Summer Transfer Window 2017/18 - Rumours & Signings

omnomnom said:
This thread has turned into a complete mess. Might be worth shutting it on Saturday nights so people can deal with their drink better...crikey.

Onto transfers...several reports saying Keita will a Liverpool player by Thursday. I don't usually buy these types of reports because let's face it...throw enough of these types of posts out then you'll get one right eventually however there does seem to have been some movement on this one.

Honestly haven't seen a load of him however from what I'm reading he could be a massive asset for us. Vvd,Keita,Robertson,Solanke and Salah would be a stunning window.
Fingers crossed.
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Been wondering about this today, if we get Keita, how do you think the midfield will line up, will Can get a game? What about Milner, Henderson, Lallana or Wijnaldum even. I'm going to assume that generally speaking we will have Firmino, Coutinho and Mane up front, maybe with Salah or Solanke/Woodburn swapping in from time to time. But if we do play with a front 3 in effect, that leaves 3 to go into Keita, Can, Henderson, Milner, Lallana and Wijnaldum. Someones got to drop their role a fair bit, maybe Can, Wijnaldum or Milner?

I guess what Im wondering is what will be our main front 6 out of Firmino, Salah, Coutinho, Mane, Lallana, Keita, Henderson, Milner, Can and Wijnaldum (im assuming Solanke and Woodburn will be bit part players for this season)
 
Tombstone said:
Been wondering about this today, if we get Keita, how do you think the midfield will line up, will Can get a game? What about Milner, Henderson, Lallana or Wijnaldum even. I'm going to assume that generally speaking we will have Firmino, Coutinho and Mane up front, maybe with Salah or Solanke/Woodburn swapping in from time to time. But if we do play with a front 3 in effect, that leaves 3 to go into Keita, Can, Henderson, Milner, Lallana and Wijnaldum. Someones got to drop their role a fair bit, maybe Can, Wijnaldum or Milner?

I guess what Im wondering is what will be our main front 6 out of Firmino, Salah, Coutinho, Mane, Lallana, Keita, Henderson, Milner, Can and Wijnaldum (im assuming Solanke and Woodburn will be bit part players for this season)
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I think Milner played 45 minutes in midfield last season and with Moreno likely to leave, I think it's safe to say he's going to carry on being seen as a option at fullback more than in midfield.

The key thing is all those players you've mentioned are flexible in terms of where they can play - Henderson, Can & Keita can all play as the deepest midfielder in a 3, they can play the box to box roles in a 3 or they can play in a 2 man central midfield. Similarly, Lallana, Wijnaldum and Coutinho can play in midfield in a 4-3-3 but equally can play in the wider attacking roles or in a number 10 role. Their flexibility also provides flexibility in terms of the different systems we can play too - we can play the 4-3-3 we played last season with Coutinho narrow on the left, we can play it with 2 out and out wide players, we can play a 4-2-3-1 or a diamond in midfield.

Answering your general question, obviously there's going to be injuries, suspensions and times when certain players will be rested so there isn't likely to be many occasions where all those players are available but that said I suspect that one way or another, Coutinho, Keita (assuming he signs), Firmino and Mane will find their way into our first 11 more often than not or at least will be first choice in the biggest games. The exact roles that Coutinho and Keita will play and who take up the other 2 positions I guess will be a bit horses for courses. For example, away to City Coutinho probably plays on the left of a 4-3-3 with Keita being in a box to box role in midfield with maybe Henderson and Can making up the other 2 roles to make us a bit more solid. At home to a lesser side Coutinho might find himself in midfield, Keita in the deepest midfield role and Lallana makes up the midfield 3 and Salah or Sturridge make up the front 3.
 
Are we thinking Sturridge will get much of a look in? To be quite honest, I'd rather see Firmino, Origi, Solanke or even Woodburn or Ings ahead of him. But I could just be being unfairly harsh

(Actually to be entirely honest, I'd rather we cashed in on him, but I dont think there would be any buyers)
 
I think Sturridge is in a unique position. In ideal circumstances you'd look to sell him and replace him with somebody as good that stays fit but that's not going to happen. Because of his injury problems selling him at all is going to be a challenge and any fee you might get won't be nearly enough to replace him with somebody half as good. I think we have to look at Sturridge as a bonus player - you don't plan for him but if he's available then great.

With that in mind he's not going to be first choice but imo it would be foolish to ignore him completely. If we're chasing a game or struggling to break down a packed defence and he's available, I'm bringing him on before Origi, Solanke or Woodburn. If by some miracle he can put the last few seasons behind him and get back to playing semi regularly again then suddenly he becomes a serious option again because for all his injury problems you can't ignore his ability.

On Woodburn and Solanke - I suspect we won't see a huge amount of either in the League or CL. Woodburn only broke through last season because of the lack of depth we had and with that hopefully being resolved I think we'll see him taking a step back and being allowed to develop a little slower. Obviously if he or Solanke grab their chances with both hands then great but I think it'll be cup games and the odd cameo for them next season.
 
I think Woodburn is great well... He is on fm17 and plays allot for me haha :p on a sturridge note apparently he rejected a move to China. He is the perfect sub to bring on and he did do okay tail end of last season..

I reckon it's ings we will lose maybe not now but in January if he doesn't play much, feel free for him the 2 big long term injuries have most likely ruined his chance for us which is a massive shame
 
Assuming Sturridge doesn't leave, I can see Ings leaving on loan. As you say, after 2 seasons out it's difficult to see how he'll get a chance with us now.
 
Didn't comment on it sooner as he's been close to leaving in each of the last half dozen transfer windows only for a last minute u-turn but it appears that Lucas really is leaving this summer. He was left out of our tour to the Far East and has tonight been pictured arriving in Rome wearing a Lazio scarf.

A great servant to the club but possibly one of the unluckiest players to have played for us in my lifetime. He joined us when we had 3 of the best CM's in the world ahead of him and received so much abuse just because he wasn't Alonso, Mascherano or Gerrard and then when he did finally settle and began developing into a top class midfielder himself, he suffered 2 back to back long term injuries that he never really recovered from.

Wish him nothing but the best at Lazio and hope that in a slower league he'll fare better than he has with us over the last few seasons.
 
Mark1989 said:
I think Woodburn is great well... He is on fm17 and plays allot for me haha :p on a sturridge note apparently he rejected a move to China. He is the perfect sub to bring on and he did do okay tail end of last season..

I reckon it's ings we will lose maybe not now but in January if he doesn't play much, feel free for him the 2 big long term injuries have most likely ruined his chance for us which is a massive shame
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Yeah , I really feel for Ings, he was probably our best striker, playing brilliantly before his injury and that does seem to have killed off his chances at Liverpool.
 
This Ings over Sturridge talk is blowing my mind...not fit to lace his boots. If both are fit there's only one lad I'm playing and it isn't Ings.

Lucas and Stewart being replaced by Grujic (fit) and Keita is the biggest upgrade in years.
 
omnomnom said:
This Ings over Sturridge talk is blowing my mind...not fit to lace his boots. If both are fit there's only one lad I'm playing and it isn't Ings.

Lucas and Stewart being replaced by Grujic (fit) and Keita is the biggest upgrade in years.
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I dont think its necessarily a question of comparing individuals. IMO even though Sturridge is a talented striker, we seem to play worse as a team when he plays. Its not always the case that the best player for a position is the best for the team, sometimes a lesser player actually makes the team play better as a unit. (For me, Dirk Kuyt was a player like that)

I do hope we get to see more of Grujic this season, he was outstanding in preseason last year.
 
Sturridge had a decent end to the season, and it showed, imo, what we have been missing in our forward play, he is the best fiisher we have, and the only proven goal scorer. Its only his injury record that lets him down. Theres no reason why he couldnt be classed the same as the likes of Lukaku.
 
I like Sturridge. On form he is a brilliant striker and I think he could have been a big asset for England without all the injury issues he has had. I think if Liverpool can keep hold of him they should.
 
Looks like Britt Assombalonga is set for Middlesbrough move from Nottingham, reported fee of £15m which would break our transfer record.
 
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