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

[OCD]

Dumfries seems to be courting Man Utd.

[Beard82]

A right back / right sided player would be the only thing I would look for if there was one available on loan or cheap.

[AndyB6]

Booooooo! Transfer speculation sucks especially when we're the best team in the land. We don't need nobody else, just you and me.

Is that a reference to a Whipping Boy lyric??!

[olaftab]

True. But, I like Mbuemo. It's exactly what Watkins needs. More competition to destroy his depleted confidence.

And it’s been a while since we donated funds to keep Brentford in the Premier League.

[Steve67]

I'd like a natural left winger and a right back. 

[Matt C]

Anyone think we miss Diaby at all?

Bailey does.

[Percy McCarthy]

Right Backs.
Now if we look at the right backs out of contract end of season there could be a possibility to make a strategic offer this window.
Also possible to sign them up for next season on a free

28 year old Dutch Denzel Dumfries of Inter would be an excellent move.

What's your feeling about the links to Fernando Nelson?

Fernando Nélson Jesus Vieira Alves (born 5 November 1971), known as Nélson, is a Portuguese retired professional footballer who played as a right-back.

Oh a former player.  He has a two year stint at Villa.

Did one of you ever play a memory man on Frasier?

[Percy McCarthy]

True. But, I like Mbuemo. It's exactly what Watkins needs. More competition to destroy his depleted confidence.

What depleted confidence? Hasn’t he got something like 8 or 9 goal contributions already this season?

It was a bit tongue in cheek TV, although he started the season a bit shit.

It amuses me that he clearly doesn't much like the limelight Duran has been receiving. Go on, deny it.

8.

5 goals, 3 assists.

[Tayls_7]

True. But, I like Mbuemo. It's exactly what Watkins needs. More competition to destroy his depleted confidence.

What depleted confidence? Hasn’t he got something like 8 or 9 goal contributions already this season?

It was a bit tongue in cheek TV, although he started the season a bit shit.

It amuses me that he clearly doesn't much like the limelight Duran has been receiving. Go on, deny it.

8.

5 goals, 3 assists.

You're not making any point I've argued against.

[Percy McCarthy]

True. But, I like Mbuemo. It's exactly what Watkins needs. More competition to destroy his depleted confidence.

What depleted confidence? Hasn’t he got something like 8 or 9 goal contributions already this season?

It was a bit tongue in cheek TV, although he started the season a bit shit.

It amuses me that he clearly doesn't much like the limelight Duran has been receiving. Go on, deny it.

8.

5 goals, 3 assists.

You're not making any point I've argued against.

I know. I’m not arguing.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Unai does like his wingers so it's no surprise we've been linked with Braga's right winger, Roger Fernandes. He's only 18 but looks the real deal. Braga turned down a €20m cash offer in the summer, got him to sign a new contract but kept in the €40m buy-out clause. Loads of other clubs are said to be also interested but it's one to certainly keep your eye on. Whether he moves in January or the summer will depend on the offer.

[eye digress]

Anyone think we miss Diaby at all?

Bailey does.

Only reason I can think of for Bailey’s downturn in form. Not because they were bezzies (were they?), but because the competition seemed to bring out the best in Leon (and maybe the worst in Diaby). Even if they weren’t playing the exact same position, they didn’t start often together, from memory.

Also, in hindsight, would we have preferred Philogene versus Bayern, or Diaby?

I know which I’d have preferred, without that being a slight on Jaden, who I like as a player.

[LeeB]

Anyone think we miss Diaby at all?

Bailey does.

Only reason I can think of for Bailey’s downturn in form. Not because they were bezzies (were they?), but because the competition seemed to bring out the best in Leon (and maybe the worst in Diaby). Even if they weren’t playing the exact same position, they didn’t start often together, from memory.

Also, in hindsight, would we have preferred Philogene versus Bayern, or Diaby?

I know which I’d have preferred, without that being a slight on Jaden, who I like as a player.

But we needed a disciplined, defensive role from the player that night and I'm not convinved we'd have got that from Diaby.

There's a lesson in this thinking to be taken from our opponents that night and their manager. Musiala is an outstanding, world class player, a genuine threat and when he was coming on I was worried at the damage he could cause, but what I wasn't thinking of was how bringing him on would open up space elsewhere on the pitch, the very space where the ball went through from Torres to Duran.

[IFWaters]

It is official. Aston Villa is a good football team, and we boast not only a strong first eleven but also an incredibly strong bench. In practice, this means that the January and summer transfer windows will be fascinating, as we will be in the position where people come into the first team, meaning that existing first-team players will move to the bench, and bench players will have to leave the club. We only have two prominent names out of contract this summer: Kortney Hause and Robin Olsen, who have contributed very little and will not be missed from the playing point of view. Philippe Coutinho and Leander Dendoncker are high earners who will probably come off the books in the summer, freeing up valuable wages.

Dumfries would be my pick but at 28 already he may not fit with Monchis aim to get the squad age down. Having said that he would fit his other criteria of being a tall physical player. Imagine pinging corners in to him , Onana, Mings, Rogers, Duran and / or Watkins.

Taking all this into consideration, what will our summer transfer policy be?

Based on where we are now with a good first-team squad. I think our overarching philosophy as it relates to transfers should be the same as Juventus. A player should fulfil one of the following categories:

•   Walk straight into the first team – quality additions, relegating existing players to the bench.
•   Wonder kid – a young player with a high ceiling.

At no point should we ever consider foreign journeymen who restrict us in terms of the home-grown rule and block pathways for our younger players. (I also object to home-grown journeymen, but I understand why some clubs purchase them to act as number three goalkeepers or to help control the dressing room.)

Looking at our current squad, we need to upgrade at right back and right-wing (Quality starters). I would be happy to see us go big in these two areas and then add two or three wonder kids covering central defence, attacking midfield, and centre forward.
Looking at the January transfer window and the free market players. This is the list of players I think we should be talking to:

Out of contract in 2025: The best free agents available on a Bosman

Tariq Lamptey (Brighton) is a home-grown right back who is better on the ball and quicker than Matty Cash.

Denzel Dumfries (Inter) is clearly looking for a big payday. So this one may be unrealistic, but taking into consideration that when we attack, we often go to 3 at the back, his size and pace would make an excellent right-sided centre-back in a three.

Rayan Cherki (Lyon). I’m unclear why no one signed him last summer; I see him as a clear upgrade for us on the right with the bonus that he can play on the left and as a number 10.

Angel Gomes (Lille). This Swiss army knife of a player can play right wing numbers 10, 8, and 6. He is a conductor and surprisingly good in a tackle for someone so small, with the added bonus of being home-grown.

Amad Diallo (Manchester United). I'm not sure why Manure has not signed up for a new contract. I put him in the wonder kid bracket. I would definitely be talking to his agent in January. Even if you couldn’t sign in until the summer.

Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton). I’ve always liked him, can play left back or right back’s would start ahead of Cash at right back.

Lionel Messi (Inter Miami). I always like the idea of a hidden gem—you know, the sort of player no one has ever heard of who turns out to be great. Messi is out of contract, and this time, a goalkeeper made a few calls.

So, what do you think of my analysis and the list of free agents? Have I missed anyone out?

[Smithy]

For the first time I can remember, we are not going into a transfer window with a glaring first-team hole that needs filling.

We could probably do with upgrading our right-back options so they’re close to the equal of Digne/Maatsen on the other side, but I suspect that’s not likely to be a January deal.

Even if it is, we’d have to be moving people on to make room.

Barring injuries, I suspect any transfers we make this winter will be driven by the need to move on any players who will be entering their final year next summer, rather than the upgrade of a glaring lack of quality.

Which is, frankly, a brilliant position to be in.