Summer Transfer Window 2023

MrsGrey

Most clubs are in the same boat.

OldCastleSwift

I'd argue most clubs haven't let their best player go.

Lukerz

I’d like Palhinha, McTominay & Barnes. They would be fantastic additions & McTominay also adds leadership. They all add PL experience.

That would probably leave a CB given Zouma’s fragility. Possibly a striker depending on Scamacca. Maybe a RB.

alderz

If we assume we're playing the same formation we've played since Moyes' return, our squad looks like this (if we include Lukerz suggestions)

GK: Fab / Areola / Youth Keepers for Backup
RB: Coufal / Kehrer / Johnson
RCB: Zouma / Kehrer
LCB: Aguerd / Ogbonna
LB: Cresswell / Emerson
DM: Palhinha / Downes
CM: McTominay / Soucek
AM: Paqueta / Fornals / Vlasic
RW: Bowen / Cornet
LW: Barnes / Benrahma
CF: Scamacca / Antonio / Ings / Mubama

I like that squad, but I think the weaker areas would be RCB and CM, even if we make those signings. For me, we need 5 signings - 3 central midfielders, an attacking midfielder (anywhere across the wings or as a 10, and a right sided centre back.

alderz

AND, FWIW, I would like that third midfielder to be Alex Scott (yes, Slacker, I've seen him play)

jay_in_cpt

Think we are only 1 of 3 PL teams not to add any new players as of yet, just saying ⚒️🤣

MrsGrey

OldCastleSwift said:

I'd argue most clubs haven't let their best player go.

I was rather imprecise. I was alluding to having new players coming in just before, or just after, the start of the season and then having to bed them in 'on the hoof'.
( Sorry for the H word)

buffybegood

alderz said:

I like that squad, but I think the weaker areas would be RCB and CM, even if we make those signings. For me, we need 5 signings - 3 central midfielders, an attacking midfielder (anywhere across the wings or as a 10, and a right sided centre back.

Although I have reservations about McTominay (mainly that I think he's not a very clean tackler and that he'll pick up a lot more bookings without the protection of a Man Utd badge on his shirt), I think he will provide some energy alongside Paqueta and in front of Palhinha (or whichever DM we bring in); he's certainly the type of player we need in there; he's HG too, a consideration for replacements over the next few seasons.

Zakaria could be your useful 3rd CM, especially on loan; he can play as either a 6 or an 8 from what I understand, so provides both cover and flexibility (could play 2 6s and Paqueta, or a 6 and another 8 alongside Paqueta.

Palhinha has just turned 28; he's about as old as I want us to be spending serious money on, but I fear Fulhamwill want too much for him; £40m tops for me. If not, I personally like Tyler Adams or Sangare, both more affordable. Palhinha, McT and Barnes should be about the Rice money, leaving whatever our non-Rice budget plus other outgoings to further strengthen the squad.

Vlasic surely goes (£8m), Johnson I think will too unless he lowers his expectations on wages (£8m), Masuaku (already gone, £2m), Antonio (£5m). That's Adam Scott give or take, and I'd even consider loaning him back to Bristol City (or even one of the newly promoted sides) for one more season of guaranteed starts (we all know that he won't get enough game-time here to help his development); Paqueta as like as not goes next summer if he carries on playing as he did at the end of last season so that opens up more opportunities for Scott, as would potentially a new manager for us, plus he'd be a year older and more experienced.

That leaves our actual budget to fund Zakaria (hopefully minimal if a loan) a right sided CB and either Broja (loan with an option or maybe performance related obligation) or Iheanacho given the low prices that have been suggested he'd be available for. Might even be enough left for a FB if both Zakaria and Broja are loans.

GK: Fab / Areola / Youth Keepers for Backup
RB: Coufal / Kehrer/New signing? (could be a LB)
RCB: Zouma / Different New signing (not Maguire)
LCB: Aguerd / Ogbonna
LB: Cresswell / Emerson
DM: Palhinha / Downes/Zakaria
CM: McTominay / Soucek/Zakaria
AM: Paqueta / Fornals
RW: Bowen / Cornet
LW: Barnes / Benrahma
CF: Scamacca / Broja or Iheanacho / Ings / Mubama

buffybegood

One other option I'd consider, given I rate him and the money could be there this summer, is that I've seen Henderson being touted for about £20m. I'd definitely consider selling Areola and bringing in Henderson if it could be done for about £10m or so. A better keeper, younger, and home grown. Should be a no-brainer imo.

alderz

buffybegood said:

One other option I'd consider, given I rate him and the money could be there this summer, is that I've seen Henderson being touted for about £20m. I'd definitely consider selling Areola and bringing in Henderson if it could be done for about £10m or so. A better keeper, younger, and home grown. Should be a no-brainer imo.

For me it is a brainer (that's probably the opposite of a no-brainer?), just because I don't like the idea of change for changes sake. For me, both Areola and Fabianski are good enough, and we don't need to change stuff for the sake of it, IMO.

ASLEFshrugged

Dean Henderson is supposedly going back to Forest

Hamstew

Thought you mean Jordan for a moment.

buffybegood

Hamstew said:

Thought you mean Jordan for a moment.

😱😱😱

OldCastleSwift

Fulham have reportedly rejected our £40m bid for Palhinha.

Ajax are said to want £35m for Alvarez.

If it's an either/or, it looks like it'll be Alvarez.

Hamstew

My son told me that Alvarez is better than Rice on FIFA. So I think that settles it.

Deanscaleshammer

I remember Brady saying they get applications for managerial staff with CVs showing track records of managing professional clubs but when they check it's on Football Manager.

OldCastleSwift

Hamstew said:

My son told me that Alvarez is better than Rice on FIFA. So I think that settles it.

What's a Rice?

alderz

OldCastleSwift said:

Hamstew said:

My son told me that Alvarez is better than Rice on FIFA. So I think that settles it.

What's a Rice?

It's basically a tiny bit of bread.

Ravel49

Hammers' Maguire loan offer knocked back
West Ham are having a busy afternoon. The Guardian reports the Hammers have had a loan offer for Man Utd defender Harry Maguire knocked back.
The club are said to be exploring a loan with an option to buy for the England centre-back, but do not believe they would be able to afford to sign him on a permanent deal.

Fulham reject West Ham Palhinha bid
Fulham have rejected bid worth up to £45m from West Ham for midfielder Joao Palhinha.
The Cottagers are not encouraging offers for the player and are understood to value him at £80m

nychammer66

alderz said:

OldCastleSwift said:

Hamstew said:

My son told me that Alvarez is better than Rice on FIFA. So I think that settles it.

What's a Rice?

It's basically a tiny bit of bread.

That’s a crumb.

OldCastleSwift

Ravel49 said:

Hammers' Maguire loan offer knocked back
West Ham are having a busy afternoon. The Guardian reports the Hammers have had a loan offer for Man Utd defender Harry Maguire knocked back.
The club are said to be exploring a loan with an option to buy for the England centre-back, but do not believe they would be able to afford to sign him on a permanent deal.

Fulham reject West Ham Palhinha bid
Fulham have rejected bid worth up to £45m from West Ham for midfielder Joao Palhinha.
The Cottagers are not encouraging offers for the player and are understood to value him at £80m

Busy is one word. Unsuccessful is another.

No real issue with the Maguire news. I wasn't convinced he was the right player for us so hopefully this means we can move for someone more suitable; i.e. a right-sided CB.

And the Palhinha news isn't surprising. From what I've read Fulham have been consistent in their demands (between £80-90m), so our bid was never likely to be aywhere near close enough. Some speculation that £50m could get the deal done, but a) that would represent some climb down by Fulham and b) would be a significant chunk of our budget.

From recent reports, Alvarez and Zakaria would be a combined £50m, and I think that would be the better business.

OldCastleSwift

It was reported that during the Arsenal negotiations for the Irish Nordtveit we were basically insulted by and laughed off Arsenal's first bid of £75m because we told them we valued him at over £100m and he had two years left on his contract.

So why are we supposedly offering £45m for a player that Fulham rate at £80m and have on a five year contract? What did Sullivan think was going to happen?

Seems almost incredible that despite having a year to identify and scout potential replacements, our answer is to significantly under-bid for a player that we effectively know we can't afford.

IronHerb

So you wanted us to basically tap up half a dozen midfielders?

OutcastLondoner

OldCastleSwift said:

It was reported that during the Arsenal negotiations for the Irish Nordtveit we were basically insulted by and laughed off Arsenal's first bid of £75m because we told them we valued him at over £100m and he had two years left on his contract.

So why are we supposedly offering £45m for a player that Fulham rate at £80m and have on a five year contract? What did Sullivan think was going to happen?

Seems almost incredible that despite having a year to identify and scout potential replacements, our answer is to significantly under-bid for a player that we effectively know we can't afford.

A bit silly if we really were insulted. Few are going to match the "for sale" price straight away. I don't really have an issue with offering less, though going to half price on Palhinha is probably a bit drastic. On the other hand, if Rice is now the benchmark for that position, is Palhinha really only £25m less? £40m is a pretty good price for a 28-year-old whose only had one season outside Portugal. It would make him one of our most expensive signings ever.

IronHerb said:

So you wanted us to basically tap up half a dozen midfielders?

Doesn't seem tapping up is a problem these days. Just contact some relegation-battling teams in January.

OldCastleSwift

IronHerb said:

So you wanted us to basically tap up half a dozen midfielders?

Why not? Arsenal did it with Rice. I suspect conversations go on all the time between clubs and agents about how much players are likely to cost.

We knew for over a year that Rice was going this summer. If the best we can do is to try to poach Fulham's star man for almost half his value, then I don't think we've planned things particularly well.

OldCastleSwift

OutcastLondoner said:

OldCastleSwift said:

It was reported that during the Arsenal negotiations for the Irish Nordtveit we were basically insulted by and laughed off Arsenal's first bid of £75m because we told them we valued him at over £100m and he had two years left on his contract.

So why are we supposedly offering £45m for a player that Fulham rate at £80m and have on a five year contract? What did Sullivan think was going to happen?

Seems almost incredible that despite having a year to identify and scout potential replacements, our answer is to significantly under-bid for a player that we effectively know we can't afford.

A bit silly if we really were insulted. Few are going to match the "for sale" price straight away. I don't really have an issue with offering less, though going to half price on Palhinha is probably a bit drastic. On the other hand, if Rice is now the benchmark for that position, is Palhinha really only £25m less? £40m is a pretty good price for a 28-year-old whose only had one season outside Portugal. It would make him one of our most expensive signings ever.

Offering less is fine. Sensible, in fact. But it's still got to be realistic. We must have had informal conversations with Fulham and must have known their value of him. Granted, we - nor anyone - is going to pay £80m for Palhinha, but it's like viewing a £400k house and then making an offer of £250k.

I think the £80m is bascially a 'he's not for sale' figure. He's on a long contract and Fulham don't need to sell. They might be tempted at £60m but is anyone going to offer that for a 28 year old with no re-sale value?

IronHerb

OldCastleSwift said:

IronHerb said:

So you wanted us to basically tap up half a dozen midfielders?

Why not? Arsenal did it with Rice. I suspect conversations go on all the time between clubs and agents about how much players are likely to cost.

We knew for over a year that Rice was going this summer. If the best we can do is to try to poach Fulham's star man for almost half his value, then I don't think we've planned things particularly well.

But Rice was told he could go last summer so not tapped up as such, in fact he probably approached clubs to check out interest.

OldCastleSwift

IronHerb said:

OldCastleSwift said:

IronHerb said:

So you wanted us to basically tap up half a dozen midfielders?

Why not? Arsenal did it with Rice. I suspect conversations go on all the time between clubs and agents about how much players are likely to cost.

We knew for over a year that Rice was going this summer. If the best we can do is to try to poach Fulham's star man for almost half his value, then I don't think we've planned things particularly well.

But Rice was told he could go last summer so not tapped up as such, in fact he probably approached clubs to check out interest.

Granted, the situation with Rice was subtly different, but I think it would be naïve to believe that clubs and agents aren't talking all the time via intermediates. I'm pretty sure that now we have Steidten in place, he'll be doing this with future targets to determine their availability and the likely financial demands.

Lukerz

Bid for Palhinha rejected (£45m), second bid unlikely. Shame. He is a fantastic player. Would have been perfect for replacing Declan’s ball winning/defensive work.

Slacker

Who actually said that we’ve bid for anyone , Moyes?Sullivan?, this new bloke?
I need answers.