January 2023 Transfer Rumours, Discussions and Done Deals Thread

[ozzjim]

Jordan Bowery busy?

[Skerra]

Problem with Villa is that it’s always the next window isn’t it?
As others have said,I think this season should be the one we try to take full advantage of as, so many teams are much of a muchness. Same with the cup competitions that we literally threw away…just look at the teams left in. A great opportunity missed I’d say so, please, don’t let’s do that in the league as well.

[PaulWinch again]

We live in a world of instant gratification - buy someone, do something. If we were in danger of relegation i'd agree we'd ned to act (or probably wouldn't have sold Ings) but we aren't. no need to lumbered ourselves out of desparation. A few positions in the league are indeed worth millions but I'd prefer to dodgy the shitty Europe competition until we are good and ready.

Yeah, we're far too big and important to lower ourselves to playing European football. Who'd want to waste time with that.

That's exactly it.

We talk about how we're a big club all the time, when do we ever actually act like one?

Talk is cheap.

And while we are at it, what is our net spend the last two or three windows?

Yep it’s pretty piss poor. I fully hope I’ll be eating humble pie this time tomorrow, but hollowing out the squad without replacements signed and sealed is fucking bonkers. We’re a Premier League team with one senior striker in the squad for fuck’s sake.

[pablo_picasso]

A push for Europe would have been nice but if we are sticking, rather than twisting it makes a mockery of the FA and league cup exits
What an absolute fucking shambles that was

Also, what is the point in qualifying for Europe and then playing the reserves as some have suggested

The way the cup competitions are treated is the the thing I hate most about football nowadays

Because it gives them first team experience & rests the first team. Its called squad management...

[Risso]

We live in a world of instant gratification

Christ, if I wanted instant gratification I'm sure there are other teams I could follow that would fulfil that better than Aston Villa. One league title and one FA Cup in over a century, and no League Cups since 1996. That's about as far from "instant gratification" as it's possible to get. When did our fanbase get so obsequious and servile?

[pauliewalnuts]

It’s nuts.

I could cope with the cup exits in the name of focusing on getting up the league, but to exit the cups and then weaken an already questionable quality squad is not part of the deal.

I am starting to wonder what they actually want to achieve here. Negligible spending the last few windows- how is that meant to improve us?

[dave shelley]

My concern is what was Emery promised to entice him to take the job in the first place and has those promises been reneged upon?  I don't believe they have but I think my unease is understandable.  Also if he has the keys to the kingdom as far as transfers are concerned, just exactly what does he think he's doing, I'd love to know.

[Steve67]

We have a day to go.  Looking bleaker by the hour in terms of us bringing anyone in though.  The squad is only weaker for the loss of Ings but the five sub rule won't be as useful to us unless we want to bring Digne on at left back! Hope for the best, expect the worst.   

[kippaxvilla2]

I think they’ve settled for being okay. I think they’ve seen Newcastle and thought what’s the point.  It’ll be a policy of self sustainability now.  I genuinely think that and based on three consecutive windows.  It is weird though as there were plenty of reputable reports saying how he would be heavily backed this window.

[eamonn]

My concern is what was Emery promised to entice him to take the job in the first place and has those promises been reneged upon?  I don't believe they have but I think my unease is understandable.  Also if he has the keys to the kingdom as far as transfers are concerned, just exactly what does he think he's doing, I'd love to know.

After 10 weeks in the job, in which he's made an impressive start, I can't see in any way how the owners would have squealed the spending brakes.

Unless Wes and Nas were both served with divorce papers over the new year. It did for Randolph, after all.

[Goldie.7]

We live in a world of instant gratification - buy someone, do something. If we were in danger of relegation i'd agree we'd ned to act (or probably wouldn't have sold Ings) but we aren't. no need to lumbered ourselves out of desparation. A few positions in the league are indeed worth millions but I'd prefer to dodgy the shitty Europe competition until we are good and ready.

Yeah, we're far too big and important to lower ourselves to playing European football. Who'd want to waste time with that.

That's exactly it.

We talk about how we're a big club all the time, when do we ever actually act like one?

Talk is cheap.

And while we are at it, what is our net spend the last two or three windows?

Our fanbase is rife with supporters who hate the thought of success. You will never see a single comment from a pool supporter about not wanting to qualify for the chumps league this season despite their hideous form. Our form is actually very good and the usual lot are not too bothered about anything.

From now on when our best players move on (like they always do) I'm actually going to be happy for them. This window has been a real eye opener.

[PaulWinch again]

It’s nuts.

I could cope with the cup exits in the name of focusing on getting up the league, but to exit the cups and then weaken an already questionable quality squad is not part of the deal.

I am starting to wonder what they actually want to achieve here. Negligible spending the last few windows- how is that meant to improve us?

It’s fucking bonkers. People can rationalise all they want but selling/loaning players from the first team squad and not replacing them is piss poor. The lack of forward options is clearly the biggest weakness.

As I say I hope to be proved wrong tomorrow, but it’s all rather devoid of ambition.

[curiousorange]

It’s nuts.

I could cope with the cup exits in the name of focusing on getting up the league, but to exit the cups and then weaken an already questionable quality squad is not part of the deal.

I am starting to wonder what they actually want to achieve here. Negligible spending the last few windows- how is that meant to improve us?

This is something which really grates on me too. I don't aspire to Chelsea's madness but I aspire to their balls-out "what price tag?" attitude. You want to win stuff, you have to spend big, it really is that simple.

[FatSam]

As the result of us being on our third manager in just over a year, the squad needs some surgery to become balanced. It would be nice if we could have been merrily squad building over the past couple of years, with a clear purpose and direction, but that clearly hasn’t happened. There is inevitably some wastage from signing players to suit a particular manager, who is subsequently sacked, and I think the jury is still out on Lange’s effectiveness as well.

If there is something that pisses me off more than my club not signing players to address an obvious weakness in the squad, it is my club signing the wrong players on big wages and long contracts, and becoming hamstrung in the transfer market going forwards. My understanding is that Emery likes to work with a fairly small squad. Of course we could benefit from a few incomings, and the fact that we are within striking distance of European places makes it tantalising, but if the right players aren’t available what do we do? There has been lots of speculation about certain players, but there is no certainty that we were ever after them. Of course it would be great to bring in another striker, to give us cover, and an option from the bench. Other than Felix though, I’m not aware of a player that another EPL team has signed that would have fitted the bill.

So I’m summary, I would like us to sign a couple more players now, but I’m not going to blame the club if the right players aren’t available. Perhaps that’s the wrong mentality?

[aj2k77]

I don't think the recruitment team are any good at all.