How Many Summer Signings?

[switters]

I think there'll be quite a few, so I picked 7+, assuming we manage to clear the obvious ones off the wagebill. Maybe 2-3 first teamers, but then a number in the Westwood, Bowery, Sylla category of potential. If you're going for young hungry squad you have to spread the risk because you are buying unproven players.

[villabromsgrove]

Think about it logically. It's about freeing up wage space.

So Dunne, Bent, Given, Hutton & Ireland to leave.

We'll replace those with players from the same general positions who will be contributing to the squad and we're in great shape

I think you're right, but I also think that until these players no longer have a Villa contract Lambert will be constrained by an internal wage bill cap. Lerner/Faulkner seem now to have a totally simplistic view of running a Premier league club which ignores anything but fiscal restraint. Whether Lambert will be allowed to sign already proven players who will expect higher wages, when the wage bill reaches RL's/PF's "magic figure" remains to be seen. My own view is that PL will have to continue to recruit players with potential rather than "proven players." All will be revealed over the next few months.

Edited May 15, 2013 by villabromsgrove

[Jon]

I don't think we'll get rid of all those we'd want to. Some of them, the ones that are out of contract, will be released.

 

Seamus - well, he'd have to take a big pay cut i'd have thought to move elsewhere. Eck put him on a decent and long contract 2 years ago, and he may be 'happy' to pick up his money as a No 2.

 

I think we'll sign 3 to 4. With CH and CM being priorities.

 

WE'll clear up a lot of wages by releasing out of contract players, and may be able to sell a couple too.

 

Financially, things should start to look up for Villa/Lerner, after the 'ruination' of the MON years ....

[Wes]

I've gone with 5.

• Reserve Goalkeeper competition for Siegrist
• Centre Back
• Left Back competition for Bennett
• An attack minded central midfielder
• A versatile forward/winger

I think the biggest purchases will be Centre Back and the Centre Mid.

[Raver50032]

I went 2 - while my heart says more, I just don't see it being allowed by the owner. Not if we still have a lot of overpaid shite to clear like some suggest.

[PandaMac]

Backup GK, a new CB, LB, CM and a winger. That's assuming we don't sell any of the player's around the first team of course.

[vandaq]

I've gone with 5.

• Reserve Goalkeeper competition for Siegrist
• Centre Back
• Left Back competition for Bennett
• An attack minded central midfielder
• A versatile forward/winger

I think the biggest purchases will be Centre Back and the Centre Mid.

This. I expect we will get rid of more, but you never know. I also expect someone from the academy to come on up. More than one of course.

[Oaks]

I went for 6. Dunne, Petrov and Warnock contracts have ended I see Given, Bent and Hutton moving on so I would like to see a quality centre back and midfielder, back up keeper and young forward and a couple more Lambertesq young lower league players.

If Ireland and Nzogbia goes maybe a couple more.

[briny_ear]

Not predicting, just setting out minimum requirements for a season less totally awful than the one just gone.

 

2 Substantial purchases at CB and LB + at least 1 utility back up (dispensible - Given, Hutton, Dunne, Bennett, Clark, Stevens)

1 Substantial purchase at midfield - midfield "general" type + 2 back up, one defensive, one attacking (dispensible - N'Zogbia, Ireland, Makoun, Albrighton, Bannan)

 

Not sure about forwards - think Benteke, Weimann and Gabby will develop well next season although Benteke and Weimann are both still raw. Bent can go, not because he's no good but because Lambert can't get anything out of him (he needs to go to a manager who is able to do that). Maybe get 2 more forwards, one experienced dependable back up to cover for injuries & suspensions, and one apprentice to fill Benteke';s slot when he leaves, hopefully not before autumn 2014.

 

I have no expectation that anything like this will happen, so am prepared for another fairly dreadful season. Surprise me, Messrs. Lerner, Faulkner and Lambert!

[skarroki]

this thread has confused me as i am sure Warnock was released to Bolton for free in january? he's not our player anymore.

 

Pretty sure makoun and hutton have an option-to-buy clauses in their contracts which have been exercised.

 

Dunne and Petrov going out-of-contract and Lichaj being a 50/50

 

So this is what i would like to see as our squad next year:

 

1 Guzan

2 Lowton

3 --

4 Vlaar

5 Baker

6 Clark

7 --

8 El Ahmadi

9 Weimann

10 N'Zogbia

11 Agbonlahor

12 Albrighton

13 --

14 --

15 Westwood

16 Delph

17 Gardner

18 Sylla

19 PETROV

20 Benteke

21 Bowery

22 --

23 Delfouneso

24 --

25 Bannan

26 --

27 Bennett

28 --

29 Stevens

30 --

31 Herd

32 Drennan

33 Barrett

34 Devine

35 Johnson

36 Burke

37 Williams

38 --

39 Siegrist

40 Carruthers

 

Bring in a CB, LB, WM, ST and i will be happy. so 4 of decent quality would be good enough for me, and then anyone extra is fine as long as those 4 areas are addressed.

[John]

I have gone 4 whether this would be more players in than out is open to question.

[avfcwills10]

i think we will have 1 or 2 in early on in the transfer window, then maybe 1 or 2 on the last few days of the transfer window!! anybody followed the progress of Mbokani btw? was linked with us a few seasons ago and has gone on to do brilliant in belgium (quite similar to Benteke tbh!) Anderlecht fans reckon he's better than Lukaku, although he is 27 and Lukaku was about 18! Deffo worth a look as a replacement for Bent anyway!

[AshVilla]

3 Chairs

 

But we need at least 4 - 5

[theunderstudy]

I went with 5.

[mikeyp102]

I've gone more than 7 purely or the fact that despite the late flourish and the odd good player, the squad is still seriously misshaped and lacking quality.. Therefore still think a massive overhaul in and out is needed

[Jimmytheirishvillain]

I think everyone agrees that Stephen Ireland leaving this club would be the greatest thing to ever happen to this club. Given and bent will 100% go and won't be missed so that will be a keeper and striker for sure. I think lambert will know that we need to replace dunne and petrol now so I say centre back and midfielder in. Makoun and Hutton will prob go out on loan again. I'd love to see andros Townsend come on loan to us. I think possibly 5 in 5 out . Tie Weimann Benteke Lowton and Guzan to long better contracts is a must. We know what gabbi can do hopefully next season he will keep producing displays like last few weeks. Bennett Baker Delph will all have a better season next year I think and Sylla and westwood will get better to so that's good core. Plus Gary Gardner and albrighton will be back and prob play a big part next. I hope Clark doesn't play much next season unless he cops himself on to ****

[SikhInTrinity]

PL says major signings unlikely however will be looking for more gems like Westwood and Lowton.

[VillaForever1970]

People thinking we'll be going back to signing big money players better get their moaning out the way now, its not going to happen!

Saying we need, this and we need that is also pointless. Plenty were saying that in Jan and we didn't and we ended up not needing. Classics like QPR would stay up spending all that, did wonders didn't it?

Villa will be sensible spending again and personally am pleased about that. Why go through what we have gone through to piss everyone off buy signing someone on stupid money and throwing them in. The other players will be like, oh we worked hard for **** all then i want that money.

Gone are the days of signing Irelands on 60k a week, if a player is on that then they would have been there for a while and earned it.

Its quite clear Villa want big time rotten apples nowhere near VP.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

I've gone for 4, thinking I want 5 but we never get what I want. Think there will be a £10m+ signing in there though, defender.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

In answer to the post a few above Warnock has been sold to Leeds.