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

[pablo_picasso]

Going through premier teams and off the top of my head from the bottom up and with players that would instantly improve our first team

Southampton -  I have always thought that JWP was a one trick pony so no one else springs to mind

Leicester - Harvey Barnes would be an upgrade on Bailey - although consistency would likely to have to improve

Forest - Henderson would be a better back up keeper

Leeds - i feel Harrison would fit in on RH wide position - although expensive as just signed new contract

Wet Spam - Bowen is a no brainer and would be fabulous for us in Baileys position

Fulham- maybe a shout for Pereria

Brentford - if Watkins was not on fire i would be seriously want us to take Toney - looks a great goal scorer and a bit horrible to go with it

So 1st choice would be Bowen followed by Barnes

I wouldn't mind Bella Kotchap from Southampton. Young, fast, strong defender.

Palhinha from Fulham might be a decent shout as the Dendonker replacement too.

I think most players to be looked at from clubs going down are their young potential. Nathan Tella, Livramento, etc...

[VILLA MOLE]

Kotchap sounds saucy

[KevinGage]

I want us to do whatever Brighton are doing. Signing some brilliant players, many not well known and having them perform at a high level before selling them for a massive profit. We may want to hang on to one or two given our long term objectives but buying ready-made players at exorbitant prices isn’t sustainable.

Yes, but part of the reason why the Brighton model works so well is they sell their club as a finishing school. Players join with one eye on the next move.

We may have had one or two players think that in the past (Benteke and Gueye were open about it). But in general it's not a thing with us. Our managers will usually up more roadblocks re players departing and the fans kick off if a popular player moves.  For Brighton it's an accepted way of life.

That's not to say we can't learn from the metrics they (or Brentford etc) use when scouting a player.

[simboy]

Lavia and Bazuno as back up from Southampton would be ok

[Smithy]

I want us to do whatever Brighton are doing. Signing some brilliant players, many not well known and having them perform at a high level before selling them for a massive profit. We may want to hang on to one or two given our long term objectives but buying ready-made players at exorbitant prices isn’t sustainable.

Yes, but part of the reason why the Brighton model works so well is they sell their club as a finishing school. Players join with one eye on the next move.

We may have had one or two players think that in the past (Benteke and Gueye were open about it). But in general it's not a thing with us. Our managers will usually up more roadblocks re players departing and the fans kick off if a popular player moves.  For Brighton it's an accepted way of life.

That's not to say we can't learn from the metrics they (or Brentford etc) use when scouting a player.

Nobody REALLY wants us to do what Brighton does. Not really.  What they actually want is for us to find quality undervalued players who can play at the top end of the premier league, but not the selling bit.  No fan is going to be "happy" when we're selling our best DM to Spurs, or our best left-back to Chelsea, or our best winger to Arsenal.

The problem we have, is that VERY few of Brighton's successes were instantly successful from the very moment they appeared in the first team. And I'm not sure we are the sort of club that can allow our main purchases to "develop" in our side over time.  We need to be buying players who can play in the team almost straight away.  Developing players is more for the youth players, and the odd young punt like Duran.  Brighton can afford to give that time to players.

I also think Brighton's success is romanticised a little, for example Bissouma, Trossard and Curcurella were all £15-£20m signings. They weren't unknowns picked up for peanuts and turned into diamonds. Yes, they were all sold at a profit, but we made a bigger profit on Chuk Jnr than they did on Bissouma and Trossard.

[Dave]

I want us to do whatever Brighton are doing. Signing some brilliant players, many not well known and having them perform at a high level before selling them for a massive profit. We may want to hang on to one or two given our long term objectives but buying ready-made players at exorbitant prices isn’t sustainable.

Yes, but part of the reason why the Brighton model works so well is they sell their club as a finishing school. Players join with one eye on the next move.

Until we're winning trophies and finishing higher in the league than we have at any point in the last twenty five years, that's what players we sign will be doing as well.

[OCD]

I want us to do whatever Brighton are doing. Signing some brilliant players, many not well known and having them perform at a high level before selling them for a massive profit. We may want to hang on to one or two given our long term objectives but buying ready-made players at exorbitant prices isn’t sustainable.

Yes, but part of the reason why the Brighton model works so well is they sell their club as a finishing school. Players join with one eye on the next move.

We may have had one or two players think that in the past (Benteke and Gueye were open about it). But in general it's not a thing with us. Our managers will usually up more roadblocks re players departing and the fans kick off if a popular player moves.  For Brighton it's an accepted way of life.

That's not to say we can't learn from the metrics they (or Brentford etc) use when scouting a player.

Nobody REALLY wants us to do what Brighton does. Not really.  What they actually want is for us to find quality undervalued players who can play at the top end of the premier league, but not the selling bit.  No fan is going to be "happy" when we're selling our best DM to Spurs, or our best left-back to Chelsea, or our best winger to Arsenal.

The problem we have, is that VERY few of Brighton's successes were instantly successful from the very moment they appeared in the first team. And I'm not sure we are the sort of club that can allow our main purchases to "develop" in our side over time.  We need to be buying players who can play in the team almost straight away.  Developing players is more for the youth players, and the odd young punt like Duran.  Brighton can afford to give that time to players.

I also think Brighton's success is romanticised a little, for example Bissouma, Trossard and Curcurella were all £15-£20m signings. They weren't unknowns picked up for peanuts and turned into diamonds. Yes, they were all sold at a profit, but we made a bigger profit on Chuk Jnr than they did on Bissouma and Trossard.

So really, we want our youth system to be more like Chelsea's youth system. Rather than our first team player development being like Brighton's. Having players come through, loaned out and then either moving into our first team squad or being sold for millions.

[Dave]

I want us to do whatever Brighton are doing. Signing some brilliant players, many not well known and having them perform at a high level before selling them for a massive profit. We may want to hang on to one or two given our long term objectives but buying ready-made players at exorbitant prices isn’t sustainable.

Yes, but part of the reason why the Brighton model works so well is they sell their club as a finishing school. Players join with one eye on the next move.

We may have had one or two players think that in the past (Benteke and Gueye were open about it). But in general it's not a thing with us. Our managers will usually up more roadblocks re players departing and the fans kick off if a popular player moves.  For Brighton it's an accepted way of life.

That's not to say we can't learn from the metrics they (or Brentford etc) use when scouting a player.

Nobody REALLY wants us to do what Brighton does. Not really.  What they actually want is for us to find quality undervalued players who can play at the top end of the premier league, but not the selling bit.  No fan is going to be "happy" when we're selling our best DM to Spurs, or our best left-back to Chelsea, or our best winger to Arsenal.

It's all relative though. Liverpool fans weren't "happy" when they were selling their best striker, best defensive midfielder and best attacking midfielder to Barcelona.

There is always going to be a food chain, and however good this version of us becomes, we're never going to find ourselves at the very top of it.

[LeeB]

The other thing with Brighton is that their fans are a massive bunch of twats.

Might not be relevant to the conversation but it needs to be said.

[Smithy]

I want us to do whatever Brighton are doing. Signing some brilliant players, many not well known and having them perform at a high level before selling them for a massive profit. We may want to hang on to one or two given our long term objectives but buying ready-made players at exorbitant prices isn’t sustainable.

Yes, but part of the reason why the Brighton model works so well is they sell their club as a finishing school. Players join with one eye on the next move.

We may have had one or two players think that in the past (Benteke and Gueye were open about it). But in general it's not a thing with us. Our managers will usually up more roadblocks re players departing and the fans kick off if a popular player moves.  For Brighton it's an accepted way of life.

That's not to say we can't learn from the metrics they (or Brentford etc) use when scouting a player.

Nobody REALLY wants us to do what Brighton does. Not really.  What they actually want is for us to find quality undervalued players who can play at the top end of the premier league, but not the selling bit.  No fan is going to be "happy" when we're selling our best DM to Spurs, or our best left-back to Chelsea, or our best winger to Arsenal.

It's all relative though. Liverpool fans weren't "happy" when they were selling their best striker, best defensive midfielder and best attacking midfielder to Barcelona.

There is always going to be a food chain, and however good this version of us becomes, we're never going to find ourselves at the very top of it.

Of course, no club is immune to losing their best players from time to time.  Man City will inevitably "lose" Haaland at some point in the next few years.  But it's not their intention.  It doesn't happen every year.  Brighton told three of their best players last summer.  The summer before that it was White to Arsenal and Burn to Newcastle. 

Can you imagine the meltdown on here if we sold HALF our first eleven over two summers, and replaced them with players in the £10-20m range that most of us hadn't heard of?

Brighton are VERY good at finding players in the £10-£20m range, who could be worth £30m+ after a year or two of experience in the premier league.  Would I like us to buy a few players like that? Of course. Do I think we should do more of it? Of course. Do I think it should become our primary aim with transfers? Absolutely not.  And I don't know how you get Brighton's success rate without it being your PRIMARY focus when buying players.

[Toronto Villa]

I did say in my post that given our long term objectives we might want to hang on to certain players that maybe a club like Brighton will look to do. But you cannot deny that their scouting has unearthed some excellent players for not a lot, relative to the money being lashed around the PL today. We need to combine that approach with improve our academy output and when needed buying at the upper end of the market for finished products. We've done a piss poor job as a club of selling players for a profit over many years aside from a few notables. And as long as we are not at the top of the food chain, which let's be honest we likely neevr will be, we need to be able to sell at a profit more often than not.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Palhinha from Fulham might be a decent shout as the Dendonker replacement too.

Reports are linking him with both Liverpool and the Plastics for £60m! Fulham paid about £18m for him last summer. I never really rated him that highly at Sporting but he's one of those players that adapt to other leagues, the physicality of the PL obviously suits him and he's been superb for Fulham this season.

[pablo_picasso]

Palhinha from Fulham might be a decent shout as the Dendonker replacement too.

Reports are linking him with both Liverpool and the Plastics for £60m! Fulham paid about £18m for him last summer. I never really rated him that highly at Sporting but he's one of those players that adapt to other leagues, the physicality of the PL obviously suits him and he's been superb for Fulham this season.

£60m?

Good player but hard pass at that price...

Let Liverpool show how frugal they are by not purchasing a Ferrari, but instead purchasing a Subaru Impreza for the price of a second hand Lamborghini...

[Smirker]

The Donk has been here five minutes and we're talking about a replacement for him 

Most pointless signing we've ever made?

[N'ZMAV]

The Donk has been here five minutes and we're talking about a replacement for him 

Most pointless signing we've ever made?

Wayne Routledge says no.