The Incoming Transfers Everywhere Thread: Summer 2023

[Wolvensam]

It’s a shame Nketiah is on the fringes of their team as I’d have him in a heartbeat.

 

[Jinky]

It’s a shame Nketiah is on the fringes of their team as I’d have him in a heartbeat.

No chance with Nketiah, but if we’re looking at Arsenal forwards, Balogun might be more realistic. And he’s having a proper breakthrough season on loan at Reims, with 19 goals in 35 appearances.

 

[Johnny75]

So then who plays 3rd fiddle behind the new guy and Sasa? It certainly won’t be Fabio.

Hwang will fill that 3rd/ alternative slot. You may not like it but Lopetegui does.

And you don't sign a 3rd alternative if your squad is built correctly.

Wasting an international slot on a 3rd choice striker is such a bizarre argument.

 

[Nando]

Nketiah doesn't have any of the attributes we'd need for a #9 in this system, unfortunately. I quite like him but he's very much a poacher. Balogun is probably out of our range.

Costa has been find recently and his hold up play is a far cry from what we've seen over the last two years (nothing) , but we can't get away with someone who offers no threat in behind and who also can't press from the front for more than 30 minutes. You can't play this 4-4-2 and have one of your central midfielders pressing so high because the main forward is unable to do it.

 

[AndyWolves]

The problem is there is no way we can rely on Sasa.

I think we have to assume there is a good chance he'll be unavailable. I don't like the idea of hwang as effectively second choice forward (assuming we get gyokeres or someone like him in).

So maybe Costa isn't such a bad option if we're being pragmatic. Loan out Silva for the first half of the season but make sure we have a break clause, if Sasa breaks then we have Gyokeres / Costa to get us to January. Then we recall Silva in Jan.

Personally, I'd be looking to move Sasa on. I don't see that a club like us can really afford to carry someone so injury prone.

 

[prawnking]

I'd rather move Fabio on than Sasa. The latter has had one injury for us, he's hardly Jack Wilshere.

 

[AndyWolves]

I'd rather move Fabio on than Sasa. The latter has had one injury for us, he's hardly Jack Wilshere.

Sasa Kalajdzic - Injury history

This is the injury history of Sasa Kalajdzic from Wolverhampton Wanderers. On this page injuries as well as suspensions.

www.transfermarkt.co.uk

That's pretty grim

 

[Mel Evo]

Hwang will fill that 3rd/ alternative slot. You may not like it but Lopetegui does.

And you don't sign a 3rd alternative if your squad is built correctly.

Wasting an international slot on a 3rd choice striker is such a bizarre argument.

All told it’s really easy to imagine how the majority of people asking for a new contract for Costa would be reacting if we’d lost on Saturday, or go 2 or 3 games at the start of the season without a win: ‘we can’t use a space in the squad and our centre forward options on a (top) bloke who’s scored 1 in 23 for us and was in de facto retirement last year’?! I mean, it sounds bonkers. We’re an actual, real premier league club, not planning a charity match. He just provides next to no goal threat, and with a functioning manager in place you don’t need to sacrifice end product for a character in the changies. He’s been great this year but I look forward to a summer in which we buy good players, including centre forwards, in or approaching their prime, like other clubs seem to be capable of.

Sorry, don’t see what’s pragmatic about having a(nother) striker who doesn’t score. We are allowed to buy other ones, and I’ve heard football is pretty popular around the world, so it could be that there are ones who can find the onion bag available. If they do that I can live without them being good at telling jokes to the bench to keep morale up.

 

[Dire Wolf]

Sasa Kalajdzic - Injury history

This is the injury history of Sasa Kalajdzic from Wolverhampton Wanderers. On this page injuries as well as suspensions.

www.transfermarkt.co.uk

That's pretty grim

Wowser, I didn't realise it was that bad an injury recored. 5 major injuries that have kept him out long term and he's only 25.

 

[AndyWolves]

Wowser, I didn't realise it was that bad an injury recored. 5 major injuries that have kept him out long term and he's only 25.

DCL is only a year or so older and has about 120-130 more appearances than Sasa.

 

[sycophantia]

Sasa Kalajdzic - Injury history

This is the injury history of Sasa Kalajdzic from Wolverhampton Wanderers. On this page injuries as well as suspensions.

www.transfermarkt.co.uk

That's pretty grim

Was just going to post this, horrendous record.

 

[Dire Wolf]

He's either very, very unlucky or physiologically his body is not built for football. I know which my money would be on.

 

[Tredman]

Hwang will fill that 3rd/ alternative slot. You may not like it but Lopetegui does.

And you don't sign a 3rd alternative if your squad is built correctly.

Wasting an international slot on a 3rd choice striker is such a bizarre argument.

Wasting an international slot on Hwang is fucking bonkers .

 

[Johnny75]

Wasting an international slot on Hwang is fucking bonkers .

I wouldn't have him either but Jeff gotta Jeff

 

[prawnking]

Sasa Kalajdzic - Injury history

This is the injury history of Sasa Kalajdzic from Wolverhampton Wanderers. On this page injuries as well as suspensions.

www.transfermarkt.co.uk

That's pretty grim

Ok maybe he is a bit Jack Wilshere

Can't have him as first choice based on this (I wouldn't have anyway). Get a proper number 9 first choice in and see if Sasa can be a reliable back-up/competition.

Can see why Lop would look at that record and have a long, hard think

 

[Lycan]

Nketiah doesn't have any of the attributes we'd need for a #9 in this system, unfortunately. I quite like him but he's very much a poacher. Balogun is probably out of our range.

Costa has been find recently and his hold up play is a far cry from what we've seen over the last two years (nothing) , but we can't get away with someone who offers no threat in behind and who also can't press from the front for more than 30 minutes. You can't play this 4-4-2 and have one of your central midfielders pressing so high because the main forward is unable to do it.

The CM doesn't press because the forwards can't, it's by design.

 

[Wolf Hunting]

Sasa Kalajdzic - Injury history

This is the injury history of Sasa Kalajdzic from Wolverhampton Wanderers. On this page injuries as well as suspensions.

www.transfermarkt.co.uk

That's pretty grim

Wow! Just totted them all up. since the start - 17/18 season, he's actually been injured or not available for a stunning 1,088 days which is about 36 months so in 5 seasons he's missed 3 years through injury....
If he was a horse he'd be at the glue factory.

 

[prawnking]

If only our recruitment team had had access to that link!

 

[Carsy]

We only signed Costa because he was a free agent outside of the transfer window. If we can’t find better this summer id be disappointed. He’s doing ok considering how little he’d played before joining us but I don’t see value in keeping him beyond the summer.

If a striker is a target, which it appears to be, be surprised if we retain him.

Pretty much where I am.

Think the ‘he can’t play football’ comments are harsh. He’s played really well last 2 months IMO. Important in how we’ve played.

I would be very suprised if we are not targeting a striker in the summer. If we aren’t, then that’s farcical in itself. Im not against keeping him, dependent on what our business is going to look like.

If he is our first choice striker come next season, then something has gone totally wrong, however

 

[Carsy]

He's been a decent stop-gap and given his all, but unless we're setting our sights on 13th place again next season I think we need to ignore sentiment on this one

Whilst I sort of agree with your sentiment, Costa wasn’t here at the start of the season, and his been in the team where our form since lop arrived would’ve seen us with a top 10 finish.

He’s no where near as bad as what people have made out, however it doesn’t mean he’s definitely the answer next year.

Im not sure we need a ‘designated’ third choice striker? Not sure teams have that position, more a player that fills multiple positions.

Next year we will have 2 front positions filled by sasa, silva, cunha and another. Even if silva goes and we just sign one more, dependent on who stays but hwang, Neto, Podence, sarabia etc can potentially play in a 2 so I can’t see us needing a designated 3rd choice CF.