11 - Raphinha

[serghei]

There is no agenda Birdy. It's a known fact Dembele was a free agent and no top team wanted him.

This is why he and his agent extended with us with a salary cut.

Raphinha is a better player for a team like City than Dembele anyway, quite clearly. For Barca too, Dembele looking like Neymar vs Elche doesn't count that much to me. Not to mention Raphinha is made of steel compared to Ousmane.

For me both Dembele and Raphinha are top 3 ofensive players easily, so no hate. We just need to find a way to play both.

 

[Birdy]

@serghei

It is well known fact that Ousmane didn't want to join any other team despite interest from top teams like Chelsea and PSG, that's why he renewed with a pay-cut.

Other than that,

Keep trying to cope really hard.
You will need that in the coming season

 

[khaled_a_d]

If City wants Raphinha, it should be outright sale and no Bernardo in the deal.
Register new signings, see if we can get Roque now or in January and move on. At most get a loan or two (I am looking at you Chelsea)
Bernardo is great player, but he isn't needed, a player swap sounds cool but it is just like the Arthur/Pjanic deals. They are good financially first year and totally screw you after.

Raphinha to City.
Dembele & Torres @RW
Fati & Abde @ LW
Lewandowski and Roque @ CF


FDJ, Pedri, Gavi, Oriol & Gundogan in midfield, with either Kessie or a loaned player (or Diaz type of young signing)

 

[Porque]

If City wants Raphinha, it should be outright sale and no Bernardo in the deal.
Register new signings, see if we can get Roque now or in January and move on. At most get a loan or two (I am looking at you Chelsea)
Bernardo is great player, but he isn't needed, a player swap sounds cool but it is just like the Arthur/Pjanic deals. They are good financially first year and totally screw you after.

Raphinha to City.
Dembele & Torres @RW
Fati & Abde @ LW
Lewandowski and Roque @ CF


FDJ, Pedri, Gavi, Oriol & Gundogan in midfield, with either Kessie or a loaned player (or Diaz type of young signing)

I fear we would become a boring tiki taka side with Bernardo Silva. Circa to when Pep signed Cesc and tried to fit all the mids in.

And Xavi is no Pep.

 

[mc_lovin]

I don’t want Bernardo here, but that’s a weird argument.

 

[serghei]

Shouldn't sell for less than 80-90m anyway. Bernardo Silva is too old for me. By the time Gavi, Pedri, Balde are matured, he'll be an oldie with no legs. We already have that with Gundogan. Besides, not sure selling Raphinha means you can bring in Bernardo and also register him with La Liga.

Best plan to me is keep Raphinha, and bring in Roque in the winter window. Try to use Dembele on the left. Dembele - Roque - Raphinha is a promising front line post-Lewandowski, at least until we have the funds to buy a top LW.

 

[jamrock]

If we're gonna sell him just do it for cash, we don't need Silva now that we have Gundogan, if not for him maybe a swap would work, maybe

 

[serghei]

Anyway, selling Raphinha would be a big risk. If Dembele gets seriously injured, which he will because he always does sooner or later, our season could go down the drain with that bum Ferran Torres occupying the RW.

 

[Andresito]

Raphinha won't be a clear starter for them will he. 80m or whatever we want will be too much for a non-starter.

 

[mc_lovin]

Dembele on the left is shit.

 

[ZenI]

Silva wants to leave, we want Silva - if City would be cool with a swap + 20-30M then lessgo! But that depends on if we can make a deal with Atletico for Felix and send them Torres. I mean, most players they got fram us the last 10 years actually worked out great for them and Felix doesn't fit them and nobody else in for him really...

 

[serghei]

Raphinha won't be a clear starter for them will he. 80m or whatever we want will be too much for a non-starter.

Not right away, but Grealish last year was looking like a flop and this year he did a 180 almost and improved massively. Raphinha would follow the same path probably, a first season of accomodation, and then he would for sure add his worth to their side.

Don't think 80m means much for City btw . For Barca it's a fortune atm, but for City's owners it's frankly like pocketchange. One of the perks of being an oil team.

 

[Birdy]

Heads up for those who missed most of last season:
we play 3-box-3 on the ball since last January, and that will be Xavi's 1st choice system this season as well.

So all this talk about a front 3 is off-topic. There will be no Fati/Abde as starters with the exception of games against LL fodder, and there will be no Dembele on the LW.
These things were settled after so many months of trial and error by Xavi from Sept to January

Our system requires 4 midfielders to start, two of which should be able to play the advanced roles (number 8)
Currently we have only 3 mds (Pedri Gavi Gundo) able to play that role.
Having Bernardo there is a necessity if you wanna fight on all fronts, given Pedri's injury-proneness as well
We also know how hard Xavi is on him

PS: Raphina could possibly be a starter for City given that Bernardo will be gone.
It will be between him and Foden for the RW spot.

 

[serghei]

My guess is you will see many games with both Dembele and Raphinha starting if both are fit at the same time. It's a luxury we can't afford to keep one of them on the bench. Dembele is not bad on the left anyway. Much better than Gavi as a left winger.

Anyway, for me, selling Raphinha now is a mistake. He was our 2nd best offensive contributor last season and it was his first season. He's expected to up his numbers even more now he is accustomed to the club. With Raphinha you get solid performances. Not brilliant, but for the money paid for him, he delivers imo.

Besides, maybe he wants to stay at Barcelona, even though if Pep wants him he could be tempted to go. Better team and better manager, chances for CL title and so on, plenty of benefits.

 

[ZenI]

My guess is you will see many games with both Dembele and Raphinha starting if both are fit at the same time. It's a luxury we can't afford to keep one of them on the bench. Dembele is not bad on the left anyway. Much better than Gavi as a left winger.

Anyway, for me, selling Raphinha now is a mistake. He was our 2nd best offensive contributor last season and it was his first season. He's expected to up his numbers even more now he is accustomed to the club. With Raphinha you get solid performances. Not brilliant, but for the money paid for him, he delivers imo.

Besides, maybe he wants to stay at Barcelona, even though if Pep wants him he could be tempted to go. Better team and better manager, chances for CL title and so on, plenty of benefits.

I agree, he did good and I think he will do even better this season.