Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Where fellow sufferers gather to share the pain, longing and unrequited transfer requests that make being a Wanderer what it is...

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by GhostoftheBok » Tue Nov 23, 2021 3:35 pm

Obviously the takeover is putting a stall on Hull stuff.

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Tue Nov 23, 2021 5:25 pm

Couple more ideas...

Jordan Graham (Birmingham) - Brummie right-winger, pace and trickery. The Villa academy product last season scored 12 and assisted 6 for Gillingham. He’s now back home with Birmingham, but isn’t getting in the team, except for an October run in the unusual role of right wing-back (hello) during an injury crisis. Wouldn’t be easy to prise away but another where they might figure he could use the minutes.

Robbie Cundy (Bristol City) - 6ft 2 but aerially dominant centre-back - was loaned last season to Cambridge (winning 5.9 aerial duels per game) then switched up a division to Gillingham (winning a whopping 7.6 deals per game, fourth highest in the entire division). Brizzle took an option to extend his contract but I think he’s free again this summer; Seven different third-tier teams asked about a loan but he stayed. Hasn’t played a minute as he’s had a knee niggle (hmm) and Nigel Pearson has preferred others. If he’s fit and available, could plug a big hole in defence.

Kasey Palmer (Bristol City) - "an insanely gifted playmaker with a deft touch, appreciation of space and ability to cut open defences" (Bristol Post sports editor) or a lazy No 10 who does nothing off the ball? Pearson appears to think the latter, recently not only putting 18-year-old academy player Ayman Benarous on the bench instead of him but also very publicly saying "When you consider Ayman Benarous got the nod ahead of Kasey Palmer… that tells you about what I see in training." Since signing for £3.5m from Chelsea (where he won two UEFA Youth Leagues, a U21 Premier League and two FA Youth Cups) in 2019 he's never really been trusted by any manager and was loaned to Swansea last season. Wages and ego might be beyond us but maybe...

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Tue Nov 23, 2021 6:56 pm

Upon spectral request... Given their financial situations, it makes sense to have a peep at Derby and Reading. This is a bit different to other searches, where I've basically been looking at players not in the team much but who might do a job for us; in these cases, even regular appearers might be willing to jump. So who might be this January's Magennis? Let's look at their 2022 contract-elapsers.

DERBY
The vast majority of Derby players' contracts run out in 2022 (exceptions: Knight, Stretton and Ebosele 2023, Bird, Bielik, Jozwiak and Sibley 2024), so there's plenty up for grabs on that level... but a quick look at the list doesn't send the heart leaping.

Graeme Shinnie (not to be confused with older brother Andrew, ex Brum/Luton) just turned 30 but he sits in front of defence, breaks up attacks and distributes well. Averaging 2.8 tackles per game this season - one of the highest in the division – having averaged 2.1 and 2.3 in his other two seasons at Pride Park. He'a also got Evatt-level ball retention (81.5% pass success this season, after 87% in his debut season and 78.5% last time). And he can also play left-back, which is handy.

Other than that I can't see anyone jumping out from Rooney's rabble – there's a lot of thirtysomethings (the two centre-backs total 75 years) or U21s who they have under contract, with only a few in the middle like Ravel Morrison and skipper Tom Lawrence who, you imagine, won't fancy the Third Division. Maybe, maybe Nathan Byrne, ex-Wigan right-back/wingback (29), but he's a bit of a walking yellow card (5 in 11 games) and his pass percentage, a solid 73-74% over the previous two seasons, has slipped to 66%. Not the worst option but possibly not the best either. In fact, there's a better one (IMO) coming up in a couple of paragraphs. To Berkshire!

READING
In 2018/19, Reading's wages were 194% of their turnover. Six days ago, they accepted a six-point penalty for exceeding even the EFL's Championship "Don't Spend F**king Idiotic Money" restrictions. They are three points above the drop zone and believe to be under orders to cut their expenditure. They already employ Chelsea emigres Baba Rahman and Danny "If Only I Did Just" Drinkwater on loan, and last month they roped in Andy Carroll. There's no helping some people. For those of us who nearly saw their clubs go pop, it seems a sick irony that the owner is called Dai Yongge.

Anyway. The Berkshire basket cases have (per local press) 13 players whose contracts elapse this summer. Some – Scott Dann, Michael Morrison. Junior Hoilett - are too old. Others - Brazilian goalkeeper Rafael, signed from Sampdoria, who injured his hand punching a dressing-room whiteboard and now can't get back in past academy graduate Luke Southwood - are just f**king bizarre Championship Manager signings. But to use my favoured phrase, are there any stainless steel spoons in the sh!te?

Andy Yiadom - I noticed this right-winger-converted-into-a-right-back in 2017/18 when he was annoyingly good for Barnsley as we tussled to avoid relegation from the second tier; had Albi not scored his legendary winner v Forest, Barnsley and their skipper Yiadom would have stayed up. Instead he stayed in the division by switching to Reading on a four-year contract (tick tock), and even that was below where he might have expected to be – in August 2017 Barnsley he almost moved to top-tierers Huddersfield and then also-top-tierers Swansea, the latter chance falling through when they didn't clear the deadline-day paperwork on time.

Pacy and energetic, he's captained the Royals on occasion and rarely missed a game, barring one for Covid isolation. He's averaging a healthy 2.5 tackles per game - their third-highest after the Chelsea loanees - and averages 40 passes per game with 77.8% completion (tidier than Rahman, for one). Also played well in Reading's recent switch to wingbacks, which is handy.

Problems: turns 30 in December (but ain't slowing down) and will be in Ghana's squad for the Africa Cup of Nations (9 Jan - 6 Feb).

It would be utterly lovely to sign John Swift, but the eight-goal eight-assists midfielder seems likely to leave the division the other way - possibly to Leeds. Fellow centre-mid Josh Laurent is wanted by Forest, while Alen "Croatian Messi" Halilovic seems to be permanently injured, although not quite as much as Brazilian right-sider Felipe Araruna.

Also struggling with more transitory injury niggles is another central midfielder, Andy Rinomhota. At his best the Leeds-born 24-year-old brings "energy, stamina and drive" (per The Tilehurst End fanzine) - he was player of the year in 2018/19 – and with Drinkwater and Watford loanee Tom Dele-Bashiru around, Reading may decide they don't need a centre-mid who has averaged at least 80.6% pass accuracy in all four Reading seasons so far, during which he's clocked up 110 second-tier appearances. He's also not shy of a tackle, reliably averaging just shy of 2 per game (again, doesn't sound like much but there's only 34 players in the whole division averaging more than 2 tackles per game).

Last mention is centre-back Tom Holmes. He's only 21, but the 6ft1in Londoner went on loan to Belgium (Ian Likes This) and last season played 39 Champo games for Reading, many of them at right-back (hello) while being, per local press, "reliable, honest and hard-working player who is comfortable with the ball at his feet and dominant in the air". He's been more in and out this season, not helped by an ankle injury in September (he's alright now). Tidy in possession ("passes the ball forward well" - Tilehurst End), he averaged over 80% pass completion last season.

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by GhostoftheBok » Wed Nov 24, 2021 12:41 pm

Rinomhota would give us everything we need in terms of that "90 minutes of drive" we've been seen to lack (up until last night - well done the lads). His agent has shopped him around and he's the one I had in mind. He's a player who has been linked with a "move back up north" a couple of times (was linked with Leeds at one stage). but you never know what's true and what is lazy journalism. 2 years ago he looked more likely to go up a division than down one, but Reading are in a weird position and we are generally seen a sleeping giant that is stirring - as funny as that might sound to us at the minute.

I think he's one Evatt would love. Still struggling to see him dropping into League One, but you never know. Football is very, very strange right now.

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Wed Nov 24, 2021 1:01 pm

A nose round CARDIFF, who have an ageing squad, 10 players out of contract in summer and a new manager – former U23s boss Steve Morison – with a bit of a remit to rejuvenate the squad, judging by local-press comments.

Joe Ralls - left-sided centre-mid is out of contract in summer and Cardiff, not flush with cash, may decide to rebuild without him as Morison seeks a younger side. Now 28 with 276 Champo games under his belt, he's a reliable passer (roughly 75% accuracy almost all seasons) and tends to add 5-7 goals plus 4 assists per season. Also averaged more than 2 tackles in five of his last six Champo seasons. Definitely good enough; would he drop down? Same could apply to Will Vaulks, another 28-year-old centre-mid of contract in summer - ex Rotherham, scorer of goals.

Ciaron Brown - A 6ft 1in defender (left-back or centre-back), the London-born Norn Iron international (24 in January) came up through non-league and since signing for Cardiff at age 19 has been loaned to Livingston three times, being recalled from the last one after impressing – Rangers were "monitoring" him in summer. However, after being first-choice LB this season under McCarthy he was dropped to the bench in Morison's first game and hasn't played since. Decent tackle rate, high interception rate (eighth in the Champo this season), out of contract in summer, face might not fit.

Tom Sang - Contracted until 2023, but sounds like an Evatt sort of player and could be a loan option. The 22-yr-old, 6ft 1in Scouser started his career in the Wanderers academy; we released him at 14 but at 16 he joined Man U, where he got as far as training with the first team but was released at the end of his teens, Cardiff snapping him up. Described as “a neat passer”, he favours defensive midfield but can also play centre-back or full-back or wing-back, where Mick McCarthy picked him last spring.

In all, Sang has played 12 tier-two games for Cardiff and last season played 10 on loan at Cheltenham (Aug-Dec), where he had a 77.2% pass success rate - not bad for long-ballers. Intriguingly, local press imply he was largely played in attacking midfield there. Local Cardiff press speak of his “creativity, work rate and all-round ability on the ball". In April he sign a deal to 2023, but he had toe surgery in summer and new Cardiff manager Steve Morison is yet to pick him. That said, his former U23s boss Morison rates him: "There's scope for him to play anywhere across the middle. He can play that right-side role if we need and I think he could play in a front three. He's a dream to have in your squad. He'll do a good job and an honest job in any of those positions. I think it would be unfair for me to say he is limited to one position, because I don’t think he is."

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by GhostoftheBok » Wed Nov 24, 2021 1:21 pm

Isn't Ralls a first teamer for them when his shoulder isn't playing up?

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Wed Nov 24, 2021 1:27 pm

GhostoftheBok wrote:
Wed Nov 24, 2021 1:21 pm
Isn't Ralls a first teamer for them when his shoulder isn't playing up?
Most of the time, aye. It's a longer shot, that one, but there seems to be no movement towards contract renewal, so I thought I'd mention it.

Some of these players - like him and, from yesterday's clump, Shinnie - are older than I think Evatt/Markham/finances would ideally like, but they strike me as "beach-head" players for making the next jump up: too good for this division, good enough for the second. (Also well aware that right now we're still somewhat surveying the dots below us rather than above us, but I doubt we're planning for a fourth-tier term just yet.)

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by GhostoftheBok » Wed Nov 24, 2021 2:34 pm

I think what your look around the leagues shows is that there are a lot of players who could improve us and who might be realistic targets.

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Wed Nov 24, 2021 2:45 pm

GhostoftheBok wrote:
Wed Nov 24, 2021 2:34 pm
I think what your look around the leagues shows is that there are a lot of players who could improve us and who might be realistic targets.
I hope so, 'cos we're still not rich, and we have a lot of holes to fill.

Just done this to my fixtures/results/stats calendar and it's hardly chirpy. It's something and nothing, based on today's BN story estimating when players will be back; black lines are month-ends, red bars turns pink after "best hope" times, but some of those are basically guesses - Baptiste's medial ligament injury could be a career-ender for a bloke who's 36 in January.

And basically: this isn't a passing squall, a fortnight of minor absences. We are going to be underpowered for a while yet.
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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by sonicthewhite » Wed Nov 24, 2021 2:59 pm

I'd be looking to de-register Sheehan and Baptiste to free up a couple of places.
Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill!

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by The_Gun » Wed Nov 24, 2021 3:22 pm

It strikes me that wages could be a huge issue in trying to sign players from the Championship. I suspect that even a lot of fringe first teamers at that level would be on double the maximum we could offer.

Perhaps the stars might align for one Champo signing in Jan, but how many are likely to give up significantly higher wages to get first team football six months earlier than they might otherwise?

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by GhostoftheBok » Wed Nov 24, 2021 3:42 pm

The_Gun wrote:
Wed Nov 24, 2021 3:22 pm
It strikes me that wages could be a huge issue in trying to sign players from the Championship. I suspect that even a lot of fringe first teamers at that level would be on double the maximum we could offer.

Perhaps the stars might align for one Champo signing in Jan, but how many are likely to give up significantly higher wages to get first team football six months earlier than they might otherwise?
I think that's right, but there are exceptions. I'd look at Welsh players with the World Cup coming up and Wales in the play offs. Another exception is lads who have come through a club's academy system or teams that have been promoted from League One. In both cases you are often looking at lower wages. Last one is genuine financial issues and clubs looking at relegation (often the same).

There are ways to structure deals too. You'd imagine Derby and Reading might be willing to pay players off a percentage of their wages to get them off the books (as we have seen before), which would then make a move to us more attractive.

Lee dropped out of the Championship to League Two and didn't break our wage structure.

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Wed Nov 24, 2021 3:47 pm

He didn’t break it, but there were a lot of negotiations and, if I recall, some players left?

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by brommers95 » Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:01 pm

The_Gun wrote:
Wed Nov 24, 2021 3:22 pm
It strikes me that wages could be a huge issue in trying to sign players from the Championship. I suspect that even a lot of fringe first teamers at that level would be on double the maximum we could offer.

Perhaps the stars might align for one Champo signing in Jan, but how many are likely to give up significantly higher wages to get first team football six months earlier than they might otherwise?
Yeah, the vast majority of Championship players will be out of reach, but there will be some fringe players from certain clubs that aren't on mega wages and those are the guys we need to be looking for.

The likes of Coventry, Millwall, Blackpool, Luton, Peterborough, Hull, Preston, Barnsley and Huddersfield are the teams where we're most likely to find those guys.

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by officer_dibble » Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:33 pm

Accrington might get lucky against us (again) looking at that. Shame as we owe them a proper beating.

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:48 pm

brommers95 wrote:
Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:01 pm
The likes of Coventry, Millwall, Blackpool, Luton, Peterborough, Hull, Preston, Barnsley and Huddersfield are the teams where we're most likely to find those guys.
ALRIGHT BROMMERS I'LL GET ROUND TO IT

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by sonicthewhite » Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:55 pm

Dave Sutton's barnet wrote:
Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:48 pm
brommers95 wrote:
Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:01 pm
The likes of Coventry, Millwall, Blackpool, Luton, Peterborough, Hull, Preston, Barnsley and Huddersfield are the teams where we're most likely to find those guys.
ALRIGHT BROMMERS I'LL GET ROUND TO IT

Bleedin' hell :mrgreen:
Done it yet?
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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:56 pm

Dave Sutton's barnet wrote:
Wed Nov 24, 2021 3:47 pm
GhostoftheBok wrote:
Wed Nov 24, 2021 3:42 pm
Lee dropped out of the Championship to League Two and didn't break our wage structure.
He didn’t break it, but there were a lot of negotiations and, if I recall, some players left?
This is the quote I was thinking of:

“We are progressing and it is not a million miles away. As I say, because of the salary cap and where we are at, I want this club to be sustainable. We are currently working on what funds we can make available by moving players out before we finalise a deal with Kieran. It is going quite nicely, though, and we’re not too far away.”

(Interestingly, in the same piece: "First and foremost he has experience and he’s a leader. I don’t think we have too many leaders in the team – and in the spine of the team especially, you need it.")

Lee signed on Jan 8th - the day after George Taft left on loan and Declan John arrived....

Also from around that time - another set of quotes that echo down the months...

“This January is vital for a number of reasons – there are 26 games left, we are three or four wins off top spot, that’s how condensed things really are. If we put any sort of consistency together we’ll end up getting promoted. We might be 15th in the league but we’re still massively in this promotion race, no doubt about it. We have to improve the team and because behind the scenes we’re still working to get that recruitment structure in place, so we get ahead of the chain as I have already talked about, January becomes more of a quick fix. How can we improve the team now to get us to where we want to be – i.e. in League One next season? Then in the summer we can look, assess, we have X, Y and Z, where do we need to improve? What do they look like? I want to be planning for that February and March time.”

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:57 pm

sonicthewhite wrote:
Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:55 pm
Dave Sutton's barnet wrote:
Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:48 pm
brommers95 wrote:
Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:01 pm
The likes of Coventry, Millwall, Blackpool, Luton, Peterborough, Hull, Preston, Barnsley and Huddersfield are the teams where we're most likely to find those guys.
ALRIGHT BROMMERS I'LL GET ROUND TO IT

Bleedin' hell :mrgreen:
Done it yet?
It doesn't happen at the flick of a switch m8, like boiling a kettle :mrgreen:

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Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

Post by brommers95 » Wed Nov 24, 2021 5:01 pm

Dave Sutton's barnet wrote:
Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:48 pm
brommers95 wrote:
Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:01 pm
The likes of Coventry, Millwall, Blackpool, Luton, Peterborough, Hull, Preston, Barnsley and Huddersfield are the teams where we're most likely to find those guys.
ALRIGHT BROMMERS I'LL GET ROUND TO IT

Bleedin' hell :mrgreen:
:box:

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