26 Jun 2026 11:10:36
Barcola LW
Diomande RW
Sadiki CM
Mukiele RB
That’s what I would be over the moon with before the season starts.
Grav will be dropped back as the DM.
Mukiele or Kayode was a close call but I went with Mukiele as he would be good company for Sadiki who I really want to see play for the club.
Diomande is becoming very drawn out but still see him becoming a red. ?
26 Jun 2026 11:32:30
Are you forgetting Victor Munoz?
26 Jun 2026 11:39:03
Rome, he didn't cost 100m.
26 Jun 2026 12:11:14
Haven't seen enough of Sidiki to comment.
I don't want to see Grav as our primary DM. He's got no sense for game state and lacks the aggression, imo.
As Palestra has gone to play for Xabi, I would go for Joel Ordonez to cover both CB and RB (ie the new Joe Gomez), and then bring Benfica's Daniel Banjaqui as a RB project for the future. The kid is really highly rated by Pedro Marques, who was at Benfica before we brought him in.
I think Diomande and Barcola is only remotely possible if we get a decent fee for Cody Gakpo. I am not convinced that fee will come, if I am honest, so it will probably be Diomande and Munoz, with Cody covering Isak.
For midfield, my ideal duo would be Adam Wharton and Lamine Camara, but I think we can assume Wharton's price will be too high for us to pursue.
Much will also depend on what we do with Curtis and Macca. If Real get Enzo as expected, then Macca really only has one suitor - Atletico Madrid. If we can only bring one midfielder, then perhaps one of Ayyoub Bouaddi or Mamadou Sangare would be best to bring the bite. If it is two, then the options would open up a bit. I do like Caleb Yirenki, but I expect his performances in the WC will see him get first team footy somewhere else before joining a big club.
Ordonez 40m.
Sangare/Bouaddi 40-60m.
Diomande 100m.
Munoz 35m.
Banjaqui 20m.
And then, if Curtis does move on, add a deep lying playmaker like Angelo Stiller.
And if we do sell Cody, then we will need another forward.