End of Term Report and Future Needs

As I’m sure I can rely on Robert Tressell to provide a transfer target article that is as comprehensive – if not more so than my annual piece – I thought I might try a different tack with more of a squad breakdown.

I think our needs moving forwards are fairly clear cut but here we go anyway. A big summer lies ahead with a re-build needed that seems quite unprecedented for an established Premier League club.

Current Squad

I’ve gone through our squad with my assessment of the players’ levels and hence where we need to strengthen. The grades are as follows:

1. A top class player, capable of playing for a Top 4 Premier League club in his position.
2. A good Premier League player, likely to be starting for a mid-table Premier League club and possibly playing in Europe.
3. A solid player, able to do good work for a Premier League club in the bottom half.
4. A player likely to be found at a club fighting relegation or playing for one of the better Championship clubs.
5. Not ready for the Premier League.

Goalkeepers

Jordan Pickford (31)                                        A

One of our best and most reliable players over the last few years. Will likely be here next season unless a large offer arrives and may even be given the captain's armband if Coleman joins the coaching staff.

Joao Viginia                                                            Leaving

Asmir Begovic                                                      Leaving

Right-Back

Nthan Patterson (23)                                  D/E

Most of us had high hopes for the swashbuckling Scotsman but he has never really kicked on since his first season and has failed to impress a succession of managers. His contract runs for a couple more years. He could perhaps be a back up but may be best sold or loaned.

Seamus Coleman (36)                                 D (when fit)

Could probably still do a job when fit but has had bad luck with injuries and sadly cannot be relied upon to be consistently available. May well move to join the coaching staff this summer.

Ashley Young                                                        Leaving

Roman Dixon (20)                                             D/E

With only a couple of games to his name, it’s difficult to make a judgement on the youngster. He certainly has the athleticism to succeed at right-back and could be a back-up but needs first-team games to develop.

Centre-Back

Jarrad Branthwaite (22)                               A/B

Probably deserves an A though he started the season a little shakily at times. He has looked to be back to his best recently and will hopefully not be sold unless a huge offer over £70M comes in. I believe our PSR position will look better from this summer onwards and I expect to see him stay.

James Tarkowski (32)                                    C

A solid pro who we have relied on a lot over his time here. He put his body on the line constantly and at some point that may begin to tell. He may well sign a new contract and will likely be here and hopefully fit for next season. At some point over the next few years, he will need to be phased out and may have lost a yard of pace already… but he's still a stalwart.

Jake O’Brien (24)                                               B/C

Has looked excellent since Moyes arrived and did great work as a right-back where he could potentially play next season when Tarkowski returns. Long term he will be a replacement for Tarkowski or Branthwaite. He has the potential to get to the very top.

Michael Keane (32)                                         D

A valiant servant who has got some important goals and is better than he perhaps will be remembered for. Still unclear if he will get a new contract. Could possibly be a cheap 4th choice but perhaps a young option would be better. He could be a great signing for a promoted team planning on a low block or even an ambitious Championship team (like Wrexham?).

Left-Back

Vitaliy Mykolenko (25)                                  C

Another who has looked much better under Moyes. The tough Ukrainian is hard to get past and has locked down the likes of Salah and Saka admirably but still lacks ability on the ball. He will probably stay first choice next season due to other weaker areas but a more progressive left-back will likely be needed at some point.

Right-Wing

Jack Harrison                               Leaving

Jesper Lindstrom                               Leaving

Centre-Midfield

Idrissa Gana Gueye (35)                                               A/B

Remarkably, he seems to be getting better with age and I don’t think he would look out of place in any top team, as he proved at PSG. He is better on the ball than many give him credit for and defensively is one of the best in Europe. I really hope he stays as he would be one of the hardest players to replace.

James Garner (24)                                                              C/D

I was quite tempted to give him a D. He’s a very solid professional with some useful versatility but I don’t think he really does enough in either defence or attack. He’s tidy enough but has not become the playmaker we hoped he might. His fans may say he’d do better with better players around him but I'm not sure I see it currently.

Tim Iroegbunam (21)                                                  D/E

We’ve not seen a huge amount of him but I have big worries over his positioning and reading of the game. He definitely has some great physical attributes and perhaps could be used higher up the pitch in more of a Doucoure role. Looks to me like he has some learning to do and may be best sent off on loan to the Championship.

Harrison Armstrong (18)                                               D/E

Bit of a wildcard who did very admirably at Derby County on loan. The Premier League is a big step up and it’s difficult to tell how he would fare. Moyes will presumably take a good look at him in pre-season. Unless Moyes plans to use him a fair bit, I’d reckon another loan (at Derby again, perhaps) may be best. He has time on his side and must be developed right. A star in the making.

Orel Mangala (27)                                                           Leaving

Left-Wing

Iliman Ndiaye (25)                                                              B

The Senegalese looked an ‘A’ before his injury but has struggled at times since coming back. Definitely one of our players of the season and top scorer to boot. It’s possible he may be used in the Number 10 position but has fitted in well on the left and will be a big part of the team next season.

Dwight McNeil (25)                                                           C

Despite a season disrupted by injury, he has done well with some big moments and is a reliable threat at set pieces. It will be interesting to see where he is used; he is less comfortable on the right where Moyes has played him recently. It could be that he is not first choice next season and as such may be available if a decent bid comes from a promoted team.

Attacking Midfield

Abdoulaye Doucoure                                                      Leaving

Carlos Alcaraz (22, on loan)                                      C

We’ve not seen a huge amount of the Argentine but what we have seen is very promising. Moyes has tended to prefer Doucoure’s physicality and that may be a sign that he won’t see Alcaraz as first choice but nonetheless with such a low buy option of £12M it would seem a no-brainer to bring the talented youngster in permanently – especially as he can play in a few different positions.

Striker

Beto (27)                                                                             C

My man Beto has had a much better season and begun to look a more rounded striker in the last few weeks. He’s definitely not the smoothest operator but his goal return for minutes played is impressive and he certainly occupies defenders. At some point, we’ll want a better striker but they are hard to find and very popular. I’m not sure Beto does well as a sub as he needs game time to build momentum. It will be interesting to see if Moyes has faith in him to lead the line next season.

Calvert-Lewin (28)                                                             C

Another frustrating and unproductive season for him. His departure seemed inevitable and it seem likely that only his poor form and presumable lack of enticing offers has seen him return to the negotiating table recently. When fit, he’s a better link player than Beto and I’d be happy to see him stay as a squad option on a reasonable deal but it feels like a fresh start might be best for both parties.

Youssef Chermiti (20)                                                     D/E

Tough to know where the Portuguese is as we’ve seen so little of him. I had high hopes for him going into this season but injury struck and Moyes has not seemed to fancy him since. Desperately needs game time so I’m hoping he gets a loan next season and flourishes.

Armanando Broja                                           Leaving

Areas to Reinforce

1.        Right-WIng

For me we’ve needed a good right-winger for years and it should be the top priority this summer. With Ndiaye or McNeil on the left, we have some guile and trickery so I’d like to see a real speedster on the right. Someone who can beat defenders at will whilst working hard and of course bagging a few goals and assists. Sounds easy enough, right?

There are plenty of possible names and I’m sure Robert Tresswell will go through the options but I’ve always like Ernest Nuamah, who works hard, beats people, and is capable of scoring more. We’ve tracked him for a while though difficult to say how he’ll be after injury. he could be available at a cut price though possibly an unlikely option due to his ACL problems.

Other names (of varying plausibility): Yaser Asprilla, Franco Mastantuono, Jesus Rodriguez, Lamine Cisse, Anis Hadji, Abdule Fatawa, Oliver Antman, Assan Diao, Dilane Bakwa, Dario Osorio, Omari Hutchinson, Jaden Philogene, Lucas Ferreira, Senny Mayulu, Cyraque Irie, Riquelme Felipe, Ben Doak, Johan Bakayoko, Amad Diallo, Tyler Dibling, Oscar Bobb, Wilson Odobert.

2.        Right-Back

Let’s re-build that right flank! O’Brien did a great job there but we would have so much more balance with a right-back able to defend well whilst also overlapping and getting crosses or good balls in.

I’ve always been gutted that we didn’t sign Denzel Dumfries. Apparently it was pretty close for a time so I would like us to look at his heir apparent, Givairo Read; he’s only 18 and has had a great first season for Feyenoord, getting up and down his flank and managing 6 assists.

Unlikely perhaps that Moyes places trust in such an untested quantity so here are some other names: Kyle Walker-Peters, Bashir Humphries, Lorenz Assignon, Guela Doue, Igor Serrote, Vanderson, Martim Fernandes, Ivan Fresnada,  Josh Vagnoman, Elias Baum, Milan Van Ewijk, Tiago Santos, Isaa Kabore, Trai Hume, Wesley, Joel Drakes Thomas, Nelson Semedo, Vladmir Coufal.

3.        Centre-Midfield

Possibly an attacking midfielder could be in this spot but we have Ndiaye, McNeil, and presumably Alcaraz soon who could all play there, so I’m concentrating a little further back where I think we are lacking.

Moyes loves a Championship player and so my pick here is Hayden Hackney who has been one of the best midfielders there this season. He reminds me a little of Adam Wharton (though at 23 he’s older) in that he is very composed and able to find a pass in even the tightest of spots. He also works hard and is able to carry the ball well. Not the quickest perhaps but a smart, well-rounded player who I think is more dynamic than James Garner.

Other options: Tomas Soucek, Tom Bischof, Angelo Stiller, Andrey Santos, Javi Guerra, Lamine Camara, Hicham Bouadi, Luis Bahia, Andy Diouf, Hakon Haraldson, Matias Fernandez-Pardo, Anton Stach, Mario Martin, Dan Neill, Chris Rigg, Assan Ouedraogo, Arthur Vermeeren, Hugo Larsson, Ardon Jashari, Malik Tillma, Zeno Debast.

4.        Striker

Difficult to know if Calvert-Lewin will stay and Chermiti go on loan but, whatever happens, I feel we could use another player able to offer something as a striker who could also fill in on the flank if needed. A Richarlison type who could bring something special and offer versatility to the squad.

My preference for this spot is Evan Guessand who has looked a tricky customer for Nice this season. He’s fast and strong, able to score and create with 12 goals and 8 assists across 33 matches. He’s only 23 which is a good age for us to be looking around, fresh but not too raw. Able to do a job in a variety of positions.

Some of the wingers I named above could do a job but here are few more names: Richarlison, Arnaud Kalimuendo, Manfred Ugalde, Lucas Strassin, Tolu Arokadare, Liam Delap, Victor Froholdt,  Mikkel Bro Hansen, Emmanuel Emegha, Mika Biereth, Diego Luna.

5.        Backup Goalkeeper

There seems to be roundabout of second string keepers. Walter Benitez is out of contract and would be a great option if he could be persuaded. Perhaps Harry Tyrer might be given a shot after a decent spell at Blackpool.

Those feel like the essentials. But certainly there are likely to be positions to still fill depending on who else leaves or if anyone is sold etc.

6.        Backup Left-Back

Mykolenko will likely be first choice but we need a backup or preferably a more attacking alternative, presumably someone cheap as there are other priority positions.

El Hadji Diouf (a name to send shivers!) is a young dynamic left back having a great season for Slavia Prague. He beats players at will and gets up and down his flank all day. Should be cheap and could be a good alternative in matches where we expect to have more of the ball.

More options: Junior Firpo, Aaron Creswell, Nathaniel Brown, Sergi Cardona, Diego Moreira, Alvaro Carerras, Diogo Travassos, Harry Amass, Almugera Kabar, Mikayil Faye, Quentin Merlin.

7.        Centre-Back

Presuming Michael Keane leaves and Moyes does not fancy any of the Academy players (none look ready to me), then we will need a 4th-choice centre-back. If we sell Branthwaite, then we will need a new starter to replace him potentially — though O'Brien and Tarkowski could work. There’s lots of great young centre-backs out there… most of them French!

Jeremey Jaquet is the latest young star off the production line at Rennes. He is fast and powerful and at only 19 looks to be a star of the future and the next William Saliba potentially.

Other names:  Joel Ordonnez, Clement Akpa, Victor Garbiel, Diego Coppola, Ryan Flamingo, Nathan Zeze, Joane Gadou, Ousmane Diomande, Mosquera, Sepp Van den Berg, Otavio, Oumar Solet.

Transfer Spending and Future Squad

People more knowledgeable than me seem certain that we should have a lot more wiggle room with PSR this summer and could potentially spend some much bigger sums depending on the means and intentions of The Friedkin Group. At Roma this year, they have a net spend of around £90M and I think it’s not totally unreasonable to hope for a similar amount ourselves.

At a minimum, we need 5 or 6 new players in and probably 3 to 4 of those will be able to go straight into the first team which usually requires decent expenditure of very canny operating. I can imagine the free agent market being utilised with the likes of Josh Brownhill and Kyle Walker-Peters perhaps appealing to help buff out the squad.

To get into Football Manager mode, I believe the players I’ve picked above may cost somewhere in the region of:

Carlos Alcaraz: £12M
Ernest Nuamah: £17M
Givairo Read: £15M
Hayden Hackney: £16M
Evan Guessand: £20M
El Hadji Diouf: £10M
Kyle Walker-Peters: free
Walter Benitez: free
Jesper Lindstrøm: loan
Armando Broja: loan

That’s £90M which I hope might be doable (plus Jeremy Jacquet for £20M if Braithwaite is sold) and would give us a first team and squad that looks like this:

Pickford
Read Tarkowski Branthwaite Mykolenko
Gana Hackney
Nuamah Alcaraz Ndiaye
Beto

Subs: Benitez, O’Brien, Walker-Peters, Diouf, Garner, Lindstrøm, Guessand, Broja.

I think that team looks interesting and has the potential to be a real force on the counter-attack. Crucially, the bench looks strong (though there may be better loans to be had than Lindstrøm and Broja) and gives us the chance to loan out Chermiti and Armstrong to hopefully flourish and be ready to join first team in Season 26-27. All the players I’ve theoretically spent money on are 23 years old or younger and would likely grow in value if they did even a decent job.

We’ve finished 13th this season and for me next seasona small progression to around 10th or 11th should be the aim. It’s hard to improve rapidly whilst undergoing a big squad rebuild. We need to bring in younger players with resale value in order to emulate the process that has seen the likes of Brighton and Brentford progress. Young gems mixed in with sensible affordable experience.

I’m slightly nervous as to why the likes of Purdy and Thelwell have not been replaced yet and keen that Moyes should not have too much sway over transfer dealings. He has shown good judgement for the most part historically but will naturally favour the short-term gains whereas well run clubs always recruit with an eye to the future.

Next season will not be easy; Leeds Utd and Burnley are better teams than we had at the bottom this season and surely Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will not be as poor. It’s a big summer but with Pickford, Branthwaite, O’Brien, Gana (hopefully) and Ndiaye proving a solid base, I’m hopeful we can continue to build on the good work Moyes has done since arriving.

Reader Comments (7)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer ()

How to get rid of these ads and support TW

---