The Summer 2025 Transfer Window Thread

[Stan Hullis]

We could do with some more home grown players as well, as has been mentioned.

 

[prawnking]

Not that it necessarily means much, but transfer rumours (aside from Coufal and the wrong Ivanovic) seem to have properly dried up this week...

 

[YoungWolf]

Boro have accepted a bid from Ipswich for Hayden Hackney. Seems like he's going to hold out and wait to see if a PL club matches the bid. I've always been impressed when I've seen him play, I wouldn't mind us taking a look at him.

This would be ideal for us I think.

 

[Carrotdude]

We don’t ever seem to bother with players like that do we. Very much a Palace type signing

 

[Sniffer]

Ben Chilwell is available, probably for free. His huge wages and lack of any sort of form for 2 years would suggest that we won’t be looking in his direction.

 

[C.L.D]

I mean, we simply have to be signing a new CM given the outgoings. I can’t believe VP thinks what we currently have looks as much as even the bare minimum, including JRB and Munetsi in the analysis. An injury or two to our starters and just imagine the starting XI

That's my view, we're already screwed with barely an XI and any injury to big 5 (Agba, DM duo, Arias, JSL) and the team has a massive gap.

 

[Jinky]

That's my view, we're already screwed with barely an XI and any injury to big 5 (Agba, DM duo, Arias, JSL) and the team has a massive gap.

Don't be silly, mate. We have Santi Bueno, Bellegarde, Munetsi*, Hwang & Sasa waiting in the wings!

*until he goes to the ACON

 

[Del Woppio]

I know I'm a negative nelly, but I'm still not completely sold on Agba or JSL, and Arias could be anything at this point, god knows how he'll settle.

 

[prawnking]

I know I'm a negative nelly, but I'm still not completely sold on Agba or JSL, and Arias could be anything at this point, god knows how he'll settle.

I agree with the latter, but surely Agba and JSL have proven their worth last season

 

[Del Woppio]

It's not a hill I'll die on, certainly, but I don't have the confidence in them that I had in Boly & Raul

 

[prawnking]

Well if they go to shit, as well as the rest of our problems, then we're truly fucked!

 

[YoungWolf]

Agbadou is vital.

JSL had a solid season, especially considering how shit we were for 16 games. He slightly overperformed his xG but I think he’ll improve this season anyway. 12-14 goals is a reasonable expectation which id be happy with. He’s not peak Raul but that wouldn’t be a fair comparison.

 

[basher]

I don't have the same confidence in Agbadou & JSL as Boly & Raul but you're comparing apples with oranges.

For a side aiming for somewhere around 14th then both of the former have proved competent enough. But if there aren't some major additions to the gaping holes in the current squad then the team is going to struggle to finish outside of the relegation places.

 

[Lycan]

Agbadou is vital.

JSL had a solid season, especially considering how shit we were for 16 games. He slightly overperformed his xG but I think he’ll improve this season anyway. 12-14 goals is a reasonable expectation which id be happy with. He’s not peak Raul but that wouldn’t be a fair comparison.

We need genuine competition for JSL to help him improve. He struggled with fitness towards the end of games last season, quite often didn't have an impact in the last 15-20 as he was so tired. A slight reduction in the average minutes per game should help him be even more productive.

 

[YoungWolf]

We need genuine competition for JSL to help him improve. He struggled with fitness towards the end of games last season, quite often didn't have an impact in the last 15-20 as he was so tired. A slight reduction in the average minutes per game should help him be even more productive.

Yeah, a good shout. I think he’ll be more robust this year as a result but I agree we need a genuine alternative. Not some idiot called Fabio.

I actually rate Sasa enough to be a squad player but I don’t think the plan is for him to be that person. Which I understand with his injury record.

 

[prawnking]

Worth bearing in mind also that JSL's best run of form seemed to coincide with Marshall being in the team, so hopefully he can strike up an equally beneficial partnership with one or both of the new guys

 

[Lycan]

Yeah, a good shout. I think he’ll be more robust this year as a result but I agree we need a genuine alternative. Not some idiot called Fabio.

I actually rate Sasa enough to be a squad player but I don’t think the plan is for him to be that person. Which I understand with his injury record.

Yeah Sasa really needs to be out on loan somewhere this season.

I don't even want to think about the prospect of Silva staying. It's bad enough that we might be stuck with Hwang and Guedes for another season.

Ideally any forward we bring in would be able to play both the 9 and left 10 roles. Then if you use Bellegarde, Munetsi & Mané as back up for the left 10 you naturally limit Hwang & Guedes' game time even if they do stay.

 

[Alan]

I know I'm a negative nelly, but I'm still not completely sold on Agba or JSL, and Arias could be anything at this point, god knows how he'll settle.

Aggie gives me agita; I’m trusting that his and Toti’s ability to recover from missteps doesn’t suddenly go away (as it does in short stretches for Totes, as we saw early on last season).

 

[Derby Wolf]

Didnt want to say it earlier in the month and be accused of being overly negative but I don't think there's anything stopping Teti being the latest patsy for Jeff Shi.

If anything, it insulates Shi more as Teti is Vitor's man, he wasn't appointed into the role like Sellars/Hobbs but he still has to work within Shi's limitations.

That's not to excuse Hobbs and Sellars who were both flawed/over promoted but the biggest issue remains our Executive Dipshit.

 

[Lycan]

Didnt want to say it earlier in the month and be accused of being overly negative but I don't think there's anything stopping Teti being the latest patsy for Jeff Shi.

If anything, it insulates Shi more as Teti is Vitor's man, he wasn't appointed into the role like Sellars/Hobbs but he still has to work within Shi's limitations.

That's not to excuse Hobbs and Sellars who were both flawed/over promoted but the biggest issue remains our Executive Dipshit.

If nothing else at least he's not a complete embarrassment to the club. The 'behind the scenes' videos are always cringe worthy but nothing topped Hobbs sat at the table in the canteen, twisting around in his seat to shake a new signings hand and then rudely ask if they spoke English. Calling referee's cunts, leaking information to children on Twitter, bragging about signing players by bumping into them on a golf course...

I think in terms of recruitment it'll be too early to judge his influence even after the window closes. It was a terrible time to completely change course really.