Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread

[ozzjim]

I think if we can get the core right, then for other positions you can. A couple of premier league class centre halves and a top quality holding midfielder to go with McGinn, Grealish and El Ghazi would be a good start. The other thing that I think is a must is a striker that can come in and be up to playing the lone striker role without too much trouble. Wesley and Kodjia are very much not proven at this level, we need someone that can be an alternative. Muapay looks very expensive (I think he will score goals the top level though) and we are not going to spend 25 million on him on top of 22 million on Wesley, so we need to be smart about finding another striker that will help us.

[ktvillan]

It was still awash with cash four years ago. The art of spotting a gem for a bargain will live on, you just have to look hard and get lucky.

Not as much.  There was quite a big hike in the TV money the season after we went down (fantastic timing), big enough to reduce the significance of Champs league money that had enabled the top few clubs to distance themselves a long way above the rest.

The best scouting systems should still be able to find the odd gem at a good price, but I think they are, and will continue to be, harder to get than a few years ago.  Compare £7m for Benteke 5 or 6 years ago to £22m for Wesley in 2019.   As for McGinn and Pukki, they may well prove to be such gems but neither are proven at top level.  Yet.   

[PeterWithesShin]

And 11 years ago we spent around £9m on Curtis Davies, we've just spent £3m on Hause.

[algy]

I think if we can get the core right, then for other positions you can. A couple of premier league class centre halves and a top quality holding midfielder to go with McGinn, Grealish and El Ghazi would be a good start. The other thing that I think is a must is a striker that can come in and be up to playing the lone striker role without too much trouble. Wesley and Kodjia are very much not proven at this level, we need someone that can be an alternative. Muapay looks very expensive (I think he will score goals the top level though) and we are not going to spend 25 million on him on top of 22 million on Wesley, so we need to be smart about finding another striker that will help us.

I think you'd struggle to find a proven Premier League striker for less than £25m. You either have to spend big or take a gamble on an 'unproven' player.

I suspect we'll end up waiting for Chelsea's appeal to go through first until we get another striker. If their ban gets lifted, we'll buy Tammy. If not, there'll be someone else lined up to take his place.

[Hillbilly]

I'm always a bit nervous about strikers who score loads for one club in the lower divisions, mostly because of Guy Whittingham.

[London Villan]

Big Ron decided whittingham should spend most of his time on the wing!

[frank black]

Big Ron decided whittingham should spend most of his time on the wing!

We’ve often unsuccessfully played strikers on the wing haven’t we. Does my head in. The classic we need goals managers decision.

Kodjia
Gabby
Weiman (I think)
Did we try Bent or am I making this up?

I reckon Andre Green will leave us and become a reasonably proficient striker too.

[AsTallAsLions]

Big Ron decided whittingham should spend most of his time on the wing!

We’ve often unsuccessfully played strikers on the wing haven’t we. Does my head in. The classic we need goals managers decision.

Kodjia
Gabby
Weiman (I think)
Did we try Bent or am I making this up?

I reckon Andre Green will leave us and become a reasonably proficient striker too.

In terms of strikers being asked to do a shift elsewhere, nothing will ever beat Marlon Harewood being asked to do a job to shore things up at the back against Spurs and then costing us the game

[ADVILLAFAN]

Heskey in central midfield was interesting. Also Hadji played at right-back and all across midfield; but was definitely a striker for Coventry.

[AsTallAsLions]

Heskey in central midfield was interesting. Also Hadji played at right-back and all across midfield; but was definitely a striker for Coventry.

Hadji, bloody hell - had completely forgotten he played for us. You're right though.

[Border villan]

Heskey in central midfield was interesting. Also Hadji played at right-back and all across midfield; but was definitely a striker for Coventry.

Hadji, bloody hell - had completely forgotten he played for us. You're right though.

I recall Hadji being on the pitch but don’t remember him playing.
😇

[mike]

Heskey in central midfield was interesting. Also Hadji played at right-back and all across midfield; but was definitely a striker for Coventry.

Hadji, bloody hell - had completely forgotten he played for us. You're right though.

I recall Hadji being on the pitch but don’t remember him playing.
😇

I remember him playing pretty well for Coventry in the fantastic 3 - 2.

[LeeB]

Heskey in central midfield was interesting. Also Hadji played at right-back and all across midfield; but was definitely a striker for Coventry.

Hadji, bloody hell - had completely forgotten he played for us. You're right though.

I recall Hadji being on the pitch but don’t remember him playing.
😇

I remember him playing pretty well for Coventry in the fantastic 3 - 2.

It earnt him his promotion to Villa. It was in apparently in the contracts of Coventry players that if they played well they'd get to move to Villa, they'd just have perform in their Villa Park audition.

[paul_e]

Hadji was a player out of time. If he played now he'd be a near perfect right winger in the modern 433/343. We generally tried to shoe-horn him in as a left or right sided midfielder in a standard 442 and he looked lost.

Going back  a few posts, Gabby when he first broke into the team and Weimann when he came through were, in my opinion, perfect to play left and right of a 3, Gabby was a bit too bulky by the time we put him there but he still looked very good at the role at times.

[JUAN PABLO]

Heskey in central midfield was interesting. Also Hadji played at right-back and all across midfield; but was definitely a striker for Coventry.

Hadji, bloody hell - had completely forgotten he played for us. You're right though.

I recall Hadji being on the pitch but don’t remember him playing.
😇

talking of Hadji  , Id have  that u21 romanian player . .