kingxlnc

Xavi Simons would Be one probably cost 60-70m but he’s only 22 and is of the Tonali Isak level signing

Longstaff potentially would be a very good signing for Burnley now that I think about it. Ditto Dubravka, Wilson and Targett. All would bring PL experience.

If we got those 3 plus Scalvini - perfect. Then I'd just like another midfielder, even on loan, and even if a Norgaard back up type. I do think Longstaff's race has been run here. Willock too, so some fresh energy in the middle would be very needed.

Lacks sexy names like an Isak or Tonali but I agree

This is worth a watch for those in the UK: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0l3hnym/premier-league-anthony-elanga-on-chasing-greatness-at-nottingham-forest

One thing about Elanga, he's very focused on personal development ands self-improvement, extremely hungry to be the best. That's probably what attracts Howe the most Joelinton, Gordon, Bruno, Isak, Tonali all seem to have this aspect in spades, Anderson did too Shelvey, Fraser and anyone not quite there were shown the door sharpish

I can see us dropping 150-160m this summer. Maybe Longstaff pure profit and Willock might go - with Miley and Pedro covering that Whatever the case is, I feel the team does need 4 minimum first team ready signings at the very least.

If Pedro, Elanga, Scalvini, Ramsey and Trafford sign - that would actually be a very solid window. Add Walker-Peters or Lamptey for backup and jobs a good un for this summer. Can it compete for title? Not sure - as it perhaps lacks the star quality of Liverpool and Man City in particular but definitely top 4 worthy. Would also want 3-4 youngsters (Cordero is one, Korean is 2) to keep things fresh and ready for the future.

I think the whole reason for a signing like Elanga is because Pedro will also be signing and he's the 'door opener'. Otherwise the RW slot would have been a more creative choice.

Absolutely agree with this. It's literally a cheat code

Especially as they're buying Timothy Weah as a replacement Right now they're winning the head to head - Wood and Anderson and Vlad vs the Shelvey flop Thought a few seasons ago they'd be the club for Lascelles to return back to but they seem to be more ambitious than that now. Feel like Lascelles could do a job for a Leeds Utd and give them leadership and experience from the back

I meant that summers transfer window, not the season itself which I agree was terrible. For me personally after the terrible seasons of 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15, where Ben Arfa was let go, where Kinnear had been and gone, where there had been chaos with Carver and just general negative feeling, that summer I felt ooh maybe the near miss of relegation the previous season has changed the ethos of Ashley (more fool me) and finally he actually is trying to bolt the horse onto the cart or whatever his stupid saying was

Yeah ditto, could even allow us to sell Joekinton for a massive Saudi pay day

Agreed but it was still very exciting at the time, after carver and pardew had finally left, spending the most in Europe that season, it felt like it was a brand new start with Graham Carr and his previous success being rewarded with more influence plus a new set of highly rated coaches. That season we also got Shelvey and Townsend, the team that got relegated was probably better than the 2008/09 team player for player. Just had a crappy manager that killed it all

Agreed although that looks very good in hindsight at the time Tonali was exciting and the others were questionable - eg why buy Tino when trippier was one of the best in Europe previous season, Hall had only played a few games and was expensive, Barnes wasn’t as sexy as Paqueta or Maddison etc

Best transfer windows in memory 1995/96 Ginola Hislop Ferdinand Barton (Asprilla Batty) 1996/97 for Shearer alone 2001/02 Bellamy and Robert were game changers 2015/16 Wijnaldum Thauvin Mbemba Mitrovic were four of the best young players in Europe 2021/22 Jan Trippier Burn Targett Bruno Wood

Ernest Nuamah

Actually was the best of both Ginolas technical and Robert's productivity

What happened to moukoko

Makes me think if Elanga really was a player we liked, we should have done more with the Anderson bait last year. We did need the 35m of course but we could have even over paid after July, the Vlach+Guehi money. So Forest offer 35m and have a gentleman's a agreement that we would offer 60m for Elanga. Both of us would have overpaid but it's all acceptable. Better than the 20m wasted on Oddy

Agreed Chelsea are by far the worst of the worst Man City are operating from a huge advantageous position but their scouting and generally how they operate is professional, efficient and slick. They don't tend to 'overbuy' - just identify what they need and just get on with it. It's always not the most obvious names either, so they have a good scouting network. Liverpool are also benefitting from being way ahead but again, they buy and sell pretty well. Chelsea are blatant and so boring. Tosin is actually a prime example - they did NOT need him at all. He wasn't better than their CB's and they only seemed to show an interest because he was free. Man U also operate with impunity - crazy level of debt, miserable transfer record but seemingly impervious to the damage. Dust worself off and go again. Any other club would be doing an Everton if they had even half the recent record of Man U. The way before was the young wonderkids would go to the second tier clubs, Leverkusen, Leipzig, Ajax, Villareal, Atlanta etc, establish themselves and then the big clubs would swoop but the money would be distributed. Now the hype is so huge that even the Barca's and Madrids are going for young prodigies like Roony and Guler. I'm sure if it was a free market, it would be interesting to see if Newcastle could spend their way to the top - even if it was organically, like one or two big players a season. Same with Villa, Spurs etc. Under Ashley, he never spent so competing was pointless. Now, we can't spend, so there is also a level of pointlessness here too. When you're hamstrung deliberately, footballers have short careers. Isak and Bruno were promised title runs - which probably could have been the case by now if we'd been allowed to spend. PSR then actually does its job even through the back door as the top players get impatient and want to play for the 'top clubs' already challenging... and then we have to start again Man City were allowed to get their spine with no limit that led them to their PL - Aguero, KDB, Yaya Toure, Hart, Kompany. Chelsea ditto under Mourinho.

Brentford know their place now the RWTD are back in the PL RWTD= red and white stripe top dogs

Good shout, comes across like a Tottenham player

Our team just with minteh and Anderson looks so much better equipped for this season. That was a killer blow. Feels like without them there’s too much to replace in one Summer.

Henri Saivet was amazing on FM a tricky winger / striker but for some reason played CM/DM for us. Out of him, Alan Smith and Joelinton, Joes the only crap striker turned great midfielder. The others have been terrible