Tooling up: The summer 2024 transfer thread

[Bertie Wooster]

Iles in on something tonight, he's saying that we are after Dembele (ex Celtic, Blackpool loanee) and John McAtee.

Strange that he's putting these names out in public - has he been told something by the club ?

Both strike me as fairly risky deals. Dembele potentially could be very exciting, but early days yet in his career. Mattee I have to say I’ve not been convinced by.

If Marc Iles has caught up with the story then we've probably enquired and the ship has sailed.

Per Darren Witcoop – a usually decent source – there have been offers for Dembele from Wednesday, Derby and Pompey (as well as club-confirmed interest from us). So clearly those higher-division clubs were happy to carry the risk. Which is less good news for us.

If that's the case it makes even less sense for Iles to report our interest - something doesn't quite add up to me with these Iles stories yesterday, apparently McAtee came on as a sub for Luton this afternoon in a friendly abroad which adds doubt to that as well, perhaps he's really struggling for readers ?

[The_Gun]

Iles in on something tonight, he's saying that we are after Dembele (ex Celtic, Blackpool loanee) and John McAtee.

Strange that he's putting these names out in public - has he been told something by the club ?

Both strike me as fairly risky deals. Dembele potentially could be very exciting, but early days yet in his career. Mattee I have to say I’ve not been convinced by.

If Marc Iles has caught up with the story then we've probably enquired and the ship has sailed.

Per Darren Witcoop – a usually decent source – there have been offers for Dembele from Wednesday, Derby and Pompey (as well as club-confirmed interest from us). So clearly those higher-division clubs were happy to carry the risk. Which is less good news for us.

If that's the case it makes even less sense for Iles to report our interest - something doesn't quite add up to me with these Iles stories yesterday, apparently McAtee came on as a sub for Luton this afternoon in a friendly abroad which adds doubt to that as well, perhaps he's really struggling for readers ?

It makes complete sense. The club are happy for Iles to run with the story because it shows they’re being ambitious in the market. At the same time they’re very likely aware of all those other clubs being in for the player, so releasing the news isn’t weakening their hand in any way.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

If we've acknowledged our interest, and the club hasn't asked him to keep schtum, then so he should report it.

One might suspect the club wants some good names out there to show we're tryin'....

[BWFC_Insane]

I suspect it’s simply a ‘club are being ambitious’ sort of message. Wouldn’t surprise me if we are really looking at other options and using these to show ambition and also keep more pressing targets out the media. Evatt was apparently talking about 7 figure bids for foreign targets at the event with Big Sam last week so one could be Dembele maybe but also could be someone as yet unheard of.

[jmjhb]

This summer's Kane Wilson then.

[officer_dibble]

Aye, more chance of signing Sam bloody Cosgrove than either of them feck*! Moving on!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Pompey gaffer rules out Dembele move
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... rs-target/

[knobpolisher]

I really expected a signing today, need players In ASAP.

[Worthy4England]

I really expected a signing today, need players In ASAP.

Aye. 17:00, has been and gone...was hoping for one in.

[TANGODANCER]

Something a bit "same old" right now. Any tricks up sleeves are hiding well. Que Sera, as ever.

[TANGODANCER]

A controversial topic I know, but Ricardo is a wee bit worrying for me. He has a habit of wandering a bit far forward at times and frankly, he's no Ussein Bolt at getting back. I know we think the offside trap will deter the front men/wingers, but it needs careful judgement as to how and when. At times he needs a bit more help than Jones or Iredale give him ,and balls over his head are red for dead signals. I think I'd have him hang back a bit and we need two good wing backs who can take a defender on instead of doing the hot potato polka very time they receive a pass. It's been a bit of a thing with me for a while as the Rio Ferdinand's side or back but never forward passes at international level (Luke Shaw take note) will prove , but in Div 1 fancy dancing needs to be looking forward, not back. Even Three Lions might think twice about taking on a pack of hyenas.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Long wait for loanees, sez Evatt, in (AFAIK) the first acknowledgement we might try the Traf/Bradley/Maghoma trick again. If we are to do so, it might not be for a month - by which time the Toughsheet will apparently resemble Jonestown.

“We've looked around [for loanees] but the Euros haven’t helped us. What you’ll find is that the big clubs have big tours around the world to go away and play games in, and players who have been away at the Euros have a holiday and take some time off, so the clubs take the best younger players away with them, filling the teams and squads for the pre-season games. There’s a knock-on effect there. The better loans won’t become available until the Premier League is back in action in the middle of August.”

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... gue-loans/

[Worthy4England]

We must've worked miracles to get Bradley and Traff in June, then. Maghoma was July. Good to know were after players at the Euros who are out on holiday, now, though. That 16 year old Spanish lad will fit in well...

[Worthy4England]

In fact, we can probably stretch to throwing in a pool inflatable too...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Traff came in January (the first time) and Bradley came in a non-(senior) tournament summer - 2022 World Cup was in winter. Maghoma was also a non-(senior) tournament summer.

The last senior tournament summer was 2021, and we only signed one loanee. Applause to anyone who can remember him.

[Worthy4England]

All good with it, as long as I don't hear "we didn't really get content, hamstring recovery etc. into the [X number] of loanees until October"

[knobpolisher]

Crelin? Or perhaps the chap from Blackburn Tom White

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

All good with it, as long as I don't hear "we didn't really get content, hamstring recovery etc. into the [X number] of loanees until October"

We might hear that, as it'd be true. Not that it would save Evatt's job.

Not sure what else we do. Sign worse players?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Crelin? Or perhaps the chap from Blackburn Tom White

Not that far back - they were summer 2020. We're talking about the first summer after promotion from the Fourth Division. Same summer we signed Dapo, Declan John, Aimson, Bakayoko, Dixon, Johnston, Sheehan and Kachunga on freebies.

[knobpolisher]

There was a lad from Huddersfield full back but can't recall his name.