I’ll admit that part of me doubted that there was going to be another major overhaul of our squad this summer. Whilst I knew we desperately needed it, the constant theme coming out of the club is that there’s not the money to spend – we splurged it all last summer. So we’d have to sell to buy but would we really want to sacrifice Kudus, Paqueta or Bowen – arguably our most valuable assets – or maybe even two of them to bring in fresh blood?
The Surprise Departure of the Old Guard
But then the club announced that Fabianski, Coufal, Cresswell and Ings weren’t going to be offered new contracts and that surprised me. Well, I wasn’t surprised about Ings leaving and I don’t know how much Fabianski, Coufal and Cresswell were on but I think there was an argument for those three staying if we’ve got no money to spend on buying others.
Defensive Coverage and Veteran Leadership
Cresswell could be used as a third centre back or as back up to Emerson and Scarles if one got injured. Coufal will turn 33 this summer but arguably could have had another season in east London. Having said that, he may not have been happy to sit on the bench and may feel he can still play regularly at the top level.
The Battle for the Number One Spot
As for Fabianski, if Areola is Potter’s number one, super Fab would, in my opinion, be a great number two, assuming he is happy to sit on the bench and play in the cups.
Scouting for Bargains and Promoting Youth
Maybe we’ll dive into the free agent market or maybe there are players in the Championship that we might be able to get for a good price. Or maybe Potter will give youth a chance.
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