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

[Mister E]

Konsa makes Matty Cash seem like a better version of Hakimi in possession in comparison. Konsa is where the ball goes to die when he played there, same as Disasi really. They narrow our shape completely making it easy to press us, they both also hate getting drawn out to a winger. To be fair to Cash he's quicker and frankly braver pushing out in that situation. I think Cash is a decent defender these days, credit to Emery as he was very average/rash, on the ball is his biggest issue. His trademark chop, partly tactical partly due to an iffy first touch. Something I noticed Garcia was a lot sharper on.
We had Konsa at RB v Ipswich, the Spurs collapse, Liverpool away he was shocking. For all the talk about how strong he was there in CL, I distinctly remember horror shows away at Brugge and RBL. Solid as a soft sh*te. There's a reason why Emery put a halt to it. Replacing it with Disasi wasn't one of his better decisions.
Konsa is pretty limited at CB too really. He has strong positional sense and good recovery pace. But he's frankly a bit soft, average on the ball and his form only improved when Mings was back to babysit him. I wouldn't be against moving him on this summer for a big offer.

that's a pretty good summary of our season from a RB perspective.

No stats though.

All about opinions, mate ...

[paul_e]

The only bit of that I'd question is around Konsa and Disasi causing us to be narrower. I think he's got that back to front, when we play either of them at full back it's because we're choosing to be narrower.

I've mentioned this before but this is all about attacking shape and speed of transition. Most managers in the premier league favour a 5-5 split in attack, usually as a a 3-2-5.

To achieve that when you play a 4231 defensive shape the simplest option is to have 1 attacking fullback with bags of pace who provides width on 1 side, and then 2 of the 3 behind the striker drift to the other side. This is how we play every time we pick Konsa or Disasi at RB.

The alternative is that one of your midfielders drops in, which we've seen Kamara do a lot but for that to really work you need 1 of your fullbacks to be comfortable drifting into Centre Mid - this is how Arsenal use Lewis-Skelly and how TAA often played for Liverpool.

The reason this hasn't worked as well for us this season isn't really the fullbacks but that it requires a player on the right wing who is both happy to stay wide but who is also tracking back and occupying the opposition winger in defence so the right back doesn't have to drift too far wide, Rogers isn't that player, Bailey is when he's in form. The most important signing we need to make this summer is a proper right winger who actually wants to play out wide and has a decent cross with his right foot.

[Garyth]

The only bit ...

agree with all this.

[PaulWinch again]

Agree entirely on the winger point, it’s absolutely key.

[Drummond]

Can I just say that the usage of 'cash in' that seems to be used every time there's discussion about the potential for a player being sold seems a bit weird.

[paul_e]

Can I just say that the usage of 'cash in' that seems to be used every time there's discussion about the potential for a player being sold seems a bit weird.

Especially when so many people want Cash out.

[Dogtanian]

Some people even enjoy a Cashew.

[Drummond]

Some people even enjoy a Cashew.

Bless you, now what were you saying?

[Dogtanian]

I dunno, I cleared out my cache.

[UK Redsox]

I dunno, I cleared out my cache.

Well done...have a Cookie

[Drummond]

I dunno, I cleared out my cache.

ewww!

[olaftab]

Even Monchi deserves a 10 day summer holiday.

I would say going on holiday when the 1st window opens is not a great idea....this is when he does his stuff. He can have a holiday in Barmouth once the window closes.

Nonsense.
He's clearly more of a "caravan in Dawlish" man.

I met him in Bognor when team were having a little break in Dubai a few weeks ago, so he's been to a mega jaunt already.

[kippaxvilla2]

It seems to me that it has been made clear from reliable sources that PSR is not the same issue as last year but SCR is.

[paul_e]

It seems to me that it has been made clear from reliable sources that PSR is not the same issue as last year but SCR is.

Yep, nothing in the numbers we know ever made it seem like PSR was a concern (which means realistically we never need to worry about it again given we have -£80m dropping off the 25/26 numbers and then it's set to be replaced next summer). The only thing we need to really care about is getting the wages in order.

If we assume the £360m figure is about right and account for no meaningful change other than the impact of Europa instead of CL then we can assume we're looking at £300-310m next season which in turn means our wage bill needs to get below £210m. Getting rid of all the players who were out on loan last season (Coutinho, Dendoncker, Buendia, Moreno - £15-16m), players who are out of contract (Olsen, Hause - £3-4m) and Loanees (Rashford, Asensio, Disasi - £10-12m) will probably cover that and maybe leave enough for a signing or 2. After that I expect we'll have to free up wages to bring more in, which is why we might see some people go that might not want to see leave.

[eamonn]

I used to want Moreno over Digne but now the thought makes me shudder. No offence, Alex but Lucas stepped-up when you left town. I guess he's on c£4m less a year less than Digne or something like that. Not sure if it's enough to get rid though?