Summer 2021 transfer window

[PuntsWolf]

Nothing wrong with our squad is at stands. Should be a top half team even if we only make the loans permanent.

Yes a better CB and CM would be required to get us in the top 6, but let’s hang on, we’re likely to finish under 40 points this year.

“we don’t have the players to play a back 4”. So many things spouted that drive me mad, this is the latest. I forgot that Palace had all those world beaters yesterday - PVA can’t defend, average CM filling in, ageing Scott Dann and Clyne is OK. Add to the fact the CM they had in front of them and basically 4 forwards on the pitch.

Signing great players helps, but we’re not getting the tune out the ones we have. We’re not going to sign Dias and Ndombele. Even if we did it wouldn’t fix our problems.

 

[prawnking]

“we don’t have the players to play a back 4”. So many things spouted that drive me mad, this is the latest. I forgot that Palace had all those world beaters yesterday - PVA can’t defend, average CM filling in, ageing Scott Dann and Clyne is OK. Add to the fact the CM they had in front of them and basically 4 forwards on the pitch.

I agree, I used to read regularly that our players are almost impossible to upgrade. Now we can't make a fist of a basic defensive set-up?

 

[AndyWolves]

I agree with the last paragraph, but again, if we really still harbour ambitions then it's tough for young players to break in, they have to be really exceptional.

From MGWs pov, I wouldn't want to be hanging around till I'm 25 for a chance. Sometimes a player needs a new club and a manager who believes in him.

Totally, if he's still here at 25 and not playing then it's a failure on everyone's part. I suppose what I'm saying is we shouldn't write him off yet but keep an eye on his progress over the next year or two. If it's stalled move him on. He'll be 22-23 then which I think is probably old enough to make a judgement.

Edit. Even if he's not first XI material having a home grown squad player in the PL is not a bad thing

 

[Jinky]

Shouldn’t have started this thread until we know what division we are playing in...

 

[Lycan]

On Vitinha.

A) He's been a deep midfielder in the mould of Neves/Moutinho for pretty much all his development. He CAN play as an attacking midfielder (more of an 8 than a 10), and that's probably the best role for him right now while he gets up to speed with Premier League football but I'd be surprised if we're looking at him playing that position long term. If we wanted a 10 from Porto in the summer we would've signed his youth teammate Fábio Vieira who is very highly rated or the more established Otávio who is out of contract at the end of the season and almost guaranteed to leave.

B) The reported £20M fee is daylight robbery for a player of his quality and we'd be mad not to take it, regardless of how he performs for the rest of the season.

C) João Moutinho will turn 35 at the start of next season (going into the final year of his contract) and Rúben Neves will have been with us for 4 years at the end of this season. We're definitely losing 1 of them within 18 months, probably both. We've got to be planning for the long term future in that position and Vitinha should have the quality to be that man.

D) In terms of his development, I think something that gets overlooked is the fact that kids taken straight from the academies of the Portuguese big 3 often have a steep learning curve whenever they try to make the step up to a more competitive level. With the exception of games against the other 3 and European competition (This generation of Porto youth players won the Uefa Youth League) almost every game they played Porto will have been continuously attacking. Vitinha & Silva haven't even had that much time in the Porto B side which competes in the Portuguese 2nd tier. Going from that to a poorly performing team in the toughest league in the world is a huge ask.

The only way I see us not signing Vitinha is if we decide that after looking at him for a season that his development is going to take longer than we have the patience for and we need to use the funds elsewhere for a more short term fix. It'd be a great shame if we do go down that road but the poor form of the rest of the squad might force our hand.

 

[Johnny75]

Depends on whether the budget is linked to FFP or not.

From where? Not being snipey, just would be interested to know.

Simple maths. The FFP is irrelevant due to Covid. We can also invest money without it carrying a loss in this accounting period rules.

 

[big mean bunny]

It's still very early, but I have seen nothing from Silva that makes me think he will be a top league player, so far he looks like the sort of forward project we'd keep loaning out before joining Kidderminster on a free.

Although I really hope that the above comment ends up as poor a take as when I was annoyed we had signed Neto for what we paid as thought it was clearly some kind of scam. Also well aware he was never meant to be involved this year other than the odd appearance or sub cameo.

 

[jlo]

Nobody has mentioned Rafa Mir. Mir is only 24, and his game is starting to come together. If we are building for the future, he's worth another analysis in a pre season. Perhaps we don't even sign Jose come the summer (if Raul comes back as good as before) and redeploy that money elsewhere.

 

[YoungWolf]

We'll sell him in the summer I reckon. Make a bit of profit on the £2m (?) we signed him for.

 

[YoungWolf]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1355997073288663041

Pretty much every time I’ve seen Dasilva I’ve wanted us to sign him.

id sign him and Olise and it wouldn’t cost us much more than 25m, if that. Sadly we don’t seek to recruit often from the EFL for our first team

 

[Jabbawolf]

I am trying to think of a workable way to shoehorn Raul and WJ into the same team....

Rui
Semedo ANO Boly Jonny
Neves Vitinha
Podence Raul Neto
WJ

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Sticking Raul as a #10 is very Kenny Jackett 2014.

 

[YoungWolf]

Tbh it would basically just be a 442. Would definitely require a really mobile midfielder to go next to Ruben.

 

[Jabbawolf]

Sticking Raul as a #10 is very Kenny Jackett 2014.

Agreed - that's why I was struggling! Guess WJ will just have to be a very good sub for Raul.

 

[YoungWolf]

Also - I have banged on about us signing a wide player who can play up top but if Podence isn't quite cutting it as an AM (specifically a top level one at that too), we could always target that position too and keep him as a wide option again.

I'm just gonna keep repeating Josh Dasilva and Michael Olise's names in that hope that Jeff/Sellars/recruitment man one day read it

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I tried that with Eze and nothing happened...

I think Olise has a release clause that makes him way more affordable than he should be? Sure I read that somewhere.

 

[YoungWolf]

I tried that with Eze and nothing happened...

I think Olise has a release clause that makes him way more affordable than he should be? Sure I read that somewhere.

The Athletic kept claiming it was £8m. But if that was true I think some type of deal would have been done for him by now. If they don't go up (they shouldn't really), I think he'll be pretty affordable anyway in the summer as last I read their wages to turnover was obscene. Oh and his contract is currently until 2022

 

[redvictor]

I think Wolves are hoping Vitinha becomes that AM. He might, but not for a while. What has to be overcome is Nuno's loyalty to players. I don't think he has a ruthless streak.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He absolutely does tbf. Ruddy, Douglas, Bennett will all testify to that.

 

[YoungWolf]

Batth too (even if that was an easier decision).