Wes

Did not know that. Interesting - thanks!

As well as Bahoken from SCO Angers being linked yesterday, I imagine we may also see links to their defensive midfielder Baptiste Santamaria too soon. Ranked 19th for Tackles per Game in the Top 5 Leagues this past year. Think I recall a tweet from a few months ago saying we may have been scouting him.

https://www.avfc.co.uk/News/2019/06/05/first-summer-signing-arrives Jota Official

Part-way completed it would seem.

Newest links this afternoon seem to be: Mbwana Samatta (Striker - Genk) Stephane Bahoken (Striker - SCO Angers) The Bahoken one may have legs as I'm sure one of our scouts was spotted at Angers earlier this season. However he only joined them last summer.

That full interview with Monterrubio is available here also.

For those who missed it, @Reivax_Villa posted in the Technical Team/Player Recruitment/Scouts thread a twitter thread of quotes with our French Scout, Olivier Monterrubio, who is currently watching the Toulon Tournament. The full interview by the Tournament Hosts themselves, is available on their website (if you open in Google Chrome, you can translate there and there on the webpage). It's a really insightful read, I recommend having a look at the whole thing, but some choice (google-translated so probably a little wrong) quotes: He also mentions there are players in League 1 that could certainly interest Villa, also that there may be 1 or 2 players in the French Toulon side that "could be interesting" - but I imagine every scout in every club would answer the exact same way. Give it a 5 minute read, it's good stuff.

Not entirely sure Klopp would be so keen to get rid of Milner, considering his comments about him regarding the CL Final: I can see him being granted an extra year extension.

Like the idea of Sangare a lot. I see @MrSmirch also mentioned him a few days ago. I think we would be after a ball-playing defensive midfielder - one who is stout physically, but comfortable on the ball and able to escape pressure. Sangare fits the bill, but I do think clubs further up the league may also be looking at him. Will be interesting to see where he goes. I've been thinking about our Left Back slot a lot (as always just for fun, I don't actually. One name I think may be one to watch out for is Ramy Bensebaini at Rennes. He's 24 and is in the Algerian National Team for the African Cup of Nations taking place this summer (21 June - 19 July). He's pretty versatile - he can play at centre back or in defensive midfield as cover. Might be a good player to bring in now as a starter, with a view to having as a good squad player as we, hopefully, improve over the next couple of years. He's in the last year of his contract and the Rennes President has said he will be allowed to leave the club this summer for a suitable fee. Last year Everton were supposedly in for him to the tune of around £13m. Obviously they picked up Digne instead which has worked out very nicely for them. With one less year on his contract I imagine this figure to be more around the £5-8m range, but he'll have a lot of potential clubs after him at such a price. Interesting note: if we were happening to be buying any African National Team Members, those transfers will either likely be done within the next week(!), or after the tournament has ended. Especially as we're off to the States in Mid-July, I imagine both parties would want things organised quickly - for the player to prepare for the tournament and for the club to have squad lists arranged for the trip.

Official Site The confirmation that Whelan isn't being given an extension (there was some speculation he may be kept to be a good professional to have around the squad).

I know a lot of people have been commenting on the loan players we have lost and how important their positions on the pitch are to replace, and that is a really crucial discussion to have, but we cannot underestimate how many veteran players we are also losing from the dressing room. Bringing in experienced Squad Players with the right mentality and approach to the game is, I dare say, just as important as who the starting XI are going to be come the first week of the season. The fact that Jota's signing also gets Gardner off the books, is someone Dean Smith has worked with before, and is versatile in nature, is just more added benefits. No doubt there'll be more signings like this to come.

We've replaced Adomah's bench depth for a player Smith knows well (and has been able to get the best out of before), whilst also offloading a player who wasn't going to get any game time for us in Gardner. Jota will be a good squad player - already accustomed to Smith's tactical and training philosophy and will be good to have on the training pitch when we have a lot of new players coming in who will need to get up to speed fast. I don't believe he's our starting right sided attacker next season. Think that transfer will still come. But as a Squad Player, and as a transaction as a whole, it ticks a lot of boxes. Also, a Spanish speaker in the Senior Squad would certainly help if we wanted to bring in, for instance, a younger native Spanish speaker in to the team at some point down the road... Let's not forget, Spain is where Suso knows best. Wouldn't be too surprised for at least one of the new faces joining us this season to come from there. It would make sense to utilise his connections and knowledge to the fullest. Thumbs up from me if it goes through.

Benteke is on ~£120k a week. 1 year left. Fabian Delph is on ~£90k a week. 1 year left. I think both parent clubs will find it hard to shift both of them. Even if they were to take a 30% pay cut, which was subsidised by the parent club, they would still be on the back end of their career. Benteke has not been the same player as we last saw playing for us at Villa Park. Crystal Palace don't want to keep him. Why would we want a player who a fairly decent mid-table team no longer wants? As for Delph, on someone who has such high wages, you would expect them to play every week. You wouldn't play him over Grealish or McGinn. And whilst an improvement, there are far better pure left backs out there that are far cheaper and younger. His only real fit would be at the base of Smith's midfield three in the starting XI where, again, I think there are better options to be had on the open market. There's a much larger post I could write up regarding efficiency and market value and how these two signing would not fit that model at all. Maybe another time. I think we shouldn't keep looking back at such halcyon days when our previous players were terrific for us. Time has passed, the premier league and footballing world has moved forward - it's time for us to do the same.

In an ideal world? No. However look at it this way - if you got rid of Taylor you would need to find two Left Backs in the same Transfer Window. Very rarely do you find clubs going for multiple players in the same singular position in the same window. If they do, it's because one is clearly as the starter and one is clearly as a backup. Once you've purchased that first left back, it's going to be very hard to purchase the second. They'll just think "Well hang on, exactly how much game time am I going to get when you just signed this other new guy?" You can see how much playing time matters to players by reading the likes of McGinn's comments yesterday. In a summer where there will be a fair bit of upheaval and outlay of funds, it doesn't seem too astute to try to buy two left backs. What I expect to happen is this: - A new Left Back is purchased - either a clear new first choice or a younger player with a lot of potential who would challenge for the first eleven spot. - Taylor retained until his contract expires. - A left sided centre back is purchased/loaned who, only when necessary because you would lose some attacking impetus, could also play at left back (e.g. like how we've seen with Hause this year, Barbet at Brentford). They would challenge Taylor for that second-choice role.

- Has been identified as part of long term plans and secures his signature now before potential rivals in Summer. - Caen may have only allowed him to go now if he was loaned back for rest of the season. They are in a relegation battle, they would not want to let him go just yet. (And if we tried to get him cheaper in Summer if they did get relegation, we would face competition). - Transfer fee can be spread across this window along with future ones.

And by equal measure it is a really good business decision to send him back to his parent club and not bother to play or pay him for a further 6 months.

Personally, I would rather spend £2m on Brentford's Data Analytics and associated Scouting department.

Appreciate the info!

I know we have a few Villa fans from Norway on here. I wonder if any of them can offer their opinions on Rosenborg's Left Back Birger Meling?

I've searched, and seen it mentioned a few times in here, (and even less on twitter, which goes to show how much good voices get drowned out on that platform) but I would like to see us consider Murat Yakin. I really enjoyed watching Basel when he was in charge in the Champions League. Tactically competent and from all accounts a builder of a good team with a good character about them. I personally don't think it's vital to have someone with experience of this league either. What experience did David Wagner have before joining Huddersfield and now he is one of the most sought after managers?

Chelsea still have a half dozen youngsters they need to send out to loan. Wouldn't be too far fetched to see one of them coming here. Piazon in particular because of the connection to RDM and SC.

I think the Valencia bid is just a hurry up move for Hull - "get your business done quickly or we will quite easily look elsewhere with our money".

Solid signing. Welcome.

From John Percy at the Telegraph #avfc poised to confirm £2.5m signing of Ritchie De Laet from #lcfc. Will complete second part of medical this morning

Think people are thinking too litterally on the desired use of the good doctor by saying "World Class". My interpretaion would be that our target striker plays for their country. Hernandez or Konate would fit that description, as would a number of others that are not too unreasonable in terms of price and opportunity.