Reconstruction time again: the summer 2018 transfer thread

[GhostoftheBok]

We are reportedly still in for Chuks Aneke, but now as a loan with a future fee. We're after Mitchell from Utd on loan too, supposedly.

Those two would likely be very positive moves, given Parky's track record. Pushing payable fees back to January might also help us out, but I'll be interested to see if clubs trust us to make future payments given our finances. If the deal includes lodging funds with lawyers in the interim, we might not get very far.

We are one or two injuries away from serious problems at the moment. As Insane said, we need to pull the proverbial finger out.

[mullayo]

As Insane and Ghost have said artificial deadline day turned out to be a sellers market - how much did Boro spend?. But loan + permanent deal looks to be a buyer's market.
Lots of bloated squads around - let's pick our way through them, find the best players and hold out for permanent loans.
The best way for Ken to end the ill will is loan someone straight away - not that I think he cares.

I was relieved to miss out on Grounds and Garner. Shame about Sissako and Gary Gardner but we're already chasing Ghost's boy Chuks.

[GhostoftheBok]

Not sure how much ill will there is for Ken, beyond that usually shown to slimeballs. People understand we've got no money and we're back of the queue for most players.

Sissako was always an odd shout and probably just a question asked, rather than a bid - as has been the case very often this window.

Chuks (or "Hightower", as he used to be called at Arsenal) is indeed my guy. I'll be delighted if we get him. Wouldn't be surprised if he failed to make the grade either, mind; but there's a player there if the stars align. It's the kind of chance the club needs to take to progress on no money.

Grounds, Garner, Gardner etc (a lot of G names, weirdly) are all solid Championship players and we'd arguably have been better off over a single season getting them in. We need resale value, though, as mercenary as that sounds. We have to be a selling club if we are to survive - like Charlton under Curbishley, of whom Parky is starting to remind me a great deal.

Bring 'em in, bring 'em on, sell 'em on.

[GhostoftheBok]

I've been speaking to a mate who supports Scunthorpe (I know, but someone has to) and generally chatting about deadline day. He says Aneke tore them to bits last season. Dons hit him from every set piece, their midfield couldn't deal with him and they ended up having a lad sent off because he elbowed Aneke in the face after he got fed up.

MK Dons fans seem to think he's a mardy, injury-prone, talented player. Like a lot of London lads he thinks Watford is in Scotland and he still lives "in town" rather than anywhere near Milton Keynes.

Hopefully, if we did end up with him, he'd not go full "Sordell" on us.

[mullayo]

State of the Squad post deadline day (and pre deadline day)
20 players + Williams and Pritchard

1GK: Alnwick, ???, Williams?
4CB: Wheater, Beevers, Wilson, Hobbs,
3RB: Olki, Little, Darby,
1LB: Taylor,???
2DM: Lowe,Murphy, ???
2AM: Oztumer,Vela,Pritchard?
2RW: SAmeobi, Noone
2LW: Wildschut, Buckley,
3ST: Magennis, Donaldson, ALF, ???

[GhostoftheBok]

You forgot O'Neil.

[GhostoftheBok]

Looking at the squad written down, we need another option at #10, an upgrade at leftback and cover for Alnwick.

Lowe and Murphy are natural deep mids. Vela and Wilson can both play there. O'Neil is an option for the odd game and Pritchard has some ability. Our #10 options are Vela and Ozzy. That's probably okay, but I don't rate Vela in that role. We need Ozzy +1 for me.

In an ideal world we'd also add another deep mid and O'Neil and Pritchard wouldn't to be so close to the first 11. We have bodies, but I'm not sure about the depth of quality. Suppose that's to be expected, though.

[GhostoftheBok]

Oh, Iles is reporting that Jed Steer turned us down because we wouldn't guarantee him starts.

[Prufrock]

Looking at the squad written down, we need another option at #10, an upgrade at leftback and cover for Alnwick.

Lowe and Murphy are natural deep mids. Vela and Wilson can both play there. O'Neil is an option for the odd game and Pritchard has some ability. Our #10 options are Vela and Ozzy. That's probably okay, but I don't rate Vela in that role. We need Ozzy +1 for me.

In an ideal world we'd also add another deep mid and O'Neil and Pritchard wouldn't to be so close to the first 11. We have bodies, but I'm not sure about the depth of quality. Suppose that's to be expected, though.

Think that depends on how often PP intends to set up 4231 as opposed to 433 (and sounds like Saturday away was more of a 433? Three proper central midfielders, wingers high?). I think ALF will play in the #10 at home, and it's probably Oz's best position. If we're not going to play it very often that plus Vela is probably enough.

Ideal world we'd get another like Vela who can do both. Play the #10 if needed, play deeper if needed, and play in a proper 3.

Is that Aneke?

Must say I was onboard until you mentioned Marvin! Though he came through at Arsenal with Afobe and he has done very well in Wolverhampton.

[mullayo]

State of the Squad post deadline day (and pre deadline day tbh)
20 players + Williams and Pritchard

1GK: Alnwick, ???, (Williams)
4CB: Wheater, Beevers, Wilson, Hobbs,
3RB: Olki, Little, Darby,
1LB: ???, Taylor,
2DM: Lowe, Murphy,Wilson
2CM: Vela, ???, O'Neill,
2AM: Oztumer, ALF, (Pritchard)
2RW: SAmeobi, Noone
2LW: Wildschut, Buckley,
3ST: Magennis, ???, Donaldson, ALF,

[bristol_Wanderer3]

Aneke's Wikipedia page has Arsene Wenger comparing him being to Abou Diaby and his style to Yaya Toure. That would suggest he would play in the two if we went 4-2-3-1, or as one of the wider of the midfield three in a 4-3-3?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuks_Aneke

This TW business is a mess. The EFL clearly wanted to be in consolidation with the Premiership but only partially achieved it. Whereas yesterday's deadline is a hard deadline for the Prem, meaning no more transfers or loans in for the summer, the EFL didn't have the same rule for loans, meaning the deadline was fairly meaningless for EFL clubs. Wigan have already signed Lee Evans from Sheffield United after the deadline on a loan to buy on 1st January agreement.

Of course, clubs from non English leagues can still buy from English clubs till 31st August (for most, there are some other dates for individual leagues). Next season it would make sense for the EFL, Prem and European leagues to agree on a single date and have a hard deadline for all transfers, including loans.

[boltonboris]

Aneke's Wikipedia page has Arsene Wenger comparing him being to Abou Diaby and his style to Yaya Toure. That would suggest he would play in the two if we went 4-2-3-1, or as one of the wider of the midfield three in a 4-3-3?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuks_Aneke

This TW business is a mess. The EFL clearly wanted to be in consolidation with the Premiership but only partially achieved it. Whereas yesterday's deadline is a hard deadline for the Prem, meaning no more transfers or loans in for the summer, the EFL didn't have the same rule for loans, meaning the deadline was fairly meaningless for EFL clubs. Wigan have already signed Lee Evans from Sheffield United after the deadline on a loan to buy on 1st January agreement.

Of course, clubs from non English leagues can still buy from English clubs till 31st August (for most, there are some other dates for individual leagues). Next season it would make sense for the EFL, Prem and European leagues to agree on a single date and have a hard deadline for all transfers, including loans.

I disagree on the deadline bit - It's good for young players to have an option to go and play if their parent clubs swell their squads with permanent, senior players in the last moments of the window - It also works to the benefit of 'smaller' clubs outside of the Premier League by no panic buying and knowing they have fall back options of talented young players from the division(s) above

[Prufrock]

It's tough. All the leagues have different start dates so hard to get them to agree (Italy have done the same as us for example, but they don't start till next week.

In an ideal world perm deadline would be 1 Aug, but players are on holiday, there are international tournaments (and FIFA rules say one window has to be 12 weeks (I imagine to appease the EU).

Agree loans should be able to happen after that.

[GhostoftheBok]

If they wanted to have kids still able to go on loan after business was finished they'd have put an age limit on the loan and disallowed things like agreed fees, I'd imagine.

I don't like Aneke in too deep a role, personally. Seen him play there and it's not for him. He's most effective playing a bit like Fellaini. Almost like a deep-lying target man. It may be that Phil can get him working in either system, though. After all, Fellaini can do that to some extent.

[bristol_Wanderer3]

Aneke's Wikipedia page has Arsene Wenger comparing him being to Abou Diaby and his style to Yaya Toure. That would suggest he would play in the two if we went 4-2-3-1, or as one of the wider of the midfield three in a 4-3-3?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuks_Aneke

This TW business is a mess. The EFL clearly wanted to be in consolidation with the Premiership but only partially achieved it. Whereas yesterday's deadline is a hard deadline for the Prem, meaning no more transfers or loans in for the summer, the EFL didn't have the same rule for loans, meaning the deadline was fairly meaningless for EFL clubs. Wigan have already signed Lee Evans from Sheffield United after the deadline on a loan to buy on 1st January agreement.

Of course, clubs from non English leagues can still buy from English clubs till 31st August (for most, there are some other dates for individual leagues). Next season it would make sense for the EFL, Prem and European leagues to agree on a single date and have a hard deadline for all transfers, including loans.

I disagree on the deadline bit - It's good for young players to have an option to go and play if their parent clubs swell their squads with permanent, senior players in the last moments of the window - It also works to the benefit of 'smaller' clubs outside of the Premier League by no panic buying and knowing they have fall back options of talented young players from the division(s) above

Fair point on the young players, but the whole point of the change was so managers knew their squad before the start of the season, and weren't subject to nasty surprises weeks after the season started. The Prem clearly achieved this, by having the hard deadline on both permanent transfers and loans two days before the start of the season.

The EFL however, by allowing unrestricted loans to buy until the 31st have allowed a giant loophole that has largely negated changing the deadline for permanent transfers. They might as well have kept the deadline for both permanent and loans the 31st August. If they wanted to use the same principle as the Prem they could have made it the 2nd August, or if they wanted to be in line with the Prem then made the hard deadline the 9th. If they wanted to be in line with the Prem but allow young Prem players to be loaned after that date, then they needed to stipulate that clearly by defining what qualifies as a young Prem player. It feels like the EFL didn't think through what they wanted to achieve.

[BWFC_Insane]

Aneke's Wikipedia page has Arsene Wenger comparing him being to Abou Diaby and his style to Yaya Toure. That would suggest he would play in the two if we went 4-2-3-1, or as one of the wider of the midfield three in a 4-3-3?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuks_Aneke

This TW business is a mess. The EFL clearly wanted to be in consolidation with the Premiership but only partially achieved it. Whereas yesterday's deadline is a hard deadline for the Prem, meaning no more transfers or loans in for the summer, the EFL didn't have the same rule for loans, meaning the deadline was fairly meaningless for EFL clubs. Wigan have already signed Lee Evans from Sheffield United after the deadline on a loan to buy on 1st January agreement.

Of course, clubs from non English leagues can still buy from English clubs till 31st August (for most, there are some other dates for individual leagues). Next season it would make sense for the EFL, Prem and European leagues to agree on a single date and have a hard deadline for all transfers, including loans.

I disagree on the deadline bit - It's good for young players to have an option to go and play if their parent clubs swell their squads with permanent, senior players in the last moments of the window - It also works to the benefit of 'smaller' clubs outside of the Premier League by no panic buying and knowing they have fall back options of talented young players from the division(s) above

Fair point on the young players, but the whole point of the change was so managers knew their squad before the start of the season, and weren't subject to nasty surprises weeks after the season started. The Prem clearly achieved this, by having the hard deadline on both permanent transfers and loans two days before the start of the season.

The EFL however, by allowing unrestricted loans to buy until the 31st have allowed a giant loophole that has largely negated changing the deadline for permanent transfers. They might as well have kept the deadline for both permanent and loans the 31st August If they wanted to use the same prinicple as the Prem they could have made it the 2nd August, or if they wanted to be in line with the Prem then made the hard deadline the 9th. If they wanted to be in line with the Prem but allow young Prem players to be loaned after that date, then they needed to stipulate that clearly by defining what qualifies as a young Prem player. It feels like the EFL didn't think through what they wanted to achieve.

The EFL just changed to be in line. I'm sure they'd rather it was the 31st August.

[GhostoftheBok]

We supposedly have Hrvoje Milic on trial. Been a while since he played a full season, but used to be a decent player.

[Peter Thompson]

New left back ?

http://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/20 ... t-etienne/

[Armchair Wanderer]

This whole signing players thing and getting linked with Johnny Foreigner(s) seems very strange!

[GhostoftheBok]

New left back ?

http://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/20 ... t-etienne/

Shocking decline in Mbengue's career recently. He was an excellent player at Toulouse. He was even okay for Rennes. SE have been trying to force him out all summer and he turned down a transfer to Croatia or somewhere a bit ago, even though they were going to up his wages. He was a European calibre defender at one stage. If we sign him and Parky can get him anywhere close to his old self he'd be a massive coup. Anyone with over 20 caps for Senegal is worth a shot in the Championship. He'd have had more, but he was on the verge of playing for France when he was younger.