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

[rob_bridge]

Rashford would be a terrible signing.

That’s where I’m at.

Agree. Rooney said he can't even be bother to keep himself in shape which is most important if you want to attract a buyer.

Got Drinkwater as opposed to Carbone ring to it

[brontebilly]

I think he can play centre-forward, or wide. Which is what we need.

The same lazy Marcus Rashford could replace Ramsey out wide in our midfield? No chance. He doesn't try a leg if not played on the left of a 3 with no defensive responsibilities. Very few coaches tolerate that these days, his career is over at the top level bar doing something like Willian did at Arsenal and ripping us his contract. He had a solid few seasons at Fulham afterwards and got back on track.

Grealish could actually compete with Ramsey for that spot once he got fitter and could easily play up with Watkins. We are being linked with fading show ponies like Felix, Asensio, Rashford but if we want one of that ilk we might aswell get back the one from Solihull, he might actually be worth the gamble. I'm irrationally pissed that we just haven't gone and got him back.

Same with Luiz to be honest.

[Toronto Villa]

Rashford would be a terrible signing.

That’s where I’m at.

Agree. Rooney said he can't even be bother to keep himself in shape which is most important if you want to attract a buyer.

Got Drinkwater as opposed to Carbone ring to it

Rooney speaking about staying shape...

[ozzjim]

I fear not. The PSR comments from Monchi and done off the press saying we're only looking at loan deals. A centre half on loan if we're lucky. Considering we've just got to the last 16 of the champions league so PSR is making a complete mockery of any attempts to be able to compete.

[PaulWinch again]

We're not getting anyone, are we?

That’s my fear.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I'd prefer Unai fixes our ring wing before he even contemplates charity work for Man U.

I'm off to the doctors on Monday to fix my ring wing so I can understand that...

Ha! I might join you, does he know anything about fat fingers?

[Exeter 77]

Loans, if they are for players who will improve us in the short term and actually want to try, probably aren't a bad thing at this stage as the money for Duran will see us well inside the PSR constraints and will leave us ready to build in the summer.  We do need players in now though.

[Mellin]

I'd take Lenglet and Zaniolo right now and be happy with it.

[LeonW]

I think he can play centre-forward, or wide. Which is what we need.

The same lazy Marcus Rashford could replace Ramsey out wide in our midfield? No chance. He doesn't try a leg if not played on the left of a 3 with no defensive responsibilities. Very few coaches tolerate that these days, his career is over at the top level bar doing something like Willian did at Arsenal and ripping us his contract. He had a solid few seasons at Fulham afterwards and got back on track.

Grealish could actually compete with Ramsey for that spot once he got fitter and could easily play up with Watkins. We are being linked with fading show ponies like Felix, Asensio, Rashford but if we want one of that ilk we might aswell get back the one from Solihull, he might actually be worth the gamble. I'm irrationally pissed that we just haven't gone and got him back.

Same with Luiz to be honest.

Grealish would be a bad shout IMO. He’d be on a significant wage, has never played a full season in his career. At 29, he’s a reclamation job at this stage.

I realize the same applies to Assensio and to a lesser degree, Felix. But they don’t have the same baggage with Villa that Grealish has. And the way we play under Emery would not work with Joe. He slows the game down, not speed it up during transition.

[Demitri_C]

We're not getting anyone, are we?

If thats the case then they really don't care about  champions  league as there is zero chance we will achieve it with this current squad + options. The squads far too small.

Even 'negative' me thinks at least 1 is coming in

[john2710]

I'm sure Emery will spend the money a whole lot better than we did the Grealish money. But it won't be until the summer.

I think we'll get a couple of loans to plug the gaps.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I think he can play centre-forward, or wide. Which is what we need.

The same lazy Marcus Rashford could replace Ramsey out wide in our midfield? No chance. He doesn't try a leg if not played on the left of a 3 with no defensive responsibilities. Very few coaches tolerate that these days, his career is over at the top level bar doing something like Willian did at Arsenal and ripping us his contract. He had a solid few seasons at Fulham afterwards and got back on track.

His favoured position is on the left, he'll play in the centre but reluctantly and by all accounts he has reason. Since Amorim joined Man U, his first training session was trying to get the midfield and attackers to sprint back when the opposition were on the counter attack. Hardly the most demanding request but for a couple, especially Rashford, it fell on deaf ears. Casemiro doesn't have the legs and Rashford doesn't have the heart.

Three months on not much has changed which is why he's no longer in the matchday squad. One thing we do know, Unai doesn't do lazy. He even managed to get Duran putting in a Watkins style shift.

[AV84]

Rashford would be a terrible signing.

That’s where I’m at.

Agree. Rooney said he can't even be bother to keep himself in shape which is most important if you want to attract a buyer.

Got Drinkwater as opposed to Carbone ring to it

Rooney speaking about staying shape...

To be fair to him, he wasn't playing there, and I'm sure there's a clip of him while at the end of his career, playing in the US, absolutely busting a gut to win the ball back and setting up a goal for his team to win whatever silly trophy bowl thing they were in the finals of. He never looked it, but I think he was fit when playing.

[Demitri_C]

Gulp. Loans only according to law

Ffs
 
Matt Law
31 January 2025 6:32pm GMT

Aston Villa have surprisingly joined the market for Marcus Rashford and will look to explore a loan deal for the Manchester United forward. Villa have drawn up a shortlist of potential signings following Jhon Durán’s departure for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, with Paris St-Germain’s Marco Asensio high among their targets and Chelsea’s João Félix also considered.

But Rashford, 27, is now being looked at as a player of interest after his exile at United where Ruben Amorim has not selected him since December 12 for not reaching the required standards, with the head coach only picking players “giving the maximum every day”.

Villa are open to exploring the deal but have not determined whether Rashford is willing to move to Villa Park, or what United’s stance will be on the terms of a six-month loan.

It is understood that Rashford’s preferred destination is Barcelona but the Catalan giants need players to leave before bringing in signings, making the chances of a deal look remote at this stage of the window.

Asensio, 29, is one of Villa manager Unai Emery’s top choices for a loan and is available over the final three days of the window, while Félix is among the players Chelsea would consider for departure. It is believed that Villa are only looking at loans at this stage, rather than permanent deals.

They have also been linked with Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel, 19, who has a host of Premier League clubs chasing him. Tottenham Hotspur were strongly considering the teenager but he is likely to look at other clubs rather than join Ange Postecoglou’s squad.

Rashford’s future is expected to dominate the final weekend of the window, with Amorim suggesting he would rather pick his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach than a player who does not fit into “the way I see [what] a footballer should do in life”. Borussia Dortmund and Monaco have also shown interest.

Villa director of football Monchi confirmed interest in Asensio and Félix to Spanish platforms Cadena Ser El Larguero and Cadena Cope. “Regarding the names we are considering and the profile Unai is looking for, they [Félix and Asensio] are similar players and are to Unai’s liking,” Monchi said.

[Grande Pablo]

I'd take Lenglet and Zaniolo right now and be happy with it.

Zaniolo off to Fiorentina permanently I believe.  Another chaotic personality.