Winter 25-26 Transfer Window - hopes, speculation, rumours etc.

[LeeB]

Been linked with a 17-year old Belgian midfielder for about £20m.

I've been scouting this lad on the new football manager game, think he's Phil Tuffnel's love child, Nathan De Cat.

[Demitri_C]

Great name. Sign him up!

[algy]

I agree, we should sign him on the basis of his name alone.  We need to cover the full range of names, from 19th century greengrocers (George Hemmings) through to Kids TV characters (Nathan De Cat).  Otherwise we're doing it wrong.

[paul_e]

De Cat looks like a superb prospect but I'm not sure I can see us spending that sort of money in a position where we have Onana still only in his early 20s, Bogarde and Hemmings already breaking through and then have the likes of Borland and Kone who look like very good prospects as well. We just seem to be pretty well stocked on young defensive midfielders.

[LeeB]

I agree, we should sign him on the basis of his name alone.  We need to cover the full range of names, from 19th century greengrocers (George Hemmings) through to Kids TV characters (Nathan De Cat).  Otherwise we're doing it wrong.

He looks about 35 at 17 which is another reason to sign him, you don't see players like that anymore.

[cdbearsfan]

We can't sign him until July when he's eighteen so this should really be in the yet-to-be-started Summer 2026 transfer window thread.

[Drummond]

I agree, we should sign him on the basis of his name alone.  We need to cover the full range of names, from 19th century greengrocers (George Hemmings) through to Kids TV characters (Nathan De Cat).  Otherwise we're doing it wrong.

He looks about 35 at 17 which is another reason to sign him, you don't see players like that anymore.

That reminds me of a thread on Twitter, the world cup of players who look older than they are..

[Sexual Ealing]

https://x.com/80sAging  - a corker.

[Drummond]

80s Footballers Aging Badly. From 4-5 years ago.

[LeeB]

https://x.com/80sAging  - a corker.

That's absolutely outstanding.

[Drummond]

It was the best thing on Twitter.

[Chip Butty 111]

https://x.com/80sAging  - a corker.

Some shocking barnets there, clearly hair products and moisturiser hadn't been invented.

[Brazilian Villain]

https://x.com/80sAging  - a corker.

Some shocking barnets there, clearly hair products and moisturiser hadn't been invented.

Life was just harder back then.

[VancouverLion]

Surely Jimmy Leadbetter cannot be just 33 in that pic, did he kip on a sun bed?

[algy]

https://x.com/80sAging  - a corker.

My favourite is 32 year old Ayr Utd goalkeeper Hugh Sproat: