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He is going to Lyon on loan next month. He has talent clearly, but he was always an odd profile. Short and slow striker, that is a profile that we haven't seen succeed at highest level for very long.

This is what I was thinking, and some reports now is that he wasn't at his best state mentally before the Chelsea game. It seems he had an issue and this game was just the last straw for him, or maybe he realised that he can't contribute while he is at this mental state. I keep going back to...

Not in Egypt though, and surely not Ahly tbf. They have even rejected real offer from Barca before for one of their talents (around 2000, current club president was vice president back then). Mainly because they are stupid enough to think the talent will make it big and they can sell him for...

Folks here (Egypt) liked him in the U-17, I didn't manage to watch him tbh. You never know at this age group, though. He was heavily linked to move to Germany (Stuttgart iirc) even before the tournament, so you can fairly say he has enough talent to go to European youth systems.

Egyptian sources says our interest is real, but it is still "oral" one, no official offer. Ahly understands that players at that age don't cost much but aiming for significant resale percent. (Egyptian clubs has historically demanded insane fees for their talents btw)

He is a box to box, at best when he is free roaming (I mean that where almost every player with attacking talent will play his best) but he can be very good in a more conservative role. He lacks ability to be controlling midfielder and doesn't have one to hide that

Alba was still very serviceable in his last year here, you could argue he could have continued in Europe in lower level team, like a midtable liga club. I mean if Marcos Alonso is still getting minutes there, so could have Alba. However, it isn't for every player preference to do that...

Brazil has 4.5 times the population of Argentina and around 3.5 times the gdp. It is normal that they have far more money and talent in the league. I would say they are just meeting their potential finally, rather than this being a problem from Argentinian clubs

There will be delays, but I think their most important goal is for the whole thing is to be ready and over (with no construction remaining in the area) by the 2030 WC which I think is more than doable.

Second Libertadores final loss for him :(

Miami won in Eastern finals. 5-1

I kind off admire how much he improved from where he started, around a year ago he looked like a player who shouldn't even be in second division, never mind La Liga or Barca. Today we can call him serviceable which is massive difference, even if part of it because of how shitty our defense...

NT football always favours veteran team with older star players. Youngish players always shine as complimentary pieces who can takeover a certain game (Lamine against France, Alvarez against Croatia, Mbappe vs Argentina) but it is mostly the more experienced core that leads the success. Even the...

Nah, it was Abidal's decision because he believed so much in Miranda who was a tall LB with similar style like him. He didn't rate Cucurella at all. Abidal cleared the deck for Miranda to force EV to play him as he was a big fan, Digne sold, Cucurella loaned nut Miranda was playing awful and...

Dembele has missed around 26 games for club and NT due to injuries in the past 28 months since the move. He benefits significantly from a less competitive league, where they can afford to rest players. Last year he played less than 3500 minutes for his club, including the CWC (3300 without...

Xavi used him as a guy who hugs the line and cross the ball inside. He didn't trust Auba to continue to be that guy on the receiving end and he requested Lewa, among other reasons. There was no way anyone expected him to be a CF, the closest one was Koeman who used him as SS and he was very...

Auba and Dembele together are nowhere near Lewa for Barca. Dembele would have still been stinking it here and missing half seasons for injury, Auba hasn't managed to stay consistent for over a half year in the 2020's. We could have done a lot worse than Lewa, he was a solid deal even...

Of course they thought about it, to say Barca scouting system is massive is understatement and they knew about him, they are probably following some 15 years old kids in Botswana while we speak. But the two is as related as saying we couldn't sign Estevao because of the Coutinho and Dembele...

Roque deal was agreed a whole year before Estevao move to Chelsea, and before he even made his debut. They aren't related at any shape or form, Barca wasn't going to pay 40M+ for a talent that plays in Lamine's position while he was yet to make his debut in Brazil. Roque was a 30M signing who...

I was actually thinking he should have done better than Eric/ Casado in the double pivot today. Assuming he didn't lose his gane with all those injuries