Transfer Rumours Summer 2025 Transfer Thread…

Slater spanked one against Stoke too but it doesn’t mean they’re any less limited. Some good attributes for sure but neither are good enough on the ball to consistently play for a top half championship side in my opinion. Both poor in tight areas and both lack the ability to take it on the half turn and progress the ball forward. Neither do enough offensively either and especially in the case of Simmons, he makes too many mistakes in big moments. One of his goals from outside the box was a ****e deflected shot against Burnley, so you can’t be counting that as an example of his ball striking prowess? He also cost us big points against Portsmouth - missed with the goal gaping to put us 2 nil up before half time from 7 yards. Then ****ed up a clearance just after half time for them to level 1-1. I think calling him limited is very fair, as is bang average for this level and not good enough for a team with any ambition of having a decent championship season.

 

I don’t necessarily agree with your whole post but the skill sets and expectations for a defensive midfielder versus a box-to-box midfielder are quite different. Sure, they share some similarities but I think it’s easier to be a decent box-to-box midfielder than it is to be a decent defensive midfielder.

You mentioned Simons and Slater being poor in tight spaces, not being composed enough on the half-turn and not progressive enough. Some defensive midfielders are mainly ball-winners whose job it is to shield the defence. They may not be great on the ball but it still requires a lot of awareness and positional discipline. Others are more ball-players or ‘deep-lying playmakers’. I’d class Alzate as a deep-lying playmaker. Simons has the physicality but not necessarily the composure on the ball or awareness off it to be either type of defensive midfielder but I think he’d make a decent box-to-box midfielder as he’s quite athletic and likes to get forward and shoot. Slater’s good at carrying the ball but his passing range isn’t that good, he’s not confident receiving the ball under pressure and his defensive side is pretty poor as well. Again, he’s a box-to-box midfielder but his weaknesses have been even more exposed this season. Really think if Zambrano hadn’t been banned and he played as the deepest midfielder with Alzate a bit further forward then we would have created and scored more goals.

 

Yeah i know slater and Simons aren’t the same player, just that I think they’re both very limited on the ball. Alzate, much like seri, is clearly a deep lying playmaker so it’d be unfair to expect as much of Simons in that area. That being said, he’s not good enough defensively either to justify being that limited on the ball. Agree with Slater, good legs and good carrier of the ball but again, do his strengths outweigh how limited he is on the ball? I don’t think so, he was guilty of missing loads of chances under Tim, but I can understand why others value him more. In the small time we saw Matazo, he looked so impressive because he had legs and energy much like slater, but was also far better on the ball. Puerta again is technically far better, but doesn’t have the legs slater does, though i actually think he’s still a decent ball carrier cause he’s a decent dribbler

 

Baz saying we want Lewis o brien for the 145th time

 

Saying we want him or saying we should go for him?

 

On his pod cast he said “we should”. Not sure if that’s changed

 

Actually Syd
https://x.com/bazdjcooper/status/1933026479064949058?s=46

 

Yes that's what threw me as I heard the pod too which sounded like him recommending, but sounds like there's been an update. Wonder if Acun should just cut out the middle man and employ Baz if he's going to just go after Baz's recommendations - Kamara, Selles now O'Brien.

 

I suspect McBurnie will be looking to a team where he will get game time,

 

Well he would get it here in fact he would get so many games he would be knackered.

 

O'Brien would be such a key signing if we can get him in. We would be one of the most experienced teams in the championship if we're able to bring in him and McBurnie (adding to what we have)

 

Egan/O’Brien/Mcburnie is a decent spine

 

Signings like O’Brien and McBurnie are so important to balance out those from the continent.

Both of them will hit the ground running as they know what the championship is about, the other signings might be great but could take longer to bed in.

We also focus on the duds from abroad but I don’t think we have a bad record when you look at Alzate, Puerta, Belloumi, Matazo, Pandur, Pedro and Zambrano - who have either done really well or still have great potential.

 

Alzate was signed from Brighton.. Puerta I'd say has been hit and miss, we saw about a month or so of Belloumi although it was promising, even less from Matazo but ditto, and Pedro was only extended to get a fee. I wouldn't say we have a stellar record.

 

Not stellar, but…

- Pedro for free will sell for a fee
- Alzate for free will sell for decent fee
- Puerta will eventually go for more than we paid for him and if he stays I think will have an even better season.
- Belloumi and Matazo showed in their fleeting appearances that they could be amongst the best players we have at the club.

 

But, again, Alzate was signed domestically so isn't in the same class as the rest. Pedro we will get a nominal fee for which will still be nice to get something but I don't think it's a profit in the strictest sense (he was 'free' but I'm sure we paid a signing on fee plus reasonable wages..)

Just saying the foreign business has been fine but no more amazing than Philogene signing for 5m and selling for 16m a year later for instance.

 

Thought it was that striker, got excited. Still nice to get something done.

 

Although Alzate's last permanent club was Brighton, he had spent the last 2 seasons with them on loan in Belgium I think? So can understand why he was bracketed in with the others, he was also a free agent so not technically signed domestically but that is a bit pedantic.