Transfer Window Summer 2025. The Verdict.

[Toronto Villa]

It could have been worse. We haven't had our squad cherry-picked by clubs in the Champions League, we haven't lost any of our big stars, we've signed some cover and a potential name. Given the situation I don't know how much more we could have done.

The last sentence made everything massively complex. It started at Old Trafford. The limp way in which we played and then the salt of the disallowed goal blew up all our summer plans. It made it impossible to really push on. The window has been ok but could be a lot better. What’s affected how we feel about the window is how we’ve started the season. That’s shaken all of us.

[Pat Mustard]

Where has it come from that Lindelof is on £120k a week? He was without a club and as far as I can tell not a huge amount of competition for his signature. I’d be surprised if he is on much more than half that, especially given that one of our first choice CBs has just agreed to a pay cut.

[Meanwood Villa]

I'm glad it's over and hopeful Unai can work his magic with what he's got now.

[PeterWithesShin]

No chance we're paying Lindelof close to what he was on at ManU imo. My guess would be a million signing on fee and 50k a week.

[olaftab]

Under the prevailing circumstances this is a good window. We ned to consolidate and push on forward.

[Brazilian Villain]

I feel better today than I did last night, thinking it was Lindelof in and Emi out.
Elliot I feel will be good business, don’t know a lot about him other than player of the tournament for the U21’s. But my Scouse mate reckons he’ll be brilliant for us and we have a cracking player on our hands, I’ll take it.
Sancho could be great or a disaster, let’s see what Unai can instil in him.
5/10 I guess.

That's how I feel too. The financial restrictions were probably tighter than we realised, and the necessary sales didn't happen as quickly as they would have liked, even if we did get rid of some dead wood. Just glad it's over.

[cdbearsfan]

Did we actually sign Fletcher Boyd in the end? Be mad if we signed a 17-year-old and haven't immediately loaned him out.

[Smithy]

A mate of mine just told me that as the window closes, Unai's net spend since he joined us is just £40m - which is frankly incredible across six transfer windows.  Obviously we're doing what we can within the financial restrictions we're stuck with, but I think if someone had told me when he joined he'd spend £60m net over six windows, I wouldn't have expected a squad of this quality.  It's pretty incredible all things considered.

[Brazilian Villain]

Did we actually sign Fletcher Boyd in the end? Be mad if we signed a 17-year-old and haven't immediately loaned him out.

Yes, pretty sure I got a notification about it.

[cdbearsfan]

Ta.

[Crown Hill]

Not sure where to stick this so I’ll plonk it here:

https://archive.is/2025.09.01-215420/https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-15055389/Aston-Villa-transfer-news-Emiliano-Martinez.html

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Elliot will be our best signing since Rogers.

Sancho will be better than Bailey was last season.

Lindelof is ok backup

Bizot is ok backup

Guessand will need time to settle, possibly impact from the bench

Window, 4 out of 10. Still no real competition up front or at right back, and we've got a large slab of Argentine beef that needs taming.

I love Argentine beef, best in the world. Other than that, as usual, spot on, Ozz. We've kept the band together despite the ridiculous financial limitations. 6/10 from me. Obviously I'm ignoring all those players we signed who'll never get to play for us. Why?

[tomd2103]

Glad it's over and the dust can settle.  Time for a reset and the game at Everton will hopefully feel like the  first game of the season. 

Feels like very much a short-term fix rather than part of a longer-term plan though and that the can has been kicked down the road for another season.  We've seen one of the problems that strategy brings though with having to try and replace Rashford, Asensio and Disasi in this window.

As for who has come in today, Lindelof is an experienced back-up who should fine in the Europa League, Elliott should bring a bit of energy and goodness knows what we can expect from Sancho.  It's not an inspiring cohort to be perfectly honest and I think expectations will have to be adjusted accordingly.  The fact that we have emerged from another transfer window not addressing the glaring issue at RB is astounding really though.

So it's over to Unai Emery to do what he can with what he now has.  As I say, I think expectations have to be adjusted given the way the summer has gone and the Europa League has taken on added importance now.

[Toronto Villa]

I’m a 6.5. Mainly because we did it with with one hand tied behind our back. We came out of it ok in the end. The Martinez thing is worrying me though. If he’s been agitating for a move or even just acting the big bollocks around the place you can see why things might have tense. And why harmony in the square might be impacted and especially in defence. Everyone can see he hasn’t been at his sharpest. That needs to change fast if we are to get back on track.

[dave.woodhall]

Nobody knows exactly what the score was with Martinez. The one thing for sure is that Manchester United will be painted in the best possible light and we'll be the bad/incompetent guys.*




*That's two things.