It’s the season of impatience. At around the half-way mark in a transfer window still to run until 1 September, this is an article to provide a little bit of perspective.
Although there’s been some business done, none of the three promoted clubs or the mid-table gang of Palace, West Ham, Bournemouth, Forest, Fulham, Wolves, Brentford or Brighton have meaningfully strengthened. Indeed, the loss of Zaha, Rice, Neves, Toney (to the betting ban) and MacAllister may have left some of these clubs weaker.
We, on the other hand, look a little bit stronger, adding Branthwaite, Young and Danjuma to last season’s squad. The likes of Gyökeres, Boniface, Elanga, Sarr and Kent may have gone elsewhere, but the future is still to be resolved for lots of players we’ve taken a rumoured interest in of late, like (at the time of writing):
· Brobbey
· Broja
· Piroe
· Diall
· Beto
· Dia
· Toure
· Iheanacho
· Gnonto
· Ndiaye
· Harrison
· Clarke|
· Wamangituka
· Wharton
· McTominay
· Mendy
· DeWinter
· Phillips
Whilst lacking in true stars, there is some real talent in there – the sort of low-key talent which can really improve us. Not unlike what happened after the summer we swapped Rooney for Marcus Bent. Not unlike the signings of Garner, McNeil, Onana and Patterson recently which provide us with an excellent group of young, developing players.
What’s also pleasing is that, unlike previous years, the rumoured targets are almost all attackers – which hopefully means we might enter a season for the first time in years with genuine options in attack.
Whatever the case, the players we’ve been linked with are also just the tip of a very large iceberg of talent playing in Champions League reserve sides, the Championship, Academy football, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal, the Americas etc .
I won’t list out yet more interesting options, but rest assured there are plenty left. Dozens and dozens of them. I know. I have a spreadsheet.