January Transfer Window - 2022

[CVByrne]

We could see a larger overhaul than we think come summer. 

CF - Watkins / Ings 

AMC - Bailey / Buendia / Traore / Chuk - could possibly see an addition here (JPB out on loan, AEG and Trez sold) 

CM - Luiz / JJ / Sanson / McGinn - could sign a new player with Luiz or Sanson moving on 

CDM - Nakamba / new signing

LB - Targett / new signing

CB - Mings / Hause / Konsa / new signing

RB - Cash / Hayden / Guilbert

GK - Martinez / Steer / new signing

 

We all agree defence is an issue. We need a LB, CB and CDM as priorities. I can see Gerrard wanting to add a midfielder as I am tired of the lack of consistency in that department. If we sell Luiz for example (as he's into his final year of contract) and sign some new blood in there I think it'll drive the competition and the group along. 

In the 10 department. If we move on Trez and AEG surely there is space to bring in another player there. Then we have a need for another GK

I can't see any need to add a CF as Bailey can play there if we need him to and we have two quality option in Ings and Watkins

[El-Reacho]

1 hour ago, useless said:

Fulham fans don't seem to rate Robinson that highly, many of them prefer Joe Bryan, seems to be one of those players that's rated more highly by fans of other clubs, than the fans of the club he plays for. I don't think he's someone we'd sign if we were looking for an upgrade on Targett.

Strangely enough Targett is one of those players too. I think if the club wanted to move him on we'd make a decent profit.

[Jbvilla909]

1 hour ago, sne said:

Yeah, but the fact that he choose to use Trez, Traore  instead of those guys was a bit sad.

 Trez had not played all season and Traore had played 70 minutes all season. And it showed.

Oh yeah agree mate. The both need shipping off. No point in having the kids around the first team squad if they don't see many/any minutes 

[MaVilla]

1 hour ago, sne said:

Yeah, but the fact that he choose to use Trez, Traore  instead of those guys was a bit sad.

 Trez had not played all season and Traore had played 70 minutes all season. And it showed.

When trez came on, it did make me wonder if he was showing potential suiters that trez is fit and can play.....

I can't think of any other reasonable reason he came on over someone like chuk.

[CVByrne]

19 minutes ago, RicRic said:

Im sorry but i truly cannot believe its 2022 and im seeing Trezeguet still play for us, absolutely infuriating he should be finished with our club just like Wesley, now lets sign Zakaria, probably Alvarez too and a LB as targett is not good enough, and for those screaming sanson is quality etc well if he is he would be starting as there really isn't any one good  enough in our midfield that would be hard to replace, bailey missing is really concerning me , Traore did show his moments of quality but the fitness proved he isnt ready just yet

I think this is because Gerrard has said he want's to see all players getting some time on the pitch to see what they're about. I do still wonder if Ash was fit would he have come on though, very intelligent player and still very talented.

I think we are missing Nakamba a lot as we need to play Luiz in a position he isn't suited too. We need non stop energy and commitment 100% for 90+ mins in that destroyer no6 role. Nakamba was doing that which influenced the rest of the midfield. Seeing Luiz passive style in that role yesterday was infuriating.  

[John]

Love the Mail Online linking us with Cantwell, for whom Norwich apparently want £40m, although he has had injury issues, they don't play him and Farke referred to him as having a personal problem. Surely Dean wouldn't try to sell us a pup?   The same source also links us with McNeill, who I do rate and apparently Burnley have set the same fee of £40m for (Is £40m the new £20m?).  

[sne]

Catnwell who also has just 6 months left on his current contract (1 year extension possible)

[Peter Griffin]

8 minutes ago, John said:

Love the Mail Online linking us with Cantwell, for whom Norwich apparently want £40m, although he has had injury issues, they don't play him and Farke referred to him as having a personal problem. Surely Dean wouldn't try to sell us a pup?   The same source also links us with McNeill, who I do rate and apparently Burnley have set the same fee of £40m for (Is £40m the new £20m?).  

I would say Norwich would bite your hand off if anyone offered 5m+ for Cantwell. 

[sne]

An Italian site called Sportmediaset is linking us to Aaron Ramsey (the elder)

Not sure a 31 y.o on astronomical wages and who's constantly injured is the way the club will go. Surely he's going to Newcastle.

[Peter Griffin]

Apologies if this has been posted already...

Quote

"And that's what we will try and do, we will have a combination of data, analysis, people watching them and also a collective discussion and we all have to be on the same page before we make big decisions for this club.

"I'll make the final decision of course I will, but I'm very happy with the support we have in place."

That is very strongly worded from Gerrard and leaves us in no doubt who is responsible for our transfers should they go tits up. I wonder if Deano had the same mandate. 

 

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/steven-gerrard-aston-villa-transfers-22619985

[Awol]

1 minute ago, sne said:

An Italian site called Sportmediaset is linking us to Aaron Ramsey (the elder)

Not sure a 31 y.o on astronomical wages and who's constantly injured is the way the club will go. Surely he's going to Newcastle.

There can be only one Aaron Ramsey (and we’ve got ours). 

Don’t like these links to 30yr old plus has-beens, though.

[The_Steve]

The press know very little of our transfer dealings. C'mon Johan bring that cheeky smile back with some surprises.

[HalfTimePost]

7 minutes ago, Peter Griffin said:

Apologies if this has been posted already...

That is very strongly worded from Gerrard and leaves us in no doubt who is responsible for our transfers should they go tits up. I wonder if Deano had the same mandate. 

 

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/steven-gerrard-aston-villa-transfers-22619985

I think the signings of Konsa, Engels, Watkins show that Dean had a very big say in the signings made during his time here.

I would imagine his influence shot up when Suso was moved on after Trez, Nakamba, Wes etc. Struggled so much in that first season.

The ones that really worry me is when it feels (as I have no proof) that Purslow gets involved to make a PR signing like with Ings. On paper very good signings but it looks as though we broke our own mould of building a clear squad with a style of play and tried to shoehorn him, Watkins, Buendia and Baikey into a team and we've suffered as a result.

I'd hope that Gerrard is stronger in arguing a case against the higher ups than Dean was in those scenarios. As it appears as though he had not much idea how it would work - and the fact Suso took all the blame for Season 1 would imagine that he was the one pushing for so many of those signings in the first place and probably could've been argued against better.

[PerryBarrPet]

19 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

The press know very little of our transfer dealings. C'mon Johan bring that cheeky smile back with some surprises.

So true. Leaks out of Bodymoor seem have dried up underlining a more professional approach to transfers.

[Peter Griffin]

6 minutes ago, PerryBarrPet said:

So true. Leaks out of Bodymoor seem have dried up underlining a more professional approach to transfers.

If fairness to Villa and NSWE our approach has always been professional, we have been very tight lipped about our transfer business since they arrived. Any leaks appear to have come from the player's agent / club rather than Villa. 

[alexvilla4]

Should we go for Calvin Ramsay from Aberdeen? Young highly rated right back. Or would he get in the way of Kessler? I feel like we should be collecting Ramsay's

[PerryBarrPet]

8 minutes ago, Peter Griffin said:

If fairness to Villa and NSWE our approach has always been professional, we have been very tight lipped about our transfer business since they arrived. Any leaks appear to have come from the player's agent / club rather than Villa. 

 The point I am making is that the approach taken by NWSE, since their takeover, is more professional than what went on before. I have not said that NWSE are not professional - I believe they are in all things they do. There have been, and always will be, leaks from agents but I am sure there were leaks from Bodymoor prior to the ownership change.

[BG_Villa_Fan]

59 minutes ago, Peter Griffin said:

Apologies if this has been posted already...

That is very strongly worded from Gerrard and leaves us in no doubt who is responsible for our transfers should they go tits up. I wonder if Deano had the same mandate. 

A very interesting question indeed. It did seem at times as if there were two separate hubs of decision making when it came to transfers, sort of similarly to how it was under Sherwood. Probably not the best set up but then again, considering they've had to completely rebuild the whole squad, they've done a very good job overall. Some mistakes were to be expected but I'd argue that even the less impactful ones ( Wesley, Heaton, Trez ) played a role, weren't complete duds, and were unlucky because of terrible injuries. Now, apparently it wasn't all great because Suso did lose his job and took the fall, but the scope was enormous when we were promoted with half a squad under contracts. 

[Peter Griffin]

22 minutes ago, PerryBarrPet said:

 The point I am making is that the approach taken by NWSE, since their takeover, is more professional than what went on before. I have not said that NWSE are not professional - I believe they are in all things they do. There have been, and always will be, leaks from agents but I am sure there were leaks from Bodymoor prior to the ownership change.

Got you, sorry, I thought u meant it had improved since SG came in

[El-Reacho]

1 minute ago, BG_Villa_Fan said:

A very interesting question indeed. It did seem at times as if there were two separate hubs of decision making when it came to transfers, sort of similarly to how it was under Sherwood. Probably not the best set up but then again, considering they've had to completely rebuild the whole squad, they've done a very good job overall. Some mistakes were to be expected but I'd argue that even the less impactful ones ( Wesley, Heaton, Trez ) played a role, weren't complete duds, and were unlucky because of terrible injuries. Now, apparently it wasn't all great because Suso did lose his job and took the fall, but the scope was enormous when we were promoted with half a squad under contracts. 

I don't think Smith's era was anywhere near as bad as Sherwood's. When things went bad for Sherwood he dropped all the Paddy Riley players to try and prove a point and went all in with Lescott/Richards/Gestede who were clearly his own signings. Then the reports started to leak out about how he wanted Townsend and Adebayor and was overruled.... Smith never complained about recruitment under his tenure. He said he was given choices by Suso and then he had the final say for example with Wesley. He always backed all of the signings publicly. Maybe Guilbert is the only one who was close being thrown under the bus by him.