Schu me the way to Amarillo - Summer 2025 Transfer Thread

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

This has got a few people burbling contentedly...
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(the poster has 256 followers)

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

"Bristol Rovers have agreed a deal with Bolton Wanderers to sign goalkeeper Luke Southwood, Bristol Live understands, with the 27-year-old set to come in as the Gas' new number one."
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/foo ... n-10305888

[malcd1]

What would the work permit situation be anyway? I think this is an unlikely deal tbh. Sounds like fanciful reporting especially since we are committed to in person scouting, this guy hasn’t played much and feels like he’d be a random data pick if anything. Doubt we have had time to really look at these sorts of markets and work out options. That’s a year or two of work.

I guess if Iles has written it he must think there is something in it - fair do’s and if he can play LB and DM I could see the logic but I just don’t see the link to how we’d have picked him.

Far as I know we still have hope for Jacob.

Don’t forget the Swedish league is played in summer so is a quarter of the war through now.

Ceesay has played over 100 games in the Swedish top division and only turned 22 last month. It might not be an exceptional level in Sweden but it is not bad number of games played. It looks like he has played 10 from 13 games this season which started on 29th March and finishes on 9th November. We may have scouted him enough this current season to see he would be a good signing.

I guess - maybe. Still feels quite left field to me.

I certainly don’t disagree. Of course, it could be our new scouting system has started or he may even have been on Fergal’s radar previously.

I think this could be an interesting time in our history. Let’s hope it takes to that next level.

[truewhite15]

Just told my daughter that there's bad news, that it looks like Luke is leaving.

She looked up briefly from her tablet, said "oh", and returned to her game.

Crisis averted, then...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Just told my daughter that there's bad news, that it looks like Luke is leaving.

She looked up briefly from her tablet, said "oh", and returned to her game.

Crisis averted, then...

She thinks she's got it bad. I'm running out of opportunities to do my Angel of the North "Look Southward" joke

Anyway, Ilesy update:
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... vers-move/
"It now seems likely that Steven Schumacher will bring in some more goalkeeping cover, although the club also intend to take a good look at Luke Hutchinson in pre-season to see whether he is ready to act as understudy."
and
"Wanderers are remaining quiet on the level and status of their interest in [Ceesay], who is out of contract in December, but it is thought they will have to pay a six-figure cash fee to bring him to England."

[The_Gun]

Promising young winger/10 Dubem Eze loaned to Scunthorpe for the season.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... pe-united/

Scunny are back in the fifth tier after promotion last season from the National League North.

Have to say I was initially slightly disappointed Eze didn't get a better destination - he shifted up in spring from tier 6 to Halifax, chasing play-off promotion back to the league - but on reflection, maybe we think at Glanford Park he'll get more game-time. The BN is reporting it's his final season but we do have a year's extension option, and 2026/27 will be his final underage season, so we've got time yet.

Looks a suitable move for him, on the face of it. He only made a few sub appearances for Halifax last season, so in the first instance he needs to prove he’s good enough for that level. Maybe if things went very well he might get L2 interest in Jan.

Good luck to the lad, hopefully he can do a Conway and show he’s good enough to be a professional footballer.

[nicholaldo]

I'd be surprised, and somewhat alarmed, if we go into the season with Hutch as second choice.

[irie Cee Bee]

I'd be surprised, and somewhat alarmed, if we go into the season with Hutch as second choice.

Why is that? Is he no good? The few times I have seen him he looks decent.

[Worthy4England]

I'd be surprised, and somewhat alarmed, if we go into the season with Hutch as second choice.

Why is that? Is he no good? The few times I have seen him he looks decent.

It's a fair question. Not seen enough of him here, but if a 22 year old GK isn't somewhere close to L1 football then maybe he's not the one for us. If we improve the defending in front of him, it'll help, massively. If it's as poor as last year, then our number 1 probably going to have a few problems too.

[The_Gun]

I'd be surprised, and somewhat alarmed, if we go into the season with Hutch as second choice.

Didn't Marc Iles say that Schumacher is now looking to bring in experienced cover? I'm guessing a veteran in the mould of a Joel Coleman or a Matt Gilks, of course hopefully more like the latter rather than the former.

For example, Andy Lonergan and Mark Howard are currently free agents and might be willing to act as second/third choices as they transition into coaching.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Didn't Marc Iles say that Schumacher is now looking to bring in experienced cover?

He wrote:
"It now seems likely that Steven Schumacher will bring in some more goalkeeping cover, although the club also intend to take a good look at Luke Hutchinson in pre-season to see whether he is ready to act as understudy."

I'm guessing a veteran in the mould of a Joel Coleman or a Matt Gilks, of course hopefully more like the latter rather than the former.

For example, Andy Lonergan and Mark Howard are currently free agents and might be willing to act as second/third choices as they transition into coaching.

There are loads of 30+ freebie goalkeepers who may (or may not) fill the hole. Obviously depends on their attitude, wage, and maybe whether Owain Fon Williams wants a rookie coach around - although as his duties seem to be spread quite wide (bwfc.co.uk: "Fôn Williams will lead the Club’s goalkeeping department, overseeing the development of goalkeepers at all levels") he may want some sort of help, although I'm aware he already has academy goalkeeper coach Andy Fairman, who stepped up when Gilks left.

English goalkeepers who were employed until yesterday include...
• Andy Lonergan, as you say, who left Wigan
• Mark Howard, as you say, who left Wrexham
• Richard O'Donnell (Blackpool)
• David Button (Reading)
• Scott Carson (Man City! After four years!)
• Ben Hamer (Sheff Wed)
• Jed Steer (Posh)

As I say - no idea if any are interested, or still fit for first-team cover, or would take a small enough wage. But there's not nobody.

[Mar]

Some of the older players on that list would probably do a good job covering. I do wonder whether Owain Fon Williams would still be capable of stepping in should we need. Although he's 3 years since his last match so I don't think it'd be suitable.

[TonyDomingos]

"Wanderers are remaining quiet on the level and status of their interest in [Ceesay], who is out of contract in December, but it is thought they will have to pay a six-figure cash fee to bring him to England."

Tucked away in an article on midfield options, Iles mentions that Ceesay wasn't in the squad for Norrkoping's game last night. But, before we all get a bit giddy, he wasn't in the squad for their previous game at the end of May, so probably nothing in it.

Or maybe there is! (Desperately trying to keep this terrible transfer thread alive!)

[Prufrock]

It's only just July. Cool your jets.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Tucked away in an article on midfield options, Iles mentions that Ceesay wasn't in the squad for Norrkoping's game last night. But, before we all get a bit giddy, he wasn't in the squad for their previous game at the end of May, so probably nothing in it.

Talk from the Swedish side is that the agent, who seems very 'busy', wants Wanderers to pay a fee of £383,000 for Ceesay, of which he (the agent) wants to keep £268,000 for himself. That's.... bold.

[Bijou Bob]

And we wonder why agents get a bad name.....

In other news, I see Danny Ward has just signed for Wrexham. Another one we were allegedly looking at, at some stage.

[TonyDomingos]

Tucked away in an article on midfield options, Iles mentions that Ceesay wasn't in the squad for Norrkoping's game last night. But, before we all get a bit giddy, he wasn't in the squad for their previous game at the end of May, so probably nothing in it.

Talk from the Swedish side is that the agent, who seems very 'busy', wants Wanderers to pay a fee of £383,000 for Ceesay, of which he (the agent) wants to keep £268,000 for himself. That's.... bold.

I think the Swedish agent is Fvingers Indertil?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Tucked away in an article on midfield options, Iles mentions that Ceesay wasn't in the squad for Norrkoping's game last night. But, before we all get a bit giddy, he wasn't in the squad for their previous game at the end of May, so probably nothing in it.

Talk from the Swedish side is that the agent, who seems very 'busy', wants Wanderers to pay a fee of £383,000 for Ceesay, of which he (the agent) wants to keep £268,000 for himself. That's.... bold.

I think the Swedish agent is Fvingers Indertil?

I did become very confused when reports started referring to 'Beijing', which as far as I'm aware isn't anyone's name. Turns out Google was autotranslating from 'Peking', which seems to be a nickname for Norrkoping (think Latics).

Beijing: Agent has threatened our association and sports director
IFK Norrköping claims that an agent made "direct and indirect threats" to both sports director Magni Fannberg and the club.
- The behavior is completely unacceptable, says chairman Martin Gyllix in a statement.
On its website, IFK Norrköping states that it wants to protest against "pressure and threats".

"IFK Norrköping's board and club management have recently received serious communication from a player agent directed at the association's sports director, Mr. Magni Fannberg. The agent in question not only expresses himself derogatorily through personal attacks but also conveys direct and indirect threats against the association's sports director and the association in general," it is written.

It's all about the dialogue surrounding a player transfer.

The association claims that the agent has said that, assuming he does not get what he wants, he will actively "work to ensure that Norrköping does not receive a single penny in transfer fees for the player in question". The agent has also, according to Peking, announced that he intends to blackmail Fannberg to both the board and main partners.

Chairman Martin Gyllix is ​​condemnatory.

- We will never accept or give in to external parties' vested interests and attempts to control how we conduct our business. The association is member-controlled and we therefore protect the interests of the association and its members at all times, says Gyllix in a statement.

- The behavior in question is serious and completely unacceptable and we condemn that type of communication with the association's employees in the strongest possible terms.

Furthermore, IFK Norrköping writes that the agent also expressed "direct personal attacks" against Fannberg and questioned the sports director's experience and competence in "a directly inappropriate manner".

- The board, Magni Fannberg and I have a very close dialogue and we stand behind Magni who does fantastic work for the association. We have had an internal dialogue for some time about being even more externally transparent regarding agent fees for each individual transfer and the issue is even more relevant after this type of action from an agent, says club director André Skagervik.

Skagervik continues:

- Of course, we are positive about external interests in the club's players. However, any deals will be made on the club's terms.

IFK Norrköping, who do not want to give any further comments, announce that they will take the incident further within Swedish football.

[Bijou Bob]

Tucked away in an article on midfield options, Iles mentions that Ceesay wasn't in the squad for Norrkoping's game last night. But, before we all get a bit giddy, he wasn't in the squad for their previous game at the end of May, so probably nothing in it.

Talk from the Swedish side is that the agent, who seems very 'busy', wants Wanderers to pay a fee of £383,000 for Ceesay, of which he (the agent) wants to keep £268,000 for himself. That's.... bold.

I think the Swedish agent is Fvingers Indertil?

Do you think we were Bjorn Yestidij?