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

[FatSam]

The same as last year, we got our transfer business done early, and then had suffered season-ending injuries by mid-August. The options available to us to cover those injuries are then limited due to FFP and the business other clubs have done by that point in the transfer window. We obviously brought Bednarek in on loan last season. It’s difficult to know how to deal with it this time around. It’s incredibly frustrating that a lot of the positive work that has been done is being undone by circumstances.

[chrisw1]

I don't accept we're limited by FFP.  I simply don't buy it, we just haven't spent enough.

23/24 - approx £75m
22/23 - approx £40m
21/22 - approx zero net.

I know there's wages etc, but other clubs pay wages too.  We must be miles off any thresholds - we could probably spend another £100m if we wanted to.

[pablo_picasso]

I'd have Maguire for a season.

Christ on a bike it was bad at the weekend, but not that fucking bad...

[LeeB]

I don't accept we're limited by FFP.  I simply don't buy it, we just haven't spent enough.

23/24 - approx £75m
22/23 - approx £40m
21/22 - approx zero net.

I know there's wages etc, but other clubs pay wages too.  We must be miles off any thresholds - we could probably spend another £100m if we wanted to.

I make you right, and we could be about to see the benefit of keeping away from the limit when you suddenly need to buy two extra players you hadn't planned for because your club is fucking cursed with season long injuries.

[RamboandBruno]

I'm not convinced pace in central defence is the be all and end all. Positioning is more important, and speed only becomes necessary if you've fucked up stage one.

If your line is disciplined rather than ragged, and provided the midfielders and forwards are pressing properly, you shouldn't need sprinters at the back.

Our biggest problem on Saturday was that the whole team wasn't pressing in coordinated fashion, something we did very well last season.

Completely agree with this. There were all sorts of problems defensively on Saturday and one of them was Cash being all over the place, he was probably our fastest defender on the pitch, but his positioning was ragged.
God himself didn’t have lots of pace just impeccable timing.
Im sure Emery will be reinforcing this.

[pablo_picasso]

Maguire is probably the last defender we should be looking at if we persist with playing a high line. He’d be a disaster.

A hugely expensive one too.

On both accounts, agree ! We’ve spent much of pre season discussing additional to midfield and striker/winger rumours, I can’t even remember CB talk, when we would have been looking at Pau, can anyone start with a few suggestions ?
We need pace, on loan probably best option given our other CB’s so can be released after season assuming Ty makes good recovery

Jeremiah St. Juste or Lutsharel Geertruida.

Both pacy, especially St. Juste, both good on the ball & both can play at either CB or RB.

[LeeB]

Ha, they both sound like characters from a Roald Dahl book

[pablo_picasso]

When we were buying Torres a couple of posts said he was quick, but he looked very slow indeed against Newcastle. The high line needs somebody with pace to get back in the times when it's not offside and teams have sprung the trap, and both Torres and Carlos look too slow to do that.

He was clocked doing 34.93km/h in La Liga...

[pablo_picasso]

I think we just need to go with Pau and Carlos/Konsa and look for a back up left CB on loan. Whilst Pau maybe didn’t look great on Saturday it was against the backdrop of a poor team performance so let’s give him a chance to show why he gets in the Spanish squad. Maybe Carlos needs to come in as the shouty man instead of Konsa as well but I’m sure todays video session with Unai will be instructive for them all😜

I would go with a player who can comfortably play both CB & RB.

If needed, Diego Carlos can shift over to the left side & Konsa or whoever we bring in as described above slots onto the right side...

And are then also stronger defensively at RB.

[Axl Rose]

I'd have Maguire for a season.

Christ on a bike it was bad at the weekend, but not that fucking bad...

Agreed. Maguire is utterly rubbish.

[Olneythelonely]

When we were buying Torres a couple of posts said he was quick, but he looked very slow indeed against Newcastle. The high line needs somebody with pace to get back in the times when it's not offside and teams have sprung the trap, and both Torres and Carlos look too slow to do that.

He was clocked doing 34.93km/h in La Liga...

He must have been in a car.

[Flamingo Lane]

Albeit that Carlos was out injured all last season, I don't think it at all unreasonable to expect two centre backs for whom we have forked out nigh on £70m to be able to forge a solid centre of defence, and a bit more. Konsa too, was a regular and first choice up to and including last Saturday. Chambers is decent back up. For sure, losing  Mings is a huge blow, but the above four players now need to step up to the plate and though much work will need to be done on the training ground, in my view the priorities in terms of getting in new players should remain as they were before Saturday.

[Flamingo Lane]

Deleted.

[john e]

Pau Torres is a good footballer, but will have to adapt to the speed and aggression of the Premier League quickly

If he adapts he will be a brilliant player if he doesn’t he will sink without trace and return to the European leagues

Over the years I’ve heard so many players some who went on to become great players talk about how difficult they found their first few games in the Premier League, It is different from any other league in the world and I think Pau found that out on Saturday

Personally, I think he will become the best central defender we have at the club

[AV84]

Leeds are apparently interested in Archer. Middlesbrough also want him. Can't see a Championship side coughing up the kind of prices we were throwing around last week for him.

If we're still interested in Gnonto or Adams maybe we could do a deal there. Although Adams is injured and apparently out for another few weeks.