Summer Transfer Window (2024/25)

[Awol]

7 minutes ago, ferguson1 said:

I think Watkins and Martinez staying injury free for most of the season is absolutely key to any decent cup run and top six finish. We just don’t have the quality to cope at present if either are missing for a prolonged period. However, we must be wanting another CB before the window slams shut. Starting the season with only three fit CB’s is very risky, perhaps even careless. I don’t think we will though but could be close to deadline day perhaps.

I cannot imagine Villa going into our first champions league campaign for over 40 years, unprepared. Not with the ownership and management we have. NSWE bought the club for this exact opportunity, nothing will be left to chance on their side. By the end of the window I’m certain we’ll be ready. 

[ferguson1]

1 minute ago, Awol said:

I cannot imagine Villa going into our first champions league campaign for over 40 years, unprepared. Not with the ownership and management we have. NSWE bought the club for this exact opportunity, nothing will be left to chance on their side. By the end of the window I’m certain we’ll be ready. 

I agree, but wonder if we’ll now see a few “outs” over the next week or two and then a clever loan or two incoming towards the end of the window. 

Just have a feeling we may not see any further actual spending this window? Could all depend on who leaves us though. Squad certainly needs trimming down at present.

[Kiwivillan]

2 hours ago, HeyAnty said:

We’re up shit creek without a paddle if Walkins gets injured.  We were so lucky last year that he didn’t.  Archer is nowhere near a CL level striker 

Arsenal don't have a proper striker and where in the title race until we beat them away. There's been arguments last two seasons that City play better without Haaland. You're basically doubting Emery

[Awol]

8 minutes ago, ferguson1 said:

I agree, but wonder if we’ll now see a few “outs” over the next week or two and then a clever loan or two incoming towards the end of the window. 

Just have a feeling we may not see any further actual spending this window? Could all depend on who leaves us though. Squad certainly needs trimming down at present.

We’re not far off evens spending wise, there will be a transfer kitty available mate. I think you’re right that the last few weeks of the window could get busy though. 

[HeyAnty]

29 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

Arsenal don't have a proper striker and where in the title race until we beat them away. There's been arguments last two seasons that City play better without Haaland. You're basically doubting Emery

How am I doubting Emery?  If anything im saying Emery is good because he knew Archer wouldnt be a top forward and let him go.  If 15m bid came in tomorrow morning he’d be gone again 

 

[HalfTimePost]

11 hours ago, villa82 said:

I would rather have Digne, Kamara, Luiz and Zaniolo. would rather have our first 11 last season than the one we currently have now. We have better coverage now, and we still have Kamara, so maybe it's not fair to mention him. 
 

Of all our purchases so far, only Onana is an important improvement. Maatsen replaces one of our strongest positions. I don't see the need for Illing, the same can perhaps be said about Jaden, if we also bring in Felix. Except that we can make money from them by selling them. Barkley is ok, Enzo also seems to be a good buy. But we have spent over 70 million on Maatsen, Gobbin, Illing, Jaden without much need for them, if we don't sell Digne/Moreno. Our squad is too big as it is, need to sell and only buy players who strengthen the first team.

Completely agree.

I'm a big fan of the signings we've made in Onana, Maatsen and Philogene-Bidace, but they don't solve our issues from last year for the most part

[Captain_Townsend]

10 minutes ago, HalfTimePost said:

Completely agree.

I'm a big fan of the signings we've made in Onana, Maatsen and Philogene-Bidace, but they don't solve our issues from last year for the most part

Maybe I am a bit old school but the way I see it, the squad of 23-24 delivered our best season in 28 years. People here are underestimating how good our squad of 23-24 was.

Yes we have absolutely bought in some very good players and Maatsen looks like an upgrade. But as things stand it is a big ask for say Onana to step in and match the levels of Luiz and Philogene to match the output of Diaby and that is before we get ro rumours of Duran (Archer?) Or Carlos. 

If it all clicks then great but no guarantees and we absolutely need a sort of 9/10 hybrid player to cover Watkins and shadow striker.

Edited July 31 by Captain_Townsend

[Aston_Villan4]

11 hours ago, villa82 said:

I would rather have Digne, Kamara, Luiz and Zaniolo. would rather have our first 11 last season than the one we currently have now. We have better coverage now, and we still have Kamara, so maybe it's not fair to mention him. 
 

Of all our purchases so far, only Onana is an important improvement. Maatsen replaces one of our strongest positions. I don't see the need for Illing, the same can perhaps be said about Jaden, if we also bring in Felix. Except that we can make money from them by selling them. Barkley is ok, Enzo also seems to be a good buy. But we have spent over 70 million on Maatsen, Gobbin, Illing, Jaden without much need for them, if we don't sell Digne/Moreno. Our squad is too big as it is, need to sell and only buy players who strengthen the first team.

You really don’t see the point of Maatsen?

[Kiwivillan]

1 hour ago, HeyAnty said:

How am I doubting Emery?  If anything im saying Emery is good because he knew Archer wouldnt be a top forward and let him go.  If 15m bid came in tomorrow morning he’d be gone again 

 

Saying we're up shit creek if Watkins were to get injured is doubting Emery. How do Arsenal compete for title with no Watkinsesque striker? It's the sum of all parts

[Anything11]

No signings in a minute and we have started the "we suck" train.

Like clockwork.

[bose]

We’re definitely not finished. There are four weeks left of the window. We need a Disney replacement and hopefully a defender. We still need to shift some players as well. Wouldn’t surprise me if we get someone that’s been hardly mentioned.

[jacketspuds]

18 minutes ago, bose said:

We’re definitely not finished. There are four weeks left of the window. We need a Disney replacement and hopefully a defender. We still need to shift some players as well. Wouldn’t surprise me if we get someone that’s been hardly mentioned.

We definitely need to get Aladdin to replace Diaby.

[bose]

8 minutes ago, jacketspuds said:

We definitely need to get Aladdin to replace Diaby.

I refuse to edit that!

[VillaJ100]

11 minutes ago, jacketspuds said:

We definitely need to get Aladdin to replace Diaby.

You'll be wishing on a star for that. However so long as we don't get a player like Bambi on Ice, or a proper Dumbo, it could be a real Cinderella story 

[Tayls]

Even more convinced that this isn’t a good transfer window so far. Desperately need players for a couple of positions - namely striker and CB. 

Edited August 1 by Tayls

[abdulaziz1]

4 minutes ago, Tayls said:

Even more convinced that this isn’t a good transfer windows so far. Desperately need players for a couple of positions - namely striker and CB. 

Striker could come if we sold Duran, otherwise we can’t get one. 
So far it’s very good, Jaden and Iling won’t be much worse than Zaniolo last season (who was playing a good amount of minutes). We still have Buendia, Ramsey to be added. Rogers hasn’t began last season with us as well. 
We’re clearly better in that aspect. Then as individuals I can’t say Onana is better than Luiz, but how we’ve ended last season, a midfield of Onana and Tielemans is better than Luiz and Tielemans (or McGinn). Kamara can’t be included. I think the argument can come that Luiz is a better midfield with Kamara which I’d agree but that not a case to be discussed this season. No DM with Kamara quality will come knowing he’ll not be starting. We’ve done well to cover with an ok choices. Enzo could turn to a very good player and Barkley had a good season. Both are cheap and will not have issues not starting. 

[abdulaziz1]

18 hours ago, villa82 said:

I would rather have Digne, Kamara, Luiz and Zaniolo. would rather have our first 11 last season than the one we currently have now. We have better coverage now, and we still have Kamara, so maybe it's not fair to mention him. 
 

Of all our purchases so far, only Onana is an important improvement. Maatsen replaces one of our strongest positions. I don't see the need for Illing, the same can perhaps be said about Jaden, if we also bring in Felix. Except that we can make money from them by selling them. Barkley is ok, Enzo also seems to be a good buy. But we have spent over 70 million on Maatsen, Gobbin, Illing, Jaden without much need for them, if we don't sell Digne/Moreno. Our squad is too big as it is, need to sell and only buy players who strengthen the first team.

So Zaniolo was from our first eleven? We’re clearly much worse without Kamara, if he hadn’t started last season I don’t think we’d have made Europe let alone CL. 
Our best XI last season was:

Martinez

Cash* Konsa Torres Digne

McGinn Luiz Kamara Tielemans

Bailey Watkins

(It’s arguable as Carlos played in our best performances and he was bad mostly when played with Lenglet). 

So in reality it’s only Luiz the issue, change him with Onana and the quality should still look good. The main issue which makes us weaker is Kamara, but that’s not our choice. Whet we’ve done is minimizing the issues we’ll have during his absence. 

Digne is still here, and even with him we’ve been rotating depending on who we play. 

Yes we’re short on CB, an attacker added could give us better chances, but we are definitely better than last season Villa (post Man Utd game). 
The regress started last season, I’m glad that our board didn’t think we’re hood just because we’ve made it to the CL without going into all factors. This won’t guarantee another big success, still lot of work to do, but we clearly done a huge job.

[abdulaziz1]

I’ve been asked by some friends who support Al-Ittihad about Diaby, I told them it’s a good deal for us, not because he’s bad but because of two main things.

1-PSR issues which makes it hard to keep players who’d get a good profit for us at the bench.

2-We have a better player (atleast raised his level high) than him in Bailey. Then the fact that we don’t play two wingers. For Diaby he’s better at tactics like Klopp with Liverpool when he had Salah, Firmino and Mane. So we probably won’t see his best with our tactics (which we can’t blame Unai playing it, we can’t change the whole plan for one player). 

[picicata]

4 hours ago, VillaJ100 said:

You'll be wishing on a star for that. However so long as we don't get a player like Bambi on Ice, or a proper Dumbo, it could be a real Cinderella story 

We already have one of those, he got sent off last night

[Leeroy]

IMO, we still need:

• A Diaby replacement (not Philogene because he's a winger and Emery seemingly liked to play Diaby as a second striker) - this player for me would be Felix, there are no other rumours to players, I'd love Alvarez from Man City but absolutely no links to him.
• A centre forward - Duran will go, I guess bringing someone in here will depend if we can also offload Archer as well as Duran. It could be Beier, Mateta, whoever, but someone to backup Watkins. Beier would be my choice, or Gimenez but no links to him.
• A central defender - Diego Carlos isn't good enough, I've said this for ages, and in the friendly against Leipzig he once again showed how brainless he is. But we also have just Konsa, Torres and Carlos because Mings is probably months off being fit. If we sell Carlos we arguably need 2 new central defenders. There are lots of players we could target, some of whom can play in multiple positions which would be ideal - Hermoso, Thiaw, Todibo, Hincapie, Anderson, Diomande, Diakite, Geertruida . Even someone like Joe Gomez could be a decent pickup if Liverpool are happy to sell at a decent price.

 

The squad doesn't seem balanced at all. We have three senior left backs and only one senior right back. We have multiple players who have played most of their career on the left wing (Iling Jr, Ramsey, Philogene, Rogers) but only one player who is an out and out right winger (Bailey). We are stacked in central midfield with 5 players who can play there even with Kamara being injured, but in central defence we literally have three fit players and one of them (Konsa) will probably play at right back and is still not in the squad for these friendlies because of international duty! We are just totally imbalanced I think which is why when I predict finishing 8th and people have a go at me there are your reasons, the squad just doesn't look right to me, we have too many players and clearly need to offload some of them, and we are taking too long to bring players in that we need. 

 

I'd say we are 3-4 players away from being ready but given the lack of movement I think we are trying to get players out the door before bringing any more in. If this is the case and we can't shift those players then we go into the season in worse shape than we did going into last season. 

Edited August 1 by Leeroy