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

[Dogtanian]

I do feel we have taken our focus off the talent gathering for the academy. We were regularly buying young academy players with potential, but it seems to be less now.

It does seem that we are doing exactly what the rules are supposed to prevent in sacrificing our academy and youth development for the sake of the first team.

It's sad to see.

[Dogtanian]

Africa Soccer are reporting that we are looking to trigger Pape Gueye's 45m EUR release clause.

[PaulWinch again]

We bought Rogers, Tielemans and Kamara for a similar amount that Bournemouth paid for Romain Faivre. Cherry picking can make most things look good or bad.

I assume that was pointed at me - I did try to stress there’s obviously successes and failures in there. The point was more that over a period of 5 years their hit rate is pretty high. That is about effective talent identification. We have done it well, including the players you list, but I’d suggest we’ve got the balance wrong of late.

[Hookeysmith]

If we can't spend much after a few years of: CL twice, winning a trophy, selling youth players, dodgy mutual transfers, trading players around like they're Pokemon cards, selling the warehouse, selling the women's team, screwing every penny out of fans with piss take prices then maybe we have to look at what we're doing wrong rather than just blame the rules.

Not really, as we have spent very little, in nett terms. The rules are quite clearly designed to restrict us and clubs like us. We have come closer to regularly challenging the established elite than any other team in England, Spain, Germany or France.

I'd say we get a lot more right than wrong.

Hear hear

[eamonn]

We bought Rogers, Tielemans and Kamara for a similar amount that Bournemouth paid for Romain Faivre. Cherry picking can make most things look good or bad.

Yep, we only remember our poor signings and bring them up all the time as a reminder that the club needs to recruit better but we don't pay as close attention to other clubs that we think have flawless transfer strategies when the B's all have their fair share of fuck-ups.

[lessealey]

With the success of the Brighton/Bournemouth everyone is trying to pull this trick. Newcastle are in this market and so are Man Yoo. The value in a market is not following the herd, which means I wonder if we continue to go for the oldies.

[Dante Lavelli]

With the success of the Brighton/Bournemouth everyone is trying to pull this trick. Newcastle are in this market and so are Man Yoo. The value in a market is not following the herd, which means I wonder if we continue to go for the oldies.

Hmmm scratchy face emoji.  Has a club had sustained success using this approach? 

[Dogtanian]

Depends how you define success, really.

Brighton, Bournemouth, and Brentford are all having a long period of relative success compared to their histories.