Frees and loans

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The problem with free transfers is that they command more wages because the player is in the box seat. It will be the same situation as last time we went up and we'll lose out on players because other teams will offer more for wages.

So someone like Maitland-Niles is very unlikely if another (non-Luton) EPL or Champions League is in for him. And any good free transfers will have multiple suitors because there are lots of teams who have small budgets for fees but much bigger for wages.

And being relegation favourites puts us on the back foot. Even if we're a better prospect for this season, a player will look ahead to future seasons.
 


Any on here?

Butland?
Butlands career is so weird.
He must have really tailed off at Stoke to have drifted so far from people's minds.
Still only 30, I thought he was brilliant around the time of his England caps.
I'd get him in, but his wages will be big after his loan from Man U.
 
Right, but I never said scouting needed to be clever. I said we need to be prudent and methodical, and go for players overlooked by others that would fit our system. Anel is a brilliant example of that, doesn’t really matter how we scouted him, the fact is he’s worth 5 times what we paid for him minimum.

Totally agree, just seen a lot of folk hoping we'd unearth another Anel as if we had some great foreign scouts out there unearthing diamonds and it was part of a strategy we would continue to implement...

Unfortunately the club hasn't moved forwards off the field for several years now and still relies on coaches pulling rabbits out of hats for them.
 
Butland joining Gers from July.
 
A couple at Leicester, Wellens and Tuanzebe Maybe that Silko Thomas if Hecky rated him Maitland - Niles Joe Bryan and maybe Gazzinga
As ever UTB
 
I'd suggested AMN before on a free, but had visualised him as a valuable player to have on the bench. Someone who had played a number of positions in both the PL & Serie A. Unfortunately, in the current financial situation, he'd be a starter, which i'm not overly happy with.

I wasn't so naive as to think that we were ever going to be fishing for prize specimens in the transfer window, but we're now in danger of dragging discarded shopping trollies out of the pond.
 
A couple at Leicester, Wellens and Tuanzebe Maybe that Silko Thomas if Hecky rated him Maitland - Niles Joe Bryan and maybe Gazzinga
As ever UTB
joe bryan yeah good shout forgot about him good lwb got shut out when robinson arrived at fulham been on loan at nice
 
I'm pretty comfortable with who my signings would be now.

I'm playing Norrington-Davies as LCB, assuming he's fit.

Defensively I'm signing Ryan Manning as my first choice left back, adding potential goals and assists.

I'm signing Ashley Maitland-Niles to give me a defensive midfield option whilst acknowledging he can cover both RCB with Anel moving to CB and also RWB if we have injuries. We may well even see AMN-Anel-Egan as a three at some point depending on form and injuries.

I'm taking Doyle back, but on loan from City as one of my loans and I'm spending my first bit of cash on O'Brien. Gives me good succession to Fleck and if we stay up Doyle would be my ideal 24/25 perm signing. So probably some 6-8m spent there.

I'm taking Pukki on a free. A player who can compliment probably all my strikers, a good all-rounder, with a recent pedigree at this level. He replaces Sharp, who he has about 4 years on.

IF there is scope for further investment, then at 24, I'm happy to go in for the Rotherham keeper with an initial bid of 3-4m. Given their record sale is below this, I believe this would be a starting point to get a deal done.

I'd keep an eye on Jacob Greaves at Hull City but we might need another year before we can complete that one. Likewise Ronnie Edwards at Peterborough is well thought of and would be on my list.

But for now, those top 5, 3 frees, one loan and one perm for 8m tops, with a little bit of thought to the keeper.

It does leave me one domestic loan which I may or may not use depending on if an attacking midfielder becomes available near the end of the window.

Modest but I think relatively logical and affordable signings which add to the quality of the squad, wouldn't upset the dressing room and on the whole are a good age.
 
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I'm pretty comfortable with who my signings would be now.

I'm playing Norrington-Davies as LCB, assuming he's fit.

Defensively I'm signing Ryan Manning as my first choice left back, adding potential goals and assists.

I'm signing Ashley Maitland-Niles to give me a defensive midfield option whilst acknowledging he can cover both RCB with Anel moving to CB and also RWB if we have injuries. We may well even see AMN-Anel-Egan as a three at some point depending on form and injuries.

I'm taking Doyle back, but on loan from City as one of my loans and I'm spending my first bit of cash on O'Brien. Gives me good succession to Fleck and if we stay up Doyle would be my ideal 24/25 perm signing. So probably some 6-8m spent there.

I'm taking Pukki on a free. A player who can compliment probably all my strikers, a good all-rounder, with a recent pedigree at this level. He replaces Sharp, who he has about 4 years on.

IF there is scope for further investment, then at 24, I'm happy to go in for the Rotherham keeper with an initial bid of 3-4m. Given their record sale is below this, I believe this would be a starting point to get a deal done.

I'd keep an eye on Jacob Greaves at Hull City but we might need another year before we can complete that one. Likewise Ronnie Edwards at Peterborough is well thought of and would be on my list.

But for now, those top 5, 3 frees, one loan and one perm for 8m tops, with a little bit of thought to the keeper.

It does leave me one domestic loan which I may or may not use depending on if an attacking midfielder becomes available near the end of the window.

Modest but I think relatively logical and affordable signings which add to the quality of the squad, wouldn't upset the dressing room and on the whole are a good age.
I’ve arrived at a similar position (meaninglessly obviously) save that I would be considering Coady where you’ve got AMN - merits in both though.

I’d also be looking to do Doyle on a permanent if at all possible and seeking one of McAtee or Palmer as a loan. Would love to get both the City boys from last season, don’t want to change too much.

Second domestic loan another forward - whoever shakes free at the end of the window.
 
I’ve arrived at a similar position (meaninglessly obviously) save that I would be considering Coady where you’ve got AMN - merits in both though.

I’d also be looking to do Doyle on a permanent if at all possible and seeking one of McAtee or Palmer as a loan. Would love to get both the City boys from last season, don’t want to change too much.

Second domestic loan another forward - whoever shakes free at the end of the window.
Given the Prince is in the process of sinking Chateauroux, I came to the conclusion that we can't afford Doyle though would agree a perm move for him with Norwood into his 30s is such a logical move.

Coady would be a good experienced head. I'm just doubtful we'd want to pay any fee or whether we would meet his wage demands. But I can understand where you are coming from and he's probably replace some of what is lost with Sharp going.
 
i more or less agree with both of you on this i would prefer coady to amn doyle looks out of reach financially unless city do us a really good deal so may have to be a loan but that would rule us out for palmer think its either coady and doyle as our 2 premier league loans or try and buy coady and obrien and loan a premier striker along with pukki on a free archer would be my choice for the other loan
 

Really bored at work so I'm having a stab at building a squad primarily with frees and loans (with a couple of fees thrown in along the way). Players are in no particular order in terms of starting but I'd be pretty happy with something like this.

That said hopefully there would be a bit of money left over to push a couple of other players out of the squad (e.g. Osborn)

Screenshot_20230622-151206.png
 
Really bored at work so I'm having a stab at building a squad primarily with frees and loans (with a couple of fees thrown in along the way). Players are in no particular order in terms of starting but I'd be pretty happy with something like this.

That said hopefully there would be a bit of money left over to push a couple of other players out of the squad (e.g. Osborn)

View attachment 163051
Looks good and realistic. Have a 9/10.

My 11 from that 22..

Wes

Anel Egan Coady

Baldock Berge Doyle Field Manning

Ndiaye McBurnie
 
Looks good and realistic. Have a 9/10.

My 11 from that 22..

Wes

Anel Egan Coady

Baldock Berge Doyle Field Manning

Ndiaye McBurnie
Thanks! If I spent an extra 5m to put Osborn back in his rightful "floater" place and get Glen Kamara would you give me a 10? Failing that he could count towards our foreign loan.

If you did I'd tell my grandchildren about this momentous day!

Screenshot_20230622-161324.png
 
tommy doyle has to be one of our premier league loans and for me coady or archer have to be the other one if mcburnie is our top starter up top with illiman were in trouble we need better at this level
 
Doyle on loan,
Pukki permanent
Manning permanent
Wouldn't have Maitland niles or Davies from Toffees
 
Really bored at work so I'm having a stab at building a squad primarily with frees and loans (with a couple of fees thrown in along the way). Players are in no particular order in terms of starting but I'd be pretty happy with something like this.

That said hopefully there would be a bit of money left over to push a couple of other players out of the squad (e.g. Osborn)

View attachment 163051
I think the Millers kit says it all for the quality of that team mate! No, seriously, it's a very good Championship team but not even as good as last season without McAtee. I don't want Fleck anywhere near the first team or even as a backup, he would end up at Aberdeen or Preston if we released him in my view, that type of club.

Lewis O'Brien is a realistic signing and should be in the midfield on the LCM spot, hopefully Doyle on loan in the middle as you've got and Berge on the right. Pukki may well come up top and that's a good freebie as you've identified. Don't want Lowe or Norwood in the first team personally next season, neither good enough for thee PL.
 
I think the Millers kit says it all for the quality of that team mate! No, seriously, it's a very good Championship team but not even as good as last season without McAtee. I don't want Fleck anywhere near the first team or even as a backup, he would end up at Aberdeen or Preston if we released him in my view, that type of club.

Lewis O'Brien is a realistic signing and should be in the midfield on the LCM spot, hopefully Doyle on loan in the middle as you've got and Berge on the right. Pukki may well come up top and that's a good freebie as you've identified. Don't want Lowe or Norwood in the first team personally next season, neither good enough for thee PL.
Yep.
Agree with every part of that.
 
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Really bored at work so I'm having a stab at building a squad primarily with frees and loans (with a couple of fees thrown in along the way). Players are in no particular order in terms of starting but I'd be pretty happy with something like this.

That said hopefully there would be a bit of money left over to push a couple of other players out of the squad (e.g. Osborn)

View attachment 163051
We cant start the season with those options up top
 
for me pukki would be a free hit for us on modest wages but we need another striker in as well possibly a loan from europe we cant rely on mcburnie and brewster to get us the goals to keep us in the premier league
 
for me pukki would be a free hit for us on modest wages but we need another striker in as well possibly a loan from europe we cant rely on mcburnie and brewster to get us the goals to keep us in the premier league
This is it for me too.

McBurnie is useful but shouldn’t be first choice.

I prefer Ndiaye in a CAM role behind strikers but he’s versatile enough to do both and scores goals, so a good option.

Pukki adds experience and goals as well as being a very solid Championship striker next season if we’re relegated.

We should then add the best loan striker we can get (Domestic or European), probs have to see who shakes loose at the end of the window.

With Brewster, Jebbo and Osula I would say keep whoever looks sharpest and most up for it around and loan out the other two until January then reasses.
 
tommy doyle has to be one of our premier league loans and for me coady or archer have to be the other one if mcburnie is our top starter up top with illiman were in trouble we need better at this level
I do think Archer might be exactly what we need, so probably one of the loan slots. He looked happy to do a lot of boring running/chasing without the ball at Boro - and he's fast and a pretty clinical finisher. Ndiaye playing off Archer could be perfect for us.
 
I do think Archer might be exactly what we need, so probably one of the loan slots. He looked happy to do a lot of boring running/chasing without the ball at Boro - and he's fast and a pretty clinical finisher. Ndiaye playing off Archer could be perfect for us.
The good thing about signing Archer would be that Brewster would move further away from a starting place in the team.
 

Archer should be the number 1 loan target

It seems pretty quiet on him

I'm sure we'll be in for him if he's available

Villa would loan him to us because they won't see us as any kind of rival, and understandably so

Him and Ndiaye around McBurnie would be as good as we can realistically hope for up front

Doyle and Field would be an ideal midfield pair to play behind them
 

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