Summer Transfers 2025 Missed Opportunities and Regrets

[HCZ_Reborn]

New deal for Nwaneri pretty much done.

That’s not good at all

People will have one less thing to blow out of all proportion and catastrophise about

Not so much on here, but I get the impression with some parts of the fan base that they’d become suicidally depressed like the late Claude Callegari if we won something major next season.

[IBK]

Which in itself makes me worried

He also rated Havertz but only by accident has he turned out to be a half-decent striker, he looked lost in the role Arteta saw for him

He thought Zin was any kind of LB - he isn't

He thought Cala could play LB - he can't

He thought Merino would be good in MF, but he's underwhelmed and really only been useful as an emergency striker - because Arteta neglected our attack for two years

He really really wanted to spend ridiculous amounts on Mudryk

He also really wanted to spend £30m on a backup keeper

He bought Vieira then threw him away like an unwanted toy

He still counts Jesus as a 'striker' when clearly he can't hit a barn door from a yard out unless it's against Palace - when he's fit that is

He wanted Sesko rather than Gyokeres - slightly more marginal decision but most of us agree Gyokeres made more sense

TBF i agree with Norgaard, Zubi and Mosquera but how much is that Arteta and how much Edu/Berta - Zubi I think was certainly mainly sorted by Edu

Problem is that managers will always have duds, and noone gets every transfer right. An argument could be made to counter your points by referring to the transfers/decisions Arteta has got right, and I think on balance there are more plusses than minusses in this regard. I think we are all agreed on the things the manager/club have got wrong over the past few years. Also that this season is very much make or break for Arteta now. But with a glass half full rather than half empty what I am now seeing this transfer window is an attempt to address previous glaring errors - striker; cover; predictability. So I'm feeling reasonably positive and looking forward to seeing how things play out...

[IBK]

That’s not good at all

People will have one less thing to blow out of all proportion and catastrophise about

Not so much on here, but I get the impression with some parts of the fan base that they’d become suicidally depressed like the late Claude Callegari if we won something major next season.

[Mac76]

I don't consider myself to have any valid right to assess the merits of Madueke, because I do not watch Chelsea games. This is not dishonesty on my part. It is simply accepting that the club knows much more than I do, and will have conducted a rigorous assessment of what he is capable of and the benefits that he can bring to our team.

I don't buy all this stuff about the club having loads of data etc, so therefore they know best - as VAR has proven you can have all kinds of information but it ultimately comes down to how people interpret it

If the club and Arteta are so clever and well-informed, why buy Zinchenko to play in a defensive position when clearly he can't defend? Or Cala when he can't either?

Or Vieira, who Arteta quickly decided wasn't up to any playing anywhere at all?

Or buy Havertz to play a position he doesn't know and can't perform well in?

Or Lokonga?

Or Tavares?

I'll trust my own eyes thanks

Based on watching him for a comparable amount of time to the other possible players (and that's just in the PL let alone abroad) Madueke IMO is clearly inferior to Kudus, Cunha or other £50m-£55m players so should be about £40m

[IBK]

I don't buy all this stuff about the club having loads of data etc, so therefore they know best - as VAR has proven you can have all kinds of information but it ultimately comes down to how people interpret it

If the club and Arteta are so clever and well-informed, why buy Zinchenko to play in a defensive position when clearly he can't defend? Or Cala when he can't either?

Or Vieira, who Arteta quickly decided wasn't up to any playing anywhere at all?

Or buy Havertz to play a position he doesn't know and can't perform well in?

Or Lokonga?

Or Tavares?

I'll trust my own eyes thanks

Based on watching him for a comparable amount of time to the other possible players (and that's just in the PL let alone abroad) Madueke IMO is clearly inferior to Kudus, Cunha or other £50m-£55m players so should be about £40m

Problem is you could level your criticism at pretty much any club with certain players. The club clearly is in a more informed position than you as a fan. Do we trust the club? Well that remains to be seen, but it's a different point.

I answered your £40M point in my previous post.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

@ IBK, I'm fine with your response and probably would not have replied but I need to clarify this:

The confirmation bias I referred to was your statement that 'I'd be surprised if it's less than £150k'. This seems to me to be a figure plucked out of the air that would underpin an argument that we are paying over the odds for the player. I try not to get personal, so my intention was not to accuse you of bias against Madueke - you have indeed made clear your antipathy to this signing - but to highlight that (1) we cannot assess the transfer deal in total without knowing what deal was reached re Madueke's wages, and (2) that it's easy to overreach when taking a position.

Like I stated earlier (and I guessed you missed for some reason ), the post you referenced was to point out that I was wrong, as I overestimated how much Noni was on at Chelsea and thus overestimated how much we would have to pay him here.

The post was actually an expression of relief as paying £150k for an attacking player, especially one from an EPL rival you bought for £50m is rare and generally good business (that's if you believe the player was worth £50m in the first place) . Let's not forget we got Havertz for around almost the same amount from Chelsea already on £250k a week.

Anyway, its seems this confirmation bias thing swings both ways.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

Which in itself makes me worried

He also rated Havertz but only by accident has he turned out to be a half-decent striker, he looked lost in the role Arteta saw for him

He thought Zin was any kind of LB - he isn't

He thought Cala could play LB - he can't

He thought Merino would be good in MF, but he's underwhelmed and really only been useful as an emergency striker - because Arteta neglected our attack for two years

He really really wanted to spend ridiculous amounts on Mudryk

He also really wanted to spend £30m on a backup keeper

He bought Vieira then threw him away like an unwanted toy

He still counts Jesus as a 'striker' when clearly he can't hit a barn door from a yard out unless it's against Palace - when he's fit that is

He wanted Sesko rather than Gyokeres - slightly more marginal decision but most of us agree Gyokeres made more sense

TBF i agree with Norgaard, Zubi and Mosquera but how much is that Arteta and how much Edu/Berta - Zubi I think was certainly mainly sorted by Edu

I don't rate Arteta's ability in spotting talent either.

The only thing I'd have to begrudgingly accept that he's a bit good at is knowing when to get rid of a player (Ozil& Auba and the noises of not being happy about Martinelli are good examples).

[Mac76]

I don't rate Arteta's ability in spotting talent either.

The only thing I'd have to begrudgingly accept that he's a bit good at is knowing when to get rid of a player (Ozil& Auba and the noises of not being happy about Martinelli are good examples).

I think Auba challenged Arteta's authority by being late etc , so that was the reason

[IBK]

@ IBK, I'm fine with your response and probably would not have replied but I need to clarify this:




Like I stated earlier (and I guessed you missed for some reason ), the post you referenced was to point out that I was wrong, as I overestimated how much Noni was on at Chelsea and thus overestimated how much we would have to pay him here.

The post was actually an expression of relief as paying £150k for an attacking player, especially one from an EPL rival you bought for £50m is rare and generally good business (that's if you believe the player was worth £50m in the first place) . Let's not forget we got Havertz for around almost the same amount from Chelsea already on £250k a week.

Anyway, its seems this confirmation bias thing swings both ways.

Fair enough

[HCZ_Reborn]

Liverpool opened talks with Frankfurt over Ekitike, thing that somewhat puts a block on the whole Isaak thing