Loan Players

Toby Alderweireld; Filip Djuricic, and Eljero Elia are all due to return to their respective parent clubs when their loans finish at the end of the season. Like most fans, I hope the club are able to take up the option of converting Alderweireld's loan into a permanent transfer although the decision probably lies with his club, Atletico Madrid.

Neither Djuricic nor Elia appear to have made a great impact. It could be argued that opportunities have been limited but that suggests neither have made a huge impression on the manager or the coaches. Keeping Toby would be a major coup but I suspect it will be Goodbye to Filip and Eljero.

Alderweireld - do as much as we can to make it happen.

Elia - if the rumoured fee is around £3-4m then it makes it more tempting. Wages of around £40k a week? I don't think he is blocking the pathway of a younger player. I wouldn't be unhappy if we made a move for him - wingers are inconsistent by nature, but I don't think he's a player to take us to the next level.

Djuricic - if the fee is £9m or so as rumoured then leave well alone.

Elia - if the rumoured fee is around £3-4m then it makes it more tempting. Wages of around £40k a week? I don't think he is blocking the pathway of a younger player. I wouldn't be unhappy if we made a move for him - wingers are inconsistent by nature, but I don't think he's a player to take us to the next level.

 

Djuricic - if the fee is £9m or so as rumoured then leave well alone.

Elia hasn't made much of an impact imo. I think we can do better, besides, wouldn't he be blocking Isgrove, or McQueen?

Djuricic I agree on.

Toby - Pull out all the stops to get him even if it means renegotiating the agreed fee with his club. I would be very happy for Saints to smash transfer record on him given how good I think he is. The only slight concern is how injury prone he will be.

Elia - No. Apart from Newcastle away he has been ineffective.

Djuricic - Looked decent in first half against Liverpool. Ankle injury has obviously put paid to his chance to shine. I would say no on what I have seen so far.

We will need a true winger who can put a decent cross in. Pelle thrives on that kind of service. Bertrand our best crosser from open play. Tadic isnt a good crosser imo.

Would love Toby to stay....however Madrid know he has had a good season and his tock is high,they could buy him back for £1m then sell him for up to £15m imo,or just keep a CL quality defender

The others I am not fussed about

Obviously all want Toby to stay - a class act. Fingers crossed on that, but seems a little unlikely.

I think Elia will sign permanently, and is a useful squad player. I've seen him have some good games, but some where he's also been a bit anonymous. If we're in Europe next year we'll need more bodies, so for 3 or 4 mil, we're not going to get much better than a Dutch international, who is certainly capable of a few moments of magic.

Djuricic obviously hasnt played much for us to base any assessments on, but I was pretty impressed with his movement and skill vs Liverpool(?). Thought he looked like he would be a star for us (although a bit lightweight), but has since been mostly injured, which is a shame. Definitely not worth 9mil on current evidence but again might be a decent player for the squad if the price is right. Not convinced he overly wants to be here though?!

I'd definitely go for Djurucic....

Djuruic is an odd one I thought we had brought him in to give us a more attacking AM/10 thought he looked good against Liverpool but has hardly featured since I now he has had some fitness problems but he doesn't seem to have forced his way into the team at all.

I'd keep the other two, but I doubt very much we will be able to keep Toby, if the price is right I think Eli offers something as a squad player.

I'd definitely go for Djurucic....

Is this because you've spent to much time learning how to spell his name?

Would love Toby to stay but not sure he will.

Elia may be worth punt at £3m but wouldn't be surprised if we look else where. apart from Newcastle I dont think i can remember him doing anything.

Djuricic - not seen anything that would make me want to sign him. Still think we would have been better off getting another striker on loan in January rather than another attacking midfielder.

Yeah, don't think you'll get any different response on Toby - do everything we can to get him in.

Elia hasn't done much to justify a permanent deal, but if the purchase price is that low, then probably worth buying him and hoping he improves.

Jury-titch - no idea. He looked good vs Liverpool, but has had so little game time, not sure how we can judge.

Do take westmidlandsaint's comment that Elia and Jury do seem to be bench fillers and we may need to spend the money on first choice players.

Of course we should try to sign Toby, whether it will happen remains to be seen, but thats a no brainer.

As for the other two, neither have shown anything that would warrant taking them permanently, whatever the price. Better off getting Gaston back than having either of them next season.

I wouldn't go near either of the loanies tbh, they've done nothing.

Got a feeling we'll keep Elia though, just have a hunch that Koeman really likes him.

I wouldn't go near either of the loanies tbh, they've done nothing.

 

Got a feeling we'll keep Elia though, just have a hunch that Koeman really likes him.

Not enough to start him though

Since we've recruited these loanees we've hired a new recruitment director so I'm sure that there will be some input from him

and the dutch bias may get toned down a bit.

Toby is a no brainer. Would pay 10-15m for him.

Elia - yes if the price is right, especially if we get in Europa League. Not overly fussed but a decent squad player and wouldn't break the bank.

Djuricic - not for me, been poor, no better than what we've got and at the rumoured £10m, wouldn't touch him with a bargepole.

I'd keep Alderweireld at pretty near any cost, keep Elia if he's under £10m but only on a 2 year deal with a lot of incentives because I have a feeling he needs to be focused on improving to play at his best - and his best is defintely good enough if he can do it more often, and try and do better than Djuricic based on the little I've seen (and we've already got Gaston coming back for that role).

Toby is a no brainer. Would pay 10-15m for him.

 

Elia - yes if the price is right, especially if we get in Europa League. Not overly fussed but a decent squad player and wouldn't break the bank.

 

Djuricic - not for me, been poor, no better than what we've got and at the rumoured £10m, wouldn't touch him with a bargepole.

How has djuricic been poor? He hasn't played!

How has djuricic been poor? He hasn't played!

In other words, he's been poor enough for the manager not to pick him?

In other words, he's been poor enough for the manager not to pick him?

Tbh he looked alright with the little he has played. Not saying he is anything great but not sure how anyone can dismiss him as rubbish based on what we have seen so far.

In other words, he's been poor enough for the manager not to pick him?

Injured.

I'd keep Alderweireld at pretty near any cost, keep Elia if he's under £10m but only on a 2 year deal with a lot of incentives because I have a feeling he needs to be focused on improving to play at his best - and his best is defintely good enough if he can do it more often, and try and do better than Djuricic based on the little I've seen (and we've already got Gaston coming back for that role).

I'm not against keeping him but not at anything more than £5m.

Injured.

He looks a handy enough player alright but the intensity and physicality of the PL are obviously a challenge to him for the time being, same as they were for Gaston and perhaps even Coutinho. Djuricic looks like a real lightweight, I'd put him at about 65/66 kg so he"ll need to beef up a bit to make the impact he obviously has the talent to achieve.

In other words, he's been poor enough for the manager not to pick him?

Djuricic - Agree...but we shouldn't convince ourselves to buy him in the Summer without real proof of his ability, and certainly not just to hold Tadic's ....hand.

Elia - ..yes? ..but only if the fee is reasonable.

Toby - ....of course . Whatever it takes. If we don't get him ....who else is on the radar?.

Alderweireld - Obviously we should try to sign him premanently, but the sporting director at Atletico Madrid was quoted at the beginning of April as saying that they were counting on him for next season, so it doesn't look too promising.

Elia - Was OK against United and was good against Newcastle, since then he has not done much to impress. If we make the Europa League and the fee/wages are low then maybe, as we will need a bigger squad to cope with the exra games.

Djuricic - Spending what seems like a majority of his loan period injured is more than enough reason not to pay 9/9.5m.

How has djuricic been poor? He hasn't played!

5 appearances, 0 goals, 0 assists, 1 shot (that admittedly was on target), 4 fouls, 1 yellow card. Think that can safely be summed up as poor, being generous.

[stats according to the OS]

I read somewhere that Ron was keen on Elia so I guess we shall have to learn to appreciate him.

5 appearances, 0 goals, 0 assists, 1 shot (that admittedly was on target), 4 fouls, 1 yellow card. Think that can safely be summed up as poor, being generous.

[stats according to the OS]

Total of 189 minutes played, around 38 minutes per appearance. I think you're being a bit harsh.

Personally I'd try to loan him for another season.

Total of 189 minutes played, around 38 minutes per appearance. I think you're being a bit harsh.

 

Personally I'd try to loan him for another season.

I'd keep him on loan for another season.

Would love Sigurdsson, wanted him badly when he left Spurs. Think he's arguably the best player out the top 4 sides would be a great fit for us and exactly what we need. Can't imagine Swansea letting us have him though unless we pay through the roof.

But they have clearly shown that they will sell him if we do pay through the roof.

If it was up to me, players out would be:

 

Gazza - Just never looked anything like a PL 'keeper

Kelvin - I don't think he is good enough even as back up. CDAJF a Championship club

S. Davis - A solid pro but I feel he has taken us as far as he can. Some will say he is better than JWP but he is also 10 years older.

Elia - Haven't seem much to suggest he is worth keeping.

Djuricic - That signing made very little sense to me at the time and still doesn't.

Long - CDAJF someone like Hull or WBA but he is not a top half player.

Mayuka - Almost forgot to put him on the list TBH.

We are not going to sell Long for a loss especially if we are in the Europa League. I am not convinced that Elia or Djuricic got enough of a chance to prove themselves in games, but I assume that they are not starting because they have failed to prove themselves in training so I will trust the club's judgment on signing them permanently. The Davises are almost certainly staying. Steve signed a new contract and will be a better squad player than anyone we can get for a reasonable price to replace him. We do have to hope that younger players progress and take away his playing time (or that he learns to shoot). I have no comment on Mayuka or Gazzaniga.

I'd take Nathan Redmond off of Norwich's hands if they don't get promoted.

I am sure they appreciate the thought.

Doing what? We already have David Watson and Vince Bartram as keeper coaches, plus others at lower age groups.

Who knows. He will be kept on in some capacity though.

He could work as the official liaison with SI.

Antonio is a West Ham signing. Not good enough.

Don't underestimate West Ham's future. They have that cheap new government built stadium coming on line and they are far better known world wide. With equally competent management they have significant advantages over us.

I read somewhere that Ron was keen on Elia so I guess we shall have to learn to appreciate him.

Or read less.

Sign Alderweireld if at all possible, he'll be tougher to replace than Lovren was. Though I wonder what the first team chances of the Swindon lads Turnbull and Stephens will be next season...

I would sign Elia if the price was right, and only if we got Europa. An extra player to have in the squad. I don't think he's a bad player, he just hasn't done much so far. Maybe it's a reverse Saganowski situation, crud on loan but decent when signed.

As for Djuricic? Tough one. I'd be very tempted to get him on loan for a season with an option to buy. Then we'll know if he's truly good enough.

5 appearances, 0 goals, 0 assists, 1 shot (that admittedly was on target), 4 fouls, 1 yellow card. Think that can safely be summed up as poor, being generous.

[stats according to the OS]

It could be summed up as poor if all you ever used for anything was stats.

It could be summed up as poor if all you ever used for anything was stats.

True, think poor would be an exaggeration by any other criteria. I suppose one shot on target does give some cause for.optimism.

What has happened to Mayuka?! It seems like he was injured absolutely ages ago - any updates?

What has happened to Mayuka?! It seems like he was injured absolutely ages ago - any updates?

He's back in training I think, some time last week.

I do believe Elia is stopping a young kid gaining experience for the first team.

I do believe Elia is stopping a young kid gaining experience for the first team.

Who?

Is Djuricic any sort of upgrade on Ramirez who will return in the summer?

Would ratherwe went for Matt Phillips when QPR go down as a winger option.

Toby would be immense but unlikely as stated above. Can Gardos make the step up after a season getting used to the prem? If not then a CB will be a priority.

Can't see any of them coming back. Would love Toby to stay but can't see it.

I do believe Elia is stopping a young kid gaining experience for the first team.

I initially thought that too, but I honestly can't think who? We do have some good young players, but I actually think we should be farming them out on loan to Championship (or abroad) clubs to gain experience. Then they ca come back with more valuable, broader experience and be the next Elia/Djuricic?

Elia is the Memphis Depay bait

If only! I can't remember exactly where I read this, but Ewin came out with quotes saying that we went in for Depay last summer - quite strongly, but Depay wanted to stay for another year at PSV - we ended up with Mane instead, and now Depay's stock is even higher.

I initially thought that too, but I honestly can't think who? We do have some good young players, but I actually think we should be farming them out on loan to Championship (or abroad) clubs to gain experience. Then they ca come back with more valuable, broader experience and be the next Elia/Djuricic?

This is what we always used to do with our talented youngsters, seems to have fallen by the wayside somewhat in recent years.