Summer Transfer Window (2024/25)

[HalfTimePost]

Not ideal, but he didn't get much game time last season, dropping down a League is good for him.

Ipswich were in League 1 14 months ago, so not like it's impossible he shows his worth over the next 12 months and is seen as a Top Championship quality player.

He is likely a PSR Pawn anyway, so game time is all that matters to see what we've got (or not)

[Aston_Villan4]

41 minutes ago, HalfTimePost said:

I'd probably cut the squad up as below.

With a number of the 4th Tier likely to become Key/Crucial players over the next year. If Rogers/Bailey perform like last year again, they probably move into the Konsa/McGinn tier too

With anybody in the 5th-7th Tiers I'd be happy to move on over the next 2 Years, Caveat'ing the younger players that hopefully we find a Gem or 2 in there that saves us a lot of money, but I expect many of that group will be gone by 2026/27

Untouchable  

• Martinez,
• Kamara,
• Watkins 

Crucial

• Konsa
• McGinn

Key Players

• Rogers
• Bailey
• Pau

Something to Prove (Stepping Up, New players & Injuries. Could easily be Key Players)

• Tielemans
• Onana
• Maatsen
• JJ
• Buendia
• Mings
• Duran

Squad, valuable but replaceable

• Digne
• Carlos
• Moreno
• Cash
• Barkley

Younger Players - Prove they can step up

• Kosta
• Philogene
• Barrenechea
• Iling-Junior
• Archer
• Bogarde
• Gauci

Immediately Sellable or Replaceable

• Olsen
• Dendoncker
• Hause

Only one I’d change is Tielemans. Up to key player as I think the latter half of last season he proved to be an important player for us.

[allani]

25 minutes ago, HalfTimePost said:

I'd probably cut the squad up as below.

With a number of the 4th Tier likely to become Key/Crucial players over the next year. If Rogers/Bailey perform like last year again, they probably move into the Konsa/McGinn tier too

With anybody in the 5th-7th Tiers I'd be happy to move on over the next 2 Years, Caveat'ing the younger players that hopefully we find a Gem or 2 in there that saves us a lot of money, but I expect many of that group will be gone by 2026/27

Untouchable  

• Martinez,
• Kamara,
• Watkins 

Crucial

• Konsa
• McGinn

Key Players

• Rogers
• Bailey
• Pau

Something to Prove (Stepping Up, New players & Injuries. Could easily be Key Players)

• Tielemans
• Onana
• Maatsen
• JJ
• Buendia
• Mings
• Duran

Squad, valuable but replaceable

• Digne
• Carlos
• Moreno
• Cash
• Barkley

Younger Players - Prove they can step up

• Kosta
• Philogene
• Barrenechea
• Iling-Junior
• Archer
• Bogarde
• Gauci

Immediately Sellable or Replaceable

• Olsen
• Dendoncker
• Hause

Without commenting on the specific placing of any of the individual names - what I would say is that having too many players in what you label Tier 1 or Tier 2 is just as dangerous as having too many players in Tiers 5, 6 and 7.  Avoiding Key Man Dependencies is critical to long term success.  You should be able to take any player out of the team / squad and it should have minimal impact.  In that regard the aim should be to not have anyone in Tier 1 or Tier 2 at all.

I know that's probably not what you mean and probably if you'd have avoided the term "tier" and suggesting players moving "up" or "down" between tiers it would have kept things a bit neater (for idiots like me).

PS - Having said that I wasn't going to comment on individual names I am.   For me McGinn is a slightly one.  By which I mean that mean Kamara comes back (and especially if we sign a SS) I think you can quite easily name a starting XI that doesn't include McGinn that is every bit as good (possibly even better) than a starting XI that does include McGinn.  So I'd question "Crucial" in terms of the team.  HOWEVER, that ignores a lot of the other stuff that McGinn brings to the team and to the squad and so from a squad / club perspective "Crucial" is much more appropriate. I hope that he goes straight from a playing career here to some other role within the club - I think he really embodies the "Villa spirit".

One of the reasons why I think we are stronger as a team and a squad after this window is that McGinn doesn't need to be on the pitch every minute of every game - which in turn means that when he is on the pitch he'll be fitter, have more energy and be even more motivated.

[TRO]

1 hour ago, thabucks said:

It’s the UEFA squad cost ratio I think we are gunna struggle with - that’s why we need to clear as much as we can off the wage bill. Fees can be amortised but it’s Donks £90k pw - Olsens £50k Carlos’ £100k - that’s £12mill alone in wages for players who don’t offer value to the squad.
 

Then you have Matty Cash on £70k + Moreno £35k + that’s another £5mill per year in dead wages. Or keep moreno as he’s on a low salary compared to Dignes £6mill per year. Archer will be on a low wage but still would sell for his career sake as much as the money he’d bring. So removing Donk, Carlos, Cash, Digne removes £20mill off the wage bill that’s the crux of it for me.

Out of that list only Carlos needs replacing with Geertruida able to cover both him and he’d command a whole lot less that the £170k pw in wages they command. 

I understand the practicalities regarding wage considerations, but it concerns me, when and if they trump, football considerations.

We need to retain our best players, or the bar drops as opposed to rising.

I still believe despite some convenient comments,on finances,  Unai sells players on the basis of still strengthening the squad....now some fans may not agree, this summer and that's fine.....but I still believe that.

[RicRic]

7 hours ago, Anything11 said:

Yes we have.

Why do you think its important that you as a fan need to see them play? You don't work for AVFC and it isn't your job

Who said we need these attributes? Do you understand Emerys requirements for the position? (Personally i would feel more comfortable with one but I don't manage the team)

Dougie was incredible for the first half of last season there is no doubt - outside of that especially the end of the season he was not performing at that level. We have improved our squad depth especially in the midfield. We won very important games last season with McGinn and Tielemans. We have improved on this with better players behind them.

A ball has not been kicked - we don't know if JPB will perform better or worse than Diaby. Indications are that Rogers or someone else will fill the 10 role anyhow.

 

People are crying and throwing the coming season in the bin the week before it has started. Last year we lost Buendia/Mings this week and got tonked by Newcastle. I am not blind I just have some perspective.

In no world can i see JPB being anywhere near as good as Diaby was for us … and i always rated JPB but maybe not so much for our level currently..Diaby was no world beater either but JPB will not be reaching those heights… at least for this season 

[John]

I think moving on the players that we need to won't be easy. Clubs don't want them and know we need to move them on, so they will be looking to fleece us in any deal they might consider doing. The players would rather stay with us or won't leave, unless they can get a similar salary or a longer contract somewhere else. So, if purchases are dependant on sales, we might struggle to do what we have planned to do in what is left of this window. 

As far as selling players at the end of next season is concerned, I think there is a lot of water to go under the bridge, before we look at doing that. Clearly as a club, we are tying to make public what a joke PSR is, although a lot of PL clubs don't care. Things may be slightly eased over the next 12 months and we will  be determined not to sell our prize assets to comply with these restrictive rules next year. So let's not talk about losing the likes of JJ and Kamara, until we know we will be forced to do so. Who knows we might find a hotel to sell..... 

[TRO]

2 hours ago, striker said:

You honestly believe this, like really? I’ve read what has been said but the numbers just don’t add up. If Villa were really that desperate to meet FFP and Luiz was such a key player why didn’t they sell Duran to West Ham or indeed McGinn to whoever?

Fact remains that Villa were being outmuscled and overpowered in certain games. Emery was constantly seen barracking Luiz from the touch line. Furthermore, Emery stated after the Palace game that he was impressed by the power of Palace.

Hence why Villa have targeted more physically athletic players this window to stop Villa being overrun again and they’re still doing it with more recent links.

Luiz was sold because he was the most replaceable asset to sell and not due to FFP.

Its a smokescreen to placate fans while Emery builds his own team!

I share your view, on this.

I also think that Unai, sees Tielemans as the skill replacement for Dougie.

Tielemans for me, is still goes a bit under the radar of being a fine, fine footballer......on his best form, he is up there with some of the best, Fernandes and Odegard.

I personally feel like you, it wasn't just a financial decision, it was a football one too....but maybe that wasn't going to be a popular shout.

Unai is very articulate, in what message he sends....but I am convinced he knows exactly the profile of team he has in his sights.

Edited August 14 by TRO

[paul514]

6 hours ago, WallisFrizz said:

Maybe not everyone gets really, really bored though. It still doesn’t have to resort to name calling and insults. All you end up with then is that people who might add to the discussion want to stay away.

I haven't posted much recently, I find the same cheerleading responses or trust responses boring and stupid for a fan forum.

[duke313]

Just now, John said:

I think moving on the players that we need to won't be easy. Clubs don't want them and know we need to move them on, so they will be looking to fleece us in any deal they might consider doing. The players would rather stay with us or won't leave, unless they can get a similar salary or a longer contract somewhere else. So, if purchases are dependant on sales, we might struggle to do what we have planned to do in what is left of this window. 

As far as selling players at the end of next season is concerned, I think there is a lot of water to go under the bridge, before we look at doing that. Clearly as a club, we are tying to make public what a joke PSR is, although a lot of PL clubs don't care. Things may be slightly eased over the next 12 months and we will  be determined not to sell our prize assets to comply with these restrictive rules next year. So let's not talk about losing the likes of JJ and Kamara, until we know we will be forced to do so. Who knows we might find a hotel to sell..... 

I think Carlos will go to Fulham, later in the month.  They seem somewhat off in their and Palace valuation in Andersen, so don't see it happening.  Wouldn't be surprised if its Andersen's agent trying to get him a new contract at Palace.

Donk will be harder to shift, a loan at best.

Moreno could go back to Spain. Don't see him getting much game time here this season.

Archer, who knows.  Hopefully a lower PL team panic buys before deadline.

Duran is here until January at least for some chaosball.

 

[allani]

1 hour ago, Lord Willard said:

Only way we get those kind of figures is if we get Champions league again. 

Not the only way.  There's still Atairos / the (good) shadow of Comcast to consider.  I think there are plans afoot to substantially change the value of Villa Park and its surroundings.  Obviously it is easier to do that WITH a successful a team at its centre.  However, we can dramatically improve revenues through other mechanisms than just prize money - it just needs a bit of a wider lens (funnily enough more into the areas that Nas, Atairos and Comcast specialise in).

[John]

1 minute ago, duke313 said:

I think Carlos will go to Fulham, later in the month.  They seem somewhat off in their and Palace valuation in Andersen, so don't see it happening.  Wouldn't be surprised if its Andersen's agent trying to get him a new contract at Palace.

Donk will be harder to shift, a loan at best.

Moreno could go back to Spain. Don't see him getting much game time here this season.

Archer, who knows.  Hopefully a lower PL team panic buys before deadline.

Duran is here until January at least for some chaosball.

 

You may well be right. I think Carlos is 50/50 and they may be using him as an option, if they can't get Palace to budge. Donk may get a loan, if we pay a large proportion of his salary. There is the pull of Spain for Moreno, but he may fancy the prospect of coming off the bench for a CL game here too. Archer might just be (with Rogers) our most reliable cover for Watkins) and Duran will sulk in the bomb squad, until he gets a move.  

[zak]

2 minutes ago, John said:

You may well be right. I think Carlos is 50/50 and they may be using him as an option, if they can't get Palace to budge. Donk may get a loan, if we pay a large proportion of his salary. There is the pull of Spain for Moreno, but he may fancy the prospect of coming off the bench for a CL game here too. Archer might just be (with Rogers) our most reliable cover for Watkins) and Duran will sulk in the bomb squad, until he gets a move.  

They just gave him the No.9 shirt.....

[TRO]

1 hour ago, CarryOnVilla said:

If I had my way to solving PSR, I’d have a performance related budget cap. If you won the league last season, your budget is the smallest and if you’re newly promoted, yours is the biggest, everyone else falls inbetween based upon league position.
 

but that wouldn’t be agreed on  

but sadly, that's a system of envy.

We have to incentivise, those that strive, drive and pursue, betterment.....without penalising those in the time capsule, who want to catch them.

Everyone deserves a chance, but those out in front, are there for a reason, and providing they have got there on sound ground and not cheating, they should be applauded.

We cannot de-incentivise progress...just to create, what appears to be a levelling up process, using restrictive rules.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

11 minutes ago, paul514 said:

I haven't posted much recently, I find the same cheerleading responses or trust responses boring and stupid for a fan forum.

Mate but this is just as hypocritical as what ppl labelled as " happy clappers " do.

It's either everyone can have an opinion or they can't.

The best we can do is go by the evidence of Unais tenure with us so far, and his record as a Manager, both of those things factually speak for themselves.

The rest of it, regardless of the side it falls on, is just personal opinion and nothing more.

So we can argue amongst ourselves as much as we want but currently the only fixed data are the facts until further notice 

[david-avfc]

1 hour ago, OutByEaster? said:

Our best route to success next summer is a training ground sponsor, new sponsors for the stadium, new partnerships, better sleeve sponsors, anything we can do to put an extra £80-100m on our revenues.

 

When you say new stadium sponsors I'm not sure if you mean stadium naming rights or just ad space inside the stadium. I'm sure Heck is trying to squeeze every penny but in the case of naming rights I don't think they are as lucrative as some people believe. We would have seen much more of it by now in the PL if it was a workable concept. Most stadiums (obviously including villa park) have real names and histories which makes renaming them relatively limited value for any other party involved, and its not the same as the US as they don't allow shirt sponsorship in the same way as we do (which is way more valuable). As for other stadium advertising / partners etc I'm sure it does up but it probably small fry in the grand scheme of things, the biggest thing we can do to help out financial position is to not make bad signings and handing out excessive contract offers, I don't think there is a silver bullet to solve all of our problems other than just operating better in the transfer market (which hopefully we are doing by mostly signing younger players and avoiding high fees for older players).

[RichiBoi11]

I really think people thinking Duran will either be part of a bomb squad, or will be sold in the next 17 days are going to be shocked come the end of the trasnfer window when he's still here and getting game time...

[John]

3 minutes ago, zak said:

They just gave him the No.9 shirt.....

Is it this season's though?

[RicRic]

5 hours ago, WallisFrizz said:

Bed wetters, pants wetters, weird fans. It’s all pathetic stuff, none of it harms but pathetic all the same and there’s been loads of it. Or just the passive aggressive laughing emojis when someone is trying to make a serious point (cue laughing emojis to this). 
I’ve never said we lost the transfer window so not sure your second sentence is aimed directly at me but there’s boring and repetitive on both sides. 
 

My actual stance is that I feel we’re weaker in the starting 11 but stronger in depth which will likely result in a slow start but a stronger finish.  My main concern is defence, we conceded loads of goals last season and I’m struggling to see that we’ve addressed that. For that reason, replacing Carlos with Geertruider excites me more that any attacking link we’ve got at the moment.

Well said brother, learned its best to ignore and leave those with rude reactions to do as they please… yes definitely agree  Geertruida providing that extra steel at the back is crucial and of course another high level operating attacker would be the icing on the cake.

[sne]

Spurs looking at £20m annually for the naming rights to their stadium. That's they type we are competing against. Would be great if we could get some money in to use for transfers and salaries going forward. Villa Park is always going to be Villa Park not matter if it has Fortress or Comcast or whatever added to the name.

[TRO]

2 hours ago, Philosopher said:

So this year we have SCR as well as PSR. SCR is wages to revenue ratio. The season after next PSR is being scrapped and SCR will apply to the premier league too. Diaby was on more than 150k per week. 

This means the highest earners going forward will be under scrutiny. If their performance levels don't match their wages, they will have to be sold.

This is why the club would much rather sell Digne than Moreno.

It's why Carlos needs to be sold in order to bring in Geertruida.

If we can sell Carlos, Digne and Donk, that gives us a lot of play financially.

I think that is a perfectly good maxim to adopt.....and I guess the quality of due diligence, will help avoid it.