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Transfers Summer 2026 Transfer Thread

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Nicolas Jackson is the best fit that’s available. He’s a scruffy finisher (much like Nunez), but his link up play is miles better. He’s good at stretching defences with his runs in behind and creating space for his teammates. Cole Palmer’s been half the player since he left.
I cannot believe I’m agreeing with you that Nico Jackson is the best we can do at striker. My lord
 

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He's a good rotation option for Maddison. But I think we still need another midfielder who can create alongside Maddison. They dont need to start every week but we're lacking in creativity regardless.

Although De Zerbi's system is based on repeatable pattern plays so who knows. The midfielders we have are alright passers so we still might be able to create more.
To be honest, I think that's more about the movement, rather than the creativity of individuals, and I think we'd get more of that with the repeatable patterns of play you refer to. If you know where a player is going to go, or you have a number of passing options created by the movement, then it's easier to "create."

Maddison is widely regarded as our most creative player, yet I can recall numerous times when it was his movement that enabled someone else to make a killer pass into him. Not because that player was a particularly "creative" player, but because it was a pattern of play that had been practised.

If you have the right movement ahead of you, anyone can pick a telling pass.

Bringing in additional creativity will never be a bad thing, but it's more about penetrative movement. No creative player, no matter how good they are, will be able to make a difference if your options are static.

That's why I'm excited about next season, once RDZ has had a full preseason with them. Whilst we need upgrading up front, more than any other area IMO, it will be the coaching that truly makes the difference, again IMO. Better players up front will be able to capitalise more on those patterns of play.
 
He is however injury prone, and my big thing on injuries, is that in part they are mechanical as in some player's bodies just succumb more readily, and the other is that the stress of expectation just does something unknown or unresearched to the body. (Very much my iwn unanalysed theory).

As a player Hackney is quality however. No doubt, and would be a good squad option, and is arguably better than both Bergvall and Gray at the present time.
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His injury history doesn't appear to be worse than most other players. His recent injury is his first since November 2024. He had 39 starts this season gone, and 43 the season before.

Not exactly the hallmarks of an injury prone player.
 
To be honest, I think that's more about the movement, rather than the creativity of individuals, and I think we'd get more of that with the repeatable patterns of play you refer to. If you know where a player is going to go, or you have a number of passing options created by the movement, then it's easier to "create."

Maddison is widely regarded as our most creative player, yet I can recall numerous times when it was his movement that enabled someone else to make a killer pass into him. Not because that player was a particularly "creative" player, but because it was a pattern of play that had been practised.

If you have the right movement ahead of you, anyone can pick a telling pass.

Bringing in additional creativity will never be a bad thing, but it's more about penetrative movement. No creative player, no matter how good they are, will be able to make a difference if your options are static.

That's why I'm excited about next season, once RDZ has had a full preseason with them. Whilst we need upgrading up front, more than any other area IMO, it will be the coaching that truly makes the difference, again IMO. Better players up front will be able to capitalise more on those patterns of play.
Of course, creativity isn't limited to just passing. It's also about how you create situations to help the team score goals on and off the ball.
 
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