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

[Sexual Ealing]

I meant it was a Moyes wet dream kind of signing. Obviously SJM wouldn't want the move.

[ozzjim]

What sort of money would it even take to make us consider it to anyone other than Celtic?

[cdbearsfan]

Many times more than Celtic could afford, for starters.

[Stinkin_Thinkin]

with elanga going to newcastle, Forrest might have a punt at "mentally checked out" Leon Bailey to replace him on the flank. Marinakis now has £55m drachma burning a hole in his quad XL kecks,  monchi should be licking his lips at the thought of juicing him north of £30m. Also this merry go round free's up one of toon's wingers Barnes may now become available or Murphy can do a job under the radar.

As for McGinn why would he want to slog it around mid table prem when he's in the upper echelons at Villa with guarenteed Champions League Football at celtic to come in his dotage? he aint no fool, bigger clubs than the toffees across europe should be looking at him after that performance against psg. Vintage Lothar Matthaus. Not that i'd want him to leave. Everton are in dreamworld they think they can get the likes of Grealo and McGinn. They should be looking to take players off Bournmouth and West Ham. Thats if they've paid for their new soccer bowl.

[Villatillidie25]

Forest aren’t going for Bailey, despite what we might hope. We should steer clear of Barnes & Murphy (both really average) and Everton aren’t pinching players from Bournemouth - they’ll go for big money and up the food chain, not down it. West Ham players are more attainable but suspect they’re on higher wages than Everton will want to pay.

[kippaxvilla2]

Murphy is not average.  Barnes is not average but his injury record suggests he is.

[paul_e]

Murphy is not average.  Barnes is not average but his injury record suggests he is.

Murphy - it depends if you think last season is his norm or if you think the rest of his career is.
Barnes - for me he's a player who scores just enough goals to trick people into thinking he's better than he is.

[Villatillidie25]

Murphy is not average.  Barnes is not average but his injury record suggests he is.

Let me rephrase then. Are either likely to help propel a team into top 4 or 5 regular contenders either now or in the future? I would argue not. They’re both solid premier league players with Barnes being the better of the two imo but i doubt either will get better than they are today, will cost a reasonable amount and won’t particularly push us forward.

[Dante Lavelli]

Murphy is not average.  Barnes is not average but his injury record suggests he is.

Let me rephrase then. Are either likely to help propel a team into top 4 or 5 regular contenders either now or in the future? I would argue not. They’re both solid premier league players with Barnes being the better of the two imo but i doubt either will get better than they are today, will cost a reasonable amount and won’t particularly push us forward.

I think both players are playing at close to their full capacity and the price would reflect that.  There's minimal scope for improvement so I don't think they're deals we should consider.

[eamonn]

I know it's not his fault but his nose annoys me (H.Barnes).

[algy]

Murphy is not average.  Barnes is not average but his injury record suggests he is.

Let me rephrase then. Are either likely to help propel a team into top 4 or 5 regular contenders either now or in the future? I would argue not. They’re both solid premier league players with Barnes being the better of the two imo but i doubt either will get better than they are today, will cost a reasonable amount and won’t particularly push us forward.

Yeah, this is exactly it. We don’t need players who are *as good as* the ones we’ve got. We need ones that are better. That’s a very small pool, even smaller when you restrict it to ones that will fit in with our PSR requirements and be happy with Europa League (rather than Champions League) football.

I don’t expect a busy summer from us. Maintaining the current first team squad, with a handful of minor changes (eg selling Buendia, Moreno, and Ned and using the money to buy an Olsen replacement) … something like that. I think with this club World Cup, and us having a less intense competition than the Champions League  … that’d be enough for us to finish top 4, slightly improve the squad, and banish the FFP/PSR issues to being mostly a thing other clubs worry about

[rougegorge]

Whilst aspirationally, we want players who are better than those we have, I actually think that getting players who are deemed as good as those we have already would not be a bad thing, especially when the better players are going to the clubs who pay the biggest wages.

Effectively, we are two players down on the first team from last season with Asensio and Rashford gone, and we need a decent reserve keeper as well. We hear about players possibly moving out, but less about prospective newcomers who would be considered for the first team.

New players may come in, or players who are predicted to leave may stay, but it is very quiet at the moment.

[LeeB]

I know it's not his fault but his nose annoys me (H.Barnes).

Most noses annoy me.

[PaulWinch again]

Murphy is not average.  Barnes is not average but his injury record suggests he is.

Murphy - it depends if you think last season is his norm or if you think the rest of his career is.
Barnes - for me he's a player who scores just enough goals to trick people into thinking he's better than he is.

Indeed, until proven otherwise I’d assume Murphy’s season is the outlier. Barnes is the absolute epitome of a player who looks great when he’s in top form, but does nothing when he’s not.

[ChicagoLion]

Murphy is not average.  Barnes is not average but his injury record suggests he is.

Murphy - it depends if you think last season is his norm or if you think the rest of his career is.
Barnes - for me he's a player who scores just enough goals to trick people into thinking he's better than he is.

Indeed, until proven otherwise I’d assume Murphy’s season is the outlier. Barnes is the absolute epitome of a player who looks great when he’s in top form, but does nothing when he’s not.

One trick pony, great when the trick comes off.