Transfers, 2024-25 season

[Rayvin 6670]

1 minute ago, Christmas Tree said:

Nah, that’s just emotions playing with your mind, which is understandable.  It needs to be a continuous improvement in the 1st 11 with current first teamers rotating into squad positions or sold.

 

Thats the only way we progress. However has squeezed every ounce of extra out of a lot of them. We now need the strand of Bruno’s and Botmans to move us on.

 

So I guess the problem is I view most of our players as very very good and therefore also very difficult to improve upon. So I guess I'm asking again who, with a cold and emotionless assessment, is not good enough and needs to be improved. CB situation is a given but other than that? Tino and Hall look pretty damn good to me for their positions. Midfield maybe we could get a 4th elite midfielder so that we can rotate more but I doubt we can upgrade any of them. RW we keep mentioning I suppose.

[Holden McGroin 8188]

We’ll need two new CBs that are as good as what we have defensively but quick as fuck and I think that will improve us as a team.

 

obviously a new RW that can bag 15-20. Barnes and Gordon should be able to manage that from the left between them.

 

At least one top quality CF as well.

 

 

 

Edited yesterday at 13:31 by Holden McGroin

[Christmas Tree 5609]

1 minute ago, Rayvin said:

 

So I guess the problem is I view most of our players as very very good and therefore also very difficult to improve upon. So I guess I'm asking again who, with a cold and emotionless assessment, is not good enough and needs to be improved. CB situation is a given but other than that? Tino and Hall look pretty damn good to me for their positions. Midfield maybe we could get a 4th elite midfielder so that we can rotate more but I doubt we can upgrade any of them. RW we keep mentioning I suppose.

I think CB, RW another Joelinton, a back up striker and LW depending on what Howe feels about Gordon’s situation.

 

Going to be so many games next season and even without the injuries that will come, we need to be able to rest players more often.

 

Obviously we have to move on players we have outgrown as well.

 

Im really hoping Mitchell has been magnificent in the shadows and we start to find some of the players that other clubs like Brighton or palace seem to find.

 

A good mixture of first teamers and squad improvements to give Howe a fighting shout at competing for all that lays ahead of him.

[Christmas Tree 5609]

And let’s not forget Howe seems to want a ball playing keeper.

[spongebob toonpants 4595]

This is no way a knock on Howe, who has worked miracles with the current team, but the one thing he is yet to prove he has mastered is squad rotation. His streaks of wins are always keeping the same team.

Obviously the lack of decent cover options forces his hand somewhat, but it's going to be interesting to see if he can manage a bigger squad 

[Toonpack 12487]

1 minute ago, spongebob toonpants said:

This is no way a knock on Howe, who has worked miracles with the current team, but the one thing he is yet to prove he has mastered is squad rotation. His streaks of wins are always keeping the same team.

Obviously the lack of decent cover options forces his hand somewhat, but it's going to be interesting to see if he can manage a bigger squad 

 

Which you do, if they're winning, when they stop winning he currently has very limited options.

[Gemmill 53717]

29 minutes ago, Rayvin said:

 

So I guess the problem is I view most of our players as very very good and therefore also very difficult to improve upon. So I guess I'm asking again who, with a cold and emotionless assessment, is not good enough and needs to be improved. CB situation is a given but other than that? Tino and Hall look pretty damn good to me for their positions. Midfield maybe we could get a 4th elite midfielder so that we can rotate more but I doubt we can upgrade any of them. RW we keep mentioning I suppose.

 

I think there's only the midfield 3, the full backs, and Isak who you'd say we shouldn't try to improve on. Gordon if he goes back to how he was last season too. (*) 

 

Everywhere else on the pitch we can and should be looking to upgrade, not to mention padding out the squad with quality that can challenge the rest. 

 

*Botman, if he can still play like he did when we signed him, drops into this group too. At the minute, we don't yet know if that's the case as he's never fully made it back from the knee injury. 

[ewerk 34825]

On 25/04/2025 at 11:22, Dr Gloom said:

I do like the look of this Ekitike kid though and he has been linked with us again. 

 

Chelsea are after him. Frankfurt want €100m.  

[wykikitoon 24209]

Apparently Mbuemo is talking to Man Utd

[Gemmill 53717]

Never heard of him. 

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 4469]

13 minutes ago, wykikitoon said:

Apparently Mbuemo is talking to Man Utd

Fuck him and where are Man U getting the money from for Cunha and him seeing as they made £300m loss last year?

[Diego21 2218]

I don't know what our budget is this year. But I'm going to write something more or less realistic for a team with a normal market.

 

Goalkeeper. We need to sign a goalkeeper and get rid of Ruddy, Vlahodimos, and company. Possibly Dubravka as well and keep Gillespie for the academy players list. Today, Joan García (25) (with whom we were linked a few days ago) said he doesn't want to go to Barcelona because he prefers to go to the Premier League. He'd be my goalkeeper.

LB. I think Hall adapted very well until his injury, and I would redirect Burn there as a backup. I wouldn't sign anyone unless it wasn't necessary because I don't see him as the main problem.

 

CB. I'd keep Botman and Schar, but I'd sign two other reliable center backs. One option could be Laporte. He wants to leave Saudi Arabia and would be cheap, albeit with a high salary. Another option on the left is Lucumí (30M), a player who has been performing very well in Italy for several years. I don't really like any of the right-backs on the market, but I think Guehí (60?) could still be the plan. We also have Burn or Krafth on our roster.

 

RB: I'd stick with Livramento and Trippier (and Krafth). If Trippier asks to leave, I'd go for a pretty average backup RB.

 

CM: Bruno and Miley.

 

AM: Joelinton, Willock, Tonali, and Longstaff.

 

LW: Gordon and Barnes.

 

RW: We need to sign a starting player, and I think one option could be Brahim Díaz (50?). Madrid has Rodrygo on that wing (although he might leave), but they also have Arda Guler and are negotiating for the Argentine Mastantuono. If not, another option is Cherki (20), who will leave Lyon for 20M. I also wouldn't rule out Antony (35), who is killing it at Betis and has always seemed like a very good player to me. Another name is Zhegrova (25), a player from Kosovo with great pace and a very good shot. And Murphy, obviously. One of my favorite players is Ritsu Doan, but I don't know how the Japanese player would adapt to England. And it looks like he's going to Borussia Dortmund for around 20 million euros.

 

ST: Isak and Jonathan David (he's free because his contract is ending. I think he can be persuaded, even though he's at a disadvantage to start).

 

PS: I wouldn't rule out bringing in a player who can help Bruno in the middle or in case Bruno gets seriously injured. I've always liked Kalvin Phillips. I don't know how he's doing, but I think the kid will leave Manchester practically for free.

 

[Rayvin 6670]

1 hour ago, Diego21 said:

I don't know what our budget is this year. But I'm going to write something more or less realistic for a team with a normal market.

 

Goalkeeper. We need to sign a goalkeeper and get rid of Ruddy, Vlahodimos, and company. Possibly Dubravka as well and keep Gillespie for the academy players list. Today, Joan García (25) (with whom we were linked a few days ago) said he doesn't want to go to Barcelona because he prefers to go to the Premier League. He'd be my goalkeeper.

LB. I think Hall adapted very well until his injury, and I would redirect Burn there as a backup. I wouldn't sign anyone unless it wasn't necessary because I don't see him as the main problem.

 

CB. I'd keep Botman and Schar, but I'd sign two other reliable center backs. One option could be Laporte. He wants to leave Saudi Arabia and would be cheap, albeit with a high salary. Another option on the left is Lucumí (30M), a player who has been performing very well in Italy for several years. I don't really like any of the right-backs on the market, but I think Guehí (60?) could still be the plan. We also have Burn or Krafth on our roster.

 

RB: I'd stick with Livramento and Trippier (and Krafth). If Trippier asks to leave, I'd go for a pretty average backup RB.

 

CM: Bruno and Miley.

 

AM: Joelinton, Willock, Tonali, and Longstaff.

 

LW: Gordon and Barnes.

 

RW: We need to sign a starting player, and I think one option could be Brahim Díaz (50?). Madrid has Rodrygo on that wing (although he might leave), but they also have Arda Guler and are negotiating for the Argentine Mastantuono. If not, another option is Cherki (20), who will leave Lyon for 20M. I also wouldn't rule out Antony (35), who is killing it at Betis and has always seemed like a very good player to me. Another name is Zhegrova (25), a player from Kosovo with great pace and a very good shot. And Murphy, obviously. One of my favorite players is Ritsu Doan, but I don't know how the Japanese player would adapt to England. And it looks like he's going to Borussia Dortmund for around 20 million euros.

 

ST: Isak and Jonathan David (he's free because his contract is ending. I think he can be persuaded, even though he's at a disadvantage to start).

 

PS: I wouldn't rule out bringing in a player who can help Bruno in the middle or in case Bruno gets seriously injured. I've always liked Kalvin Phillips. I don't know how he's doing, but I think the kid will leave Manchester practically for free.

 

 

You don't think Willock/Longstaff are worth upgrading? By all accounts it sounds like Longstaff is being moved on either way.

 

Otherwise a lot of that sounds good tbh.

[Holden McGroin 8188]

I don’t think anyone will touch Kalvin Phillips bar Leeds. He has been dreadful 

for 2-3 years now.

[wykikitoon 24209]

I would say the majority of Leeds fans don't want him back either.

[Diego21 2218]

1 minute ago, Holden McGroin said:

I don’t think anyone will touch Kalvin Phillips bar Leeds. He has been dreadful 

for 2-3 years now.

I know. I just wanted to say we should sign someone similar. Someone who can be the team's No. 23 player, someone with experience, etc. Like when you sign a third goalkeeper. I said Kalvin because he's the name that came to mind, but there could be another one in that role.

[Diego21 2218]

4 minutes ago, Rayvin said:

 

You don't think Willock/Longstaff are worth upgrading? By all accounts it sounds like Longstaff is being moved on either way.

 

Otherwise a lot of that sounds good tbh.

I think Longstaff is a player we can't lose because of his importance as an Academy player. And yes, of course it's a position that would improve, but in that case I'd prefer to part ways with Willock due to his injuries. Longstaff is a very average player, who performs and doesn't complain. And I think players like that are necessary.

[wykikitoon 24209]

I think its quite telling how little Longstaff has played recently.  He's gone IMO.

[Rayvin 6670]

9 minutes ago, Diego21 said:

I think Longstaff is a player we can't lose because of his importance as an Academy player. And yes, of course it's a position that would improve, but in that case I'd prefer to part ways with Willock due to his injuries. Longstaff is a very average player, who performs and doesn't complain. And I think players like that are necessary.

 

I agree, I just think at this point that Longstaff has looked jaded and disappointed to be out of the team. It sounds to me like the club are expecting to move him on, possibly because that's what he's called for himself. We'll see I suppose but he's barely played this season so I'd understand him wanting to look elsewhere.

[Dr Gloom 24500]

3 hours ago, ewerk said:

 

Chelsea are after him. Frankfurt want €100m.  

[Kid Dynamite 8094]

Judging by recent rumours, these are the targets for various positions. There's not a single one I'd be disappointed with tbh

 

GK

Trafford

Garcia

 

CB

Guehi

Zabarnyi

RW

Mbuemo

Semenyo

Dibling

 

LW/No 10

Jacob Ramsey

Eze

Gibbs White

 

CF

Delap

Joao Pedro

Jonathan David

 

 

 

 

[Kid Dynamite 8094]

59 minutes ago, Diego21 said:

I think Longstaff is a player we can't lose because of his importance as an Academy player. And yes, of course it's a position that would improve, but in that case I'd prefer to part ways with Willock due to his injuries. Longstaff is a very average player, who performs and doesn't complain. And I think players like that are necessary.

12 months ago, Longstaff was one of our starting CMs. Recently, even with Joelinton and Willock injured, we've resorted to a 2 man CM rather than giving Longstaff a game. He's done here. And he counts as pure profit in a sale. He'll be off to Leeds, Everton or Man Utd for £12-15m.

 

I wouldn't rule out Willock leaving either if we get a decent offer for him.

Edited yesterday at 19:17 by Kid Dynamite

[Andrew 5774]

Something I've not seen much talk about, since we're all focussed on upgrading certain spots in the first 11 is that I think we could really do with a joelinton-alike.

He misses more games than Tonali or Bruno, who can be somewhat covered by Miley if they do miss games but we don't have another player of Joelintons profile (hence the drop to two man midfields when hes not available)

He's the most physically dominant CM in the league from what I've seen, pace, power, running and aggression all bundled up and we could genuinely do with someone of a similar skillset to lighten his load a bit.

We are so much worse when he doesn't play and he does regularly pick up cards or small injuries.

[strawb 4868]

1 minute ago, Andrew said:

Something I've not seen much talk about, since we're all focussed on upgrading certain spots in the first 11 is that I think we could really do with a joelinton-alike.

He misses more games than Tonali or Bruno, who can be somewhat covered by Miley if they do miss games but we don't have another player of Joelintons profile (hence the drop to two man midfields when hes not available)

He's the most physically dominant CM in the league from what I've seen, pace, power, running and aggression all bundled up and we could genuinely do with someone of a similar skillset to lighten his load a bit.

We are so much worse when he doesn't play and he does regularly pick up cards or small injuries.

100% but they are like rocking horse shit.

 

The other option is the get a completely different type of midfielder and try and a different way of playing.

 

Have no idea, but I bet Eddie does

[Christmas Tree 5609]

13 minutes ago, Andrew said:

Something I've not seen much talk about, since we're all focussed on upgrading certain spots in the first 11 is that I think we could really do with a joelinton-alike.
 

Just need to follow the right posters