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J.'s rumours posts with other poster's replies to J.'s rumours posts
09 Jun 2026 20:57:27
Going along the lines of 'no smoke without fire' theories, I can see a world where we lower our price for Fernandez, whilst still getting a book profit, and he goes to Madrid. In return, all be it as a technically separate deal, we then sign Güler from Madrid for below what would usually be their asking price, but still a profit for them.
It's a pair of deals that would suit most involved, so long a Güler was happy to miss UCL for a season in return for a reunion with Xabi Alonso and a prominent role.
1.) 09 Jun 2026 23:10:31
I think we set a price, and if a club wants him, they have to pay that price. I think around £110-120 is reasonable, but then I would.
2.) 10 Jun 2026 04:14:45
Another deal I'd happily take, J. We want players who want to play for us and for Xabi! Let Enzo go to the circus that is Madrid, where he does seem like he would fit in well.
Would be a huge vote of trust from Arda also, as he would have a long list of CL clubs lining up.
The fear is obviously being slow with deals, as Turkey in particular has a pretty easy group, and it doesn't take much for prices to blow up on the back of a couple of WC performances.
3.) 10 Jun 2026 04:43:32
We did set a price, and if Scott is priced up at £80m, then I think Fernandez should quite rightly be priced at £120m. However, there are scenarios where it's mutually beneficial for those lines to be moved.
In my opinion, if it allows us to get Guler, or even Tchouameni or Huijsen, at a reasonable price, it would make sense for our demands for Fernandez to be lowered.
4.) 10 Jun 2026 09:09:50
Well argued, J.
5.) 11 Jun 2026 18:21:26
If Anderson is priced at £120mil plus, EF must be £150mil.
02 Jun 2026 10:07:41
Ed, you got any inside Liverpool info on Konate?
The Athletic are reporting we've started talks with him, but others have said we're not interested. I'd also assume he'd have better options (Madrid or Bayern) to win now, rather than the current Chelsea project.
{Ed001's Note - I don't mate, there was not the interest in him he was expecting, so not sure what will happen.}
1.) 02 Jun 2026 10:43:01
I wouldn't want him at our club. I have a Liverpool supporter mate who refers to him as "the boat", and that doesn't paint a good picture.
2.) 02 Jun 2026 11:42:41
I'm with you Tom. Ed may have a differen view but, for me, he's a player who has benefited from Van dijk being alongside him, looks lost when expected to step up in his absence. Much better CB options out there for us, all be it not on a free transfer.
{Ed001's Note - he is a nightmare, wanders around aimlessly. I am glad he is gone from Liverpool so certainly wouldn't recommend someone else signing him.}
3.) 02 Jun 2026 13:21:47
The boat? More like the Titanic.
4.) 03 Jun 2026 05:59:42
We were never interested in him, pure click bait.
He will join Real Madrid.
5.) 03 Jun 2026 08:35:45
That's good news.
27 May 2026 22:25:17
Can't believe I'm saying this but - Wirtz to Chelsea, surely not Ed? Silly season has come out swinging this year.
{Ed001's Note - it is purely because Alonso is there that it has come into question. I am sure Xabi would love to work with him again and it would make a potential replacement for Enzo, but I can't see it happening.}
27 May 2026 18:24:41
You might get your wish, Tom. Reports that Gusto has asked to leave. Apparently he wants to be first choice RB and feels James is blocking that pathway at Chelsea. If that is the case, it’s another rat jumping overboard. Wonder if they’ll be disappointed when they realise the ship wasn’t sinking quite as fast as they thought.
1.) 27 May 2026 18:56:26
J, That would be good news but he will probably prove me wrong and be brilliant at another club.
Sell Fofana and I'm a happy old bunny!!
2.) 27 May 2026 19:59:28
Sell? Buy Gusto and you get Fofana free, is what I was thinking.
08 May 2026 07:23:14
The Iraola to Palace rumours are growing, although some quarters in the press have moved to pour cold water over them. These have coincided with reports that Chelsea are showing willingness to meet some of Xabi Alonso's demands.
It would appear we're pressing on with Alonso as our preferred choice. If Iraola were to be confirmed as taking the Palace job, that would equally confirm that we're advancing in a different direction - likely an Alonso shaped direction. Although nothing Iraola related will be confirmed till the end of Bournemouth's season.
J.'s banter posts with other poster's replies to J.'s banter posts
16 Jun 2026 18:35:00
Spurs agree fifty odd million fee for Van Hecke. Feels like a benchmark for this summer's CB market. I’d expect to pay a similar fee for Lacroix, with the rumour mill heating up around our interest in him.
1.) 16 Jun 2026 20:05:43
Or we trust Hato, Levi and Josh?
2.) 16 Jun 2026 20:14:26
I think we need one more high quality starting, out and out, CB to play alongside Colwill. They would also need to be the figurehead in the case of another prolonged absence from Colwill. I see Acheampong and Hato as hybrid CB/FBs who will both see plenty of mins under Alonso.
3.) 17 Jun 2026 02:03:44
£52m for Van Hecke, when he has one year left on his contract, is crazy. He's nowhere near that good, imo. Didn't he make the most mistakes leading to a goal this season, too?
4.) Risk vs reward with his passing out from the back, I think he's up there for line-breaking passes, too. I'm not sure how good he is defensively. It feels like a strange thing to say for a CB, but it's getting said more and more.
5.) 17 Jun 2026 11:30:16
Badiashile gets slaughtered for being a player that makes risky forward passes.
I wouldn't mind £52m for him.
6.) 17 Jun 2026 12:23:06
Badiashile struggles to walk, he runs like he's got a garden rake up his top, saying that a lot fitter than me.
We need defenders, for me, all the way across the back line. Hato is still raw.
Josh will end up going, it's only a matter of getting players in before that's allowed to happen, and the others are OK on their day, but none are at a world-class level for me.
7.) 17 Jun 2026 12:39:57
When I see how Hato is now described by some fans, he seems completely different to how he was in the early days of last season.
I cannot see Josh or Reece leaving anytime soon, but it's rare for a player to spend his whole career at one club. So, I guess they will leave at some stage.
15 Jun 2026 09:44:05
To be honest, it's nice to have that first big move done and dusted. We all knew Cucurella was leaving, good that it's sorted early and for a decent enough price too.
There have been a few reports that Alonso is keen to keep hold of Fernandez, and the club won't budge on his valuation, I think it's 60-70% likely he stays.
The news now shifts to replacing Cucurella, Hall and Grimaldo seem to be the favourites at the moment. Hall, I'd really like but don't see it materialising. I've said on here recently, for me, Grimaldo ticks a ton of boxes. But is there an answer within the squad?
You want your best players on the pitch, with that in mind, can anyone see James successfully bombing up and down the pitch from RWB? I can see why there would be concerns about his body holding out. It might make more sense for James to invert into the midfield pivot, in turn, pushing Fernandez into one of the 10's. That would leave Hato becoming the LCB from a LB position, and/or Barco deputising as a more progressive LB/LWB. Now, this all sounds very Maresca like, with FB's inverting into a pivot, but, if Fernandez stays, it's a way of getting him and James into Alonso's system and on the pitch as much as possible, without impacting other key players like Palmer, Estavao or Joao Pedro.
1.) 15 Jun 2026 10:06:04
Personally for me, I think we need to find out what formation he will play. I think he played a back 4 at Madrid.
But I do think he will be flexible and it will change in game.
2.) 15 Jun 2026 10:16:50
I think Enzo will be leaving along with Badiashile, Tosin, Disasi, Delap/Jackson, Guiu, Jorgensen and maybe Garnacho.
When I watched Bl under Alonso, it always seemed to be a back three, but I have no idea about his preferred shape at Rm.
It sounds to me that, like most good coaches, he can be flexible.
Throughout last season, we were generally passive with and without the ball, and a change to a more aggressive/progressive style of football is what I'm looking for.
I hate seeing my team outworked.
3.) 15 Jun 2026 10:37:21
He tended to start with a back four at Real, but ultimately, in possession it still ended up as a compact 3-2-5, with the pivot and two 10s making a box midfield.
I don't think it really matters if it starts as a four or three at the back, it just comes down to how the team manoeuvres into that in possession setup.
But the type of lb signing we make will give us a great indication as to whether he wants to start with a four and traditional fb's or a three and wb's. Definitely going to be an interesting bit of the market to see develop.
4.) 15 Jun 2026 13:06:51
Quenda shouldn't be forgotten in all of this either. He could easily play the same wb role as Frimpong did for Leverkusen, just from the left, rather than the right.
11 Jun 2026 14:47:25
A big part of our summer transfer business hinges on Fernandez. If he stays, he could fill the left 10 spot, but if he goes it’s certainly a position we need to bring someone into. It also impacts the profile we’d be potentially looking for in the pivot.
If I were the club, with such a long time left on his contract, I’d have been clear that we’re willing to negotiate at £120m up until the start of the World Cup, any later negotiations will involve a price hike. By all accounts there’s been zero club to club contact from any of his suitors. Is it time to tell him he won’t be sold this summer, report back after the World Cup? We don’t want to be scratching around for a replacement at the end of the window.
In other news, Mhueka and Murray-Campbell, from the youth setup, have been told they can have loans next season. Alonso is apparently keen to see a pathway to the first team for youth players. On that note, some players will have a chance to impress during the summer. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Derry get a spot in the first team squad next season. Kavuma-McQueen and Walsh could impress during preseason too, but, without European football this year it’s tough to see space for them.
1.) 11 Jun 2026 18:21:51
Hmm, Real Madrid in for Bernardo Silva and Mourinho wants Fernandes from West Ham. Things don't look like they're panning out the way Enzo Fernandez might have wanted.
2.) 11 Jun 2026 20:11:18
Time will tell, J. Personally, I feel he is angling for a new contract and payrise. I expect him to stay.
3.) 12 Jun 2026 00:46:10
It is certainly looking like he won't have many options, but I fully expect a transfer request to be handed in and Madrid to bid low with Citeh. We can put as high a price tag as we want, but when he pulls an Isac and refuses to return to training, our options become much more limited.
4.) 12 Jun 2026 07:30:13
I don't think he does that. Might be wrong, but I think he's more likely to see the season out and see if a move materialises next summer.
5.) 12 Jun 2026 08:44:36
I actually think Enzo Fernandez is a decent person, and really don't see him acting like Isac Melbourne.
6.) 12 Jun 2026 11:31:24
Time will tell. While he may be a decent player, I think a decent person may be a stretch.
Also, while you may not believe he would pull an Isac, he already did as much at Benfica, leaving Portugal without permission (well prior to any sale), and it was widely reported that he said he would not return to play for them again.
There is a reason the Benfica fans hate him with a passion. He is the type of bloke to kiss the badge one week and refuse to ever play for the same club a week later.
I'm not surprised he would be welcomed into the squad next year by some supporters, as the club seem to have lost any semblance of self-respect since the new owners showed up.
7.) 12 Jun 2026 14:01:21
Enzo Fernandez is the first player to come over to us after away games, and also the last to leave. He shows tremendous respect to us away fans, and his name is sung more than any other player.
06 Jun 2026 17:49:50
Left field option for Fernandez to Real Madrid, although very unrealistic, with lots of moving parts. Real use their recall option to bring Paz back from Como, before immediately selling him to us for a profit. We then sell Fernandez to Real at a reduced fee, but still above £75m, so we don't make a book loss.
Paz would be perfect for the inside left attacker in Alonso's system. I'm not sure there's a better player in Europe for that role right now, plus it's a position we need to fill.
1.) 06 Jun 2026 19:13:18
J, I had never heard of Paz. His stats for last season are impressive; looks like a better option on that side than we have.
2.) 08 Jun 2026 12:09:04
Would bite your hand off for this swap. Think Nico has unbelievable ability and a very high ceiling. Has shown under Cesc how coachable he is and would certainly replace Enzo's goals, as he similarly arrives in the box at the right time. Personally, can't imagine that Real will let him leave and I think a swap for Fernandez is incredibly unlikely.
3.) 08 Jun 2026 13:42:38
Only looked at clips, and as I understand, Real Madrid have a reasonably low buy back clause. So, I suppose, if we wanted him, we would have to indirectly deal with Real Madrid.
My guess is he stays for another season under Cesc, and gets CL experience. He then only has one year left on his current contract.
4.) 10 Jun 2026 04:18:53
I watched quite a few Como games, and although Nico had a couple of games that he drifted through, on the whole he was very consistent and showed up during big games (Inter and Juve especially). He was the player that a lot of attacks went through, and seems to play far beyond his years.
In this market, I'd expect Real could quite easily get EUR80m+ already for him, and are unlikely to let him enter the last year of his contract. Jose isn't the best with youth, so we would likely have a chance this summer. No CL would hurt us.
01 Jun 2026 19:59:43
Interesting times for the new kit launch, are Fernandez and / or Cucurella going to be front and centre of the promotional material?
For what it's worth, I think Cucurella moves on (Atletico or Barcelona) and Fernandez stays. I believe Madrid are his only real opportunity, and that's massively dependent on the Presidential Elections.
1.) 02 Jun 2026 09:03:32
Absence speaks volumes.
2.) 02 Jun 2026 09:37:58
J, I think it's the best kit we have had in ages. I wonder if "Oracle" will be on it.
3.) 02 Jun 2026 10:00:12
Yeah, I accepted a long time ago that kit designers don't have people of my age in mind, but this one is nice. Don't mind the minimalist badge either.
No Fernandez or Cucurella in the campaign for it - suppose you wouldn't take any risks, if there's a possibility they could go. Looking like more than a possibility now.
4.) 02 Jun 2026 10:01:57
Another kit launch without a sponsor. It'll please some who'll rush to buy the sponsorless kit, but it's a real embarrassment and another stick for the club to be beaten with.
5.) 02 Jun 2026 10:06:15
Both sort of said they wanted away, so not surprised. I haven't seen a team photo in the kit, so, out of interest, Palmer in the kit?
6.) 02 Jun 2026 19:22:38
Yeah, Palmer, Estavao, James, and Caicedo mainly feature.
7.) 02 Jun 2026 20:27:26
Thanks, J.
14 Jun 2026 19:39:49
I think they are trying to bring Hall back. If that fails, they will look to Grimaldo. They may also take a look at Barco there, if playing at a wb. They've got a young Brazilian coming over this summer, already signed, but will be a loan candidate. Depth there has been poor, so some movement in the window is definitely needed.
10 Jun 2026 05:23:11
Celery, I suspect we'll see Hato and Acheampong sharing mins, making up what ends up being a back three, with Colwill and a new CB signing.
10 Jun 2026 05:19:12
I wouldn't get too caught up on starting formations, four or three at the back. In possession, Alonso's teams typically end up with three defenders and a pivot sitting deep, with five in the attacking positions. If we were to sign Grimaldo, it would be to fill one of the attacking five positions, from the left hand side.
Garnacho will likely move on, possibly Gittens and Neto too.
Although Neto can play inside, so maybe there's a role for him. Quenda can and has played WB. Estevao and Palmer are both very good options for Alonso's system.
Character-wise, he's been part of a Leverkusen side previously ridiculed as 'Neverkusen'. To go unbeaten in a season, all but one game across all comps, I'd suggest that whole team had great mentality and character - mentality monsters.
10 Jun 2026 04:43:32
We did set a price, and if Scott is priced up at £80m, then I think Fernandez should quite rightly be priced at £120m. However, there are scenarios where it's mutually beneficial for those lines to be moved.
In my opinion, if it allows us to get Guler, or even Tchouameni or Huijsen, at a reasonable price, it would make sense for our demands for Fernandez to be lowered.
07 Jun 2026 22:11:33
100%, it makes a lot of sense in the short term. Also, part of the mentality monster hiring that Alonso wants to do.
Risk vs reward with his passing out from the back, I think he's up there for line-breaking passes, too. I'm not sure how good he is defensively. It feels like a strange thing to say for a CB, but it's getting said more and more.
16 Jun 2026 20:14:26
I think we need one more high quality starting, out and out, CB to play alongside Colwill. They would also need to be the figurehead in the case of another prolonged absence from Colwill. I see Acheampong and Hato as hybrid CB/FBs who will both see plenty of mins under Alonso.
15 Jun 2026 13:06:51
Quenda shouldn't be forgotten in all of this either. He could easily play the same wb role as Frimpong did for Leverkusen, just from the left, rather than the right.
15 Jun 2026 10:37:21
He tended to start with a back four at Real, but ultimately, in possession it still ended up as a compact 3-2-5, with the pivot and two 10s making a box midfield.
I don't think it really matters if it starts as a four or three at the back, it just comes down to how the team manoeuvres into that in possession setup.
But the type of lb signing we make will give us a great indication as to whether he wants to start with a four and traditional fb's or a three and wb's. Definitely going to be an interesting bit of the market to see develop.
12 Jun 2026 14:54:13
I certainly wouldn't turn my nose up at Hoijsen, and I don't think he's a Mourinho type, so not implausible that he sweetens a Fernandez deal. I just feel like we need more of a Rudiger style, physically imposing, aggressive, CB to complement our other CBs.