Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread

[Clark W Griswold]

It’s good that we’re making some swift progress, especially given the size of the task. It feels to me that even if we accept Taylor, Bjarnason, Green and Hogan as squad players, and Mings and Hause are confirmed, we still need a left back, a centre back, a centre mid, and possibly another striker. Then there are the players we need to shift, Tshibola, and Kalinic (if we buy Butland). That’s all before we try to improve on Taylor, Bjarnason, Green and Hogan - which might prove too much for this window.

I'd agree on that.

Butland (Steer, Kalinic/Nyland) - 3

Guilbert (Elmo, Bree) -3
Mings, Hause (Chester, NEW) - 4
NEW (Taylor) - 2

NEW, Mcginn, Grealish (Hourihane, Lansbury, Bjarnason) - 6
El Ghazi, Jota (Kodjia, Green) - 4

Wesley (NEW/Hogan, Davis) - 3

That's the 25 I'd suspect. A few of them aren't up to the standard we'd want so I'd be happy to add a few replacements but the 3/4 new guys (along with the 3 that we're guessing will complete soon) would still be a massive summer and I think I'd stop there purely to give the squad a chance to settle.

Seeing it written down I think I'd prioritise a centre mid next as I really don't want to see Lansbury or Bjarnason in the premier league.

I'd agree with the general jist of that for the squad.
3 keepers, in actual fact a new keeper wouldn't be my priority be it Butland or anyone else. Don't get me wrong, i'd not be upset at signing Butland but i'm not sure Steer has done much wrong or Kalinic has had much of a shot, maybe the one thing to look at in Jan if they're not up to it. If we do get Butland then sell Nyland.
RB - 2, i'd start with Elmo first choice, Guilbert back up and i'd loan Bree out for 6 months +
LB - 2, yes, new LB with Taylor 2nd choice
CB - 4, Chester+ 3 new ones hopefully including Mings and Hause.
CM - 4 - McGinn, New player, Hourahane, Bjarnasson
AM - 1 Grealish
RW - 1, New high quality signing
LW - 1, El Ghazi
Winger either side 1 - Green
General Forwards -2 - Jota, Kodjia (Jota could stand in for Grealish or play wing, Kodjia could play left wing or CF)
CF - 2- Wesley, Davis
23, any more can come through the youth system.

Offload - Lansbury, Hogan.

[rob_bridge]

I really hope the days of signing someone for their Premier League experience are long gone.

That’s as bollocks an approach as young and hungry was. How about we just get the best players that are attainable to fit the system the manager wants to play without a specific criteria other than he’s really quite good. I reckon that’s mostly what we are doing now.

Experience is something that is likely to help make players really quite good.  It's come to something when experience is seen as a disadvantage.  of course that will all change when Smith signs a couple of them, as I think he will.

Mr Shin covered it. Experience is good if it is channeled correctly and positively. Gabby had loads of it, Micah Richards had experience as did Joleon Lescott. On its own it should never be a strategy. But get the right characters, quality players, even if experience is lacking (Mings as an example) and you can soon develop the right environment that everyone thrives. I want really good up and coming players as well a sprinkling of experience that aligns with what the manager wants in terms of attitude and desire.

You missed Joe Cole - he had lots too. Shay Given was a fine keeper who peaked about 5 years before he joined us so was an ok one. Emile Heskey.
Both of those cost 10m+ in wages.
Other Premier experience we bought - lots under Martin O'Neill, most had fupp all sell on value

[Richie]

if carlsberg did transfers
                  wesley
el ghazi       grealish   mcginn    bowen or Benrahma
                  philips
hause    mings       dunk         guilbert
                  butland

we would be safe

Would we?

That team? If we have few injuries and set up correctly, then yes that is a mid table team.

We need 6 or 7 first team squad players as we let that number go.

Less than half of them have ever played Premier League football before and two have never even played in this country before, so what actual basis do you have for thinking that team would finish mid table?

Because "having played in the Premier League" isn't the only criteria you can apply to attempt to judge a player's potential ability.

That's why Lionel Messi is more sought after than, say, Jordan Bowery.

Talking of who I see has just gone a free transfer to MK Dons, my how our world has changed

Lionel Messi has gone on a free to MK Dons ? Bloody hell, we’ve missed a trick there ! 😂

[Clampy]

We definitely need another left back. As solid as Taylor was in the run in, he can't cross a ball to save his life. It wouldn't shock me if he brought in Rico Henry. Smith is a big fan. He's picks up a few too many knocks mind.

[Pete3206]

Agree Clampy. We need need at least 2 quality players in every position though. Big challenge ahead.

[AsTallAsLions]

No one has said experience is bad, it's the idea that Premier League experience on it's own is important that some people disagree with. Last time we were in the PL it was the players with PL experience that let the club down.

Nobody said that's all we need either.

[Richie]

I think the right back position needs strengthening as well. Let’s face it, this kid was signed from France when we looked nailed on for another season in the Championship. We don’t even know if the club think he is Premiership quality, let alone us.

[cheltenhamlion]

I still think Etheridge is more likely than Butland.

[cdbearsfan]

Do we have any suitors for the seventeen or so goalkeepers we already have?

[JUAN PABLO]

Philips is a top player . worth more than 14 million . He will be a top 4 player in a few years . We should do everything to get him.

You could bring Cahill and Drinkwater for example into the squad for experience but most fans dont want to go down this route so they are either going to be young or foreign .

[Toronto Villa]

Do we have any suitors for the seventeen or so goalkeepers we already have?

17? We let Bunn go. Nyland is coming off a serious injury. Sarkic is very young. Right now we have 1 fit legitimate first team GK. One of Nyland or Kalinic will leave if we get a new keeper in leaving us with 3 first team keepers.

[JUAN PABLO]

oh and Rangers RB Tavierner I would like . 

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Philips is a top player . worth more than 14 million . He will be a top 4 player in a few years . We should do everything to get him.

You could bring Cahill and Drinkwater for example into the squad for experience but most fans dont want to go down this route so they are either going to be young or foreign .

Totally agree JP. He is quality and fits the new "model" perfectly. 23-energy-quality and exactly what we need in front of our defence to allow JG & co to stay up top. 18m would do it …….

[ktvillan]

It's easy to get excited and a bit carried away but I'm trying to hold back on that a little.  We don't know if any of our new or current players will really cut the mustard at PL level, except maybe Jack and Mings.   All we know is most have been more than decent in the Championship, Ligue 1 or the Belgian league.  The PL is a fairly big step up from all of those.  The odds are that they won't all be able to hack it, although hopefully most will.  Wesley may be another Benteke or another Helenius.  We won't know until the season starts.   So I also think we could do with a few that have proven themselves at that level, just as long as we avoid ageing, fragile, walking attitude problems like Lescott and Richards.  For example we've been linked with Dunk and Butland - both seem a decent age, character and ability level, both are proven at that level.   A few like that would help I think.

[hilts_coolerking]

You could bring Cahill and Drinkwater for example into the squad for experience but most fans dont want to go down this route so they are either going to be young or foreign .

I'd hope that what the fans want doesn't come into it when the club makes a signing.