No better place to fire off a first post than in a wishlist thread... So how do you feel about this bit of trading (bear in mind, I don't see us spending 100M during a window, nor 30+ for one player - even though we're heading the right way, the Italian economy isn't great and Marotta doesn't strike me as a 30M+ buyer):
In:
Nicola Leali
Martin Caceres
Angelo Ogbonna (OK, doubt Torino will like that)
Aly Cissokho (Send him to a dentist though - ideally I'd like Kolarov, obviously)
Olivier Giroud
Matias Suarez
Sebastian Giovinco
Out:
Milos Krasic
Felipe Melo (never again)
Fabio Grosso
Marco Boriello (fuck off)
Alessandro Del Piero (retire that man's shirt)
Michele Pazienza
Marco Motta
Reto Ziegler
Vincenzo Iaquinta
Jorge Martinez
Eljero Elia (shame, really - I think he has what it takes)
Get Marrone more involved. If Conte isn't down with that, snatch Asamoah. Start being bosses and actually involve talent if their actually talented. Thinking Bouy here on a limited basis and Pogba if Mino comes through for us.
None of the in transfers are super stars but are we really gonna get those? Van Persie's only realistic destinations are probably City and Real, and Real seem to have agreed with City that they can have him. That probably frees up Tevez or Balo but Milan will likely snatch that.
With Van Persie going to City, I think Real will sit on both Benzema and Higuain.
I'm not a L. Suarez fan at all. Conte would murder Balo within minutes of meeting him. Damiao doesn't appear to want to leave Brazil.
So my IN selections are probably dicey, seeing as the major attacking signings are from the French and Belgian leagues respectively. But they look the bee's knees to me and have the stats to back it - and I think we need to temper ambition with realism this summer.
That would give us a strike force of Matri, Giovinco, Vucinic (don't see him leaving), Quagliarella (don't see him leaving either), M. Suarez and Giroud. 2 point men and 4 wideish dudes. It's a punt but a calculated one, I reckon.