Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread

[villan from luton]

As an old git, maybe stop moaning and let the management team do their business

[SoccerHQ]

For me you need to be looking at scoring about 45-50 goals to be secure in midtable. I'd back Hourihane, McGinn and Jack and the defenders to get about 20 so for me we need 25 goals from Wesley, El Ghazi, Jota and their backups/competitions. If Wesley can provide about half of that then he'll have done the job we need this season, 12-13 from him, with 5-6 each for the wide players and we're pretty much there. If we could get another goalscorer to play across that 3 then that'd be fantastic but if we play the way we did once our defence was sorted then we'll be fine.

I'm much more interested in getting a couple of centre backs and a defensive midfielder and then we can look further forward.

20 from midfield and defence? Feckin hell, I’ll have a pint of what your on.

It's not that much, 5 from Grealish, McGinn and El Ghazi and then a couple from Mings when he returns and you're pretty much there.

We certainly do need another striker though. Seen many strikers come from Holland/Belgium leagues and really struggle to step up.

Hopefully Wesley can but in any case sure the reports are he's a slightly more prolific Davis and we're getting him more as he seems excellent at holding the ball up and bringing midfield and wide players into play.

Said it before but if that's the route we're going down I'd take Rondon as the experience striker. West Ham looking at him now.

[paul_e]

For me you need to be looking at scoring about 45-50 goals to be secure in midtable. I'd back Hourihane, McGinn and Jack and the defenders to get about 20 so for me we need 25 goals from Wesley, El Ghazi, Jota and their backups/competitions. If Wesley can provide about half of that then he'll have done the job we need this season, 12-13 from him, with 5-6 each for the wide players and we're pretty much there. If we could get another goalscorer to play across that 3 then that'd be fantastic but if we play the way we did once our defence was sorted then we'll be fine.

I'm much more interested in getting a couple of centre backs and a defensive midfielder and then we can look further forward.

20 from midfield and defence? Feckin hell, I’ll have a pint of what your on.

Last season our defence and midfield (not including the wingers) scored 37 in the league, there's less games and it's a higher standard but getting a little more than half that really isn't a stretch.

[AsTallAsLions]

For me you need to be looking at scoring about 45-50 goals to be secure in midtable. I'd back Hourihane, McGinn and Jack and the defenders to get about 20 so for me we need 25 goals from Wesley, El Ghazi, Jota and their backups/competitions. If Wesley can provide about half of that then he'll have done the job we need this season, 12-13 from him, with 5-6 each for the wide players and we're pretty much there. If we could get another goalscorer to play across that 3 then that'd be fantastic but if we play the way we did once our defence was sorted then we'll be fine.

I'm much more interested in getting a couple of centre backs and a defensive midfielder and then we can look further forward.

20 from midfield and defence? Feckin hell, I’ll have a pint of what your on.

Last season our defence and midfield (not including the wingers) scored 37 in the league, there's less games and it's a higher standard but getting a little more than half that really isn't a stretch.

Hourihane and McGinn will get significantly less opportunity to shoot from range in the PL as midfielders pushing forward are afforded significantly less time and space than in the Championship. I'd be surprised to see either of them score more than a couple each, to be honest. Grealish, on the flip side - simply by virtue of the fact that he'll hopefully play more games and continue to excel as the wonderful player he is - should score more than last year. Not enough to make up the deficit of the other two, however, so I suspect we'll fall short of your estimate.

[Villafirst]

Gary Cahill to join according to reports. If true a no brainer as he's on a free. Will add vast experience. Get Mings in and the CB positions look a lot better. Still need another.

[ozzjim]

Mings, Cahill, Hause and Chester would be a decent 4 to go into the season with to be fair. Experience, youth, pace and leadership in there. Targett and Taylor at left back, Freddy and Elmo at right. You would argue it is a much, much healthier defensive line up than when we came down last time. Mings and Cahill would work quite well together too. Just got to get Mings now!

Really decent holding midfielder and we could look quite a solid outfit. For me Cahill on a free makes a lot more sense than spending £25 million on Webster too. Let Brizzle keep him a season, watch them not go up again and buy him for half the price next summer.

[rob_bridge]

Gary Cahill to join according to reports. If true a no brainer as he's on a free. Will add vast experience. Get Mings in and the CB positions look a lot better. Still need another.

Agree that sorts out the defence for now. DCM, with possible GK upgrade and attacking player/forward. All of a sudden looks like a team which could hold its' own

[Singapore Villa]

I just don’t see how Cahill fits with the philosophy of buying younger talent that can have a long term future with the club.  I am not necessarily against the idea of getting him in, but I just can’t see it happening personally.

[Three Spires Villa]

Cahill is perfect very happy if it happens

[Holy Trinity]

Cahill make sense in that we cant spend 200 million on transfers this season, much in the same was as Jota makes sense. The squad was thread bear in a lot of positions last season and now my not only need starters but bench players as well.
By the time we sign a new keeper plus mings and a cdm we will have spent in the region of 100 million including all the bodys already through the door. I would imagine that's more than any of us dreamed of at the final whistle of the playoff final and that still in my eyes leaves us a back striker a back up cdm and a winger light. Cahill for a year or 2 will allow us to reassess either in jan or next year as will jota it's just smart business

[Mister E]

I just don’t see how Cahill fits with the philosophy of buying younger talent that can have a long term future with the club.  I am not necessarily against the idea of getting him in, but I just can’t see it happening personally.

He doesn't but - if the Cahill thing is true - there's clearly a recognition that (i) we need to balance philosophy with the need for experience, (ii) the market for young talent is too frothy right now, and (iii) good CB have got a life through to 36-7 if looked after.
Also, I'd say the squad needs more Prem experience in it, to ride the tough times. Given that he was Terry's CB partner for a while, it's almost a no-brainer.

[Matt Collins]

Isn't the cahill thing only in the star?

[Singapore Villa]

All fair points Mister E, I would still be surprised if it does happen.

[Matt Collins]

More generally, I think there are 5 weeks till the window closes

We've done lots of business but probably aren't even halfway done yet. At what point do we worry? Building half a new team, in a new league, always set the alarm bells running (not that we had much choice) but a good pre season, especially for the defence, seems pivotal

A couple of weeks?

[andyh]

Cahill coming home on a free is a no brainer. There are similarities to Jagielka going back to Sheff Utd.

I would guess our permanent starting pair will be Mings and A.N.Other , but you could do worse than having Chester, Hause and Cahill as cover for injuries, suspensions and cup games.