Maybe I’m missing something, but €60 million for Richarlison seems a might dear for someone who only might grow into that figure or just as likely be another in the long line of Levy failures.
Meanwhile, I wonder what Inter would have made of a €60 million pound offer, day 1 of the transfer season for Bastoni or for that matter Skriniar? Straight forward offer, no strings, nor add-ons: I reckon they might have bitten our hands off… If not them, then Pau Torres – if not him, Bremer. I simply cannot believe that one of them would not have been available if we’d really backed the manager.
Instead, we will sign a few players, admittedly not rubbish, but not the strategic point men that would have given us a boost in our first team quality rather than more strength in depth. Of course, we need that with a full campaign plus a world cup next year, but we also need to have at least 2x AAA grade players signed to strengthen the front line.
I guess it could still happen – we have a few centre-backs that don’t get a game very often, if at all. Assuming Conte wants a starting 3, plus a backup 3, plus a couple of floaters we’d have room by offloading one or two, and Rodon, Japhet, and Davinson could all be upgraded. Lenglet could be one, but I feel he’s not a AAA-rated player – maybe an A or AA at best – after all he’s being let go, and once again this is the crux…..
We are shopping for Rolex’s but offering the price of a Timex – then haggling about that. There are 4 ‘Rolex’ defenders noted above (para 2) – if we really wanted one of those, we’d go get one.
I mean, if we were really focused €60 million quid and four choices at the start of the window, some at clubs desperate for money…. I can’t see why we won’t spend on proven players, even paying over the odds to get what we want/need, but will pay the same (the asking price btw) for Richarlison; also from a club desperate for money?!
Now Paratici may be playing the field with diversions and tactics to get some of these players, but it seems that so far the length of our arms and the depth of our pockets are not in synch. Other player movements change the dynamics against us as well as for us – this is another window where Lukaku and Skriniar could change the playing field.
I had hoped with Conte driving from behind we’d be able to be focused: identify a couple of prioritised targets and go all out to get them. Pay what’s needed to get the job done and settle the key positions whilst then going shopping for bargains and opportunities.
As I say, this might all be in hand, and we could all be guilty of letting our deeply ingrained preconceptions of Levy Time cloud our view, especially in the guano storm of fake news and wild speculation. But I fear that once again we’ll spaff our war chest up against the wall.