As you know top young strikers are hard to find so depends who you can use?

Hickey + J.David
=
Mendes?

Failing that I could do with another body in midfield so would be interested in whoever’s back up out of Kamara, Rice, de Jong, Bellingham as I’m assuming you’ll only be starting 2 out of the 4

Ok no worries, prefer Neves there

Depends if you’re offering an improvement on top

Looks as though I’ll have a very attacking front quartet next season so need decent options in midfield and much prefer Neves defensively. Also looks as though he’s being lined up to replace Frenkie at Barca next season

Prefer all of my 3 sorry

How much cash would you give for Essugo?

No worries

No I didn’t think you’d offer 50m… But you’ve asked a few times for him so thought I’d check how much you’d offer

I simply asked how much

No worries, although was two months ago not a couple weeks.

Cool. It’s same day you paid 50m for Savio, I rate them similarly, and wasn’t asking for that.

Thought I’d just clear that up

Cup final
ARSENAL to face Liverpool
Cpt: Jules Kounde
PK & FK: Paulo Dybala
We are desperate to finally win a trophy after so many near misses. Today we will be possession monsters - 2011 Barca style we will suck the life out of the opposition by keeping the ball and finding penetration in areas where gaps are created. We’ve selected players who are incredibly comfortable on the ball for their clubs. We have triangles or boxes of possession based players in all areas of the pitch to move us up the pitch and push back the opposition, whilst also having bags of pace in our back three to sweep and cover if needed. In midfield we blend technical ability with plenty of physical qualities.

But there is no chance of our players being frozen by a new system as we are playing very similar to our usual 4231 or 433, just with Hakimi high as he normally plays and Lucas tucking in like Tierney used to.
We will play with a high line to create extreme pressure on the opposition and have the two wide players stretching the pitch, allowing the possession core in defence and midfield and attack to drain the opposition's life out of them, before working spaces to exploit. We need to squeeze the pitch in terms of length but keep it wide with our wide players holding width. Our pacey defenders reduce the risk of any counter.
Saliba in and the quarterback in the team. He has high 90s percentile long passing statistics (and all passing stats - LINK], he will put that to great use to occasionally go long to Jota or Hakimi and mix up our attack. All three of our CBs have very high percentile passing stats across a variety of ranges so we will play with three playmakers at the back, mixing up their approach and ensuring we sit high and dominate, starve the opposition of the ball. Saliba and Lucas are also great carriers of the ball and should look to carry through the lines at times to break the shape of the opposition as they try and get a grips on us.
Making up the final part of the French defensive unit is Lucas Hernandez. 99th percentile in progressive carries and high 90s in all passing [LINK], he’s perfectly suited to this system and position. Our back3 are pretty press resistant too, their technical quality should draw the opposition in and play around them, with numerous areas to play into.

Ruiz, the left footer in his home at LCM where he can dribble and dictate the tempo. Partey next to him as the Octopus - Partey played RB before and Ruiz plays in the left half space, so both cover the space in the FB areas when needed.
OPP DEEP SHAPE
This formation allows Hakimi to get forward and do what he does best, with Saka playing in the inside right half space, again where he excels, cutting in on his left and having plenty of possession players around him to combine with and look to break through the lines before applying the finish.


As pictured, Fabian can slide outside Jota to play-make on his stronger left foot, allowing Jota to become another finisher cutting in on his right. On the right side Saka will underlap Hakimi who will maintain width and use his pace as a different outlet.

King Dybs is the Messi today. He finally gets that limelight that he’s longed for at Arg. Elegant forward, he will play with fluidity and float around combining in different areas of the pitch. His passing stats are high 90s percentile in all areas [LINK] so he is the puppet conductor with also the ability to finish. He will gravitate to where our possession is based, this will draw defenders out and allow the likes of SMS, Saka and the wide players (Jota, Hakimi) to drive into the gaps and get into final ball / striker territory - this creates a fluidity that is very hard to track and mark.

DEFENSIVE SHAPE
Liverpool have a few players we would like to starve of possession, particularly Grealish and Busquets. Our midfield square can block the path to Busquets, with SMS and Saka working hard to block those lanes. Busquets is nearly 34 and often left lonely in midfield by Tino, we will isolate him and starve the poor boy. It’s hard to see how Liverpool will get out their half with any sort of similar approach today. Grealish/LW has the right side trio of Partey, Kounde and Hakimi to block his lanes and when he gets the ball two should close him down and frustrate him - don’t allow him to hit rhythm.
Liverpool will play either Benzema or Scamacca. Scamacca is a great finisher but we won’t let it get to that stage and from his stats [LINK] we can see outside the box he can do very little. If Benzema plays, Saliba should follow him - his lack of pace limits his threat and plays into our hands of gameplan to push them back. Lucas H and Kounde then have the often quicker wide players to track, along with the others on the pitch who will get back and help. We have a French quartet at the back who will know everything about Benzema.

On the rare occasion we are out of possession, this should be the shape we adapt. Look to win the ball back quickly with intense pressure from the fresher legs we will have after holding possession and making them run for so long. We then use the highlighted zones in order to break their shape and get back into attacking zones.
CORNERS
- outswinging for near post flick on
RC: Jota
LC: Saka

Kounde, as the quickest defender we have, should make a near post run and flick on the corner. The three players making runs will stagger their runs as the ball is flicked into the danger area and then attack the ball. Jota lurks incase it runs long or needs to track back.


SUBS
After 60 mins - Mahrez for Saka - Riyad comes in and plays a very similar role, tucked inside Hakimi, fresh legs and new problems to cause for the opposition.

After 70 mins - Locatelli for Ruiz. Like for like. Fresh legs.

If winning after 80 - Alba for Jota. The man who has won it all, comes in and plays a little deeper than Jota in this system and of course has plenty of defensive nous.

If not winning after 80 - Aubameyang for Jota. Time for big Aubs to win the cup for us if needed. Deadly in the left half space zone that this role creates. Opp will be knackered from not touching the ball.

Vieira?

160?

No worries, he's signing for Arsenal so I should probably not have too many Arsenal players haha

Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle Utd – Maddison (kounde) Saka
Wolverhampton 0-2 Brentford – Berardi (szobszlai) Broja (Berardi)
Watford 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur - Jesus
Leeds Utd 0-2 Leicester City – Lautaro (Felix) Felix (Barella)
Chelsea 2-0 Manchester Utd – Haaland. Leao (Mbappe)
Liverpool 0-2 Manchester City - J.David (Verratti) Pogba

How about enough cash to put you in contention for grav plus a replacement for rice

I don't know what you want but
I have 248m not added prize money yet so
270m plus kessie and jorgy and insigne I know he's going mls but his release takes you to 300m

Sell him unless you want someone else

Then trinny can come in to the deal

Hi pal sorry for not replying sooner.

I had my eye on Hlozek but yeah yours sounds a talent.

Think I'll stick for now tho

So who would you like instead or is it more cash

Not sure, like Satriano

Failing that Liverpool can offer 400 straight cash plus a player or two

No sorry

Any business for Mendes or is he unsellable as part of your Portuguese connection?