06 Jun 2026 21:26:47
Apparently our $33m target Christos Mouzakitis (who? when?) is taking Spanish lessons amid interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona (you know, the club that hasn't any money!), interest.
Silly season is upon us.
Someone should keep a tally of where all the players who are linked to us end up going.
07 Jun 2026 11:23:07
We've been loosely linked with him a couple of times, but in all honesty it was probably more a case of using our name to flush out other interested parties or as leverage in contract negotiations.
He's a talented lad, but I think it's a bit early for a move to a top European club where the pressure and expectations will be sky high. He needs a good stepping stone club where he can develop against better opposition, while also playing regularly enough to continue to develop.
That's the thing we often overlook as fans when we are linked to a "wonder kid." They need to be allowed to make mistakes and still be first choice in the next game, so they can learn from it. At top clubs, if you make a mistake you are often dropped (or taken out of the spotlight) in the next game, but the longer between the mistake and being given the opportunity to rectify it, the harder it is to do so.
They need to be given the chance to try again while the memory of the mistake is still fresh.
If you think about the wonder kids who move to top clubs and then reach their potential, they tend to play in positions where mistakes are easier to forgive or they have less impact. Forwards, wingers, full backs etc. Rarely do we see keepers, CB's or CDM's given the opportunities at top clubs when they make mistakes as it often costs the club points. These are also positions where experience is a vital part of the role.
Leny Yoro, for example, is potentially a generational talent, yet his development has been very stop-start. He has looked great at times, but has made costly errors at others. While he keeps coming in and out of the line up, it will be harder for him to develop. It'll certainly take him longer to reach his potential, while it could ultimately limit the maximum level he gets to.