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

[olaftab]

OUT Duran £60m + IN Malen £20m
OUT Carlos £10m + IN Spanish lad £20m

Yes BUT...Diaby and Duran absolutely top draw Champions League class whilst  Malen and "the Spanish lad" are good but unlikely to be great. If we do get rid of Duran after Diaby it means once again in the history of this club we have looked at peak and turned back.

By the way I know you don't recommend that we do this  deal.

[Tuscans]

OUT Duran £60m + IN Malen £20m
OUT Carlos £10m + IN Spanish lad £20m

Yes BUT...Diaby and Duran absolutely top draw Champions League class whilst  Malen and "the Spanish lad" are good but unlikely to be great. If we do get rid of Duran after Diaby it means once again in the history of this club we have looked at peak and turned back.

By the way I know you don't recommend that we do this  deal.

Diaby is certainly not and never has been "absolutely top draw Champions League class". And Duran, no one knows how good he will be yet.

[Dave]

OUT Duran £60m + IN Malen £20m
OUT Carlos £10m + IN Spanish lad £20m

Yes BUT...Diaby and Duran absolutely top draw Champions League class whilst  Malen and "the Spanish lad" are good but unlikely to be great. If we do get rid of Duran after Diaby it means once again in the history of this club we have looked at peak and turned back.

By the way I know you don't recommend that we do this  deal.

Diaby is certainly not and never has been "absolutely top draw Champions League class". And Duran, no one knows how good he will be yet.

There's certainly very little difference in the records (Champions League or otherwise) between Diaby and Malen. Same age. Similar profile.

[eamonn]

I hope he's braver and more effective off the ball.

[paul_e]

The big difference between Malen and Diaby, in my opinion, is that Malen is much stronger on the ball, Diaby was far too easy to nudge of the ball, which I suspect is the main reason we didn't hold on to him.

[olaftab]

Diaby is certainly not and never has been "absolutely top draw Champions League class". And Duran, no one knows how good he will be yet.

Obviously I disagree. Diaby was/is immense talent, technically prices and physically balanced a player who could have gone on to be amongst the very best, just as Duran will be. We  must not step back to adequate, we must strive for the very best  to be part of our squad.

[Demitri_C]

I think its impossible  to compare until malen signs and plays for us.

I have seen youtube clips he looks impressive  but i thought diaby looked unbelievable in the youtube clips before we signed him.  Im excited either way as im 99.9% certain he will be far better than philogene

[eamonn]

The big difference between Malen and Diaby, in my opinion, is that Malen is much stronger on the ball, Diaby was far too easy to nudge of the ball, which I suspect is the main reason we didn't hold on to him.

It was really frustrating. His pace and finishing were really impressive at times but he never really adjusted to the physical side of the game here. Maybe a second season would have seen him toughen-up but he took the easier option/better one for his family and moved to the Middle East.

[Tuscans]

Diaby is certainly not and never has been "absolutely top draw Champions League class". And Duran, no one knows how good he will be yet.

Obviously I disagree. Diaby was/is immense talent, technically prices and physically balanced a player who could have gone on to be amongst the very best, just as Duran will be. We  must not step back to adequate, we must strive for the very best  to be part of our squad.

The words used to describe Diaby are very hyperbolic. I thought and have said here before he left he had a decent 6 weeks at the start of the season and faded fast. Hence why he was being subbed and dropped often during the remainder...the perfomances were just not there. This immense talent can hardly get a cap for France and Dembele and Coman are hardly pulling up trees for their clubs.

Rogers all day for me in the role Diaby played last season.

[brontebilly]

OUT Duran £60m + IN Malen £20m
OUT Carlos £10m + IN Spanish lad £20m

Yes BUT...Diaby and Duran absolutely top draw Champions League class whilst  Malen and "the Spanish lad" are good but unlikely to be great. If we do get rid of Duran after Diaby it means once again in the history of this club we have looked at peak and turned back.

By the way I know you don't recommend that we do this  deal.

Diaby turned away the chance of CL football to play pub (dry obv) league football in the desert. He wasn't one to invest more time in despite his obvious talents.

[villadelph]

Diaby is certainly not and never has been "absolutely top draw Champions League class". And Duran, no one knows how good he will be yet.

Obviously I disagree. Diaby was/is immense talent, technically prices and phyically balanced a player who could have gone on to be amongst the very best, just as Duran will be. We must not step back to adequate, we must strive for the very best to be part of our squad.

Diaby was adequate.

[Ian.]

His goals scored and assists were more than adequate and were missing that output hugely.

[VillaTim]

We got good money for Diaby and it was the right thing to do , where we went wrong was replacing him with JPB and also unfortunately Bailey 2.0 turned up in August , hence all the pining now for Diaby .

[Ian.]

We got good money for Diaby and it was the right thing to do , where we went wrong was replacing him with JPB and also unfortunately Bailey 2.0 turned up in August , hence all the pining now for Diaby .

Me and quite a few others were gutted to see him leave. A fair few of us never thought he was as bad as made out and even during a quiet game he posed a threat. So if it’s alright with you I’ll carry on pining for him thank you.

[Beard82]

Apparently us v Man City in for Dougie.  £35m-40m.

I would rather we brought him home, then see him go to that lot.

If we can do it, without it effecting our broader plans I would love this.