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

[OCD]

I looked up John Swift as I didn't know much about him. He was a Chelsea youth product and has represented England at every youth level. In 2017 he was nominated as EFL Young Player of the Season (along with Watkins ironically) and Smith had him on loan for a year at Brentford so would know exactly what he would be getting. Box-to-box midfielder who's good for a few goals. He's still only 25 and with the financial position clubs like Reading are in, it could actually be quite an astute (and easy) signing.

Matty Cash is Premier League quality and is someone who I had already thought of as a first choice right back, which was a problem post lockdown.

[Gareth]

Other than Pep or Klopp there isn’t a manager in the league that would be a ‘draw’ so as a stick to hit Dean with I can’t see it - £’s & location yes, wanting to know that the best player isn’t gonna be sold before you join yes, mgr profile no

We see a lot about supposed targets but we along with the journalists no diddly squat as fact

Disagree plenty of players around the Europe the world are familiar to the known names in football as several managers who to some professional footballers could be quite the draw.

Ancelotti
Bielsa
Mourinho
Lampard
Maybe even Solskjær and Arteta. Bilic for his Croatian international pedigree and Hodgson England and abroad very experienced.

All are football names and when players sign they would site them I suspect.

If those names managed Southampton or Watford there would not be a stampede to join because there is every chance 6 months later you’d be managed by Bruce or Allardyce-sure they’d name them when they signed but the £ speaks loudest

[paul_e]

I looked up John Swift as I didn't know much about him. He was a Chelsea youth product and has represented England at every youth level. In 2017 he was nominated as EFL Young Player of the Season (along with Watkins ironically) and Smith had him on loan for a year at Brentford so would know exactly what he would be getting. Box-to-box midfielder who's good for a few goals. He's still only 25 and with the financial position clubs like Reading are in, it could actually be quite an astute (and easy) signing.

Matty Cash is Premier League quality and is someone who I had already thought of as a first choice right back, which was a problem post lockdown.

I'd be surprised if we're interested because, in my opinion, he'd be come in our 5th or 6th best centre midfielder (behind Luiz, McGinn, Hourihane, Grealish and possibly Nakamba).

I suspect the bold bit is the only reason this story has even been written.

On Cash I don't see him as an upgrade on Guilbert who started and finished the season superbly but had, along with most of the defensive players, a bit of a slump in the middle.

[Villafirst]

Report suggesting Villa are 'preparing' a bid for John Swift!
Have we actually bid for anyone yet?

[Clampy]

Report suggesting Villa are 'preparing' a bid for John Swift!
Have we actually bid for anyone yet?

It's very possible we have bids in for one or two players.

[ChicagoLion]

Preparing a bid, so they get together, someone has to get the right piece of paper out, you know the Aston Villa header notepaper because if we sent it on a get well soon card that would not work. Shit, what font shall we use, who we going to address it to, shall we type it then or scan it or put it in the post, a second or first clas stamp.Make sure we use a white envelope.
Don’t put SWALK on the back unless JT is sending it for a Chelsea player.
Fuck Dean when you wrote here is our bid, you forgot to mention how much we are bidding. ..........

[in exile]

You on the glue by any chance?

[OCD]

I looked up John Swift as I didn't know much about him. He was a Chelsea youth product and has represented England at every youth level. In 2017 he was nominated as EFL Young Player of the Season (along with Watkins ironically) and Smith had him on loan for a year at Brentford so would know exactly what he would be getting. Box-to-box midfielder who's good for a few goals. He's still only 25 and with the financial position clubs like Reading are in, it could actually be quite an astute (and easy) signing.

Matty Cash is Premier League quality and is someone who I had already thought of as a first choice right back, which was a problem post lockdown.

I'd be surprised if we're interested because, in my opinion, he'd be come in our 5th or 6th best centre midfielder (behind Luiz, McGinn, Hourihane, Grealish and possibly Nakamba).

I suspect the bold bit is the only reason this story has even been written.

On Cash I don't see him as an upgrade on Guilbert who started and finished the season superbly but had, along with most of the defensive players, a bit of a slump in the middle.

I would say that we need someone who can play the Luiz role for times when he's not available. Hopefully there's more to come from Nakamba but whether he can be as effective as Luiz was post lockdown remains to be seen.

It's the same with the right back position. Hopefully Guilbert can build on what he did last season, particularly in the last few games. AEM has been good for us but we need to start planning for the future.

[Mister E]

I looked up John Swift as I didn't know much about him. He was a Chelsea youth product and has represented England at every youth level. In 2017 he was nominated as EFL Young Player of the Season (along with Watkins ironically) and Smith had him on loan for a year at Brentford so would know exactly what he would be getting. Box-to-box midfielder who's good for a few goals. He's still only 25 and with the financial position clubs like Reading are in, it could actually be quite an astute (and easy) signing.

Matty Cash is Premier League quality and is someone who I had already thought of as a first choice right back, which was a problem post lockdown.

I'd be surprised if we're interested because, in my opinion, he'd be come in our 5th or 6th best centre midfielder (behind Luiz, McGinn, Hourihane, Grealish and possibly Nakamba).

I suspect the bold bit is the only reason this story has even been written.

On Cash I don't see him as an upgrade on Guilbert who started and finished the season superbly but had, along with most of the defensive players, a bit of a slump in the middle.

I would say that we need someone who can play the Luiz role for times when he's not available. Hopefully there's more to come from Nakamba but whether he can be as effective as Luiz was post lockdown remains to be seen.

It's the same with the right back position. Hopefully Guilbert can build on what he did last season, particularly in the last few games. AEM has been good for us but we need to start planning for the future.

I know nothing about him but from your description he sounds like cover for McGinn

[paul_e]

I looked up John Swift as I didn't know much about him. He was a Chelsea youth product and has represented England at every youth level. In 2017 he was nominated as EFL Young Player of the Season (along with Watkins ironically) and Smith had him on loan for a year at Brentford so would know exactly what he would be getting. Box-to-box midfielder who's good for a few goals. He's still only 25 and with the financial position clubs like Reading are in, it could actually be quite an astute (and easy) signing.

Matty Cash is Premier League quality and is someone who I had already thought of as a first choice right back, which was a problem post lockdown.

I'd be surprised if we're interested because, in my opinion, he'd be come in our 5th or 6th best centre midfielder (behind Luiz, McGinn, Hourihane, Grealish and possibly Nakamba).

I suspect the bold bit is the only reason this story has even been written.

On Cash I don't see him as an upgrade on Guilbert who started and finished the season superbly but had, along with most of the defensive players, a bit of a slump in the middle.

I would say that we need someone who can play the Luiz role for times when he's not available. Hopefully there's more to come from Nakamba but whether he can be as effective as Luiz was post lockdown remains to be seen.

It's the same with the right back position. Hopefully Guilbert can build on what he did last season, particularly in the last few games. AEM has been good for us but we need to start planning for the future.

but is it reasonable to expect that of someone you freely admit you didn't know much about, who no one would've cared if they'd seen him go to someone like Brighton and who has been nothing more than average for a bottom half of the championship team for the last 3-4 years?

I'm fine with adding depth to the squad, I agree we need to do it, but I'd add depth by signing players that improve the first 11 or who are still young enough to not count in the squad numbers so we can give them time to adjust. Neither Swift or Cash meet those criteria.

[OCD]

In response to Mister E -

Yeah, I think that would be fair comment. Main bulk of our transfer spend needs to be on the front 3 with Grealish moved inside where he can have more influence.   

                           Luiz
                         (Nakamba)

                  McGinn          Grealish
                  (Swift?)        Hourihane

[Mister E]

... I'm fine with adding depth to the squad, I agree we need to do it, but I'd add depth by signing players that improve the first 11 or who are still young enough to not count in the squad numbers so we can give them time to adjust. Neither Swift or Cash meet those criteria.

There's the rub, for me: Swift might have been a good acquisition 2 seasons' ago; will he add value to the squad or be another also-ran? The question to ask is: what does he ADD to the squad that we do not currently have?
I note that SheffU have been tracking him.

Hopefully, the main event in transfers will come later in the form of strikers and wide players.

[OCD]

I looked up John Swift as I didn't know much about him. He was a Chelsea youth product and has represented England at every youth level. In 2017 he was nominated as EFL Young Player of the Season (along with Watkins ironically) and Smith had him on loan for a year at Brentford so would know exactly what he would be getting. Box-to-box midfielder who's good for a few goals. He's still only 25 and with the financial position clubs like Reading are in, it could actually be quite an astute (and easy) signing.

Matty Cash is Premier League quality and is someone who I had already thought of as a first choice right back, which was a problem post lockdown.

I'd be surprised if we're interested because, in my opinion, he'd be come in our 5th or 6th best centre midfielder (behind Luiz, McGinn, Hourihane, Grealish and possibly Nakamba).

I suspect the bold bit is the only reason this story has even been written.

On Cash I don't see him as an upgrade on Guilbert who started and finished the season superbly but had, along with most of the defensive players, a bit of a slump in the middle.

I would say that we need someone who can play the Luiz role for times when he's not available. Hopefully there's more to come from Nakamba but whether he can be as effective as Luiz was post lockdown remains to be seen.

It's the same with the right back position. Hopefully Guilbert can build on what he did last season, particularly in the last few games. AEM has been good for us but we need to start planning for the future.

but is it reasonable to expect that of someone you freely admit you didn't know much about, who no one would've cared if they'd seen him go to someone like Brighton and who has been nothing more than average for a bottom half of the championship team for the last 3-4 years?

I'm fine with adding depth to the squad, I agree we need to do it, but I'd add depth by signing players that improve the first 11 or who are still young enough to not count in the squad numbers so we can give them time to adjust. Neither Swift or Cash meet those criteria.

I'm just playing devil's advocate with one report. There may well be nothing to it for all I know.

While I agree in principle that we would ideally strengthen the first 11, I think there's got to be some acceptance that at the way transfer fees have gone, it's likely to be very expensive to do that in one go. We all know the front 3 is where the bulk of our budget needs to be spent so a player like Swift for a less needed priority would be understandable.

With the role data analytics is beginning to play in recruitment, odd seeming signings like Swift could become more common place. When Leicester signed Albrighton it was driven by analytics and he played a big role in their league winning season.

[Mister E]

... With the role data analytics is beginning to play in recruitment, odd seeming signings like Swift could become more common place. ....

Do you know what the data says about Swift?

[Mister E]

Has the Eze price (c.£16m) set the benchmark for Benrahama and Watkins, I wonder?
It suggests that the max for the former should be <£20m and for Watkins around £20-22m.