S-Clarke

Pretty much what I expect to happen. We tried to do this sell to buy model when we had nobodies to sell before, that's why we ended up with so much shit as we just couldn't generate enough dollar. We now have ownership in who realise that, have provided the initial investment to allow us to build that team for the future which will generate those fee's further down the line.

There is certainly a different approach to absolutely everything this season. Coaches, recruitment, pre-season, quality of opposition. I imagine the better quality opposition is once again down to money? We have to pay a fee to the likes of Monaco and Villarreal I'm sure.

He's good enough to start for us tomorrow, so it makes me wonder if we'll start the season with KWP at left wing back and this guy at RB.

Kabore is quality. Top league experience too (through loan deals). For a cover player that would be an incredible addition. I really, really like what we're doing.

Yeah, this one isn't happening. Everton don't have the money to make big signings on proven players, as someone aluded to above they are in a similar position to where we were with Gao, having to sell before they buy, but even still the selling doesn't directly equate to them being able to reinvest every penny of that. They're in a little bit of a mess.

I do see where you are coming from, I think for clubs like us spending money in those regions does look a bit scary and is always going to be a huge risk. In my honest opinion I'd probably only pay a package of £20m for him with 50k wages tops. (12-15m up front). I'd be comfortable with that as I feel that's where he's proven himself, he still has a lot of development to do and I'd suggest £30m and 100k p/w is what you'd pay for a finished product, or certainly someone a lot more refined. He's clearly got some pretty unique attributes. He's powerful, strong, very quick, he's a tidy finisher when he keeps his head. I have no doubts that he's going to be a good player but I would just be uncomfortable paying that much for someone who isn't there quite yet.

Good shout actually, but that's prob weather dependent and that time of the year is unpredictable. I did assume this summer would be the gap they took, but I did forget we were hosting a few Euro games...! Not sure we'd have enough time.

I can't see us getting Broja, honestly think that ship sailed. Just feels like agent chatter. The new ownership at Chelsea feels a bit chaotic, not sure if it's just me who feels that.

Good news, I'd say this is a very ambitious appointment by us. It's obviously quite exciting for Joe to have influence over youth recruitment for a first team, not just an academy. He clearly has tons and tons of contacts all over the world, some of the players brought into City's EDS have been quality.

I guess what I meant by blowing the Tino trumpet is that we keep expecting all these young players to be like Tino. Martin himself has come out and said ''we're looking for more Tino's''. I agree that the approach has opened the door to us getting some of the best young players, but it's still somewhat risky as Tino was a bit of a freak.

I know what you mean, and that's why this window is a bit conflicting for me in the sense of being exciting and somewhat risky. I think Aribo will add some know how, he's not an unknown youth player and possibly a more experienced striker and full back cover will plug those holes. The club did blow the Tino trumpet a lot but like you say, not every young player is going to be a Tino as in hitting the ground from day 1. There is potentially an adjustment phase for the majority, I'd say Tino is a bit of a freak in that sense.

I can see a loan for Delap and a perm signing of Kalajdic. Technically we do have two striker holes in Long and Broja.

As expected.

In all but officialness I think! I think this will be announced in the coming months due to notice periods and the like as Glover is still here, but it feels like he's already having a big influence on our targets.

Yeah, maybe a tiny bit harsh! I think his football is limited though and decision making is a problem. I'm not a Redmond fan but I'd much prefer to have him on the bench than Moussa for example. I wouldn't say Aribo is a mega-pacy player, but he's someone with a tight enough touch and better physicality to be able to buy himself enough time. I think we'll see our first choice 10's as Aribo and Armstrong, both playing inverted from their wide positions - with the width being supplied by the attacking full backs. I think that suits Aribo more than being an out and out wide man.

I think the key thing with Redmond is that he doesn't really have a great deal of football intelligence. Technically, like you said, he's good. He's got a somewhat decent touch, he's got pace and can beat a man with dribbling. But 9 times out of 10 he makes the wrong decision and doesn't seem to know what to do when he has the ball. In the PL you have split seconds to make the right choices, and he just struggles with that. He stands out in games in the FA Cup against lower teams as he has more space and more time to think about what he wants to do, but whilst he's not technically dreadful he has absolutely zero football brain to be truly effective over a consistent basis at the highest level.

Yeah, there's a lot of versatility in his game and for 'just' £10m that is just priceless. I don't think we can go wrong with this one at all. I keep watching random youtube vids of him and his touch is just out of this world, that's why he probably finds it easy to play anywhere. Has a bit of a physical presence about him as well. He's always been one which has stood out for me at Rangers, and as we all know too well there are some absolute gems hiding in the SPL (VVD/Steven Davis/Armstrong)

Exactly. I didn't like being that harsh on Dan, as we all have jobs...but that's exactly how I felt, he'd put up a massive article about Ings leaving for example which just tells us Ings has left. Just with lots of words. There's much more in-depth knowledge of the player and tactical skewes in the few articles I've seen from Jacob, which tell us all something a bit new (which was the selling point for the athletic at the end of the day)

The thing which totally skewed it all is the end of the season. Had we got to 40 points in a relatively normal way, the odd win, the odd draws, the odd defeats, it would probably not look as extreme. But the run of defeats at the end was so horrendous that it makes it hard to really put the entire season into perspective.

I think I'm starting up my own #ZiyechWatch.

This window is creating a bit of excitement and nervousness at the same time. Our approach is brave as hell, if it works we've got ourselves an England RB Lipzig/Dortmund model and that's very exciting. But if it flops we'll be in the Championship. Personally I don't think it'll flop because the young players we are signing are top of the tree quality wise.

Have there been any links to Sesko? He's the one I want..!

I always felt we'd keep Elyounoussi, we can't afford to add too many changes! I think he's pretty limited, so having him starting every week would be a big problem - but as a squad option he could occasionally serve some purpose.

There weren't any options as part of the loan to the best of my knowledge, but I believe there was some sort of openness to talking about a deal between Martin and Marina who has obviously since gone, so nothing stands there anymore. He's anyone's who wants him. (ultimately who pays the most £££)

The new striker note is interesting. Feels like something is imminent there too. So we've been linked with.... Amadou (but i'd say he's more of a wide forward, possibly) Kalajidzic (i think that's how you spell it) Broja (loosely) Delap (loan probably). My guess would be Delap on a season-long loan with an option to buy now that the U19's are over.