Summer transfer window 2021

[VillaChris]

2 hours ago, useless said:

It's actualy hard to single out individual US players, they all look decent and seem to play well as a team, Musah only eighteen, Acosta played well, surprised to see he's never played outside of the US, Siebatcheu looked dangerous, as did Dike, was also impressed with Aaronson. As well as the obvious ones like Reyna, Robinson and Pulisic.

Robinson would be a good pick up I think, impressed with him for Fulham this season and he'd be good competition for Targett as he plays similar way.

Majority of other US players already regulars for top euro clubs like McKennie so tough to sign some of them. Chris Richards is CB at Bayern Munich who they loaned out to Hoffenheim mid season so he might be one to look at aswell for loan deal.

USA going to be new Belgium over next decade I think, huge potential there in so many areas.

[VillaChris]

40 minutes ago, GarethRDR said:

CL form has been the exception, not the rule this season sadly.  Thuram's been nowhere near last season's form (mind you everything and everyone has gone to shit since the Rose news was "announced"), then there was the spitting incident which he copped a ban for so he needs to get his damn head screwed on.  Whole attack has looked utterly lethargic since January.  Two chief concerns would therefore be 1) at his best he's most effective in Grealish's role (and not good enough to displace him) and 2) with Max Eberl (long-time Sporting Director for the club) coming in for a lot of criticism (for possibly the first time in his tenure) over the Rose situation (and with Zakaria the most likely to be the next big-name departure), it's unlikely they'll want to see any more of the marquee players out of the door in the immediacy and stoke the fires of fan revolt (it's something of a blessing there's nobody in the stadium at the moment as the atmosphere would likely have gotten toxic over the last two months).

He'd be orders of magnitude better than Michael feckin' Bradley though.

Interesting stuff, you reckon Plea might be a better fit for us as he's another who got the odd cap for France a while back and generally good scoring record for Nice and 'Gladbach, generally 1 in 3 scoring record.

[paul514]

10 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Robinson would be a good pick up I think, impressed with him for Fulham this season and he'd be good competition for Targett as he plays similar way.

Majority of other US players already regulars for top euro clubs like McKennie so tough to sign some of them. Chris Richards is CB at Bayern Munich who they loaned out to Hoffenheim mid season so he might be one to look at aswell for loan deal.

USA going to be new Belgium over next decade I think, huge potential there in so many areas.

Not sure I would go that far to compare to the Belgian's, yet.

[barry'sboots]

6 hours ago, paul514 said:

Brooks and Olise aside (he would be a squad player who might be really good) the other two would be top class signings. I'd plump for Sarr before Buendia on the right based on pace mostly. I suspect Buendia could be a 10 but I fear he is a bit light weight and doesn't do much defensively...... maybe I am wrong on that. I would like three forwards just so I could get rid of Trez and AEG but two would be good enough.

At the moment my list is Edouard, Sarr, Olise, Koopmeiners, Wijndal and that lot would cost 100m. I'd like to add another forward and a centre back to that.

I'd sell Trez, AEG (if we bring in a third forward), Engels (if we bring in a centre back), Kalinic,  Samatta (already agreed),  Hourihane.
I'd release Elmo and Taylor
I'd loan out Davis and Ramsey (plus any of the kids)
I'll drive Barkley back to Cobham

 

I would love Edouard as well, especially at the rumoured £20m - I think that would be a real bargain.

You have raised Koopmeiners before I think.  He looks decent on the Youtube compilation but that's all I've seen - what is about him that makes you so keen? I'd certainly like that type of player - an out and out defensive midfielder.

As you say, Olise would be a good squad player but we don't have a starting "10" with your list?  Does that mean you think we have enough with Sanson, Luiz and SJM to fill the other two midfield positions alongside Koopmeiners in a 4-3-3?  I would add a first choice "10" - Brooks or Buendia for me.

I agree completely with your exit list but would probably add Heaton - not because I don't rate him but because I think he will want to play games, and we can't offer that with Emi, and because I think Emi is pretty robust and Steer is a decent understudy.  I think we could also get some value for Heaton.  I might also add Nakamba if we are bringing in a Koopmeiners, or similar, and Luiz could cover the DCM.  Similar reasons to Heaton.

As for CB, I like Hause - from what I have seen this season he is a good third choice.  Mings and Konsa also seem pretty robust.  With no European football, I wonder whether we would be okay with Revan as fourth choice CB?  He seems to be doing pretty well out on loan and he looked decent in the one game I have seen v Liverpool in the FA Cup.

[useless]

Next season I don't think we will play with a 'no.10', doesn't really work in our system, it needs three specialist midfielders, one can be an attacking midfielder, but playing with an out and out 'no.10' flair player leaves the other two midfielders with too much to do. I think Smith has recognized this and is why Barkley isn't starting. If we're to play with a 'no.10' type they have to play out wide, with license to come inside, and we already have that with Grealish.

[Awol]

Probably mentioned already but Memphis Depay and Luka Jovic both going on a free this summer. I’d be happy with either to compete with Ollie. 

[villa4europe]

Just now, Awol said:

Probably mentioned already but Memphis Depay and Luka Jovic both going on a free this summer. I’d be happy with either to compete with Ollie. 

Depay was koemans number target at barca so even if they don't sign him you'd have to guess he has lofty ambitions 

Jovic has a 6 year deal with real Madrid, signed in 2019

[paul514]

35 minutes ago, barry'sboots said:

I would love Edouard as well, especially at the rumoured £20m - I think that would be a real bargain.

You have raised Koopmeiners before I think.  He looks decent on the Youtube compilation but that's all I've seen - what is about him that makes you so keen? I'd certainly like that type of player - an out and out defensive midfielder.

As you say, Olise would be a good squad player but we don't have a starting "10" with your list?  Does that mean you think we have enough with Sanson, Luiz and SJM to fill the other two midfield positions alongside Koopmeiners in a 4-3-3?  I would add a first choice "10" - Brooks or Buendia for me.

I agree completely with your exit list but would probably add Heaton - not because I don't rate him but because I think he will want to play games, and we can't offer that with Emi, and because I think Emi is pretty robust and Steer is a decent understudy.  I think we could also get some value for Heaton.  I might also add Nakamba if we are bringing in a Koopmeiners, or similar, and Luiz could cover the DCM.  Similar reasons to Heaton.

As for CB, I like Hause - from what I have seen this season he is a good third choice.  Mings and Konsa also seem pretty robust.  With no European football, I wonder whether we would be okay with Revan as fourth choice CB?  He seems to be doing pretty well out on loan and he looked decent in the one game I have seen v Liverpool in the FA Cup.

Eduoard is a no brainer at 20 million.

The reasons l am so keen on Koopmeiners are numerous...

he’s left footed so brings balance

he is a free kick and penalty specialist 

he’s tall so adds height to set pieces

he scores loads of goals for a DCM

he good at long range passing

his second position is a central defender

hes a leader....

I could go on, he is literally perfect for us.

I would keep Heaton as there is no reason for us to let an excellent back up keeper go regardless of his wishes.

We have been lucky with injuries at centre back, if we want to be a top half team without breaking a sweat we need another central defender who can play on the right hand side. They don’t even have to be expensive, I would be happy enough with a good older player or someone else’s good back up.

On to the midfield I think it’s worth listing them.

Nakamba, Luiz, McGinn, Sanson and Ramsey.

Nakamba is a specialist 6, Luiz is a 6/8, Sanson and McGinn are 8’s who can play 6 or 10 and no one knows what Ramsey is yet.

So when looking at the current personnel 4-2-3-1 isn’t optimal. 4-3-3 works better as you can protect Luiz with McGinn and Sanson. 
Now if you bring in a DCM of Koopmeiners quality both formations work he sits next to Luiz in 4-2-3-1 in 4-3-3 he sits alone and lets the two 8’s more freedom to go forward.

on the question of the 10 all the forwards in a Grealish, Olise, Traore and Sarr can play there but you also have McGinn and Sanson who can.

if I couldn’t afford a signing out the list I made it would be a 3rd forward, I’d just make do.

priority order is LB, DCM, Wide Forward, Wide Forward, Striker, Centre back, Wide forward.

[thabucks]

1 hour ago, VillaChris said:

Robinson would be a good pick up I think, impressed with him for Fulham this season and he'd be good competition for Targett as he plays similar way.

Is on £60k per week... 

Edited March 28, 2021 by thabucks

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

2 hours ago, useless said:

Next season I don't think we will play with a 'no.10', doesn't really work in our system, it needs three specialist midfielders, one can be an attacking midfielder, but playing with an out and out 'no.10' flair player leaves the other two midfielders with too much to do. I think Smith has recognized this and is why Barkley isn't starting. If we're to play with a 'no.10' type they have to play out wide, with license to come inside, and we already have that with Grealish.

I Don't think it's even that deep, just think he's recognized he has offered nothing beyond the first couple games.

[paul514]

1 hour ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I Don't think it's even that deep, just think he's recognized he has offered nothing beyond the first couple games.

That is what I think too, he will have idea between playing 3 or 2 in the middle but I don’t think he has ruled out two .

[Philosopher]

People seem to want rid of Trezguet. However our best football this season has come with him in the team. He doesn't have the finishing quality that Traore and El-Ghazi have but it's what he does everywhere else that sets him apart from those two. 

In the last match against Tottenham it was his movement and runs that saw us get into dangerous positions, the extra work he does relieves some of the defense responsibility that the no 10 has when we play a 4-2-3-1 his link up play is better than El-Ghazi's also. The injury to him plus getting covid has set his fitness back. But when Jack returns I'd put Barkley back in for a couple games, with Trezguet on the right and see what happens.

Trezguets pressing is also the best of our attacking players. For me he is the one I'd want to keep (out of the 3), because he is the only one that is in any way reliable.

[Zhan_Zhuang]

I thought we would have tried to sign Buendia last summer...

Just looking at his stats which are good again this season; overall he has played 228 games, 52 assists, 36 goals.

Buendia would add something to the side but he is predominantly a RW, is he better than Traore? Unless we get rid of Trezeguet and have Traore and Buendia fighting it out for a start.

Personally I think we should sign a super LW such as Rodrigo De Paul and he and Grealish rotate between them from CAM to LW.

Then we also spend big on a super CM* who walks into the team and gives our entire midfield a huge kick up the a***

*And drop the carthorse (McGinn). 

[villa4europe]

10 hours ago, useless said:

Next season I don't think we will play with a 'no.10', doesn't really work in our system, it needs three specialist midfielders, one can be an attacking midfielder, but playing with an out and out 'no.10' flair player leaves the other two midfielders with too much to do. I think Smith has recognized this and is why Barkley isn't starting. If we're to play with a 'no.10' type they have to play out wide, with license to come inside, and we already have that with Grealish.

disagree with that

we have to play in the space that grealish creates, if 3 players go out to the left to tackle him then there is theoretically absolutely **** acres of space for a midfielder in the middle, thats where barkley should be playing, in space showing for the ball and close enough to get it, thats where he was when we looked great pre christmas, theres where lingard is playing for west ham right now and its whats making him look so good, the old cliche that football is about space, jack creates it and nobody uses it, current squad for example grealish and then a midfield 3 of mcginn, nakamba and luiz not 1 of them gets close enough to him to make what grealish brings to the team as effective as it should be

when grealish is out the team i agree we dont need it

[Rich192]

De Paul and Buendia would be the dream. Even if we signed no one else, I'd rate that as an excellent window.

[DaveAV1]

39 minutes ago, Philosopher said:

People seem to want rid of Trezguet. However our best football this season has come with him in the team. He doesn't have the finishing quality that Traore and El-Ghazi have but it's what he does everywhere else that sets him apart from those two. 

In the last match against Tottenham it was his movement and runs that saw us get into dangerous positions, the extra work he does relieves some of the defense responsibility that the no 10 has when we play a 4-2-3-1 his link up play is better than El-Ghazi's also. The injury to him plus getting covid has set his fitness back. But when Jack returns I'd put Barkley back in for a couple games, with Trezguet on the right and see what happens.

Trezguets pressing is also the best of our attacking players. For me he is the one I'd want to keep (out of the 3), because he is the only one that is in any way reliable.

I largely agree with your views on Trezuget but I think what we need is a better version of him. One that brings his qualities of movement, passing  and energy but just does them all better, more consistently and can add more goals. 
 

I know I’ve probably just described the perfect midfielder and we’d have to spend a fortune or hope our super recruitment team uncover a gem, but that’s what we need. 
 

He could already be at the club and we just need to develop him. 

[useless]

People are navie and think we can just fill the team with flair players, if we signed someone like Buendia or Brookes and played them as part of our midfield three we'd get overrun every game, hardly any other team plays with a 'no.10' as one of their midfield three, and if they do it's probably because their other two midfielders are specialist defensive midfielders.

Another thing that seems to have been lost of late is that there's a difference between an attacking midfielder and a 'no.10' the two aren't interchangable, as they have different jobs,  you can still play someone in midfield to take advantage of the space Grealish creates without that midfielder having to be a number ten.

[Philosopher]

9 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

I largely agree with your views on Trezuget but I think what we need is a better version of him. One that brings his qualities of movement, passing  and energy but just does them all better, more consistently and can add more goals. 
 

I know I’ve probably just described the perfect midfielder and we’d have to spend a fortune or hope our super recruitment team uncover a gem, but that’s what we need. 
 

He could already be at the club and we just need to develop him. 

The thing is we still need depth. I can't see 2 more wingers coming in during the summer, and if I were manager ideally I'd move a winger on to bring one in. For me all 3 are expendable but Trez is the least expendable. Trez is one of those players (like Mcginn), you want in your squad to add depth as you know even if they aren't at their best or lack a bit of quality, they will never be carried, they will always give 100%. For where we are they're important to have around.

Also the player you're thinking of is Bernardo Silva.

Edited March 29, 2021 by Philosopher

[DaveAV1]

7 minutes ago, Philosopher said:

The thing is we still need depth. I can't see 2 more wingers coming in during the summer, and if I were manager ideally I'd move a winger on to bring one in. For me all 3 are expendable but Trez is the least expendable. Trez is one of those players (like Mcginn), you want in your squad to add depth as you know even if they aren't at their best or lack a bit of quality, they will never be carried, they will always give 100%. For where we are they're important to have around.

Also the player you're thinking of is Bernardo Silva.

Let’s hope Bernardo is looking for a new challenge then and would join Project Villa for a pilfering £100K a week. We could do a straight swap with Man City for Dougie. 

[Knutserov13]

On 27/03/2021 at 20:46, Zatman said:

Well to bring people back down to earth I saw a link today I think from Swedish media to Filip Helander. I wouldnt be fond of that signing

If looking for a back up maybe go to West Brom for Dara O'Shea, he is young and comfortable on the ball and a player Smith and JT probably could work with. I have only seen twice for Ireland so not seen too much

Big no no for Helander. Hes a fighter but other than that not much at all, not very good overall. Dont rate him one bit.