The easiest solution is to just let Palhinha go back to Bayern, but one way or another you can't have Gallagher, Bentancur, Palhinha, Gray, Sarr and Bergvall all on the team next year.
Bissouma's out of contract so he's gone.
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Transfers Summer 2026 Transfer Thread
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Bissouma's out of contract so he's gone.
Don't love the Robertson move but it's clear we've have lacked characters and standards in the dressing room this season so it could be shrewd in that sense.
Having some older guys like Milner around the place who are consummate pros and know what a winning team looks like can really help establish a club culture, even if they aren't playing every week.
De Zerbi himself has said we need more guys with the right personality like Palhinha, so if he gives it the green light I'm OK with it.
Hard to be excited from a footballing perspective, though. Especially given the season Udogie's had as our other LB option.
Having some older guys like Milner around the place who are consummate pros and know what a winning team looks like can really help establish a club culture, even if they aren't playing every week.
De Zerbi himself has said we need more guys with the right personality like Palhinha, so if he gives it the green light I'm OK with it.
Hard to be excited from a footballing perspective, though. Especially given the season Udogie's had as our other LB option.
Square peg; but we're stuck with him for another year at least due to size and length of contract.
With Europe to contend with as a squad option things might have been different; but there's no way we ought to be thinking about playing him as a proxy #10 next season.
Our CMs need to be able to either make play or retain the ball to alleviate pressure. He offers neither.
I just don't think you import any kind of culture advantage when you bring in a player from outside who isn't at the top level individually anymore.
A player like that can engender respect and inspiration for his former quality and reputation, but only within the dressing room in which he was once a top player. To Souza he's just some old guy who isn't good and is in his way.
Definitely a no brainer. Like only someone with no brain would want to sign a 30yo midfielder with zero press resistance who can't pass the ball.
New #1 (who's ideal for how we want to play) + Souza is the way to go and if AR isn't genuinely thought of as being that guy he's almost immediately surplus to requirements.
We can't be signing mascots... Especially those on circa 150k wages.
It's something managers do talk about, though. That blend of characters can be really important.
I'm not saying it'll definitely work but managers don't just sign experienced players for no reason - it's to set standards and build culture.
The way they carry themselves in training, the way they treat their bodies, that knowledge of what a championship winning culture needs to be. That stuff can matter, even if the older players are no longer playing at the peak level anymore.
Look at Woolwich when they brought in Jesus and zinchenko from city. Neither were world beaters but with a winning mentality from city they helped drag them into title contention. We need some better mentality at the club for sure.
It's all for naught if the technical level of the squad on the actual pitch isn't much, much higher, and Robertson offers little in that regard at this stage.
And conversely look at Chelsea. A dressing room full of kids with no outfield players over 28. Completely shat the bed this season despite the squad costing a billion quid. Often looked rudderless and lacking discipline.
I don't think you need older players to be successful, but having a few experienced good eggs who know how to win and set standards can really help, I think. Especially when the rest of the squad is quite young.
Even at his advanced age, Robertson’s numbers are better than Djed Spence’s in every aspect of the game except tackling.
Souza might be 2026’s Bongsni Khumalo for all I know.
That said, I’d rather get a new No 1 LB who’s better than Udogie.
Well apparently Liverpool fans are saying he's been fine this season and better than Kerkez when he's played.
He's not gonna set the world alight but he may well be better than Udogie for a year or two tbh given the latter's form and injury record.
He's a bit past it but he's not geriatric.
Tbh, I'd prefer if we just signed a top class peak age LB anyway, I'm just trying to make a case for Robertson rather than shitting on the deal off the bat. I think there is at least a logic to it.
Yeah Souza needs a loan regardless. He's got promise but he needs regular minutes not wasting away on our bench.
LOLI'll trust De Zerbi over some xG nerd.
That kid in the GIF is like Blakey trying to make himself right.
Fair.... Then new primo #1 + Udogie as back-up.
It's not like we have 10's of millions in wages wrapped up in Udogie.
The biggest debunking of the xG myth came this weekend.
xG indicated that Hull City should have been relegated to League 1.
They got promoted to the Premier League.
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