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

[chrisw1]

I agree Paul.  It's very short-term and £50m would be a huge fee.  But Emery will be thinking mainly about the next two seasons and of course if a player like Bowen helps us qualify for the CL in those two seasons, then it will go a long way in helping us bridge the financial gap. 

I can see the logic, but yes the ageing squad is a concern.

[Duncan Shaw]

Surely if we are going to be throwing that sort of money for a ready made player, Rashford would be the one?

[Dave]

Given we've decided that there is no way our finances could possibly stretch to signing 28 year old Rashford (£40m transfer fee, £12m annual salary), why do we think that our finances can stretch to signing 29 year old Bowen (£50m transfer fee, £8m annual salay)?

What difference am I missing?

[LeeB]

Given we've decided that there is no way our finances could possibly stretch to signing 28 year old Rashford (£40m transfer fee, £12m annual salary), why do we think that our finances can stretch to signing 29 year old Bowen (£50m transfer fee, £8m annual salay)?

What difference am I missing?

Precisely.

[chrisw1]

Surely if we are going to be throwing that sort of money for a ready made player, Rashford would be the one?

I don't think we will pay Rashford sort of money, but there would be a big difference between Rashford and Bowen's wage demands.

[LeeB]

Surely if we are going to be throwing that sort of money for a ready made player, Rashford would be the one?

I don't think we will pay Rashford sort of money, but there would be a big difference between Rashford and Bowen's wage demands.

There's also a big difference in their abilities.

[Dogtanian]

I think in the current circumstances we can do very little other than be short term. The next couple of seasons are critical for us.

We have to maintain our current position as consistency at the top will drive our commercial revenue. That's what we need for long term success.

When we have limited funds, spending them on a young player with potential is a risk. You are gambling our limited resources on someone who might help us achieve, but may very well not.

Buying a player who is ready to contribute now is a much lesser risk. Someone like Bowen, who is proven to be able to do it in the Premier League and has a multi-season history of performing, is far more likely to help next season than a kid who hasn't yet shown he can do it at all or that he can do so consistently.

These signings may not be sexy, they may be done after 1-2 years, and we may not get anything back for them. But if they can keep us where we are for the next two seasons they will have done their job.

[chrisw1]

Surely if we are going to be throwing that sort of money for a ready made player, Rashford would be the one?

I don't think we will pay Rashford sort of money, but there would be a big difference between Rashford and Bowen's wage demands.

There's also a big difference in their abilities.

I'd love Rashford, but I think you are massively underestimating Bowen.

[LeeB]

Surely if we are going to be throwing that sort of money for a ready made player, Rashford would be the one?

I don't think we will pay Rashford sort of money, but there would be a big difference between Rashford and Bowen's wage demands.

There's also a big difference in their abilities.

I'd love Rashford, but I think you are massively underestimating Bowen.

He scored 9 goals in 38 last season and his team went down. He's a decent player that sticks out in a shite team, and would have been a good signing for us for pretty much all of my Villa supoorting life, but we can do better.

[Rotterdam]

I'm similiar to boozey on the previous page, although I'm not sure Rogers goes missing 'for months'.
Keep Martinez.
Keep Ezri.
Morgan can go if an offer of a +£120m or so.

Bowen is an inteesting one, a loan would be perfect but probably not an option. I think £40-50m is too much though.
 

[Dave]

For what it's worth, the KUMB forum seems to think he'll either go to us, Liverpool or stay put.

[boozey182]

I'm similiar to boozey on the previous page, although I'm not sure Rogers goes missing 'for months'.
Keep Martinez.
Keep Ezri.
Morgan can go if an offer of a +£120m or so.

Bowen is an inteesting one, a loan would be perfect but probably not an option. I think £40-50m is too much though.
 

I agree about Bowen - it would be pretty unimaginative, and slightly uninspiring, but he has been exactly what we've been missing for a few years - a goalscoring threat from one of the wings. The problem is the fee and his wage. Plus, I barely noticed him at all last season against us (the only times I found myself watching West Ham) - is he still as good as he was? It would only make sense if, as Dogtanian suggests, getting in the Champions League again next season would make a really significant difference to our financial position - you could justify focusing on the short term if it opened up much bigger opportunities. But we do need to start building for the future at some point.

Having said that, I would take Rashford if we had the chance, who is only a year younger.

On Rogers going missing, I just had a quick look. After his week of brilliance (against West Ham and Man U), just before Christmas, in the league he got more bookings (4) than goal contributions (3, 2 assists and 1 goal), between then and our game against Sunderland in April. 15 games, over 4 months.

I love him, and I think he could get even better. When he's good, he's irreplaceable, and you'd hope he'd get more consistent with age. He's not the finished player though, and far from indispensable.

[LeeB]

For what it's worth, the KUMB forum seems to think he'll either go to us, Liverpool or stay put.

I did laugh at a comment on there, something like:

He's 29, big transfer fee, high wages, no sell on fee - West Ham are reported to be interested.

[OCD]

Bowen on a season-long loan would make sense if West Ham wanted to park him for a year and take him back if they came straight back up. Would probably suit our 10 role.

[Dogtanian]

Bowen on a season-long loan would make sense if West Ham wanted to park him for a year and take him back if they came straight back up. Would probably suit our 10 role.

Can you imagine how miserable he'd be knowing he had to go back to that shithole? Especially after a year with us.

Cruel, cruel man!