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

[olaftab]

So Bournemouth have not shut the door on us for Wilson. Negotiations going on.

[olaftab]

Messi now staying at Barcelona. That's what happens when our board continues to dilly-dally instead of sealing the deal. FFS sort it out!

Yes that’s typical Villa. And to think we could have easily paid the €700 clause activation fee🤔

[SheffieldVillain]

Now being linked with Spurs GK Gazzaniga by Sky Sports. They say we’ve enquired about him

He is shite

I'd have to agree with that. Martinez, Romero or Ramsdale I could see the point although they wouldn't have been my choices. Gazzaniga is crap.

Also, if I was Jed Steer and it's true we're been making enquiries for a goalie at Gazzaniga's level, I'd be really pissed off right now. Heaton made sense, Reina as a short term signing made sense. Gazzaniga is no better than Steer in my view, neither is Nyland and neither is Kalinic.

[ozzjim]

Daily Mail are saying Benrahma is Smiths to target but we won't go to £25m for him. Does strike me that there is a deal to be done with Brentford but the longer it drags, the more chance you have of your plan A targets going elsewhere, your plan B ones also moving while you were dragging your feet anc ending up in the Belgian league on a wing and a prayer.  January was not an inspiring example of good transfer business to help us improve in the second half of the season. I really hope in 4 weeks we have taken 3/4 points from the first 3 games and have a forward line that has some teeth.

[ozzjim]

Now being linked with Spurs GK Gazzaniga by Sky Sports. They say we’ve enquired about him

He is shite

I'd have to agree with that. Martinez, Romero or Ramsdale I could see the point although they wouldn't have been my choices. Gazzaniga is crap.

Also, if I was Jed Steer and it's true we're been making enquiries for a goalie at Gazzaniga's level, I'd be really pissed off right now. Heaton made sense, Reina as a short term signing made sense. Gazzaniga is no better than Steer in my view, neither is Nyland and neither is Kalinic.

Gazzaniga is no better than Nyland.

[SheffieldVillain]

Daily Mail are saying Benrahma is Smiths to target but we won't go to £25m for him. Does strike me that there is a deal to be done with Brentford but the longer it drags, the more chance you have of your plan A targets going elsewhere, your plan B ones also moving while you were dragging your feet anc ending up in the Belgian league on a wing and a prayer.  January was not an inspiring example of good transfer business to help us improve in the second half of the season. I really hope in 4 weeks we have taken 3/4 points from the first 3 games and have a forward line that has some teeth.

Easy. They valued Hogan at around £10m, they can take him back plus £15m. Sorted.

[kippaxvilla2]

Brentford’s manager has said they can both go for the right price but that Henry isn’t for sale.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Last thing I’ll will say on it from my opinion is we would be better signing 3 people who are plan A/B by paying  slightly more to get them than signing 4/5 plan F’s

But Plan A/B either might not be available yet, or want to see what other business we do before deciding if we are a good prospect. I’d rather keep our powder dry and wait to get who we really want than panic and end up paying over the odds for our third or fourth choices just because they will sign today.

That's fine, so long as you do eventually get your man.  But waiting doesn't necessarily mean you will get your man, and that's when the panic buys happen.

Well that is the art of the deal. I think someone wrote a book about it once.

Very good, Lee!!
But not a great role model.

What's wrong with Tony Schwartz? I loved his line about how he "put lipstick on a pig".

[john e]

if we are aiming for a top half, top 10 spot then we will need a top half team
I know we will always need decent back up players but the top 10 players we have currently in my opinion are

G -  Heaton

D -  Guilbert Cash Mings Engels Target

M - Grealish McGinn Luiz

F - 0

fill in the gaps in this window and we can do it

I’m not writing off everybody else obviously but some aren’t and never will be top half quality and others Nakamba Wesley Konsa will need to continue to improve

we are not far of imo if we can fill those gaps in the forward line

[ktvillan]

It is coming across as if fees (or maybe wage demands) are something of a block on signing players like Watkins and Benrahma from the Championship.   I wonder if Purslow is trying to go for  too low an amount upfront and too high an amount as extras.   Maybe he's even trying Small Heath's old trick of trying to put in a clause where we only pay more if we stay up.  Or perhaps he's trying to out-Levy Levy. Of course it could be none of the above and we just aren't keen enough on said players to go overboard.  Purslow's task is difficult, making sure we get the right players in without being ripped off.  But I'd rather get ripped off a bit than end up with Baston and Drinkwater MkII.

We have a Sporting Director and a Head of Recruitment. Surely Purslow ought to give them a budget and let them get on with it?

Dunno is that the way it works? Or would those two ID the players, get a quote and then refer it to the CEO for a final say? 

[Sexual Ealing]

It is coming across as if fees (or maybe wage demands) are something of a block on signing players like Watkins and Benrahma from the Championship.   I wonder if Purslow is trying to go for  too low an amount upfront and too high an amount as extras.   Maybe he's even trying Small Heath's old trick of trying to put in a clause where we only pay more if we stay up.  Or perhaps he's trying to out-Levy Levy. Of course it could be none of the above and we just aren't keen enough on said players to go overboard.  Purslow's task is difficult, making sure we get the right players in without being ripped off.  But I'd rather get ripped off a bit than end up with Baston and Drinkwater MkII.

We have a Sporting Director and a Head of Recruitment. Surely Purslow ought to give them a budget and let them get on with it?

Dunno is that the way it works? Or would those two ID the players, get a quote and then refer it to the CEO for a final say? 

No idea. Seems pointless having both if they don't have any executive power.

[mr underhill]

time to pony up the money for Watkins or move on to another target. This has been going on too long - we know from previous experience Brentford play hard ball with us.

[john2710]

The time to panic is when the window is shut & we don't have the necessary quality / numbers. We have 30+ days to go.

We have no idea what sort of fees we're being quoted for Wilson, Watkins & Benrhama. If we have to wait for sensible fees then so be it.

Whilst Dean said he didn't want to have another situation like Luis last season, he wasn't fit because he couldn't even be in the country let alone train until just before the season started.

[Mister E]

if we are aiming for a top half, top 10 spot then we will need a top half team
I know we will always need decent back up players but the top 10 players we have currently in my opinion are

G -  Heaton

D -  Guilbert Cash Mings Engels Target

M - Grealish McGinn Luiz

F - 0

fill in the gaps in this window and we can do it
I’m not writing off everybody else obviously but some aren’t and never will be top half quality and others Nakamba Wesley Konsa will need to continue to improve
we are not far of imo if we can fill those gaps in the forward line

Engels but not Konsa? Hmmm.

[Legion]

It's not a gap in the forward line. It's a gaping chasm.