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

[LeeS]

We will really miss Watkins. He is key to how we play the game.

[OCD]

Don’t shoot the messenger etc… but someone who may or may not have inside knowledge reckons we’re in for Harvey Elliot.

And also (unrelated) Watkins is off.

Neither would surprise me. There's a player there in Elliott and I think we're looking to replace Watkins now.

[AV82EC]

We will really miss Watkins. He is key to how we play the game.

I’m a massive Ollie fan and hope he stays BUT maybe at some point the way we build our attack around him is actually holding us back from where Unai wants us to be and we don’t progress to a higher level without a different kind of striker. I’m not saying I want it to happen but maybe that’s in Unais thinking? Just a thought…..

[PeterWithe]

Don’t shoot the messenger etc… but someone who may or may not have inside knowledge reckons we’re in for Harvey Elliot.

And also (unrelated) Watkins is off.

I like Elliott, he's a good player who probably needs to leave for more game time, just the type of player who you'd think can improve to another level or two but....you'd imagine they would want big money for him and there might be better value from abroad.

Ollie, be a shame but, for no reason I can explain, it just feels like his time here is done. Be delighted to be wrong.

[Beard82]

We will really miss Watkins. He is key to how we play the game.

Interestingly - I wonder if thats part of the point.  Unai has evolved how we play each season - and there has been talk that it might be more revolutionary this summer then expected.

Maybe he wants to change up how we play altogether.

[Dogtanian]

Elliot is the one who looks like he's tipped a bowl of Supernoodles on his head?

[AV84]

I’m a massive Ollie fan and hope he stays BUT maybe at some point the way we build our attack around him is actually holding us back from where Unai wants us to be and we don’t progress to a higher level without a different kind of striker. I’m not saying I want it to happen but maybe that’s in Unais thinking? Just a thought…..

I don't know what's to blame for it, but a major problem we had this season was goals not coming from other parts of the pitch. When Watkins was off the boil, we suffered. Season before I think every outfield player scored at least once. Is it a problem solved with a more lethal striker playing in the same team, or do we need a different kind of striker to play how Emery wants.

[Somniloquism]

Elliot is the one who looks like he's tipped a bowl of Supernoodles on his head?

Unfortunately yes.

Be interesting who he is replacing though as his main position at Liverpool is central attacking midfielder when it isn't bench warmer.

[Chris Smith]

Losing Dougie and Diaby was massive to the way we attack. We've been much poorer for their absence this season. Emery evolved to a different style, but we've never been as good.

You say that but we’ve won one more game than last season and are only 2 points worse off. We reached the CL quarterfinal, the FA Cup semifinal and finished 5th in the league missing out on the C L on goal difference. You could argue either way about whether we were worse off but I think saying much poorer is overdoing it.

[AV82EC]

I’m a massive Ollie fan and hope he stays BUT maybe at some point the way we build our attack around him is actually holding us back from where Unai wants us to be and we don’t progress to a higher level without a different kind of striker. I’m not saying I want it to happen but maybe that’s in Unais thinking? Just a thought…..

I don't know what's to blame for it, but a major problem we had this season was goals not coming from other parts of the pitch. When Watkins was off the boil, we suffered. Season before I think every outfield player scored at least once. Is it a problem solved with a more lethal striker playing in the same team, or do we need a different kind of striker to play how Emery wants.

I think this is where we’re at this summer. Unai has absolutely squeezed the pips out of what he inherited over the last near enough 3 seasons with some judicious additions but is he reaching a point where he thinks his inherited core of Martinez/Cash/Konsa/Mings/McGinn/Kamara/Watkins/Bailey has served its purpose and we need gradually to move in a different direction to maybe progress further.

It feels like a seminal summer for the squad as it currently exists but maybe I’m reaching here and he’s happy with his core and just need to tinker around the edges.

I also think qualifying for the Europa League if we can progress deep lessens the blow of reduced CL income but we do need to maintain a top 6, preferably higher, position.

[Brazilian Villain]

Elliot is the one who looks like he's tipped a bowl of Supernoodles on his head?

Unfortunately yes.

It's a no from me because of his hair (and his name being Harvey).

[Rigadon]

I agree Chris.  I can’t think of a time this season when I’ve missed either player.  The reason we’ve not made CL this year isn’t because we’ve been worse going forward. 

[Dante Lavelli]

While the lack of Champions League football leaves us with a 100m blackhole (if you assume we'd do just as well in it as last season)  - winning the Europa League would make up half of that.

Isn’t it more like £100m:
- minus what we’ll make in the Europa
- minus the extra televised games on Sunday
- minus the drop in salaries/bonuses

It’s a big drop but hopefully not £100m.

[PeterWithe]

What is the respective Xg for the past two seasons?

I've certainly felt that we don't look as threatening going forward and create fewer chances and look less secure at the back, particularly later in games. But I accept the point tally doesn't really support that.

[Dogtanian]

There is also the reduction in sponsorship money, as our Adidas deal in particular heavily rewards us for Champions League campaigns. I understand that most of the new sponsorship deals we have put in place are worth more whenever we are in it.