Snog, Marry, Avoid: Summer 2023 Transfer Window

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Nixon is linking Markham to the Director of Football role at Huddersfield. I can see that they’d be interested in him, but not sure the interest would be mutual.

I think that last bit has been hanging round a few months now, but worth repeating.

Yeah, it's one reason I wanted them to go down.

[TonyDomingos]

Zach Robinson? No, me neither.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... -robinson/

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Time for another nosey at a relegated Champo club....

READING

In 2021, Reading finished 7th in the Championship. If finishing a place below that dotted line hurt, finishing below the drop-zone dots could be a serious problem for a club whose fans must now be worried about the possible nominative determinism of owner Dai Yongge.

In November 2021 they were docked 6pts and placed under embargo for breaching what's known in that division as "profit and sustainability rules"; they stayed up in 21st position by four points, and seven clear of Derby, who'd been docked 21pts.

In April 2023 they were docked 6pts and placed under embargo for breaching what's known in that division as "profit and sustainability rules"; this time they succumbed to gravity, dropping into the third tier for the first time in two decades. They also went 12 matches without a win and won just three away games all season.

They also have 16 players out of contract in summer – six loanees and 10 'permanents'. We might reasonably expect further departures among those with longer contracts – such as Andy Carroll.

The 10 permies are mostly an ageing bunch. You'd be surprised if we were to pick up Scott Dann (36), Shane Long (36), Junior Hoilett (33 in summer), or Liam Moore (30 and out with a ligament injury).

Striker LUCAS JOAO also turns 30 in September, but you could make the case for signing a 6'4" striker who scored 19 in that relatively recent 7th-placed season (then 10 in 24 last season, if only 7 in 33 this). Paul Ince has got him to work harder, which would be a key concern. But others might be interested - he was even linked with Everton in January.

Another forward option might be YAKOU MEITE. Now 27, the 6'1" Ivorian forward has scored 42 in 156 Champo games for the Royals, from various positions in the front three. Most recently, twas his late late goal that relegated Wigan, so he's already a hero to me.

Goalkeeper LUKE SOUTHWOOD (age 25) has been on loan at Cheltenham this season and kept 16 clean sheets in 45 games. He's got a Northern Ireland cap, but just the one, in March 2022, so I dunno how well he knows our Norn Iron lads.

NESTA GUINNESS-WALKER is interesting. The 23-year-old only signed for Reading last year, on a free from AFC Wimbledon (82 League Ione games across three seasons), after impressing on trial. He's fought with Chelsea loanee Baba Rahman for the left wingback slot, and impressed Reading fanzine The Tilehurst End ("great lung-busting overlaps... stretching the defence," "has shown his attacking quality and given Reading an outlet to get the ball to deliver crosses"). Whether the Twickenham lad would fancy the move north is up for debate, but he fought his way up through non-league with Met Police – something Evatt would approve of.

AMADOU MBENGUE is also intriguing. The Senegalese centre-back, now 21, was initially only given a contract to January but this was extended to summer. He quickly proved his versatility; The Tilehurst End notes he rapidly "played on the right-hand side of a defensive three, right wing-back, left-hand side of another defensive three and then as a right-sided centre back in a four, and in none of those games did he look out of place... his best position could ultimately be as a defensive midfielder. He’s got the mobility, pace and power." But would he get a work permit? Genuine dunno.

Also on a free is young midfielder Dejan Tetek, an Oxford-born Serbian international central midfielder, who's 21 in autumn but had an injury-wrecked season.

As for the loanees - I assume we won't be throwing money at Chelsea's Baba Rahman, Newcastle's Jeff Hendrick or Porto's Mamadou Loum, none of whom are out of contract. Reading returned to Chelsea in January to borrow 20yo Italian central midfielder Cesare Casadei, who's got five years left on his contract.

Conversely, Forest would be happy to sell fellow loanee midfielder TYRESE FORNAH to the Royals, who may now not fancy the £1m fee. Fornah, 23, is an athletic 6'1" defensive midfielder who can tackle, deal with a press and find a pass out of defence. He has a year on his Forest contract and may attract Champo interest if Reading baulk at the fee (or he doesn't fancy dropping down with them – although he said in spring he'd love to stay).

The final loanee is also a possibility... if a mixed bag. JOE LUMLEY – sadly his middle name's Patrick, not Anna – is a 28yo, 6'3" keeper who came through Spurs' ranks, spent 8 years at QPR (mostly on loan) and then moved to Boro two years ago. Asked to player sweeper-keeper (yay!), a high-profile error (oh...) saw him booed by his own fans. Packed off to Berkshire, he won credit for his personality (Tilehurst End: "boisterous... magnetic... everyone on the pitch is going to hear him") and his distribution ("brilliant at times, especially when playing the ball long"). However, his shot-stopping percentage is below average for the division. He's out of contact in summer, and although Boro have a year's option, they're thought unlikely to take it up.

[Harry Genshaw]

There's a piece on Twitter today about Reading's financial feck ups. Eye watering stuff and I suspect they have the stark choice next season of either, rebuilding from youth and on the cheap, or breaching ffp regs again.

I'd love Meite but can't imagine we could afford him.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

There's a piece on Twitter today about Reading's financial feck ups. Eye watering stuff and I suspect they have the stark choice next season of either, rebuilding from youth and on the cheap, or breaching ffp regs again.

I still often think of this. 211% wage to turnover.
.

.
19/24 clubs operating above 100% W2T. Of the other 5, 4 were (I think) still on parachute money. The other was Rotherham.

[sonicthewhite]

Zach Robinson? No, me neither.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... -robinson/

He scored last night to help Dundee to a 5-3 win over Queens Park and in doing so beating them to the title. Oh, and Queens Park are managed by one O.Coyle

[officer_dibble]

Saw Owen Coyle trending on Twitter last night - turns out all you could hear on the bbc coverage was him constantly shouting “track your runner”.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Morecambe relegated, so expect contract-lapsing Cole Stockton to leave.

This season's goals per calendar month:
July-Nov: Zero
Dec-Mar: 1 each
and then seven in the last four games.

[nicholaldo]

Evatt's post-match comments suggest Ndlundulu will be one of our summer signings.

I haven't had the opportunity to see very much of him so will have to defer to others (and I know there are certainly mixed reviews) but from my limited viewing I think he might potentially have something. He took his goal very well today at least.

[Prufrock]

It's a tough one. I can't see us keeping both him and Bod, and he's been pretty underwhelming so far. But there clearly a lot of talent there. He looks a lot fitter and more confident. I'm tempted to think they think they'll be able to get it out of him.

[Harry Genshaw]

Dan's another year left at Southampton hasn't he? I can't see them releasing him for nowt as a championship side next season.

[BWFC_Insane]

You’ve got to ask yourself next season how confident you are going in with Charles, Nlundulu, Adeboyejo and Jerome as your four. I would not be. At all.

You’ve got two lads mid twenties there with barely any goals between them in their careers. Yes it’s possible one comes good it’s also possible they do not.

Adeboyejo had a decent game today. Still looks clumsy at times but he definitely seemed happier ‘up on his own’ with options off him. Dan took his goal superbly but there was also completely wild moments too.

I’m not convinced - I’d be more happy to take Dan as a project fourth striker if Adeboyejo looked more consistently menacing. But I still feel he will struggle here with the way we play.

It leaves a lot on Charles still.

[The_Gun]

If we don’t get promoted I’d say there would be some merit in looking at signing Dan, but only if there was no fee, or it was negligible. If we get promoted then no chance - he’s clearly not ready to play a division up.

[Worthy4England]

Evatt's post-match comments suggest Ndlundulu will be one of our summer signings.

I haven't had the opportunity to see very much of him so will have to defer to others (and I know there are certainly mixed reviews) but from my limited viewing I think he might potentially have something. He took his goal very well today at least.

His post match (N'lundulu's), certainly suggest he'd be happy here. This one, probably more than most going to be whether coaching team, having worked with him 5 months, think there's a decent chance of more to come. He has looked better every game for me but obvs which Div we end up in, also likely a big factor, should that happen, you probably start asking yourself which of the strikers could make the leap, including Dion...

[LeverEnd]

Evatt's post-match comments suggest Ndlundulu will be one of our summer signings.

I haven't had the opportunity to see very much of him so will have to defer to others (and I know there are certainly mixed reviews) but from my limited viewing I think he might potentially have something. He took his goal very well today at least.

His post match (N'lundulu's), certainly suggest he'd be happy here. This one, probably more than most going to be whether coaching team, having worked with him 5 months, think there's a decent chance of more to come. He has looked better every game for me but obvs which Div we end up in, also likely a big factor, should that happen, you probably start asking yourself which of the strikers could make the leap, including Dion...

Southampton presumably thought he had premier league potential, so championship football shouldn't be beyond his talents. Wasn't that impressed in the one game I saw but that means nothing, since it's one game and I consistently prove to myself that I know bugger all about football. I was convinced for ages that Ngog would come good!
Definitely a case of if the price is right with this lad. Don't want us saddled with another Amos/sordell scenario with a crippling contract.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Really doubt we'll cripple ourselves with it. This management seems a much wiser bunch.

Doesn't help negotiations though when the gaffer says he could be Ivan Toney 2....

Still not sure he's the mon for us but i do think there's a player in there and he showed more of it this weekend. The end of the season has come a bit too soon for him. He's also not helped by the fact we have at least three strikers contracted next season – the two biggest signings of the last two seasons (Dion and Ade) plus an experienced head in Jerome – and we should be seriously considering extending Bod's contract.

It's also still up in the air re divisions. I suspect promotion would change the equation significantly.

[jmjhb]

It should be way down our list of priorities.

[officer_dibble]

It should be way down our list of priorities.

Do you mean a striker? For me goal scoring is our number one thing to sort this summer, whatever division we are in.

[nicholaldo]

I was quite taken aback by how enamoured Evatt seemed to be with him.

[TANGODANCER]

Go with what we've got...