Today there are links to a CM (Longstaff - but could just be agent talk to pressure Everton) and a young LB from Everton So perhaps it could happen Add Broja as a striker option is immediately an improvement on last season as Long and Obafemi weren’t here or available for most of it And objectively Vestergaard should be replaceable. He was abject at his start here. Then poor. Very good for half of last season and then very poor again. And we aren’t losing central defensive leadership with him either as he didn’t really have it. People can point to him being the best of our defenders last year but that is largely irrelevant when you consider the second half of the season when they were all bad That is why the club is “relaxed”. Of course they could make a recruitment mistake. But you never know Then factor in that there is one loan slot that I feel sure we will try and use since I expect the wage budget will have space given who we have let go. I don’t think this loan slot will go to a backup LB but I guess it could go to a CB or CM if we choose not to explore permanent options
Here’s an idea. Why don’t we give the club the benefit of the doubt until at least the close of the transfer window. It seems the same fans who are bemoaning the failure to replace the defensive God known as Vestergaard were the same ones willing to drive him up to Leicester a while back. Similarly doubtful are the fans that say replacing Ings (12 goals last season) with Armstrong (38 goals last season) has not ‘improved’ us. I’m not saying it has but for the record saturdays Twitter timeline was heavy with Villa fans complaining about Ings (suggesting they had been ripped off by Saints) whilst we were elated with Armstrong’s performance. Only time will tell so let’s give it time.
What on Earth did they actually think we would be willing to release him for? They didn’t honestly think they were remotely in the ball park with £25m right?
It’s crazy isn’t it? I remember bringing up a couple of times how random European midfielders with a couple of years experience were being quoted for 20m in places. The idea of 25m for an English player with 9 premier league seasons under his belt and 4 years left on his contract was so utterly ludicrous I bet our board thought it was a joke. No wonder we dismissed it as derisory
I know the Athletic is well thought of here but that story is well wide of the mark. I don't think he would leave even if we had a bid of £100m. He's just too important right now. To the team, but even more so to the credibility of the board. £50m is not even close to his true worth (in the current climate).
The quote on JWP is apparently “somewhere around half of what jack grealish cost Man City”. So not explicitly 50m
It's just a Villa source thinking out loud in The Athletic article. Would take a lot more then £50 million too.
MODS I want to complain. I have logged on here to read a couple of pages of puns and what do I get? Transfer rumours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Disappointed
My Toon mate reckons both the Longstaff brothers aren’t premier league standard. Very keen to offload them. Reckons it’s only because they are local lads that they have been given more leeway. Struggle to get into poor side. Loans maybe but not buys.
I said on here at the weekend that Shelvey-Hayden isn't anywhere close to being a PL standard midfield. And the Longstaff's are behind them...
We will find out soon, don’t we play them soon? Have a feeling we will beat them, then again I had a similar feeling about Everton.
Anyone remember the bizarre phenomenon of Sean Longstaff mania? https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/02/manc...ewcastle-united-star-sean-longstaff-11990449/
