What happened to McGarry? He started off well but seemed to fall out of flavour. Any chance for him next season?
WPM 2021/22 Squad Speculation, Confirmation and Mutual Termination
Thought I'd have a go at some wild speculation about who our Uli replacement could be, limited it to South/Central Americans because of the rumours that the player we're talking to is from there. There's a whole bunch of options, none of whom we'll likely sign but hey, might as well throw some names in the hat.
Yesús Cabrera
30, AM, Colombian
Mentioned by someone on the Nix Fans Facebook pages. Cabrera is off contract at Club América in Colombia and is highly rated. Has interest from Junior FC in Colombia and from Turkey. Pretty unlikely we'll snap him up as his América exit is due to wage disputes, but I'm not familiar with the Colombian football pay rate so maybe a marquee wage compares?
Is he better than Uli? - Probably
The Mexican contingent:
Marco Fabián
31, AM, 43 Caps 9 Goals Mexico
Off contract at FC Juárez, Fabián is an incredibly talented player who's won a case full of trophies. He's won the Gold Cup, DFB Pokal, Copa MX, CONCACAF Champions League and an Olympic Gold Medal. Didn't make the Mexico squad that came to NZ in 2013. Main stumbling block for the Nix - Fabián was being paid over $2m USD a season in 2019 in the MLS, well out of our budget.
Is he better than Uli? - Yes
Carlos Vela
32, RW, 72 Caps 19 Goals Mexico
Yeah, this one is pretty unrealistic. He'll be off contract from LAFC in December but could go earlier as he's been struggling with injuries. One of the best ever MLS players and would likely be one of the best A-League players ever too. Despite the unlikeliness he has expressed his desire to come to Australia previously. Reckon he'd likely be destined for Sydney or Melb City if he came to the A-League though.
Is he better than Uli? - Definitely
Ángel Sepúlveda
30, RW, 8 Caps 2 Goals Mexico
Off contract at Querétaro FC of Liga MX, although it's unclear who owns him. Transfermarkt says he moved to QFC from Club Tijuana but it sounds like the Xolos might still own him? Hard to nail down his contract situation but it sounds like Querétaro are keen to keep him if they can. Looks like a very solid Liga MX player and is highly rated by Querétaro fans from what I can see. His 8 caps and 2 goals for Mexico came in 2016/17 back when Uli was a bit-part player for Santos Laguna.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably
Luis Ángel Mendoza
31, RW, Mexican
A soon to be free agent as he is to leave Mazatalán FC (Liga MX) this month. He was part of the Mexico squad that came to NZ in 2013 but never ended up getting a cap. Has only ever played for Mexican teams, winning the Liga MX Apertura and Clausura in 2014/15 with Club América and Santos Laguna respectively. Was actually a teammate of Uli's at Santos Laguna, playing 12 games together. Mendoza scored 1 and assisted 2 in those games whilst Uli scored 3. Nicknamed "Quick" with a blistering 83 pace on FIFA21.
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe, but I wouldn't be certain.
Carlos Peña
31, CM/AM/RM, 19 Caps 2 Goals Mexico
Is set to leave CD FAS in El Salvador so soon to be a free agent. Was part of that 2013 Mexico squad and played in Welly. More of a CM but has been playing as an AM for FAS, winning the league title in 20/21. In 2017 he left Mexico for Rangers and is regarded as a bit of a flop over there, but he's reinvigorated his career since returning to Central America. Still, Uli was a flop in India and look how he turned out for us, Rangers gotta be a little better to flop at than Delhi Dynamos right?
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe
The Brazilian contingent:
Isael da Silva Barbosa
33, RW, Brazilian
Off contract at Ferencváros in Hungary, bit of a journeyman this guy. Left Brazil back in 2013 for Europe, played in Portugal for a bit, then a short spell in Russia before spending a good few years in Kazakhstan where he won 3 league titles, followed by 3 league titles in 3 seasons in Hungary. Has played against the big guns in the Champions League which could mean he has some great experience, but could also mean nothing (see Kopczynski...) Nix have had mixed results with their Brazilian imports, but a new Daniel would be very welcome.
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe, but a journeyman can be hard to judge
Lourency
25, RW, Brazilian
Is off contract at Gil Vicente in the Portuguese top flight having played the full season, scoring 5 and assisting 1 in 34 games. Is still a young player at 25 and Gil are only his second full time club, having come through at Chapecoense. Interestingly, he was meant to be on the 2016 Chapecoense charter flight that crashed and tragically killed 71 people, but stayed home to compete in a youth tournament for the club. He's not the most prolific player, but 68 games in the Potuguese top flight over two seasons is impressive and great experience (Tyler Boyd anyone?).
Is he better than Uli? - Not sure. He could be, but is still young.
Heberty
32, RW, Brazilian
Now this guy would be a gamble. He's off contract at Bangkok United after 8? seasons in the Thai league. He's the all time top scorer in the Thai league with 130 goals in 190 games for 5 different teams. He left Brazil back in 2012 for Japan and has been in Asia ever since. Definitely would be a gamble to pick this guy up, would rather grab someone from the J-League or something if we're looking to Asian clubs.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably not, seems like a big fish in a small pond, although the Thai league is ranked above the A-League in the AFC Coefficient.
Wellington Nem
29, RW, 3 Caps Brazil
Off contract at Fortaleza in the Brazilian top flight, only joined in March but the club have the option to extend based on his performance. Looks unlikely that they will though as he doesn't seem to have registered an appearance for them. In fact, looks like he might not have played since 2019, having missed the entire 19/20 season. Former Shaktar man who's won 3 Ukrainian league titles, 2 Ukrainian cup titles and 1 Copa do Brazil back in 2012. Looks like he did his cruciate ligament in 2017 which has probably majorly impacted his career since. Would definitely be a risk to sign but come on, what a name he has. Wellington in Wellington? He'll be selling jerseys by the truck-full.
Is he better than Uli? - Pure Talent? Yes. Ability today? Maybe not, he's missed a lot of time post injury and there's a reason his valuation is a 10th of what it was a few years ago.
The Peruvians:
Paolo Hurtado
30, AM, 38 Caps 2 Goals Peru
Currently a free agent after leaving Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian first tier. Came to NZ back in 2017 but didn't feature against the All Whites. He's spent the majority of his career in Portugal playing for Vitória de Guimarães and Paços Ferreira. He was actually at Vitória at the same time as Tyler Boyd but left for Turkey the season before Boyd broke into the first team. They've played against each other once in Turkey but only for 18 minutes. Hurtado seems to have been pretty injury prone the last few seasons which is probably why he went to Bulgaria and is now without a club. If fit he could be decent, but missing large chunks of the last few seasons isn't too promising.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably not. Back in his Portugal days he would've been, but I don't see it now.
Not Uli replacements but thought I should mention that Wilder Cartagena and more importantly Yoshimar Yotún are both off contract. They both came to NZ for the playoff game and are DMs. Cartagena is leaving Godoy Cruz from the Argentine top flight, is only 26 and has 5 caps for Peru. Yotún is off contract at CD Cruz Azul, with whom he just won Liga MX. He's 31, still starts for Peru and has 91 caps and 3 goals. He's pretty unlikely as a Devlin replacement but would be an incredible signing, here's hoping he fell in love with Aotearoa à la Stevie T. Would probably be too expensive too but worth a look at least.
Realistically the club probably aren't even looking at any of these players but it's always a bit of fun to speculate. Here's hoping whoever we pick up is class though, 2021/22 is our year after all. COYN!
Yesús Cabrera
30, AM, Colombian
Mentioned by someone on the Nix Fans Facebook pages. Cabrera is off contract at Club América in Colombia and is highly rated. Has interest from Junior FC in Colombia and from Turkey. Pretty unlikely we'll snap him up as his América exit is due to wage disputes, but I'm not familiar with the Colombian football pay rate so maybe a marquee wage compares?
Is he better than Uli? - Probably
The Mexican contingent:
Marco Fabián
31, AM, 43 Caps 9 Goals Mexico
Off contract at FC Juárez, Fabián is an incredibly talented player who's won a case full of trophies. He's won the Gold Cup, DFB Pokal, Copa MX, CONCACAF Champions League and an Olympic Gold Medal. Didn't make the Mexico squad that came to NZ in 2013. Main stumbling block for the Nix - Fabián was being paid over $2m USD a season in 2019 in the MLS, well out of our budget.
Is he better than Uli? - Yes
Carlos Vela
32, RW, 72 Caps 19 Goals Mexico
Yeah, this one is pretty unrealistic. He'll be off contract from LAFC in December but could go earlier as he's been struggling with injuries. One of the best ever MLS players and would likely be one of the best A-League players ever too. Despite the unlikeliness he has expressed his desire to come to Australia previously. Reckon he'd likely be destined for Sydney or Melb City if he came to the A-League though.
Is he better than Uli? - Definitely
Ángel Sepúlveda
30, RW, 8 Caps 2 Goals Mexico
Off contract at Querétaro FC of Liga MX, although it's unclear who owns him. Transfermarkt says he moved to QFC from Club Tijuana but it sounds like the Xolos might still own him? Hard to nail down his contract situation but it sounds like Querétaro are keen to keep him if they can. Looks like a very solid Liga MX player and is highly rated by Querétaro fans from what I can see. His 8 caps and 2 goals for Mexico came in 2016/17 back when Uli was a bit-part player for Santos Laguna.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably
Luis Ángel Mendoza
31, RW, Mexican
A soon to be free agent as he is to leave Mazatalán FC (Liga MX) this month. He was part of the Mexico squad that came to NZ in 2013 but never ended up getting a cap. Has only ever played for Mexican teams, winning the Liga MX Apertura and Clausura in 2014/15 with Club América and Santos Laguna respectively. Was actually a teammate of Uli's at Santos Laguna, playing 12 games together. Mendoza scored 1 and assisted 2 in those games whilst Uli scored 3. Nicknamed "Quick" with a blistering 83 pace on FIFA21.
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe, but I wouldn't be certain.
Carlos Peña
31, CM/AM/RM, 19 Caps 2 Goals Mexico
Is set to leave CD FAS in El Salvador so soon to be a free agent. Was part of that 2013 Mexico squad and played in Welly. More of a CM but has been playing as an AM for FAS, winning the league title in 20/21. In 2017 he left Mexico for Rangers and is regarded as a bit of a flop over there, but he's reinvigorated his career since returning to Central America. Still, Uli was a flop in India and look how he turned out for us, Rangers gotta be a little better to flop at than Delhi Dynamos right?
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe
The Brazilian contingent:
Isael da Silva Barbosa
33, RW, Brazilian
Off contract at Ferencváros in Hungary, bit of a journeyman this guy. Left Brazil back in 2013 for Europe, played in Portugal for a bit, then a short spell in Russia before spending a good few years in Kazakhstan where he won 3 league titles, followed by 3 league titles in 3 seasons in Hungary. Has played against the big guns in the Champions League which could mean he has some great experience, but could also mean nothing (see Kopczynski...) Nix have had mixed results with their Brazilian imports, but a new Daniel would be very welcome.
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe, but a journeyman can be hard to judge
Lourency
25, RW, Brazilian
Is off contract at Gil Vicente in the Portuguese top flight having played the full season, scoring 5 and assisting 1 in 34 games. Is still a young player at 25 and Gil are only his second full time club, having come through at Chapecoense. Interestingly, he was meant to be on the 2016 Chapecoense charter flight that crashed and tragically killed 71 people, but stayed home to compete in a youth tournament for the club. He's not the most prolific player, but 68 games in the Potuguese top flight over two seasons is impressive and great experience (Tyler Boyd anyone?).
Is he better than Uli? - Not sure. He could be, but is still young.
Heberty
32, RW, Brazilian
Now this guy would be a gamble. He's off contract at Bangkok United after 8? seasons in the Thai league. He's the all time top scorer in the Thai league with 130 goals in 190 games for 5 different teams. He left Brazil back in 2012 for Japan and has been in Asia ever since. Definitely would be a gamble to pick this guy up, would rather grab someone from the J-League or something if we're looking to Asian clubs.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably not, seems like a big fish in a small pond, although the Thai league is ranked above the A-League in the AFC Coefficient.
Wellington Nem
29, RW, 3 Caps Brazil
Off contract at Fortaleza in the Brazilian top flight, only joined in March but the club have the option to extend based on his performance. Looks unlikely that they will though as he doesn't seem to have registered an appearance for them. In fact, looks like he might not have played since 2019, having missed the entire 19/20 season. Former Shaktar man who's won 3 Ukrainian league titles, 2 Ukrainian cup titles and 1 Copa do Brazil back in 2012. Looks like he did his cruciate ligament in 2017 which has probably majorly impacted his career since. Would definitely be a risk to sign but come on, what a name he has. Wellington in Wellington? He'll be selling jerseys by the truck-full.
Is he better than Uli? - Pure Talent? Yes. Ability today? Maybe not, he's missed a lot of time post injury and there's a reason his valuation is a 10th of what it was a few years ago.
The Peruvians:
Paolo Hurtado
30, AM, 38 Caps 2 Goals Peru
Currently a free agent after leaving Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian first tier. Came to NZ back in 2017 but didn't feature against the All Whites. He's spent the majority of his career in Portugal playing for Vitória de Guimarães and Paços Ferreira. He was actually at Vitória at the same time as Tyler Boyd but left for Turkey the season before Boyd broke into the first team. They've played against each other once in Turkey but only for 18 minutes. Hurtado seems to have been pretty injury prone the last few seasons which is probably why he went to Bulgaria and is now without a club. If fit he could be decent, but missing large chunks of the last few seasons isn't too promising.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably not. Back in his Portugal days he would've been, but I don't see it now.
Not Uli replacements but thought I should mention that Wilder Cartagena and more importantly Yoshimar Yotún are both off contract. They both came to NZ for the playoff game and are DMs. Cartagena is leaving Godoy Cruz from the Argentine top flight, is only 26 and has 5 caps for Peru. Yotún is off contract at CD Cruz Azul, with whom he just won Liga MX. He's 31, still starts for Peru and has 91 caps and 3 goals. He's pretty unlikely as a Devlin replacement but would be an incredible signing, here's hoping he fell in love with Aotearoa à la Stevie T. Would probably be too expensive too but worth a look at least.
Realistically the club probably aren't even looking at any of these players but it's always a bit of fun to speculate. Here's hoping whoever we pick up is class though, 2021/22 is our year after all. COYN!
Good research, lots of players I'd love to sign. But, the rumor is that the club is talking to a South American player so not a Mexican.
Thought I'd have a go at some wild speculation about who our Uli replacement could be, limited it to South/Central Americans because of the rumours that the player we're talking to is from there. There's a whole bunch of options, none of whom we'll likely sign but hey, might as well throw some names in the hat.
Yesús Cabrera
30, AM, Colombian
Mentioned by someone on the Nix Fans Facebook pages. Cabrera is off contract at Club América in Colombia and is highly rated. Has interest from Junior FC in Colombia and from Turkey. Pretty unlikely we'll snap him up as his América exit is due to wage disputes, but I'm not familiar with the Colombian football pay rate so maybe a marquee wage compares?
Is he better than Uli? - Probably
The Mexican contingent:
Marco Fabián
31, AM, 43 Caps 9 Goals Mexico
Off contract at FC Juárez, Fabián is an incredibly talented player who's won a case full of trophies. He's won the Gold Cup, DFB Pokal, Copa MX, CONCACAF Champions League and an Olympic Gold Medal. Didn't make the Mexico squad that came to NZ in 2013. Main stumbling block for the Nix - Fabián was being paid over $2m USD a season in 2019 in the MLS, well out of our budget.
Is he better than Uli? - Yes
Carlos Vela
32, RW, 72 Caps 19 Goals Mexico
Yeah, this one is pretty unrealistic. He'll be off contract from LAFC in December but could go earlier as he's been struggling with injuries. One of the best ever MLS players and would likely be one of the best A-League players ever too. Despite the unlikeliness he has expressed his desire to come to Australia previously. Reckon he'd likely be destined for Sydney or Melb City if he came to the A-League though.
Is he better than Uli? - Definitely
Ángel Sepúlveda
30, RW, 8 Caps 2 Goals Mexico
Off contract at Querétaro FC of Liga MX, although it's unclear who owns him. Transfermarkt says he moved to QFC from Club Tijuana but it sounds like the Xolos might still own him? Hard to nail down his contract situation but it sounds like Querétaro are keen to keep him if they can. Looks like a very solid Liga MX player and is highly rated by Querétaro fans from what I can see. His 8 caps and 2 goals for Mexico came in 2016/17 back when Uli was a bit-part player for Santos Laguna.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably
Luis Ángel Mendoza
31, RW, Mexican
A soon to be free agent as he is to leave Mazatalán FC (Liga MX) this month. He was part of the Mexico squad that came to NZ in 2013 but never ended up getting a cap. Has only ever played for Mexican teams, winning the Liga MX Apertura and Clausura in 2014/15 with Club América and Santos Laguna respectively. Was actually a teammate of Uli's at Santos Laguna, playing 12 games together. Mendoza scored 1 and assisted 2 in those games whilst Uli scored 3. Nicknamed "Quick" with a blistering 83 pace on FIFA21.
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe, but I wouldn't be certain.
Carlos Peña
31, CM/AM/RM, 19 Caps 2 Goals Mexico
Is set to leave CD FAS in El Salvador so soon to be a free agent. Was part of that 2013 Mexico squad and played in Welly. More of a CM but has been playing as an AM for FAS, winning the league title in 20/21. In 2017 he left Mexico for Rangers and is regarded as a bit of a flop over there, but he's reinvigorated his career since returning to Central America. Still, Uli was a flop in India and look how he turned out for us, Rangers gotta be a little better to flop at than Delhi Dynamos right?
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe
The Brazilian contingent:
Isael da Silva Barbosa
33, RW, Brazilian
Off contract at Ferencváros in Hungary, bit of a journeyman this guy. Left Brazil back in 2013 for Europe, played in Portugal for a bit, then a short spell in Russia before spending a good few years in Kazakhstan where he won 3 league titles, followed by 3 league titles in 3 seasons in Hungary. Has played against the big guns in the Champions League which could mean he has some great experience, but could also mean nothing (see Kopczynski...) Nix have had mixed results with their Brazilian imports, but a new Daniel would be very welcome.
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe, but a journeyman can be hard to judge
Lourency
25, RW, Brazilian
Is off contract at Gil Vicente in the Portuguese top flight having played the full season, scoring 5 and assisting 1 in 34 games. Is still a young player at 25 and Gil are only his second full time club, having come through at Chapecoense. Interestingly, he was meant to be on the 2016 Chapecoense charter flight that crashed and tragically killed 71 people, but stayed home to compete in a youth tournament for the club. He's not the most prolific player, but 68 games in the Potuguese top flight over two seasons is impressive and great experience (Tyler Boyd anyone?).
Is he better than Uli? - Not sure. He could be, but is still young.
Heberty
32, RW, Brazilian
Now this guy would be a gamble. He's off contract at Bangkok United after 8? seasons in the Thai league. He's the all time top scorer in the Thai league with 130 goals in 190 games for 5 different teams. He left Brazil back in 2012 for Japan and has been in Asia ever since. Definitely would be a gamble to pick this guy up, would rather grab someone from the J-League or something if we're looking to Asian clubs.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably not, seems like a big fish in a small pond, although the Thai league is ranked above the A-League in the AFC Coefficient.
Wellington Nem
29, RW, 3 Caps Brazil
Off contract at Fortaleza in the Brazilian top flight, only joined in March but the club have the option to extend based on his performance. Looks unlikely that they will though as he doesn't seem to have registered an appearance for them. In fact, looks like he might not have played since 2019, having missed the entire 19/20 season. Former Shaktar man who's won 3 Ukrainian league titles, 2 Ukrainian cup titles and 1 Copa do Brazil back in 2012. Looks like he did his cruciate ligament in 2017 which has probably majorly impacted his career since. Would definitely be a risk to sign but come on, what a name he has. Wellington in Wellington? He'll be selling jerseys by the truck-full.
Is he better than Uli? - Pure Talent? Yes. Ability today? Maybe not, he's missed a lot of time post injury and there's a reason his valuation is a 10th of what it was a few years ago.
The Peruvians:
Paolo Hurtado
30, AM, 38 Caps 2 Goals Peru
Currently a free agent after leaving Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian first tier. Came to NZ back in 2017 but didn't feature against the All Whites. He's spent the majority of his career in Portugal playing for Vitória de Guimarães and Paços Ferreira. He was actually at Vitória at the same time as Tyler Boyd but left for Turkey the season before Boyd broke into the first team. They've played against each other once in Turkey but only for 18 minutes. Hurtado seems to have been pretty injury prone the last few seasons which is probably why he went to Bulgaria and is now without a club. If fit he could be decent, but missing large chunks of the last few seasons isn't too promising.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably not. Back in his Portugal days he would've been, but I don't see it now.
Not Uli replacements but thought I should mention that Wilder Cartagena and more importantly Yoshimar Yotún are both off contract. They both came to NZ for the playoff game and are DMs. Cartagena is leaving Godoy Cruz from the Argentine top flight, is only 26 and has 5 caps for Peru. Yotún is off contract at CD Cruz Azul, with whom he just won Liga MX. He's 31, still starts for Peru and has 91 caps and 3 goals. He's pretty unlikely as a Devlin replacement but would be an incredible signing, here's hoping he fell in love with Aotearoa à la Stevie T. Would probably be too expensive too but worth a look at least.
Realistically the club probably aren't even looking at any of these players but it's always a bit of fun to speculate. Here's hoping whoever we pick up is class though, 2021/22 is our year after all. COYN!
Yesús Cabrera
30, AM, Colombian
Mentioned by someone on the Nix Fans Facebook pages. Cabrera is off contract at Club América in Colombia and is highly rated. Has interest from Junior FC in Colombia and from Turkey. Pretty unlikely we'll snap him up as his América exit is due to wage disputes, but I'm not familiar with the Colombian football pay rate so maybe a marquee wage compares?
Is he better than Uli? - Probably
The Mexican contingent:
Marco Fabián
31, AM, 43 Caps 9 Goals Mexico
Off contract at FC Juárez, Fabián is an incredibly talented player who's won a case full of trophies. He's won the Gold Cup, DFB Pokal, Copa MX, CONCACAF Champions League and an Olympic Gold Medal. Didn't make the Mexico squad that came to NZ in 2013. Main stumbling block for the Nix - Fabián was being paid over $2m USD a season in 2019 in the MLS, well out of our budget.
Is he better than Uli? - Yes
Carlos Vela
32, RW, 72 Caps 19 Goals Mexico
Yeah, this one is pretty unrealistic. He'll be off contract from LAFC in December but could go earlier as he's been struggling with injuries. One of the best ever MLS players and would likely be one of the best A-League players ever too. Despite the unlikeliness he has expressed his desire to come to Australia previously. Reckon he'd likely be destined for Sydney or Melb City if he came to the A-League though.
Is he better than Uli? - Definitely
Ángel Sepúlveda
30, RW, 8 Caps 2 Goals Mexico
Off contract at Querétaro FC of Liga MX, although it's unclear who owns him. Transfermarkt says he moved to QFC from Club Tijuana but it sounds like the Xolos might still own him? Hard to nail down his contract situation but it sounds like Querétaro are keen to keep him if they can. Looks like a very solid Liga MX player and is highly rated by Querétaro fans from what I can see. His 8 caps and 2 goals for Mexico came in 2016/17 back when Uli was a bit-part player for Santos Laguna.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably
Luis Ángel Mendoza
31, RW, Mexican
A soon to be free agent as he is to leave Mazatalán FC (Liga MX) this month. He was part of the Mexico squad that came to NZ in 2013 but never ended up getting a cap. Has only ever played for Mexican teams, winning the Liga MX Apertura and Clausura in 2014/15 with Club América and Santos Laguna respectively. Was actually a teammate of Uli's at Santos Laguna, playing 12 games together. Mendoza scored 1 and assisted 2 in those games whilst Uli scored 3. Nicknamed "Quick" with a blistering 83 pace on FIFA21.
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe, but I wouldn't be certain.
Carlos Peña
31, CM/AM/RM, 19 Caps 2 Goals Mexico
Is set to leave CD FAS in El Salvador so soon to be a free agent. Was part of that 2013 Mexico squad and played in Welly. More of a CM but has been playing as an AM for FAS, winning the league title in 20/21. In 2017 he left Mexico for Rangers and is regarded as a bit of a flop over there, but he's reinvigorated his career since returning to Central America. Still, Uli was a flop in India and look how he turned out for us, Rangers gotta be a little better to flop at than Delhi Dynamos right?
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe
The Brazilian contingent:
Isael da Silva Barbosa
33, RW, Brazilian
Off contract at Ferencváros in Hungary, bit of a journeyman this guy. Left Brazil back in 2013 for Europe, played in Portugal for a bit, then a short spell in Russia before spending a good few years in Kazakhstan where he won 3 league titles, followed by 3 league titles in 3 seasons in Hungary. Has played against the big guns in the Champions League which could mean he has some great experience, but could also mean nothing (see Kopczynski...) Nix have had mixed results with their Brazilian imports, but a new Daniel would be very welcome.
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe, but a journeyman can be hard to judge
Lourency
25, RW, Brazilian
Is off contract at Gil Vicente in the Portuguese top flight having played the full season, scoring 5 and assisting 1 in 34 games. Is still a young player at 25 and Gil are only his second full time club, having come through at Chapecoense. Interestingly, he was meant to be on the 2016 Chapecoense charter flight that crashed and tragically killed 71 people, but stayed home to compete in a youth tournament for the club. He's not the most prolific player, but 68 games in the Potuguese top flight over two seasons is impressive and great experience (Tyler Boyd anyone?).
Is he better than Uli? - Not sure. He could be, but is still young.
Heberty
32, RW, Brazilian
Now this guy would be a gamble. He's off contract at Bangkok United after 8? seasons in the Thai league. He's the all time top scorer in the Thai league with 130 goals in 190 games for 5 different teams. He left Brazil back in 2012 for Japan and has been in Asia ever since. Definitely would be a gamble to pick this guy up, would rather grab someone from the J-League or something if we're looking to Asian clubs.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably not, seems like a big fish in a small pond, although the Thai league is ranked above the A-League in the AFC Coefficient.
Wellington Nem
29, RW, 3 Caps Brazil
Off contract at Fortaleza in the Brazilian top flight, only joined in March but the club have the option to extend based on his performance. Looks unlikely that they will though as he doesn't seem to have registered an appearance for them. In fact, looks like he might not have played since 2019, having missed the entire 19/20 season. Former Shaktar man who's won 3 Ukrainian league titles, 2 Ukrainian cup titles and 1 Copa do Brazil back in 2012. Looks like he did his cruciate ligament in 2017 which has probably majorly impacted his career since. Would definitely be a risk to sign but come on, what a name he has. Wellington in Wellington? He'll be selling jerseys by the truck-full.
Is he better than Uli? - Pure Talent? Yes. Ability today? Maybe not, he's missed a lot of time post injury and there's a reason his valuation is a 10th of what it was a few years ago.
The Peruvians:
Paolo Hurtado
30, AM, 38 Caps 2 Goals Peru
Currently a free agent after leaving Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian first tier. Came to NZ back in 2017 but didn't feature against the All Whites. He's spent the majority of his career in Portugal playing for Vitória de Guimarães and Paços Ferreira. He was actually at Vitória at the same time as Tyler Boyd but left for Turkey the season before Boyd broke into the first team. They've played against each other once in Turkey but only for 18 minutes. Hurtado seems to have been pretty injury prone the last few seasons which is probably why he went to Bulgaria and is now without a club. If fit he could be decent, but missing large chunks of the last few seasons isn't too promising.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably not. Back in his Portugal days he would've been, but I don't see it now.
Not Uli replacements but thought I should mention that Wilder Cartagena and more importantly Yoshimar Yotún are both off contract. They both came to NZ for the playoff game and are DMs. Cartagena is leaving Godoy Cruz from the Argentine top flight, is only 26 and has 5 caps for Peru. Yotún is off contract at CD Cruz Azul, with whom he just won Liga MX. He's 31, still starts for Peru and has 91 caps and 3 goals. He's pretty unlikely as a Devlin replacement but would be an incredible signing, here's hoping he fell in love with Aotearoa à la Stevie T. Would probably be too expensive too but worth a look at least.
Realistically the club probably aren't even looking at any of these players but it's always a bit of fun to speculate. Here's hoping whoever we pick up is class though, 2021/22 is our year after all. COYN!
Thought I'd have a go at some wild speculation about who our Uli replacement could be, limited it to South/Central Americans because of the rumours that the player we're talking to is from there. There's a whole bunch of options, none of whom we'll likely sign but hey, might as well throw some names in the hat.
Yesús Cabrera
30, AM, Colombian
Mentioned by someone on the Nix Fans Facebook pages. Cabrera is off contract at Club América in Colombia and is highly rated. Has interest from Junior FC in Colombia and from Turkey. Pretty unlikely we'll snap him up as his América exit is due to wage disputes, but I'm not familiar with the Colombian football pay rate so maybe a marquee wage compares?
Is he better than Uli? - Probably
The Mexican contingent:
Marco Fabián
31, AM, 43 Caps 9 Goals Mexico
Off contract at FC Juárez, Fabián is an incredibly talented player who's won a case full of trophies. He's won the Gold Cup, DFB Pokal, Copa MX, CONCACAF Champions League and an Olympic Gold Medal. Didn't make the Mexico squad that came to NZ in 2013. Main stumbling block for the Nix - Fabián was being paid over $2m USD a season in 2019 in the MLS, well out of our budget.
Is he better than Uli? - Yes
Carlos Vela
32, RW, 72 Caps 19 Goals Mexico
Yeah, this one is pretty unrealistic. He'll be off contract from LAFC in December but could go earlier as he's been struggling with injuries. One of the best ever MLS players and would likely be one of the best A-League players ever too. Despite the unlikeliness he has expressed his desire to come to Australia previously. Reckon he'd likely be destined for Sydney or Melb City if he came to the A-League though.
Is he better than Uli? - Definitely
Ángel Sepúlveda
30, RW, 8 Caps 2 Goals Mexico
Off contract at Querétaro FC of Liga MX, although it's unclear who owns him. Transfermarkt says he moved to QFC from Club Tijuana but it sounds like the Xolos might still own him? Hard to nail down his contract situation but it sounds like Querétaro are keen to keep him if they can. Looks like a very solid Liga MX player and is highly rated by Querétaro fans from what I can see. His 8 caps and 2 goals for Mexico came in 2016/17 back when Uli was a bit-part player for Santos Laguna.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably
Luis Ángel Mendoza
31, RW, Mexican
A soon to be free agent as he is to leave Mazatalán FC (Liga MX) this month. He was part of the Mexico squad that came to NZ in 2013 but never ended up getting a cap. Has only ever played for Mexican teams, winning the Liga MX Apertura and Clausura in 2014/15 with Club América and Santos Laguna respectively. Was actually a teammate of Uli's at Santos Laguna, playing 12 games together. Mendoza scored 1 and assisted 2 in those games whilst Uli scored 3. Nicknamed "Quick" with a blistering 83 pace on FIFA21.
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe, but I wouldn't be certain.
Carlos Peña
31, CM/AM/RM, 19 Caps 2 Goals Mexico
Is set to leave CD FAS in El Salvador so soon to be a free agent. Was part of that 2013 Mexico squad and played in Welly. More of a CM but has been playing as an AM for FAS, winning the league title in 20/21. In 2017 he left Mexico for Rangers and is regarded as a bit of a flop over there, but he's reinvigorated his career since returning to Central America. Still, Uli was a flop in India and look how he turned out for us, Rangers gotta be a little better to flop at than Delhi Dynamos right?
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe
The Brazilian contingent:
Isael da Silva Barbosa
33, RW, Brazilian
Off contract at Ferencváros in Hungary, bit of a journeyman this guy. Left Brazil back in 2013 for Europe, played in Portugal for a bit, then a short spell in Russia before spending a good few years in Kazakhstan where he won 3 league titles, followed by 3 league titles in 3 seasons in Hungary. Has played against the big guns in the Champions League which could mean he has some great experience, but could also mean nothing (see Kopczynski...) Nix have had mixed results with their Brazilian imports, but a new Daniel would be very welcome.
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe, but a journeyman can be hard to judge
Lourency
25, RW, Brazilian
Is off contract at Gil Vicente in the Portuguese top flight having played the full season, scoring 5 and assisting 1 in 34 games. Is still a young player at 25 and Gil are only his second full time club, having come through at Chapecoense. Interestingly, he was meant to be on the 2016 Chapecoense charter flight that crashed and tragically killed 71 people, but stayed home to compete in a youth tournament for the club. He's not the most prolific player, but 68 games in the Potuguese top flight over two seasons is impressive and great experience (Tyler Boyd anyone?).
Is he better than Uli? - Not sure. He could be, but is still young.
Heberty
32, RW, Brazilian
Now this guy would be a gamble. He's off contract at Bangkok United after 8? seasons in the Thai league. He's the all time top scorer in the Thai league with 130 goals in 190 games for 5 different teams. He left Brazil back in 2012 for Japan and has been in Asia ever since. Definitely would be a gamble to pick this guy up, would rather grab someone from the J-League or something if we're looking to Asian clubs.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably not, seems like a big fish in a small pond, although the Thai league is ranked above the A-League in the AFC Coefficient.
Wellington Nem
29, RW, 3 Caps Brazil
Off contract at Fortaleza in the Brazilian top flight, only joined in March but the club have the option to extend based on his performance. Looks unlikely that they will though as he doesn't seem to have registered an appearance for them. In fact, looks like he might not have played since 2019, having missed the entire 19/20 season. Former Shaktar man who's won 3 Ukrainian league titles, 2 Ukrainian cup titles and 1 Copa do Brazil back in 2012. Looks like he did his cruciate ligament in 2017 which has probably majorly impacted his career since. Would definitely be a risk to sign but come on, what a name he has. Wellington in Wellington? He'll be selling jerseys by the truck-full.
Is he better than Uli? - Pure Talent? Yes. Ability today? Maybe not, he's missed a lot of time post injury and there's a reason his valuation is a 10th of what it was a few years ago.
The Peruvians:
Paolo Hurtado
30, AM, 38 Caps 2 Goals Peru
Currently a free agent after leaving Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian first tier. Came to NZ back in 2017 but didn't feature against the All Whites. He's spent the majority of his career in Portugal playing for Vitória de Guimarães and Paços Ferreira. He was actually at Vitória at the same time as Tyler Boyd but left for Turkey the season before Boyd broke into the first team. They've played against each other once in Turkey but only for 18 minutes. Hurtado seems to have been pretty injury prone the last few seasons which is probably why he went to Bulgaria and is now without a club. If fit he could be decent, but missing large chunks of the last few seasons isn't too promising.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably not. Back in his Portugal days he would've been, but I don't see it now.
Not Uli replacements but thought I should mention that Wilder Cartagena and more importantly Yoshimar Yotún are both off contract. They both came to NZ for the playoff game and are DMs. Cartagena is leaving Godoy Cruz from the Argentine top flight, is only 26 and has 5 caps for Peru. Yotún is off contract at CD Cruz Azul, with whom he just won Liga MX. He's 31, still starts for Peru and has 91 caps and 3 goals. He's pretty unlikely as a Devlin replacement but would be an incredible signing, here's hoping he fell in love with Aotearoa à la Stevie T. Would probably be too expensive too but worth a look at least.
Realistically the club probably aren't even looking at any of these players but it's always a bit of fun to speculate. Here's hoping whoever we pick up is class though, 2021/22 is our year after all. COYN!
Yesús Cabrera
30, AM, Colombian
Mentioned by someone on the Nix Fans Facebook pages. Cabrera is off contract at Club América in Colombia and is highly rated. Has interest from Junior FC in Colombia and from Turkey. Pretty unlikely we'll snap him up as his América exit is due to wage disputes, but I'm not familiar with the Colombian football pay rate so maybe a marquee wage compares?
Is he better than Uli? - Probably
The Mexican contingent:
Marco Fabián
31, AM, 43 Caps 9 Goals Mexico
Off contract at FC Juárez, Fabián is an incredibly talented player who's won a case full of trophies. He's won the Gold Cup, DFB Pokal, Copa MX, CONCACAF Champions League and an Olympic Gold Medal. Didn't make the Mexico squad that came to NZ in 2013. Main stumbling block for the Nix - Fabián was being paid over $2m USD a season in 2019 in the MLS, well out of our budget.
Is he better than Uli? - Yes
Carlos Vela
32, RW, 72 Caps 19 Goals Mexico
Yeah, this one is pretty unrealistic. He'll be off contract from LAFC in December but could go earlier as he's been struggling with injuries. One of the best ever MLS players and would likely be one of the best A-League players ever too. Despite the unlikeliness he has expressed his desire to come to Australia previously. Reckon he'd likely be destined for Sydney or Melb City if he came to the A-League though.
Is he better than Uli? - Definitely
Ángel Sepúlveda
30, RW, 8 Caps 2 Goals Mexico
Off contract at Querétaro FC of Liga MX, although it's unclear who owns him. Transfermarkt says he moved to QFC from Club Tijuana but it sounds like the Xolos might still own him? Hard to nail down his contract situation but it sounds like Querétaro are keen to keep him if they can. Looks like a very solid Liga MX player and is highly rated by Querétaro fans from what I can see. His 8 caps and 2 goals for Mexico came in 2016/17 back when Uli was a bit-part player for Santos Laguna.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably
Luis Ángel Mendoza
31, RW, Mexican
A soon to be free agent as he is to leave Mazatalán FC (Liga MX) this month. He was part of the Mexico squad that came to NZ in 2013 but never ended up getting a cap. Has only ever played for Mexican teams, winning the Liga MX Apertura and Clausura in 2014/15 with Club América and Santos Laguna respectively. Was actually a teammate of Uli's at Santos Laguna, playing 12 games together. Mendoza scored 1 and assisted 2 in those games whilst Uli scored 3. Nicknamed "Quick" with a blistering 83 pace on FIFA21.
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe, but I wouldn't be certain.
Carlos Peña
31, CM/AM/RM, 19 Caps 2 Goals Mexico
Is set to leave CD FAS in El Salvador so soon to be a free agent. Was part of that 2013 Mexico squad and played in Welly. More of a CM but has been playing as an AM for FAS, winning the league title in 20/21. In 2017 he left Mexico for Rangers and is regarded as a bit of a flop over there, but he's reinvigorated his career since returning to Central America. Still, Uli was a flop in India and look how he turned out for us, Rangers gotta be a little better to flop at than Delhi Dynamos right?
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe
The Brazilian contingent:
Isael da Silva Barbosa
33, RW, Brazilian
Off contract at Ferencváros in Hungary, bit of a journeyman this guy. Left Brazil back in 2013 for Europe, played in Portugal for a bit, then a short spell in Russia before spending a good few years in Kazakhstan where he won 3 league titles, followed by 3 league titles in 3 seasons in Hungary. Has played against the big guns in the Champions League which could mean he has some great experience, but could also mean nothing (see Kopczynski...) Nix have had mixed results with their Brazilian imports, but a new Daniel would be very welcome.
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe, but a journeyman can be hard to judge
Lourency
25, RW, Brazilian
Is off contract at Gil Vicente in the Portuguese top flight having played the full season, scoring 5 and assisting 1 in 34 games. Is still a young player at 25 and Gil are only his second full time club, having come through at Chapecoense. Interestingly, he was meant to be on the 2016 Chapecoense charter flight that crashed and tragically killed 71 people, but stayed home to compete in a youth tournament for the club. He's not the most prolific player, but 68 games in the Potuguese top flight over two seasons is impressive and great experience (Tyler Boyd anyone?).
Is he better than Uli? - Not sure. He could be, but is still young.
Heberty
32, RW, Brazilian
Now this guy would be a gamble. He's off contract at Bangkok United after 8? seasons in the Thai league. He's the all time top scorer in the Thai league with 130 goals in 190 games for 5 different teams. He left Brazil back in 2012 for Japan and has been in Asia ever since. Definitely would be a gamble to pick this guy up, would rather grab someone from the J-League or something if we're looking to Asian clubs.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably not, seems like a big fish in a small pond, although the Thai league is ranked above the A-League in the AFC Coefficient.
Wellington Nem
29, RW, 3 Caps Brazil
Off contract at Fortaleza in the Brazilian top flight, only joined in March but the club have the option to extend based on his performance. Looks unlikely that they will though as he doesn't seem to have registered an appearance for them. In fact, looks like he might not have played since 2019, having missed the entire 19/20 season. Former Shaktar man who's won 3 Ukrainian league titles, 2 Ukrainian cup titles and 1 Copa do Brazil back in 2012. Looks like he did his cruciate ligament in 2017 which has probably majorly impacted his career since. Would definitely be a risk to sign but come on, what a name he has. Wellington in Wellington? He'll be selling jerseys by the truck-full.
Is he better than Uli? - Pure Talent? Yes. Ability today? Maybe not, he's missed a lot of time post injury and there's a reason his valuation is a 10th of what it was a few years ago.
The Peruvians:
Paolo Hurtado
30, AM, 38 Caps 2 Goals Peru
Currently a free agent after leaving Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian first tier. Came to NZ back in 2017 but didn't feature against the All Whites. He's spent the majority of his career in Portugal playing for Vitória de Guimarães and Paços Ferreira. He was actually at Vitória at the same time as Tyler Boyd but left for Turkey the season before Boyd broke into the first team. They've played against each other once in Turkey but only for 18 minutes. Hurtado seems to have been pretty injury prone the last few seasons which is probably why he went to Bulgaria and is now without a club. If fit he could be decent, but missing large chunks of the last few seasons isn't too promising.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably not. Back in his Portugal days he would've been, but I don't see it now.
Not Uli replacements but thought I should mention that Wilder Cartagena and more importantly Yoshimar Yotún are both off contract. They both came to NZ for the playoff game and are DMs. Cartagena is leaving Godoy Cruz from the Argentine top flight, is only 26 and has 5 caps for Peru. Yotún is off contract at CD Cruz Azul, with whom he just won Liga MX. He's 31, still starts for Peru and has 91 caps and 3 goals. He's pretty unlikely as a Devlin replacement but would be an incredible signing, here's hoping he fell in love with Aotearoa à la Stevie T. Would probably be too expensive too but worth a look at least.
Realistically the club probably aren't even looking at any of these players but it's always a bit of fun to speculate. Here's hoping whoever we pick up is class though, 2021/22 is our year after all. COYN!
Maybe a tiny bit generous on the comparisons to Dávila though. His career circumstances and primary-playmaking playstyle didn't really allow him to unlock his talent, but it was certainly there all this time - just hasn't been in the right situations, what with being in the Chelsea loan machine and all.
Still remember when Yótun elbowed Reid in the spine back in 2017. A red given here and we coulda been in Russia....
Good research but the rumor is that the club is talking to a South American player so not a Mexican.
Bring Back Toto Football!
Excellent work, Friar Tuck, it would be interesting to see what comes out of our quest to replace El Mago Uli.
Thought I'd have a go at some wild speculation about who our Uli replacement could be, limited it to South/Central Americans because of the rumours that the player we're talking to is from there. There's a whole bunch of options, none of whom we'll likely sign but hey, might as well throw some names in the hat.
Yesús Cabrera
30, AM, Colombian
Mentioned by someone on the Nix Fans Facebook pages. Cabrera is off contract at Club América in Colombia and is highly rated. Has interest from Junior FC in Colombia and from Turkey. Pretty unlikely we'll snap him up as his América exit is due to wage disputes, but I'm not familiar with the Colombian football pay rate so maybe a marquee wage compares?
Is he better than Uli? - Probably
The Mexican contingent:
Marco Fabián
31, AM, 43 Caps 9 Goals Mexico
Off contract at FC Juárez, Fabián is an incredibly talented player who's won a case full of trophies. He's won the Gold Cup, DFB Pokal, Copa MX, CONCACAF Champions League and an Olympic Gold Medal. Didn't make the Mexico squad that came to NZ in 2013. Main stumbling block for the Nix - Fabián was being paid over $2m USD a season in 2019 in the MLS, well out of our budget.
Is he better than Uli? - Yes
Carlos Vela
32, RW, 72 Caps 19 Goals Mexico
Yeah, this one is pretty unrealistic. He'll be off contract from LAFC in December but could go earlier as he's been struggling with injuries. One of the best ever MLS players and would likely be one of the best A-League players ever too. Despite the unlikeliness he has expressed his desire to come to Australia previously. Reckon he'd likely be destined for Sydney or Melb City if he came to the A-League though.
Is he better than Uli? - Definitely
Ángel Sepúlveda
30, RW, 8 Caps 2 Goals Mexico
Off contract at Querétaro FC of Liga MX, although it's unclear who owns him. Transfermarkt says he moved to QFC from Club Tijuana but it sounds like the Xolos might still own him? Hard to nail down his contract situation but it sounds like Querétaro are keen to keep him if they can. Looks like a very solid Liga MX player and is highly rated by Querétaro fans from what I can see. His 8 caps and 2 goals for Mexico came in 2016/17 back when Uli was a bit-part player for Santos Laguna.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably
Luis Ángel Mendoza
31, RW, Mexican
A soon to be free agent as he is to leave Mazatalán FC (Liga MX) this month. He was part of the Mexico squad that came to NZ in 2013 but never ended up getting a cap. Has only ever played for Mexican teams, winning the Liga MX Apertura and Clausura in 2014/15 with Club América and Santos Laguna respectively. Was actually a teammate of Uli's at Santos Laguna, playing 12 games together. Mendoza scored 1 and assisted 2 in those games whilst Uli scored 3. Nicknamed "Quick" with a blistering 83 pace on FIFA21.
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe, but I wouldn't be certain.
Carlos Peña
31, CM/AM/RM, 19 Caps 2 Goals Mexico
Is set to leave CD FAS in El Salvador so soon to be a free agent. Was part of that 2013 Mexico squad and played in Welly. More of a CM but has been playing as an AM for FAS, winning the league title in 20/21. In 2017 he left Mexico for Rangers and is regarded as a bit of a flop over there, but he's reinvigorated his career since returning to Central America. Still, Uli was a flop in India and look how he turned out for us, Rangers gotta be a little better to flop at than Delhi Dynamos right?
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe
The Brazilian contingent:
Isael da Silva Barbosa
33, RW, Brazilian
Off contract at Ferencváros in Hungary, bit of a journeyman this guy. Left Brazil back in 2013 for Europe, played in Portugal for a bit, then a short spell in Russia before spending a good few years in Kazakhstan where he won 3 league titles, followed by 3 league titles in 3 seasons in Hungary. Has played against the big guns in the Champions League which could mean he has some great experience, but could also mean nothing (see Kopczynski...) Nix have had mixed results with their Brazilian imports, but a new Daniel would be very welcome.
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe, but a journeyman can be hard to judge
Lourency
25, RW, Brazilian
Is off contract at Gil Vicente in the Portuguese top flight having played the full season, scoring 5 and assisting 1 in 34 games. Is still a young player at 25 and Gil are only his second full time club, having come through at Chapecoense. Interestingly, he was meant to be on the 2016 Chapecoense charter flight that crashed and tragically killed 71 people, but stayed home to compete in a youth tournament for the club. He's not the most prolific player, but 68 games in the Potuguese top flight over two seasons is impressive and great experience (Tyler Boyd anyone?).
Is he better than Uli? - Not sure. He could be, but is still young.
Heberty
32, RW, Brazilian
Now this guy would be a gamble. He's off contract at Bangkok United after 8? seasons in the Thai league. He's the all time top scorer in the Thai league with 130 goals in 190 games for 5 different teams. He left Brazil back in 2012 for Japan and has been in Asia ever since. Definitely would be a gamble to pick this guy up, would rather grab someone from the J-League or something if we're looking to Asian clubs.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably not, seems like a big fish in a small pond, although the Thai league is ranked above the A-League in the AFC Coefficient.
Wellington Nem
29, RW, 3 Caps Brazil
Off contract at Fortaleza in the Brazilian top flight, only joined in March but the club have the option to extend based on his performance. Looks unlikely that they will though as he doesn't seem to have registered an appearance for them. In fact, looks like he might not have played since 2019, having missed the entire 19/20 season. Former Shaktar man who's won 3 Ukrainian league titles, 2 Ukrainian cup titles and 1 Copa do Brazil back in 2012. Looks like he did his cruciate ligament in 2017 which has probably majorly impacted his career since. Would definitely be a risk to sign but come on, what a name he has. Wellington in Wellington? He'll be selling jerseys by the truck-full.
Is he better than Uli? - Pure Talent? Yes. Ability today? Maybe not, he's missed a lot of time post injury and there's a reason his valuation is a 10th of what it was a few years ago.
The Peruvians:
Paolo Hurtado
30, AM, 38 Caps 2 Goals Peru
Currently a free agent after leaving Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian first tier. Came to NZ back in 2017 but didn't feature against the All Whites. He's spent the majority of his career in Portugal playing for Vitória de Guimarães and Paços Ferreira. He was actually at Vitória at the same time as Tyler Boyd but left for Turkey the season before Boyd broke into the first team. They've played against each other once in Turkey but only for 18 minutes. Hurtado seems to have been pretty injury prone the last few seasons which is probably why he went to Bulgaria and is now without a club. If fit he could be decent, but missing large chunks of the last few seasons isn't too promising.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably not. Back in his Portugal days he would've been, but I don't see it now.
Not Uli replacements but thought I should mention that Wilder Cartagena and more importantly Yoshimar Yotún are both off contract. They both came to NZ for the playoff game and are DMs. Cartagena is leaving Godoy Cruz from the Argentine top flight, is only 26 and has 5 caps for Peru. Yotún is off contract at CD Cruz Azul, with whom he just won Liga MX. He's 31, still starts for Peru and has 91 caps and 3 goals. He's pretty unlikely as a Devlin replacement but would be an incredible signing, here's hoping he fell in love with Aotearoa à la Stevie T. Would probably be too expensive too but worth a look at least.
Realistically the club probably aren't even looking at any of these players but it's always a bit of fun to speculate. Here's hoping whoever we pick up is class though, 2021/22 is our year after all. COYN!
Yesús Cabrera
30, AM, Colombian
Mentioned by someone on the Nix Fans Facebook pages. Cabrera is off contract at Club América in Colombia and is highly rated. Has interest from Junior FC in Colombia and from Turkey. Pretty unlikely we'll snap him up as his América exit is due to wage disputes, but I'm not familiar with the Colombian football pay rate so maybe a marquee wage compares?
Is he better than Uli? - Probably
The Mexican contingent:
Marco Fabián
31, AM, 43 Caps 9 Goals Mexico
Off contract at FC Juárez, Fabián is an incredibly talented player who's won a case full of trophies. He's won the Gold Cup, DFB Pokal, Copa MX, CONCACAF Champions League and an Olympic Gold Medal. Didn't make the Mexico squad that came to NZ in 2013. Main stumbling block for the Nix - Fabián was being paid over $2m USD a season in 2019 in the MLS, well out of our budget.
Is he better than Uli? - Yes
Carlos Vela
32, RW, 72 Caps 19 Goals Mexico
Yeah, this one is pretty unrealistic. He'll be off contract from LAFC in December but could go earlier as he's been struggling with injuries. One of the best ever MLS players and would likely be one of the best A-League players ever too. Despite the unlikeliness he has expressed his desire to come to Australia previously. Reckon he'd likely be destined for Sydney or Melb City if he came to the A-League though.
Is he better than Uli? - Definitely
Ángel Sepúlveda
30, RW, 8 Caps 2 Goals Mexico
Off contract at Querétaro FC of Liga MX, although it's unclear who owns him. Transfermarkt says he moved to QFC from Club Tijuana but it sounds like the Xolos might still own him? Hard to nail down his contract situation but it sounds like Querétaro are keen to keep him if they can. Looks like a very solid Liga MX player and is highly rated by Querétaro fans from what I can see. His 8 caps and 2 goals for Mexico came in 2016/17 back when Uli was a bit-part player for Santos Laguna.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably
Luis Ángel Mendoza
31, RW, Mexican
A soon to be free agent as he is to leave Mazatalán FC (Liga MX) this month. He was part of the Mexico squad that came to NZ in 2013 but never ended up getting a cap. Has only ever played for Mexican teams, winning the Liga MX Apertura and Clausura in 2014/15 with Club América and Santos Laguna respectively. Was actually a teammate of Uli's at Santos Laguna, playing 12 games together. Mendoza scored 1 and assisted 2 in those games whilst Uli scored 3. Nicknamed "Quick" with a blistering 83 pace on FIFA21.
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe, but I wouldn't be certain.
Carlos Peña
31, CM/AM/RM, 19 Caps 2 Goals Mexico
Is set to leave CD FAS in El Salvador so soon to be a free agent. Was part of that 2013 Mexico squad and played in Welly. More of a CM but has been playing as an AM for FAS, winning the league title in 20/21. In 2017 he left Mexico for Rangers and is regarded as a bit of a flop over there, but he's reinvigorated his career since returning to Central America. Still, Uli was a flop in India and look how he turned out for us, Rangers gotta be a little better to flop at than Delhi Dynamos right?
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe
The Brazilian contingent:
Isael da Silva Barbosa
33, RW, Brazilian
Off contract at Ferencváros in Hungary, bit of a journeyman this guy. Left Brazil back in 2013 for Europe, played in Portugal for a bit, then a short spell in Russia before spending a good few years in Kazakhstan where he won 3 league titles, followed by 3 league titles in 3 seasons in Hungary. Has played against the big guns in the Champions League which could mean he has some great experience, but could also mean nothing (see Kopczynski...) Nix have had mixed results with their Brazilian imports, but a new Daniel would be very welcome.
Is he better than Uli? - Maybe, but a journeyman can be hard to judge
Lourency
25, RW, Brazilian
Is off contract at Gil Vicente in the Portuguese top flight having played the full season, scoring 5 and assisting 1 in 34 games. Is still a young player at 25 and Gil are only his second full time club, having come through at Chapecoense. Interestingly, he was meant to be on the 2016 Chapecoense charter flight that crashed and tragically killed 71 people, but stayed home to compete in a youth tournament for the club. He's not the most prolific player, but 68 games in the Potuguese top flight over two seasons is impressive and great experience (Tyler Boyd anyone?).
Is he better than Uli? - Not sure. He could be, but is still young.
Heberty
32, RW, Brazilian
Now this guy would be a gamble. He's off contract at Bangkok United after 8? seasons in the Thai league. He's the all time top scorer in the Thai league with 130 goals in 190 games for 5 different teams. He left Brazil back in 2012 for Japan and has been in Asia ever since. Definitely would be a gamble to pick this guy up, would rather grab someone from the J-League or something if we're looking to Asian clubs.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably not, seems like a big fish in a small pond, although the Thai league is ranked above the A-League in the AFC Coefficient.
Wellington Nem
29, RW, 3 Caps Brazil
Off contract at Fortaleza in the Brazilian top flight, only joined in March but the club have the option to extend based on his performance. Looks unlikely that they will though as he doesn't seem to have registered an appearance for them. In fact, looks like he might not have played since 2019, having missed the entire 19/20 season. Former Shaktar man who's won 3 Ukrainian league titles, 2 Ukrainian cup titles and 1 Copa do Brazil back in 2012. Looks like he did his cruciate ligament in 2017 which has probably majorly impacted his career since. Would definitely be a risk to sign but come on, what a name he has. Wellington in Wellington? He'll be selling jerseys by the truck-full.
Is he better than Uli? - Pure Talent? Yes. Ability today? Maybe not, he's missed a lot of time post injury and there's a reason his valuation is a 10th of what it was a few years ago.
The Peruvians:
Paolo Hurtado
30, AM, 38 Caps 2 Goals Peru
Currently a free agent after leaving Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian first tier. Came to NZ back in 2017 but didn't feature against the All Whites. He's spent the majority of his career in Portugal playing for Vitória de Guimarães and Paços Ferreira. He was actually at Vitória at the same time as Tyler Boyd but left for Turkey the season before Boyd broke into the first team. They've played against each other once in Turkey but only for 18 minutes. Hurtado seems to have been pretty injury prone the last few seasons which is probably why he went to Bulgaria and is now without a club. If fit he could be decent, but missing large chunks of the last few seasons isn't too promising.
Is he better than Uli? - Probably not. Back in his Portugal days he would've been, but I don't see it now.
Not Uli replacements but thought I should mention that Wilder Cartagena and more importantly Yoshimar Yotún are both off contract. They both came to NZ for the playoff game and are DMs. Cartagena is leaving Godoy Cruz from the Argentine top flight, is only 26 and has 5 caps for Peru. Yotún is off contract at CD Cruz Azul, with whom he just won Liga MX. He's 31, still starts for Peru and has 91 caps and 3 goals. He's pretty unlikely as a Devlin replacement but would be an incredible signing, here's hoping he fell in love with Aotearoa à la Stevie T. Would probably be too expensive too but worth a look at least.
Realistically the club probably aren't even looking at any of these players but it's always a bit of fun to speculate. Here's hoping whoever we pick up is class though, 2021/22 is our year after all. COYN!
Maybe a tiny bit generous on the comparisons to Dávila though. His career circumstances and primary-playmaking playstyle didn't really allow him to unlock his talent, but it was certainly there all this time - just hasn't been in the right situations, what with being in the Chelsea loan machine and all.
Still remember when Yótun elbowed Reid in the spine back in 2017. A red given here and we coulda been in Russia....
Hearing Mirza Muratovic, the scorer of that goal we didn't see, has been training with Syd Olympic & they want to play him, give a kid who hasn't had much football some game time, but unable to get FA approval as it's not a transfer window & contracted till 30JUN #NPLNSW #aleague
— Tony Tannous (@TonyTannousTRBA) June 17, 2021
That gives me the impression that he won't be re-signing with us.
Hearing Mirza Muratovic, the scorer of that goal we didn't see, has been training with Syd Olympic & they want to play him, give a kid who hasn't had much football some game time, but unable to get FA approval as it's not a transfer window & contracted till 30JUN #NPLNSW #aleague
— Tony Tannous (@TonyTannousTRBA) June 17, 2021
That gives me the impression that he won't be re-signing with us.
Would be amazed if we'd offered him anything. He did 2 things all season and we didn't even see one of them
Hearing Mirza Muratovic, the scorer of that goal we didn't see, has been training with Syd Olympic & they want to play him, give a kid who hasn't had much football some game time, but unable to get FA approval as it's not a transfer window & contracted till 30JUN #NPLNSW #aleague
— Tony Tannous (@TonyTannousTRBA) June 17, 2021
That gives me the impression that he won't be re-signing with us.
Hearing Mirza Muratovic, the scorer of that goal we didn't see, has been training with Syd Olympic & they want to play him, give a kid who hasn't had much football some game time, but unable to get FA approval as it's not a transfer window & contracted till 30JUN #NPLNSW #aleague
— Tony Tannous (@TonyTannousTRBA) June 17, 2021
That gives me the impression that he won't be re-signing with us.
Would be amazed if we'd offered him anything. He did 2 things all season and we didn't even see one of them
More than Ngoy did. Lost the ball less.
Hearing Mirza Muratovic, the scorer of that goal we didn't see, has been training with Syd Olympic & they want to play him, give a kid who hasn't had much football some game time, but unable to get FA approval as it's not a transfer window & contracted till 30JUN #NPLNSW #aleague
— Tony Tannous (@TonyTannousTRBA) June 17, 2021
That gives me the impression that he won't be re-signing with us.
Would be amazed if we'd offered him anything. He did 2 things all season and we didn't even see one of them
2 goals in 305 minutes (3 starts). He is a striker who was being played out of position in the wide #10 role, so isn't a surprise he didn't do anything eye catching. Waine's breakthrough came at his expense tbh.
I wouldn't be shocked if he scores a ton of goals dropping down to the NPL and he bounces back into the A-League in a couple of seasons.
Hearing Mirza Muratovic, the scorer of that goal we didn't see, has been training with Syd Olympic & they want to play him, give a kid who hasn't had much football some game time, but unable to get FA approval as it's not a transfer window & contracted till 30JUN #NPLNSW #aleague
— Tony Tannous (@TonyTannousTRBA) June 17, 2021
That gives me the impression that he won't be re-signing with us.
Would be amazed if we'd offered him anything. He did 2 things all season and we didn't even see one of them
More than Ngoy did. Lost the ball less.
Ngoy was worse for sure. Neither of them A-League quality from what I saw.
I'd like us to keep hold of Mirza, he could be a useful squad player to cover the wide midfielder roles, I'd dump Ngoy, he may have done well in the pre-season stuff but clearly not up to a-league standard.
What happened to McGarry? He started off well but seemed to fall out of flavour. Any chance for him next season?
What happened to McGarry? He started off well but seemed to fall out of flavour. Any chance for him next season?
With all due respect, that is pinning a lot of blame on one guy.
Davila missed a penalty against Perth. Would we be in top six if Hemed was allowed to take it instead? Are we happy to let Davila go as a result?
McGarry is a decent player on the left and does not cost us a visa. He may not have a natural role at the moment with the lineup Talay employs, but I would be prefer him to stay and be involved.
What happened to McGarry? He started off well but seemed to fall out of flavour. Any chance for him next season?
With all due respect, that is pinning a lot of blame on one guy.
Davila missed a penalty against Perth. Would we be in top six if it Hemed was allowed to take it instead? Are we happy to let Davila go as a result?
McGarry is a decent player on the left and does not cost us a visa. He may not have a natural role at the moment with the lineup Talay employs, but I would be prefer him to stay and be involved.
Pre- Taylor and post-Taylor. While you’re coming in strong with your opinions, I agree that Sutton has concentrated better on defense or seems more defensively solid. I think there was one game where McGarry got injured/fatigued and didn’t shut down a player in the box and we lost. I think Uffie trusts Sutts more at the moment.
That said it was Sutton’s give away for Perth’s equalizer and Lewis has also been tardy closing down in the midfield for a couple too. Lots of players with blame across the season, even Devlin.
With McGarry, as a fan, I wanna see more of the rocket shooting and it come to fruition. He fair crushed that shot.
What happened to McGarry? He started off well but seemed to fall out of flavour. Any chance for him next season?
With all due respect, that is pinning a lot of blame on one guy.
Davila missed a penalty against Perth. Would we be in top six if it Hemed was allowed to take it instead? Are we happy to let Davila go as a result?
McGarry is a decent player on the left and does not cost us a visa. He may not have a natural role at the moment with the lineup Talay employs, but I would be prefer him to stay and be involved.
All I'll say is that there's a reason why Uffie chucked in an unproven midfielder at LB and stuck with him instead of trusting McGarry.
I think a big difference was also Sutton got to play with Taylor, McGarry largely didn't.
McGarry and Sutton are both raw with plus and minuses... it will be interesting over the off season who maybe does the added work to get their nose in front for the start of the season.
McGarry and Sutton are both raw with plus and minuses... it will be interesting over the off season who maybe does the added work to get their nose in front for the start of the season.
I think a big difference was also Sutton got to play with Taylor, McGarry largely didn't.
McGarry and Sutton are both raw with plus and minuses... it will be interesting over the off season who maybe does the added work to get their nose in front for the start of the season.
McGarry and Sutton are both raw with plus and minuses... it will be interesting over the off season who maybe does the added work to get their nose in front for the start of the season.
Agreed, compare the sentiment for Tim Payne before and after Taylor got back into things. People were saying Payne wasn’t good enough or cost a goal a game, and then that changed to people reckoning that Taylor/Payne could be our best central-defensive duo ever. There’s no doubt that Taylor being there helped Sutton, and would’ve helped McGarry, positioning-wise and also just general confidence in their own ability.
All things point to the huge importance of Taylor to our fortunes while he remains fit and enthusiastic.
I think a big difference was also Sutton got to play with Taylor, McGarry largely didn't.
McGarry and Sutton are both raw with plus and minuses... it will be interesting over the off season who maybe does the added work to get their nose in front for the start of the season.
McGarry and Sutton are both raw with plus and minuses... it will be interesting over the off season who maybe does the added work to get their nose in front for the start of the season.
Agreed, compare the sentiment for Tim Payne before and after Taylor got back into things. People were saying Payne wasn’t good enough or cost a goal a game, and then that changed to people reckoning that Taylor/Payne could be our best central-defensive duo ever. There’s no doubt that Taylor being there helped Sutton, and would’ve helped McGarry, positioning-wise and also just general confidence in their own ability.
If Laws is retained he could end up pushed forward as a DM, especially if Devlin leaves. Plenty of backup CBs if say 2 of McGing, TAHW & Devere are kept on. I'm sure Uffie will have a plan, but Laws after all is a bit of an aryan Steinmann lookalike.
Since we haven't heard much on the Uli replacement I'll throw a name out there that is a free agent. Adryan Oliveira Tavares. He is similar to Uli that he was meant to be the next big thing but hasn't quite made it to his full potential yet. Has played youth level for Brazil and a free kick specialist. His style of play has been compared to that of Brazilian compatriot Kaka, due to his skill and ability. May be out of our price range but dreams are free
Since we haven't heard much on the Uli replacement I'll throw a name out there that is a free agent. Adryan Oliveira Tavares. He is similar to Uli that he was meant to be the next big thing but hasn't quite made it to his full potential yet. Has played youth level for Brazil and a free kick specialist. His style of play has been compared to that of Brazilian compatriot Kaka, due to his skill and ability. May be out of our price range but dreams are free
Being reported by the same "journo" who broke the Hooper news the other week that we have signed a new import. Announcement imminent.. (per Facebook)
Being reported by the same "journo" who broke the Hooper news the other week that we have signed a new import. Announcement imminent.. (per Facebook)
Link? speculation? Sauce? Position?
Being reported by the same "journo" who broke the Hooper news the other week that we have signed a new import. Announcement imminent.. (per Facebook)
Exciting
Being reported by the same "journo" who broke the Hooper news the other week that we have signed a new import. Announcement imminent.. (per Facebook)
Exciting
Being reported by the same "journo" who broke the Hooper news the other week that we have signed a new import. Announcement imminent.. (per Facebook)
Exciting
Prob Castro from Glory
Being reported by the same "journo" who broke the Hooper news the other week that we have signed a new import. Announcement imminent.. (per Facebook)
I haven't seen any tweets from Daniel Garb about it. The A-League Hub Twitter normally notices anything he says in his podcast appearances & they haven't said anything
He's suggesting Singh. Make of that what you will. Obviously I'd be incredibly stoked, but I would've thought that would be out of the question
He's suggesting Singh. Make of that what you will. Obviously I'd be incredibly stoked, but I would've thought that would be out of the question
Hugely surprising! Unless something to do with homesickness and we are getting him on loan? Am I right in saying he has been back to NZ a few times? Including once during the season?
Having Singh fill Davila's role would be huge though. That would mean 2 import slots being able to be used somewhere else like DM/CB/RB. That could be the key to us having a very strong squad next season
He's suggesting Singh. Make of that what you will. Obviously I'd be incredibly stoked, but I would've thought that would be out of the question
Hugely surprising! Unless something to do with homesickness and we are getting him on loan? Am I right in saying he has been back to NZ a few times? Including once during the season?
Having Singh fill Davila's role would be huge though. That would mean 2 import slots being able to be used somewhere else like DM/CB/RB. That could be the key to us having a very strong squad next season
He’s in Auckland right now, been doing some work at the pre-Olympic camp being held at St Kentigern College last week and this week. He’s the only non-Australia/NZ based player there so make of that what you will. I also don’t think it’s that far-fetched tbh, his Bayern days are done, because he’s not planned for the first team, and with the amateurs being relegated they are cutting that team up a lot as well. His time at 1.FC Nürnberg could have put other European teams off as well.
He's been back twice from my understanding. Be great for him to come back though I'd imagine Bayern aren't just going to gift him to us. Probably some sort of loan fee and we'd pay his (now increased) wages. Still that would be great for us.
Hopefully for him too. Get some stability, choose to stick around a year or two and then try his hand at Europe again
Hopefully for him too. Get some stability, choose to stick around a year or two and then try his hand at Europe again
He's suggesting Singh. Make of that what you will. Obviously I'd be incredibly stoked, but I would've thought that would be out of the question
Hugely surprising! Unless something to do with homesickness and we are getting him on loan? Am I right in saying he has been back to NZ a few times? Including once during the season?
Having Singh fill Davila's role would be huge though. That would mean 2 import slots being able to be used somewhere else like DM/CB/RB. That could be the key to us having a very strong squad next season
He’s in Auckland right now, been doing some work at the pre-Olympic camp being held at St Kentigern College last week and this week. He’s the only non-Australia/NZ based player there so make of that what you will. I also don’t think it’s that far-fetched tbh, his Bayern days are done, because he’s not planned for the first team, and with the amateurs being relegated they are cutting that team up a lot as well. His time at 1.FC Nürnberg could have put other European teams off as well.
Isnt Libby here as well?
Singh had one more season on his deal, I'm sure he will be able to pick up another loan in the 2nd tier on the back of the Olympics.
He's suggesting Singh. Make of that what you will. Obviously I'd be incredibly stoked, but I would've thought that would be out of the question
Hugely surprising! Unless something to do with homesickness and we are getting him on loan? Am I right in saying he has been back to NZ a few times? Including once during the season?
Having Singh fill Davila's role would be huge though. That would mean 2 import slots being able to be used somewhere else like DM/CB/RB. That could be the key to us having a very strong squad next season
He’s in Auckland right now, been doing some work at the pre-Olympic camp being held at St Kentigern College last week and this week. He’s the only non-Australia/NZ based player there so make of that what you will. I also don’t think it’s that far-fetched tbh, his Bayern days are done, because he’s not planned for the first team, and with the amateurs being relegated they are cutting that team up a lot as well. His time at 1.FC Nürnberg could have put other European teams off as well.
Isnt Libby here as well?
Singh had one more season on his deal, I'm sure he will be able to pick up another loan in the 2nd tier on the back of the Olympics.
Not anymore no, he played in a preseason friendly for Sint Truiden yesterday
He's suggesting Singh. Make of that what you will. Obviously I'd be incredibly stoked, but I would've thought that would be out of the question
Hugely surprising! Unless something to do with homesickness and we are getting him on loan? Am I right in saying he has been back to NZ a few times? Including once during the season?
Having Singh fill Davila's role would be huge though. That would mean 2 import slots being able to be used somewhere else like DM/CB/RB. That could be the key to us having a very strong squad next season
He’s in Auckland right now, been doing some work at the pre-Olympic camp being held at St Kentigern College last week and this week. He’s the only non-Australia/NZ based player there so make of that what you will. I also don’t think it’s that far-fetched tbh, his Bayern days are done, because he’s not planned for the first team, and with the amateurs being relegated they are cutting that team up a lot as well. His time at 1.FC Nürnberg could have put other European teams off as well.
Isnt Libby here as well?
Singh had one more season on his deal, I'm sure he will be able to pick up another loan in the 2nd tier on the back of the Olympics.
Good point about the Olympics. Singh will feature prominently for us and we have 3 winnable games + a potential knockout fixture (or 2!?!?!). He will be in the shop window for sure.
Bayern Munich "product" + youngish + starred* at u24 tournament? There will be a loooad of European suitors for him.
Homesickness being the only factor that could point to him coming home.
He's suggesting Singh. Make of that what you will. Obviously I'd be incredibly stoked, but I would've thought that would be out of the question
edit: worth mentioning he never namechecked Hooper, he just claimed he was referring to Hooper after the fact when he initially said we were signing an import with "major European experience"