This team needs two midfielders, one of them a DM.
Also, a top top CF + a mature CB with leadership qualities.. these positions are urgent
We really miss a Kjaer-like figure, for sure. I also think someone like Florenzi actually helped us a lot, in the Scudetto year and in last year, in particular. Walker is a mixed bag, and he should be that role, but he's made too many mistakes for his words to resonate, I think.
On a more macro-level: I feel like all of our transfers the last few windows have "ticked off boxes" rather than being a coherent collection of players. Bondo, Pavlovic, RLC, Okafor, Sottil, Terra, etc etc they all just "tick off boxes" that we need a RB or a CM or whatever.
We need to create a team, a squad of players who serve roles. We play a 4231 but don't have a real CAM. If we push Reijnders in the CAM spot, then we have a problem of who to play next to Fofana, we also don't have anyone to replace Fofana if he's hurt or out-of-form. We don't have a Reijnders substitute, either.
Then if we put Pulisic at CAM, we have to rely on Chuk, and on and on.
I don't think Theo or Leao are leaders, they're not. They're great players, as long as they just have to do their individual job, but I don't think they can be true leaders. Mike is lauded, but it's hard when you're a GK. Walker tries, but again he makes a lot of mistakes. But we just lack the right profiles, the way the squad was built doesn't make sense, and then you look at the pieces you wonder what is the philosophy that got that player.
Like: why did we grab Gimenez when he's so bad at build-up and we play in a way (both Conceicao and Fonseca) who rely on build-up heavy strikers? And on and on.
We need someone who knows what we're looking for--how we want to play, what sorts of roles we need, and we clearly don't have that.