2024 January transfer window - hopes, needs, expectations and rumours.

[Villatillidie25]

Regards the young players all being signed from academy well these are asset signings and it appears they are just signed with the idea of selling them in a few seasons.
I'll have to continue getting used to these kind of moves and they getting announced as if its some big deal.
They merely seem to have little relevance to the first team right now and are being picked up for monetary benefit.

It's just annoying as now it makes little interest to me when we are signing a young, highly rated player when they just get sent off on loan and in all probability never used in first team.

It's like a completely separate entity.

I don’t think the Villa will buy someone they think stands no chance of making it into the first team. It’s just, at their age, there’s pretty fine lines between making it and not. If we can be more savvy and turn a profit on the guys that don’t quite make it rather than have them knocking around for years doing not a lot like Davis then all the better.

[Dante Lavelli]

If the purchases fall outside FFP calculations then it is an area where we can go big, most other clubs will not have the luxury of our wealthy owners.  Arguably it is an area we have a competitive advantage.

[pauliewalnuts]

Regards the young players all being signed from academy well these are asset signings and it appears they are just signed with the idea of selling them in a few seasons.
I'll have to continue getting used to these kind of moves and they getting announced as if its some big deal.
They merely seem to have little relevance to the first team right now and are being picked up for monetary benefit.

It's just annoying as now it makes little interest to me when we are signing a young, highly rated player when they just get sent off on loan and in all probability never used in first team.

It's like a completely separate entity.

I don’t think the Villa will buy someone they think stands no chance of making it into the first team. It’s just, at their age, there’s pretty fine lines between making it and not. If we can be more savvy and turn a profit on the guys that don’t quite make it rather than have them knocking around for years doing not a lot like Davis then all the better.

Too right.

Buying and selling players who never really play for us, that's something all big clubs do, and something we need to do more of.

Azaz, for example, picked up for fuck all from Albion, probably had to punch the postcode for BMH into his satnav every time he went there, it was so infrequently, sold on for 2.5m.

In the background, we effectively need to be buying and trading players even with the knowledge they'll almost certainly never play for us with any regularity, if there's money to be made, it all counts.

I see Man City just sold some 12 year old to Newcastle, for example, for 15m or something stupid. They sold Trafford to Burnley for similar. We sold Archer for even more than that, and Aaron Ramsey for 14, another who'd not really ever played for us.

It all goes towards funding players who do play for us.

[Risso]

If the purchases fall outside FFP calculations then it is an area where we can go big, most other clubs will not have the luxury of our wealthy owners.  Arguably it is an area we have a competitive advantage.

They don't fall outside of FFP though.

[Footy-Vill]

It's hard to be too thrilled on their behalf because these young players are essentially going to be sold so that money can be made to buy elite ready first team players.

[dave shelley]

It's hard to be too thrilled on their behalf because these young players are essentially going to be sold so that money can be made to buy elite ready first team players.

You don't know that though do you Footy?  Any one of these kids could turn out to be an elite footballer at 17/18 years of age.

[villadelph]

It's hard to be too thrilled on their behalf because these young players are essentially going to be sold so that money can be made to buy elite ready first team players.

I find it more of a motivating factor than anything. These kids know how difficult it is to come through the academy and earn a contract. The fact that they are at an established Premier League Club means they're one first team injury or an overly-congested schedule away from an opportunity at the very top of the game.

[Dogtanian]

It's hard to be too thrilled on their behalf because these young players are essentially going to be sold so that money can be made to buy elite ready first team players.

You don't know that though do you Footy?  Any one of these kids could turn out to be an elite footballer at 17/18 years of age.

Exactly. It’s hedging our bets.

We hope they will be amazing and eventually able to compete for us at the top, but we have the reassurance that we stand a good chance of at least getting our money back if they don’t hit those heights.

The reality is we can’t buy elite ready-made players in our current position. But these deals help us use the money we have got as effectively as possible.

[Dogtanian]

It's hard to be too thrilled on their behalf because these young players are essentially going to be sold so that money can be made to buy elite ready first team players.

I find it more of a motivating factor than anything. These kids know how difficult it is to come through the academy and earn a contract. The fact that they are at an established Premier League Club means they're one first team injury or an overly-congested schedule away from an opportunity at the very top of the game.

Yes, plus they’re giving themselves a bit of security. Take Azaz, he could have signed for a league two team on a free from WBA. Instead he signed for us and was loaned out to them instead.

His contract with us meant he probably earned more and had a safety net and better medical support in case of injury. And he was able to move from league two, to one, to the Championship in successive seasons much more easily than he could have done if he’d signed a contract with them.

He’s a great example of a young player using our academy to his advantage while also helping us out financially.

[Steve67]

Chambers rejecting all attempts to lure him to the Championship according to the ever so slick Football Insider.

[Footy-Vill]

It just frustrating when see likes of Mainoo at Man Utd , Miley at Newcastle, Hinshelwood at Brighton and Bradley at Liverpool, Rico Lewis at Man City all getting some games.

Tim Iroegbunam is 20 now and I think he should be utilised second half of the season. Certainly Emery said he'll use him to contest with Kamara

[LeonW]

Regards the young players all being signed from academy well these are asset signings and it appears they are just signed with the idea of selling them in a few seasons.
I'll have to continue getting used to these kind of moves and they getting announced as if its some big deal.
They merely seem to have little relevance to the first team right now and are being picked up for monetary benefit.

It's just annoying as now it makes little interest to me when we are signing a young, highly rated player when they just get sent off on loan and in all probability never used in first team.

It's like a completely separate entity.

I get where you’re coming from, Footy. This just seems to be the way of things generally  and we do need to do something to give us more of a chance with the restrictions we have to work to.

Some of these players could make it but I have to agree also that some have very likely just been bought with a view to selling them at a profit and may never play for us.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

It's hard to be too thrilled on their behalf because these young players are essentially going to be sold so that money can be made to buy elite ready first team players.

You don't know that though do you Footy?  Any one of these kids could turn out to be an elite footballer at 17/18 years of age.

Agreed, Dave but they don't even have to be elite, they need to be able to deliver for the team. Apart from Sid Cowans who obviously was elite, Gary Williams and Colin Gibson are two examples of players that were brilliant for Villa and when moved on, never really hit the same level.

My guess is Unai is in a hurry, he's not interested in building long term, he wants success as soon as possible and will be ruthless to achieve his objective. As Man U showed again tonight, you don't win anything with kids.

[eamonn]

Crikey, look how pissed off Lyon are with Wham. He aint event that good (Benrahma, not Ridgely).

Olympique Lyonnais were delighted to welcome Saïd Benrahma to Lyon this Thursday to finalize his transfer from West Ham. The two clubs had signed a temporary transfer agreement, and Olympique Lyonnais had obtained approval from the DNCG to allow the transfer to take place smoothly and transparently.

 

However, at the start of the evening, while Olympique Lyonnais had entered all the administrative data on the dedicated FIFA platform (FIFA TMS), West Ham had never launched the slightest technical procedure on its part, despite the repeated reminders from the OL and continuous mutual telephone communication.

 

In the absence of this reciprocal action on the part of the English club and following this incomprehensible behavior, raising questions, the international transfer certificate could not be requested before closing time.

 

Olympique Lyonnais deeply regrets this situation and this decision, demonstrating a profound lack of respect on the part of West Ham towards the Institution and the player.

 

The club reserves the right to undertake all appropriate procedures necessary to validate the transaction at a later date, and to hold West Ham responsible if necessary.

[ChicagoLion]

If the purchases fall outside FFP calculations then it is an area where we can go big, most other clubs will not have the luxury of our wealthy owners.  Arguably it is an area we have a competitive advantage.

They don't fall outside of FFP though.

Yeh, but other than that