Winter 24/26 transfer window - the verdict

[andyh]

Only 7 transfers completed across the Premier League on deadline day.

Sky must be absolutely fucking apoplectic.

[brontebilly]

With our financial straightjacket this was always going to be a very difficult window. Focus was addressing the mistakes of the previous one and even the January before then. Unable to move Elliot on and if we could find a way to rip up Sancho's loan I'm sure we would too. The Gallagher move was disappointing it didn't happen but I wanted Luiz last summer so delighted he is back.

I think Bailey has already shown more in glimpses than Guessand ever could. Tammy was ok on his debut and Luiz was very good. If Watkins, Onana and Barkley are available to play then our squad v Bournemouth already looks much stronger. Bailey and Luiz start for me.

Big worry for me is at right back if anything happened Cash. We have finished strongly ever season under Emery so McGinn and Tielemans back for the final push will hopefully do the business.

[Dave]

F365's Transfer Window losers section, alongside Palace, Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal and West Ham:

Aston Villa

It’s not that they’ve brought in bad players, because they haven’t. It’s just the fact it’s been an irritating month in which patchy on-field results and the struggle to bring in precisely who they wanted have served as a reminder that nearly challenging for the title is as high as Villa will be allowed to fly.

We can all argue about where Villa might best target their frustrations over this point, and we would still contend that a great deal more of it should be ‘inward’ given the ongoing flirting with PSR catastrophe, but those frustrations are very real indeed.

[algy]

The Grauniad

Aston Villa

Twelve months ago Unai Emery had pushed through deals for Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio but this time there were no late high-profile arrivals. It is hard to discern whether Villa finish the window in a stronger position than when it opened after allowing Donyell Malen and Evann Guessand to depart, but the return of Tammy Abraham, on a permanent deal, provides Villa with another bona fide striker, and Douglas Luiz, another player back for a second spell, eases their midfield injuries. Alberto Benito, Emery’s chief scout, tracked Alysson, a £10.5m buy from Grêmio and the club could look back on the £10m deal for Brian Madjo as smart business; there is plenty of excitement around the Enfield-born 17-year-old, who became Metz’s youngest debutant aged 16 last year. Finley Munroe was sold to Middlesbrough, to the surprise of Ian Holloway, who managed the 20-year-old left-back – a cousin of Declan Rice – during his impressive loan spell at Swindon. “I don’t think I’ve had as good a full-back potentially in my lifetime,” Holloway said. Ben Fisher

Key ins: Tammy Abraham (Besiktas, £18.3m), Brian Madjo (Metz, £10m), Alysson (Grêmio, £8.7m), Douglas Luiz (Juventus, loan)

Key outs: Evann Guessand (Crystal Palace, loan), Donyell Malen (Roma, loan)

[GarTomas]

.

But in turning to what we’re familiar with in Luiz and Bailey is an acknowledgment that we’ve got things wrong and no matter what else, something isn’t working in the recruitment department and hasn’t been for a while when we’re largely so reliant on the same group of players signed during the Smith era.

Torres, Maatsen, Kamara, Youri, Rogers and Onana say hi.

I think we can say that Martinez, Watkins, Konsa and Cash were great signings - but to say the core is from the Smith era is a stretch.

[VILLA MOLE]

Only 7 transfers completed across the Premier League on deadline day.

Sky must be absolutely fucking apoplectic.

It is all very exciting for them but it is actually a desperate time to make a signing

[brontebilly]

To be fair, the talk "we won the transfer window" this time last year was nonsense too. Still didn't get CL football which is what we punted it all on. Pushed an outstanding PSG all the way in a CL quarter but flopped spectacularly v Palace in the FA Cup. Get McGinn and Tielemans back and our squad should look very strong down the stretch.

[Smithy]

To be fair, the talk "we won the transfer window" this time last year was nonsense too. Still didn't get CL football which is what we punted it all on. Pushed an outstanding PSG all the way in a CL quarter but flopped spectacularly v Palace in the FA Cup. Get McGinn and Tielemans back and our squad should look very strong down the stretch.

That's my view too - Youri and McGinn fit and raring to go for the run in (hopefully before the March international break) - along with Luiz, Onana and Barkley, and our squad will start to look pretty healthy again.  We do, however, REALLY need an injury-free month as far as possible, and for Tammy to get off the mark soon.

[LeeB]

To be fair, the talk "we won the transfer window" this time last year was nonsense too. Still didn't get CL football which is what we punted it all on. Pushed an outstanding PSG all the way in a CL quarter but flopped spectacularly v Palace in the FA Cup. Get McGinn and Tielemans back and our squad should look very strong down the stretch.

That's my view too - Youri and McGinn fit and raring to go for the run in (hopefully before the March international break) - along with Luiz, Onana and Barkley, and our squad will start to look pretty healthy again.  We do, however, REALLY need an injury-free month as far as possible, and for Tammy to get off the mark soon.

Maybe he could shoot from kick off to ensure they can't find anything to disallow it.

[Dante Lavelli]

Hustled well, but ultimately a reactive and restricted window, mostly due to circumstances outside our control.  I feel all the signings provide a platform for future growth rather than blockers, so overall optimistic of what we can do in the future.

6.5/10

[Garyth]

Hustled well, but ultimately a reactive and restricted window, mostly due to circumstances outside our control.  I feel all the signings provide a platform for future growth rather than blockers, so overall optimistic of what we can do in the future.

6.5/10

This is largely where I’m at too. We’re restricted due to pushing close to the limits in previous seasons - and paying the price now with a sort of ‘1 out, 1 in’ position. The difference compared to other CL chasing teams in the can make a mistake and sign someone else to fix it, whereas we have to recoup before we can make moves.

As with every window, it can only really be judged in hindsight. While none of the signings are eye catching, there’s a chance that one (or more) of them become mainstays in the team, and if they do they’ll be considered a bargain at the prices we paid - and this window a success.