Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread

[Villafirst]

Leeds just bought Rodriguez for £35m. Record transfer. A lot more than our record deal? They've spent big so far....

What difference does record deals make?

Quality costs money. Generally the more you spend the better the player. Doesn't always work, but more often than not it does. The top 4 out spend the rest generally each season.

[aj2k77]

I suppose £12m is not that much these days for a decent fullback. But surprised to see us going in for a right back as with Guilbert and Elmo we have decent options, whereas at left back both options are lacking (we either have no defensive capability or no attacking capability).

Whilst we should take the good players we can get, I really hope we do not end yet another window with a poor balance to the squad. Our forward line is abysmal, our wingers are poor and no combination of available players in midfield has any balance to it despite having good individual players we have no good combination there.

Other teams targeted our full backs all season both Targett and Guilbert were suspect defensively, with the later seeming to not know where to be half the time. I think he'll get better with better coaching to help understand his positioning. Having said that I like Cash, he looks stronger and quicker. I'm not averse to defensive signings as we were so bad at the back. We need the wingers and striker situation sorted out though. or it's all pointless.

[Clampy]

Leeds just bought Rodriguez for £35m. Record transfer. A lot more than our record deal? They've spent big so far....

What difference does record deals make?

Quality costs money. Generally the more you spend the better the player. Doesn't always work, but more often than not it does. The top 4 out spend the rest generally each season.

Seeing as record deals mean so much to you, that's the most they have spent since they signed Rio Ferdinand. I'm so jealous.

[SoccerHQ]

Emi Martinez is probably the first link I'm excited about this summer. Yes it's another keeper but Heaton has said himself at best he'll be fit by mid October.

Martinez played a huge part in Arsenal winning the FA cup and he's really motivated to be a number one somewhere as he wants to play for Argentina. Guess whether he starts today or not will have big impact on his future so we're probably waiting on that before officially bidding.

Same age and overall better all round game than St Jack of Butland.

[aj2k77]

Martinez rumours true

Would be a good signing. I would hope somehow we can get Nyland and Kallenic off the books too.

[SheffieldVillain]

Leeds just bought Rodriguez for £35m. Record transfer. A lot more than our record deal? They've spent big so far....

What difference does record deals make?

Quality costs money. Generally the more you spend the better the player. Doesn't always work, but more often than not it does. The top 4 out spend the rest generally each season.

It works more often for the very top clubs because they buy the absolute best.

Quite often with the rest of the league their big splashes fail miserably and it tends to be the clubs with better scouting that pick up the gems at lower prices (Leicester, Southampton). Witness Newcastle breaking their transfer record last summer buying Joelinton for £40m as did West Ham with Sebastian Haller for £45m, neither of whom lived up to it. Also Bournemouth who spent a combined £60m on Lerma, Solanke and Ibe which is money they are never going to get back on them. Everton - £45m for Sigurdsson, £25m for Kean and £30m for Iwobi are three of their highest transfers, none of whom have come close to justifying it.

Give me a well established scouting system anyday above big splashy signings - transfer records are no guarantee at all. Hopefully this chap who was at Leicester will put one in place for us.

[kippaxvilla2]

Andy Carroll worked out well.  And what about that Torres bloke.

[SoccerHQ]

Apparently they now have more support for it.  I think it just about kills any competitive nature of the league bar the sky six if it goes through.  Apparently Chelsea, manure and Liverpool are ‘at war’ with the league over it.

One of them will probably bribe one of the clubs who voted against by sending them Dean Henderson or Rhian Brewster on loan.

In any cost did it actually impact on any of our matches? Man. United were already 3 up when they started making subs and Arsenal still couldn't get a shot on target v us. Chelsea game was one but they generally have plenty of depth and would've still put likes of Pulisic on with just three subs as an option.

[N'ZMAV]

That  new Leeds striker has an Agbonlahor type meh goal scoring record.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Emi Martinez is probably the first link I'm excited about this summer.

Don't be. They'll be a long list of clubs interested in him and Arsenal will probably want closer to £20m for him. Save your excitement for us signing both Watkins and Edouard. You can add Cantwell and Said Benrahma if Jack goes.

[kippaxvilla2]

Imagine clinging to a 1-0 lead at home to Chelsea.  We bring on Elmo.  They bring on Pulisic, Werner, Djourou, Mount and Odoi.

[SoccerHQ]

Fair play to Leeds, signing someone from a top European league who has vast Champions League, Europa League and international experience.

It can be done. I'm forever seeing the opinion that we should act our size and then in the same breathe that there's nothing wrong with signing players from the Championship and the lesser European divisions.

I think whilst we accept and continue to hoover up Brentford and Brugge we will continue to punch well below our supposed weight.

Maybe I'm looking at the wrong player on WhoScored, but am I right in saying the Rodrigo who has signed for Leeds is 29 years old and has a one in four scoring record (based on last season, at least)?  If Suso had signed someone with that kind of record for us there would have been much wailing and gnashing of teeth, surely?  Throw in the fact he used to play for Bolton and there would have been a mini meltdown. 

You're right about Rodrigo having Champs league experience (scoring two goals in six appearances) but Samatta, according to WhoScored, notched three in six.

Think it's more a case of Leeds have decided he's their man and gone and got in a first choice striker from a team who made last 16 of CL and won copa del rey in 18/19 beating Barca (rodrigo scored in that).

I've watched him a few times, not that great a scorer but he's a regular starter for Spain and can play across the forward line so actually the type of striker we could do with.

Valencia are in total financial meltdown. There's a few other players there we could get if we were really ambitious, Kondogbia would be a brilliant fit for our midfield, miles better than Nakamba.

I'm waiting for us to sign good standard players from Germany,France, Spain, Italy etc. If we ever want to get close to the top 6 again we need to start doing it.

[SheffieldVillain]

Think it's more a case of Leeds have decided he's their man and gone and got in a first choice striker from a team who made last 16 of CL and won copa del rey in 18/19 beating Barca (rodrigo scored in that).

I've watched him a few times, not that great a scorer but he's a regular starter for Spain and can play across the forward line so actually the type of striker we could do with.

Sorry, I couldn't disagree more. Another centre forward who is 'not that great a scorer' is the absolute opposite of the type of striker we could do with.

[SoccerHQ]

Fair play to Leeds, signing someone from a top European league who has vast Champions League, Europa League and international experience.

It can be done. I'm forever seeing the opinion that we should act our size and then in the same breathe that there's nothing wrong with signing players from the Championship and the lesser European divisions.

There is nothing wrong with signing players from the Championship and the lesser European divisons, as long as they are well scouted and mixed with one or two top notch signings from the better leagues.

Also in the same breath you have people praising teams like Leicester for their recruitment and also saying you shouldn't buy players from the Championship or lesser divisions. Using Leicester as an example that would have meant not signing Vardy, Evans, Maddison, Maguire, Kante, Gray, Schmeichal or Mahrez plus others.

Leicester is interesting example.

In summer 2014 they signed Esteban Cambiasso after 300 games for Inter Milan. The following summer after their great escape they got in Christain Fuchs who'd just played in a CL quarter final for Schalke and Okazaki who was also a regular in Bundesliga so two players there with excellent experienced. Around that time they also got in Robert Huth who'd have a few injuries at Stoke and was seen as finished in premier league but was the kind of experienced head CB we still need now.

In last few years Leicester have signed Johnny Evans, Soynucu, Tielemans, Ricardo Peireria and Iheanacho. All players who are experienced and regulars at international level despite all of them bar Evans being under 25 when they signed.

I think that's the difference between them and us. They sign six players during a summer and 4-5 of them are pretty experienced top league players. Then they sign a good prospect from championship like Harry Maguire or Maddison.

Ours is different. Vast majority is championship or unknown players from europe and at best we get in one experienced head like Drinkwater who was a disaster.

Our best two signings last summer were Heaton who'd played for years in premier league and Luiz who started about 30 games for Girona in La Liga so to me it would make more sense to target players who are used to starting in major leagues.

[SoccerHQ]

Seems to have been played as a centre-forward in almost all of his 27 league appearances last season, 4 goals, 7 assists. https://www.whoscored.com/Players/83459/MatchStatistics/Rodrigo-Moreno

He's more of a second striker type. Kevin Gamiero or Maxi Gomez were the Wesley type striker for Valencia last season. Gamiero would be a good pick up on loan.