Summer 2023/24 Transfer Thread

[simon hammer]

Summer rebuild 2: summer harder

[westlondonhammer]

I'd assume Rice will be off and so I'd spend a fair old chunk on James Ward-Prowse.

Can pass, can tackle, good injury record, scores goals and great set pieces and Captain potential. At a club that could be looking to sell and not quite good enough to attract interest from the money merchant top 6/7. A 5 year deal on top wages could see him out his career!

Is Ward-Prowse worth 40-50million quid - maybe not!

Is it worth spending 40-50million of the Rice money on a player that can slide right into the side with no adjustment time - absolutely,

Agree 100%

He's always struck me as a Noble with more quality on the ball from set pieces.

In a 3 4 3 he and Paqueta could be a great combo.

I also suspect Soucek may be off in the summer too. That would lead to a complete gutting of the midfield (Rice, Soucek, Lanzini and Coventry all to be replaced). One PL experienced player and more of a punt from abroad could be what we look for with Downes and Fornals also options with Paqueta and then sticking to a 343 formation.

Lots of fresh blood needed this summer... however quite a few coming from the PL rather than abroad this time. It would surprise me to see at least 4 or 5 have PL experience.

[Loftyhammer]

I’m not up enough on players to make a detailed contribution here!

But just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the pod…really highlights the difficulties in managing and planning your squad when you have a budget. I reckon Most people would no doubt highlight FB as a big upgrade focus….but when you talked it all through and ended up renewing Cress and Coufal it made sense due to all the other factors at play.

Bravo!

[Wilko1304]

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!

[EastVillageHammer]

Great name for the thread.

I think we might be cursed. Like Sisyphus, we are doomed to repeat the same tedious behaviours only for the inevitable to happen. We need a Director of Football - MN won’t be in place by the summer.

I just hope the Rice money isn’t completely squandered.

[S-H]

Douse it in petrol, throw a match on it, and walk away.

[funky chicken]

Assuming no one else leave or joins this January window and Moyes is still manager….

Outs:
Darren Randolph - Free
Nathan Trott - 500k-£1m
Joseph Anang - 500k
Emmanuel Longelo - £1m-2m
Angelo Ogbonna - Free
Vladimir Coufal - £5m-10m (take up contract extension so we sell instead of lose for free)
Harrison Ashby - Compensation
Arthur Masuaku - £2m-5m
Jamal Baptiste - Free
Armstrong Okoflex - £2m
Declan Rice - £80m (personally not convinced we’ll get that much for him, but we’ll go with that)
Tomas Soucek - £15m-20m
Conor Coventry - Free
Nikola Vlasic - £12m-15m
Manuel Lanzini - Free
Mipo Odubeko - Free
Michail Antonio - £10m

Some of those fees are probably optimistic. But just a guess!

New contracts:
Lukasz Fabianski - 1 year only
Aaron Cresswell- 1 year only (assuming he hasn’t already signed)
Ben Johnson - 4 years with an option
Pablo Fornals - 4 years with an option
Jarrod Bowen- 5 years with an option

The positions I’d strengthen:
* Youngish 3rd choice goalkeeper / freebie.
* A first choice right-back.
* A Left-back.
* Right footed centre half.
* Left footed centre half.
* 2x Central midfielders
* Attacking midfielder.
* Forward/Striker.

Who I’d bring in:
* GK: Michael Cooper (Plymouth) or Jack Butland on a Freebie.
* RB: No idea. But someone no older than 27 preferably.
* LB: Marc Cucurella
* RCB: Harry Maguire / Joe Worrall.
* LCB: Attila Szalai
* CM: James Ward-Prowse
* CM: Scott McTominay
* AM: Ismaïla Sarr
* ST: Viktor Gyökeres

If the budget stretches further enough, or we have loans we can use to bring in one more, I’d seriously consider any offers for Kurt Zouma too. If he does stay, he gets no more than one more season for me, to prove he’s not a sicknote. One more chance for Cornet also.

25 man squad:

GK: Areola, Fabianski , Cooper/Butland.
RB: ?, Johnson, Kehrer.
LB: Cucurella, Emerson, Cresswell.
CH: Maguire/Worrall, Aguerd, Zouma, Szalai.
CM: Ward-Prowse, McTominay, Paqueta, Downes.
AM: Sarr, Benrahma, Fornals, Cornet.
AT: Scamacca, Bowen, Ings, Gyökeres.

9 Homegrowns, if I am not mistaken.

[BobbyMooreLower]

Every single year without fail the 'Homegrown' issue gets brought up & every single year it turns out to be a load of panic over nothing.

[Loftyhammer]

Every single year without fail the 'Homegrown' issue gets brought up & every single year it turns out to be a load of panic over nothing.

I think it's in how it's understood. As I understand it, it's not that you have to have the different quotas (which might be where panic stems) but that if you don't have them, you have to leave a gap.

And that's not me looking at FM Wilko So I could be wrong

[norse]

Pace, pace and pace

In all areas

[jabbaglob123]

Summer Rebuild 2: The New Batch

[Jedi Al Khalaas]

Summer Rebuild 2: The New Batch

You cant beat Electric Boogaloo , but I guess it wont resonate for anybody under 40!

[bubbles1966]

I think it will be pretty quiet in this summer because some of the work is clearly being done now - Randolph/Dawson/Ings/Mendy (probably)

3 or 4 in maximum, including the LB from Borussia on a free.

[yakandyeti]

How refreshing not to see Lingard mentioned, but never say never!

[funky chicken]

How refreshing not to see Lingard mentioned, but never say never!

Well, he is out of contract…..

[Whu-tang clan]

Great name for the thread.

I think we might be cursed. Like Sisyphus, we are doomed to repeat the same tedious behaviours only for the inevitable to happen. We need a Director of Football - MN won’t be in place by the summer.

I just hope the Rice money isn’t completely squandered.

"One must imagine sisyphus happy"
//Albert Camus

[funky chicken]

I guess they wouldn’t do business with us. But I wonder if the Spuds would already be open to shifting Richarlison in the summer?

2 goals and 2 assists in all competitions since joining. Both those goals came in the Champions League against Marseille. 5 starts and 8 appearances off the bench in the League.

[norse]

Richarlison was brought in as a back up/squad player to Kane, Son and Kulusevski surely?

[funky chicken]

Richarlison was brought in as a back up/squad player to Kane, Son and Kulusevski surely?

I am looking at it from different angles.

Conte is walking out at the end of the season. Was he a Conte signing? And will the new manager want him? The next manager may also need to raise funds, so may think he could do without him.

In terms of the player’s perspective, is Richarlison content with the position he has in the squad?

I’m not saying it’s a given. Just a possibility. Someone perhaps to keep an eye on.

[Doc H Ball]

So, the challenge is to build next year's squad.

Enjoyed the podcast