Summer Transfer Thread and Gustavo Cisneros Type Rumours.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I have watched him a few times on TV, a good player and a bright spot in a dark season for Celtic. A lot of Celtic players leaving, so they might fight to keep Turnbull

I'd take Odsonne Edouard off Celtic for £20m and send Wesley up there for a year to get in some match practice.

[SoccerHQ]

One area where it makes sense to make more development signings is at the back.

Any FB signing we'll make will have to bide their time behind Cash and Targett and just play league cup for first part of the season unless there are injuries and rightly so given the seasons those two have had (Targett is simply a different player for much of what he served up in 19/20). And for CB makes sense to get a Konsa type in who you'd look to develop over 6-18 month period as Ez did considering Engels was more of a starter in first 4 months of last seasons.

I would like to think though further forward we sign ready made players to go straight into the first 11. Makes zero sense to sign another up and coming midfielder when we already have Ramsey and Carney around and I'd say same for upfront given Louie Barry is coming through.

Interesting for me how much sharper Ollie has looked after he's had breathers this season. I thought he was really struggling over xmas, Man. United away he was second to pretty much every 50/50 in that second half and wasn't scoring much either. Comes back after the covid break and hits nice scoring run. After the one match ban he's looked very good at Palace and Spurs.

Shows we don't have to run him into the ground and giving him a rest every 6 weeks isn't a bad tactic for long run, I think McGinn would massively benefit from the same aswell rather than keeping him on the pitch for every single minute of every game.

Hopefully with the signings we make DS will have more confidence to do that next season given his reluctance to put on someone like Davis until 15 minutes before the end so that's why I really hope we add two proven players in final third rather than just projects.

[SoccerHQ]

In Preece's defence, he did say we'd be looking to improve key positions, which to me will cost a considerable amount of money, but also that Smith believes the first eleven are a match for anyone and it's about improving that. Also, he mentioned they want to strike while Spuds and Arsenal are flailing. It's a huge summer and what we do in it will set the tone for years to come - personally I would be looking at bigger names but none have really been mooted. Surprised the Tammy link has been dismissed, but Smith wants us to press and they don't rate Abraham in that regard.

Looks like the target will be 7th/8th next season which is fair enough and more realistic than trying to get 6th or above.

For all the euphoria in how we've played at times we're still finishing bottom half so that's the realistic part of it although we will surely finish top half next season if we get 50 + points.

Main issue I have with the "11 a match for anyone in league comment" is it's near impossible to keep them all on the pitch for even 95% of the season. In 19/20 we had two season ending injuries in January in key positions and McGinn would've been third but for interruption and just missed Jack for a third of the season so we need more depth and confidence in players to come in and keep our level up when that happens.

Hause wasn't seen as premier league standard defender 12 months back and he's been excellent in 5-6 games so to me that's what we need, sort that can come in and do effective job and allow Ollie and SJM to sit out at times as a rest for game or two means we can get more out of them at business end of season.

Don't really see logic in having to replace every single player we let go. I mean we could just replace Hourihane and Nakamba with Carney being promoted into first team squad and we still have plenty of other midfielders who can fit in centrally, same with signing a player who can play one of full back positions and also at CB.

Seems a very Villa thing to do in last 20 years of letting 5-6 go....and just signing another 5-6 of o.k quality and then we run into same problems in 18 months time of not enough quality depth rather than getting in 2-3 big hitters.

[Dave P]

I have watched him a few times on TV, a good player and a bright spot in a dark season for Celtic. A lot of Celtic players leaving, so they might fight to keep Turnbull

I'd take Odsonne Edouard off Celtic for £20m and send Wesley up there for a year to get in some match practice.

This actually sounds quite sensible.

[Three Spires Villa]

I have watched him a few times on TV, a good player and a bright spot in a dark season for Celtic. A lot of Celtic players leaving, so they might fight to keep Turnbull

I'd take Odsonne Edouard off Celtic for £20m and send Wesley up there for a year to get in some match practice.

You will get him for less than 20million

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I have watched him a few times on TV, a good player and a bright spot in a dark season for Celtic. A lot of Celtic players leaving, so they might fight to keep Turnbull

I'd take Odsonne Edouard off Celtic for £20m and send Wesley up there for a year to get in some match practice.

You will get him for less than 20million

I know but with just 12 months left on his contract there will be plenty of competition, sometimes you have to show a bit of financial muscle. Leicester and Arsenal are known to be interested and there no doubt will be others.

[astonvilla82]

Went into a mood because he couldn't get a move from Celtic this season,

[SoccerHQ]

Leicester are close to signing him apparently given he played for Rodgers for a few seasons. Also want Soumare who's a DM for Lille.

There you go, team who have won the cup and can still get top 4 if we hold Chelsea and they win and they are continuing to strengthen while they're good so we'll need that mentality in next 5 years rather than just thinking one top level striker in the squad is enough.

Leicester could potentially have three in their one next season and until three months back they just played Vardy upfront.

[paul_e]

Leicester are close to signing him apparently given he played for Rodgers for a few seasons. Also want Soumare who's a DM for Lille.

There you go, team who have won the cup and can still get top 4 if we hold Chelsea and they win and they are continuing to strengthen while they're good so we'll need that mentality in next 5 years rather than just thinking one top level striker in the squad is enough.

Leicester could potentially have three in their one next season and until three months back they just played Vardy upfront.

Bottom bit is true but Iheanacho would've been written off by a huge amount of people after 9 goals in 71 league games before this season.

[Risso]

Leicester are close to signing him apparently given he played for Rodgers for a few seasons. Also want Soumare who's a DM for Lille.

There you go, team who have won the cup and can still get top 4 if we hold Chelsea and they win and they are continuing to strengthen while they're good so we'll need that mentality in next 5 years rather than just thinking one top level striker in the squad is enough.

Leicester could potentially have three in their one next season and until three months back they just played Vardy upfront.

Bottom bit is true but Iheanacho would've been written off by a huge amount of people after 9 goals in 71 league games before this season.

Were they all against us, or did it just seem that way?

[SoccerHQ]

Leicester are close to signing him apparently given he played for Rodgers for a few seasons. Also want Soumare who's a DM for Lille.

There you go, team who have won the cup and can still get top 4 if we hold Chelsea and they win and they are continuing to strengthen while they're good so we'll need that mentality in next 5 years rather than just thinking one top level striker in the squad is enough.

Leicester could potentially have three in their one next season and until three months back they just played Vardy upfront.

Bottom bit is true but Iheanacho would've been written off by a huge amount of people after 9 goals in 71 league games before this season.

Yes he's coming good with a hot streak out of nowhere. I suppose with Leicester it's a bit like the same with us and having Ollie, a number one striker who rarely gets rotated as they're too crucial to the gameplan so how do you keep a backup happy.

Iheanacho was signed by them in summer 2017 which surprised me so he's had to bide his time for quite a while. Being in europa as a minimum helps aswell so more chance to rotate in that and league cup up to xmas.

Difficult one but just hoping Wes can come good next season is a bit optimistic I think and would still loan Davis out for six months.

[algy]

Iheanacho was signed by them in summer 2017 which surprised me so he's had to bide his time for quite a while. Being in europa as a minimum helps aswell so more chance to rotate in that and league cup up to xmas.

I think this is the thing, we need to be in Europe if we want a squad full of decent quality players - that's the only way you can offer your 20th best player 20-odd games a season.

[Monty]

Ashley Young scored for Inter today and there's the tiniest, wobbliest, most sentimental bit of my brain that thinks, you know, he wouldn't be too bad to have back for a year...

[SoccerHQ]

Ashley Young scored for Inter today and there's the tiniest, wobbliest, most sentimental bit of my brain that thinks, you know, he wouldn't be too bad to have back for a year...

He's done well in Serie A. Rumour is Watford is where he wants to finish his career with his contract up.

Aside from diving I have a lot of respect for Young. One of those players you can certainly say maximised their ability for whole of their career.

[Monty]

And I'd certainly have even more respect for him if he did finish up back at Watford. Would be classy.