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

[villadelph]

I just can't see Barkley fitting in to the way we play.  We need energy in the central midfield set up we play and I just can't see how he provides that.  As for playing in a more advanced role, we are well stocked in that area.

Would be a strange signing really.

I think Barkley is a tidy enough central midfield that he can help the squad throughout the season. I think he will be more effective that Dendoncker and Zaniolo, and they had a role to play under Unai. As far as his energy, he might not be the quickest but lets not act like he's Stephen Ireland just spinning in circles at the halfway line doing fuck all.

[Sexual Ealing]

The camera seemed to linger on him thanking the Holte in the last home game. I'm not suggesting the camera operator or director has the inside track on his future, but Luiz did seem to be giving some extra thanks compared to others.

[Mr Diggles]

To be fair, it could equally be because he thinks he might not get on the pitch again if he carries on playing as he has the past few weeks and our injured masses return!

[PaulWinch again]

I know there’s a point around if we had to sell a big star who’s the least impactful to us moving forward, but I think people are forgetting the level of performance Doug put in
during the first half of the season, when he was playing a role that suited him. He was absolutely top class and that level is in no way easily replaceable, particularly if you’re not looking to spend a lot of money. There’s a reason he’d attract a massive fee, it’s because he’s a brilliant midfielder and there isn’t loads of those around.

[Sexual Ealing]

Yeah, I don't want him to go.

[pablo_picasso]

I know there’s a point around if we had to sell a big star who’s the least impactful to us moving forward, but I think people are forgetting the level of performance Doug put in
during the first half of the season, when he was playing a role that suited him. He was absolutely top class and that level is in no way easily replaceable, particularly if you’re not looking to spend a lot of money. There’s a reason he’d attract a massive fee, it’s because he’s a brilliant midfielder and there isn’t loads of those around.

Agreed 100%...

We need to build around players like Douglas Luiz & Jacob Ramsey.

Not selling them.

Especially when we have players like Cash, Diego Carlos, even Digne or Tielemans, who could be sold to cover any FFP, or whatever its called this week, issues...

I am hoping that one positive element of the new FFP plans is that it doesn't encourage selling off a clubs youth players & creating academy farming.

[lovejoy]

I know there’s a point around if we had to sell a big star who’s the least impactful to us moving forward, but I think people are forgetting the level of performance Doug put in
during the first half of the season, when he was playing a role that suited him. He was absolutely top class and that level is in no way easily replaceable, particularly if you’re not looking to spend a lot of money. There’s a reason he’d attract a massive fee, it’s because he’s a brilliant midfielder and there isn’t loads of those around.

So based on the assumption we need outgoing to give us flexibility to improve under FFP who would you sell instead?

[brontebilly]

IF we get Barkley, and it turns out he’s the Barkley of 23/24 rather than the 2020 version, would there be a better midfield of Bosmans in world football than Barkley, Tielemens and Kamara?

Or the 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/2021, 2021/22, 2022/23 version of RB.

Like many of us were concerned about Tielemans being semi retired for about 18 months before he joined us, and those concerns were proven correct for at least a few months after he joined, but Barkley is 4 years older again. His back catalogue is a career of wasted potential while Tielemans was playing in WC semi finals and scoring cup final winning goals. I fear his recent form at Luton is an outlier and he will regress again without regular football.

To say I'm stunned Emery is even remotely interested in him would be an understatement.

[Ads]

Carlos. Dendonker. Archer. Tim. KKH. Olsen. Chambers. Coutinho.

[PaulWinch again]

Clearly fitness is an issue, and I wouldn’t want to sell him if it could be avoided, but I’d sell JJ before Doug.

[Ads]

I wouldn't sell JJ for any money.

[PaulWinch again]

Carlos. Dendonker. Archer. Tim. KKH. Olsen. Chambers. Coutinho.

Yes a collective group like that would be best if possible.

[lovejoy]

Carlos. Dendonker. Archer. Tim. KKH. Olsen. Chambers. Coutinho.

Wont get us what we would get for Luiz, in fact for some of those we'd have to pay people to take them off our hands. I could see the sale of Carlos costing us money under FFP.
Also those sales leave us very little cover.

[LeeB]

I wouldn't sell JJ for any money.

Quite right.

[lovejoy]

Clearly fitness is an issue, and I wouldn’t want to sell him if it could be avoided, but I’d sell JJ before Doug.

No way on God's green earth this gets us the same as a Luiz sale.