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

Here’s a thought.
Do we really need two defensive midfielders in the championship?
How about a 4-1-3-2 formation.
Downes or Charles in the holding position with the 3 being box to box players, like in the good old days of the 70s, when every midfielder was tasked with attacking and defending.
A diamond shaped midfield could be interesting.

 

I think the midfield will certainly be more fluid ... a sort of 6 (holding), 8 (traditional), 10 (forward) kind of setup. Certainly at home. I don't think it will be a Downes OR Charles scenario as that would be a big waste of one of them not to be playing. I could see one of them moving into the 8 role and being given more license to be box to box.

 

Makes sense. Though we have been conbceding for fun over a few seasons, so maybe a little run of games keeping it tight before we get more adventurous?

 

I wouldn't want a return to 3 CBs and therefore reducing our attacking options. I don't really care how the midfield and attack lines up just so long as we play with a back four.

 

A few different ways we could play Downes and Charles together and it not be ultra defensive. They both have more to their game than purely wanting to sit in front of the defence. Though they’d need to develop the relationship that if one goes the other sits. Also in theory gives Dibling and Robinson (and whoever our wingers end up being) more license to get forward without having so much defensive responsibility. Games where we need more creativity to break down a low block one probably will have to miss out to get an extra purely creative player in the middle, of whom we still need to bring in!

 

Edozie to Strasbourg on a permanent

 

Bit bizarre, a capable player in one of our weaker positions.

 

Fine.

 

I would suggest otherwise. He is not up to it and moving him on indicates we will spend out wide, which is sorely needed

 

Yep, this.

 

Wonder what the fee is - hopefully around 10mill.

 

Wish him all the best, but we need more quality in final third and athleticism in wide forwards positions than what he can offer imo

 

We probably want more than “capable”. This statement only really makes sense if you assume we have no intention of investing in this position. So one to circle back to depending on signings

But we do currently have a few players who can play there. And they might all be much of a muchness but Edozie didn’t obviously stand out as head and shoulders above

 

Plus, selling some of the fringe forward players for good money strengthens our hand should people come in for Dibling and Fernandes

 

Would expect closer to half. But they did pay quite a bit for SAA

 

5 mill for a young winger? Maybe intial payment but the total fee will be more than that.

 

Sounds like hopeful thinking

 

I think some players have just burned their bridges here and want to move on. Still has said as such.

 

I can see that being the achievable sum, immediately. I would expect a very structured deal in terms of performance add-ons and future fee clauses, given that right now if you sign Sam Edozie you're only really signing a development project, rather than the finished product

 

Yeah, 5 mill up front with add ons and a sell on clause is reasonable.