position.
Flick has said that he wanted a 9 and that was our focus for several months with Alvarez. I don't buy that he didn't want one given he has always played with a fixed 9. This seems more like accepting what the club gave him rather than his request.
The club has a habit of crediting its own transfer decisions or shortcomings to Flick's request or approval to pacify the fanbase, and because he is not a manager who will openly criticise or oppose the leadership, they can get away with this more easily. Isn't it convenient how whenever a deal falls through reports immediately come out that Flick didn't want it or he is fine with no alternative etc?
thestig
Well-known member
Of course Flick wanted Alvarez but he's also not a classic 9, that's my point. He never wanted an Espi. He wants fluid attack with mobile attacker who can play in multiple positions while being pressing machines. So why are you guys always talking about Espi and Osimhen or Woltemade?
malvolio
Well-known member
There is no obsession, at least from my part, for a big target man. But Espi as backup or even starter is much better than just throwing some money away on Jesus the washed up cripple just to make up some more excuses for lack o planning.
Wingers we signed replaced Rashford, Roony and Ferran.
malvolio
Well-known member
He never wanted Kane or Haaland I guess.
thestig
Well-known member
Espi's package would be much cheaper than Jesus', I think they would buy him if Flick prefered him to Jesus. Wingers we signed weren't just to replace those but also to let Rapha play striker which looks to be the plan all along if Julian doesn't come.
He never wanted Kane or Haaland I guess.
That's irrelevant, they aren't on the market and you know that too.
malvolio
Well-known member
I think Flick didn't even knew Gabriel Jesus was still alive at the start of the transfer window. It was just a panic buy to save some face. Even this transfer was fucked up considering we actually paid money for an unwanted player on huge wages. Espi being who he is or what he cost has nothing to do with it.
It is relevant if we're talking about a certain profile that Flick might look for. Alvarez, Kane and Haaland are all different profiles, yet we'd sign any of them if we could. So it's not a matter of right profile if the solution to your biggest problem this summer is to end up signing Gabriel Jesus at the last minute.
thestig
Well-known member
There are only 1 Haaland and 1 Kane itw, both of them impossible to get. Those are probably the only 2 strikers that could change Flick's strategy. If he can't get quality like that it's obvious he prefers quick mobile semi wingers who press a lot.
malvolio
Well-known member
Just like he preferred Lewa. Mate we could do this all day. Quick mobile semi wingers yet when a good striker is available he'll pounce immediately, regardless of "profile".
I for one refuse to believe he would prefer this version of Jesus over Espi. It's just that we were interested only about Julian and when that wanished we scrambled for any dead horse out there.
thestig
Well-known member
He would pounce on other profiles of top 9 if they existed but they don't, there are only 2 and both unavailable.
For some other manager I'd probably agree with this but not Flick. It's obvious he's searching for mobile press machines and Jesus fits into that perfectly while Espi doesn't. If we brought Espi you would just shit on him being unproven half season wonder anyway. But yeah, this doesn't get us anywhere, nobody can prove anything so agree to disagree.
I think the club knew Alvarez isn't coming for months, this was more a show by Laporta because he values Barca being linked with high profile players in the media a lot. Alvarez wasn't seriously on the cards at least since we bought Rodri and Adeyemi, probably even before. We can't afford him even if Atleti said yes.