Summer Transfer Window (2024/25)

[The_Steve]

1 hour ago, allani said:

The fact that we seem to have specifically asked about him suggests that Emery has a plan.

Unai isn’t looking for players who hold one traditional position. Iling-Junior and Maatsen can play across the line, as the midfield will rotate a lot. We don’t know about the long term for Emi and JJ. We can play Rogers as a 10/SS but AJ just leaves us short. Heck, even Moussa played three positions last season. We are going to end up with a more versatile, stronger, and dynamic squad that will play various roles for the long seasons ahead. 

Edited June 21 by The_Steve

[nick76]

9 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

Heck, even Moussa played three positions last season.

Chris Heck is in our squad as well?

[wishywashy]

It's funny as this deal is one you can only really judge a few years down the line, depending on how Iling Jr and Barrenechea develop. It could either be the coup of the century by Villa or the coup of the century by Juventus.

High risk, high reward games by Monchi and Emery.

Edited June 21 by wishywashy

[allani]

5 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Chris Heck is in our squad as well?

He's a handy DCM apparently...

[OutByEaster?]

45 minutes ago, allani said:

Illing offers more width than Ramsey or Rogers do.

He does - but I would think that bringing the width there would be the responsibility of the full back - it'll be Maatsen that brings the width and we'll be looking for the other two to come inside and play in the channel with the full back outside them. I don't see Illing as pushing Maatsen for starting in that role and I'm not sure of his ability in coming inside like Ramsey and Rogers do. It'll be interesting to see how we use him.

 

[OutByEaster?]

1 hour ago, allani said:

The fact that we seem to have specifically asked about him suggests that Emery has a plan.

The rumour that we seem to have specifically asked him does suggest that - I'm left wondering who we're planning to sell. 

[allani]

1 minute ago, OutByEaster? said:

He does - but I would think that bringing the width there would be the responsibility of the full back - it'll be Maatsen that brings the width and we'll be looking for the other two to come inside and play in the channel with the full back outside them. I don't see Illing as pushing Maatsen for starting in that role and I'm not sure of his ability in coming inside like Ramsey and Rogers do. It'll be interesting to see how we use him.

It is intriguing because it definitely seems like we were really keen on signing them both.  I'm not quite sure what it means in terms of outgoings or our lineup / tactics next season but Illing seems to have been targetted as more than our third choice.  Even though I am gutted about Luiz leaving I'm actually feeling pretty excited about the rest of the window / start of the season.  Which is a very pleasant change!!!

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

21 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

Heck, even Moussa played three positions last season. 

Just another reason why I'll never understand the hate for a man so multitalented.

Baddum....

[Jas10]

14 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Chris Heck is in our squad as well?

 

1 minute ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Just another reason why I'll never understand the hate for a man so multitalented.

Baddum....

Greedy git… wants a player’s wage on top of everything else!!

[OutByEaster?]

28 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

Unai isn’t looking for players who hold one traditional position. Iling-Junior and Maatsen can play across the line, as the midfield will rotate a lot. We don’t know about the long term for Emi and JJ. We can play Rogers as a 10/SS but AJ just leaves us short. Heck, even Moussa played three positions last season. We are going to end up with a more versatile, stronger, and dynamic squad that will play various roles for the long seasons ahead. 

I agree - we're picking up a lot of talent and it's not all going to be on the pitch at the same time - assuming we continue with a four at the back that goes to a three with the left back playing in attack when we have the ball, and assuming we have one out and out striker in Watkins, those four spots in between are going to get very competitive. We mostly played with two in the middle in Kamara and Luiz and that's an area we need to address - but there will be big choices between McGinn/Bailey/Tielemans/Ramsey/Rogers/Diaby/Buendia and maybe Illings for what will most likely only be two spaces.

If you compare it to the squad at Christmas, we've lost Zaniola and replaced him with Rogers, Ramsey, Buendia and Illings - and there's still talk of more to come!

But also, I'm sure it's obvious but I'm hopeless at acronyms - who is AJ?

[paul514]

47 minutes ago, allani said:

If it is pointless then why - according to pretty much every media outlet in Italy and most reputed transfer "experts" - was Soule the first player we asked Juventus about?  Obviously it's not a definite fact that that happened but it is as close to a fact as you can possibly get.

I said foolish but pointless also sums it up. I don’t care if everyone said it or even if the club actually asked for him, we have too many players for those roles 

[Tommo_b]

You know with swap deals where you are losing the better player…. I always wonder, do we as a club actually want the players in the deal?

Greatest swap deal I can ever recall with Carew in replace of Baros, and I quite liked Baros but Carew, what a signing.

[OutByEaster?]

Having too many good players in places for us to figure out how exactly we're going to use all of them is one of the nicest problems we've had in a long time.

 

[allani]

2 minutes ago, paul514 said:

I said foolish but pointless also sums it up. I don’t care if everyone said it or even if the club actually asked for him, we have too many players for those roles 

Being pedantic you said foolish and pointless (once at the start and once at the end).    It seems odd to me too - and if it was just another random Twitter / press link I would ignore / dismiss it for the exact reason you mention above.  But if he was the first player we mentioned to Juve out of their entire squad then there must be some kind of plan that we're not seeing.  Emery's not Sherwood.... 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

1 minute ago, OutByEaster? said:

Having too many good players in places for us to figure out how exactly we're going to use all of them is one of the nicest problems we've had in a long time.

 

Indeed.

To.offset our " worries " we need to try and remember how quickly injury crisis can strike, as well as the reality of just how many games we will.actually be playing if we plan to compete on all fronts.

[Indigo]

1 hour ago, allani said:

I'm not unhappy with Tielemans / Barkley as our Luiz replacement.  But we need someone to play the Kamara role OR change our formation somehow so that Luiz / Kamara (in defence) is replaced with maybe three?  I'm not quite sure how that would work but it would kind of fit with links like Gallagher whose closer to Luiz (with better defensive stats) than Kamara (with better passing stats).  I'm not sure I am convinced.  But I am sure that Emery / Monchi have a plan.

Yeah I agree, I think we already had a bit of an issue just with the profile of players in midfield in terms of the squad, and the glass half full view on Luiz leaving is that in replacing him that can also be addressed. I think between Tielemans and Barkley you have players that can offer the kind of skillset that Luiz does, but we need someone that can ideally both cover for Kamara in his absence and also play alongside him when he returns. It's why I like the idea of Fofana so much because I think he ticks every box necessary from the positions he can play in, his overall quality, but also bringing an athleticism we kind of lack in that part of the pitch relative to a lot of other sides. If not literally him I think someone in that mould would be perfect to round out the midfield.

[turvontour]

7 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

Having too many good players in places for us to figure out how exactly we're going to use all of them is one of the nicest problems we've had in a long time.

 

I'd basically forgotten about both Rogers and Ramsey the other day when thinking about the team, which is ridiculous. They both could be so exciting next season. Just shows how many good players we now have as depth. 

[nick76]

10 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

Having too many good players in places for us to figure out how exactly we're going to use all of them is one of the nicest problems we've had in a long time.

 

Glad we have Emery to have this problem who will get the best out of it because Southgate struggles with England with the same issue

[S-Platt]

I think we are adopting what Brighton do sign players you don't see in the first team often and each year sell a big name and have a ready made replacement used to emeryball who slots in seamlessly.

[Zatman]

1 hour ago, Tommo_b said:

You know with swap deals where you are losing the better player…. I always wonder, do we as a club actually want the players in the deal?

Greatest swap deal I can ever recall with Carew in replace of Baros, and I quite liked Baros but Carew, what a signing.

I think with links before that we did want McKennie and probably Iling but the new addition im not sure. Unless we gave Juventus a list of players before we want and they picked 2

Think I remember us involved 3 swaps and we got the better in 2 of them Baros/Carew and Adomah/Traore. The Ireland one was a weird one all around as somebody must have wanted him