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

[Sexual Ealing]

It's not really a conspiracy theory to think the owners/part owners of those clubs will want to help them out.

[Monty]

It's not really a conspiracy theory to think the owners/part owners of those clubs will want to help them out.

I mean, it is in the sense it's a theory that there's a conspiracy. It's just a conspiracy the existence of which is quite plausible!

[Sexual Ealing]

I guess!

[Gareth]

If Carlos goes anywhere I'd imagine we'll be paying a good chunk of his wages.

A lot will depend on how the second Saudi summer goes. If they are doing the same as last year and still chucking big money at "name" players, I can easily see DC being someone they'd be keen on, similar to Digne. And while I expect we'd prefer to keep both, I imagine the nerdy money stuff would look better with both being replaced.

If the Saudis aren't chucking silly money around this summer then I expect our options for incomings / outgoings will be a lot more limited as it's hard to see any other club / league giving us / them the sort of money that makes it worth our while moving them on.

I suspect that most of the Saudi money will be funneled to Newcastle and Chelsea.

Agreed & Liverpool as still convinced at some point that Saudi will make a play to own them

[Dave]

It's not really a conspiracy theory to think the owners/part owners of those clubs will want to help them out.

And if the popular theory that they'd signed Neves only for him to be loaned to Newcastle in January to get around FFP restrictions had actually happened like so many people had convinced themselves it would, I'd find it a bit more believeable.

But everything that's actually happened suggests that their sportswashing method of choice is to make the Saudi league as interesting and normalised to the world's media as they can, rather than trying than turning Newcastle into another Man City.

I'm not saying they're going to go out of their way to make it harder for Newcastle.  I think that Isak or Guimares would be the sort of player they might go for if they played elsewhere, but they probably won't now.  But I reckon that if one of their teams is after a full-back then they'll be coming to us for Digne rather than chucking money to Newcastle for Targett just to help sort out the FFP problem.

Edit - just because if they were going to do the above, why would they already be doing it? If they wanted to bid £200m for Matt Ritchie and Emile Krafth in January, solving all of Newcastle's transfer restrictions in one go, why didn't they?

[eamonn]

How is the Saudi League going? Haven't really given it much thought.

Are games being played in front of full stadia? Is the quality of football a decent-standard? Any European players having second thoughts apart from wor Jordan?

[ChicagoLion]

How is the Saudi League going? Haven't really given it much thought.

Are games being played in front of full stadia? Is the quality of football a decent-standard? Any European players having second thoughts apart from wor Jordan?

No one cares.

[pauliewalnuts]

It's not really a conspiracy theory to think the owners/part owners of those clubs will want to help them out.

And if the popular theory that they'd signed Neves only for him to be loaned to Newcastle in January to get around FFP restrictions had actually happened like so many people had convinced themselves it would, I'd find it a bit more believeable.

But everything that's actually happened suggests that their sportswashing method of choice is to make the Saudi league as interesting and normalised to the world's media as they can, rather than trying than turning Newcastle into another Man City.

I'm not saying they're going to go out of their way to make it harder for Newcastle.  I think that Isak or Guimares would be the sort of player they might go for if they played elsewhere, but they probably won't now.  But I reckon that if one of their teams is after a full-back then they'll be coming to us for Digne rather than chucking money to Newcastle for Targett just to help sort out the FFP problem.

Edit - just because if they were going to do the above, why would they already be doing it? If they wanted to bid £200m for Matt Ritchie and Emile Krafth in January, solving all of Newcastle's transfer restrictions in one go, why didn't they?

I think inter-club transactions like that are going to be looked at significantly closer than in the past.

In a way, you have to laugh, Newcastle strike it mega rich at the exact point in time unbridled spending becomes not doable anymore.

I mean, it's fucking ridiculous that the likes of us or them seem like we're going to have to sell some very good players because of PSR, but at the same time, the other part of the argument with Newcastle is that it's stopped another Man City happening.

If only they could address the Man City that already happened.

[Sexual Ealing]

@villareport
🚨 Aston Villa have opened talks with the entourage of Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo — he is open to a move away this summer.
@mattinodinapoli via @footballitalia
 #avfc

[Brazilian Villain]

He has an entourage? It's a hard No from me.

[LeeS]

He has an entourage? It's a hard No from me.

I know what you mean. But joking aside, the Italy right back sounds just like the kind of signing we need. I'm prepared to forgive the hangers-on.

[Monty]

It's Naples, everyone has an entourage.

[OCD]

The same report I read about said Man Utd want him and they're still getting their backroom together so I'm not sure about the credibility.

[Demitri_C]

@villareport
🚨 Aston Villa have opened talks with the entourage of Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo — he is open to a move away this summer.
@mattinodinapoli via @footballitalia
 #avfc

Please let it happen. Despite his age he is class

[Dante Lavelli]

There’s no way Archer comes back and stays, he’ll be sold straight on. He’d be creating a 20m FFP hole.

I agree, but realistically who’s buying him for what we need to sell him for?

Technically it’s not a £20m hole as whatever we buy him for will be spread over the duration of his contract whereas the fee we sold him for was 100% in that year’s account.  More so, signing a player because it suits accountants is hardly a justification for the deal.