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

[PaulWinch again]

4/10 for a club that signed Maatsen and Onana seems a bit harsh!

Indeed - it’ll be disappointing if no one else comes in, but I do think squad depth is better (not enough, but better). If nothing changes I’d rate it 6/10.

[Demitri_C]

I'm not sure I understand the negativity about the Villa deals this summer. I think the club probably had a very tough challenge to deliver against all the objectives - meeting English PSR rules and the Champs League salary cap, while deepening the quality in the squad and improving the first team in a highly competitive market, getting ready for a higher level of competition. I would suggest what they've done with that background is very impressive, particularly with the threat of points deductions or bloated squads affecting others in the league.

I think for me its more i thought we would be adding some quality to give it a go in CL or at least look stronger than last season. Barring maatsen and onana has there been more improvement? If luiz and diaby were still here i would be happy. But without them looking at the team - adding loaning out illing jr i just dont think we have done enough to qualify for CL again.

Hopefully a couple more in will massively transform the window for us

[Villan For Life]

We seem to conduct our business under the radar, I still think that a couple will come in and a few more will go out.

[Gareth]

4/10 for a club that signed Maatsen and Onana seems a bit harsh!

It's not enough though, surely. We've got more squad depth, but the quality of the first team hasn't been improved. We've added strength in midfield with Onana, but have lost Luiz's best attributes. I wasn't a big fan of Diaby, but he did just about OK, and we haven't replaced him properly. While Liverpool are adding Chiesa to a list of forwards that already includeds Diaz, Nunez, Salah, Gakpo and Jota, we're still pretty well 100% reliant on Watkins.

Would hope we are still active though, might come to nothing so late on but would hope we’d still want a defender and a forward but might be part of the melee that will probs develop around Chelsea’s supermarket sweep approach…maybe look at a loan for Chalobah

[Beard82]

Apparently - Enzo is off again - does that mean the interest in the Donk has come to nothing? 

More broadly - my thinking is we have done the best we can given the constraints.  I don't think it's enough to get the top 4 again (unless we are massively lucky with injuries), and doesn't represent a move forward.  But if we could have done more we would have.

Our not-so-secret weapon is Unai - and I think we're reliant on him working more miracles with what he's got.   

[Monty]

100% reliant on Watkins with the exception of the first game of the season, won by his understudy.

We don't quite have the depth in certain areas that we'd like, no, but I think the first team with Onana and Rogers instead of Luiz and Diaby may indeed be better. In any case, '4/10' still seems very harsh indeed. A Bronte rating.

[Duncan Shaw]

When does the window slam shut?

[Risso]

100% reliant on Watkins with the exception of the first game of the season, won by his understudy.

We don't quite have the depth in certain areas that we'd like, no, but I think the first team with Onana and Rogers instead of Luiz and Diaby may indeed be better. In any case, '4/10' still seems very harsh indeed. A Bronte rating.

Yawn, whatever. Tell us again how Watkins' lack of pre-season wasn't important.

[Olneythelonely]

4/10 for a club that signed Maatsen and Onana seems a bit harsh!

Just a bit

[Clark W Griswold]

I think 4/10 is a bit harsh too but i think if you look from the point of view of in comings vs outgoings and consider where we are, that we've just qualified for the top table of European football for the first time in 40 years i think we'd have hoped for a fair bit more. That said, i agree that we don't really know how much they've been hampered by rules and reg's although we know they certainly have to some extent. We also apparently did extremely well in Jan, certainly looks that way.

We have signed a midfielder in Onana who is the type of player i've wanted to see us sign for over a decade at least, a proper big bruiser in midfield that can also play a bit. Maatsen is also a great signing for future proofing, keeping up the excellent level we've had in that position for the last 18 months. Otherwise though, 3 have gone out on loan, Philogene for me is no Diaby replacement and i still don't get Barks. Would have sooner kept Barranechea around, who looks promising. There is still time though and as i say Gerty and someone like Jackson or Raphnha would change the outlook altogether, i think at that point we'd be in a great position for the season.

[PaulWinch again]

We seem to conduct our business under the radar, I still think that a couple will come in and a few more will go out.

I don’t know if that’s the case, most of the transfers leaked before they were agreed.

[Risso]

We might still get Geertruida I suppose, but any forward player is going to be a Zaniolo type punt.

[Brend'Watkins]

100% reliant on Watkins with the exception of the first game of the season, won by his understudy.

We don't quite have the depth in certain areas that we'd like, no, but I think the first team with Onana and Rogers instead of Luiz and Diaby may indeed be better. In any case, '4/10' still seems very harsh indeed. A Bronte rating.

Clearly they haven't factored in the return from injury of Mings, Buendia and Kamara who will be like new.....

[Monty]

100% reliant on Watkins with the exception of the first game of the season, won by his understudy.

We don't quite have the depth in certain areas that we'd like, no, but I think the first team with Onana and Rogers instead of Luiz and Diaby may indeed be better. In any case, '4/10' still seems very harsh indeed. A Bronte rating.

Yawn, whatever. Tell us again how Watkins' lack of pre-season wasn't important.

What a tone to take. Very necessary.

And I never said the lack of pre-season wasn't a problem, only that he wouldn't need to 'get on the wavelength' of all the new players feeding him the ball as...there aren't many. Fitness is obviously an issue. Tell me again how he's struggling to read the passes of players he's played with for over a year, and how this would've been fixed by a sleepy afternoon kickabout at the Bescot.

[Beard82]

The biggest signings we made all season was getting Unai and Emi to extend there deals.

While Unai is here we are in safe hands and won't take many steps back.  This is lucky - as FFP feels like it is providing one of the sliding doors moment for us and putting our ability to kick on at risk.