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

[Richard]

If Archer is off I would imagine another striker is incoming unless Unai thinks that someone like Diaby could replace Watkins if he gets injured.

I'd be amazed if we didn't get someone else in. An experienced, top-level pro happy to play when called upon and will raise standards. Fernando Morientes or Olivier Giroud will do.

Did you mean Morata?

[Dave]

If Archer is off I would imagine another striker is incoming unless Unai thinks that someone like Diaby could replace Watkins if he gets injured.

I'd be amazed if we didn't get someone else in. An experienced, top-level pro happy to play when called upon and will raise standards. Fernando Morientes or Olivier Giroud will do.

Did you mean Morata?

I think Morientes at 47 years old would be taking experience a bit too far.

[KevinGage]

Scored six goals for Marseille. Def seems more of the attacking sort of wingback and - if we're playing three at the back more (or fitting three centre halves into a back four)- could be a decent back up option.

RCF of this parish might have seen more of him during his time in Portugal.

Left under a bit of a cloud there. And Arsenal fans were happy to see him away from the club last season n'all. So that is a worry. 

[Ger Regan]

Surely we need 2 more forward players if Philogene also leaves? Looking more like we'll be leaving ourselves short, again.

[pablo_picasso]

I think that’s losing sight of the fact he’s a human being rather than just a commodity and I hope Villa don’t force him to stay for those reasons.

Thats great.

But he is a grown adult who knowingly signed a contract & has been very highly compensated for his time at the club.

If he is unhappy & wants to move, then he should take responsibility for his & his families future by placing a transfer request in like an adult & we start the process of looking for a permanent home for him that costs us nothing further.

We certainly should not be paying part of the wages for a player out on loan, who wants to move back to another country, as his value depreciates & his contract runs down.

Otherwise we are going to have more Sansons, Guilberts, etc, on our hands...

And that cant be great for our FFP figures...

[eamonn]

Aston Villa and France will one day be a roaring success together. In Boubacar and Bad English we trust!

[PaulWinch again]

Right with the money coming back in from Cam and Aaron, and the associated FFP benefits, plus Digne apparently going then I really expect two/three good quality additions coming in. With those departures, particularly Digne and Cam, we feel light.

[Steve67]

We do seem to have a bit of a fixation with Barcelona players this summer. Yet to sign one though!

[AV84]

I know it's unlikely Conference League group stages will prove a massive draw to players holding out for Champions League clubs, but hopefully after tonight we'll have one foot and 4 toes in the group stages, and it might make the last week of the window a bit more interesting, especially for those names we've been linked with but seemingly dismissed by. I think most of them are still where they were in July.

[Dante Lavelli]

Yep, that’s my thinking too. There’s no way we’d have cleared out that many players without a good idea of who comes in.

For what it’s worth I don’t think they all need replacing. One player replaces Davis and Archer. Arguably that player might also cover the wing or #10 too.  That player would need to be first teaser though so Bailey/Zaniolo can drop to the bench.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Anyone watched Nuno Tavarez in Ligue 1 last year? He seemed to be very erratic at Arsenal.

No but I did read one comment saying he had half a decent season there with Marseille. They also mentioned how working with a top coach is his only hope. Tudor, who I rate, managed to get something out of him, Arteta nothing which is little surprise, he was a Benfica B player rather than an established first team player. As mentioned previously, Benfica couldn't believe their luck or Arsenal's stupidity when they paid £8m for him.

If we were in the Championship with little money, I guess he'd be an option. Where we are today and where we say we want to go, I'm shocked that his name is being linked with us, even by people that make up bullshit on Twitter. He's big, strong and understands Spanish just like my local butcher.

[chrisw1]

According to this* surmising from Alan Nixon's Patreon (!) page, he's been saying that "Sheffield United will pay around £18m for Archer but like a lot of Villa’s latest outgoings, there will be a buy-back clause inserted into the deal. That means Villa will take Archer back for a fee above that £18m should United go down.

In essence, it’s like a complex loan deal on paper. However, should United stay up, then it does seem Archer will be a Blades player regardless.
The intricacies of the deal are yet to come to light but it appears United are ready to press on with this one."

* https://www.sheffieldunited.news/news/sheffield-united-strike-18m-deal-to-sign-cameron-archer/

If Sheffield United go down, Villa will take Archer back for a fee of >£18m....? Surely a buy-back is at the discretion of the buyer and not dependent on Sheffield United's survival or not...

And would that mean the effective loan was free?  Surely if they get relegated we should get him back for £18m less a fair loan fee?

[OCD]

Never be surprised by links. We've been linked with Harry Maguire through the summer, even after signing Pau Torres. Half the time they must be getting started by someone who wants to see them move on.

We'll have to see if there's anything in it but Emery's track record so far looks pretty good since he joined us (Moreno, Duran, Tielemans, Pau Torres, Diaby and Zaniolo).

[chrisw1]

I think that’s losing sight of the fact he’s a human being rather than just a commodity and I hope Villa don’t force him to stay for those reasons.

Thats great.

But he is a grown adult who knowingly signed a contract & has been very highly compensated for his time at the club.

If he is unhappy & wants to move, then he should take responsibility for his & his families future by placing a transfer request in like an adult & we start the process of looking for a permanent home for him that costs us nothing further.

We certainly should not be paying part of the wages for a player out on loan, who wants to move back to another country, as his value depreciates & his contract runs down.

I agree with this.  The very first thing a player who wants to force a move should do is put in a transfer request and waive any loyalty bonus' etc

[Gareth]

I think that’s losing sight of the fact he’s a human being rather than just a commodity and I hope Villa don’t force him to stay for those reasons.

Thats great.

But he is a grown adult who knowingly signed a contract & has been very highly compensated for his time at the club.

If he is unhappy & wants to move, then he should take responsibility for his & his families future by placing a transfer request in like an adult & we start the process of looking for a permanent home for him that costs us nothing further.

We certainly should not be paying part of the wages for a player out on loan, who wants to move back to another country, as his value depreciates & his contract runs down.

I agree with this.  The very first thing a player who wants to force a move should do is put in a transfer request and waive any loyalty bonus' etc

This is all assuming there is any animosity there…it’s just as possible that there is an amicable agreement negotiated between club / player / agent in place for a replacement triggering a move etc.