Winter 2025 Transfer Window - hopes, speculation, rumours etc.

[Goldenballs]

Shite, trots about the pitch contributing next to nothing.

If anyone suggested him before we were seriously linked they would've been laughed out of town, seems the polar opposite of an Emery player.

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

Where's he from, Nose City?

No, it's an odd thing to pick up on.

He’ll be after the cheese makers next.

[AV84]

From Rashfords perspective, Villa would be the perfect 'shop window' for 4 months. Champions League football et all.

He would play for his own future, shoot at every opportunity and would not be a team player. Became very blinkered at Yanited. One goal grabs him all the headlines.

He doesn't give a shit about the villa, why should we give a shit about him.

A big 'no' from moi.

On the other hand he may have realised he's seriously derailed his own career and there are now huge question marks over his attitude as well as his ability. He could use us as a shop window, but in a good way. Getting his head down and committing to the cause, getting in line with the team ethos, doing what's asked of him, and playing regularly as a result, is going to be far better for him in the long run than kicking his feet at Man Utd, or derailing the plans of a team that took a chance on him.

That said, I don't know that we need a project on our hands at such a vital stage of our season.

[Sexual Ealing]

I'm only writing this because nobody else has and it really is the most trite observation: we signed a troubled lad with off-field issues from Man Utd before and that worked out okay.

Apologies. I did this so no-one else had to.

[aj2k77]

How many times have we signed players with something hanging over them, be it injuries or attitude, in the hope of them rediscovering their best? How many times has it worked out for us? Please don't bring up McGrath from 36 years ago.

Too late, was McGrathed by 11 seconds.

[Paul.S]

Is he willing to sit on the bench and come on for 20/25 minutes? If he’s a replacement for Duran then that’s what he’d have to agree to.
We’ve got Ramsey on the left who’s 10x the player Rashford is and I think he’d want reassurances he’d be a starter.
Can’t see this happening.

[PaulWinch again]

I’ll be honest I’m more concerned about what’s happening at centre-half.

As for Rashford, if it’s a loan can’t see the downside really. As for insulting someone’s appearance, it’s a bit juvenile isn’t it.

[AV84]

Going off what people have been saying about him, I doubt he's fit enough to play more than 20 minutes at the moment. If it was a case that he made the effort and got himself fit enough, you're still talking a couple of months down the line before he's in the conversation for starting.

[Dante Lavelli]

Is he willing to sit on the bench and come on for 20/25 minutes? If he’s a replacement for Duran then that’s what he’d have to agree to.
We’ve got Ramsey on the left who’s 10x the player Rashford is and I think he’d want reassurances he’d be a starter.
Can’t see this happening.

I’m okay with signing players that are playing below their ability due to other factors (i.e. project Felix) however the only role for Rashford at Villa is the impact sub described above and I don’t think that’s a good fit for either the club or the player.

[aj2k77]

£300k a week is a lot of money to see if someone has been training properly on their own for the last month. There's no time to get him up to speed. Loans have to hit the ground running. There's 3 months of the season left.

[PaulWinch again]

There is not a chance we’d be paying £300k a week.

[charleeco7]

I want a permanent centre half signing who can push the other centre halves, and allows us to play Konsa at right back, for certain games.

Then loan in another attacker, I’d be happy with Ascensio, Felix and even Rashford if we are only picking up a small portion of their wages.

We’ve sent Swinkels, Gauci, Barry and possibly Ned out on loan cos Unai doesn’t think they are good enough for us atm.

 I’d like us to bring back Illing-Jnr and Enzo, they are playing regular football in a good league, must be better than sticking a 3rd choice keeper on the bench, but then I’ve no idea if we do have a recall on their loans.

We certainly need a centre half but why would we ever want Konsa at right back. He’s an outstanding centre half and should be no where near right back.

Maybe Bosco noticed where Konsa played in all our outstanding defensive performances over the last season-and-a-half. Just a hunch.

I too want a centre-half to allow Konsa to move to right-back in certain games. As can be seen by simply watching our games and remembering what happened in them, Konsa/Pau is pretty porous central defensive partnership. Not as good as Konsa/Mings from 22/23, or Carlos/Pau from the last season and a half. If we want Pau in, he needs a better partner.

Couldn’t disagree more to be honest. I’ve watched him numerous times at right back and he simply isn’t one. He’s also said he doesn’t want to play in that position.

[LeeB]

I'm only writing this because nobody else has and it really is the most trite observation: we signed a troubled lad with off-field issues from Man Utd before and that worked out okay.

Apologies. I did this so no-one else had to.

Someone did a few pages back but I concur.

I've been saying for about three years he needs to get out of there, without ever thinking we'd be a possible destination.

It's a short loan, minimal risk. He's not going to come in and start a mutiny, he coming into a well run operation with clear goals and everyone pulling together, something he's not had for years.

If he responds well to that we'll have a world class player for a few months that could easily turn draws into wins on his own.

If he doesn't, we say goodbye in May.

[lukey27]

How many times have we signed players with something hanging over them, be it injuries or attitude, in the hope of them rediscovering their best? How many times has it worked out for us? Please don't bring up McGrath from 36 years ago.

Too late, was McGrathed by 11 seconds.

You could argue that Mings and Tielemans are both recent examples of when it can work. Big questions over both, attitude / injury etc

IF this happens it's short term cover to replace Duran and viewed in that context it's not the end of the world.

[aj2k77]

There is not a chance we’d be paying £300k a week.

Half? How much is it worth paying to find out?