Summer Transfer Window 2023

[VillaChris]

33 minutes ago, skarroki said:

They both came from middling french teams without anyone else in England seemingly interested enough in the price they would cost. Therefore throw an inflated price tag on them and give them wages noone else would offer and you have your unreachable players. Basically what we did with Kamara. You can get players that good if there's still a question mark over whether they can do it at a higher level. Once they've been in the champions league or the prem there's no chance. 

That's the difference between signing players from Juve and Barca instead of Lyon and Lille imo. 

AC Milan wanted Botman didn't they?

[Philosopher]

2 hours ago, lexicon said:

I don't agree. It's important to have expectations that are rooted in reality, because believing we belong at the top when it hasn't been earned will soon turn to whingeing. There's a fine line between optimism and delusion and the result of goals not being achieved will be disappointment and negativity. 

To play this out in an example, I don't expect us to get Europe this year.

The fact that we're in the running is excellent and shows that not only do we have a great manager, but the squad is good too. At best, we can make Europa League, but conference or not making Europe at all are far more likely outcomes.

As a result, if we don't make Europe, I'm going to focus on all the positives moving forward. The fact that we even found ourselves in that position after the start we had under Gerrard is incredible.

So, logical reasoning active, why would a player like Vlahovic want to go to a club that's not a title challenger, nor in the CL, nor will be for a while? Answer: he wouldn't. That's fine. There's nothing negative about it. It's just being real. 

There are far more players that are more logical, but will never happen. I could put never going to happen after 99 percent of the transfers links and I'd be right in 99 percent of those. Vlahovic is struggling at Juve, and they would surely sell if they could recoup what they paid. Outside of Italy the only top team that would make sense for him is Bayern. 

Premier league would be tough for him to adapt so the top prem teams will be reluctant to take a punt on him. PSG, Barca, and Real all have better strikers. So outside of Bayern that only really leaves, the Milan teams, Newcastle, Villa, and Tottenham if they sell Kane. And the Milan teams probably can't afford the fee!

[VillaChris]

3 minutes ago, HKP90 said:

Positioning and movement reminds me of El Ghazi for some reason. 

Wasn't Fabio Vieria looking amazing at Porto this time last year. Anyone who saw him for Arsenal at home to Southampton would see he's still a fair bit off being a productive premier league starter.

Most obvious Porto link must be Octavio I'd say or Taremi as sort of experienced targetman plan B option although he is in his 30s now.

[VillaChris]

2 minutes ago, Philosopher said:

There are far more players that are more logical, but will never happen. I could put never going to happen after 99 percent of the transfers links and I'd be right in 99 percent of those. Vlahovic is struggling at Juve, and they would surely sell if they could recoup what they paid. Outside of Italy the only top team that would make sense for him is Bayern. 

Premier league would be tough for him to adapt so the top prem teams will be reluctant to take a punt on him. PSG, Barca, and Real all have better strikers. So outside of Bayern that only really leaves, the Milan teams, Newcastle, Villa, and Tottenham if they sell Kane. And the Milan teams probably can't afford the fee!

Juve will sell to whoever helps them get round the latest yearly FFP accounts. That Artur-Pjanic swop with Barca was outrageous a few years back when you look at what both players were valued at and subsequently what they produced at their new sides. Glad that deal is being heavily scrutinised by the authorities.

[Rustibrooks]

18 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Apparently we had scouts at a Porto game? 

Anyone spring to mind. 

Diogo Costa as a replacement for Martinez?

Ivan Jaime or Galeno maybe

[HKP90]

3 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Wasn't Fabio Vieria looking amazing at Porto this time last year. Anyone who saw him for Arsenal at home to Southampton would see he's still a fair bit off being a productive premier league starter.

Most obvious Porto link must be Octavio I'd say or Taremi as sort of experienced targetman plan B option although he is in his 30s now.

Jaime is (according to that video and I can't be arsed to check) on 9 goals in 24, which if true is a reasonable if not bowel shattering return for an inside forward (he looks like he takes up super narrow positions). 

Edited May 5, 2023 by HKP90

[burchy]

4 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Most obvious Porto link must be Octavio

Isn’t he a Spider-man villain?

[stewiek2]

1 hour ago, AshVilla said:

I've already added him to the list.

2023 - Dusan Vlahovic

2022 - Joao Felix

2021 - James Ward-Prowse

2020 - Milot Rashica

2019 - Said Benrahma

2018 - Harold Makoudi

2017 - Robbie Brady

2016 - Loic Remy

2015 - Dele Ali

2014 - Hiroshi Kiyotake

2013 - Younes Belhanda

2012 - Wesley Sneijder

1998 - Benny McCarthy 

FTFY

[villaglint]

1 hour ago, AshVilla said:

I've already added him to the list.

2023 - Dusan Vlahovic

2022 - Joao Felix

2021 - James Ward-Prowse

2020 - Milot Rashica

2019 - Said Benrahma

2018 - Harold Makoudi

2017 - Robbie Brady

2016 - Loic Remy

2015 - Dele Ali

2014 - Hiroshi Kiyotake

2013 - Younes Belhanda

2012 - Wesley Sneijder

Harold Makoudi - was that the guy who was basically signed until he met Bruce and thought better of it. 

[duke313]

21 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

AC Milan wanted Botman didn't they?

They did, Milan couldn't match Newcastle's wages, same way Atletico couldn't match us for Kamara.

Outside the top 4 and the really elite players, it has no bearing if you finish 6th or 12th.  The Premier League itself is the attraction.

[lexicon]

8 minutes ago, villaglint said:

Harold Makoudi - was that the guy who was basically signed until he met Bruce and thought better of it. 

 

Decent big man at AEK - seen him play quite a bit this season. Not prem standard, though. 

[VillaChris]

7 minutes ago, lexicon said:

 

Decent big man at AEK - seen him play quite a bit this season. Not prem standard, though. 

Was actually on loan at Boro a few years after we nearly signed him and he struggled to get off the bench for them.

[GarethRDR]

15 minutes ago, villaglint said:

Harold Makoudi - was that the guy who was basically signed until he met Bruce and thought better of it. 

Word is he was put off by Bruce's tour of "the facilities".

[lexicon]

11 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Was actually on loan at Boro a few years after we nearly signed him and he struggled to get off the bench for them.

CBs take time to develop tbf but the superleague isn't a particularly high standard. He's playing alongside Domagoj Vida, which is a good learning opportunity for him. 

[DaveAV1]

1 hour ago, lexicon said:

Yes, and it took 5 years to get to where we are with their excellent leadership. These things take time - the hope is to be able to look at a player of Vlahovic's profile as a realistic target in a few years. 

Agreed things always take time. The modern world, particularly the football world isn’t noted for its patience though.

We can at least hope that we can find and/or develop one or two players like that before their value goes through the roof. I believe that’s the general plan anyway. 

[burchy]

Regardless who comes in at RM in the summer can we also get Arda Guler too, pretty please with a cherry on top  

[Zatman]

56 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

AC Milan wanted Botman didn't they?

They did but then went off him. Maldini wasnt convinced

[lexicon]

10 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

Agreed things always take time. The modern world, particularly the football world isn’t noted for its patience though.

We can at least hope that we can find and/or develop one or two players like that before their value goes through the roof. I believe that’s the general plan anyway. 

Yeah and to be honest, I'd much rather we did that. You only have to look at Man Utd to see the perils of chasing names rather than spotting talent you can develop 

[Tomaszk]

17 minutes ago, Zatman said:

They did but then went off him. Maldini wasnt convinced

Botman turned them down because they wouldn't pay him the £200k a week Newcastle would.

[DaveAV1]

7 minutes ago, lexicon said:

Yeah and to be honest, I'd much rather we did that. You only have to look at Man Utd to see the perils of chasing names rather than spotting talent you can develop 

Now we have the infrastructure and elite manager to lead us, that’s definitely the way to go. Brighton and Brentford type model, with enough financial muscle to hang on to the majority of our top players and we’re set for a long term seat at the top table. 

Im old enough to have watched us come all the way up from the third division to European Champions. The fact that we didn’t move on from there, well not upwards anyway, resulted in ultimately where we were 5 years ago. I’m hopeful of a glorious and sustainable future under the present regime. UTV!