I know a lot of people here expressed their hope that ADEMOLA LOOKMAN would be signed. There was talk this winter of an exchange between PVA (who Allardyce wants) and Lookman (who Hodgson would want).

He has gone on loan to Red Bull Leipzig this winter and has scored on his debit, but it doesn't mean they'll make it permanent in the summer.

I've seen Lookman play (not often, I admit). I see him like a hope for tomorrow. A possibility, not a certainty. However, as many players bought by PL clubs, he has become overrated. He keeps his head in the ground a lot when he plays, he forgets to pass the ball.
Everton paid for him 7 million and now would want more to let him go.

What has he done by the age of 20?
1 goal in Germany, 1 goal in the PL, 2 goals against good teams in the Europa League, that's 4 goals in total in 700 minutes.
7 goals and 2 assists in 1800 minutes in League One before that (third tier)
1 goal in 300 minutes for the U21s, 4 goals and 1 assist in 1000 minutes for the U20s.

Let's look at another English left footed player at a similar age: ROLANDO AARONS (22 years old, so a bit older, we'll disregard his last 2 years to make a fair comparison, he hasn't played much in them either)
2 goals and 2 assists in 500 PL minutes, 1 goals in the League Cup against Manchester City (top team)
5 goals and 1 assist in 1500 minutes in the youth championship
2 goals and 1 assist in 250 minutes for the U20s.

Was used as a left back too, so knows how to defend better than Lookman.
The big difference between him and Lookman is that not only he does not cost 7+ million, he is rated at 750 thousand after not being used much by Newcastle and has gone to Verona in Serie A for the remainder of the season. If you really wanted to loan him this winter, Newcastle would have let you.

Now I'm not saying that Aarons is the best option. Let's look at other left footed players of similar ages:

ALFONSO PEDRAZA, 21 yo, Alaves. He is Villareal's player. He was loaned to Leeds in The Championship last year (so is accustomed to English football), now is at Alaves in La Liga:
2 goals and 3 assists in La Liga this season in 1000 minutes (not counting the minutes he was used as a left back)
8 goals and 8 assists in 2800 minutes in the second tier competitions of Spain and England
no goals in 150 minutes for Spain U21 (little playing time)

As you can see, he has done a lot in the second tier, as opposed to Lookman who has mostly played in the third tier. I'm not saying Lookman is a bad player, but I'd like Pedraza more in my team, I think he'll do more in the future and I think he will become the better footballer in the years to come. Plus, his price wouldn't go beyond 3-4 million.

RAPHINHA, 21 yo Brazilian with Italian passport (no, not the guy from Barca), plays for Vitoria Guimaraes. I've known this player since last year. He used to be really cheap when I first started talking about him. I knew he would steadily improve. This season he has been even better:
13 goals and 4 assists in 2500 minutes in Portugal and the Europa League
4 goals and 6 assists in 1700 minutes last year
The Big 3 of Portugal are watching him, especially Sporting. He is the top scorer of the league outside of Portugal's Big Three.
He'd cost 6 million.

THEO BONGONDA, 22 yo Belgian player, belongs to Celta Vigo, but is beyond me why they loaned him out this year (they are using Iago Aspas and Pione Sisto as starters on the wings but they don't really have backups should something happen to them). Still, Celta considered that Bongonda should get playing time. He hasn't gotten this in Trabzonspor. I know, you'll say "How could a player who wasn't able to get playing time in Trabzonspor play in the Premier League?" But football in Turkey is something very hard to understand. They're doing things very hastily, they don't make long term plans and there are a lot of groups of interests (like agents or club presidents) there which pressure the managers to play the players which they want to promote. So, even though Trabzonspor is a rich club, it is somewhat unprofessional. I don't judge Bongonda by not playing there, I judge him by what he did while playing:
4 goals and 5 assists in La Liga in 3500 minutes.
Now, now, I Know it's little, but..in Cup competitions he has often faced top tier teams:
1 goal and 2 assists against Valencia in march 2017
1 assist against Sevilla
1 assist against Manchester United in the Europa League
That's a total of 5 goals and 9 assists in 4300 minutes. One in 300 minutes over a long period AT TOP TIER. Not bad for a 21 year old player.
2 goals in 400 minutes for Belgium U21s too.

Celta bought him for 1 million. As they keep loaning him out and not using him, they should probably sell for around 3-4 million.

For a team like Crystal Palace, which currently has no left footed replacement for Andros Townsend, these players would be gold. Their age alone makes them great players for the future.
I wouldn't mind Lookman either, but I just think there are cheaper options.

Edit: Oh yeah, I'd have liked HARRY WILSON too. Went on loan from Liverpool to Hull City this winter. Honestly, I don't know why no PL team got him. For me, he's a devastatingly more attacking force than RLC. 20 yo player, has pretty much subdued every opposition in the Premier League youth championship in the last 2 years.
They wouldn't have let Ben Woodburn go (as they're planning on using him for the first team, but Harry Wilson is just as good)

Edited by mattteo (09 Feb 2018 12.56pm)

I know a lot of people here expressed their hope that ADEMOLA LOOKMAN would be signed. There was talk this winter of an exchange between PVA (who Allardyce wants) and Lookman (who Hodgson would want).

He has gone on loan to Red Bull Leipzig this winter and has scored on his debit, but it doesn't mean they'll make it permanent in the summer.

I've seen Lookman play (not often, I admit). I see him like a hope for tomorrow. A possibility, not a certainty. However, as many players bought by PL clubs, he has become overrated. He keeps his head in the ground a lot when he plays, he forgets to pass the ball.
Everton paid for him 7 million and now would want more to let him go.

What has he done by the age of 20?
1 goal in Germany, 1 goal in the PL, 2 goals against good teams in the Europa League, that's 4 goals in total in 700 minutes.
7 goals and 2 assists in 1800 minutes in League One before that (third tier)
1 goal in 300 minutes for the U21s, 4 goals and 1 assist in 1000 minutes for the U20s.

Let's look at another English left footed player at a similar age: ROLANDO AARONS (22 years old, so a bit older, we'll disregard his last 2 years to make a fair comparison, he hasn't played much in them either)
2 goals and 2 assists in 500 PL minutes, 1 goals in the League Cup against Manchester City (top team)
5 goals and 1 assist in 1500 minutes in the youth championship
2 goals and 1 assist in 250 minutes for the U20s.

Was used as a left back too, so knows how to defend better than Lookman.
The big difference between him and Lookman is that not only he does not cost 7+ million, he is rated at 750 thousand after not being used much by Newcastle and has gone to Verona in Serie A for the remainder of the season. If you really wanted to loan him this winter, Newcastle would have let you.

Now I'm not saying that Aarons is the best option. Let's look at other left footed players of similar ages:

ALFONSO PEDRAZA, 21 yo, Alaves. He is Villareal's player. He was loaned to Leeds in The Championship last year (so is accustomed to English football), now is at Alaves in La Liga:
2 goals and 3 assists in La Liga this season in 1000 minutes (not counting the minutes he was used as a left back)
8 goals and 8 assists in 2800 minutes in the second tier competitions of Spain and England
no goals in 150 minutes for Spain U21 (little playing time)

As you can see, he has done a lot in the second tier, as opposed to Lookman who has mostly played in the third tier. I'm not saying Lookman is a bad player, but I'd like Pedraza more in my team, I think he'll do more in the future and I think he will become the better footballer in the years to come. Plus, his price wouldn't go beyond 3-4 million.

RAPHINHA, 21 yo Brazilian with Italian passport (no, not the guy from Barca), plays for Vitoria Guimaraes. I've known this player since last year. He used to be really cheap when I first started talking about him. I knew he would steadily improve. This season he has been even better:
13 goals and 4 assists in 2500 minutes in Portugal and the Europa League
4 goals and 6 assists in 1700 minutes last year
The Big 3 of Portugal are watching him, especially Sporting. He is the top scorer of the league outside of Portugal's Big Three.
He'd cost 6 million.

THEO BONGONDA, 22 yo Belgian player, belongs to Celta Vigo, but is beyond me why they loaned him out this year (they are using Iago Aspas and Pione Sisto as starters on the wings but they don't really have backups should something happen to them). Still, Celta considered that Bongonda should get playing time. He hasn't gotten this in Trabzonspor. I know, you'll say "How could a player who wasn't able to get playing time in Trabzonspor play in the Premier League?" But football in Turkey is something very hard to understand. They're doing things very hastily, they don't make long term plans and there are a lot of groups of interests (like agents or club presidents) there which pressure the managers to play the players which they want to promote. So, even though Trabzonspor is a rich club, it is somewhat unprofessional. I don't judge Bongonda by not playing there, I judge him by what he did while playing:
4 goals and 5 assists in La Liga in 3500 minutes.
Now, now, I Know it's little, but..in Cup competitions he has often faced top tier teams:
1 goal and 2 assists against Valencia in march 2017
1 assist against Sevilla
1 assist against Manchester United in the Europa League
That's a total of 5 goals and 9 assists in 4300 minutes. One in 300 minutes over a long period AT TOP TIER. Not bad for a 21 year old player.
2 goals in 400 minutes for Belgium U21s too.

Celta bought him for 1 million. As they keep loaning him out and not using him, they should probably sell for around 3-4 million.

For a team like Crystal Palace, which currently has no left footed replacement for Andros Townsend, these players would be gold. Their age alone makes them great players for the future.
I wouldn't mind Lookman either, but I just think there are cheaper options.

Edit: Oh yeah, I'd have liked HARRY WILSON too. Went on loan from Liverpool to Hull City this winter. Honestly, I don't know why no PL team got him. For me, he's a devastatingly more attacking force than RLC. 20 yo player, has pretty much subdued every opposition in the Premier League youth championship in the last 2 years.
They wouldn't have let Ben Woodburn go (as they're planning on using him for the first team, but Harry Wilson is just as good)

Edited by mattteo (09 Feb 2018 12.56pm)

Are you trying to say something or just reposting the original message?

I had a chat with a member of Everton's staff last night about the boy and how I thought he would be a great fit at Palace, was told he has attitude from hell, thinks he is Number 1 at Everton and treats the staff like S**t

Wont train hard and the big money gone to his head, Not liked by the staff and this is why He was allowed to go out on loan by Big Sam.