Summer Transfer Window (2024/25)

[Jas10]

Olise’s chosen Bayern… Chelsea missed out. Might accelerate the move for Duran…

who we signing next then?

[Aston_Villan4]

1 minute ago, Jas10 said:

Olise’s chosen Bayern… Chelsea missed out. Might accelerate the move for Duran…

who we signing next then?

Wouldn’t mind Zubimendi.

[Jas10]

Just now, Aston_Villan4 said:

Wouldn’t mind Zubimendi.

[Jas10]

Wonder if the Soler link resurfaces… relatively low cost. I think we’re gonna end up with an array of midfield options to make us stronger and more competitive in all competitions, and prevent suffering with injuries, fatigue and suspension so much. Especially for CL, we have to step up.

Expect a top class player (fill the void left by Dougie’s absence) to help run our midfield but that might come later when we can generate and have more freedom to spend funds.

In the meantime, we look for bargains that make the squad much stronger perhaps…

 

[wishywashy]

So far this window we're set to:

• Sign one of the Premier League's most inform players last season on the cheap (Barkley)
• Sign one of the most exciting LBs in the world, a CL finalist in the CL TOTS
• Sign two very-high potential prospects from Juventus
• Potentially avoid PSR sanctions

All for Luiz (who isn't signing a new contract) and likely Duran.

Not too shabby.

Edited June 21 by wishywashy

[nick76]

1 minute ago, wishywashy said:

So far this window we're set to:

• Sign one of the Premier League's most inform players last season on the cheap (Barkley)
• Sign one of the most exciting LBs in the world, a CL finalist in the CL TOTS
• Sign two very-high potential prospects from Juventus
• Potentially avoid PSR sanctions

All for Luiz (who isn't signing a new contract) and likely Duran.

Not too shabby.

Agreed but I would caveat “so far”.  If we don’t replace that hole Dougie has left then it’s a big problem imo but I’m sure we will.

[wishywashy]

4 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Agreed but I would caveat “so far”.  If we don’t replace that hole Dougie has left then it’s a big problem imo but I’m sure we will.

I imagine our pursuit of a marquee expensive midfielder like Gallagher means we're at least trying: even if it doesn't end up being him.

Him or Merino would be the icing on the cake.

 

Edited June 21 by wishywashy

[CarryOnVilla]

20 minutes ago, wishywashy said:

So far this window we're set to:

• Sign one of the Premier League's most inform players last season on the cheap (Barkley)
• Sign one of the most exciting LBs in the world, a CL finalist in the CL TOTS
• Sign two very-high potential prospects from Juventus
• Potentially avoid PSR sanctions

All for Luiz (who isn't signing a new contract) and likely Duran.

Not too shabby.

Monchi*

[Jas10]

Think we have to be careful not to get carried away with the Barkley signing… be surprised if he is any more than a useful member of the squad.

Certainly and absolutely does not replace Luiz and is not in the same class. He is going to be difficult to replace… so important, massive contributor and factor in our success. 

We need to sign a top class player of similar style…

[CarryOnVilla]

1 minute ago, Jas10 said:

Think we have to be careful not to get carried away with the Barkley signing… be surprised if he is any more than a useful member of the squad.

Certainly and absolutely does not replace Luiz and is not in the same class. He is going to be difficult to replace… so important, massive contributor and factor in our success. 

We need to sign a top class player of similar style…

Tbh, I have a feeling Emery is using Doug leaving as an opportunity to reinvent our midfield. I don’t think he’s going to go out and find a new “Doug” but is going to go for someone/players with a whole different profile than Doug and what we had last season 

[villaglint]

3 minutes ago, CarryOnVilla said:

Tbh, I have a feeling Emery is using Doug leaving as an opportunity to reinvent our midfield. I don’t think he’s going to go out and find a new “Doug” but is going to go for someone/players with a whole different profile than Doug and what we had last season 

We will see but I’d be surprised. Dougie was a very important part of a system that worked really well last season. Not seen him play but clips and reports make me feel Merino would be perfect as a more physical version of Luiz. Get the impression he wants to stay in Spain though and big teams there want him. 

[CarryOnVilla]

1 minute ago, villaglint said:

We will see but I’d be surprised. Dougie was a very important part of a system that worked really well last season. Not seen him play but clips and reports make me feel Merino would be perfect as a more physical version of Luiz. Get the impression he wants to stay in Spain though and big teams there want him. 

It worked until it didn’t. Our midfield was so utterly exposed by the later half of the season. It was almost comical in comparison to how it started. We all know why… but one injury shouldn’t have made it that bad. That needs to change. Having  midfield options that can work in different configurations is a key thing to make us better and fresher than what we were last season 

[Jas10]

11 minutes ago, CarryOnVilla said:

Tbh, I have a feeling Emery is using Doug leaving as an opportunity to reinvent our midfield. I don’t think he’s going to go out and find a new “Doug” but is going to go for someone/players with a whole different profile than Doug and what we had last season 

Just have to wait and see but I don’t think it’s going to be a radical change… for me, it’s evident that Unai highly values technically proficient players that can pass the ball so well. He evidently leaned on Dougie…

Kind of why we have Pau in defence too.

I don’t think he’s going to replace playmakers with high energy runners or pressers… just not the same thing and makes for a less appealing and attractive team or style of play (even if it can be effective, but that’s hard to sustain - also worth noting how Unai managed the squad and our style of play reduced the level of burnout. We ranked quite low in pressures and runs but… look how effective a team we were and the kind of opposition we beat or dominated) .

It’s about a certain degree of balance I would say… having the right mix or blend of players. Tinker rather than revolution size I think.

There are not many, if any, “complete” players around… you need a team that combine well and both complement/supplement each others attributes while making up for or counteracting the individual deficiencies…

For all the recent furore about where Dougie is lacking, there’s not been enough talk about where or what he is adept at and how other players (such as Bouba) make up for his “negatives” to allow his “positives” to shine… if that makes sense

I think we will still see silky football (possibly even more of it) and not give that up solely for a more aggressive or tenacious approach. We need different types of players.

[Jas10]

Just now, CarryOnVilla said:

It worked until it didn’t. Our midfield was so utterly exposed by the later half of the season. It was almost comical in comparison to how it started. We all know why… but one injury shouldn’t have made it that bad. That needs to change. Having  midfield options that can work in different configurations is a key thing to make us better and fresher than what we were last season 

We simply don’t have enough (purely) defensive players in the squad… and didn’t for ages until we actually signed Bouba. No other option was good enough or up to the task…

Had it not been for Dougie’s sale, that would have been the main or even sole priority and “weakness” to address. IMO anyway.

Hopefully Barrenechea is the start of that…

Had we had a proper alternative to Bouba last season, Dougie would not have struggled so much (although I think, like others, he struggled with both physical and mental fatigue like other players having played so much and so regularly. Heavily relied on) or had to change his role/position… but we didn’t. Cue the sales of Iroegbunam and, hopefully, Dendoncker. 
 

Hopefully, we won’t need to have players filling in as much as we did or going with “square pegs in round holes” once we are done with our transfer business.

[nick76]

3 minutes ago, CarryOnVilla said:

It worked until it didn’t. Our midfield was so utterly exposed by the later half of the season. It was almost comical in comparison to how it started. We all know why… but one injury shouldn’t have made it that bad. That needs to change. Having  midfield options that can work in different configurations is a key thing to make us better and fresher than what we were last season 

But we see how different City are without Rodri and they have abundance of talent and commentators put up the stats regularly of with and without Rodri.  Losing Kamara for us was a big blow imo and upset our flow.

[CarryOnVilla]

1 hour ago, Jas10 said:

Olise’s chosen Bayern… Chelsea missed out. Might accelerate the move for Duran…

who we signing next then?

I’m a little sad to see Olise leaving the Prem. always a fun watch on MOTD

[CarryOnVilla]

1 minute ago, nick76 said:

But we see how different City are without Rodri and they have abundance of talent and commentators put up the stats regularly of with and without Rodri.  Losing Kamara for us was a big blow imo and upset our flow.

That true. I also felt like that was the poorest Man City squad in a few seasons. 

just lacked that depth you expect from them. Rodri being out was a good example. But Man City were still largely effective without him, just not as much 

[Jas10]

9 minutes ago, CarryOnVilla said:

I’m a little sad to see Olise leaving the Prem. always a fun watch on MOTD

At least we’re not the only ones losing a key player for, probably, less than he’s actually worth.

If it was up to me, I’d weaken every other PL team

[CarryOnVilla]

Just now, Jas10 said:

At least we’re not the only ones losing a key player for, probably, less than he’s actually worth.

If it was up to me, I’d weaken every other PL team

Is it possible to weaken Man United any more than they are? 

[Monkeypuzzle]

I hope so, because they still beat us twice this season!