Summer Transfer Window (2024/25)

[Jas10]

2 hours ago, Daulmakan said:

I reckon Hummels is still available. Free depth? Was almost head and shoulders with Schlotterbeck during the Champions.

No thanks, too old and slow and would get destroyed or found out with our high line. Not what we need at all imo. No longevity, we don’t need veterans.

Wishful thinking, but someone with a bit of everything and a good age so they can play for many seasons. Good in the air, strong, relatively quick, comfortable on the ball, tackles well, not error prone. A big ask

But we’d be better off with a younger player than a dusty old baller

[Hank Scorpio]

8 hours ago, Jas10 said:

Lads… we don’t have unlimited funds you know?

Indeed it's hilarious £60m on a defender. Do it now great, don't moan next summer when we have to sell Konsa Kamara or Watkins because of it 

[Jas10]

1 hour ago, MSvillain said:

In Emery we trust lads!!!!

[Jas10]

15 minutes ago, Hank Scorpio said:

Indeed it's hilarious £60m on a defender. Do it now great, don't moan next summer when we have to sell Konsa Kamara or Watkins because of it 

Well said Pissflaps.

[DakotaVilla]

Some people need to understand that real life is not football manager.

We are clearly trying to sell players for as much as we can and then trying to buy players at a valuation that we are happy with. Thats not just good business - it’s absolutely essential under PSR. 

In the market we are in we are probably waiting other clubs out re the valuation of our players - hopefully they get more desperate as time ticks down. 

And then the same applies re players we are trying to buy. As time ticks down if we are the only buyer the fee will fall (e.g. Felix) or salary demands may decrease (e.g. Hermoso) or we get a clearer view on the fitness of our own players (e.g. Mings).

We have a strong XI to put out v West Ham barring any last minute injuries so they won’t necessarily care about getting deals done for the sake of it before then. We are run by complete professionals now and they will wait as long as it takes to get the right players that they have identified at the right price - even if that means waiting until January.

Finally, realistically we just need a forward option and a defensive option and it will probably go down as one of our best windows ever considering the PSR limitations, Luiz sale requirement and serious squad depth issues we had last season. 
 

As Emery would say: “Calma, Calma”

[Leeroy]

45 minutes ago, mikeyp102 said:

Has this happened this yr though? 
 

Liverpool haven’t signed anyone, Newcastle haven’t strengthened, Spurs have brought young players. It’s a strange market this yr.

I agree some teams like Liverpool and spurs haven’t done much, but they also haven’t sold anyone important. Palace seem to be selling all their star players, so could see them regressing on last season.

 

But West Ham, Man Utd and Arsenal have all strengthened accordingly. Newcastle are about to sign Guehi and he will definitely improve them. We’ve added some top players but also sold a couple of big players and I’m unsure if our starting 11 is as good as last season let alone better.

[The_Steve]

Ideally, in the next 2 weeks we can shift Durán, Donk and one of Moreno or Digne, that gives us more room for squad registrations and new faces. 

[nick76]

23 minutes ago, Hank Scorpio said:

Indeed it's hilarious £60m on a defender. Do it now great, don't moan next summer when we have to sell Konsa Kamara or Watkins because of it 

Don’t think the £12m charge to the P&L from a transfer like that would be difference maker of whether we would have to sell one the players you mention pre June 30th 2025.

[Jas10]

 

[CarryOnVilla]

1 minute ago, Jas10 said:

 

 

I need a mandatory buy at the end please 

[allani]

9 hours ago, Jas10 said:

That’s a great point and something easily overlooked or forgotten.

The only question I have over a Pau and Konsa (love and rate both of them) is are they dominant and aerially proficient enough?

And if not, what is the solution? Seems like the short term one was Ezri at RB but we don’t know what the long term plan is.

Carlos was involved, particularly in the bigger/tougher games, for a reason.

Have better fullbacks to stop crosses arriving into the box.  If you look at some of the goals we conceded towards the end of the season the main issue was that Cash or Konsa weren't stopping the ball coming in at an angle that is much easier to attack as a forward than clear as a defender.  I think Maatsen will help on the left.  A quality RB would do similar.  Deal with the problem at source.

In terms of set pieces we'll already do better at defending set pieces with the addition of Onana, Enzo, Barkley, etc.  All got more height and significantly better aerial challenges stats than the players than our main departures.  Plus Emi B used to win a lot of headers despite his height.

The question is whether Ned is that RB or whether we need to bring in someone else and use Ned more sparingly.  However, I would want an upgrade on Carlos so that we're better able to give Konsa and Pau a break.  I'd also ideally like Konsa to play in one position (either RB or - preferably - CB) more consistently than last season when he seemed to move around too much between the two.  The question then is whether Mings will be back and how "back" he will be (i.e. compared to his ability pre-injury) and whether he can be our 4th senior CB option.

Personally I think I'd be looking to get a starting RB, allowing Ned time to settle and develop (but still playing / coming on regularly) and moving Konsa to CB.  Still leaves us needing a CB to replace Carlos and ideally a Monchi magic CB prospect who might be 5th choice this season (depending on Mings) but who would then be at a level where they would be interchangable with either Konsa or Pau - i.e. a Ned, Enzo, Rogers type buy.

[Captain_Townsend]

I would rather keep Digne than Moreno (despite being a fan of Moreno) bit Digne offers a defensive solidity and a wicked cross as an alternative to Maatsen (and Moreno).

Edited August 7 by Captain_Townsend
Typo!

[mikeyp102]

24 minutes ago, Leeroy said:

I agree some teams like Liverpool and spurs haven’t done much, but they also haven’t sold anyone important. Palace seem to be selling all their star players, so could see them regressing on last season.

 

But West Ham, Man Utd and Arsenal have all strengthened accordingly. Newcastle are about to sign Guehi and he will definitely improve them. We’ve added some top players but also sold a couple of big players and I’m unsure if our starting 11 is as good as last season let alone better.

Have Utd really strengthened? They have signed a young cb who is injured and even if wasn’t could take time to settle. Then they’ve signed a forward. Still have a hole in the middle of the field. 
 

West Hams squad has got bigger but with a new manager in I’m not sure how good they are. 
 

Newcastle haven’t signed Guehi yet, just like we haven’t signed Felix

[PaulMcGrath_5]

1 minute ago, Captain_Townsend said:

I would rather keep Digne than Moreno (despite being a fan of Moreno) bit Digne offers a defensive solidity and a wicket cross as an alternative to Maatsen (and Moreno).

[lexicon]

6 minutes ago, Captain_Townsend said:

I would rather keep Digne than Moreno (despite being a fan of Moreno) bit Digne offers a defensive solidity and a wicket cross as an alternative to Maatsen (and Moreno).

Same, but I guess one of them needs to go and it depends what the offers are. 

[peterw]

The thing to bear in mind when we get to this part of the transfer window and the 'elite' clubs and their players are on the move, is that its very much like buying a house. Let's take Felix for instance - and I'm not saying he's either joining us or close to joining us but using him as an example. Atletico may be willing sellers but they will probably looking to free up space and getting in the right target before sanctioning a move. That may be Alvarez, and it may also be Gallagher, once they're confirmed they may be able to let Felix to go, the buying club (us, whoever), may be waiting for a sale or two to go through before they are also able to complete#. The bigger the player, and the club, and the more one or two others are involved it can slow things down.

 

Also, the level of player we may be looking at is likely to have more than one option and they will understandably wait for the market to clear to see all of their options. Again, that may take weeks not days. 

[Leeroy]

27 minutes ago, mikeyp102 said:

Have Utd really strengthened? They have signed a young cb who is injured and even if wasn’t could take time to settle. Then they’ve signed a forward. Still have a hole in the middle of the field. 
 

West Hams squad has got bigger but with a new manager in I’m not sure how good they are. 
 

Newcastle haven’t signed Guehi yet, just like we haven’t signed Felix

I think they have improved a bit, we will disagree on this, they needed a CB and got one of the best young defenders in Europe and signing an exciting attacking player can’t hurt. They still need a CM though I agree.

 

True on your last paragraph, but they appear to be much closer to signing Guehi than we are to signing Felix. I imagine he gets announced for them very soon, probably this week.

[Leeroy]

1 hour ago, Hank Scorpio said:

Indeed it's hilarious £60m on a defender. Do it now great, don't moan next summer when we have to sell Konsa Kamara or Watkins because of it 

But Newcastle are doing it Hank and their revenue isn’t much higher than ours.

 

Bet they still don’t sell anyone important next summer either.

[OutByEaster?]

Digne has looked fit, sharp and lively in pre-season, I'd be disappointed to see him go.

Moreno seems to have come on and played as a winger in most games with Maatsen and Digne at fullback - I think he's much more likely to be the one moved on. 

 

[AshVilla]

1 hour ago, Jas10 said:

Let me guess no obligation to buy.