Sounds like you're trying to leave a mental gymnastic available. Once Howes been backed to this degree it's all on him after bad results/performance (if that even happens). I certainly don't have an agenda, which is precisely why I've taken the neutral position on Howe vs Mitchell.
Add was the key word, but for clarity I'm saying add more quality, which hasn't been done for 2 years now and I'm sure they'll do that this summer.
Hall and Livramento belong on that list too. So, pretty much every player we've signed for the first team over the past few years.
Whilst I agree. There isn’t an awful lot of days in this mini window. But I’m not concerned. We will get the right players in. Howe PROMISED!
I was surprised, given the comments from sources in Jan/Feb, that Trafford at least wasn't ready to be confirmed. Now we're hearing was might, or might not, be "ready to bid". A phrase that seems to apply to us far more than other teams. Our last four moves in the transfer market have been for 3 players who weren't interested in coming (Huijsen, Olise, Delap), and 1 that the parent club didn't want to sell (Guehi). That feels like poor scouting to me. I don't know why we're not ready to sign players. Yes, it's a mini-window designed for World Club Cup teams, but what other scouting is there to now do? Surely any club gets to the beginning of a transfer window knowing a) who they want, b) which players are willing to come, c) which clubs are open to negotiations. The last bit should have started well before the window opens, as per Cunha/Zubamendi/Frimpong/Wirtz, etc. There should be backup plans in case clubs (or players) are then really unreasonable in their demands. Or am I over-simplifying it?!
I'm convinced there were comments like this last Summer. More specifically from July 1st when there was significant mental gymnastics about PSR, then again when £50m+ bids for Guehi came out about how we clearly had money and would definitely sign someone.
I hear you. And the points are valid until we actually sign some quality players. Thats the test though. Howe came out in the media saying we want our business done early. So let’s see if that happens. Im convinced that we will get some quality. But not the names that are being linked.
Had a hint of the Old Chaos Archives about it, but now I am retired I have more time to do this. Let me know if there is anything else you need researching. Currently trying to back up @Roland Deschain's post that Howe didn't want Desire Doue, but this could take some time.
https://onefootball.com/en/news/new...ung-prodigy-amidst-european-interest-37677825 I don’t think Howe rejected him. I think it’s more than likely it was the other way around.
Here we go. An example of Howe saying “No” maybe…. https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2025/06/...5m-back-up-plan-after-marc-guehi-bids-failed/
And they are obligated to buy him now for £35m I think. If you told me now we were buying him for that price as our CB option I wouldn't be overly impressed. As regards Doue, there's no chance he would have come here over PSG anyway. Similar to the Ekitike situation we'd be asking someone if they wanted to move to the capital of their own country for the same money and more prestige and trophies or come to us. We're a great psopect but we're not the draw to young french players as PSG are, not even close.
Apparently they are looking to flip him immediately as they don't want him. Chalk another one up to Howe. There is no way Doue would have come to us when you look at the list of teams that were scouting him, when we were supposedly interested.
