02 Jun 2026 21:34:13
If we do sign Hayden Hackney (fingers crossed) , where would he play? Does he replace Gueye in midfield alongside Garner? Hackney isn't an outright ball winner, so does Garner get pushed forward? Or to right back? Does he get sold?
Feel we still need a proper defensive midfielder (or number 6 for those who are into that sort of thing) and even though Tim has improved, he’s simply not good enough once he wins the ball back to keep it.
We do have good options already, KDH shouldn’t be behind the striker, it should be Dibling in my
incredibly humble opinion. But Moyes likely won’t do that.
Thoughts on where Hackney plays and do we need another midfielder regardless?
02 Jun 2026 22:32:39
Wouldn't be surprised if they sell Tim to be honest. There was some interest in him in January, I think he's a good player but could probably make a few quid on him. Like, you still think we need a replacement for Gueye?
03 Jun 2026 00:06:37
Need to get away from thinking about just the starting 11 imo. The game has moved on, and most clubs have, certainly the ones that finish well in the league.
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to bring players that are at the level to start, off the bench to replace other starters e.g. Hackney for Garner or Hackney for KDH.
03 Jun 2026 09:49:52
Drop KDH back where he likes to play, and play Hackney behind the donkeys.
03 Jun 2026 09:58:11
Hackney would be a great signing, but if we're talking about midfielders who can replace Gana, I'd also be looking at Sander Berge (Fulham) , Issa Doumbia (Sporting CP) and Ngal'ayel Mukau (Lille) .
Berge would be the ready-made option for me. He's got plenty of Premier League experience, a real physical presence and looks the type of midfielder who could take over a lot of Gana's defensive responsibilities straight away.
Doumbia is only 22 but looks ready for the next step.
He impressed at Venezia before earning his move to Sporting, and he's got the athleticism and aggression to thrive in a more demanding league.
Mukau would be my long-term pick. The Lille midfielder has a high ceiling and all the tools to become a top player, but I'd see him as one for the future rather than someone you'd expect to replace Gana immediately.
If we could bring in Hackney plus one of those three, I'd be pretty happy with our midfield options going into next season.
03 Jun 2026 12:07:34
I think Berge is a decent player but Fulham would want £30 to £40 million for him to account for losing their mainstay in the middle of the park. He is very conservative in his play and rarely loses the ball which is good but I think there are better DM's out there for me. Certainly better DM's that can replicate what Gana offers us. Gana beats him in nearly every metric on the pitch, other than ariel duels and passing completion and he is 36.
Doumbia has just gone to Lisbon so obviously rules him out and Mukau, as talented as he is, has been deployed right midfield more than DM for Lille this season.
Dismissing the players that are likely out of our reach e.g. Morten Hjulmand, the best like for like Gana replacements, that being a relentless ball pressing/winning 6 would be Morten Frendrup or Kaishū Sano.
Both would jump at the chance to come to us and both would represent decent value in todays ridiculous market.
Frendrup is an elite ball winner. Like Gueye, he consistently ranks near the top of his respective league for tackles, interceptions, ball recoveries and duels won.
He reads danger early and attacks loose balls aggressively. He's not a reckless tackler either with excellent timing. He is top class at stepping into passing lanes before opponents receive the ball. Wins second balls consistently and has the ability to transition his team from defence to attack.
His engine is absolutely ridiculous and covers an obscene amount of ground during the 90 mins. He has also played in a multitude of positions - CM, LB, RB, WB which gives him a top level footballing IQ, much like our very own Jimmy Garner.
Kaishū Sano is very similar to Frendrup in his strengths. He covered the most ground in the Bundesliga last year and ranked amongst the leaders of tackles, interceptions and ball recoveries.
Perhaps where they differ is that Sano seems a little more technical on the ball. He is incredibly press resistant. He has great awareness, so rarely gets caught dwelling in possession and he uses his low-centre of gravity to turn out of tight situations and come away with the ball to start attacks.
Neither of them are ball-playing DM's in the mould of your Adam Wharton but they are there to do a job and that is to hunt the ball down and win it back, give it to the better players and give the team shape.
I would jump at the chance to get either of these two. Brentford appear to be interested in Sano (as of this week) so that should give you a good indicator to how good this fella is.
We will probably dither and stick with Gueye and Tim.