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

[AV84]

It seems fairly obvious that a fully fit first choice back 4/3/5 is what we've been missing, rather than needing to replace the entire group of players.

We undoubtedly need more depth in the squad, across multiple positions, but if the entire squad was fit all season we wouldn't have seen as much of Lenglet and Carlos, for starters.

 I mean, in January there was talk of Barca recalling Lenglet because he was hardly playing. We'd have sold Digne in the summer if whatshisname hadn't got injured before we could sign him.

There's definitely room for improvement, but we're not having a crisis in defense.

[Brazilian Villain]

So someone who can be a better defensive midfielder than Luiz if he needs to play for Kamara, but a better controlling / passing / shooting midfielder that Kamara if he needs to play for Luiz.

So that any two in midfield of Kamara - Luiz - Other doesn't diminish the way we play.

Agreed. Do any names spring to mind?

[Mellin]

Unforseen and no tangible difference, but if we hadn't loaned the Donk out we'd have conceded less goals and have more points on the board.

[Dave]

So someone who can be a better defensive midfielder than Luiz if he needs to play for Kamara, but a better controlling / passing / shooting midfielder that Kamara if he needs to play for Luiz.

So that any two in midfield of Kamara - Luiz - Other doesn't diminish the way we play.

Agreed. Do any names spring to mind?

Go and steal Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle and someone can make a bed-sheet about it for the first game against them next season.

[SoccerHQ]

Take that defensive record into the start of next season and suddenly we’ll be chasing games and the feel good factor could vanish.

Well yeah, if with most of the absentees back and hopefully some quality additions in we still defend like we have in the second half of the season it’s a problem. But I think with a proper squad to choose from we’ll be much closer to what we were in the first half of the season.

Kamara won't be around until December realistically so we need to be replacing him rather than waiting or going without existing CMs.

When you look at it we've actually been going into the business end of the season effectively two CMs down on the first half of the season with no Kamara and Donk leaving and Tim not being trusted to even start games like he used to.

Can't be messing around like that in the CL.

[SoccerHQ]

Joao Paliniha would be a great pick up for me. However Fulham will want 60m + so I understand that's likely a no go with FFP.

Ugarte is someone we've previously tracked and PSG seemingly happy to loan him out so wouldn't have an issue with that type of deal.

[Risso]

So someone who can be a better defensive midfielder than Luiz if he needs to play for Kamara, but a better controlling / passing / shooting midfielder that Kamara if he needs to play for Luiz.

So that any two in midfield of Kamara - Luiz - Other doesn't diminish the way we play.

Agreed. Do any names spring to mind?

We've got the passing/shooting bit sorted already in Tielemans. I think there are 'bigger' clubs circling, but Monaco's Youssouf Fofana would be a great acquisition.

[Brazilian Villain]

Go and steal Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle and someone can make a bed-sheet about it for the first game against them next season.

Do any realistic names spring to mind?

[Brazilian Villain]

We've got the passing/shooting bit sorted already in Tielemans. I think there are 'bigger' clubs circling, but Monaco's Youssouf Fofana would be a great acquisition.

Know nothing about him tbh, but he'd certainly follow in that great H&V tradition of having his name misspelt in multiple ways.

[SoccerHQ]

Go and steal Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle and someone can make a bed-sheet about it for the first game against them next season.

Do any realistic names spring to mind?

Ugarte is realistic.

[Dante Lavelli]

Take that defensive record into the start of next season and suddenly we’ll be chasing games and the feel good factor could vanish.

Christ.

Like, say, the first match of this season where we got pounded 5-1? That wasn't carried forward very long was it?

No but expectations will be higher next year so there’s a high probability that we’ll be less forgiving.

My main point was that I hope that a Kamara replacement is our primary transfer target.  We need Luiz/McGinn/Ramsey/Tielemans to be playing without the burden of being our main blockers in midfield.

[Dave]

Go and steal Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle and someone can make a bed-sheet about it for the first game against them next season.

Do any realistic names spring to mind?

A couple of other names to chuck in, if Seko Fofana has earned enough money in Saudi Arabia and fancies playing some proper football then he ticks the boxes for the position.

Played in England before, real leader at Lens, very solid but can play as well. Franck Kessie for all the same reasons. Apart from the England / Lens bit.

Or a left-field suggestion - Ibrahim Sangaré was supposed to be a massive coup for Forest and plays the right position in the right way. I'd wonder if he's one of those who would be a much better fit in the sort of atmosphere that I reckon we have and Forest don't.

They'd probably be happy to cut their losses and there's clearly a diamond there that the right surroundings could turn into something impressive.

[Dante Lavelli]

Go and steal Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle and someone can make a bed-sheet about it for the first game against them next season.

Do any realistic names spring to mind?

A couple of other names to chuck in, if Seko Fofana has earned enough money in Saudi Arabia and fancies playing some proper football then he ticks the boxes for the position.

Played in England before, real leader at Lens, very solid but can play as well. Franck Kessie for all the same reasons. Apart from the England / Lens bit.

Or a left-field suggestion - Ibrahim Sangaré was supposed to be a massive coup for Forest and plays the right position in the right way. I'd wonder if he's one of those who would be a much better fit in the sort of atmosphere that I reckon we have and Forest don't.

They'd probably be happy to cut their losses and there's clearly a diamond there that the right surroundings could turn into something impressive.

Several months getting up to speed with the game language too.

No idea who, but if a mole within Forest said he was right then I’d agree because his PSV reputation ticks all the boxes.  A risk otherwise, as he hasn’t done much since.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Go and steal Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle and someone can make a bed-sheet about it for the first game against them next season.

Do any realistic names spring to mind?

Ugarte is realistic.

His agent, Jorge Mendes is trying to get him a move to either Juventus or Milan whilst in the last couple of days Chelsea are supposed to be interested. I'd dismiss the last one if they think he'd be a replacement for Gallagher. Uguarte certainly fits the bill as to what we want, he's a Destroyer with a capital D. Protect my defence? He's your man but that's pretty much all he is. It was one of the reasons Sporting let him go, he's not ideal for a team that are constantly on the front foot like Sporting.

If we could get him here on loan with an option to buy, fantastic but from memory he went to PSG last summer for €45m (I've just read €60m but that would surely be with every add-on possible). I think PSG would prefer to sell. He had a good start there but ended up spending more time on the bench. Oh and it's reported he's already turned Newcastle down. At 23 he's the right age, would bring some steel to our side.

It seems his future could be decided on who is the next Milan Coach. Mendes is offering them Porto's Sérgio Conceição and bringing in Uguarte and Tiago Silva from Lille.

[dicedlam]

I would like us to go for Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi. Very similar to Kamara in the DM role.