Realistic Transfer Targets (2025/26)

[Rich]

Proof, if it was ever needed, that hipsters have great recall.

 

Quite like Billing myself to be honest, but not sure he’s someone you sign to move forward with where we’re now at. I would’ve been happy to see him coming in after Shelvey, though, and think he could’ve been useful to us this season with the lack of numbers in midfield.

 

We’ll surely be aiming higher come the summer? Someone like Milinkovic-Savic, perhaps?

[Nucasol]

1 hour ago, Manxst said:

Id stay well clear after all the USA drama! 

Grass, not wanted.

[Nucasol]

Just now, Nucasol said:

Grass, not wanted.

Also a mackem.

[r0cafella]

8 minutes ago, Rich said:

Proof, if it was ever needed, that hipsters have great recall.

 

Quite like Billing myself to be honest, but not sure he’s someone you sign to move forward with where we’re now at. I would’ve been happy to see him coming in after Shelvey, though, and think he could’ve been useful to us this season with the lack of numbers in midfield.

 

We’ll surely be aiming higher come the summer? Someone like Milinkovic-Savic, perhaps?

I think the issue with the likes of billing and players of that calibre is they are essentially squad fillers which you have to pay for. because they are already in the premier league you also have to pay a premium for them. 

[LFEE]

Just now, Rich said:

You said you’d prefer him to Milenkovic-Savic, didn’t you?

 

4 minutes ago, joeyt said:

 

You said you'd rather him than Milkinovic Savic because you'd never heard of him

No I said there wasn’t a massive difference between them (after briefly checking the highlights out of the Lazio player which I made clear that’s all I had done as hadn’t seen him play knowingly) to justify the large differing factors in signing one over the other.

 

One the manager already knew. One would fit comfortably in our wage structure. One we could tempt without ECL. One would had EPL experience. One would judging by the likely transfer fee and wage deal would be £60-70m over a 5 year cheaper giving us more FFP wriggle room.

 

The clue is in the thread title. Realistic. Where we were at that time in the window Billing was realistic. It’s so easy just to pluck names out but when you do at least give it some thought to transfer fees/FFP. Wage demands/our wage structure. Character background/Top of EH’s requirements.

 

Billing would’ve been a very smart signing at the time when we ran out of midfield legs like I predicted we would due to lack of ability to rotate leading to injuries and also impending suspensions if you are the same players over and over again having to make the riskier tackles. He’d be ideal for these final two months to rotate with SL/JW/Joe along with the month we looked flat pre cup final.

 

 

[Rich]

Does the fact we didn’t go for Billing despite all of that not mean he wouldn’t have been a smart signing, though? It did look like a possible no-brainer based on some of what you mention after Shelvey left, but it doesn’t even look like we made an enquiry.

[Rich]

Worth adding that the original discussion wasn’t in here, btw, it was in transfer rumours after some media links to MS.

[LFEE]

Just now, Rich said:

Does the fact we didn’t go for Billing despite all of that not mean he wouldn’t have been a smart signing, though? It did look like a possible no-brainer based on some of what you mention after Shelvey left, but it doesn’t even look like we made an enquiry.

I think we had a relatively modest budget for that window and we decided to take advantage of Everton’s financial plight and pay up front for AG a window earlier than planned to get him for £40m+ instead of the previously quoted £60m+. So with that deal bubbling along in the window they spent what’s left on another “opportunity” due to the contract standoff between WHU and HA. 
 

I think if we’d beat Sheff Wed I’d like to think we’d of attempted to get a third player in and that player a midfielder.

 

To answer your question the thread is what forum posters would think is a smarter signing. Didn’t realise the criteria had to include the player being actually linked?

[joeyt]

How much do you reckon we could have got Billing in January for LFEE?

 

 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2023 by joeyt

[LFEE]

14 minutes ago, joeyt said:

How much do you reckon we could have got Billing in January for LFEE?

 

 

 

 

 

Supply & demand & current contract value. I would think if they bought him for £15m a couple of seasons ago they’d be looking around £25m bearing in mind he’s on apparently £15-40kpw and it’s unclear if he’d of possibly only had 18month on his contract not to mention not many on here seem to rate him ? Bournemouth financial situation isn’t great and competition at that time for a midfield squad player happy to rotate and sit on bench would’ve been fairly low for those with more pull than us or could afford £25m.

 

Let’s do the sums £25m. Offer £50kpw x 5 years. Total package £38m. If you offload Hendrick maybe go higher to £60kpw and still not much more than £40m.

 

How much for the Lazio guy broken down? @joeyt

[joeyt]

Pretty sure Bournemouth are fine financially following their takeover which is why I think they'd have been reluctant to sell any of their players in January unless it was big money.

 

Milinkovic Savic would obviously cost more because he's an immensely better player. Even the 5 mins video you watched of him could show that (despite him being slower than Billing apparently)

 

 

[LFEE]

1 minute ago, joeyt said:

Pretty sure Bournemouth are fine financially following their takeover which is why I think they'd have been reluctant to sell any of their players in January unless it was big money.

 

Milinkovic Savic would obviously cost more because he's an immensely better player. Even the 5 mins video you watched of him could show that (despite him being slower than Billing apparently)

 

 

Answer my question. I answered yours.

[Ikon]

Probably would cost a bomb and not sure about him regarding his fitness as he recently tore his knee ligaments but I see Florian Wirtz is tearing it up again.

 

Might not be realistic considering the price and depending on what other clubs are after him. He will no doubt be one of the worlds best players soon if he can stay fit. We are more likely going for a cheaper alternative to get more bodies in. Probably rightly so. We have been linked but it might be too ambitious. 

[maze]

Are Eze or Olise realistic or would they be mad expensive?

[BrianSwan]

31 minutes ago, maze said:

Are Eze or Olise realistic or would they be mad expensive?

The later

 

Any PL player now is too expensive really. The Average PL player who is young and has some talent = £60m. Shop in Spain and it's half the price.

[maze]

5 minutes ago, BrianSwan said:

The later

 

Any PL player now is too expensive really. The Average PL player who is young and has some talent = £60m. Shop in Spain and it's half the price.

Yeah. Fear so. As I wrote that both of them were involved in CPs goal.

[TheInfiniteOdyssey]

39 minutes ago, maze said:

Are Eze or Olise realistic or would they be mad expensive?

Would be prohibitively expensive, especially if Zaha leaves on a free. 

[LFEE]

Lost your calculator @joeyt ?

[joeyt]

I'm not sure what you're trying to prove other than some incredibly hypothetical basic maths to show Billing would be cheaper than Milinkovic Savic

 

And not taking into account we'd probably have to upgrade on Billing if we want regular Champions League football which would be another huge outlay on top of the £40mil spent on Billing

[Manxst]

Just now, joeyt said:

I'm not sure what you're trying to prove other than some incredibly hypothetical basic maths to show Billing would be cheaper than Milinkovic Savic

 

And not taking into account we'd probably have to upgrade on Billing if we want regular Champions League football which would be another huge outlay on top of the £40mil spent on Billing

For what it’s worth, Milenkovic-Savic is being touted around for about 40m euros. 

[LFEE]

4 minutes ago, joeyt said:

I'm not sure what you're trying to prove other than some incredibly hypothetical basic maths to show Billing would be cheaper than Milinkovic Savic

 

And not taking into account we'd probably have to upgrade on Billing if we want regular Champions League football which would be another huge outlay on top of the £40mil spent on Billing

You asked how much how much Billing would cost and I gave you an answer. I’ve asked you twice how much you think MS would cost overall. You’ve not given an answer when asked twice. Third time lucky perhaps ?

[joeyt]

15 minutes ago, LFEE said:

You asked how much how much Billing would cost and I gave you an answer. I’ve asked you twice how much you think MS would cost overall. You’ve not given an answer when asked twice. Third time lucky perhaps ?

 

Reports suggest between £35-40 mil. I think that's a bit less than what I think he would have gone for and his wages would be high.  But I also think you've underestimated Billing's value and randomly thrown Hendrick in there

 

But he's a better player than Billing so we probably wouldn't have to upgrade again in the summer or next winter for another big outlay

[LFEE]

12 minutes ago, joeyt said:

 

Reports suggest between £35-40 mil. I think that's a bit less than what I think he would have gone for and his wages would be high.  But I also think you've underestimated Billing's value and randomly thrown Hendrick in there

 

But he's a better player than Billing so we probably wouldn't have to upgrade again in the summer or next winter for another big outlay

It was £65-75m in fee alone in January. What’s happened to him?

 

What wages would he want?

 

 

Edited April 9, 2023 by LFEE

[Ace]

16 hours ago, Astroblack said:

Phillip Billing been mentioned? Stands out anytime I’ve seen him(could be because he’s 6’4) but he’s been Bournemouth’s best player and will have plenty of admirers in the summer. Think we’d be in a good position to sign him. 

Have to respectfully  disagree, he’s in a purple patch at the moment but his overall body of work is as a lower premier league player and we need to improve. We don’t need bodies for the sake of bodies, we need quality. 

[Ace]

2 hours ago, BrianSwan said:

The later

 

Any PL player now is too expensive really. The Average PL player who is young and has some talent = £60m. Shop in Spain and it's half the price.

There is so much talent around Europe at much more affordable prices

 

Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany and France have leagues with plenty of quality.

 

IMO it will be a mistake to blow our wad on premier league players