Our changing transfer policy

[chrisw1]

12 months ago if people had mentioned 28 year old Digne or 29 year old Coutinho or Ings the general response would have bveen 'not a chance, not a Villa type signing'

There's been a clear shift from young players with potential to improve and resale value to established quality players who will improve the team right now.  There also seems to have been a shift in mindset on wages.  I accept you make an exception for the likes of Coutinho, but the reported £160k pw for Digne sounds absolutely crazy.

I always thought having a strict policy is a bit naieve - 'young and hungry,' 'young with resale value' or in MONs case 'experienced, expensive and strictly UK based'  It makes sense to me to have a balanced approach, make use of sensible loans where appropriate etc.

With that said (assuming we get Digne) our last 3 signings will be 29, 29 and 28 and all on very high wages and this does concern me a bit.  So what's changed?  Is it the Newcastle factor - has panic set in that we need to steal a march on them?  Is it Gerrard demaning more quality and experience immediately?  What is Lange doing at the moment? - anyone on here could have picked out those 3 as decent players.     

I think it's potenially very exciting, but it also feels all a bit 'Everton' from the last few years.  What do you think?

[London Villan]

With a shift in the style of play that Gerrard wants there is no way we can wait to develop organically. It's a long shot, but if we get into Europe we'll need a bigger squad to cope with the additional 10+ games...

[sickbeggar]

As you say, you need a balance. You can't just go out and buy 15 top quality 25 year olds. Buying players with potential in the early 20's bracket has its advantage but you run the risk of them fulfilling their potential just as their contracts run out. Likewise buying proven players at 28/29 on their last big pay day is costly and obviously you're not gonna get much back for them. I personally don't see too much problem with two older players coming in. If that became another 4 or 5, I'd start to get a bit worried.

[brontebilly]

Think a balance is important. Focus just on resale value of players might excite accountants but some players show their best form into their 30s. The likes of JG and MON showed the risk of buying almost exclusively proven players though.

Ings for me was 100% a panic signing when Grealish left. We are nowhere near the level of a club that warrants 20m for a backup striker. Coutinho became available and Gerrard/Purslow were obviously very keen. Digne had fallen out with Benitez and Everton keen to give him away. All slightly different circumstances.

I wouldn't be overly optimistic that these three will be successful, mind.

[PaulWinch again]

I think it’s fine as long as it’s balanced. If you’re signing older players then they have to enhance the quality of the first team, which those we’re targeting do. This then enables the younger players space to develop and also gives them players they can learn from.

You shouldn’t just be signing/using older players, and equally you can’t just have a squad of youngsters.

[Rigadon]

Think a balance is important. Focus just on resale value of players might excite accountants but some players show their best form into their 30s. The likes of JG and MON showed the risk of buying almost exclusively proven players though.

Ings for me was 100% a panic signing when Grealish left. We are nowhere near the level of a club that warrants 20m for a backup striker. Coutinho became available and Gerrard/Purslow were obviously very keen. Digne had fallen out with Benitez and Everton keen to give him away. All slightly different circumstances.

I wouldn't be overly optimistic that these three will be successful, mind.

All transfers are inherently risky to varying degrees, but a massive part of signing established players rather than young / unproven ones is that you can pretty much guarantee they will be successful.  That doesn't always work of course, but I think you can allow yourself to be more optimistic!

I welcome the club buying players that will improve our first 11 straight away.  I don't care much that they don't have any resale value either - that's a benefit of having a couple of billionaires bankrolling the Villa isn't it?  Plus, we have bought / developed a shit load of kids that will be sold for profits or become first team regulars. 

[The Edge]

12 months ago if people had mentioned 28 year old Digne or 29 year old Coutinho or Ings the general response would have bveen 'not a chance, not a Villa type signing'

There's been a clear shift from young players with potential to improve and resale value to established quality players who will improve the team right now.  There also seems to have been a shift in mindset on wages.  I accept you make an exception for the likes of Coutinho, but the reported £160k pw for Digne sounds absolutely crazy.

I always thought having a strict policy is a bit naieve - 'young and hungry,' 'young with resale value' or in MONs case 'experienced, expensive and strictly UK based'  It makes sense to me to have a balanced approach, make use of sensible loans where appropriate etc.

With that said (assuming we get Digne) our last 3 signings will be 29, 29 and 28 and all on very high wages and this does concern me a bit.  So what's changed?  Is it the Newcastle factor - has panic set in that we need to steal a march on them?  Is it Gerrard demaning more quality and experience immediately?  What is Lange doing at the moment? - anyone on here could have picked out those 3 as decent players.     

I think it's potenially very exciting, but it also feels all a bit 'Everton' from the last few years.  What do you think?

There's definitely been a shift in terms of transfer policy.When NSWE came In it was stated that 5 years was the target for European football. It was looking increasingly unlikely so when Gerrard was appointed his brief would have probably been to achieve European football and hopefully some silverware ASAP. The long term plans for youth development are still very much on track but to accelerate the process it looks like SG has been given the green light to build a quality team right now with long term youth development being the ultimate ambition.

[Smirker]

I refuse to believe we are going to pay £160,000pw to Digne. That's insane money.

[eamonn]

Was the thread title a placeholder for Weller's My Ever-Changing Moods? Being from Woking, I presume he's a Yanited fan.

[Dave]

I refuse to believe we are going to pay £160,000pw to Digne. That's insane money.

Apparently he's got three years left at Everton on £120,000pw. So I expect that given we want him to the tune of £25m, you'd think he's picking up a salary increase as part of the deal.

[Footy-Vill]

Brilliant thread Chris and something not lost on my observations of what's going on.

Now I do have a concern there are a lot of short term gains going on driven by our new manager and also by Purslow. An abandonedment of our principles and strategy.
The transfer plan this window hasn't yet seen any longer term target be brought in.

To me at the moment I have a theory it's all being driven and demanded by Gerrard . Telling everyone this is what you have to do to get to the top level. Buy and pay big. For his own reputation Stevie Me  It's to get the players needed to make sure he has a team who can compete high up the league but underlying it's to make sure SG is able to be seen as relatively successful so he can take the Liverpool job.
Short cut to success idea

[Smirker]

I refuse to believe we are going to pay £160,000pw to Digne. That's insane money.

Apparently he's got three years left at Everton on £120,000pw. So I expect that given we want him to the tune of £25m, you'd think he's picking up a salary increase as part of the deal.

Ludicrous money.

[Dante Lavelli]

I hope it is not a full shift in policy.  It is not sustainable and it will restrict us in future seasons.  However, arguably we had space in the squad for some experience, therefore it is hopefully a temporary measure to ensure we have players capable of executing Gerrard’s tactics.

Dare I say it/worst case, SG might not be that concerned with developing players or growing the club so we need to make sure we don’t go full MON with him.

[paul_e]

I do't think the plan has changed all that much, the focus is still on youth players but the requirements have changed now.

In general you want your talented youth players slowly building into the squad and being regulars on matchday by the time they're 21, that means 3 years-ish for the team that won the youth cup. If we were signing 24-25 year olds as we had been those players would be hitting their peak at the same time as the kids, making the transition messier.  By going a few years older the youth players are ready to take up the slack as we lower the workload on players and you get a more natural evolution of the squad.

Obviously it's not a hard and fast rule but if we think Chrisene (for example) will be ready to play regularly in 3 years time then Digne now makes more sense than someone like Hickey.

On top of that a few experienced players to push us from 11th to 6th/7th gives us better options in the summer and helps increase the standards for the youngsters to aspire to.

[Martin Carruthers]

Was the thread title a placeholder for Weller's My Ever-Changing Moods? Being from Woking, I presume he's a Yanited fan.

He's a Chelsea fan, but admits he's not that bothered.