WPM 2021/22 Squad Speculation, Confirmation and Mutual Termination

Remember, they can't play until Jan 14th. So don't get your hopes up too high

at least if they arrive soon they can train with the squad and learn the system, so  come Jan 4 they are ready to make an impact.

Ufuks the man

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Must be Dos Santos as Rollo said before can play 6 and 10

wilbaker

Ufuks the man

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Must be Dos Santos as Rollo said before can play 6 and 10

Would be a signing and a half if that came off! But am now thinking that this is a good possibility. Damn you Rollo, just tell us! 🥺

if its him thats a sick as signing

Out of the mexicans playing in the MLS that play central midfield, it could be Dos Santos, Pizzaro or Eduardo López but it could also just be a Mexican from a different league travelling by LA...

wilbaker

Out of the mexicans playing in the MLS that play central midfield, it could be Dos Santos, Pizzaro or Eduardo López but it could also just be a Mexican from a different league travelling by LA...

And likely someone not getting much playing time of late, as reportedly a loan deal. Could be a younger player on fringes of 1st team football, MLS or Liga MX.

But Uffie has made it clear, they will be match fit, so they can hopefully make an immediate impact, regular season being 38% over before they play a game.

Just great another injury prone import by way of the MLS. Yep that's a massive step up from what we can find else where.

Poco

Just great another injury prone import by way of the MLS. Yep that's a massive step up from what we can find else where.

You an international player's agent Royz? Sounds like you are completely all over what options Nix have out there in the market, within their budget.

You're a negative idiot.

The article listed says (using Google translate)...
 

“After having finalized his contract with the LA Galaxy, the name of Jonathan dos Santos has sounded strongly in the MX League and in the MLS, although the Mexican midfielder could surprise more than one with his probable destiny, when approaching the Australian league 

The Australian press announced that Wellington Phoenix is ​​close to signing a Mexican footballer, and later it was announced that he would come from Los Angeles, and everything points to the youngest of the dos Santos brothers who is a free agent after having finished his contract with the Galaxy. 

Wellington Phoenix already has good experience with Mexican elements as they had midfielder Ulises Dávila in their ranks for 2 years, who became an idol of the fans and was even named best player in the A-League. 

In recent months, the Australian championship has shown interest in adding more Mexicans, since the name of Carlos Vela has also come up to be in the League.” 

 A grasping at straws rumour maybe

Anyone else listen to the Bill Tuiloma interview on SENZ?
General MLS chit chat..
At the end he was asked You left at such a young age, kiwis didnt get a chance to see you play.. Any plans to come back home soon? For Xmas?
Bill got very awkward and said "Um, yea, um well have to see after this.. After the game. And uh figure out what's the plan. But yea, we'll see.

Don't take his words at face value.. as I appreciate it can be interpreted in a few meaningless ways. The key is how he was how caught off guard he was at the easiest question.

https://www.sen.com.au/programs/baz-and-izzy-for-breakfast/

Someone has updated Jonathan dos Santos' wiki to add us.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_dos_Santos

Honestly if we picked up him and his brother Gio, we'd be an absolutely terrifying team in the League.

JdS is a holding midfielder, not an attacking midfielder. His brother GdS is pure box-office attacker though.

Balbi

Someone has updated Jonathan dos Santos' wiki to add us.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_dos_Santos

An anonymous spark user in Wellington, could be someone in the know, or could be (more likely would be) someone having a laugh.

The Onefootball article (Link Here) Dougie had is pure speculation based on a tweet from Rollo, and even Rollo's responses to his own tweet indicate it may not be Dos Santos (although that last tweet is very ambiguous, is the him Pizzuto or Dos Santos?)

I'd love Dos Santos, but I won't get my hopes up at this stage. Worth noting he was on US$2,000,000 last season at the galaxy, even if he took a third of that pay, that would be NZ$1,000,000 per season (say $600,000 for the part season). I don't know if Welnix are in a position to drop that kind of cash on this season given the cost of operating out of Sydney, no home matches etc etc

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Wasn't the reported closed guy to being signed a visa AM on loan?

So whatever wages this visa AM (Mexican?) is on now, might be a bit moot if is a loan deal.

Some trainspotting shows that Davila and Giovani dos Santos were actually in the Mexico squad together 10 years ago at 2011 Copa America. So they know each other, maybe enough for phone call about the Nix/A League.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2011/07/13/south-america/copa-america/uruguay/mexico/1049148/

FYI - doubt it's Eugenio Pizzuto, but he hasn't made a match day squad for Lille this Ligue 1 season. That's after 9 bench appearances last Ligue 1 season.

Well if a 36 year old Giovanni Dos Santos worked a treat for my Leyton Orient save some many iterations of Football Manager years ago, I have no doubt the same will apply to the Wellington Phoenix in real life.

Ufuks the man

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 ooh he's absolute quality

Gael Sandoval; he's been playing regularly in Liga MX so should be match fit and Liga MX is a step up in quality from the A League, so looks promising.
He's not a noted goal scorer.
Also we Irish have always called ourselves Gaels - hence Gaelic is the adjective for all things Irish. So I'm taking that as a good omen.

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Isn't Instagram how we confirm all player movements nowadays? Thought I'd just go straight to the source.

Will let you all know if I get a reply. 

Follows Davila on Insta & someone reckons his 'Story' has him on a plane.

Seems more of a winger than a 10 or 6?

Definitely on the outer at Chivas though and they've been actively looking to loan him out:
https://www.archyde.com/two-chivas-de-guadalajara-footballers-are-removed-from-the-squad-on-the-first-day-of-preseason/

Googling news about him, there has been reports in Mexico that he was off to Greece.

RR

Follows Davila on Insta & someone reckons his 'Story' has him on a plane.

Looks like it's a Boeing 737, so perhaps it's a connecting flight to LA? I signed up to Instagram to stalk out these details! 😂

mrsmiis

Ufuks the man

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 ooh he's absolute quality

I mean, I'd love this. Lad's class. But he's 26, best years of his career - valued at ~€1mil Euros (Transfermarkt) but the A-League is a step down in quality from where he is. Why would he come? Surely we're not paying more?

Gael Sandoval has been loaned out quite a few times during his time at Guadalajara. So most likely is him.

Magnificentman

Gael Sandoval has been loaned out quite a few times during his time at Guadalajara. So most likely is him.

Another link maybe is that Guadalajara was Davila’s original MX club. And I think his home town, where his wife went back to, to have their baby.

TreeFiddy

mrsmiis

Ufuks the man

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 ooh he's absolute quality

I mean, I'd love this. Lad's class. But he's 26, best years of his career - valued at ~€1mil Euros (Transfermarkt) but the A-League is a step down in quality from where he is. Why would he come? Surely we're not paying more?

He only appeared on the bench 7 times this season, for 52 minutes game time. The dude probably just wants to play some football.

Interesting to see where Talay sees him fitting in, on face value he's competing with Piscipo.

Ryan

Interesting to see where Talay sees him fitting in on face value he's competing with Piscipo.

He's a direct Davila replacement yeah? Makes our first choice front four- Hooper, Ball, Sandoval, Piscopo. 

RR

TreeFiddy

mrsmiis

Ufuks the man

Screenshot_20211208-125438_Twitter.jpg 157.25 KB

 ooh he's absolute quality

I mean, I'd love this. Lad's class. But he's 26, best years of his career - valued at ~€1mil Euros (Transfermarkt) but the A-League is a step down in quality from where he is. Why would he come? Surely we're not paying more?

He only appeared on the bench 7 times this season, for 52 minutes game time. The dude probably just wants to play some football.

 Worth noting that's mostly because of multiple injuries - seems many Chivas fans really like him but lament the fact he was never given a proper chance. Could be a star for us

JP__3

Ryan

Interesting to see where Talay sees him fitting in on face value he's competing with Piscipo.

He's a direct Davila replacement yeah? Makes our first choice front four- Hooper, Ball, Sandoval, Piscopo. 

Maybe, but he seems to have played most of his career as left-wing so he isn't normally a second striker or attacking mid.

Of course, what websites say and reality may be different.

Be good for McGarry and Sutton to have an experienced pro ahead of them 

Sandoval/Hooper/Waine/Ball front four please.

He is listed as a "left winger" so not too dissimilar from Davila; quite a bit younger and with less exposure to English speaking clubs.  If it comes off then it is a loan, so unlikely to be poached by Western Sydney, Macarthur or whoever.   

Ryan

JP__3

Ryan

Interesting to see where Talay sees him fitting in on face value he's competing with Piscipo.

He's a direct Davila replacement yeah? Makes our first choice front four- Hooper, Ball, Sandoval, Piscopo. 

Maybe, but he seems to have played most of his career as left-wing so he isn't normally a second striker or attacking mid.

Of course, what websites say and reality may be different.

Our front four roles are so free (and up for personal interpretation) that I doubt Sandoval's position on paper matters - Talay will play him in a role in which he feels comfortable. Reno's certainly no traditional AM either

Friar Tuck

Sandoval/Hooper/Waine/Ball front four please.

This looks reasonably strong on paper, with Waine and Sotirio (who imo is quite underrated considering his output) rotating depending on opposition

Sandoval’s most recent Instagram story post has him eating at an Argentinian restaurant in Guadalajara. The friend he was eating with posted a separate story post wishing Sandoval “much success in what comes”.