Summer Transfer Window (2024/25)

[picicata]

1 minute ago, TRO said:

I am hoping we sign some players with defensive nous.....that's not saying I want us to play defensive football...I Don't.

I am happy to play attacking football, but with a tighter back door.

 

I agree with, though I would quantify that our current defence would play with more nous if they were able settle into a rhythm together. The injuries we have had in that area would test any teams ability to coordinate effectively 

[TRO]

17 minutes ago, picicata said:

I agree with, though I would quantify that our current defence would play with more nous if they were able settle into a rhythm together. The injuries we have had in that area would test any teams ability to coordinate effectively 

However, I am not talking Just back 4

[lexicon]

32 minutes ago, TRO said:

I am hoping we sign some players with defensive nous.....that's not saying I want us to play defensive football...I Don't.

I am happy to play attacking football, but with a tighter back door.

You can't really have it both ways tbh. 

[Follyfoot]

1 minute ago, lexicon said:

You can't really have it both ways tbh. 

My Mrs thought the same before the ‘accidental’ slip

[Tom13]

2 hours ago, Leeroy said:

We could probably do with a player like Grealish but our focus needs to be on defensive minded players this summer, creating chances and scoring hasn't been a problem, conceding too many goals has. 

 

I also think our defence is getting too old, two left backs that will be 31 next season, Mings and Carlos both 31 (and Mings coming back from a very serious injury), only Pau, Konsa and Cash are on the younger side and one of them (Cash) is likely to be sold. Kosta and Sousa are both very young but no way can be relied upon to start for us regularly next season in the league.

 

Depending on budget I'd go:

• Defensive midfielder - Guido Rodriguez on a free makes a ton of sense, not overly keen on signing 30 year olds but we don't need a long term replacement for Kamara just a short term one. His defensive stats are superb and he reminds me of Palhinha. 
• Left back - if we move Digne on because of his high wages, I don't think Moreno should be the undisputed first choice and we need someone new. Hartman or Kerkez would be my choices. 
• Right sided centre back (who can also play right back) - the two obvious choices here are Geertruida and Todibo.
• Attacking midfielder - I'd bring in one player to the attack and although I would sign Zaniolo I don't think Emery will. Grealish on very high wages and will be 29 next season, I'm not against it but I'm not sure it's sensible. Nico Williams is a left sided version of Bailey and Diaby but expensive and I think we need someone with more guile. My choice would be Gloukh who wouldn't cost that much and is an exceptional talent. He's also been linked to us before.

Grealish's decision making is 100x better than the likes of Bailey's though. He'd be a huge asset, not that I'd want him back.

[Delphinho123]

Have it on very good authority that we’re not going back in for Grealish in the Summer.

[rjw63]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

 with a tighter back door.

 

[paul514]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

I am hoping we sign some players with defensive nous.....that's not saying I want us to play defensive football...I Don't.

I am happy to play attacking football, but with a tighter back door.

 

If 11 men are attacking you, you need a tight back door

[paul514]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

I am hoping we sign some players with defensive nous.....that's not saying I want us to play defensive football...I Don't.

I am happy to play attacking football, but with a tighter back door.

 

I think we are fine with our forwards, it’s right back and DM we need new starters in.

all the other positions for me are about making deals happen to lower the wage bill and age profile of the players who don’t play/fringe players which is why I would trade so much this summer.

[Leeroy]

27 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

Grealish's decision making is 100x better than the likes of Bailey's though. He'd be a huge asset, not that I'd want him back.

Think Bailey's decision making has been great this season tbh. Grealish has more creativity though and plays more like a playmaker than a winger, he'd be a different profile to what we have in those attacking positions.

[Tom13]

1 minute ago, Leeroy said:

Think Bailey's decision making has been great this season tbh. Grealish has more creativity though and plays more like a playmaker than a winger, he'd be a different profile to what we have in those attacking positions.

It's been a lot better but he's prevented us potentially taking the lead in our last two games through poor decision making IMO.

[STO]

We became a one man team with Grealish and have moved forward as a team since he left.  That said, with Unai in charge, Grealish would be a better player.  

[TRO]

2 hours ago, lexicon said:

You can't really have it both ways tbh. 

The top teams do.....and I hope that's where we are heading.

Look at the goals against, as well as the eye test, it will confirm it.

[TRO]

41 minutes ago, paul514 said:

If 11 men are attacking you, you need a tight back door

when does the goalkeeper attack?...in the true sense......a long ball out maybe?...or

Edited March 23 by TRO

[allani]

11 minutes ago, TRO said:

The top teams do.....and I hope that's where we are heading.

Look at the goals against, as well as the eye test, it will confirm it.

Except last season our goals against was good and our goals for was poor.  Didn't Emi break a record on clean sheets last season?  12 months ago our issue was definitely scoring goals rather than conceding them.

We have played most of the season without either of our first choice left-sided midfielders, a recognised DM and probably the two players who headed the ball most frequently in the box (Mings and Buendia - although that is based on memory rather than any confirmed statistics).

That said I do agree that my focus for the summer would be (mainly) defensive:

- I would like another ball-playing DM to cover for Kamara but also allow us to play a Kamara, DM, Dougie three when we want / need to lock down the midfield.  

- I'm not convinced by Konsa at RB (he seems to lose his defensive ability and he doesn't offer enough going forwards) but I don't think that Cash is quite good enough in either direction.

- We need more aerial power in the box (both ends of the pitch).

However, assuming that Buendia, Ramsey and Mings return from the summer in close to peak fitness (a big assumption I know) I'm wondering how many of those gaps they would / could fill?  Would slotting Mings into our defensive line and having Buendia / Ramsey rotating on the left solve most of our defensive issues without inhibiting our new attacking threat?  Questions that would probably have been resolved during this season but may not be resolved before the end of pre-season. 

[VillaChris]

1 hour ago, Delphinho123 said:

Have it on very good authority that we’re not going back in for Grealish in the Summer.

He's still got years left on his deal so think summer 2025 is more likely Man. City loan him out. He will be coming up to 30 then and next to no chance he'll be playing at the level Young and Milner are even when he hits 34-35.

18 months back I'd have had him back without question but our team has developed nicely and we're in comfortable top 4 contention so begs the question how higher would we go having to put endless money in for his return. Can't see 2024-25 Grealish inspiring us to a title challenge somehow.

We also need to sign a few more players in 20-25 age bracket with ongoing FFP constraints.

[allani]

48 minutes ago, TRO said:

The top teams do.....and I hope that's where we are heading.

Look at the goals against, as well as the eye test, it will confirm it.

PS - with the exception of Liverpool, Arsenal and City - only Everton and Man Utd have conceded fewer goals than us.  We've scored 21 more goals than Utd and 31 more than Everton - so I'm not sure we should be modelling our set-up on them.  Let's say that Spurs win their game in hand 1-0 (and I really hope they don't) we'd then have exactly the same record as them in terms of wins, losses, draws, goals for and goals against.  Interestingly last season our defence was the joint 7th best - this season we are joing 6th best.  We finished last season with a GD of +5 and this season it currently stands at +18.  If we continue this season's goals against rate then we'll finish off conceding 9 goals more than last season.  Given all the defensive injuries we've had (not just to defenders but including Kamara, Buendia and Ramsey) that's not awful.

Again I'm not saying that I disagree with your general point.  Just that maybe it isn't quite as critical as it might appear.

[sharkyvilla]

I don't actually think signing Jack back is that fanciful an idea.  I'm sure Emery would love to have a player of his quality in the squad.  Jack's release clause said it could only be activated if we weren't in the Champions League from what I remember, which indicates he had that ambition to play for us in the CL.  I can't see him going to Saudi unless he genuinely has no clue of what it's like out there (which is possible!).  It would only be on loan, maybe with a chance to buy, so financially it might be workable.

[alreadyexists]

Quote

 According to the news in the British press; Aston Villa will add İsmail Yüksek to its squad in the summer transfer window. It was learned that the Premier League team reached an agreement in principle with Fenerbahçe and İsmail Yüksek.

I think this is just made up as I can’t see it mentioned anywhere else, home media, or foreign media…

Edited March 23 by alreadyexists

[PieFacE]

 

:"Him coming back will be like a new signing"