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

[Matt G]

Digne was an upgrade on Targett, no question, however not the vast improvement that you see compared to Moreno.  Yet for the money paid and wages spent it should be the other way round.  He's guilty of no more than Gerrard overspending on him and accepting a wage way above what his talent would have got in the market.
If we can move him off the wage bill and come in with a similar fee that we paid then it makes sense, especially to replace with a big character, a fighter and a winner, because we have never had enough of those.  We've always been a bit nice!

[john e]

Digne was an upgrade on Targett, no question, however not the vast improvement that you see compared to Moreno.  Yet for the money paid and wages spent it should be the other way round.  He's guilty of no more than Gerrard overspending on him and accepting a wage way above what his talent would have got in the market.
If we can move him off the wage bill and come in with a similar fee that we paid then it makes sense, especially to replace with a big character, a fighter and a winner, because we have never had enough of those.  We've always been a bit nice!

I’m not sure Digne was an upgrade on Target in fact I’d call it all square

[London Villan]

I think Gerrard knew he was available and it made sense to upgrade Targett.

In other news, Acuna deal is agreed and medical booked.

[Dave]

Digne was an upgrade on Targett, no question, however not the vast improvement that you see compared to Moreno.  Yet for the money paid and wages spent it should be the other way round.  He's guilty of no more than Gerrard overspending on him and accepting a wage way above what his talent would have got in the market.
If we can move him off the wage bill and come in with a similar fee that we paid then it makes sense, especially to replace with a big character, a fighter and a winner, because we have never had enough of those.  We've always been a bit nice!

I’m not sure Digne was an upgrade on Target in fact I’d call it all square

I don't think it's a fair comparison. Targett has had one spell in his career of looking really good - when he had Grealish in front of him drawing the attention of half the opposing team, making both attacking and defending for the full-back behind him much easier.

Give a left-back not much defending to do and a whole side of a pitch to play in, and anyone would probably look half-decent.

[Villatillidie25]

i'd agree. Is there a better "reserve" left back in the league? The question is solely financial imo as he offers something different to Moreno, is experienced and definitely isn't useless. Maybe doesn't just doesn't stack up being one of our highest paid players

[Risso]

I think Digne gets a bad rap personally. I think he’s a good player.

I'm with you here. Maybe not worthy of being our highest paid player, nor as good as Moreno but I am comfortable with him being a valuable player in our squad.

Same here. The other advantage is that with Mings out, Digne is at least experienced with the rest of the defence and the Premier League in general. Not sure what the point of swapping a 30 year old back up for a 31 year old is, Acuna didn't look like much of an upgrade based on last night anyway.

[Dave]

i'd agree. Is there a better "reserve" left back in the league? The question is solely financial imo as he offers something different to Moreno, is experienced and definitely isn't useless. Maybe doesn't just doesn't stack up being one of our highest paid players

Digne and Moreno are absolutely fine for our left-back needs.

But if the rumours that we're going to get our money back for Digne and spend less on Acuna are true, Digne and Acuna are also absolutely fine.

[Risso]

i'd agree. Is there a better "reserve" left back in the league? The question is solely financial imo as he offers something different to Moreno, is experienced and definitely isn't useless. Maybe doesn't just doesn't stack up being one of our highest paid players

Digne and Moreno are absolutely fine for our left-back needs.

But if the rumours that we're going to get our money back for Digne and spend less on Acuna are true, Digne and Acuna are also absolutely fine.

Just seems a bit of a risk. I wouldn't imagine it will make that much difference financially, and at least we know what we get with Digne. Meanwhile right back continues to look a bit of a problem area, and we've still no proper back up for Watkins.

[not3bad]

I think Gerrard knew he was available and it made sense to upgrade Targett.

In other news, Acuna deal is agreed and medical booked.

Time for his own post?

[Dave]

i'd agree. Is there a better "reserve" left back in the league? The question is solely financial imo as he offers something different to Moreno, is experienced and definitely isn't useless. Maybe doesn't just doesn't stack up being one of our highest paid players

Digne and Moreno are absolutely fine for our left-back needs.

But if the rumours that we're going to get our money back for Digne and spend less on Acuna are true, Digne and Acuna are also absolutely fine.

Just seems a bit of a risk. I wouldn't imagine it will make that much difference financially, and at least we know what we get with Digne. Meanwhile right back continues to look a bit of a problem area, and we've still no proper back up for Watkins.

Sure. If our choice turns out to be Acuna OR those other two things, then obviously those other things are far more important. But as long as it's as-well-as, I've got no issue with it.

Acuna also does stuff as well that Digne doesn't. He's one of those aggressive, niggly types that we always say we're missing whereas Digne seems to be on a mission to prove the Gallic insouciance stereotype. Acuna's also more comfortable dropping into the middle of the pitch, assuming the idea is eventually to have an equivalent attacking right-hand side to last years left-hand side which we can switch up depending on the opposition / match.

Of course it's not more important than the two positions that you mention, but it's still fine.

[Clark W Griswold]

I too have no issue with Moreno and Digne as the left back options. Digne probably hasn't been quite as good as i thought he would (i always thought he looked a cracking player at Everton), but he's fine. As pointed out we have more pressing areas to improve.

What i would say is, if Digne is pushing to move as you would expect if he's second choice here and he's being offered a ton of cash in Saudi, then i'm quite sure Acuna will be an excellent replacement. In addition, if we come out better off transfer fee and wages wise then even better, i suspect Acuna might be a slightly better option for us as he seems a tougher player and we're lacking at bit in that regard.

[algy]

Think with Digne, in hindsight we overpaid - especially on wages - but at the time it felt like he was a player who Manc Utd had been sniffing around not long before, and was generally considered a top-half-maybe-top-quarter left back.  So I don't think £25m seemed totally unreasonable at the time, felt more like we'd taken advantage of some chaos at Everton & got ourselves a player for less than we'd have expected to pay 6 months earlier (or 6 months later, for that matter).

Personally I think he's a decent enough player, an upgrade on Matty Targett - although maybe not by the amount you'd hope - and would slot in as first choice LB at half the clubs in the division, maybe more.  As others have said, think in Moreno + Digne we've got one of the strongest 1st & 2nd choice left back pairs in the league.  Although that would also be the case with Moreno + Acuna.

[brontebilly]

Digne was an upgrade on Targett, no question, however not the vast improvement that you see compared to Moreno.  Yet for the money paid and wages spent it should be the other way round.  He's guilty of no more than Gerrard overspending on him and accepting a wage way above what his talent would have got in the market.
If we can move him off the wage bill and come in with a similar fee that we paid then it makes sense, especially to replace with a big character, a fighter and a winner, because we have never had enough of those.  We've always been a bit nice!

We will have signed three left backs over 30 in less than 18 months? Very strange recruitment. Moreno, to be fair, looked absolute quality once he settled in last season. Digne never did, he was ok. I fear Acuna will struggle with the pace of the league. A younger version of Moreno with similar characteristics should have been the play.

Bit worried about our recruitment this summer generally, we are injuries to Cash, Martinez and Watkins away from chaos.

[pauliewalnuts]

I liked Digne originally, but have slowly come to terms with accepting that LeeB was probably right about him all along.

[Clampy]

I dont find the left back signings strange recruitment. One was signed by a former manager and the new manager didn't rate him and has bought his own in.