Summer Transfer Thread and Gustavo Cisneros Type Rumours.

[SoccerHQ]

Just had a look at that Guardian article and they've quoted Smith as saying "“In terms of our recruitment, we talk about the sweet spots that we’re looking for...which is that the players have Premier League experience and are [ideally] British because there is no adaptation risk at all.”

Where does Sanson fall into that?

Yeah been injured and generally forgotten already so perhaps he's struggled to settle in and been to see DS about it hence this Ward Prowse interest?

Does seem we'd be overloaded with box to box midfielders if Ward Prowse is a genuine target and Sanson stays, perhaps Ramsey would go on season loan somewhere...infact I actually wouldn't be against including him for that type of loan in Norwich deal as they've had Skipp on loan from Spurs for the season but apparently he's going back so they are light on midfielders.

I'd still be surprised if we signed a midfield and even more if it's not a defensive midfielder (and then Luiz gets into the box to box mix aswell).

[SoccerHQ]

It's the Guardian, they don't usually do full stories on rumours. Paul Doyle, the writer, has interviewed Dean and Villa players pretty regularly in recent years so he's got some clout.

Can randomly remember them linking us to Kieran Trippier this time last year so it's not always kosher.

[SoccerHQ]

I had a little sympathy with the Ireland one(we got 20 odd million too) because Ireland had been a very decent goalscoring midfielder at City. He was just a complete bag of spanners for us.

The others are horror transfers. Nzogbia looked the mutts nuts for Wigan to be fair, but there was never any plan of how we were going to fit him into the side.

With Smith and villa now, you can see players being bought for a specific role in the side and how they would fit.

N'zog was just a vanity signing for McLeish, turned him down the previous summer at SHA.

I really thought Ireland would work but we'd just started playing Young at number 10 for some reason.

                        Petrov- Nrc

Downing----------Ireland--------Young

may have had more chance but pretty sure he said years later he never wanted to leave Man. City in first place so that was the problem.

Given couldn't dive properly after he bust his shoulder at Man. City so was shadow of keeper he was although made some crucial saves late on in 11/12 at least. 5 year contract was insanity though.

[not3bad]

Are we going to sign some defenders this window?  Or is there a likely deputy for Targett already at the club?

I was wondering about that. I would have thought that will happen. I know we have a good young player at right back coming through but not heard of anyone at left back.

[SoccerHQ]

If there's one single clear example of the fuckwittedness of Lerner, and hopefully the contrast with NSWE, it's that signing.

To play devil's advocate (and I note the "hopefully"), right now feels like the Young / Carew time. You can virtually plot the Young / Buendia similarities on a graph. 

It's all great, and there is absolutely nothing to complain about. It just feels a bit premature to compare the worst of other eras to the very good of now, when there were also good times in the recent past that might be better comparisons.

Carew type is exactly the sort of signing I want us to make now tbh.

Attacking player respected all round europe and internationally and even if he was a bit of a journeyman by time we got him he'd already started a champions league final and played for top clubs in Italy, Spain and France. Was only 27 when he turned up here aswell.

I know there was a bit of luck in how we got him but he still signed and was the sort you knew would improve us. Joined us when we were about 13th and played a big part in our first two 6th place seasons.

Probably shows how well we're doing now that I'm not really blown away by signing Buendia or linked to Ward Prowse, want that signing that many clubs around europe will nod their heads at as happened with Carew and even Darren Bent although that didn't work out that well due to the direction club was going in at that point.

[Dave]

If there's one single clear example of the fuckwittedness of Lerner, and hopefully the contrast with NSWE, it's that signing.

To play devil's advocate (and I note the "hopefully"), right now feels like the Young / Carew time. You can virtually plot the Young / Buendia similarities on a graph. 

It's all great, and there is absolutely nothing to complain about. It just feels a bit premature to compare the worst of other eras to the very good of now, when there were also good times in the recent past that might be better comparisons.

Carew type is exactly the sort of signing I want us to make now tbh.

Completely agree. I'd even say a Nilis. An older attacker to get fifteen goals next year and teach Ollie to become a 25 goal striker, then 'x' gets 10 goals in year two and turns Barrie into the next Mbappe by watching him.   

Wissam Ben Yedder ticks the right boxes I reckon.

[PaulWinch again]

If there's one single clear example of the fuckwittedness of Lerner, and hopefully the contrast with NSWE, it's that signing.

To play devil's advocate (and I note the "hopefully"), right now feels like the Young / Carew time. You can virtually plot the Young / Buendia similarities on a graph. 

It's all great, and there is absolutely nothing to complain about. It just feels a bit premature to compare the worst of other eras to the very good of now, when there were also good times in the recent past that might be better comparisons.

Carew type is exactly the sort of signing I want us to make now tbh.

Completely agree. I'd even say a Nilis. An older attacker to get fifteen goals next year and teach Ollie to become a 25 goal striker, then 'x' gets 10 goals in year two and turns Barrie into the next Mbappe by watching him.   

Wissam Ben Yedder ticks the right boxes I reckon.

I would love a Nilis type signing. You’re right, an experienced forward would be a great addition.

[Risso]

Imagine Carew at his best for us playing with Jack Grealish.

[cdbearsfan]

It would be great to have someone coming off the bench that had the opposition thinking "oh fuck, not him". As opposed to our own fans thinking it as was the case in much of the previous decade.

[Monty]

Imagine Carew at his best for us playing with Jack Grealish.

Imagine Laursen and Mellberg in the box for Ward-Prowse's free kicks. Laursen would get double figures.

[KevinGage]

Not quite in the same bracket as Carew, who only 28 when he joined us. But Mandzukic is a 'name' throughout Europe. Realistically he's now at an age where he couldn't be demanding to start every game and might help bring the younger players on.

For a player with those sort of miles on the clock it depends if they're simply after one last pay day. Or whether -like Terry - they're fired up by the challenge or have designs on a future coaching role.

At the opposite end of the spectrum a player like Eddie Nketiah could be one to work and grow with. Give Arsenal fans another chance to hate us. At £20 million it's nearly good value in a mad market.

[algy]

If there's one single clear example of the fuckwittedness of Lerner, and hopefully the contrast with NSWE, it's that signing.

To play devil's advocate (and I note the "hopefully"), right now feels like the Young / Carew time. You can virtually plot the Young / Buendia similarities on a graph. 

It's all great, and there is absolutely nothing to complain about. It just feels a bit premature to compare the worst of other eras to the very good of now, when there were also good times in the recent past that might be better comparisons.

Carew type is exactly the sort of signing I want us to make now tbh.

Completely agree. I'd even say a Nilis. An older attacker to get fifteen goals next year and teach Ollie to become a 25 goal striker, then 'x' gets 10 goals in year two and turns Barrie into the next Mbappe by watching him.   

Wissam Ben Yedder ticks the right boxes I reckon.

Do we need someone to "teach" Ollie Watkins that tho. First Premier League season and he's score 14 and hit the woodwork another 7 times, when our main creative player (JG) has been out for a third of the season and our next most creative player (RB) inexplicably decided to wear that pair of lead boots he'd been given by Great Aunt Ada for Christmas. With Buendia coming in, I'd think there's a pretty good chance of him getting 20+ goals next season in any case.

Just don't see that sort of signing to be the sort of thing we'd be likely to do at the moment. And having Jack at the club & happy is a bigger statement than any signing. A good euros & world cup and he'll be the biggest name player there is.

[Dave]

If there's one single clear example of the fuckwittedness of Lerner, and hopefully the contrast with NSWE, it's that signing.

To play devil's advocate (and I note the "hopefully"), right now feels like the Young / Carew time. You can virtually plot the Young / Buendia similarities on a graph. 

It's all great, and there is absolutely nothing to complain about. It just feels a bit premature to compare the worst of other eras to the very good of now, when there were also good times in the recent past that might be better comparisons.

Carew type is exactly the sort of signing I want us to make now tbh.

Completely agree. I'd even say a Nilis. An older attacker to get fifteen goals next year and teach Ollie to become a 25 goal striker, then 'x' gets 10 goals in year two and turns Barrie into the next Mbappe by watching him.   

Wissam Ben Yedder ticks the right boxes I reckon.

Do we need someone to "teach" Ollie Watkins that tho. First Premier League season and he's score 14 and hit the woodwork another 7 times, when our main creative player (JG) has been out for a third of the season and our next most creative player (RB) inexplicably decided to wear that pair of lead boots he'd been given by Great Aunt Ada for Christmas.

Yes. Help him to turn seven shots against the post into seven more goals for a start.

I'd say that there isn't a single 25 year old footballer on the planet who has nothing to learn from someone else or something they could improve.

[Toronto Villa]

You need the sort of person let alone player that will shed their own ego and take a young promising footballer under their wing so to speak. They know where they are in their career and now see themselves as a passer of a torch. There’s not a lot of those players around anymore. I imagine Giroud at Chelsea provides that given he just renewed his contract. Or Cavani at Man U where he doesn’t play each week but is brilliant when he does, but his attitude and work ethic rubs off on other forwards. Same with Aguero while he was at Man City.

[Lastfootstamper]

Do we need someone to "teach" Ollie Watkins that tho. First Premier League season and he's score 14 and hit the woodwork another 7 times, when our main creative player (JG) has been out for a third of the season and our next most creative player (RB) inexplicably decided to wear that pair of lead boots he'd been given by Great Aunt Ada for Christmas. With Buendia coming in, I'd think there's a pretty good chance of him getting 20+ goals next season in any case.

I had a quick look through the online bookies to see if I could stick some money on Watkins scoring 20 or more league goals next season. Free money if he avoids a lengthy spell out, I reckon.
Over forty years wait for that in the top flight, ffs. Gotta happen now.