Summer Transfer Thread and Gustavo Cisneros Type Rumours.

[kippaxvilla2]

Goalkeeper - no changes.  Competent back ups for Martinez.  If Heaton leaves it probably means a step up from youth for the back up to Steer.

Right Back.  No changes.  Guilbert solid back up.  Young kid If necessary.

Left Back.  Cover for Targett.  Ryan Sessegnon.

Centre Half.  One more cover.  Engels to go.  Someone from Brentford most likely.  Or the captain from Cheltenham.  The bloke who played well against Citeh. 

Midfield.  Box to box midfielder needed.  Genuine pace and energy.  Dele Alli?  As someone said the other day a consistently decent version of Barkley.  At least one or preferably two new wingers.  El Ghazi to leave for definite.  Sessegnon converted possibly. 

Forward.  Keep Davis.  Sign another but proven striker to work alongside Ollie or instead of if we change system during a game and put Ollie on the wing.

I’m struggling for some names but those are the positions we need to improve I think.

[ChicagoLion]

Surely the priority is going to be improve the first X1 in positions we do not have top 6 level players.
That is Defensive Midfield and Attacking wide Player Centre .
Then getting back up  in the areas that are weak which is RB  LB CF .

 

[Drummond]

Surely the priority is going to be improve the first X1 in positions we do not have top 6 level players.
That is Defensive Midfield and Attacking wide Player Centre .
Then getting back up  in the areas that are weak which is RB  LB CF .

Makes sense.

[kippaxvilla2]

Agreed - first choice first - hence the replacement wingers have to be first choices.  The striker is going to either work with or interchange with Ollie.  The law of averages suggest that he might need a break at some point.  I think the current first choice defence is okay - with the possible exception of Mings but he is a real leader on the pitch.

[paul_e]

I think the only major gap right now is a big physical midfielder (doesn't need to be particularly defensive though) so that's the number one priority for me. This replaces Barkley/Hourihane in the squad.

After that we need a couple of back up options in defence to replace Taylor, Elmo and Engels who are all probably leaving.

Once that's done we have everything we need but with question marks over Wesley (mainly fitness) and AEG still not stepping up to fulfil his potential still I'd be tempted to let the latter go and bring in someone who can play wide or central and gives us options.

I do see why people are talking about a winger or 2 as priority but for me our midfield has been the problem in the last few months and once that's addressed I think our attacking players will show they are better than we've seen recently.

[SoccerHQ]

He's also really young. He is still developing. He's already better than, say, Delph at the same age and he was excellent for us, until he turned out to be a twat.

yeah I think an issue is like last season where he seemingly couldn't managed games for 90 minutes and was better as impact sub until the run in...being a starter for a 40 game season and keeping up his consistancy is a little beyond him at his age so far.

Let's remember Brazil are starting him game after game in last year so they know he's a serious player and he'll be good again for us next season.

[SoccerHQ]

Seems to me Smith doesn't really have any regard for either Engels or Guilbert for whatever reason.  In the case of Guilbert at least it would appear to be something beyond his actual ability because he was doing ok.  Wasn't there also supposed to have been some kind of fall-out with Engels too? It's possible he's has only been on the bench because Smith has no other cover with Hause injured.
   

I agree. Gulibert loan was just to get some French club to pay a couple of million euros for him, either the one he's at or someone else. Can't see him playing for us again.

Engels hasn't played a single minute for us since March 2020 if I've got that right so he'll want to move on for sake of his career and we have to be careful not to have too many demotivated players on fringes in our squad as that impacted in MON era although it's slightly different dynamic now.

Loads of decent CBs around we can get who could do a Konsa as others have said. Fine with Hause sticking around as he was excellent over xmas so shown he can come in for 4-5 games in a season and do a job and is low cost back up.

[SoccerHQ]

Rumours Wolves will sell Neto this summer as Fosun funds are starting to run dry Lerner style...

Wonder what year we'll do the big club thing of going to rival and taking their best player for 40/50m? Last time we did that was Bent but in typical Villa fashion in last decade we signed him at the wrong time so it wasn't a signing as good as it could've been.

Before that, Dublin, Merson, Ginola? So way back.

Would be a hugely exciting signing anyway as he's a very good player.

[Ian.]

I do hope we go for Neto, he’s a great player. Even the other night when he was a bit out of sorts he was a threat. He looked very frustrated too. Wolves certainly are not making the most of some of their attacking players at the moment.

[Dave]

Seems to me Smith doesn't really have any regard for either Engels or Guilbert for whatever reason.  In the case of Guilbert at least it would appear to be something beyond his actual ability because he was doing ok.  Wasn't there also supposed to have been some kind of fall-out with Engels too? It's possible he's has only been on the bench because Smith has no other cover with Hause injured.
   

I agree. Gulibert loan was just to get some French club to pay a couple of million euros for him, either the one he's at or someone else. Can't see him playing for us again.

I make no claim of being an expert on Ligue 1, but I think he's done pretty well for Strasbourg. Enough to make someone slightly richer than them come in for him I expect.

[Mister E]

Do we have to replace Engels? How many minutes has he played? If we qualify for Europe, sure. If not, we have more pressing needs.

Depends if you want to go into next season hoping that both Mings and Konda will continue to stay squeaky-clean fit; and, whether we think Hause alone will cover our potential needs. I'd like to think, also, that Smith comes to realise that having the option to play 3-5-2 is useful at times (as many other teams do in this division), for which a 3rd good CB would be necessary.
We need CB back-up; as others have said, a young CB from the Championship or another Premier-League academy (i.e. another Konsa if possible).

I hate 3-5-2 so it's a no from me. Not against the idea of signing another centre half but if we aren't in Europe, I'd be happy enough with Mings, Konsa and Hause as our options.

I know you do; why do you think I mentioned it?!
Many of the top teams have a 3-5-2 option in their armoury; but, Smith doesn't appear to fancy it.
Getting in another back-up CB is still - IMHO - a necessity in the summer.

[Mister E]

I think the only major gap right now is a big physical midfielder (doesn't need to be particularly defensive though) so that's the number one priority for me. This replaces Barkley/Hourihane in the squad....
... our midfield has been the problem in the last few months and once that's addressed I think our attacking players will show they are better than we've seen recently.

That's exactly as I see it. With JG, McGinn, Sanson, Ramsey Major, Traore, Trez, Chuk, Ramsey Minor and L Barry we are well-served in front of a new strong CMF (think Declan Rice or Jordan Henderson as the blue-print to recruit on) and behind / alongside Watkins.
We do not an alternative / cover for Watkins, of course. Davis adds further tactical scope if he shows his capability in the next 9 games.

[LeeB]

Do we have to replace Engels? How many minutes has he played? If we qualify for Europe, sure. If not, we have more pressing needs.

Depends if you want to go into next season hoping that both Mings and Konda will continue to stay squeaky-clean fit; and, whether we think Hause alone will cover our potential needs. I'd like to think, also, that Smith comes to realise that having the option to play 3-5-2 is useful at times (as many other teams do in this division), for which a 3rd good CB would be necessary.
We need CB back-up; as others have said, a young CB from the Championship or another Premier-League academy (i.e. another Konsa if possible).

I hate 3-5-2 so it's a no from me. Not against the idea of signing another centre half but if we aren't in Europe, I'd be happy enough with Mings, Konsa and Hause as our options.

I know you do; why do you think I mentioned it?!
Many of the top teams have a 3-5-2 option in their armoury; but, Smith doesn't appear to fancy it.
Getting in another back-up CB is still - IMHO - a necessity in the summer.

You only play that if your centre halves are crap, ours aren't so it's a waste.

[cdbearsfan]

Do we have to replace Engels? How many minutes has he played? If we qualify for Europe, sure. If not, we have more pressing needs.

Depends if you want to go into next season hoping that both Mings and Konda will continue to stay squeaky-clean fit; and, whether we think Hause alone will cover our potential needs. I'd like to think, also, that Smith comes to realise that having the option to play 3-5-2 is useful at times (as many other teams do in this division), for which a 3rd good CB would be necessary.
We need CB back-up; as others have said, a young CB from the Championship or another Premier-League academy (i.e. another Konsa if possible).

I hate 3-5-2 so it's a no from me. Not against the idea of signing another centre half but if we aren't in Europe, I'd be happy enough with Mings, Konsa and Hause as our options.

I know you do; why do you think I mentioned it?!

Why you!

*Shakes fist angrily in direction of mobile phone screen.

[LeeB]

Plus, as I think cdbullyweefan has pointed out in the past, defenders and the buying of them is a bit uncool, square and boring. Hep cats discuss the merits of spunking the budget on Coutinho.