..... Not a huge improvement over the likes of Brown......
and for me that's the acid test - we don't need more "squad players". if we are to be title contenders we need three or four new players who will materally raise the level of our starting 11. We need to bring in new players who are consistently better than our current starters - our current starters may rise to the challenge to hang on to their places and good luck to them.
Personally I would prefer a smaller squad (say 20) with the salary savings being invested in better players.