General LFC Transfer rumours/gossip thread

Pretty sure you'll be watching him tomorrow HR   

Why? Haven't you heard there's a bigger game in Madrid involving actual past winners!!!

Why? Haven't you heard there's a bigger game in Madrid involving actual past winners!!!

 Actually forgot about that one  my bad.

Actually forgot about that one  my bad.

Which game will you watch Keith?

Which game will you watch Keith?

The one with the over rated Norweigian in it.  However, can also watch you lot!! on laptop as a back up match. 

I know our top 2 priorities this summer are probably going to be the CB and CF positions but I'd love to see us go and get some sort of cover/competition for Fabinho. I know its bit further down the list of priorities but I'd love to see it happen. Furthermore Fab is the only real CDM in the squad. The only other guy I would say can play the CDM position is Henderson.

I think the past few month showed us how important a good CDM is for our system and in football in general. These past few months also showed us that you don't get to choose who gets injured and for how long.

I wouldn't even mind seeing somebody like Clarkson being given that role since the boss apparently likes him. I don't think he's there yet in terms of his size/physicality but hopefully we see more of him soon.

The one with the over rated Norweigian in it.  However, can also watch you lot!! on laptop as a back up match. 

OK let me know what you make of Haaland, I know his numbers are amazing and I know you all think I'm nuts, but I do not rate him as the next great thing.

I know our top 2 priorities this summer are probably going to be the CB and CF positions but I'd love to see us go and get some sort of cover/competition for Fabinho. I know its bit further down the list of priorities but I'd love to see it happen. Furthermore Fab is the only real CDM in the squad. The only other guy I would say can play the CDM position is Henderson.

I think the past few month showed us how important a good CDM is for our system and in football in general. These past few months also showed us that you don't get to choose who gets injured and for how long.

I wouldn't even mind seeing somebody like Clarkson being given that role since the boss apparently likes him. I don't think he's there yet in terms of his size/physicality but hopefully we see more of him soon.

I kind of agree but in all honesty Henderson and Milner can both fill in very well in that position, CDM, so I don't see that as any big priority, replacing Gini is though and as I've said Odegaard would be perfect for that role, plus give us a bit more creativity.

I kind of agree but in all honesty Henderson and Milner can both fill in very well in that position, CDM, so I don't see that as any big priority, replacing Gini is though and as I've said Odegaard would be perfect for that role, plus give us a bit more creativity.

Odegaard could not play the Fab role he's not physically dominant enough and is too attack minded.

Good player though.

Forget about Halaand lads. He turned up in Manchester wearing a blue face mask and using a blue bag, hes off to city.......

Well according to their support!!

😂😂

Forget about Halaand lads. He turned up in Manchester wearing a blue face mask and using a blue bag, hes off to city.......

Well according to their support!!

😂😂

I read the same thing. 

Forget about Halaand lads. He turned up in Manchester wearing a blue face mask and using a blue bag, hes off to city.......

Well according to their support!!

😂😂

Was he wearing his arl fellas shirt as well

I kind of agree but in all honesty Henderson and Milner can both fill in very well in that position, CDM, so I don't see that as any big priority, replacing Gini is though and as I've said Odegaard would be perfect for that role, plus give us a bit more creativity.

Far from the DM discussion, I think (that's just me guessing) that the idea in Klopp's mind and his staff's mind is to slide Jones into that role (Gini's). He may not be a carbon copy of Gini (no player is a carbon copy of another and thank god for that) but he is versatile enough to play on either side of the DM in our system and has plenty of room to develop if given the minutes.

If we are strictly talking Gini's replacement (in terms of filling a spot), I'd rather we go for someone who can do what Keita was brought in to do but can't do because he is out all the time. The idea that we are going to buy a conventional AM (like Odegaard) and stick him in the midfield of the current formation we use without any consequences is optimistic at best.

Conventional AMs like Odegaard won't track back (throwback to Countinho) and even if they do you lose a lot of their potency by forcing them to track back deep into your own half and dropping them into dog fights. Some of those also don't have the required mobility and stamina to be thrown into a creative wing role. This is why bringing in somebody like Odegaard implies switching to a 4-2-3-1 or something to accomodate the guy. This is also why Keita was brought in. You still need that creativity but you need a different type of supplier, namely a high octane box to box who has a 3rd lung and excels defensively and offensively and can carry the ball straight into the opposition's back line.

I'm not saying it's impossible tho since last summer there was clear signs that Klopp was looking to implement the 4-2-3-1 in order to switch between it and the 4-3-3 (eventually at will). In that spirit buying a conventional AM would make more sense but then you would have to think about the price tag and wage of that player vs the amount of games you are going to give him. Makes no sense to get bullied by Madrid into paying 50M or 60M for somebody who can only play when we're fielding a 4-2-3-1. I'd rather go and get somebody in the style of Sabitzer, Milinkovic-Savic, etc (just dropping names based on my initial knowledge of those players just to give an example or two of the style, I didn't really check their price tag, injury record, etc.)

Odegaard could not play the Fab role he's not physically dominant enough and is too attack minded.

Good player though.

proves my point that people don't read my posts properly, I did not say Odegaard would fill in for Fabinho, I said he would be a perfect replacement/upgrade on Gini.

Far from the DM discussion, I think (that's just me guessing) that the idea in Klopp's mind and his staff's mind is to slide Jones into that role (Gini's). He may not be a carbon copy of Gini (no player is a carbon copy of another and thank god for that) but he is versatile enough to play on either side of the DM in our system and has plenty of room to develop if given the minutes.

If we are strictly talking Gini's replacement (in terms of filling a spot), I'd rather we go for someone who can do what Keita was brought in to do but can't do because he is out all the time. The idea that we are going to buy a conventional AM (like Odegaard) and stick him in the midfield of the current formation we use without any consequences is optimistic at best.

Conventional AMs like Odegaard won't track back (throwback to Countinho) and even if they do you lose a lot of their potency by forcing them to track back deep into your own half and dropping them into dog fights. Some of those also don't have the required mobility and stamina to be thrown into a creative wing role. This is why bringing in somebody like Odegaard implies switching to a 4-2-3-1 or something to accomodate the guy. This is also why Keita was brought in. You still need that creativity but you need a different type of supplier, namely a high octane box to box who has a 3rd lung and excels defensively and offensively and can carry the ball straight into the opposition's back line.

I'm not saying it's impossible tho since last summer there was clear signs that Klopp was looking to implement the 4-2-3-1 in order to switch between it and the 4-3-3 (eventually at will). In that spirit buying a conventional AM would make more sense but then you would have to think about the price tag and wage of that player vs the amount of games you are going to give him. Makes no sense to get bullied by Madrid into paying 50M or 60M for somebody who can only play when we're fielding a 4-2-3-1. I'd rather go and get somebody in the style of Sabitzer, Milinkovic-Savic, etc (just dropping names based on my initial knowledge of those players just to give an example or two of the style, I didn't really check their price tag, injury record, etc.)

Hmm, i'd like to think that Odegaard is every bit as versatile as Gini with a hell of a lot more potential, for Arsenal he does play AM but for Norway he plays more of a traditional CM role, to very good effect, initiating a lot of moves etc

Hmm, i'd like to think that Odegaard is every bit as versatile as Gini with a hell of a lot more potential, for Arsenal he does play AM but for Norway he plays more of a traditional CM role, to very good effect, initiating a lot of moves etc

He might be, I can't say I've watched a lot of Norway games. However, a quick look on transfermarkt suggests he does not. I've taken a sample ranging from August 2018 to April 2021 of his NT call-ups and in all of those games he either played as an AM in the hole behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1 system or a 4-4-1-1 system or as a winger (essentially a right winger)

Link to his national team profile: https://www.transfermarkt.us/martin-odegaard/nationalmannschaft/spieler/316264/verein_id/3440/plus/0?hauptwettbewerb=&wettbewerb_id=&trainer_id=&start=Aug+27%2C+2018&ende=Apr+7%2C+2021&nurEinsatz=0

Furthermore, his club level stats also suggests he tends to be used as the AM in the hole behind the striker or as a winger. His time at Vitesse was mainly as a winger, then he played for Sociedad mainly as an AM in another 4-2-3-1 and now for Arsenal in another 4-2-3-1.

What is more interesting is when you look at his short spell with Madrid this year you notice that when Zidane had to start him he also had to switch to a 4-2-3-1 (Madrid usually plays a 4-3-3) which usually meant benching Casemiro and playing with a defensively frail DM line of Modric and Kroos.  My guess is RM know they've got a talent in him but are willing to sell solely because they know that giving him the playing time he wants implies shifting bodies left and right (and by shifting I mean potentially selling and buying) to switch to a system that will fit him. Will all due respect to both Kroos and Modric those two guys are not Xabi Alonso. You can't just pop them into DM and throw Ozil/Odegaard in front of them and expect them to do the same thing prime Alonso + Khedira were doing. None of the those two guys can give you the same high quality ratio of attack/defending that Alonso gave RM. RM could also keep Odegaard and deal with constantly benching one of Casemiro, Kroos or Modric every time they wanna start him but my guess is Zidane doesn't wanna do this hence the loan switch so soon after coming back from another loan and now the rumors of a willingness to sell. 

With all that said, I'm not saying I am 100% right. This is simply my analysis of the situation based on what I've just demonstrated above: do we have the necessary quality and the money to go spend 50 or 60M on Odegaard and then permanently switch to a 4-2-3-1? My answer is yes. Is it the smartest move you can make out there considering our style of play, our limited budget, etc? No. I'd much rather go for a working version of Keita who will work perfectly in my 4-3-3 and I still can put him in the hole behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1.   

He might be, I can't say I've watched a lot of Norway games. However, a quick look on transfermarkt suggests he does not. I've taken a sample ranging from August 2018 to April 2021 of his NT call-ups and in all of those games he either played as an AM in the hole behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1 system or a 4-4-1-1 system or as a winger (essentially a right winger)

Link to his national team profile: https://www.transfermarkt.us/martin-odegaard/nationalmannschaft/spieler/316264/verein_id/3440/plus/0?hauptwettbewerb=&wettbewerb_id=&trainer_id=&start=Aug+27%2C+2018&ende=Apr+7%2C+2021&nurEinsatz=0

Furthermore, his club level stats also suggests he tends to be used as the AM in the hole behind the striker or as a winger. His time at Vitesse was mainly as a winger, then he played for Sociedad mainly as an AM in another 4-2-3-1 and now for Arsenal in another 4-2-3-1.

What is more interesting is when you look at his short spell with Madrid this year you notice that when Zidane had to start him he also had to switch to a 4-2-3-1 (Madrid usually plays a 4-3-3) which usually meant benching Casemiro and playing with a defensively frail DM line of Modric and Kroos.  My guess is RM know they've got a talent in him but are willing to sell solely because they know that giving him the playing time he wants implies shifting bodies left and right (and by shifting I mean potentially selling and buying) to switch to a system that will fit him. Will all due respect to both Kroos and Modric those two guys are not Xabi Alonso. You can't just pop them into DM and throw Ozil/Odegaard in front of them and expect them to do the same thing prime Alonso + Khedira were doing. None of the those two guys can give you the same high quality ratio of attack/defending that Alonso gave RM. RM could also keep Odegaard and deal with constantly benching one of Casemiro, Kroos or Modric every time they wanna start him but my guess is Zidane doesn't wanna do this hence the loan switch so soon after coming back from another loan and now the rumors of a willingness to sell. 

With all that said, I'm not saying I am 100% right. This is simply my analysis of the situation based on what I've just demonstrated above: do we have the necessary quality and the money to go spend 50 or 60M on Odegaard and then permanently switch to a 4-2-3-1? My answer is yes. Is it the smartest move you can make out there considering our style of play, our limited budget, etc? No. I'd much rather go for a working version of Keita who will work perfectly in my 4-3-3 and I still can put him in the hole behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1.   

Good analysis, I still think he could do a great job for us and I'd argue we should look to alter our formation a bit to freshen things up

Good analysis, I still think he could do a great job for us and I'd argue we should look to alter our formation a bit to freshen things up

Fair enough + I agree with you, we should look to switch things up a bit since we clearly have been read by the other teams in some areas of our game and and we need to bypass that problem one way or another

We really need to start planning for a squad overhaul this Summer for the near to medium term.

2 new CB's to replace Matip and VVD longer term (Kabak and Konate).

Gini replacement (Gravenberch).

Keita replacement (de Paul).

Mane replacement (Neto).

Bobby replacement (new striker).

Salah replacement (Raphinha).

We really need to start planning for a squad overhaul this Summer for the near to medium term.

2 new CB's to replace Matip and VVD longer term (Kabak and Konate).

Gini replacement (Gravenberch).

Keita replacement (de Paul).

Mane replacement (Neto).

Bobby replacement (new striker).

Salah replacement (Raphinha).

All those are needed, but not in one summer. Should happen over the next 2-3 years.

All those are needed, but not in one summer. Should happen over the next 2-3 years.

Yup over the medium term to replace the front three so next 2 to 3 years.

We'll start this Summer with CB's and Gini's replacement, would love Neto as well he's a super player and very direct he would be great for our style.

Yup over the medium term to replace the front three so next 2 to 3 years.

We'll start this Summer with CB's and Gini's replacement, would love Neto as well he's a super player and very direct he would be great for our style.

Pedro Neto is a very nice player. Every time I've watched a Wolves game recently he seemed like their best player on the pitch by a mile. I'd love for us to pull this deal off. I wonder if Wolves not finishing in a Europa League spot helps this deal happen or does it make them dig their heels in with the hope of keeping most of the squad in order to qualify for it next season.

On a side note, Adama is having a shocker of a season (as is the rest of that Wolves team). His first assist of the season came against West Ham the other day (this stat blew my mind). I'm interest to read what some people think of him and if some you guys would be interested in him at a reduced price and what role(s) you'd see him fulfill in our squad. I'm personally split between ''this guy is way overrated and spending money on his is dumb'' and ''at a reasonable and reduced price why not? He's strong and fast which means he could play a role off the bench and start some games when we need him to regardless of where on that right flank''

Pedro Neto is a very nice player. Every time I've watched a Wolves game recently he seemed like their best player on the pitch by a mile. I'd love for us to pull this deal off. I wonder if Wolves not finishing in a Europa League spot helps this deal happen or does it make them dig their heels in with the hope of keeping most of the squad in order to qualify for it next season.

On a side note, Adama is having a shocker of a season (as is the rest of that Wolves team). His first assist of the season came against West Ham the other day (this stat blew my mind). I'm interest to read what some people think of him and if some you guys would be interested in him at a reduced price and what role(s) you'd see him fulfill in our squad. I'm personally split between ''this guy is way overrated and spending money on his is dumb'' and ''at a reasonable and reduced price why not? He's strong and fast which means he could play a role off the bench and start some games when we need him to regardless of where on that right flank''

Traore is just a bit brainless in how he plays. He would be fine if we had a tall striker like Haaland who can get on the end of his crosses but for the most part his end product is awful.

Neto on the other hand is a far better and more intelligent footballer it's hard to believe he's only 20.

Traore is just a bit brainless in how he plays. He would be fine if we had a tall striker like Haaland who can get on the end of his crosses but for the most part his end product is awful.

Neto on the other hand is a far better and more intelligent footballer it's hard to believe he's only 20.

Agree with Neto way the better option,after watching us in Spain the other night Grealish came to mind but the price would be scary ,no.

Emi Buendia


That's my realistic Gini replacement. In all honesty, he's a bit of Gini mixed with a bit of Shaq. Pretty sure he's leading the Championship in assist. Works his ass off too

Emi Buendia


That's my realistic Gini replacement. In all honesty, he's a bit of Gini mixed with a bit of Shaq. Pretty sure he's leading the Championship in assist. Works his ass off too

Good shout mate.

Looked their best player in the PL last season.

Wouldn't really compare him to Gini though but a very good Shaq replacement.