Barella started the season strong 1 goal and 6 assists in the first 8 league games but since then his form has dropped. In the next 19 league games that he played in he produced 1 goal and 4 assists(2 against Cagliari and 2 against Salernitana).
It feels like some players are out of any critique and I understand that, but it’s little frustrating to have neutral discussion with people like this. Lautaro and Barella aren’t that young so you can’t hide behind that anymore. And it feels like its ok to be average for months and it feels like people here have made their minds that they are awsome in every game, eaven in reality they had really average game. And I understand every player have dips, but great players make those dips shorter and can carry their teams when they hit a slump.
And you can’t just look stats and if you do, Hakan has 6 goals and 9 assists, but havent been that consistent. But over all I think he has been better than Barella. Hakan workrate has impressed me the most and he is more often involved in the game.
I don’t think people would resist if we sell Hakan for 35m, but hell would break if we sell Barella to Liverpool for 70m… so it seem there is big bias for nationality? Not how players actual performance and impact to the team.
Lautaro and Barella are also now our top earners and biggest stars, so expectations should go up, atleast I expect more consistency from them and they have failed to deliver. Lautaro have also been disapointment and can’t lead our attack and is simply pure supporting striker, nothing more... Can’t get past his man, slow, miss on easy sitters, weak on one/one… So selling him would be my priority and try to find new striker to replace him and lead the attack.
Skriniar, Bastoni, Dumfries, Perisic, Brozovic and Hakan have been most consistent players and I think Skriniar is hard to replace but not impossible.
Do you guys feel that Barella and Lautaro are impossible to replace?
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The truth is that we need money and Barella and Lautaro are our biggest assets and we can get that 120-140m from them and ad to that Pinamonti, Satriano, Esposito, Colidio, Mulattieri, Sensi, Gags, Agoume, Dalbert, Lazaro, Vanhausden, De Vrij, Pirola, Brazao, Di Gregorio.
Plus we free up some wages from Vidal, Vecino, Kolarov and maybe Perisic? I would try to renew with Rano, Dambro, Perisic and Handa but only with little lower wages and one year contracs.
I would still keep Satriano, Agoume and Pirola and loan them out. Maybe with Agoume I would try him at first team as a rotation player?
When it comes to transfers I would try to replace De Vrij with Bremer or Milenkovic. Milenkovic has that 15m release clause, but of course Bremer would be clear upgrade. I see Milenkovic par with De Vrij.
Midfield we need most upgrades cause so many will leave. I we sell Barella I would try to target one tall player like SMS or Gravenberch or eaven Pogba for free? Then get one DM like Kamara and he would be free too. Frattesi type of runner to get that mobility and Veretout would also be useful if we can get him something like 11-13m? If Frattesi is too hard to pull off, I would also think to keep Sensi cause I think he still have lot to offer and maybe we will get him just low fee (10m) he also have low wages.
In attack it will be a puzzle… Many thing depent on Sanchez. I don’t mind if he stays, but I would not be against if he leave and we replace him with Dybala with same wage. Both have their injuries, but Dybala sell more shirts and is more marketable. I think Dybala also would be bigger impact to team and our results. But 5 year contract is no go!
I now dream of Darwin Nunez from Benfica. We have good rapport with Benfica after Joao Mario and they also have Lazaro on loan. But this will only happen if we get good price on Lautaro?
I don’t mind Scamacca if we can get his price down with some youth players. I would also keep my eye for Jovic, I have a feeling if he gets enough trust and find his rythm, he will be good player again or atleast same level as Lautaro! But I would only make a loan deal and he would have to take a paycut.
If we can’t sell Lautaro I don’t mind to replace Sanchez with Cavani or Suarez...
But anycase we will see busy merecato this summer and its not football manager… But if we can upgrade atleast two of starting players (CF, CM or CB) and keep one position close to Barella guality and get some depth, it will be good merecato to us!
Long post but hope you share your thaughts? After todays game I think many will come to this section… But atleast we now know what we can get out of these starting players and its not enough!
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10 years of FIF
we have 2 and a half top mids for 3 first team spots and 3 reserves. How many of those can you fill if you sell one top player? Imagine Brozovic gets hurt in that scenario lol
