Summer Transfer Thread: Speculation, Lies, Absolute Cr*p and Bosman Rumours

[PeterWithesShin]

Why would Ibrahimovich want to come here? No idea where this "link" has come from.

It must be hypothetical. I bet if he were actually linked most of the people saying "oh he's not a good team player" and so on would drown in their own excited drool.

It is all hypothetical.

And I wouldn't. There's something about him I just don't rate. The fact most Swedes can't stand him would also ring alarm bells. But as we'll never (thankfully) see him in a Villa shirt it doesn't really matter.

[PeterWithesShin]

Post number 10,000.

Ibrahimovic is a twunt.

[Dave]

And one of the very best players in the world.

And about three leagues above anyone we'll be signing.

We might as well debate whether we want to sign Sneijder or Ozil.

[paul_e]

And one of the very best players in the world.

And about three leagues above anyone we'll be signing.

We might as well debate whether we want to sign Sneijder or Ozil.

Ozil for me, can bring schweinstiger with him as well.

[JJ-AV]

We haven't had a forward player as good as Ibrahimovic in the past 20 years.

But he only had the one (successful) season at the best club side ever and ITV make a big deal out of him not scoring loads against English sides in the Champions League so he's clearly not good enough for us.


He is ten times the player Bent is. If he signs for an English club he'd be in the Aguero, Rooney and Van Persie bracket.

[tomd2103]

Ian Taylor quoted in the mail saying we need a central midfield general to replace Barry / Milner. 100% agree. But I still really don't have any ideas on who. Even if makoun comes good, I don't think he's that man. Gardner doesn't look able to do that (yet, hopefully, tho I have been a bit underwhelmed thus far).

I'm really not sure there is anyone gettable in England even if we do have a bit of cash. There must be a cabaye like player abroad, I just don't know who they are. Getting this signing right is probably the single most important signing this summer

There's a few in England who may be available (albeit with differing levels of ability): Song, Adam, Diame, Guthrie, Milner, Holden, Sandro, Frimpong...

I think most of those are better than anything we've got currently. Our midfield was one of the worst in the league last season, IMO.

I'd prefer us to get value abroad though, too.

I've mentioned him on the board before, but I rate James McCarthy at Wigan.  He has all the physical attributes of a top class midfielder, is decent on the ball and gets his foot in.  He is still only 22 / 23 so fits the bill of a young, dynamic midfielder.  If Gary Gardner progresses as hoped, McCarthy and him could be a top class midfield partnership for us in the future. 

I accept that it would be unpopular in certain quarters, but I would also look at bringing Craig Gardner back to the club if rumours of him being unsettled at Sunderland are true.

[cdbearsfan]

I'm not sure we should sign Ibrahimovic. Or Messi or Ronaldo. They would all want too much money.

[spaf]

Why would Ibrahimovich want to come here? No idea where this "link" has come from.

It must be hypothetical. I bet if he were actually linked most of the people saying "oh he's not a good team player" and so on would drown in their own excited drool.

It is all hypothetical.

And I wouldn't. There's something about him I just don't rate. The fact most Swedes can't stand him would also ring alarm bells. But as we'll never (thankfully) see him in a Villa shirt it doesn't really matter.

Swedes that don't like him, don't like him is because he's not lagom. He's arrogant, selfish and likes to troll the media.

On what do you base the 'fact that most Swedes can't stand him'?

[PeterWithesShin]

Why would Ibrahimovich want to come here? No idea where this "link" has come from.

It must be hypothetical. I bet if he were actually linked most of the people saying "oh he's not a good team player" and so on would drown in their own excited drool.

It is all hypothetical.

And I wouldn't. There's something about him I just don't rate. The fact most Swedes can't stand him would also ring alarm bells. But as we'll never (thankfully) see him in a Villa shirt it doesn't really matter.

Swedes that don't like him, don't like him is because he's not lagom. He's arrogant, selfish and likes to troll the media.

On what do you base the 'fact that most Swedes can't stand him'?

My Swedish friends and what they tell me of how he is thought of by the public, media and so on.

[Phil from the upper holte]

No thanks to Craig Gardner

[ozzjim]

A lot of talk on twitter about Adam Johnson and Kyle Naughton.


Both would be exceptional signings for us IMO.

[Mazrim]

Agreed. Are these tweets from anything or anybody credible?

[danlanza]

Kyle Naughton-great player.

[pauliewalnuts]

Agreed. Are these tweets from anything or anybody credible?

I don't know why people seem so frequently incapable of "getting" twitter.

Twitter is the medium. It is who is saying it that matters.

"Twitter is bollocks", for example, is one thing if it's a load of bedroom-bound keyboard warriors like someone once known in these parts tweeting nonsense every ten seconds, but if it's Mat Kendrick, for example, it is a totally different thing.

So many people don't seem to be able to understand this.

[luke25]

If they were our first two signings then i'd be a happy chappy.