Checko

Chelsea have been linked to this chappie (because of course they have): https://fbref.com/en/players/0166a73e/Alvaro-Valles Alvaro Valles, GK plays for Las Palmas, contract expires in 2025 so they need to cash in this summer. Only played 1 year in La Liga, but has had three years in a row conceding far fewer than his xG would suggest he should - 3rd best in La Liga this year per 90 behind Big Mama and Unai Simon Proper sweeper keeper - 99th percentile for defensive actions outside area, 96th for average distance of defensive actions. Comfortable on the ball (Las Palmas are super possession based). Stopping crosses average to slightly below average. Kind of a Pickford profile but with longer arms and not a mackem. Wonder if he might be worth a punt over Big Mama as a cheaper, better ball playing and sweeping alternative. Perhaps we're trying to bait Chelsea into buying Big Mama so we can nab him.

Is he related to Lord Buckethead?

In addition to financial/enviromental reasons etc, when you have a kit for a couple of years it can really define a period a lot more as well I feel.

Makes sense, Hall's the future and shold be the present IMO. Feels like Targett's the sort of lad who'd want to play. He's been unlucky with injuries - lost his place with a dead leg for a couple of games. Burn came in at LB and we basically didn't concede any goals so he stayed in. Targett didn't do anything wrong to lose his place IIRC. In football manager terms he's a guy who gets 13s in most key stats, not amazing at anything necessarily, but no real weaknesses and comfortable on the ball. Definitely a solid premier league fullback when fit. When fit's the key - he's obviously had a few troubles last 18 months. He hasn't been particularly injury prone for most of his career though. One bad hamstring in 16/17, apart from that nothing over month until December 22. I wonder if the lack of first team football means he's not been at his most physically resilient. I hope he gets himself a starting job, he's a solid player and handled losing his place very professionally as far as I can tell. What do we reckon for a fee? £5-6 million? He'd probably be decent value to a side that needs a PL fullback in that range. Wonder if Southampton might want him back.

That's exactly what makes his name so happy for me!

I'd love Oscar Bobb on a permanent deal tbh. No idea how good he is but he has such a happy sounding name

Figured the Big Mama deal was already dead from our end. Went quite a while ago & wasn't there something saying he only wanted to move to a team in Europe?

Could we at least be Sainsbury's in the analogy?

From Chelsea's perspective I imgine it will be: 1. Sign him on a free, freeing up some transfer budget to: 2. Sign more footballers 3. Sell one of their other CBs 4. Buy more footballers 5. Next year or two, sell him for £15/20 million and an FFP profit. 6. Buy more footballers

Dummett one year extension in 5...4...3...2...1...

I don't think you're being new money arrogant tbh. The higher up the football pyramid you get the fewer players are going to be able to take you to the next level and we need to be really quite discerning as to who's going to get us there.

He'll have great fun starting new manager threads!

Be disappointing if he does go to Chelsea as he would add pace at the back, which we lack, and would beef up our squad at a good value. His ability to pass the ball forward would fit us well. Still, for a bit of copium, here's a short thread on him leaving on a Fulham board: https://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?topic=93853.0 General consensus seems to be he was a good value signing, & premier league quality player but not as good as he thinks he is. Good enough for them and mid table but he'd be on the bench in a Europe chasing team. Can be good on the ball but can also be careless and has a mistake in him defensively (from FB ref his short and medium passing completion is well below average, though his long passing is good). 22/3 he only played 61% of the time even though no injuries so often wasn't first choice in a mid table fulham, though largely first choice this year. Obviously if he does end up signing for us all this changes & he's unequivocally amazing, but I don't think we've missed out on the next Jaap Stam at least.

He's 0/2 now it seems - better hope Lloyd Kelly comes off!

They can offer more money, immediate European football and he won't even have to move. Not particularly suprising. Obviously they'll be looking to sell him for an FFP profit in a couple of years but hey ho.

Had a little look at some club badges and found Barrow AFC: It's got a nuclear submarine on it, a Richard Osman's House of Games clue (bottom left), and an old-school football. Love it.

Fuck me they're dragging this out now though to the point where even if it's really good it's still going to feel underwhelming.

Think Jack needs to start a thread on him just so we have a template for his name to copy. 'e' before 'u' if you're Bryan Mbeumo.

Part of it is also an issue where our DM is also our best AM. Bruno basically plays both roles when he can.

Can't we just buy some random young foreign lad I've never heard of from a team I've never heard of for a pittance? I love those signings. Just find some random 20 year old in the Chilean second division and bring him in just for the mystery!

The possible hint about it comes from this quote from Ashworth, but only a possible hint: On the more serious note of Bruno Guimaraes having escape clauses in his new deal, Ashworth added: "I'm not going to confirm whether there is or isn't any release clauses in Bruno or any other of our player's contracts. "They're all private and confidential. "I can say to you about the principles of release clauses and you can have a situation where a player may have a dream country or club that they want to play for and you can make it specific to them, you can make it specific that it can sit outside of your competitors in the Premier League. "Sometimes players view the fact that they're happy to sign a long-term contract but if family situations change they may want to experience something different..." - https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/football/dan-ashworth-laughs-off-manchester-united-link-and-answers-bruno-guimaraes-release-clause-poser/ar-AA1jtiVV?apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1

I think Brentford would be silly to sell Mbeumo this year. Having a look at a forum thread on him they seem to think he's their most important player, more so than Toney. Their form certainly went to shit when he got injured. Toney's likely being sold this year, in which case they absolutely shouldn't sell their other best player. Clubs get relegated doing shit like that. If I was Brentford I'd say to him 'we're not selling this year, but if an offer from a club in Europe over x amount comes next year we won't stand in your way'. Something like that. For price, they think he's worth significantly north of £50million. Which is probably fair for an established premier league team's star attacking player. He's got 2 years and an option year left on his contract. I think Ikon' nailed it re: style for me, as I really think we need another elite passer- Mbeumo looks like he'd be a v. good signing (though likely at a high price). Fast, hard-working. Can cover striker as well. I agree with Kaka he looks like he'd fit in with our press/quick transition style well. His stats are a bit weird with bit poor pass completion, high miscontrols. Brentford forum did say he could to do great things and then might mess up something simple at times. They say one thing he's lacked to be really elite is consistent finishing. Apparently missed a lot of easy chances (though then might bury a more difficult one), though sounds like he's been consistently improving.

As someone who used to work in Brentford, if he came out and said his dream was to continue living and working there as long as possible I'd find it even more sus tbh!

Had a quick look at Brentford forum and they masively rate Mbeumo tbf, think he's improving still and could be top 4 quality, even if he can be a bit wasteful in front of goal. Though as fans we can overrate our own players a bit so there's that to take into account. He has 3 years left on his contract so I can't see him being cheap, particularly if they lose Toney this window.

Is fine what we're aiming for though? Also he's only 5' 7" - would we be able to play him and Lewis Hall at the same time?