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

[SamTheMouse]

It's interesting how content most of us are at the prospect of so many members of the old guard returning.

That says good things about our recruitment in recent years.

[Gerrin]

IF we end up qualifying for the CL, is our £££ situation actually going to improve? And we can buy a few players? Qualifying last time didn't seem to make a lot of difference, we still seem to be scratching about for loans and bargains.

[eamonn]

Doug can take a penalty as well*, should we ever get one.

*Olympiacos accepted.

I'll never accept that miss. It cost us a European final. Our first one since Jan '83:

[Percy McCarthy]

In talks to sign Dougie according to the yellow ticker on SSN.

[Lucky Eddie]

It's interesting how content most of us are at the prospect of so many members of the old guard returning.

That says good things about our recruitment in recent years.

Not particularly recent.

[Rigadon]

Hmm.  Not sure, but I suppose he is likely to be able to go straight in knowing how we play. Why has he been peripheral for two clubs in a row? 

[Drummond]

Onana and Luiz with Tielemans as a 10 with Rogers and Buendia (Sancho, Bailey) is potentially good too.

Makes sense to me, and whilst he isn't as good as Tielemans, Emery knows him and trusts him. It gives us options with Kamara, McGinn and Barkley out.

[andyh]

Someone posted on here a few days back some reasons behind Dougies move or lack of a permanent move.
It seemed to make sense at the time, but I can’t find that now.

Can anyone remember ?

[Tayls_7]

Swapping a soon out of contract Barkley for Luiz is a squad upgrade in my humble opinion.

[Ads]

Knowing Emery's demands and system means much faster integration. I don't think a random January signing comes on and plays as much game time as Bailey did for example on the weekend.

Luiz knows the score and will likely get a boost from coming home.

[Pat Mustard]

Hmm.  Not sure, but I suppose he is likely to be able to go straight in knowing how we play. Why has he been peripheral for two clubs in a row?

Because he's never got over leaving the greatest club in the world?

[Dave]

Swapping a soon out of contract Barkley for Luiz is a squad upgrade in my humble opinion.

By the sounds of things, he isn't out of contract soon (or this summer, anyway). The club never announced how long the deal was, some places have it as three years, some as two years with the club having an option of another year.

Barkley himself has said it's not expiring in the summer, and while footballers aren't always the brightest bulbs, I'd probably trust them to know whether they've got six months or eighteen months of wages left ahead of them.

[Gerrin]

Hmm.  Not sure, but I suppose he is likely to be able to go straight in knowing how we play. Why has he been peripheral for two clubs in a row?

Because he's never got over leaving the greatest club in the world?

Other than his time for us under Unai, has he really been that special, Unai made him a major key player. He was hardly getting a game under Gerrard, and Deano was trying to play him as a DM.

[DrGonzo]

IF we end up qualifying for the CL, is our £££ situation actually going to improve? And we can buy a few players? Qualifying last time didn't seem to make a lot of difference, we still seem to be scratching about for loans and bargains.

If we continue to improve our other revenue streams then, yes it will.  We've seen plenty of new partnerships being launched this season, Xapo, Guiness and others, and a new shirt sponsor will be onboard next season.  CL prize money gives us more leeway on wages.  International exposure makes us a more attractive financial package for sponsorship, as well as growing our overseas fanbase.  What we need is to make the top table more frequently alongside high finishes in the PL.

[Rigadon]

Hmm.  Not sure, but I suppose he is likely to be able to go straight in knowing how we play. Why has he been peripheral for two clubs in a row?

Because he's never got over leaving the greatest club in the world?

Other than his time for us under Unai, has he really been that special, Unai made him a major key player. He was hardly getting a game under Gerrard, and Deano was trying to play him as a DM.

Bit like Bailey I guess?  Had a spell where he was very very good under Unai, but either side a bit average?