Transfer Rumours Summer 2025 Transfer Thread…

dunno blind foolish optimism

 

Have we had the word that it'll need to be one in, one out if they are to allow any deal?

 

Every. ****ing. Season. Every Summer we repeat this same dance, it's like we can't help ourselves.

Yeah ok other clubs miss out on transfer targets, it's not that rare. But for us it's like this process we must perennially undergo, like some sort of weird ritual; we seem to have a big target identified in May, by June they're ready to sign, by July they're sat waiting and by August they've ****ed off elsewhere and we start the process all over again and we all go "oh well they can't have been that good then" as if somehow us dicking about or being **** at transfers is an indicator of player ability.

I'm not going to question why McBurnie fell through, or why Frigan didn't sign, that's obvious, what I will question is why we don't get this stuff sorted out in early June so that by the beginning of pre season, whichever position it we need to strengthen most, is done and dusted.

I'm going off the top of my head, but last season it was Kieffer Moore, the season before that it was Rak-Sakyi, before that it was Twine, who did eventually sign for us on loan and lasted until January.

This season we signed a centre half when we didn't really need one (though now we do, obviously) and two central midfielders we now can't play. We're ****ing mint we are.

 

no idea on that mate

 

Fear not boys and girls - Acun is going to treat us to that £20M striker he's been promising us since day 1 (Or he was going to prior to this last month or so)

Tom Eaves anyone?

 

Nope.

Also, for those that haven't seen it, this is the link to the page of previous EFL Appeal decisions. If you look at Oxford's from 23/24, that's similar to us and where I think we'll end up, but also Newport County (albeit for significantly less) and their case is worth looking at.

Judgments & Decisions - The English Football League

They do seem quite lenient if the mistake wasn't intentional; one of the notes on OUFC's outcome was "we wouldn't want to jeopardise the clubs first season back in the Championship after 25 years by restricting their movements in the transfer market".

 

I wouldn't put money on that

 

I don’t think Burstow is very good, unfortunately. On the face of it a bizarre decision to allow him to leave but again, we have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes. Don’t think he’s good enough to play in the championship so it’s the right move for him, and if we have players coming in it’s definitely the right move for us too.

This board is fast becoming the Facebook group.

 

Wish I shared your optimism - we haven't even signed that freebie CH from Towels yet

 

IF being the operative word

 

For me, it’s pretty obvious there are irons in the fire.

And if there aren’t, we’re ****ed regardless and Burstow certainly wouldn’t have been the difference.

 

to be fair Burstow didn't either

 

Maybe players just don't really want to come here? Players who know the score will know about McCann fired to make way for the Chairman's pal, he gets sacked because he's useless, Rosenior next he gets sacked for finishing 7th, TW in and out in 3 months, Selles the same for avoiding relegation, successive bizarre and largely unsuccessful transfer windows, it goes on. Targets will maintain interest in us because there's no harm in not doing so, just waiting until a better offer comes in. I know some say that players will always follow the money, I'm not sure about that. Unless the money offer really is irresistible a player might prefer a bit less with a club that seems stable-ish and where he might get paid every week. No?

 

So maybe Acun has some more info on what is going to happen at the appeal.

 

Players always get paid

 

So far but right now a prospective player might worry that it might not last.

 

Stands to reason that any player will favour a club that's financially stable over one where there are significant concerns over it's ability to meet it's commitments.

Even though footballing creditors get paid eventually barring liquidation, I'm sure they'd rather it was in a timely manner and without the hassle and delay of a potential administration process.

 

We never just take a breath and think logically as a club, do we?

Regardless of all noise around the club, we didn't actually need to do that much this summer. We just needed an 8-10 goal-a-season striker, nothing crazy, who could ideally hold the ball up too. We also needed an a bit of character/leadership in the middle and final third of the pitch to help the young lads out. But they'll be better for having a year of championship experience under their belts.

With a half decent gaffer in place, we weren't going up and we weren't going down either so it was the ideal opportunity to blood a few of the kids and get the wage bill back under control.

Ideally, Pandur and Hughes will keep developing with the expectation that both will depart next summer for substantial fees. Get the 3 ACL lads back playing too as they're all players who could potentially be sold for big money.

But for some reason we always go super high risk, we've ripped up a tight defence and filled it with question marks, and spent all summer chasing strikers we never had a real chance of signing. I don't think I'll ever understand it

 

The time to loan Burstow out was the previous January. Had he done that and scored a few goals he’d have fetched us a decent fee. Poor choice now considering we now have one forward and very poor squad depth in general.

 

I was having hard time to believe that lad will be released free to us after 5M paid last year. Not suprised.