Heres a list of some names I wouldn't mind seeing, potentially...
Right Backs:
[LOAN] Victor Moses (Chelsea) Age: 28
- Would be my first choice, seeing as we're probably going to have to play a back 3 a lot more often. At one point was one of the best RWBs in the league and now has fallen completely out of favour. Plus we already have a somewhat decent relationship with Chelsea concerning transfers. A loan with a view to a permanent move would be perfect.
[LOAN] Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool) Age: 27
- Another player that would suit us perfectly. Again, another very good RB that's fallen out of contention, and is already being linked with clubs like Cardiff. Wages might be high, but a 6 month loan for a well established top club player would be a great bit of business.
[LOAN] Kyle Walker-Peters (Spurs) Age: 21
- Perhaps a bit of a gamble, but I was really impressed with him vs Barca in the Champions League (and against us), and would be another good option for a short term loan. Quick, strong and looks like a hardworker. Plus, if he did well here, then that opens up a good link with Spurs, who have a lot of good players like Dembele and Wanyama who aren't getting much gametime...
[BUY] Connor Roberts (Swansea City) Age: 23
- Another punt of sorts, but I know Cockbeard rates this guy, and he certainly has some good attributes that would suit our style very well. Would also presumably be relatively cheap. Question is if he can make the step up or not, since he has to be Premier League ready NOW.
[BUY] Joel Ward (Crystal Palace) Age: 29
- Probably the safest signing we could make. Already knows the club from a previous spell and is from the south, decent enough player on his day with plenty of top flight experience, and would also hopefully be very cheap. Would be a solid, sensible signing.
[BUY] William (Wolfsburg) Age: 23
- This one is my bit of overseas scouting for the day. In and around the Wolfsburg first team, who are doing pretty well, and at a good age. Watching him play, he's very quick, a good tackler, an excellent crosser and has a hell of an engine on him. Would obviously need to adapt to English football too. This is more of a "I rate this player" than a "We should be looking at this player" suggestion, but what's transfer talk without a bit of fun?
Central Midfielders:
[BUY] Joe Allen (Stoke City) Age: 28
- Solid player with excellent pedigree, who reasonably should not be too expensive. Would be good cover for Lerma and an excellent squad option, and PROBABLY a step up from Gosling, who is very similar in style. Should be a top target, what we need is a guaranteed Premier League quality player in the middle to take the pressure off of Lerman.
[BUY] Moussa Dembele (Spurs) Age: 31
- This might be reaching, and he's apparently set for China, but this guy is phenomenal and would be PERFECT for us. If you're not going to invest in stadiums, then we should put our money where are mouth is and just go for it. If we could offload Defoe and bring this guy in, then that would be absolutely brilliant. He shouldn't be too expensive anyway excluding wages; his contract is up in the summer. Maybe a pipe dream- maybe not...
[BUY] Bradley Dack (Blackburn Rovers) Age: 25
- This guy is an absolute star in the Championship, where he plays as a No10, and despite not being as young as Brooks, for example, he has so much potential. A low priority position given the state of other areas, but would be an excellent addition IMO, as we still suffer from a lack of creativity in the middle.
[FREE] Yaya Toure (Free Agent) Age: 35
- Why not? A short term deal surely wouldn't be too expensive. Think of the effect he could have not only on actual games, but on the rest of the squad. Think the Jack Wilshere effect but x100. Imagine the stuff that Lerma and Cook could learn from him. He might be completely past it at this stage, given he left Olympiakos fairly quickly, but its worth investigating on a free, surely?
[BUY] Danny Drinkwater (Chelsea) Age: 28
- A more Joe Allen-esque potential signing. Again, a very good player on his day and a step up from what we have currently (excluding Lerma). Stumbling blocks for me would be the potential transfer fee and wages; not sure he's worth what Chelsea would presumably ask for, given how much they spent on him. There's probably cheaper options out there for what you'd end up getting.
[LOAN] Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea) Age: 22
- Probably won't happen since they've started to use him a bit more, but would be worth an ask. We need more strength and guile in the middle, and he offers both while being quite a versatile player. Would much rather get him then Drinkwater. Plus we have a good rapport with Chelsea, and EH with Sarri, so it could happen. I think he'd do better for us than any other loan destination.
