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

[Dave]

Unable to get a right-back due to PSR according to Monchi and Vidigany, and still a priority according to Jacob Tanswell, Villa correspondent for The Athletic. So it’s not like they don’t realise that Cash is a weak link.

I still think people are going to be disappointed in the right-back quest. Madrid and Man City definitely need new ones as a priority, so if the shiny expensive ones that we might like are going there, other clubs who have just lost their shiny expensive right-back are going to need replacements.

Reckon we might find ourselves quite far back in the queue.

Would we be in for the same calibre of players as Man City and Real Madrid? I don’t think we’ll be competing for “Trent’s” signature.
I’d like to think we’ve already got some targets lined up.

Well, Frimpong and Dumfries tend to be the names that come up most often in the "why don't we just go and sign that really good right-back?" conversations.

So if we were to accept that they're either off to Real / Man City or are replacing the likes of Alexander-Arnold when he goes to Real, who are we looking at?

I appreciate it's not exactly scientific, but if you look at Transfermarkt's assessement of the most valuable right-backs, you've got the above, White, Kounde, Hakimi.

I'm guessing that Spurs, Newcastle and Chelsea aren't selling us Gusto / Livramento / Porro. Geertruida has been and gone. Tomiyasu or Mazrouai from Arsenal or Man Utd's reserves?

Then it's Cash himself on the list.

So we're either buying an unknown to try and turn him into the the next shit-hot right-back - but that's what we did with Nedeljković and consensus seems to be that he's not ready. But just doing that again doesn't fix the immediate problem (if one believes there to be a problem to fix)

So it doesn't leave us huge amounts of obvious upgrades.

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

^^ this is where Monchi needs to earn his corn but as I mentioned a few pages back Unai has improved a lot of players and got them playing above what was thought possible so they might think a lower level player can step up though I appreciate the Ned comparison there.
It’s a position that needs strengthening but there wouldn’t be many thinking we’re going to get one of the elite players on that list.

I mean would people be happy with Walker Peters on a free or a Sacha Boey who’s been injured but not playing much at Bayern. There’s got to be some players out there that can improve us and won’t cost the earth, how much was Munoz for Palace for instance?

[Dave]

Yeah, I suggested Walker-Peters a few pages back - there are quite a lot of jobbing Premier League right backs out of contract next summer, him, Aina at Forest, Tete at Fulham.

And I think that sort of thing *is* where we'll end up.  I just don't think people will be all that pleased with it though, given any upgrade on Cash is (on the face of it) likely to be negligible.

One other name - Juan Foyth is out of contract the summer after, so I wonder if given his previous with Emery he might be a not-too-expensive option. Not exactly the pacey, marauding attacker that people seem to want there though.

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

I’d be underwhelmed if Foyth joined, might as well stick with Konsa as the option going forward.

[OCD]

What people want more than a marauding attacking right back is a winning team that at least looks capable of keeping a clean sheet. If having a solid defender at right back, who isn't at fault for many goals we concede, is what it takes then so be it.

[ChicagoLion]

What people want more than a marauding attacking right back is a winning team that at least looks capable of keeping a clean sheet. If having a solid defender at right back, who isn't at fault for many goals we concede, is what it takes then so be it.

Same, a competent Right Back at this level is what we need.

[Dave]

What people want more than a marauding attacking right back is a winning team that at least looks capable of keeping a clean sheet. If having a solid defender at right back, who isn't at fault for many goals we concede, is what it takes then so be it.

Lots of people get very upset when Konsa is played there, as they don't think his solidity makes up for his lack of ability going forward.

[ChicagoLion]

What people want more than a marauding attacking right back is a winning team that at least looks capable of keeping a clean sheet. If having a solid defender at right back, who isn't at fault for many goals we concede, is what it takes then so be it.

Lots of people get very upset when Konsa is played there, as they don't think his solidity makes up for his lack of ability going forward.

It would give us the option to Konsa to play Centre Half even when we decide we want to be more solid on the right.

[Dave]

What people want more than a marauding attacking right back is a winning team that at least looks capable of keeping a clean sheet. If having a solid defender at right back, who isn't at fault for many goals we concede, is what it takes then so be it.

Lots of people get very upset when Konsa is played there, as they don't think his solidity makes up for his lack of ability going forward.

It would give us the option to Konsa to play Centre Half even when we decide we want to be more solid on the right.

Wouldn't an easier solution then (assuming we plan to upgrade Carlos anyway) be to buy a new, commanding right-sided centre-back?

Much more of them around than right-backs.

[Drummond]

What people want more than a marauding attacking right back is a winning team that at least looks capable of keeping a clean sheet. If having a solid defender at right back, who isn't at fault for many goals we concede, is what it takes then so be it.

Lots of people get very upset when Konsa is played there, as they don't think his solidity makes up for his lack of ability going forward.

It would give us the option to Konsa to play Centre Half even when we decide we want to be more solid on the right.

Wouldn't an easier solution then (assuming we plan to upgrade Carlos anyway) be to buy a new, commanding right-sided centre-back?

Much more of them around than right-backs.

Or just change formation. Play 3 at the back and use Philogene as a wing back.....

[ozzjim]

What people want more than a marauding attacking right back is a winning team that at least looks capable of keeping a clean sheet. If having a solid defender at right back, who isn't at fault for many goals we concede, is what it takes then so be it.

Lots of people get very upset when Konsa is played there, as they don't think his solidity makes up for his lack of ability going forward.

It would give us the option to Konsa to play Centre Half even when we decide we want to be more solid on the right.

Wouldn't an easier solution then (assuming we plan to upgrade Carlos anyway) be to buy a new, commanding right-sided centre-back?

Much more of them around than right-backs.

Pretty sure that's the right answer at the moment. A leader in that role, letting Carlos go to whoever will have him. Geuhi

[AV84]

A shiny exciting RB would be nice, but at the end of the day we simply need another RB option. I don't think Cash is as awful as many make him out to be, but the simple fact is that when he's injured our options seem to be a kid who Emery seemingly doesn't trust yet, or Konsa. An upgrade on Cash would be great, but a viable second option would be great too.

[Drummond]

Nicolas Jackson reveals he nearly joined Premier League rival before Chelsea transfer

By Ewan Ross-Murray
Dec 15, 2024

Nicolas Jackson has admitted that he almost joined Aston Villa before his move to Chelsea in 2023.

The Senegal international moved to west London after Chelsea splashed £32m on the former Villarreal forward. After a difficult first season in England, Jackson has found his feet in 2024/25.

The speedy centre-forward has scored eight times and provided a further three assists in 14 Premier League outings and has blossomed into a deadly finisher despite struggling with profligacy in his debut campaign with the Blues.

However, Jackson has revealed that his career could have gone in a completely different direction.

The 23-year-old first made a name for himself at Villarreal in 2022/23 under now Aston Villa manager Unai Emery and the Spanish coach was keen to bring Jackson to Villa Park during the 2023 January transfer window. However, a move broke down due to a hamstring injury the striker was suffering with at the time.

"When Unai left, he wanted me to go to Aston Villa, but I was injured," Jackson admitted. "I wanted to leave because the coach came in. I had to go, but I was injured a little bit in my hamstring. We went there, they checked and said I needed one more month and they want me now.

"If they want me in one week, two weeks, I was not ready, so they had to cancel the transfer, and I went back.

"When I went back, I was very angry. Not angry I didn't sign because when we were on the plane, I told my friend, 'Don't worry, better things will come and that's life.' Then I started working more to play with Villarreal. When I came back, I think I scored 12 goals in two months."

A £21m move to Bournemouth had also been agreed during that January window but his hamstring injury resulted in Jackson failing the medical on the south coast.

In the end, the forward didn't have to wait long before securing his move to the Premier League, with Chelsea signing him in the subsequent summer window.

Despite being much-maligned during his first campaign with Chelsea, Jackson still finished the season with 17 goals in 44 appearances, and the young forward looks likely to better that tally this term

[Drummond]

Unable to get a right-back due to PSR according to Monchi and Vidigany, and still a priority according to Jacob Tanswell, Villa correspondent for The Athletic. So it’s not like they don’t realise that Cash is a weak link.

I still think people are going to be disappointed in the right-back quest. Madrid and Man City definitely need new ones as a priority, so if the shiny expensive ones that we might like are going there, other clubs who have just lost their shiny expensive right-back are going to need replacements.

Reckon we might find ourselves quite far back in the queue.

Would we be in for the same calibre of players as Man City and Real Madrid? I don’t think we’ll be competing for “Trent’s” signature.
I’d like to think we’ve already got some targets lined up.

Well, Frimpong and Dumfries tend to be the names that come up most often in the "why don't we just go and sign that really good right-back?" conversations.

So if we were to accept that they're either off to Real / Man City or are replacing the likes of Alexander-Arnold when he goes to Real, who are we looking at?

I appreciate it's not exactly scientific, but if you look at Transfermarkt's assessement of the most valuable right-backs, you've got the above, White, Kounde, Hakimi.

I'm guessing that Spurs, Newcastle and Chelsea aren't selling us Gusto / Livramento / Porro. Geertruida has been and gone. Tomiyasu or Mazrouai from Arsenal or Man Utd's reserves?

Then it's Cash himself on the list.

So we're either buying an unknown to try and turn him into the the next shit-hot right-back - but that's what we did with Nedeljković and consensus seems to be that he's not ready. But just doing that again doesn't fix the immediate problem (if one believes there to be a problem to fix)

So it doesn't leave us huge amounts of obvious upgrades.

They have Cash 15th on that list. Which, like you say, is the conundrum. I don't think he's the issue people make out, I maintain it's the cover (or lack of) in front.

Emery has tried Konsa and Cash in the last couple of games, and it worked very well in one game, and less so in the next. But it could be worth persevering with.

[Stinkin_Thinkin]

Regarding Right back crisis, I've always rated Neco Williams at forest. he can run all day doesn't start every game for them so might fancy a move. Another good guy is Munoz at Palace, seems good team player, in the cup at Villa Park he attempted a give an go with some guy think it was ayew but Ayew ignored his run and went for a riddiculous shot which ended up in row Z of the holte. I would have given him an earful but Munoz gave him a 'keep going' hug. However these guys would be signings to compete with Cash for the shirt, its probaly better to sign an elite RB (someone like pavard or poro) so Cash is relgated to be the cover man.