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

[LeeB]

We need a RB.

I do wonder if he's just thinking Konsa or Chambers can just step in, and we've got the centre halves to cover.

[Villatillidie25]

We need a RB.

I do wonder if he's just thinking Konsa or Chambers can just step in, and we've got the centre halves to cover.

I suspect it's an area he'd like a new player, maybe even an upgrade on Cash but on the list of priorities, I think it falls below some of the other areas we've been talking about. Maybe a short term option (ala Young) to come in later in the window (we've been linked with Meunier this summer) is the only option i can see

[ChicagoLion]

We need a RB.

I do wonder if he's just thinking Konsa or Chambers can just step in, and we've got the centre halves to cover.

neither are particularly good with the ball, so I would have thought not Emery type players in that position.

[tomd2103]

We need a RB.

I do wonder if he's just thinking Konsa or Chambers can just step in, and we've got the centre halves to cover.

Wouldn't say either would be adequate cover if Cash was out for a run of games.  Think we definitely need another option there.   

[pablo_picasso]

I wonder if the Saudi Arabia thing is making in a difference in that players are now considering moves there that wouldn’t have done a few months ago, so the ‘transfer merry go round’ isn’t happening as expected?

This to me is a summer of quality over quantity.

I'm not sure why people keep demanding we sign 6-7 players every summer when we've seen before it takes too long for some to settle in and others simply aren't good enough.

We know from end of last season most players have responded well to Emery so now it's a case of adding astutely so I'd say dropping Tielemans into a very effective CM unit is clever. Pau Torres is an outstanding signing so we're very strong in the central parts now.

Only issue other than the obvious of attempting to sign a decent final third player is injuries. Already we've lost Moreno and Ramsey for start of the season and europa play offs so our left side simply won't be as strong as it was in the run in although Digne didn't do too badly in final few games when he got minutes so have to hope him and whoever is infront can do the job in August.

This summer has to be about both quantity & quality.

That was the whole point about keeping our powder dry in January.

And you highlighted the reason why a little later in your post. Its about having squad depth so we can cope with injuries, suspensions, form, fatigue, extra games, etc.

When the Torres signing goes through, & with Tielemans already here, we will have strength in depth at both central defence & central midfield. Its a great start of what needs to be a huge summer, because to compete at the upper echelons of domestic & european football, we will need to replicate that for the rest of the squad.

Which us why we need both quantity & quality...

[nigel]

Yeah, another keeper too unless Monchi is going to replace Olsen with himself, which to be honest I'd take, even at 54.

Same here.  I'd take John Burridge back in over Olsen.

I’d take Nigel Sims over Olsen

[trinityoap]

So would I and he's been dead for five years.

[Bobby Boy]

Yeah, another keeper too unless Monchi is going to replace Olsen with himself, which to be honest I'd take, even at 54.

Same here.  I'd take John Burridge back in over Olsen.

I’d take Nigel Sims over Olsen

I'd take Gabor Kiraly over....Actually, no, that's going too far.

[sid1964]

It was mentioned on a podcast that I listened to that Tom Heaton could be returning to us

[LeeB]

No, I still hate Kiraly. Those jogging bottoms were an afront too far to the institution of Aston Villa. William McGregor, a draper by trade, would have been spinning in his grave

[Dave]

No, I still hate Kiraly. Those jogging bottoms were an afront too far to the institution of Aston Villa. William McGregor, a draper by trade, would have been spinning in his grave

I remember on one of the early 2000s version of Football Manager he was the best, and most expensive goalkeeper in the game. I remember being quite jealous when he went to Palace.

Quickly got over that feeling.

[LeeB]

No, I still hate Kiraly. Those jogging bottoms were an afront too far to the institution of Aston Villa. William McGregor, a draper by trade, would have been spinning in his grave

I remember on one of the early 2000s version of Football Manager he was the best, and most expensive goalkeeper in the game. I remember being quite jealous when he went to Palace.

Quickly got over that feeling.

Ha ha, I remember being very excited when we signed Wilf Bouma as he was supposedly a kind of proto-Gareth Bale according to Championship Manager at the time. Him and Danny Tiatto locking down the left side for years.

[paul_e]

When people talk about quantity how many do you actually mean?

I see the current squad as:
GK(2/3) – Martinez, Olsen, Sinisalo
RB(1/2) – Cash
LB(2) – Moreno Digne
CB(4) – Mings, Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Chambers, Hause
DM(4) – Kamara, Donk, Luiz, Tim, Nakamba
CM(4) – McGinn, JJ Ramsey, Tielemans, AJ Ramsey, Sanson
AM/W(3/4) – Buendia, Coutinho, Bailey, Traore
ST(?/3) – Watkins, Archer, Duran?

The numbers are what I think we have and need for each position, Bold are new signings and youth players who could/should be part of the squad for next year, struck out are players we're either heavily rumoured to be happy to sell or who should be replaced. I've marked out Duran because I think he's right on the edge of whether we should be loaning him out or not.


So 1 keeper, 1 RB, 1 winger/2nd striker and maybe a striker if we want to give Duran a bit more time.


that's 5-6 signings and feels right to me, I think any more than that becomes disruptive.

[OCD]

I think Donk will go and Coutinho very much has a question mark over him for me.

[Hookeysmith]

I think Donk will go and Coutinho very much has a question mark over him for me.

Coutinho has 2 options

Get his mojo back and take Buendia's #10 role or come January fuck off to the desert with his old mate

I really hope it is the former as i feel he still has a huge amount to offer and no one better to get it out of his than UA.