Rodrigo de Paul - Midfielder - Atletico Madrid (13 Viewers)

[Dostoevsky]

Generally, it's good to have an alternative. We should bend over to neither Lyon nor Udinese. Let's just see where we can negotiate a better deal and go for it. Plus, there might be players available for transfer we don't even know about. It's just the media linking us to those two players. Only last season we got McKennie and Morata out of the blue.

True.

However, I don't expect us to spend much this summer unless we sell big. Truth be told we can only milk some bigger cash from Dybala BUT even if club opts to sell him I have a feeling it'd be some swap deal. So I don't see us spending big.

 

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[LiquidPLP]

We really need 2 players of such profile, because right now we only have Ramsey and even he never plays. Which is why we will sign a DM and a CF

This. We need both, otherwise you rely on a singe CM to deliver all season long.

 

[The Quazis]

True.

However, I don't expect us to spend much this summer unless we sell big. Truth be told we can only milk some bigger cash from Dybala BUT even if club opts to sell him I have a feeling it'd be some swap deal. So I don't see us spending big.

I believe we will spend. We have been spending for years and we'll keep doing so. It doesn't seem like Exor is in poor state after the last acquisitions so I expect them to aid us if necessary.
Plus, as you said, we might see one of Ronaldo or Dybała leaving which is going to activate some significant amounts of cash. Additionally we might sell/release players like Ramsey, Chiellini, Rabiot, Bentancur etc.

 

[Dostoevsky]

I believe we will spend. We have been spending for years and we'll keep doing so. It doesn't seem like Exor is in poor state after the last acquisitions so I expect them to aid us if necessary.
Plus, as you said, we might see one of Ronaldo or Dybała leaving which is going to activate some significant amounts of cash. Additionally we might sell/release players like Ramsey, Chiellini, Rabiot, Bentancur etc.

For how much do you think we can sell Ronaldo for? I believe we'd benefit from Ronaldo's departure only when it comes to wage bill but I don't think we can sell him for much. We can earn cash on Dybala, though. Then some money from Sandro as well.

 

[Robee]

This. We need both, otherwise you rely on a singe CM to deliver all season long.

That depends. McKennie can be the more attacking midfielder as well, albeit in a different style and with 2 ball playing CM behind.

 

[Nedved96]

List of Serie A midfielders better than De Paul:

- Barella
- Milinkovic-Savic
- Luis Alberto

The list ends there.

De Paul is quality, and he's an Argie which is an added bonus.

 

[Robee]

List of Serie A midfielders better than De Paul:

- Barella
- Milinkovic-Savic
- Luis Alberto

The list ends there.

De Paul is quality, and he's an Argie which is an added bonus.

We can discuss a few others names all day long but I see what you mean. The thing is we aim to be a European superpower...

Either we let go of that idea and it takes a few years to get back in which case De Paul would satisfy our needs. Which might be the smartest thing to do for now...
Or we need to do better because let's be real; which European top team would have a starting place for him?

 

[Bianconero81]

List of Serie A midfielders better than De Paul:

- Barella
- Milinkovic-Savic
- Luis Alberto

The list ends there.

De Paul is quality, and he's an Argie which is an added bonus.

Does it end there though?

You have Kessie, Zielenski, Fabian Ruiz, Bennacer, Pellegrini, Diawara and Castrovilli who can lay claim to being equally as good, if not better.

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https://bleacherreport.com/articles...est-midfielders-in-italys-serie-a-this-season

Found this article from 2012. Hernanes @ number 1

Some really good names on there. Pirlo and Vidal

Oh how the mighty have fallen.

 

[Gigiventus]

De Paul would do a lot of good here. Would be a huge improvement on McKennie.

Aouar probably has the talent to become better than him and is years younger, but I don't think his impact would be the same in the short term. We won't go wrong either way with these two.

Aouar as a signing I see more in competition with someone like Zaniolo. They are more specialists, and more exciting, than De Paul imo.

 

[Robee]

De Paul would do a lot of good here. Would be a huge improvement on McKennie.

Aouar probably has the talent to become better than him and is years younger, but I don't think his impact would be the same in the short term. We won't go wrong either way with these two.

Aouar as a signing I see more in competition with someone like Zaniolo. They are more specialists, and more exciting, than De Paul imo.

Literally the only one in midfield who we really shouldn't try to replace. He's young, did well and has room for further improvement.

 

[Gigiventus]

Literally the only one in midfield who we really shouldn't try to replace. He's young, did well and has room for further improvement.

You have people asking for a midfielder of higher levels than De Paul, Locatelli, and Arthur. McKennie is well below that level. He shouldn't be a starter for us. He should be a rotation option that's useful while/if he grows.

We should sign two midfielders, and the first choice combination we end up with should not include McKennie, Bentancur, or Raniot in it.

 

[Robee]

You have people asking for a midfielder of higher levels than De Paul, Locatelli, and Arthur. McKennie is well below that level. He shouldn't be a starter for us. He should be a rotation option that's useful while/if he grows.

We should sign two midfielders, and the first choice combination we end up with should not include McKennie, Bentancur, or Raniot in it.

That is beside the issues. He was our best midfielder by far this season. He is the only one worthy of wearing the shirt and we have to replace the worst players first ofc...

He's arguably the only one capable of becoming an actual starter for us. Bentancur, Rabiot and Ramsey had more than enough time to prove they were good enough and failed.
Maybe we should give Arthur a little bit more room to show what he's worth but McNuggets has shown what he can do. So let's complement him with 2 midfielders capable of controlling the game and let McKennie do the running and infiltrating.

 

[Gigiventus]

That is beside the issue. He is the only one worthy of wearing the shirt and we have to replace the worst players, not our best midfielder...

He really isn't our best midfielder, he just benefits from extremely low expectations

 

[Bianconero81]

That is beside the issues. He was our best midfielder by far this season. He is the only one worthy of wearing the shirt and we have to replace the worst players first ofc...

He's arguably the only one capable of becoming an actual starter for us. Bentancur, Rabiot and Ramsey had more than enough time to prove they were good enough and failed. Maybe we should give Arthur a little bit more room to show what he's worth but McNuggets has shown what he can do. So let's complement him with 2 midfielders capable of controlling the game.

 

[Robee]

He really isn't our best midfielder, he just benefits from extremely low expectations

So who is our best midfielder? The one constantly injured, the one passing sideways, the one passing backwards or the one losing possession in front of our goal?

 

[s4tch]

That is beside the issue. He is the only one worthy of wearing the shirt and we have to replace the worst players, not our best midfielder...

mckennie isn't our best midfielder. he's not fit enough and not reliable enough either unfortunately. he's the biggest surprise, i give him that, and i'm fine with him as a depth option.

i agree that he doesn't need to be replaced. our high earners (ramsey, rabiot) and those with higher playtime (bentancur) need to be upgraded.

as for de paul, his passing makes him special. i don't think that any of our mids, especially mckennie come close to him when it comes to creating chances and forward passing. not a fan of his physical attributes, he could be faster and could defend more, but his final third passing would make him an instant upgrade.

 

[Gigiventus]

So who is our best midfielder? The one constantly injured, the one passing sideways, the one passing backwards or the one losing possession in front of our goal?

The one with enough technique and vision, that when he is out it makes our midfield looks dire. Arthur.

McKennie's skills and role is ordinary at the moment. There are enough midfielders in Serie A that do what he does, but better. I can only imagine what the reception to having Barella or Kessie would be if McKennie gets compared to Vidal.

De Paul is better at everything than McKennie. It shouldn't be something to debate but something to be excited about. A player with both grinta and technique.

 

[Juve92]

That is beside the issues. He was our best midfielder by far this season. He is the only one worthy of wearing the shirt and we have to replace the worst players first ofc...

He's arguably the only one capable of becoming an actual starter for us. Bentancur, Rabiot and Ramsey had more than enough time to prove they were good enough and failed.
Maybe we should give Arthur a little bit more room to show what he's worth but McNuggets has shown what he can do. So let's complement him with 2 midfielders capable of controlling the game and let McKennie do the running and infiltrating.

Squad player at best.

 

[Robee]

The one with enough technique and vision, that when he is out it makes our midfield looks dire. Arthur.

McKennie's skills and role is ordinary at the moment. There are enough midfielders in Serie A that do what he does, but better. I can only imagine what the reception to having Barella or Kessie would be if McKennie gets compared to Vidal.

De Paul is better at everything than McKennie. It shouldn't be something to debate but something to be excited about. A player with both grinta and technique.

That comparison is dumb and not what I'm saying.

Arthur is a passing guy and we only have about 2 of them, which makes him look so much better than he really is. Put 2 different midfielders around him and he'll be doing the same thing he's doing now.

I never said De Paul wasn't better. I said; replace the flops first. It would be the same as selling Szczesny for Donnaruma; waste of our limited budget.

So I'm in for De Paul but not at the cost of the only guy who did do his job.

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mckennie isn't our best midfielder. he's not fit enough and not reliable enough either unfortunately.

Not fit enough? He had Covid and was overplayed like no other. I wouldn't exactly say that.

Not reliable, maybe not. But it's hard to be reliable enough when you're a running midfielder and we barely get the ball thrown inside the box from actual dangerous positions, let alone have other threatening presences there.

I like what I saw. That doesn't mean I think he's starting quality for what we're gunning for. I agree on that. I even think the same goes for De Paul, who's obviously better now.

 

[Bianconero81]

All our midfielders suck!

Rabiot is a useless insipid spineless French Pussyfag with 0 grinta and no hustle: he's a passenger in most games. He earns way too much considering what he offers.

Arthur looks to be another hyped yet useless Lolzilian, but I'm willing to give him next season to prove me wrong. He's also a pussy, just not as big of one as Rabiot.

Bentancur showed promise, but his growth seems to have stagnated, possibly regressed even. He's unreliable and error prone, in addition to being a card magnet.

Ramsey is as useless as they come. Often injured, overpaid and underperforming. He may have been talented and relevant over half a decade ago, but now he's just a decrepit liability.

McNuggets has been a pleasant surprise, but he's no Vidal. He is definitely worth keeping, but he shouldn't be a starter, unless we harbor no further ambitions of progressing as a club.