24 Jul 2026 13:56:46
For right back, I wonder whether we will try bring Daniel Banjaqui (18) in this summer or in the next window. The Benfica kid is really highly rated, likened to a right-sided Nuno Mendes. Small sample size, but our development guy Pedro Marquez worked with him at Benfica and it is reported he loves this kid. It's not solve our issue right now, but they may take a long term view. Plus he's already a unit.
If Real Madrid's interest in Macca is real, I wonder if there's an opportunity to revisit the Dean Huijsen file. For me, he's the ideal Virgil successor given his height, position and progressive passing at LCB. With Konate, Rudiger, Militao, Acensio and Mourinho reportedly wanting Schlotterbeck, it is not an impossibility.
If Macca does leave, I would be looking to bring in Lamine Camara. I know he didn't light up the World Cup but he was being played out of position in the few minutes he played.
He's not a specialist no6, but his defensive numbers are excellent.
Although I expect Curtis to stay now, if he does leave, then Wharton makes a lot of sense and would bring a new dimension to our midfield. It seems like we have had a long running interest in him since his Blackburn days.
While the Barcola and Diomande stuff is rumbling on, I wonder whether the club might also revisit Dario Osorio, a right winger plying his trade in the Danish league. He's not a world beater but would offer us a great cover option on the RW whilst we play the Game of Thrones with PSG. He's left footed, quick, links up well and has a decent shot on him.
And whilst we are in Denmark, Caleb Yirenki would be a great pickup to replace Endo.
Summary: Banjaqui, Huijsen, Camara, Wharton (if Curtis goes), Yirenki, Osorio and one of Barcola/Diomande.
24 Jul 2026 14:18:09
I personally don't think we'll do that much business, mate. That's 7 more major signings on top of the 2 already made (9 total). Personally, I really hope we sign Barcola, Camara and Kounde. That would take our total to 5 signings with an outlay of approximately £300m.
24 Jul 2026 14:30:40
More of a thought experiment than a wishlist, MK, mate.
We cannot deny that we need a RB, CB, DM, RW and another forward on top of the Munoz and Jacquet signings. That's 7 players, like it or not.
Banjaqui, Yirenki and Osorio are the types of risks we may have to take, given we cannot afford to extract the likes of Minteh, Rayan, Diomande, etc., out of teams like Brighton, Bournemouth and RBL, and we will no longer be pursuing MCO.
24 Jul 2026 15:26:02
FPF, decent thoughts, mate, here's some alternative ones:
RB/CB - I don't believe we need both roles this summer. We DO need someone who can play RB, but I would expect Jacquet to be VVDs regular partner. Beyond this season, Leoni should get to full fitness in the coming weeks/months and I can see a partnership growing between Leoni and Jacquet. We've also recruited some apparently spectacular youth options aged between 17-18 in our academy so hopefully they are the future. Here and now, I could see Gomez as our RB/CB floater, but we know his availability isn't great. Someone mentioned Ordonez on here a couple of days ago, and at a price of around €40m he could be a shrewd buy to cover both roles. Alternatively, we could see the more advanced of the youth prospects stepping up. Longer term I can see Frimpong being sold (if AI can't find a role for him) and a more specialist RB being recruitted.
So, possibly 1 recruit as a CB/RB hybrid.
DM - I'm not sure on this role at all. I have yet to see how AI sets us up, but I can see a scenario where he plays a DLP alongside Gravy rather than a destroyer. Right now, assuming AI plays with 2 midfielders set deeper plus a 10, we have Endo (injured but recovering), Szob, Gravy, Macca, Jones, Nyoni, Bajcetic (could this be his year?!) and McConnell for those 2 roles. For the 10 role we have Wirtz with Elliot as his deputy (again, I'm assuming) with Szob as an alternative. So I really can't see anyone coming into midfield without a leaver. I CAN see Macca leaving, but I would expect it to be Wharton or Scott coming in. I have a sneaky feeling that Bajcetic might finally start breaking through this season, which would be awesome as he qualifies as HG and CT for both EPL and UCL. His injury recovery has been significantly during Slot's 2 year reign and we know Slot's approach to fitness.
I can see both Diomande and Barcola coming in, with Gakpo leaving for (probably) Germany.
Barcola & Rio vying for LW, Diomande and Chiesa vying for RW, Munoz providing cover across the frontline like Diogo used to. Then we have Isak up front, with Ekitike probably returning towards the end of the season.
Further depth can come from Wright and Koumas (depending on whether they impress the Gaffer).
We also have Frimpong and Szob as alternate RWs if needed (again, not first choice, but could do a job in case of an injury crisis), and Wirtz could cover on the LW side. At a stretch (again, in case of an injury crisis) we could also have Kerkez pushing up with Tsimikas behind, or we could play narrower with more bodies in midfield and use the FBs for width.
So, I can see 1 defensive recruit (Ordonez) and 2 attacking players (Yan & Brad) without sales of first team players.
Similar to Adam, but not quite the same.
As a further side note, I watched an AI (not Iraola!) generated YT vid a bit earlier which analysed how AI likes to play (especially compared to Slot) and asserted that Chiesa may be a good fit for that.
Finally, looking at the most injury prone of our outfield players that I have name checked above, Chiesa missed 3 games last season and 14 the season before (albeit in 24/25, it was the injury we signed him with that took a while to heal), and Joe missed 8 games last season, and 26 the season before.
TL;DR - you missed a cracking post, go back & read it!
24 Jul 2026 17:05:48
Cheers, Zed.
I have made no secret of my wish to sign Joel Ordonez. Would be happy with that signing, though I wonder if a right sided CB/RB is the right long term play with the investment in Jacquet. Hence why I suggested Huijsen, who is a true LCB.
I would say Wharton and Scott are very different profiles, so can't see an either/or situation there. Also, I think Scott offers us nothing more than Szobo, Grav and Curtis do.
Bajcetic - who is that? I won't hold my breath on him.
McConnell will get another loan. And Trey might end up at Swansea for a season.
Both Barcola and Diomande would be very surprising to me. Although we did it with Isak and Hugo last summer. So nothing is impossible.
I don't see the point in Endo. He just can't get about the pitch, rendering him useless for Iraola-ball. He's a great lad, but honestly it's time for him to move on. And I expect Chiesa will leave if a suitable offer comes in and we secure our winger targets.
24 Jul 2026 18:17:57
As an aside, Di Geertruida did badly at Sunderland last season?
He was one who I thought was a shoe-in last summer for us, and still represents someone who can do a job all along the back line and is almost half the price of Ordonez.
On paper he looks like a decent utility defender who has a far, far less serious injury history than our other utility defender - Gomez.
24 Jul 2026 18:42:02
No sign of a right back incoming, that surprises me with Bradley's injury. I don't see Frimpong as the long term answer at right back although this different style of football may help him.