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

[VILLA MOLE]

It highlights what a good job Dean Smith did to keep us up with what was a pretty ragtag squad that first year back.

Really? I guess McGinn was injured a lot of that season but we still had likes of Grealish and Mings. Chelsea brought back Tammy didn't they due to a transfer ban? He was a massive loss, poor old Wesley and Samatta were beyond awful. I think Deano was lucky to hold onto his job after Xmas, the covid delay probably saved him from the chop. Personnel aside, we were all over the place tactically and the Drinky signing might have been the final straw for him...

What ? Samatta ?  last Wembley goal scorer ?

[brontebilly]

It highlights what a good job Dean Smith did to keep us up with what was a pretty ragtag squad that first year back.

Really? I guess McGinn was injured a lot of that season but we still had likes of Grealish and Mings. Chelsea brought back Tammy didn't they due to a transfer ban? He was a massive loss, poor old Wesley and Samatta were beyond awful. I think Deano was lucky to hold onto his job after Xmas, the covid delay probably saved him from the chop. Personnel aside, we were all over the place tactically and the Drinky signing might have been the final straw for him...

Wesley was bad although I think he was finally getting more upto speed and the he was Mee'd. Would definitely have had him scoring more the 1 goal second half of the season anyway. But  apart from Grealish and Mings, and a young and not as good Luiz, the rest of the squad was still Championship players at best, and even the two we mentioned were not much better at that point. Remember Mings used to regulalrly have his brain farts and we were really reliant on Grealish to do something.

Maybe you are right, Mings was definitely poor that first season back up. Grealish carried us from memory, he scored some absolute worldies. Luiz picked it up big time after the covid restart too.

I guess the key for teams coming up is to have a solid and experienced spine that the rest can learn from, not the likes of Lescott who were finished. I'm not sure what chance the likes of Soton and Ipswich gave themselves.

[paul_e]

I think it's worth a reminder of where the squad is right now because there's definitely a feeling on here that we're in a far worse situation than we really are.

GK(3) - Martinez, Bizot, Gauci

LB(3) - Maatsen, Digne, Moreno? - probably overstocked
RB(2) - Cash, Garcia
CB(3) - Pau, Mings, Konsa, Ozcan - Need cover here

DM(4) - Kamara, Onana, Bogarde, Dendoncker? - probably overstocked
CM(3) - Tielemans, Barkley, McGinn

LW(3) - Ramsey, Iling-Junior?, Buendia? - maybe overstocked here as well
RW(1) - Bailey - need a starter here

10(1) - Rogers - need cover here
ST(3) - Watkins, Malen, Dobbin?

I make that as 26 (although Ozcan might be a stretch) which is a full squad. the 5 with question marks are questionable if they're good enough/wanted but some of those can be replaced as 3rd/4th choice in their position with youth players. 4-5 of those out and 3 in (at CB, RW and 10) would be a good window and I'd be fine with 1-2 being loans so I don't think we need a huge amount of work to be competitive.

[Hookeysmith]

Well both Ramsay and  Watkins have featured heavily in all the marketing images for the kit launch so safe to assume neither going anywhere?

[cdbearsfan]

Redmond? Or has he been loaned again and I've missed it?

[paul_e]

Well both Ramsay and  Watkins have featured heavily in all the marketing images for the kit launch so safe to assume neither going anywhere?

I'd be surprised if anyone outside the fringe players leaves now. The biggest sale I could see is Bailey. My thinking is that almost all the clubs that could be attractive for players like Watkins have already done all their spending. The only real risk now is some Panic buying from Man Utd near the end of August where they throw around some silly bids.

[SoccerHQ]

Redmond? Or has he been loaned again and I've missed it?

He was playing the under 19 tournament in June (left side forward in 4-3-3) so just back now with all the other internationals.

[Brend'Watkins]

It might be all nonsense, but I will be beyond gutted if Ramsey is sold. The last year has been a bit of write off due to injury, but he has so much more to give. Its been underwhelming enough this pre-season so far, selling Ramsey would just do my nut in, I think in some ways it would do my head in more than Emi, given Ramseys age, the Brummie factor etc.

I will be beyond seething if it transpires unless it’s 60m +. Even then I’ll be mightily pissed off. I do think it’s lazy journalism though as he’s been off for the last 3 or 4 seasons. He really is one of us and it should remain so.

[brontebilly]

I think it's worth a reminder of where the squad is right now because there's definitely a feeling on here that we're in a far worse situation than we really are.

GK(3) - Martinez, Bizot, Gauci

LB(3) - Maatsen, Digne, Moreno? - probably overstocked
RB(2) - Cash, Garcia
CB(3) - Pau, Mings, Konsa, Ozcan - Need cover here

DM(4) - Kamara, Onana, Bogarde, Dendoncker? - probably overstocked
CM(3) - Tielemans, Barkley, McGinn

LW(3) - Ramsey, Iling-Junior?, Buendia? - maybe overstocked here as well
RW(1) - Bailey - need a starter here

10(1) - Rogers - need cover here
ST(3) - Watkins, Malen, Dobbin?

I make that as 26 (although Ozcan might be a stretch) which is a full squad. the 5 with question marks are questionable if they're good enough/wanted but some of those can be replaced as 3rd/4th choice in their position with youth players. 4-5 of those out and 3 in (at CB, RW and 10) would be a good window and I'd be fine with 1-2 being loans so I don't think we need a huge amount of work to be competitive.

Strip out the 5 ? marks who have no future with us and if Ozcan is left sided we don't need 3 x LCBs so expect he will be off on loan. So that's realistically 20 players for a 50+ game season.

There's glaring holes there in terms of quality cover across multiple positions. Sure McGinn could step into CM for a few games but that's not his position. If we are to stay competitive next season we need Digne/Maatsen levels of competition in multiple positions.