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

[RamboandBruno]

Of course, we’ve also spent a fair chunk of our money pretty bloody badly. I mentioned a few pages back, or on another thread, we have made some really good signings in the last few years but it doesn’t feel like our strategy is coherent and we’ve made some poor errors - at least in terms of whether the manager rates the players we’re signing.

There is obviously some really good examples of really bad transfer strategies, Everton a few years back, Man utd for ever, but other than the Brentford & Brighton model, it feels like most team have a degree of chance about it all. Just some clubs waft more money about.
Im not overly concerned about our transfer strategy in terms of coherency, i think we’ve had more hits than misses, not including kids bought.

Off the top of my head in Emery’s time, hits include Duran, Rashford, Asensio, Rogers, Torres,Maatsen, Lindelof, Diaby (for a time), Tielemans, Onana (when fit), Bizot, Malen.

Misses, Elliot, Sancho (so far), Guessand (so far), Disasi,

Somewhere in between -Barkley.

[Villatillidie25]

It also depends what you consider a hit. Some will probably consider diaby a miss but he performed pretty well and we made a profit on him. Being able to sell for at least as much as you paid is absolutely key. For so many years we just had players wind down contracts or go for nominal fees and it killed us. Now we regularly sell someone for £20m plus and it just keeps it all ticking along.

[paul_e]

I wouldn't call Disasi a miss, he was signed as cover in case we got injuries and did that reasonably well at CB and not so well as RB. I think he did pretty much exactly the job we expected and needed.

I know we shouldn’t compare, but last year:

Rashford and Asensio

This year:

Linked to (I know linked not signed) Tammy and Loftus-Cheek

Not sure what it means, other than we were in the Champions League last year, but at the very least transfers are less fun. Luckily the most important thing is the team is doing well - I do think second half of the season might be tough if we’re not careful.

This isn't a remotely fair comparison though, they both signed right at the end of the window, at this stage we'd got Malen, sold Philogene, had Carlos halfway out the door and were deep in rumours that Duran was going out to Saudi Arabia. Garcia was probably just being linked but he was a kid from the Spanish 2nd tier. It was right at the end of January when Rashford and Asensio began to look like real opportunities.

[Nii Lamptey]

I wouldn't call Disasi a miss, he was signed as cover in case we got injuries and did that reasonably well at CB and not so well as RB. I think he did pretty much exactly the job we expected and needed.

I'd say he was an unmitigated Disas(i)ter!

He was at fault for PSG's third goal in Paris, which turned out to be the deciding goal, and he was also at fault for City's late winner at the Etihad - A point which potentially would have seen us qualify for the Champions League for a second season in a row. Was okay when his mind was on it, but went to sleep far too often for my liking.

Lindelof has been a FAR better signing as defensive cover.

[paul_e]

I don't disagree on Lindelof at all, but I think those 2 goals are used against Disasi far too much, he did fine in most games, he just happened to not quite be good enough against the best side in Europe and against the most expensively assembled squad in history, for a last minute scramble signing to fill a gap after other options fell through he was better than having to rely on what would've been Bogarde or Kamara filling in at CB again (where they'd already had a tough time a couple of months earlier).

[brontebilly]

I don't disagree on Lindelof at all, but I think those 2 goals are used against Disasi far too much, he did fine in most games, he just happened to not quite be good enough against the best side in Europe and against the most expensively assembled squad in history, for a last minute scramble signing to fill a gap after other options fell through he was better than having to rely on what would've been Bogarde or Kamara filling in at CB again (where they'd already had a tough time a couple of months earlier).

5m loan fee was reported to fill that gap + whatever wages we were covering. Nothing to show for it afterwards. Disasi hasn't kicked a ball since either.

[ozzjim]

Didn’t he come on late in both those games as Cash was struggling with his hamstrings a bit too. I felt for him at PSG, it seemed really odd to bring him on against their attack, I would lay that more at Emery than Disasi out of position. The Man City one, mark up at the back stick and we get a draw, it is a team goal conceded. He was immense at Brentford though. We missed out by a single point, the home draws with Bournemouth, Brighton etc from winning positions were much more damaging.

Lindelof has been excellent, following in the Scandinavian defenders footsteps at Villa.

[ADVILLAFAN]

We shouldn't have been playing Disasi at RB, he's a CB only.

[ChicagoLion]

We shouldn't have been playing Disasi at RB, he's a CB only.

Exactly,

[PaulWinch again]

I wouldn't call Disasi a miss, he was signed as cover in case we got injuries and did that reasonably well at CB and not so well as RB. I think he did pretty much exactly the job we expected and needed.

I know we shouldn’t compare, but last year:

Rashford and Asensio

This year:

Linked to (I know linked not signed) Tammy and Loftus-Cheek

Not sure what it means, other than we were in the Champions League last year, but at the very least transfers are less fun. Luckily the most important thing is the team is doing well - I do think second half of the season might be tough if we’re not careful.

This isn't a remotely fair comparison though, they both signed right at the end of the window, at this stage we'd got Malen, sold Philogene, had Carlos halfway out the door and were deep in rumours that Duran was going out to Saudi Arabia. Garcia was probably just being linked but he was a kid from the Spanish 2nd tier. It was right at the end of January when Rashford and Asensio began to look like real opportunities.

Yeah and if at end the window we bring in a couple of high class options I’ll happily revise my position. Like I said this is just what it feels like now to me, not saying it’s a view I’ve applied a load of analysis to it.

The only thing I would say is Malen out vs Philogene is quite different in terms of value add to the first team, if I were comparing those two specifically.

[RamboandBruno]

Dont get me wrong Id love Rashford and Asensio calibre signings this month, but it is what it is financially wise and it is what it is partly because we gambled on getting those big money players in. It was really exciting and it nearly but not quite paid off in terms of our drive from mid table to champions league qualification.
We are in a much better league position now as well, which needs to be taken into account. I don’t want to tempt fate but it would take a dramatic collapse in our form as well as a dramatic shift in Chelsea or Man Utds form for us to not get at least 5th.

[N'ZMAV]

We shouldn't have been playing Disasi at RB, he's a CB only.

he's certainly no Carlos Cuellar

[Mister E]

I don't disagree on Lindelof at all, but I think those 2 goals are used against Disasi far too much, he did fine in most games, he just happened to not quite be good enough against the best side in Europe and against the most expensively assembled squad in history, for a last minute scramble signing to fill a gap after other options fell through he was better than having to rely on what would've been Bogarde or Kamara filling in at CB again (where they'd already had a tough time a couple of months earlier).

The judgement on Disasi is somewhat made by the fact that no other clubs have been bashing Chelsea's door in to sign him ...

[Dave]

I don't disagree on Lindelof at all, but I think those 2 goals are used against Disasi far too much, he did fine in most games, he just happened to not quite be good enough against the best side in Europe and against the most expensively assembled squad in history, for a last minute scramble signing to fill a gap after other options fell through he was better than having to rely on what would've been Bogarde or Kamara filling in at CB again (where they'd already had a tough time a couple of months earlier).

The judgement on Disasi is somewhat made by the fact that no other clubs have been bashing Chelsea's door in to sign him ...

Quite a few clubs wanted him on loan I believe, but Chelsea are at full compliment of outgoing loans.

[Villafirst]

I don't disagree on Lindelof at all, but I think those 2 goals are used against Disasi far too much, he did fine in most games, he just happened to not quite be good enough against the best side in Europe and against the most expensively assembled squad in history, for a last minute scramble signing to fill a gap after other options fell through he was better than having to rely on what would've been Bogarde or Kamara filling in at CB again (where they'd already had a tough time a couple of months earlier).

I agree. I remember the Brentford away game last season, and he was immense and got the man-of-the-match award.