Tooling up: The summer 2024 transfer thread

[dave the minion]

This is true. He is relatively small compared to some, but he won his fair share of aerial duels and wasn't afraid at all of getting stuck in.

Might need a little find to adjust to English football, but on today's 60 mins it looks very promising

[GhostoftheBok]

Schon is scrappy.

He went shoulder-to-shoulder with much bigger players, he won headers, he made tackles and he committed to every 50/50.

He's a bit naive defensively at times, but you can coach that.

I think he'll be easy to like.

[GhostoftheBok]

Evatt targeting "up to 4" new signings - per the Bolton News.

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

Danny Armstrong, John McAtee, Karamoko Dembele and Bosan Lawal anyone?

[officer_dibble]

and we’ll need 3 exits to accommodate them in the squad if they were all +21? Couple have to be under 21 loans I reckon. Maybe Dan shipped out?

[GhostoftheBok]

and we’ll need 3 exits to accommodate them in the squad if they were all +21? Couple have to be under 21 loans I reckon. Maybe Dan shipped out?

I think our keenness on Dembele is strongly related to his age, as well as his ability.

Someone like Lawal would be the same.

They've shown they can be top performers in this division, they have the skillsets we need in the squad and they're U21 for this season.

[GhostoftheBok]

However, I don't think Lawal will actually be the one we pick out - he's just the one I'd like.

Evatt was previously keen to mention that we were looking to use both out visa wavers this summer. So you'd think we might see another unheralded player from Europe, but probably U21. Pure guesswork, obviously. Just seems likely.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

While you're scouting:

Players born in 2003 (or later) are underage this season.
Players born in 2002 (or earlier) would take a squad space.

Hope that helps y'all as you look around for possibilities. They may not come to much but they help the day pass by.

[BWFC_Insane]

I really think we need another, maybe slightly bigger more physical Thomason. Someone who gets round the pitch with a good engine who never stops running. I think midfield is our big weak point. Sheehan we know where his limitations lie and against the best sides when it matters and it’s not just about some nice passing I think he’s a luxury at times. Morley is similar. He’s super on the ball but it’s all the other stuff I worry about. Dempsey grafts but is an in and out sort. He’s never running centre mid for 90 minutes and I don’t think he’s a number 6 consistently in this system.

I feel we asked too much of Thomason last season. He did the midfield work basically on his own for large parts and tired.

[GhostoftheBok]

While you're scouting:

Players born in 2003 (or later) are underage this season.
Players born in 2002 (or earlier) would take a squad space.

Hope that helps y'all as you look around for possibilities. They may not come to much but they help the day pass by.

Ha. No "scouting" from me this summer, I'm just enjoying the ride.

I always keep full spreadsheets on the state of play, as it's a good habit and keeps my eye in; but I'm not actively looking around.

If we get a name soon I'll watch them play a few games, as I always do.

I am not sure whether I posted it, or wrote the post and deleted it, but if Evatt got his known targets the last remaining point of failure in the squad would be Sheehan.

Every player's contribution could be covered for if they got injured, except Sheehan.

So with that reality in mind there's a choice - you get in another player of that ilk, or you change how you play when he's out.

If they can find an utterly press-resistant possession machine in Europe's youth market, god bless them. I'd personally like to see a ball-winner like Lawal, but with Josh 30 next summer and on an expiring deal the "new Sheehan" signing would be smart business.

[officer_dibble]

I really think we need another, maybe slightly bigger more physical Thomason. Someone who gets round the pitch with a good engine who never stops running. I think midfield is our big weak point. Sheehan we know where his limitations lie and against the best sides when it matters and it’s not just about some nice passing I think he’s a luxury at times. Morley is similar. He’s super on the ball but it’s all the other stuff I worry about. Dempsey grafts but is an in and out sort. He’s never running centre mid for 90 minutes and I don’t think he’s a number 6 consistently in this system.

I feel we asked too much of Thomason last season. He did the midfield work basically on his own for large parts and tired.

Agreed with this - really worried about how many suspensions Thomason will rack up this season - this formation asks more out of him than the 352.

[GhostoftheBok]

this formation asks more out of him than the 352.

Depends how you mean it. It asks considerably less of him in terms of all action midfield play. He's not covering anywhere near as much ground due to the extra body in midfield.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I feel we asked too much of Thomason last season. He did the midfield work basically on his own for large parts and tired.

Agreed with this - really worried about how many suspensions Thomason will rack up this season - this formation asks more out of him than the 352.

We won't really know until we watch a proper game, and even then we might not align on what we've noticed, but theoretically I disagree.

In last season's 3-1-4-2, the No.6 (usually Sheehan) was asked to mind the shop while the free 8s (usually Thomo and Paris) were asked to push on.

In this 3-4-2-1, with its 'box midfield', we essentially have two '6s' - let's say Sheehan and Thomo - with the two No.10s operating in front of them. That's the benefit of the box midfield - strength in numbers; I think it was Ghost who said we should often have a 4v3 overload in there.

Now obviously, starting formations are very simplistic compared to on-pitch positions, which tend to become complicated by the necessary evil of having an opposition to contend with - let alone the movement of the ball around the pitch. It also requires the two 10s to know when to drop in and when to spring out. But in theory, as I say, we should have more bodies in the middle - and less of Sheehan being overwhelmed in transition when we do lose the ball.

Let's hope so, anyways. Desperately trying to remain positive... but also, I hope, realistic. Can't do much about what others do in the market, and I'm not (yet?) overjoyed by our own business, but I do think this tweak could work in our favour.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

this formation asks more out of him than the 352.

Depends how you mean it. It asks considerably less of him in terms of all action midfield play. He's not covering anywhere near as much ground due to the extra body in midfield.

Nice to have a TL,DR version predate me

[GhostoftheBok]

Jordi Osei-Tutu is the latest link. Would be a right wingback for us.

Once of Arsenal, lots of experience of the lower leagues, currently in Germany and misses a lot of football with injuries. Has hamstrings made of cotton wool and hope.

The rumour comes from the same Twitter account that broke Schon.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Jordi Osei-Tutu is the latest link. Would be a right wingback for us.

Once of Arsenal, lots of experience of the lower leagues, currently in Germany and misses a lot of football with injuries. Has hamstrings made of cotton wool and hope.

The rumour comes from the same Twitter account that broke Schon.

25 now, so he'd take a squad slot.

Moved to Arsenal's youths from local club Reading just before his 17th birthday and turned pro. Travelled with the first-team squad on a 2018 pre-season tour to Singapore and then a mid-season training camp in Dubai, but never made the first team. The next season (2019/20) he was loaned to the then second-tier Vfl Bochum, then during 2020/21 to second-tier Cardiff, then in August 2021 to second-tier Forest.

Joined Rotherham for the second half of the 2021/22 season - the one they went up with Wigan, when we finished 9th after promotion. Appeared 14 times for them, most notably scoring the 96th-minute Wembley equaliser in the Sherpa Van final against Sutton - Rotherham powered past them in extra time to win 4-2.

That summer (2022) he signed a three-year deal with Bochum, by then back in the German top division, but hasn't played regularly. This January he was loaned to Greek top-flight side PAS Giannina - who finished bottom. He's still got a year on his contract, then, but he doesn't seem vital to Bochum, who themselves only avoided relegation last season via the playoffs.

[BWFC_Insane]

Jordi Osei-Tutu is the latest link. Would be a right wingback for us.

Once of Arsenal, lots of experience of the lower leagues, currently in Germany and misses a lot of football with injuries. Has hamstrings made of cotton wool and hope.

The rumour comes from the same Twitter account that broke Schon.

25 now, so he'd take a squad slot.

Moved to Arsenal's youths from local club Reading just before his 17th birthday and turned pro. Travelled with the first-team squad on a 2018 pre-season tour to Singapore and then a mid-season training camp in Dubai, but never made the first team. The next season (2019/20) he was loaned to the then second-tier Vfl Bochum, then during 2020/21 to second-tier Cardiff, then in August 2021 to second-tier Forest.

Joined Rotherham for the second half of the 2021/22 season - the one they went up with Wigan, when we finished 9th after promotion. Appeared 14 times for them, most notably scoring the 96th-minute Wembley equaliser in the Sherpa Van final against Sutton - Rotherham powered past them in extra time to win 4-2.

That summer (2022) he signed a three-year deal with Bochum, by then back in the German top division, but hasn't played regularly. This January he was loaned to Greek top-flight side PAS Giannina - who finished bottom. He's still got a year on his contract, then, but he doesn't seem vital to Bochum, who themselves only avoided relegation last season via the playoffs.

Doesn’t scream must have to me. Armstrong seems the better bet.

[GhostoftheBok]

He's extremely fast, very busy and can beat players for fun.

He's a player whose career has been stunted by injury and there's very little doubt he's talented enough to play higher up.

I thought the idea was we'd be taking fewer injury risks with the next lot of transfers, but pure on ability you'd have to say he's a good target.

You'd imagine that, if true, we've given up trying to agree a fee with Kilmarnock or are looking to pressure them. If we signed both him and Armstrong that'd be interesting and I wouldn't have seen it coming.

[GhostoftheBok]

Doesn’t scream must have to me. Armstrong seems the better bet.

Yes. Of the two I'd take Armstrong all day.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

The source says he's "attracting interest from clubs within the EFL. Bolton are the most recent to have a offer accepted. Up to the player".

I can see potential problems with J O-T, and it's not the sort of signing to break out the bunting for. But through Evatt's spell his signings at right(wing)back have prompted some shrugged shoulders. Some said Gethin was a journeyman jack of all trades, master of none; Kioso was a nobody who'd only played non-league; Fossey was a crock who barely got a game for Shrewsbury; Bradley was a kid who'd never played men's football; Cogz was Fourth Division and unlikely to improve at his age.

Strikes me as most likely he's being used to smoke out Kilmarnock from wanting too much – but the proof of the pudding etc and so on.

[GhostoftheBok]

Bid rejected for Luke McCowan, according to the impeccably sourced Anthony Joseph.

That would be a ridiculous coup, if it could be done.