NUFC Transfer Rumours

[r0cafella]

2 minutes ago, TRC said:

I think he is saying if we sell Isak and replace him, get Wissa, Thiaw and a cm. We should be in a good spot which is fair? I’d give it a B- personally

Yeah I understand that, but giving it a b+ is super generous imo. 

 

These players don't move the needle much for me. 

[oldtype]

B plus or B minus, whatever. It would be B-range. Good not great. 

[Weezertron]

It may be worth a B+ from where we were before Ramsdale came in. Because expectations are low as fuck right now.

 

But from the end of last season, its C-

[Vinny Green Balls]

8 minutes ago, r0cafella said:

Yeah I understand that, but giving it a b+ is super generous imo. 

 

These players don't move the needle much for me. 

I think Wissa totally moves the needle given who he is replacing. Thiaw could, but I have no idea if he will actually do it.Ramsdale is a massive upgrade for our second choice keeper.

[MagPar]

Has there actually been any concrete rumours about Connor Gallagher? From what I've heard, he's happy where he is.

 

Or is this just wishful thinking? 

[McCormick]

Still a lot that can happen before the window shuts, so I’m not ready to give it a proper rating yet. But if things stay as they are and we end up getting Thiaw, a solid CM, and Wissa- on top of the lads we’ve already brought in- it definitely feels like we’re bringing a much deeper and more balanced squad to the new season.

 

[Vinny Green Balls]

Just now, MagPar said:

Has there actually been any concrete rumours about Connor Gallagher? From what I've heard, he's happy where he is.

 

Or is this just wishful thinking? 

Could be wrong, but I thought Atletico were willing to sell.

[TRon]

1 minute ago, Vinny Green Balls said:

I think Wissa totally moves the needle given who he is replacing. Thiaw could, but I have no idea if he will actually do it.Ramsdale is a massive upgrade for our second choice keeper.

 

 

For all the stick the recruitment team has got, we could still end up with some signings who can have a big impact on the squad by September. 

[r0cafella]

1 minute ago, Vinny Green Balls said:

I think Wissa totally moves the needle given who he is replacing. Thiaw could, but I have no idea if he will actually do it.Ramsdale is a massive upgrade for our second choice keeper.

Yeah I do understand why people view it as an attractive prospect, I'm not quite so sold but need to see the price as well as the contract length. 

 

It might turn out to be a real big financial commitment for someone who's not going to get any better and depreciate but let's see. 

 

Most clubs don't have particular good back up keepers like, and against it's not a cheap deal for a back up. 

 

Let's see though we can only really call it much later. 

[Vinny Green Balls]

Just now, r0cafella said:

Yeah I do understand why people view it as an attractive prospect, I'm not quite so sold but need to see the price as well as the contract length. 

 

It might turn out to be a real big financial commitment for someone who's not going to get any better and depreciate but let's see. 

 

Most clubs don't have particular good back up keepers like, and against it's not a cheap deal for a back up. 

 

Let's see though we can only really call it much later. 

Most clubs don't have Pope, and he has been unreliable injury wise for two seasons.

 

 

Edited August 9, 2025 by Vinny Green Balls

[r0cafella]

2 minutes ago, Vinny Green Balls said:

Most clubs don't have Pope, and he has been unreliable injury wise for two seasons.

 

 

 

Very true, it's also why I was advocating selling him

 

Not because he's bad, it's just an allocation of resources. 

[Matt1892]

Going in to the window, I wanted a big upgrade in starting RCB and RW, plus cover for Wilson, a Longstaff replacement that could be a project player and a long term replacement for Pope.

 

We have the upgrade at RW and I’m happy with Ramsdale who will go on to be an upgrade on Pope, which we can make permanent. Wissa would also be better than expected as Wilson’s replacement.

 

I don’t know enough about Thiaw but I wouldn’t say he was of the calibre of player I was hoping for based on reputation. There is also no sign of a midfielder for depth either, although Seung Soo looks a good pick up.

 

Sadly, Isak and his behaviour has dominated the window to a point where you just want the window to close, and there will be little positivity until we get closure on the situation.

 

 

[Taylor Swift]

RW, CB, GK sorted. ST almost done with Wissa. If we didn’t have the Isak drama, I would give this window a 9/10.

 

If Isak leaves, we need to replace him and I would want an attacking midfielder in as well, to make sure we create enough chances.

 

 

Edited August 9, 2025 by Taylor Swift

[SUPERTOON]

Just now, Taylor Swift said:

RW, CB, GK sorted. ST almost done with Wissa. If we didn’t have the Isak drama, I would give this window a 9/10.

Not even close to 9/10 

[gdm]

2 minutes ago, Taylor Swift said:

RW, CB, GK sorted. ST almost done with Wissa. If we didn’t have the Isak drama, I would give this window a 9/10.

 

If Isak leaves, we need to replace him and I would want an attacking midfielder in as well, to make sure we create enough chances.

 

 

 

Not even a 7 for me 

[oldtype]

17 minutes ago, Vinny Green Balls said:

I think Wissa totally moves the needle given who he is replacing. Thiaw could, but I have no idea if he will actually do it.Ramsdale is a massive upgrade for our second choice keeper.

Exactly. Improvements to the squad are still significant improvements, especially when we actually like most of the players in the first choice XI and our primary concern was depth in a CL year. We also upgraded materially on the right wing, the one genuine problem area in the first team. Thiaw and Ramsdale are players who don’t improve the first team on day one, but may do so in the future.

 

We did have a go at some players that may have been day-one ceiling raisers, but we didn’t get them. That’s what prevents it from being a great summer.

 

 

Edited August 9, 2025 by oldtype

[Vinny Green Balls]

20 minutes ago, MagPar said:

Has there actually been any concrete rumours about Connor Gallagher? From what I've heard, he's happy where he is.

 

Or is this just wishful thinking? 

ahh. La Liga clubs are only allowed 3 non EU players, which may have put Atletico in a bind.

[Andy]

For me, you don't look to replace back up players with slightly better back up players if you're aspiring to maintain CL positions, the idea should be to improve on your starting XI and push the current starters into being backups. You don't replace Longstaff with another Longstaff for example, you replace Joelinton and he becomes your Longstaff. 

 

There's only really Elanga where we've achieved that this summer so far. Not convinced Thiaw ticks that box either tbh but we'll see. 

[kingxlnc]

Assuming we get 5 players GK CB RW CM CF 

 

9/10 would have been Trafford Guehi Elanga Gallagher Pedro

 

10/10 would have been 

 

Joan Garcia Scalvini Elanga Paqueta Sesko/Ekitike

 

Right now the calibre we’re on is 6/10

 

Ramsdale Thiaw Elanga Rudoni Wissa

 

If we get an additional striker like Samu and keep Isak it can go up to a 7 or 7.5. Potentially an 8 if the player instead of Rudoni is Paqueta or Gallagher 

[Shak]

Don’t massively disagree with T-Swizz , really.

 

The Isak drama is such a dark cloud over everything.

 

Start of the summer I’d have been delighted with Elanga and Wissa being added. Was fully prepared for the backup striker to be DCL so Wissa is much better. Elanga wouldn't have been my first choice RW but it seems to be what Howe wanted and I’ll back his choice.

 

Ramsdale and Thiaw weren’t top of anyone’s lists but they’re long held targets that fit in with what has served us well in the past, buying the dip on players that we obviously rate.

Do wish we’d buy a versatile AM type though, someone who can play LCM for us but also be an option out wide. A not fucked version of Willock, basically.

[r0cafella]

Just now, Andy said:

For me, you don't look to replace back up players with slightly better back up players if you're aspiring to maintain CL positions, the idea should be to improve on your starting XI and push the current starters into being backups. You don't replace Longstaff with another Longstaff for example, you replace Joelinton and he becomes your Longstaff. 

 

There's only really Elanga where we've achieved that this summer so far. Not convinced this signing ticks that box either tbh but we'll see. 

I agree with this principle 100% the issue we have is the age of Schar makes the approach not practical. But then if we go out and get another centre half next summer we are left with an expensive back up. 

[relámpago blanco]

3 minutes ago, kingxlnc said:

Assuming we get 5 players GK CB RW CM CF 

 

9/10 would have been Trafford Guehi Elanga Gallagher Pedro

 

10/10 would have been 

 

Joan Garcia Scalvini Elanga Paqueta Sesko/Ekitike

 

Right now the calibre we’re on is 6/10

 

Ramsdale Thiaw Elanga Rudoni Wissa

 

If we get an additional striker like Samu and keep Isak it can go up to a 7 or 7.5. Potentially an 8 if the player instead of Rudoni is Paqueta or Gallagher 

Wissa will score more goals than Sesko or Ekitike next season.

 

 

Edited August 9, 2025 by relámpago blanco

[oldtype]

2 minutes ago, Andy said:

For me, you don't look to replace back up players with slightly better back up players if you're aspiring to maintain CL positions, the idea should be to improve on your starting XI and push the current starters into being backups. You don't replace Longstaff with another Longstaff for example, you replace Joelinton and he becomes your Longstaff. 

 

There's only really Elanga where we've achieved that this summer so far. Not convinced Thiaw ticks that box either tbh but we'll see. 

But you could also do this in the reverse direction and sign young backups who are have the potential to improve beyond your current first choice, which is essentially what Thiaw and Ramsdale are. We’ve already done this with Livramento, for example.

 

(Also I think it rarely works the way you say in reality because players who have been starting for years are rarely willing to accept full-time backup roles. If Joelinton was put in the Longstaff role this season, he would rightfully want to leave).

[Matt1892]

12 minutes ago, Andy said:

For me, you don't look to replace back up players with slightly better back up players if you're aspiring to maintain CL positions, the idea should be to improve on your starting XI and push the current starters into being backups. You don't replace Longstaff with another Longstaff for example, you replace Joelinton and he becomes your Longstaff. 

 

There's only really Elanga where we've achieved that this summer so far. Not convinced Thiaw ticks that box either tbh but we'll see. 

Arguably it is the season that we should have been looking to move Joelinton on, as his value will likely crash from this point, but I think it is reasonable to bring in a project player with the view to them replacing Joelinton in the starting eleven.

 

With PSR we can’t be too idealistic on how we do things, especially when the players we want to replace are bringing in little in the way of finances we can use to replace them.

[oldtype]

4 minutes ago, Matt1892 said:

Arguably it is the season that we should have been looking to move Joelinton on, as his value will likely crash from this point, but I think it is reasonable to bring in a project player with the view to them replacing Joelinton in the starting eleven.

 

With PSR we can’t be too idealistic on how we do things, especially when the players we want to replace are bringing in little in the way of finances we can use to replace them.

I don’t claim to be a PSR expert but I assume Big Joe’s transfer fee is long gone from our books so his only impact on PSR are his wages, which probably aren’t too high. That’s exactly the sort of player the club might be content to keep around and age out gracefully, even if we end up not getting an outbound fee for him.