2023 Summer transfer window - hopes, needs, expectations and rumours.

[Dogtanian]

A couple of seasons ago, I would have loved Tielemans. But we would never have got him.

Now we definitely could get him, but he definitely seems to be on the wane. I think it would be a punt on a player who hasn't been doing it, and I think this window we mean business and look like spending on players who not only can do it, but are doing it, and wanna come do it with us.

[Dogtanian]

PSG pushing apparently, which is why no agreement for Asensio.

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1664122638417969152?s=20

[Risso]

Hmmm. I hope this summer doesn't just become a round of people using us to either get a better contract where they are, or as a stalking horse to flush out 'bigger' clubs.

[Gareth]

I just don’t see Asensio as one we will get, feels so much that we are being used as a stalking horse, something the club won’t mind if it keeps under wraps players we are chasing… still think we will be looking at players from Villareal and that level of club in La Liga rather than Madrid.

We’ll probably announce Asensio this afternoon now lol

[danno]

PSG probably do need a replacement for Di Maria. I thought they were trying to reduce their wage bill, but I suppose not paying Messi frees up space for three players!

[Smithy]

Hmmm. I hope this summer doesn't just become a round of people using us to either get a better contract where they are, or as a stalking horse to flush out 'bigger' clubs.

I think this is one of the downsides of success on the pitch. The pool of players who can genuinely and demonstrably improve you gets much smaller, and the competition for them goes up by an order of magnitude.  We've gone from being one of the most attractive options for players hoping to prove themselves in the premier league, to just one of many options for players who can comfortably play on the European stage.

I will be very surprised if we sign anyone who is pretty well established and high-profile without some competition and/or lots of speculation.  We could still get a few Kamara type deals under the radar, but the bigger ones? No chance.

[algy]

I just don’t see Asensio as one we will get, feels so much that we are being used as a stalking horse, something the club won’t mind if it keeps under wraps players we are chasing… still think we will be looking at players from Villareal and that level of club in La Liga rather than Madrid.

We’ll probably announce Asensio this afternoon now lol

No, we seem to have generally been pretty good at keeping what we're doing under wraps. This one's been going on a bit too long for my liking now.

[Steve67]

I think the way we do business is excellent, even a bit frustrating because we don’t let journalists know what we are doing. Unless it’s Percy. Therefore I tend to go with the rule, if it’s in the press, it’s not really happening. I guess if you throw enough shit at the wall some of it will stick and whilst Unai Emery is likely to be really ambitious with his signings, I can’t see us being in for Asensio. 

[Stu]

Some Spanish journo tweeted out that Asensio now off to PSG. Well I never

[Drummond]

You've got to be in it, to win it. And we're in it.

We will win some and lose some. But I have faith in our set up that we are at least trying.

[Risso]

I think the way we do business is excellent, even a bit frustrating because we don’t let journalists know what we are doing. Unless it’s Percy. Therefore I tend to go with the rule, if it’s in the press, it’s not really happening. I guess if you throw enough shit at the wall some of it will stick and whilst Unai Emery is likely to be really ambitious with his signings, I can’t see us being in for Asensio. 

Both Moreno and Duran were mentioned before they actually signed. The only one I think that took everybody by surprise was Ings, but that was a panic buy to try to defuse the sale of Grealish.

[Stu]

Was never gonna happen. Not with PSG in the frame, Messi and Neymar leaving, he probably reckons he can be the main man.

[Monty]

Speaking of FFP and all that - how in the hell do they expect us not to notice how ludicrous it is that PSG keeping getting away with it? Do they expect us not to notice the naked corruption here?

[Risso]

You've got to be in it, to win it. And we're in it.

We will win some and lose some. But I have faith in our set up that we are at least trying.

Indeed. As long as our first signing isn't somebody truly underwhelming like Ruben Loftus Cheek or similar!

[DB]

You've got to be in it, to win it. And we're in it.

We will win some and lose some. But I have faith in our set up that we are at least trying.

Spot on. The level of player we a going for is a big step up.