Summer Transfer Thread and Gustavo Cisneros Type Rumours.

[tomd2103]

Yeah, some concerns around King given his time at Everton.  Just can't see anything in the Wood rumours, especially at that kind of price.  Davis needs to go out on loan and Wesley needs a gradual return, so I do think we need to bring in another striker who "can do a job" when required. 

Saying that, we've needed one of those for the past couple of seasons and haven't bought anyone so could see us going with the three we have got.

[chrisw1]

I agree with you E.  But a hypothetical question, if we use all of our budget up on Buendia and, say, JWP and maybe a back up fullback - would you rather go into next season with Wes & Keinan as back up or Wes & King?

I'd go with Davis. He's going to come good.

Fair enough.  He's got something about him, but if the worst hapened to Ollie I personally wouldn't want to have to rely on him.

[Drummond]

I agree with you E.  But a hypothetical question, if we use all of our budget up on Buendia and, say, JWP and maybe a back up fullback - would you rather go into next season with Wes & Keinan as back up or Wes & King?

I'd go with Davis. He's going to come good.

Fair enough.  He's got something about him, but if the worst hapened to Ollie I personally wouldn't want to have to rely on him.

On that we agree. If Watkins were out for 6 months, then no, Davis leading the line is a lot to ask. Though I do think we'd see Buendia score a hatload linking with Davis' hold up play.

[ASHTONVILLA]

I agree with you E.  But a hypothetical question, if we use all of our budget up on Buendia and, say, JWP and maybe a back up fullback - would you rather go into next season with Wes & Keinan as back up or Wes & King?

I'd go with Davis. He's going to come good.

I also think Davis may well come good, and offers something with his hold up play as a second striker. However as a lone striker if Watkins picked up a broken ankle I would be concerned if he were our only option. And the other player we have is a half fit Wesley, who looked abject before he had a severe injury.

We need back up, and impact from the bench. Not that long ago it was Borja Baston, King is a lot better than that. We are definitely improving the depth of our squad these days.

[cdbearsfan]

Our biggest folly since promotion has been our failure to obtain strength in depth up front. They have rectified all our other weaknesses, pretty much. Hopefully they'll do the same here.

[Mister E]

I agree with you E.  But a hypothetical question, if we use all of our budget up on Buendia and, say, JWP and maybe a back up fullback - would you rather go into next season with Wes & Keinan as back up or Wes & King?

Good question, Chris.
I'd like to think that the owners are thinking big - that they see the post-covid period as a time to invest. If so, this would be pointing my thinking toward another strong midfielder (perhaps JWP), a young / up-and-coming defender (the lad at Fulham, perhaps) and a Tammy-type striker who can push as well as complement Watkins.
Total spend this summer would be £130-140m.
The big fly in the ointment of my thinking is that - to date - Smith has shown a reluctance to rotate his players: he would need to, both up front and in midfield, both to keep his players involved and maintain freshness.
Davis would go out on loan; Wes maybe also.

[paul_e]

The problem is if we sign another forward then there's no chance Davis or Wesley get the time to see if they can come good so do we write them both (or at least one) off this summer and if so how good does the incoming player have to be to justify that and how long term a signing does it need to be?

Writing off either to make space for Wood or King would be as disappointing (for me) as just going in with what we have. That's why I keep saying I'd prefer someone who can play in a few different positions to come in as the cover for Wakins. We'll be playing with 3 or 4 attacking players and currently have Grealish, Buendia, Watkins and Traore that would expect to start regularly in those spots, a 5th player who could expect 20-25 league starts but spread across 2-3 of those positions means we can still give game time to AEG, Wes, Davis, JPB and Trez as well as being able to absorb an injury or 2.

[chrisw1]

Well, at the risk of CD getting the baseball bat out, I don't think we will be able to spend that sort of money because of FFP. It's all guesswork, but I reckon we've prob got £40-£50m max to play with after Buendia.

Don't get me wrong though, I'd love Tammy and think that is the sort of squad depth we're going to need if we're serious about top 4-6.  I just don't see us being able to go there this summer.

[paul_e]

Well, at the risk of CD getting the baseball bat out, I don't think we will be able to spend that sort of money because of FFP. It's all guesswork, but I reckon we've prob got £40-£50m max to play with after Buendia.

Don't get me wrong though, I'd love Tammy and think that is the sort of squad depth we're going to need if we're serious about top 4-6.  I just don't see us being able to go there this summer.

Tammy is a perfect example of a player that I don't want in this window. A very expensive signing is wouldn't be an automatic starter in the only position he has any experience of playing. We need squad depth but I'd rather add players with more versatility so we have more ways of getting as many of our best players in the team at once as we can.

[Mister E]

The problem is if we sign another forward then there's no chance Davis or Wesley get the time to see if they can come good so do we write them both (or at least one) off this summer and if so how good does the incoming player have to be to justify that and how long term a signing does it need to be?
Writing off either to make space for Wood or King would be as disappointing (for me) as just going in with what we have. That's why I keep saying I'd prefer someone who can play in a few different positions to come in as the cover for Wakins. We'll be playing with 3 or 4 attacking players and currently have Grealish, Buendia, Watkins and Traore that would expect to start regularly in those spots, a 5th player who could expect 20-25 league starts but spread across 2-3 of those positions means we can still give game time to AEG, Wes, Davis, JPB and Trez as well as being able to absorb an injury or 2.

Yes, I get your point and I'd add Chuk to your list of players ready and able to play a part in the goals-grab. Who is the Mr Versatility we need, do you think?
Davis needs to go out on loan, IMO: he needs a regular stream of starts where he can build his game and come back either stronger and / or at least more valuable in the transfer market.

[paul_e]

The problem is if we sign another forward then there's no chance Davis or Wesley get the time to see if they can come good so do we write them both (or at least one) off this summer and if so how good does the incoming player have to be to justify that and how long term a signing does it need to be?
Writing off either to make space for Wood or King would be as disappointing (for me) as just going in with what we have. That's why I keep saying I'd prefer someone who can play in a few different positions to come in as the cover for Wakins. We'll be playing with 3 or 4 attacking players and currently have Grealish, Buendia, Watkins and Traore that would expect to start regularly in those spots, a 5th player who could expect 20-25 league starts but spread across 2-3 of those positions means we can still give game time to AEG, Wes, Davis, JPB and Trez as well as being able to absorb an injury or 2.

Yes, I get your point and I'd add Chuk to your list of players ready and able to play a part in the goals-grab. Who is the Mr Versatility we need, do you think?
Davis needs to go out on loan, IMO: he needs a regular stream of starts where he can build his game and come back either stronger and / or at least more valuable in the transfer market.

I'd be ok with letting one of Davis or Wes go out on loan until Christmas, both of them could do with a run of games.

As for who I'm not sure, there's lots of players I like the look of that I think could work but they don't come cheaply and the proven ones will have a lot of options. I have said Malen, Gouiri and Thuram a few times though and they'd be my top 3 choices.

[eamonn]

The other thing is we're not in Europe and Dean isn't the biggest rotater anyway...chances are he feels happy with Ollie running his arse off and Wes/Keinan to do a 20 minute job when we're chasing a goal or the odd Cup game.

Can't help feeling we need something else though. A wily, experienced fella more proven than Davis/Moraes who doesn't mind not starting all the time. As someone mentioned the other day, a Luc Nilis now would be sweet as a nut.

[sickbeggar]

But again was Luc Nilis bought as a reserve? I don't think so seeing he pretty much played every game until his injury

[Monty]

His equivalent would presumably be bought for the squad. Maybe we want half him and half Patrik Berger.

[Chris Smith]

But again was Luc Nilis bought as a reserve? I don't think so seeing he pretty much played every game until his injury

Given he was crocked in his third game I don’t think you can draw any conclusion either way.