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Pugliese has no intention of signing with us. Ah well. Druissi is cheap too. Like 15k cheap. For a guy of his caliber, that’s a very impressive financial bonus. That makes him even more interesting to me.
I also look for some interesting M folks. One is 21 year old Nigerian international Abdulwaheed Chukwu. He plays for Racing Club de Lens. I like several things about him. He already has 20 caps for the good Nigerian senior club, so you know he’s good. He’s also cheap. But our scouts feel he is fully developed as a 4 star player. So very little upside, what you see is what you get – which is still very intriguing, don’t get me wrong. But his passing is just 12 cross, and 14 pass. That’s not the sensation I want on the wing. I love some of his stuff (20 teamwork, 17 technique, 18 first touch, 18 workrate, 19 stamina, 17 flair), but he’s weaker in dribbling (13) and has a decent but not exceptional at this stage speed – 15/15.
Now, another outside-the-box option might be Nester Tosi. This 19 year old Argentine needs some serious development time. But he’s cheap, willing to sign a rotation role, and in already in a good place to develop from with a 15 cross, and 15 pass, 16 dribbling, and such. Adequate speed too. He won’t ever be the mental guru of Chukwu. But he has some good stats to build off, and we don’t have to rush him onto the field. Underneath Lansbury. He is a nice, young, 19 year old I can develop at my pace rather cheaply.
Anyone else that tweaks me? They best one, right now, by far, is Thomas Muller, 28, of FC Bayern Munchen. He can play AM RLC, M,RLC, ST all very well. He has outstanding mental attributes for my folks too, and could be a great team captain for me of the future when Skolnik leaves next year. But he won’t sign for me – not enough money. Here’s a very interesting out-of-the-box idea.
Sign Lucas Castro back, to be a merc for Lansbury, not the AMC spot. Remember, he was originally signed as Skolnik’s replacement. I only played him at the AMC place because I sold Defederico, and then I just resigned Skolnik, and that worked out marvelously. He could easily slide over to the MR spot.
I am losing from my roster these folks:
Lucas Castro
Francisco Castro
Dejan Skolnik
I think Stepinski/Rocker and Agra are fine at the ST spot. I’ll need a 3 or 4 person there later. We’re fine in the Defensive/Fullback/GK area. That leaves middies left.
Leaving in 2019 of note:
Maxi Pereira
Henri Lansbury
JP Cardodo
Olexandr Bandura
Cyril Mzizi
Nelio Fidalgo
Joao Luis Rodrigues
Canela
Luis Carlos
Obviously, I’ll resign some of those. But anyone I sign right now off a free is coming in for next year, and that means they would have one year of understudy if needed behind Lansbury. The initial plan was to let Skolnik go and sub up Marin Komorski, and then move Plflugler into the AMC role. I don’t think he’s ready for it, but Komorski might be. There are a few youther guys I’m scouting in the younger range that intrigue me enough to take a closer look.
Here’s what I’m thinking. Sign Druissi and Tosi right now – both are cheap and young and useful. Then make an offer for one of these really young folks that are on my radar for a future studly role after being developed. Finally, finished with my 4th ST later on down the road, and maybe a better 4th DC than Cardoso. Perhaps an already developed older guy.
That would leave my roster with an AMC candidate for when Pfluger can’t make it (Druissi), a MR candidate two years down the road (Tosi) and then another one or two young hot guys we can develop into an Agra or a Costa or something.
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