Transfer round up Part 5
We have allowed the transfers to settle a while having blitzed them all last week but it looks as though many teams have been adding talent since. Swansea have gone back to the tried and trusted and may have unearthed fantasy gold as well as adding someone to supply that gold with chances, West Ham have strengthened their attack once more and Stoke have decided to test the Barca theory (‘but can he hack it on a cold Wednesday night in Stoke…’). We are delighted that say that Bryan Munich has had his finger on the pulse of the transfer activity since our last update and here is his take on the latest signings in the top flight…
Gylfi Sigurdsson (Mid – 6.0)
Maybe there’s something in the air. Maybe it’s that Lego movie. Whatever the reason, nostalgia is the new future. Retro is the new modern. Premier League teams are going back to the future. If your club doesn’t have a new old face then you’re SO last year… oh… which would… actually make you retro, so that would maybe be OK… hey, can we go over the rules again?
Gylfi Sigurdsson, or ‘Siggy’ as he’s known in FPL circles by lazy typists, is firmly strapped into his DeLorean and turning back the dial to 2012, when he managed 7 goals and 5 assists in 18 games. In the blink of an eye, he now goes from being an unappealingly priced 6.0 squad member for Spurs to a bargain 6.0 figurehead for Swansea. Even with limited game time at Spurs, his 8 goals and 5 assists over the two seasons illustrate further that the Icelander gets the job done whenever called upon. A full season at the Liberty Stadium could make a mockery of his price tag.
Were the Swans’ opening fixture at a lesser side than a resurgent Man Utd, the Siggy bandwagon would surely be full steam ahead. From GW2 onwards, though, his appeal steepens sharply. Get ready for some Siggy stardust.
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Ben Davies (Def – 5.0)
The FPL site seem curiously keen on making sure we don’t call the London club ‘Tottenham Hotspur’. Nope, it’s just ‘Spurs’ this season guys. It doesn’t bother me, but it’s going to really wind up the OCD managers out there who’ll now have to re-alphabetize their DVDs.
Hi-fiving Siggy on the M4, coming the other way, Ben Davies will be keen to make a longer lasting impression at White Hart Lane. 3 goals and 3 assists in two seasons is arguably rather modest for a flying full-back, but we all saw what Pochettino did with Luke Shaw at Southampton. Ben Davies is very much in that mould and it should be an exciting season for the Welsh left-back under the visionary Argentinian’s management.
His pricing compares him favourably with other fullbacks at ‘big’ clubs. (Ivanovic 7.0, Zabaleta 6.5, Luis 6.0, Shaw 6.0, G. Johnson 5.5, Debuchy 5.5,) None more strikingly than teammate Kyle Walker, who will surely now struggle to covet our affections for Spurs coverage with Davies on the other flank and a full 1.0 cheaper.
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Jefferson Montero (Mid – 6.0)
This 24 year-old winger signed from Mexican club Morelia on a 4 year contract. The ex-Villareal flanker started all 3 of Ecuador’s World Cup games, though arguably only did himself justice against the Swiss. It would be easy to dismiss this transfer as yet another trendy post-World Cup knee-jerk purchase, but in actual fact the Swans had been courting him since March. He’ll be a like-for-like swap with the departing Pablo Hernandez, though he gives Garry Monk the added dimension of operating on either side.
Montero’s a small, but pacy and direct winger who loves to attack defenders. He’s not the finished product yet, as his final ball often disappoints. But you can expect him to give defenders uncomfortable decisions to make in the box, and he’s scored some spectacular goals at both club and international level to date. A Michu-spearheaded Swansea would have certainly helped his assist production, but Sigurdsson charging forward alongside him will somewhat balance things back out; and if Bony hangs around at the Liberty Stadium, all three Swansea players could well be a rich source of assists and goals.
It’s worth noting however that he’s been a bit of a journeyman despite his youth and playing in the Premier League will be a cultural upheaval for him. Whether he settles will determine how well gauged his price of 6.0 really is.
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Enner Valencia (Fwd – 7.0)
Having now mastered the art of being perennially unavailable through injuries and suspensions, Andy Carroll has given Big Sam no option but to bring in strikers that, y’know, play. Supplementing fellow summer acquisition Mauro Zarate, the Hammers could well field a new look front two come kick-off.
As a boy, young Enner used to help out on his father’s farm, and legend (i.e. the Internet) has it that he sold milk to fund his first pair of football boots. When Allardyce was asked what drew him to the former milkboy’s talents, Sam may have retorted with this three pronged pun-fest, “He can skim past opponents; his delivery’s good; and he can go pasteurize in no time.”
Valencia, nicknamed ‘Superman’ for his power and pace, shined in Brazil with 3 goals for Ecuador. Whether the FA will allow him to wear his underpants outside his shorts has yet to be confirmed. Let’s hope not. West Ham are rumoured to have paid £12m, close to the club record £15m they shelled out for Carroll, so expectations will be high.
There’s every reason to believe the 25 year-old can indeed meet said expectations. He boasts an astonishing strike rate of late. His World Cup exploits took his international tally to 7 goals in 12 games; while last season he netted 18 times in 23 appearances for Mexican side Pachuca. If he hits the ground running, he could well become quickly in demand at 7.0.
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Bojan Krkic (Fwd – 5.5)
Eight. It took just eight words to set in motion one of the most unlikely transfers this summer.
“I will join if you sign Phil Bardsley.”
Bojan Krkic had unenviable expectations bestowed upon him at a young age. ‘The next Messi’. Come on now, even the current Messi didn’t have to cope with being called ‘the next Messi’. Such a label would have surely suffocated Lionel’s progress, and then there’s issues about time-travel, blah blah blah.
At 23, it seems rather unfair that Krkic’s image has already been tarnished as a disappointment in not reaching such unattainable heights. The flip-side is that Stoke may have landed a bargain to end all bargains. With a £3m price tag that will barely register on the Premier League’s hyperactive spendometer, the Potters could very well have on their hands a hungry young forward with a lot to prove and bags of potential still to surface.
Being categorized as a striker in FPL doesn’t do the Spaniard international too many favours. The winger wasn’t prolific in his loan spell at Ajax last season. 4 goals in 24 games doesn’t get the blood pumping and even his meagre 3 assists suggests he has work to do. He should benefit from the ‘completed dribbles’ aspect of the newly tweaked BPS system, though, as he’ll dribble more than an old man salivating in the front row of a beauty pageant.
At 5.5 strikers don’t come much cheaper, so if Bojan becomes an integral part of Mark Hughes’ reinvented Britannia brand, FPL managers may well be looking at their very own bargain; and Stoke City fans could soon be lauding a new Messi-ah. Or maybe just a very naughty boy (Hi, Python fans).
Sky sources understand that Southampton are hoping to sign a goalkeeper, defender and a forward by the end of the week.
The goalie I heard is Fraser Forster.
And the defender is probably Marco Rojo.
*Marcos
Enner Valencia has been granted the work permit required to complete his move to West Ham.
That’s a relief! Would’ve rather undermined this piece had that fallen through.
We’ve done that a few times now and it’s gone unnoticed 😉 :whacky:
Everyone can read that, Innit. You know that, right? :alert:
Howdy Bryan. The spirit of someone claiming to be your mother came to me while I was working on a spreadsheet recently, saying she’d told you to give me some money? ‘Twas rather bizarre, but I’ll have it if you’ve got it spare.
Can they?! Oh right ok, anyone reads that then please forget you read it 😉
I’ll exspectre payment soon.
Since mertesacjer isn’t starting first two gw’s as Wenger said, do u guys think chambers will start at cb? Also what do you guys think of berahino? Will he start etc?
No other alternatives if TV leaves. Otherwise TV will still be in contention. In all probable case and IMO it’s a yes for me.
RMT
DDG – 4M
Luis – Debuchy – Davies – Targett (Soton) – Duff (Burnley)
Sanchez – Hazard – Arnie – Siggy – Albrighton
Costa – Rooney – Pelle
Satisfied with the overall team, but not sure on my 2 4M defenders. Targett seems to be nailed though since Chambers has left. Thoughts?
0M itb. I wish I had money to afford Ward/Dann in the team.
The B,
What about Wisdom as a 4m def? Whats the story with Duff, is he a starter?
Dont know about Pelle, so cant comment on that.
Arnie?
Duff’s a starter. At this point for sure unless Burnley brings in a new CB.
Pelle(Soton) was prolific the last two seasons but before that a barren run. Still unproved at EPL but can do good.
Arnie=Arnautovic is of course a good choice.
Pelle looks promising in pre-season. Another alternative is Bent, proven in EPL as well, but has horrible fixtures from GW4. SOTON has decent fixtures so wont be hard for Pelle to score some.
If the delivery is there. Which should be possible with Tadic. However, I think 6 of the 11 starters from last season were stolen by Pool? They also want Schneiderlin. Poor Koeman, HAHAHA. Anyway, hope the saints do well this season. Sort of liked them last season.
Considering 1st 7 games , Debuchy has-
Palace(comparatively easy)
Everton
Leicester(comparatively easy)
Man City
Aston Villa (comparatively easy)
Spurs
Chelsea
Considering Ward’s-
Arsenal
West Ham
Newcastle
Burnley
Everton
Leicester
Hull
Now the decision rests on your hands. Is it absolutely necessary to have Debuchy?
Nice catch Monty.
I think Ill get rid of Debuchy now (will get him when Arsenal has a nice run) and get Stoke and Palace cover at the back.
Rafael injured and returning home for treatment…. Valencia must be nailed on in the RWB (Right Wing Back) position surely now? LVG has mentioned that Nani can also play it though… and he wants to give Zaha a chance to prove himself, but as a striker…. things are getting interesting at United…
Some questions on the selection of Albrighton. Well seemingly,he will play (or may not,nothing sure can be said on the basis on the pre-season games) but the prospects on his delivery of points is very very low specially at the start with that disastrous fixtures of his. And with that 12% ownership his price will fall rapidly. Another alternative is Dean Marney of Burnley. Anybody having Albrighton in the team as the 5th mid having this same headache ? Or is there any different one is your squad for the same price? Don’t bother if you are going for a 5m priced mid. Care to share some thoughts on this.
Hey monty, I’m likely going to play a 3-5-2 but I have the same thinking with Zamora, my 3rd striker would it be best to select someone with a lower ownership so their value doesn’t fall? Or will Albrighton / Zamora actually get a decent haul?
The most important point regarding this is that the price would fall rapidly if they DON’T feature in games.(Dunno whether you remember the case with Brayford last season) . Even if they get a 2 point return it would not matter much but if they don’t start then the price would fall like a stone. And specially with that 12% ownership,Albrighton’s seriously not looking to me a good choice ATM.
Some people tend to WC early. Some does even after GW1 after they go all guns blazing for the 1st GW only like I did with Ivanovic a couple of seasons back and then wildcarded to balance the squad. (I still have this feeling that Ivan would get the usual GW1 haul as well).
That’s the only reason behind this rapid price fall. Then you will end up with a 5h mid/3rd forward that you cannot sell for his marked price as well,specially at the start when building up the team value is very important. Btw,what’s the ownership on Zamora?
Dont really care who my 5th mid is.
Last season I had Lucas, and i played him twice only the entire season I think. So not much value there. Im even thinking of getting a 4M fifth mid to extract the extra 0.5M.
You can’t at this moment,otherwise I would have followed suite. I know the value of that 0.5m. Anything from anywhere is priceless.
I am talking about your team value as a whole. I am not talking about whether you are going to play your 5th mid or 3rd striker or not.