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

[AV84]

This might sound stupid but I assume if we're showing any kind of real interest in a player then we've had someone watching them for a while? Like it's not a case that Milan have rang us up and said "I hear you're in the market for a striker...." and we've gone in with a bid off the back of a quick Google.

I'd believe previous managers worked that way. Not now though.

[Dante Lavelli]

I’m not sure a £25m player is the answer.,I’d be worry he’d use up a place in the squad demoting Archer and Ramsey but not quite replacing Bailey either.

I feel dirty saying that, but this is the position where I hope we throw money at the problem to maximise the chances of getting it right.

[Matt C]

We’re certainly being linked to a lot of players, more speculation around Johnson now.

[coreyfeldman]

Johnson rumours getting louder. I think he'd be a great signing, exactly what we need

[Sexual Ealing]

The Daily Heil writer who 'broke' the Johnson wouldn't mind coming to Villa has a Twitter bio that includes 'Mark Clattenburg's biographer'. The mind boggles. Who'd want to write it, who'd want to read it, and who the fuck would pay to publish it?

Edit. Just realised that all three questions have the same answer: Mark Clattenburg.

[charlatan]

Italian press saying we’ve bid for Charles De Ketelaere.

Sounds like a gem thief

excellent

or an Airport

good at hemming in demonstrators

[ozzjim]

I'm a bit warmer on Johnson than Diaby, simply because Bailey hasn't exactly been consistent since arriving from Leverkusen. Johnson and a risk on the Belgian at decent money might be a compromise, both can play up front too.

[pauliewalnuts]

The Daily Heil writer who 'broke' the Johnson wouldn't mind coming to Villa has a Twitter bio that includes 'Mark Clattenburg's biographer'. The mind boggles. Who'd want to write it, who'd want to read it, and who the fuck would pay to publish it?

Edit. Just realised that all three questions have the same answer: Mark Clattenburg.

That makes me think of Jeff Winter, former ref, and the most deluded man in football. From his autobiography, re his last match, refereeing Liverpool - Blackburn with Liverpool needing to win to qualify for the Champions League.

“in the end I played a few extra minutes , waiting untill play was at the kop end before sounding the final shrill blast , a bit like the last post , the fans behind the goal burst in to spontaneous applause it was longer and louder than normal even for a big home win , DID THEY KNOW IT WAS MY FINAL VISIT , WAS THE APPLAUSE FOR ME , they are such knowledgeable football people that it would not surprise me”

Always had a very high opinion of himself, Jeff.

[Dante Lavelli]

Johnson’s an exact fit for Bailey’s current position but possibly doesn’t have the ceiling of some of the players we’ve been linked with. On the plus side, he’s a lot less likely to completely flop having already done well in the league.

Let’s just hope they don’t ask stupid money.

[AV84]

He’s an exact fit for Bailey’s current position but possibly doesn’t have the ceiling of some of the players we’ve been linked with. Equally he’s a lot less likely to completely flop having already done well in the league.

Let’s just hope the don’t ask stupid money.

Assuming you're talking about Johnson, Brentford have already had a bid for 30mil turned down, apparently.
Could he he's not interested in going there, and Forest would rather keep him, so that's why it was turned down. But you'd assume we'd have to go at least as high as that?

[ADVILLAFAN]

I think you're all writing off the Belgian League too quickly.

Balaban did well there and he was ace...

[eamonn]

Johnson rumours getting louder. I think he'd be a great signing, exactly what we need

Is he out of jail for noncin'? His career must be finished now. Couldn't manage a Ched Evans resurrection.

[Clark W Griswold]

Johnson would be a decent punt i think. If the £40m is true it probably isn't too OTT in the current climate. Not arsed about the chap from Milan or Joao Felix. Diaby interesting but would prefer Johnson simply because he's been in the PL and done very well in a struggling team.

[AV84]

Didn't we get Benteke from Belgium? He did alright for us straight away.

[paul_e]

Johnson does tick a lot of the boxes for what we need but I'm not completely convinced he's ready for the step up to the top half of the league so the price might be a touch too high, £30-35m seems more realistic to me.