Squad management | Vital Football

Squad management

Rexn

Vital Champions League
As we now appear safe, it is time to look at who will be retained and who jettisoned next year.

Out of contract at the end of the season are:
Haidara, Gamez and Good

On loan and maybe destined to be sold are:
Sels, Colback, Findlay and Lazaar

Other loanees include:
Mitrovic, Aarons, Woodman, Sterry, Toney and Arma

That leaves 19 grown up squad players.

Who else is tradeable?
By my reckoning:
Elliott, Clark, Mbemba, Manquillo and Joselu, with other probables including Gayle

It would be nice to think we can sign Kennedy and Dubravka, maybe even Slimani.

It might be safe to assume that some will be retained as squad/development players:
Atsu, Hayden, Perez, Merino, Murphy, Darlow,

Also some certainties that we shall want to keep:
Lascelles, Yedlin, Shelvey, Lejeune, Dummett, Diame (on current form), likewise Ritchie who could be becoming the new Dirk Kuyt

Rafa definitely has to put together a shopping list, full backs on both side, back up central defenders, strikers at 9 and 10.

It will certainly need a chunk of cash, I make it on average about £10m per player to be brought in being available (after sales), some of which will be loans and Rafa is well placed for out of contract players elsewhere. Having said that, we shall find out quickly whether Ashley (if he is still here) will do enough to keep Rafa.

Any thoughts?
 
You took the thoughts right out of my head Rex as I was going to do one of these threads, albeit not until the season end but I'll add my ten pence worth.

Personally, it is all down to Ashley or if the miracle takeover happens to which plan Rafa works off.

If it was Rafa's plan A in which he was given a decent amount of £50m - £100m to start off with and he was allowed to recoup what he got off sales then I reckon he'd sell all the older loan players off.

I also reckon he'd replace about 5 of the current matchday squad with better versions.

Out would include some of these: Gayle, Perez, Diame, Atsu, Joselu, Mbemba, Hayden, maybe even Ritchie for upgrades to get us to his preferred target of top 6.

If, as we suspect it'll be plan B at best then I reckon he will get £50m at most and may be allowed a certain percentage of sales cash.

I still reckon he'd sell Gayle, Perez, Diame, Mbemba and Joselu. With Mitrovic potentially worth £20m and £10m - £15m for Gayle and Perez each, there should still be no problems getting the 5 players in that he wants minimum.
 
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Looks like we are thinking along the same lines.

Going though the exercise makes me realise 2 things, firstly how thin the squad really is and secondly how much Rafa has done to improve both players individually and squad discipline.
 
I can't see us being able to keep Kennedy, or wanting to sign Slimani. So its gonna take a lot of cash potentially just to stand still where we are now. Unless we go with loans again of course. I hope not.
 
Don't think we stand a cat in hells chance of keeping Kenedy.
Everything else revolves around the Fat-Man and his trusty sidekick Charmless. Probably another window of mayhem and disappointment.
 
Don't forget that RB & the squad have proved that they're capable of premiership survival. Why the need to invest??

Cynical aren't I.. :)
 
I must admit, I can see us keeping Kenedy. He is young, in the top league for revenue and in a great place to market himself under a manager who can improve him. As long as Rafa is here, it gives him a chance to play regularly and not have to compete at a club that have £50m reserves on the bench.

As for Slimani, it depends what price Leicester will come down to. At his age he will want to play and is behind Vardy.

On the one hand, player power can help push through a move at a discount. On the other hand, if Ashley is still here, he has to relax his wage policy and allow surpluses to be spent.