Summer 26 Transfer Window - hopes, speculation, rumours etc.

[andyh]

If Unai could get a tune out of ‘washed up’ Rashford and effectively rejuvenate him to the point where he got back in the England squad and subsequently earned a move to Barcelona, couldn’t he rejuvenate Grealish too ?

[Dogtanian]

Story about us having a bid rejected for Martin Baturina;

https://sportwitness.co.uk/aston-villa-make-e50-55m-offer-rejected-and-told-they-need-e80m/

Even if true, the story isn't hopeful of our chances!

[PeterWithesShin]

Rashford wasn't washed up though, he was thrown under the bus by a complete fraud of a manager in Amorim.

Fun fact. Rashford has scored more goals in the last 4 seasons than Grealish had league starts in his ManC career.

[Dogtanian]

Yep, I don't think you can compare the two.

Plus again, who benefits most from his being saved from himself?

We went for Rashford and Ascensio because Emery knew they were good players who for whatever reason weren't in their club's plans. He knew they could do a good job for us and he could get them up to speed in his team quickly.

There's a big difference to that and someone who needs a lot of time and attention to have a chance of being good enough, and might not be even then.

[Monty]

Thing is, other than it just being a bit unfair to call an obviously perfectly nice person 'orrible names, I don't especially care about or blame the Haters. I'm not a fan so I can debate how the data analysts might recommend a player's heatmaps or recovery runs. That's the club's job and obviously I hope they do it well.

But I'm sentimental, saft, irrationally over-invested, daydreamy. I would love the homecoming story in our title-winning year. Others are still angry with their ex (to use CL's, um, pungent analogy) to the extent they can't be normal if they even hear their name, and I respect that within the world of football fandom. I am them, just on the other side. I love redemption, forgiveness, and prodigal sons. I just do.

In a footballing sense he's one player among however many hundreds of options, and if Unai for whatever reason thinks it's a good idea then great. As a fan, though, just allow me my rosy thoughts and my daft smiles without pinning them to a spreadsheet, please.

[Ian.]

I’m with you Monty.

[WarszaVillan]

Thing is, other than it just being a bit unfair to call an obviously perfectly nice person 'orrible names, I don't especially care about or blame the Haters. I'm not a fan so I can debate how the data analysts might recommend a player's heatmaps or recovery runs. That's the club's job and obviously I hope they do it well.

But I'm sentimental, saft, irrationally over-invested, daydreamy. I would love the homecoming story in our title-winning year. Others are still angry with their ex (to use CL's, um, pungent analogy) to the extent they can't be normal if they even hear their name, and I respect that within the world of football fandom. I am them, just on the other side. I love redemption, forgiveness, and prodigal sons. I just do.

In a footballing sense he's one player among however many hundreds of options, and if Unai for whatever reason thinks it's a good idea then great. As a fan, though, just allow me my rosy thoughts and my daft smiles without pinning them to a spreadsheet, please.

Yeah, it's what makes football fun. And comparing a footballer playing for another club to somebody's wife betraying them is plain weird.

[kippaxvilla2]

What a great day it is that we have reached the Grealish is no longer good enough for us stage.

[Dogtanian]

I think the love analogy is quite apt, to be honest. We did love him, he was special and he was ours. I've never felt as proud about a player as I did when he first stepped onto the pitch in an England shirt, and I probably never will again.

And all that just makes it harder.

As Carly Simon once said to Jack - you gave away the things you loved, and one of them was Aston Villa Football Club and all it's numerous, stunningly-attractive fans.

And we can't go back. 

[algy]

I'm the same as Monty.  I'm just a daydreamer with romantic notions, I'm afraid.  I'll let Unai work out what players we sign and if we can make things work.  But I'd be really, really happy if Jack came back and won the league with us.  It'd be a nice "thank you", in the same way that I'm chuffed Tyrone Mings, Dougie, and Tammy all picked up a winners' medal this time round.

[PeterWithesShin]

If he was good enough for us i'd happily have him back. But like Doug he isn't good enough for 2026/27 Aston Villa. We should be enjoying how much we've moved on and are now one of the top teams in Europe rather than lamenting over players from years ago. I doubt any PL side with serious aspirations to finish at least top 4 or 5 will be signing either of them this summer.

[kippaxvilla2]

I agree with you.

[FatSam]

I wouldn't have a problem in principle with Grealish returning. I understood why he left when he did from a professional perspective, and regardless of whether we allowed him to leave willingly, we were well compensated.

I do though think that he lost the right to be considered 'one of our own'. There was lots of talk at the time about the fact that this was his job, and he had the opportunity to be paid more and win more at another club. I think that leaving for those reasons does mean that you are treating it as a job rather than anything more.

That said, he'll be 31 in September, and hasn't played consistently over the past few seasons. Whereas we are trying to reduce the age of our squad, and bring players in who can contribute reliably.

I'd be very surprised if he were to return.

[Rigadon]

Though clearly not exactly the same, I think the cheating wife analogy is far from weird.  Grealish leaving to play in cheat mode did feel a bit like betrayal when it happened.  Anyway, I have no idea whether he's fit enough these days, but he remains a lovely footballer.  I find myself being in the 'not arsed either way' camp.  That shows how far we've come as a club in a nice way.

[VILLA MOLE]

If Unai wants him crack on !