January Transfer Window - The Verdict.

[chrisw1]

ITK Gregg Evans says 100% going Big on a Forward in the summer.
He also says Martinez is staying.

If he gets either wrong I'll be happy to admit he's not ITK.
But I suspect Gregg will be proved right.

Why do you believe all this stuff? Or rather, why do you post this stuff claiming it to be true and ITK?

You've no idea, nobody does. Though we'd clearly all suspect it to be true anyway.

I think it's reasonable to assume that Gregg, or one of his Athletic colleagues, has been told by someone conected to the club that we are looking for an elite No 9 in the summer and that Martinez will be staying.  He certainly seemed confident of this when discussing on the podcast.  Of course as he acknowledges it doesn't mean we'll get one, but the way he discussed it it sounded much more confident than casual speculation.

[Risso]

This was how ITK Gregg was on 31 Jan:

"Are there likely to be any surprises today? Not in the areas where Villa are looking to recruit. Again, the priority is a winger and/or striker. Don’t rule out an unexpected arrival in one of those positions, though."

[Toronto Villa]

This was how ITK Gregg was on 31 Jan:

"Are there likely to be any surprises today? Not in the areas where Villa are looking to recruit. Again, the priority is a winger and/or striker. Don’t rule out an unexpected arrival in one of those positions, though."

Literally any one of us could have posted that.

[chrisw1]

This was how ITK Gregg was on 31 Jan:

"Are there likely to be any surprises today? Not in the areas where Villa are looking to recruit. Again, the priority is a winger and/or striker. Don’t rule out an unexpected arrival in one of those positions, though."

Yes that's clearly nonsense.  I'm not one to beat the drum for Gregg Evans, I've pointed out before I think he's quite a limited journalist.  But there's a difference between hearing 'we're going to try to go big for a striker in the summer' and having indepth knowledge of individual transactions.  Given who he works for I think the comments are plausible, if not a particularly big stretch.

[Dante Lavelli]

I have no ITK but my predictions for the summer:
One of Bailey or Buendia will be sold.
Chambers will be sold.
Olsen will be sold.
We will sign:
1-2 forwards/wingers
1 centre mid
1 centre back
1 goalkeeper

I’d be gutted if we sold Buendia.  He’s one of those players I love watching (plus he doesn’t appear to moan when on the bench).  Him and Coutinho are more than enough ‘Tens” for the squad, so I’d hope that we move on Bailey and allocate big sums on replacing him.

[Tayls_7]

I have no ITK but my predictions for the summer:
One of Bailey or Buendia will be sold.
Chambers will be sold.
Olsen will be sold.
We will sign:
1-2 forwards/wingers
1 centre mid
1 centre back
1 goalkeeper

I’d be gutted if we sold Buendia.  He’s one of those players I love watching (plus he doesn’t appear to moan when on the bench).  Him and Coutinho are more than enough ‘Tens” for the squad, so I’d hope that we move on Bailey and allocate big sums on replacing him.

Plus players like Buendía will only benefit from a decent winger.

[danno]

Obviously it’s dependent on who is interested in whom, but surely Bailey is out the door long before Buendia?

[paul_e]

The Buendia thing is the most out there I was willing to go. I just think he's someone that we could replace and make a decent amount on and he might be someone worth sacrificing. I'd say the same about Kibsa as well but I think he'll be around for another year.

[Sexual Ealing]

The Buendia thing is the most out there I was willing to go. I just think he's someone that we could replace and make a decent amount on and he might be someone worth sacrificing. I'd say the same about Kibsa as well but I think he'll be around for another year.

I forgot we had Kibsa. As good as a new signing!

[paul_e]

The Buendia thing is the most out there I was willing to go. I just think he's someone that we could replace and make a decent amount on and he might be someone worth sacrificing. I'd say the same about Kibsa as well but I think he'll be around for another year.

I forgot we had Kibsa. As good as a new signing!

Feck, Konsa for people with working thumbs.

[Mellin]

I have an inkling that Martinez will stay. He'd go if the right offer came in, as they all would, but his value to Villa is huge, he's on a long contract and provided there's no release clause, I don't see anyone paying it.

If the number isn't met we don't buckle (Barry to Liverpool and Grealish to Spurs come to mind). Which is all you can ask for in this market really. We could see a bit of that with Emi this summer.

[Smithy]

I have an inkling that Martinez will stay. He'd go if the right offer came in, as they all would, but his value to Villa is huge, he's on a long contract and provided there's no release clause, I don't see anyone paying it.

If the number isn't met we don't buckle (Barry to Liverpool and Grealish to Spurs come to mind). Which is all you can ask for in this market really. We could see a bit of that with Emi this summer.

It's also an unusual position.  It's not like a centre-forward where there might be a bit of rotation, and you have four excellent options for two starting places.  Goalkeepers play every single game, if fit.

So which team, at the level he would play, is in the market for a number one right now? It has to be a team in the Champions League, with title aspirations, and that would also give him the undisputed number one shirt. 

Man Utd could be a maybe if De Gea doesn't renew his contract.  Neuer will be 37 this summer, so Bayern could also be on that list (but they would have to smash their transfer record to get him).  Realistically, the list of teams who could afford him AND give him the platform he'd need to consider moving just isn't very long at all.

If we were still in a relegation fight, I could see him wanting to simply join a "better" team.  But considering where we are right now, and our trajectory, it would have to be to one of half a dozen clubs in world football, and I don't see any of them coming in for him.

[Dave]

Neuer will be 37 this summer, so Bayern could also be on that list (but they would have to smash their transfer record to get him). 

They also signed the second best Bundesliga goalkeeper two months ago, in Yann Sommer.

Unless we were giving him away, they're not coming in for Emi.

[Footy-Vill]

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has been saying he wants to come and play in England:
"I'm working so hard to make sure that I achieve my dream of playing in the Premier League some day but like I said, it's a process and I just want to keep on this momentum and continue to do well"

That is the calibre of striker we will undoubtedly be searching for; securing him will be more difficult but not unattainable.
I'm all for attempting to get Osimhen after making offers for Felix and Darwin in the previous two windows they both are in the Premier league and now lets register interest and see what can happen for the top scorer of Serie A

[Dave]

That is the calibre of striker we will undoubtedly be searching for; securing him will be more difficult but not unattainable.

Osimhen is 100% unattainable.