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

[eamonn]

Yep, you would hope that Suso/Purslow have agreements in place with at least one or two transfer targets which are based on the proviso we stay up. And maybe even agreements with players if we go down.

[SoccerHQ]

Buendia is one to get. Creates a decent amount in a very poor Norwich team and has similar traits to Grealish in that he can start centrally and drift out wide to find space. Don't think he'd cost a huge amount either, 15m perhaps. Same for Eze at QPR who's another who has that touch of class when he plays.

That said I'd like us to start targeting and signing some players from teams finishing above us. We're surely got to be targeting finishing above likes of Crystal Palace in next few years, think someone like Milivojevic at base of midfield holding would really improve likes of Luiz and make our first 11 stronger as he's simply a better player than Hourihane at this level.

He's on a long term contract at Palace but they'd rather sell him than Zaha so I'd say he's a realistic target if we stay up.

[OCD]

Deeney's the strangest link I've seen for some time.

[manic-road]

Looks like Lallana is off to Brighton on a free, didn't realise that he is 32 but better than AEG

[algy]

Deeney makes no sense to me, being a bluenose he's going to get an awful lot of stick if he's scoring anything less than 20 goals a season. It's bound to end in disaster.

No problem with pinching the best players from any relegated teams, assuming we're not one of them. Or even if we are one of them. I'd be more concerned about banking too heavily on players who look good in the Championship though, unless our goal is to build a good Championship side. If we stay up, we should be targeting players who are going to see us finish comfortably in mid table next season, and be part of a side who are pushing for a European spot the year after. To my mind, that's buying promising players who already look capable at this level.

[eamonn]

Looks like Lallana is off to Brighton on a free, didn't realise that he is 32 but better than AEG

I know he lost his way with injuries but he's a clever, technical player and on a free would offer us a lot more than half of our midfielders. Probably happy to be back on the south coast though.

[mr underhill]

we've had enough of those sort of signings surely? He's so crocked he only plays around five games a season.

[N'ZMAV]

Deeney's the strangest link I've seen for some time.

Agbonlahor the second - Deeney's past his best. He'll end up finishing like Gabby did - just disappearing away

[SoccerHQ]

Looks like Lallana is off to Brighton on a free, didn't realise that he is 32 but better than AEG

I know he lost his way with injuries but he's a clever, technical player and on a free would offer us a lot more than half of our midfielders. Probably happy to be back on the south coast though.

Wonder if that means Aaron Mooy may be available, would be a decent squad pick up.

I'd probably also take Shane Duffy who's lost his place there this season. Experienced international and very strong in the air so he'd be a good pick up.

[paul_e]

Looks like Lallana is off to Brighton on a free, didn't realise that he is 32 but better than AEG

I know he lost his way with injuries but he's a clever, technical player and on a free would offer us a lot more than half of our midfielders. Probably happy to be back on the south coast though.

Wonder if that means Aaron Mooy may be available, would be a decent squad pick up.

I'd probably also take Shane Duffy who's lost his place there this season. Experienced international and very strong in the air so he'd be a good pick up.

If you describe someone as 'a decent squad pick up' then they're probably not the right players to be signing.

If we want to improve we need to look at the players are playing playing regularly but aren't good enough to be where we want to go and turn them in squad options. Hourihane, Samatta and Trez are probably the 3 weakest players in the team from the last few games, so we sign players that we're sure are upgrades on them, sell the current fringe players and demote those 3 to squad filler. Do that over 3-4 windows and you have a team that's far stronger than you started with. If you buy players that are slightly better than your bench your team stays still and you're just slightly better prepared for injuries and suspensions.

[Dave]

Hourihane, Samatta and Trez are probably the 3 weakest players in the team from the last few games

Trezeguet, without whose three goals in three matches we'd already be relegated?

Tough crowd.

[PaulTheVillan]

Hourihane, Samatta and Trez are probably the 3 weakest players in the team from the last few games

Trezeguet, without whose three goals in three matches we'd already be relegated?

Tough crowd.

He's had 3 good touches lately

[ozzjim]

Hourihane, Samatta and Trez are probably the 3 weakest players in the team from the last few games

Trezeguet, without whose three goals in three matches we'd already be relegated?

Tough crowd.

And Hourihane who has our last 5 assists. Hmmm.

I would really like Sarr from Watford, and Brooks from Bournemouth. But they would probably like a few of ours, and it's a toss of a coin who stays up today

[KevinGage]

Duffy would be an upgrade - as things stand - on our other centre back options, so wouldn't be squad filler.  Konsa in time could go on to become a far better all round player than him.  But we probably wouldn't have had so many pastings this season with that extra bit of Premier League nous next to Mings.

He's not the greatest on the deck, so it depends on our intended style of play next year - and who the manager/ head coach is.

Jonny Evans at Leicester is also into the last year of his contract there, so that could be one to look at.

[nigel]

Duffy would be an upgrade - as things stand - on our other centre back options, so wouldn't be squad filler.  Konsa in time could go on to become a far better all round player than him.  But we probably wouldn't have had so many pastings this season with that extra bit of Premier League nous next to Mings.

He's not the greatest on the deck, so it depends on our intended style of play next year - and who the manager/ head coach is.

Jonny Evans at Leicester is also into the last year of his contract there, so that could be one to look at.

Could be argued that with an extra bit of PL nous next to Konsa we wouldn't have taken these pastings