Summer 2023/24 Transfer Thread

[Burnley Hammer]

With the free agents... it depends heavily on how fit they are, especially if they haven't played a single game this season. If it's going to take them 2 months to get up to speed then it's probably not going to benefit us too much. Everton are apparently considering Isco although that really doesn't strike me as something Dyche would do.

[Devonhammer32]

With the free agents... it depends heavily on how fit they are, especially if they haven't played a single game this season. If it's going to take them 2 months to get up to speed then it's probably not going to benefit us too much. Everton are apparently considering Isco although that really doesn't strike me as something Dyche would do.

Dyche won't sign Isco as he doesn't have a forklift license.

[Bubbles Fortuna]

Was it Pellegrini? Fair enough - my mistake

All of our managers have signed freebies and loans to be fair. Allardyce with Petric, Pellegrini with Nasri, Moyes with Evra.

[NedN]

All of our managers have signed freebies and loans to be fair. Allardyce with Petric, Pellegrini with Nasri, Moyes with Evra.

With exciting names like that, you can’t say they haven’t been backed!

[westlondonhammer]

Last summer the bulk of our money went on players who hadnt played any PL football before and it showed...this summer i expect a change in that completely should all go well between now and the end of the seasom

Building on your squad list Wilko

GKs: Areola, Kelleher (HG)
CBs: Aguerd, Maguire, (HG) Zouma, Kehrer, Ogbonna
FBs: Cresswell (HG), Emerson, Johnson (HG), Aina (HG), Zemura (HG)
MF: JWP / Philips (HG), Soucek, Paqueta, Downes (HG), Coventry (HG), Nelson (HG)
Attackers: Benrahma, Cornet, Bowen (HG), Scamacca, Ings (HG), Broja (HG), Fornals

Big money on CB and CM in 2 captain candidates

[jabbaglob123]

Summer Rebuild with Will Still at the helm.

[WCpete]

Dude who learned his managerial acumen from playing Football Manager? Check.

Sign him up.

[funky chicken]

I did initially expect us to go into this summer’s window targeting 2 new centre halves. But now I am not so sure. If Oggy keeps up his form and avoids any further injuries then I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get offered a new contract. So even when we play a back 4 Moyes will see Aguerd and Oggy as possibly being enough. I didn’t realise even this Luizão is left footed. And the fact he’ll be 21 early March, he’s not that young. We’ve almost mimicked what we are doing with the goalkeepers. We have a player at a peak age (Areola/Aguerd), we have an experienced player (Fab/Oggy) and we have a youngster potentially to replace the experienced player in the squad when their time comes to an end (Anang/Trott/Hegyi/Luizão).

A right footed centre half will probably be targeted so we’ll go into the season with: New CH, Zouma, Aguerd, Oggy, with Kehrer, Johnson, Cresswell and possibly Luizão waiting in the wings, should we want to go with a back 5.

One player I am the most intrigued to see how we'll handle him in the summer is Soucek. He has shown against Derby and even in games last season without Declan that we can still get the best out of him. It sounds like a weird thing to say knowing what a quality player Rice is on his day, but Soucek might really benefit from life after Declan when he gets to play alongside a more disciplined partner, as we saw last season with Noble and LanIni, plus this season with Downes. He has had to sit deeper this season especially while Rice bombs forward. And he’s not been particularly bad at it to be fair, from a defensive perspective. Defensively, Soucek has been fine. It’s the rest of his game that’s been effected. However, at the end of this season, Soucek will only have 1 more year on his contract. But, with a 1 year option. So this is arguably the best summer to sell him, should we want to raise more funds and free up more space. I can see Moyes however, as long as he’s still our manager next season, asking for the club to activate that 1 year option for now, so Tomas will stay for one more season, with 2 years left on his contract. Despite the fact he’s been dropped recently, Moyes does still seem to trust him, as he brings him off the bench quite frequently.

Again, like at centre half, I think we’ll sign just one central midfielder instead of 2, once we lose Declan. It’ll be: New CM, Paqueta, Soucek, Downes. With Coventry possibly an option also. Lanzini I reckon will be gone.

[pezza20]

Lanzini going back to Argentina in the summer

Cresswell has a further year so will be back up, can see Moyes bringing in a new LF, DCM, wide player who can play across the three, and a CB.

From what I've seen Luazio does not look good enough for the premiership.

Coufal's contract will be extended I reckon, they can trigger the one year extension same as Soucek end of next season.

We lose Dec, Oggy shifts to cover, Cresswell reserve LB, Antonio has one year left.

Its another potential huge summer rebuild with at least 5 players needed maybe 6 if Coufal is sold. May well end up being anpother tough season with all the changes similar to this.

[NWhammer]

For me

GK: Woodman (Preston)
RB: Djed spence (if spurs will do business)
CB: Maguire
LB: Zemura (Bournemouth)
CM: McTominay
LW: Sarr
ST: Ndiaye (Sheff Utd)

Also give Torino a deal to bring Vlasic back

Home grown problem solved as well.

[1895Hammer]

Lanzini going back to Argentina in the summer

Cresswell has a further year so will be back up, can see Moyes bringing in a new LF, DCM, wide player who can play across the three, and a CB.

From what I've seen Luazio does not look good enough for the premiership.

Coufal's contract will be extended I reckon, they can trigger the one year extension same as Soucek end of next season.

We lose Dec, Oggy shifts to cover, Cresswell reserve LB, Antonio has one year left.

Its another potential huge summer rebuild with at least 5 players needed maybe 6 if Coufal is sold. May well end up being anpother tough season with all the changes similar to this.

Agree it’s another major rebuild, still think we need 2 full backs, a centre half, a striker and a wide forward. I’d keep Cresswell, Oggy and Fab as influential senior reserves, Antonio, Lanzini, Coventry, and either Coufal or Johnson can go. Big question is midfield, assuming Rice goes even if we think Downes can step up we’d need another cdm, and ideally a box to box player alongside Paqueta. If Chelsea come in for Rice I’d ask for cash plus Gallagher and Chalaboah. Most importantly we have to try and get players in early, both to bed in but more importantly to avoid the ridiculous situation this year of starting the PL games with players not having a pre season.

[S-H]

Adding an astute January signing or two, each year would lessen the need for big summer rebuilds, and take the pressure off somewhat.

[hammerman11]

trouble is sully doesnt like january and wont act unless we are threatened with relegation. he obviously thinks we will be ok. I hope he is right.

IF/WHEN rice goes we will need two CM in . gallagher is a must for some midfield energy . maybe JWP who will be 29 so hopefully the fee is below 40m.

fabianksi will get another year with areola as number one. cant see another GK coming in.
RB coufal will be off . so a new one needed. johnson may go as well
LB cress will get another year but a LB is needed. emerson as cover
CB ogbonna will go leaving us with 2 . so 2 needed
CM gallagher and JWP in. rice out lanzini out
CF I reckon scamacca will go back to italy and we should sell antonio as he will be too old. so we will need 2 young forwards in. sarr and mifo

plus a new manager who has the ability to get us playing better and has a plan B Potter maybe ? he wont last long at chelsea after their spending if he doesnt get euro football or a cup

[Albie Beck]

Adding an astute January signing or two, each year would lessen the need for big summer rebuilds, and take the pressure off somewhat.

You've got to have the right players available though, S-H - not just the chairman's version of the H11 list.

[YorksHammer]

Still don't think it's a major rebuild thread way some talk about it here - a lot of players are already in place. Extend contracts where we can and players are agreeable and it's fairly easy.

Just laying out the squad as I see it going into next season - assuming we stay up - with starters listed first:

GK: Areola, Fabianski (option taken up), Anang

RCB: Kehrer, Johnson
CCB(?): Zouma, Ogbonna (extension)
LCB: Aguerd, Cresswell (extension)

RWB: Coufal (option taken up), Johnson
CM: Rice, Soucek, Downes
CM: Paqueta, Fornals
LWB: Emerson, Cresswell

RW: Bowen, Antonio
LW: Benrahma, Cornet

CF: Scamacca, Ings, Antonio

We also have the players for a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 without much shifting around or putting players out of position.

It's a case of upgrading at RWB, adding a fifth CB, and something in the way of an attacking midfielder, preferably wide - and then worrying about if Rice goes what do we do.

Jacob Greaves covers us at CB/LB - basically replaces Cresswell with a year to transition.
Ola Aina comes in at RB/RWB as a starter - we could let Coufal go if he doesn't want to sign a new contract, or sell Johnson here.
Iliman Ndiaye/Sorba Thomas/Jack Clarke as the attacking midfielder - I'd lean towards moving for two of those if possible, Ndiaye could also offer something as a forward option too (plays a bit like Ings in that role, in my opinion.

Homegrown players, age on their side, stepping up from their current clubs. As the saying goes, Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Ismaila Sarr is a curious option for that attacking option - might be available, but I think at a price. Kind of depends on what Watford do over the next 4 months as they could easily be our of the playoffs.

I really don't think we need to do more than that. We'll have players who came in this season settling down and having a full, proper preseason with us.

The big question is Rice - I still say we go for McTominay if he does leave.

4/5 in at most, I think.

[S-H]

You've got to have the right players available though, S-H - not just the chairman's version of the H11 list.

Absolutely Albie, but even a clever signing from the Championship, and there's plenty to be had, would help.

Ings was a calculated risk, which has unfortunately shot us in the foot, I'd have liked to have seen us go for Viktor Gyökeres @ Coventry instead.

But what do I know..

[Albie Beck]

But what do I know..

What do any of us mate?

The only thing I can say is that after long observation the patterns of behaviour repeat themselves endlessly. It makes no difference who the manager is. Go back to Allardyce and it's still the same: "here's your list to choose from..." becomes either "he was the manager's choice" if some no-mark signs, or "the manager didn't want anyone" if he declines the gift.

[MB]

Thank you, Lofty!

It's tough, isn't it? Ideally, yeah, Cresswell goes. But you can't buy his time at the club, the relationships he has, his experience and voice. That and being HG mean he is basically a definite, for me, for next year.

It's why I found the idea so fascinating. It adds a level of strategic thinking to the normal transfer talk!

Just listened to the pod today today and it was excellent (again). I think it was Jack who mentioned taking a more blended approach to recruitment and I agree. A couple of big targets and then rather than money on big club discarded journeymen, take a few (educated) punts on championship and other leagues. I guess the educated bit is the problem!

It is a bit football manager and it does reek of accepting our place in things, but the alternative has never worked for us longer term.

[Burnley Hammer]

Out: Lanzini, Fornals, Cornet, Scamacca, Rice, Johnson

In: Gyökeres, Pedro, Sarr, Gallagher, Phillips, Gusto

That's a set of players that Moyes could really work with

[funky chicken]

Moyes on Paqueta: "I'll be honest, we brought him for eight to ten goals, for eight to ten assists. He's settling in better, he's playing better. We're playing him more like a number eight, alongside Dec but we hoped he would get us goals or assists."

https://twitter.com/westham_central/sta ... alx_eNBmhA

The level of competition has [made things hard for] Flynn. We brought in Lucas Paquetá, who is proving to be more of a deep-lying midfielder than a ten, which we brought Flynn in to give us cover there for Tomáš Souček, Declan Rice and Manuel Lanzini.

https://www.whufc.com/news/moyes-feelin ... uing-build

Quite telling perhaps as to how bad our recruitment was last summer, in terms of what they thought they were getting from Paqueta. But is this also a clue as to one position Moyes will be looking at again in the summer? The lack of goals from us this season so far would suggest an attacking midfielder will be very much on the summer list.

A central midfielder will very much be on the list if he said Lanzini is one and could well leave with Declan this summer. Which will leave us with just: Soucek, Paqueta and Downes.