Summer 2024 Transfer Window - hopes, speculation, rumours etc.

[Holy Trinity]

Carlos Soler will play for Aston Villa

Carlos Soler will play next season for Aston Villa . The Spanish international, who still had a contract with PSG for three more seasons, will change direction towards the Premier League to join the team led by Unai Emery. A move by a footballer who had even been linked to some Spanish teams.

However, as ElDesmarque has learned , Carlos Soler will leave for Aston Villa.


https://www.eldesmarque.com/futbol/mercado-de-fichajes/20240525/carlos-soler-jugara-en-el-aston-villa_300344741.html

Very good signing if true and signals intent again.

[paul_e]

It seems strange to sign him and Barkley, 1 or the other with a more defensive option as well seems more sensible.

[Holy Trinity]

It seems strange to sign him and Barkley, 1 or the other with a more defensive option as well seems more sensible.

I have a feeling he's a replacement to an existing player, Emi maybe or JJ. As you say it doesn't make sense to sign both.

[Toronto Villa]

https://x.com/total_villa/status/1794316573685231818?s=46

Coutinho probably isn’t far off leaving. I’ll think him for some nice moments, but overall a lot of money wasted and a lot potential and ability never realized in our colours.

[VillaTim]

Went downhill after his debut mostly .

[eamonn]

Who wouldn't?

[Toronto Villa]

Went downhill after his debut mostly .

Not remotely true.

[OCD]

Comments from Andros Townsend about Ross Barkley made earlier in the season -

“Honestly, they’ve been some of the best midfield performances I’ve seen in my career,” he said. "It’s just unbelievable – the calmness, the ability to get the ball off the back four and knock it past some of the world’s best midfielders without a care in the world.

“We saw yesterday against Man City, Maradona was in the midfield to set up our goal – honestly, it’s been a joy to watch. In a way he’s given confidence to the rest of the players around him, including myself. Just that calmness to take the ball under pressure, it’s such an underrated skill. He’s been absolutely incredible and he’s been an absolute joy to play with, but a joy to watch as well.”

[Astnor]

Comments from Andros Townsend about Ross Barkley made earlier in the season -

“Honestly, they’ve been some of the best midfield performances I’ve seen in my career,” he said. "It’s just unbelievable – the calmness, the ability to get the ball off the back four and knock it past some of the world’s best midfielders without a care in the world.

“We saw yesterday against Man City, Maradona was in the midfield to set up our goal – honestly, it’s been a joy to watch. In a way he’s given confidence to the rest of the players around him, including myself. Just that calmness to take the ball under pressure, it’s such an underrated skill. He’s been absolutely incredible and he’s been an absolute joy to play with, but a joy to watch as well.”

This suits our style of play, theres arguments supporting its some of the essence of our style under Emery

[tomd2103]

Comments from Andros Townsend about Ross Barkley made earlier in the season -

“Honestly, they’ve been some of the best midfield performances I’ve seen in my career,” he said. "It’s just unbelievable – the calmness, the ability to get the ball off the back four and knock it past some of the world’s best midfielders without a care in the world.

“We saw yesterday against Man City, Maradona was in the midfield to set up our goal – honestly, it’s been a joy to watch. In a way he’s given confidence to the rest of the players around him, including myself. Just that calmness to take the ball under pressure, it’s such an underrated skill. He’s been absolutely incredible and he’s been an absolute joy to play with, but a joy to watch as well.”

This suits our style of play, theres arguments supporting its some of the essence of our style under Emery

That's just one side of it though.  One of the problems we had after Kamara's injury is that we didn't have a proper defensive midfielder and we looked wide open at times as a result.  I'm not sure Barkley is going to help with that.

[LeonW]

Comments from Andros Townsend about Ross Barkley made earlier in the season -

“Honestly, they’ve been some of the best midfield performances I’ve seen in my career,” he said. "It’s just unbelievable – the calmness, the ability to get the ball off the back four and knock it past some of the world’s best midfielders without a care in the world.

“We saw yesterday against Man City, Maradona was in the midfield to set up our goal – honestly, it’s been a joy to watch. In a way he’s given confidence to the rest of the players around him, including myself. Just that calmness to take the ball under pressure, it’s such an underrated skill. He’s been absolutely incredible and he’s been an absolute joy to play with, but a joy to watch as well.”

This suits our style of play, theres arguments supporting its some of the essence of our style under Emery

That's just one side of it though.  One of the problems we had after Kamara's injury is that we didn't have a proper defensive midfielder and we looked wide open at times as a result.  I'm not sure Barkley is going to help with that.

He won’t help with that at all but that won’t be what we’d be buying him to do.

[tomd2103]

Comments from Andros Townsend about Ross Barkley made earlier in the season -

“Honestly, they’ve been some of the best midfield performances I’ve seen in my career,” he said. "It’s just unbelievable – the calmness, the ability to get the ball off the back four and knock it past some of the world’s best midfielders without a care in the world.

“We saw yesterday against Man City, Maradona was in the midfield to set up our goal – honestly, it’s been a joy to watch. In a way he’s given confidence to the rest of the players around him, including myself. Just that calmness to take the ball under pressure, it’s such an underrated skill. He’s been absolutely incredible and he’s been an absolute joy to play with, but a joy to watch as well.”

This suits our style of play, theres arguments supporting its some of the essence of our style under Emery

That's just one side of it though.  One of the problems we had after Kamara's injury is that we didn't have a proper defensive midfielder and we looked wide open at times as a result.  I'm not sure Barkley is going to help with that.

He won’t help with that at all but that won’t be what we’d be buying him to do.

I could see it if he's coming in to play in the '8' role alongside a more defensive '6', but we already have Luiz, Tielemans and McGinn who can play there. 

We badly need an athletic, physical player to play that '6' role in Kamara's absence and then rotate with him when he's back. 

[mrfuse]

Comments from Andros Townsend about Ross Barkley made earlier in the season -

“Honestly, they’ve been some of the best midfield performances I’ve seen in my career,” he said. "It’s just unbelievable – the calmness, the ability to get the ball off the back four and knock it past some of the world’s best midfielders without a care in the world.

“We saw yesterday against Man City, Maradona was in the midfield to set up our goal – honestly, it’s been a joy to watch. In a way he’s given confidence to the rest of the players around him, including myself. Just that calmness to take the ball under pressure, it’s such an underrated skill. He’s been absolutely incredible and he’s been an absolute joy to play with, but a joy to watch as well.”

This suits our style of play, theres arguments supporting its some of the essence of our style under Emery

That's just one side of it though.  One of the problems we had after Kamara's injury is that we didn't have a proper defensive midfielder and we looked wide open at times as a result.  I'm not sure Barkley is going to help with that.

He won’t help with that at all but that won’t be what we’d be buying him to do.

I could see it if he's coming in to play in the '8' role alongside a more defensive '6', but we already have Luiz, Tielemans and McGinn who can play there. 

We badly need an athletic, physical player to play that '6' role in Kamara's absence and then rotate with him when he's back. 

 You do know we can more than one signing and the transfer window hasn't even opened yet?

[olaftab]

It seems strange to sign him and Barkley, 1 or the other with a more defensive option as well seems more sensible.

I have a feeling he's a replacement to an existing player, Emi maybe or JJ. As you say it doesn't make sense to sign both.

Can you honestly see any of these two leaving in this window, due to lack of football they have played?

[SoccerHQ]

It seems strange to sign him and Barkley, 1 or the other with a more defensive option as well seems more sensible.

Solar from what I've seen at Valencia is technical box to box midfielder. Also a fantastic penalty taker as he scored 6 or 7 of them one season when he hit double figures.

I think in short term he's a clear alternative to spells where Tielemans is injured given he was a miss in the run in.

Luiz only two years left on his deal. I think once he plays in the CL for us he'll probably feel that's his "journey" with us complete so he'll probably leave next summer at the latest.

Getting Soler in the building already as his eventual replacement is good planning and something we've not always done.

Where Barkley fits into all this other than being cheap I'm not sure at all.

What I hope we're not doing is just signing endless advanced midfielders and will just move our existing ones deeper.

Our defensive record has been really poor without Kamara so we need to be signing a DM first as conceding two goals a game isn't really going to cut it in the CL next season. Nor for many prem games.