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

[caster troy]

Imagine being told in Feb 2021 as Barkley booted that water bottle after being subbed that three years later he would be our first signing as a champions league club.

[Sexual Ealing]

We’ve been looking into relocating in the Telford direction as that’s where Mrs E’s sister lives, but you’re putting me off the idea now!

There are some nice places around it though, like Much Wenlock for example as well as others.
Not sure about Tamworth being any sort of twin with Telford as I think Tamworth (which is nice by the way) dates back the best part of 1000 years whereas Telford was born in the 1960s. I could be talking bollox though as I’m no expert in such things.

Telford is a blight on an otherwise beautiful county. I thought the same as you re Tamworth - wasn't it the capital of England at one point?

Ancient capital of the Kingdom of Mercia, I think

That's it. Ta!

[Dave]

£5m seems strange, so can only assume his "1 year deal" at Luton wasn't actually a "1 year deal".  But if he's under contract, £5m isn't very much, so it feels like a strange one.  Did Luton give him a "relegation release fee" clause?

The story was that Luton have an option to extend his one year contract for another year if they want to, so we are giving them money to not do that.

[Olneythelonely]

Poor Coops.

[Somniloquism]

Poor Coops.

Probably why he was asking about his renewal time frame so he could wait and see of Barkley signed.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Might have already been posted, but someone I've never heard of is claiming that Coutinho has cancelled his contract to join Vasco de Gama as a free agent.

https://x.com/Total_Villa/status/1794715617473314967

If true it cleans the wage bill up, but leaves a FFP dip as he still had a while run on the transfer fee amortisation.

£5m for Barkley on last seasons form is good business.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

Really hoping the McKennie for Dougie talk is nonsense.

Would seem like a massive downgrade.

It doesn't make sense from a financial/FFP point of view either.

If we *need* to sell Dougie for FFP purposes, then it's because we need the revenue, so a part exchange doesn't do much for us.

It might only work if the value of the players being exchanged was similar.  So for example we could "sell" Duran to Chelsea for £45m and "buy" Gallagher for the same amount.

The £45m for Duran would go straight on our bottom line; whilst the £45m costs for Gallagher would be amortised over the length of his contract (say 5 years), so would be a £9m for the next 5 years; meaning we would be up £36m for the current accounting year.

[Dogtanian]

We’ve been looking into relocating in the Telford direction as that’s where Mrs E’s sister lives, but you’re putting me off the idea now!

There are some nice places around it though, like Much Wenlock for example as well as others.
Not sure about Tamworth being any sort of twin with Telford as I think Tamworth (which is nice by the way) dates back the best part of 1000 years whereas Telford was born in the 1960s. I could be talking bollox though as I’m no expert in such things.

Yes, it's the mirror universe version of Tamworth.

[eye digress]

There's a bit too much noise around Dougie for my liking.  In my opinion, we should be building our team around him not swapping him for someone who did a great invisible man impression at Leeds.

Obviously with the usual caveats about trusting Emery etc etc.

I imagine it's a view shared by everyone but some kid in a bedroom in northern Italy's version of Stevenage.

I'm told that it's actually quite nice in the centre, but I was once stuck in Rovato (near Brescia) due to an almighty train meltdown, and the bit I saw was the bleakest town you could dream of.

One of those towns that exists because of the train station and motorway services, and now a large and glitzy shopping centre. Bet a very large proportion of the populace work in one of those three.
Shame as just about 5 clicks up the road you're in Italian méthode traditionnelle champagne land (genuinely good), and a further 10 and you're on the lakes – and that is well worth seeing.

[Monty]

Franciacorta is basically my favourite thing on earth.

[eye digress]

Franciacorta is basically my favourite thing on earth.

Nothing like a Ca' del Bosco zéro dosage. Franciacorta deffo underappreciated – at least outside Italy.

Unlike Rovato, to be fair.

[Clark W Griswold]

Imagine being told in Feb 2021 as Barkley booted that water bottle after being subbed that three years later he would be our first signing as a champions league club.

I know. One report also suggested that we're paying £5m so for those that think it's a snip, he'll be our second most expensive signing out of a half dozen of Luiz, McGinn, Tielemans, Ramsey, Kamara and 'him' !

[villadelph]

would anyone take a punt on Elneny?

[OCD]

would anyone take a punt on Elneny?

Something to do with the weather isn't it?

[eye digress]

would anyone take a punt on Elneny?

Done pretty well so far - Europe in consecutive seasons, top 4 finish and semi final of a cup.