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

[Toronto Villa]

He's a good player. He was excellent at Palace while on loan and initally very good after he moved to Spain. He's also 25.

[Rigadon]

If Unai admires him, I too (can come to) admire him.

[LeeB]

We've been consistently linked to him, but I've always thought he lacked calmness on the ball which you'd think is the first pre-requisite for playing in our midfield.

[letsshakehands]

We've been consistently linked to him, but I've always thought he lacked calmness on the ball which you'd think is the first pre-requisite for playing in our midfield.

Know what you mean, but I wouldn't have naturally thought it would be a strength of Cash, Konsa or McGinn's either prior to Unai, but with player buy-in and world class coaching and they've kept improving. As said above, strikes me as a decent long term replacement for the skipper.

[LeeS]

The Gallagher thing is now being reported on TalkSPORT (Yes, I sometimes listen). They don’t normally report random rumours. Might be something in this…

[Sexual Ealing]

Without random rumours, there is no TalkSport.

[LeeS]

Without random rumours, there is no TalkSport.

True. This was a bit different though. They sort of interrupted their coverage to bring the news. Felt a bit odd.

[PeterWithe]

I'm another who thinks his enthusiasm and energy mask some real technical deficencies. But I've not seen him Spain at all.

[brontebilly]

Good fit for us on the sides of our midfield I reckon usually played well against us too. Proper competition for likes of McGinn. Think he struggled technically when England or Chelsea played him as a 6. He's not a Luiz or Tielemans who can play on the half turn. Has a goal in him. Don't see many downsides to that one (said the same re Elliot, mind).

[john e]

TalkSPORT is like Mrs Brown boys
No one admits to listening to it but always the first to tell you how shit it is and how much they dislike certain presenters

How do they know if they never turn it on
I’ll tell you why, because they do fucking listen that’s why

[algy]

No idea of the veracity of it, but the word on the mean streets of Clwyd is that Wrexham have accepted a bid from Villa for Max Cleworth (23yo central defender).

[LeeB]

TalkSPORT is like Mrs Brown boys
No one admits to listening to it but always the first to tell you how shit it is and how much they dislike certain presenters

How do they know if they never turn it on
I’ll tell you why, because they do fucking listen that’s why

That and voting for Thatcher.

[Sexual Ealing]

TalkSPORT is like Mrs Brown boys
No one admits to listening to it but always the first to tell you how shit it is and how much they dislike certain presenters

How do they know if they never turn it on
I’ll tell you why, because they do fucking listen that’s why

You make a good point John, but it's a bit like saying 'I don't watch ITV' (and I don't), but if they put something good on ITV (or football) then it'd be daft not to watch it just because it's on ITV.

Similarly, there are a couple of programmes (Hawksbee & Jacobs and the Max Rushden ones) on TS that buck the general trend for two key reasons: the presenters are vaguely witty, capable of nuance and don't take calls from the public, and former footballers don't present those shows. It makes a huge difference. I still barely listen to them but they're not unbearable shit like everything else.

[LeeB]

The 'don't take calls from the public' is key for me, I haven't listened to radio in general in yonks but the minute I'd hear 'lets go to the lines' on any show it would be off.

[RamboandBruno]

The 'don't take calls from the public' is key for me, I haven't listened to radio in general in yonks but the minute I'd hear 'lets go to the lines' on any show it would be off.

The WM football phone in driving home every night when i used to be in the office 5 days a week before covid. Don’t know why I did it,I guess Im catholic and it was my self flagulation