Transfer Rumours Summer 2025 1 - 10 June, 16 June - 1 September

We need a new midfield? Really? While it's hard to say for sure without knowing who our manager will be and what formation we'll play, right now our first choice midfield looks very good indeed. We should have Downes and Charles as DMs, who'd be a formidable pairing in the middle of the park, and if we somehow keep Fernandes that's an immense midfield trio for the Championship. Aribo and/or Smallbone would be okay as squad options and while we need more options as backup the first 11 quality is there.

Obviously if Fernandes goes he needs to be replaced but if he does leave we'll get big money for him, and that feels like a position where there'll be young players available on loan from Premier League teams.

I think goalkeeper is probably the priority and the attack definitely needs work. Even if Armstrong stays and plays out on the right, I wouldn't want to bank on him being quite as good again (not because he's not a good player, more because he was SO good last time it'd be asking a lot to reach the same heights) while I have no idea who we'd play up front or wide left.

 

Come the opening game of the season, I'm expecting us to line up with at least half of our starting 11 as new players. It' going to be strange season.

 

Don’t know anything about Johnston apart from he’s good on FM. RB is an interesting position for us this summer with KWP leaving. I’m confident in Sugawara for the Championship and think his ability going forward will be a big asset, the fact he can’t defend at all hopefully won’t be as big an issue as this year. Bree is also a solid option as a back up/rotation so interesting if we are looking at another one, maybe we think Sugawara is off

 

From what I understand, Yuki has no interest in staying and has been on the beach in recent weeks. His agents are already working on deals and Rusk isn't even picking him in the matchday squads unless he has to (KWP getting sick; but Bree playing)

 

In that case **** him. Let him rot in the U21 squad for a year if we don't get a reasonable offer for him.

 

Fair enough, sounds like he’s off then. Links to Johnston make sense then, though if any of those other teams are interested unlikely we get him

 

I know there was interest from a fair few other clubs when we signed him, so I'd image there will be interest. Hard to know what a good price is for him though.

 

Well that would just be idiotic

 

So we sell him for peanuts then? If we get a reasonable offer sell him but keep him away from the first team squad until then.

 

Depends what you consider peanuts, but yeah I’d be selling him. He only cost like £6m or something wasn’t it so even if he left for free (which he won’t) it’s not like we lost much

 

I'd say 8mill or so is reasonable.

 

Hes also not going to be the only one doing this. It’s all part of the transfer game. Whoever is still here when the window closes will want to play, but until then they will do all they can to get a move away

 

Yeah I’m no expert in player pricing but I don’t think many would agree that his price should’ve gone up after this last season. Hes basically confirmed he isn’t up to the PL defensively, add in that if what DTLW has heard he clearly wants out then I think we will struggle to get what we paid for him unless there are a couple of clubs who want him.

Only thing really going for Saints is I assume he has at least 3 years left on his contract

 

Before reading what DTLW wrote I assumed Sugawara would be off back to Europe. Slightly surprised he’s completely clocked, off but not bothered tbh. He’s been really poor for us and barely played for ages. I can see him going for around £5m.

 

If we can recoup what we paid then sell him and move on. No harm done, well, not off the pitch anyway.

 

Whilst I think I'm expecting the same, there's no doubt in my mind that we could bring in £150m+ in sales and still have the bones of a squad which really competes with just 4 or 5 good additions:

McCarthy/Bazunu
Manning/Welington/Taylor
Bednarek/ Edwards/ Stephens/ Wood
Sugawara/Bree
Downes/ Charles / Aribo / Smallbone
Sulemana/ Fraser / Edozie/ Archer / Adam A
Onuachu/Stewart

Plus u21 stepping up.

It just shows the gulf between the two leagues really.

 

Quite happily get rid of the lot of them apart from Fernandes.

Of course you can't do that overnight but we somehow have to build a new team capable of being premiership ready in 15 months.

Assuming SR have premiership ambitions...

 

In my fantasy, we sign Hackney this summer and keep Fernandes. Having those two, together with Downes and Charles, as our central options would be outstanding for the Championship.

And as you say, someone like Smallbone can hang around as a squad player. But get Aribo off the wage bill.

 

Even out of your list, the following are all very likely to leave.
Taylor
Bednarek
Sugawara
Aribo
Sulemana
Archer
Onuachu

Then you have question marks over Arma, Fraser and Edozie too.

 

Are we confident that Downes will still be with us next season?
He seemed to be well up for a move to Ipswich in January and seemed to be well pissed off for several weeks when the move didn’t happen, plus there was the fall out with Juric and him missing Russell.
If McKenna stays at Ipswich I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to get him and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went.
Basically I want the same as I wanted last summer.
Players who are powerful, quick, decent on the ball and with the ability to contribute a few goals.
Pace throughout the team has become so important across the leagues and we have one of the slowest squads around. Very pedestrian which is why so many get yellow cards on the half way line because they can’t match opponents for pace, so they grab hold of them.
Smallbone is probably the worst for doing that.