Vinny Souza.

[Booker4]

I can see this being a goer. Not itk. If Wolfsburg are going down I think even more so because he'll not want to play in the German second tier id imagine. I know he did play second tier with us but the championship is a higher standard in terms of wages by some distance than the Bundesliga 2.

It would probably be a loan I'd imagine.

 

[jimmymuir]

He's a great player, but he chose to leave, if he goes down with Wolfsburg we shouldn't be clambering for him to return. Souza can be added to the long list of former players that our fans would take back... Doyle, McAtee, Choudhury, Souttar, no wonder we'll never be a serious club! We need to stop being a desperate ex and let go.

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

He's a great player, but he chose to leave, if he goes down with Wolfsburg we shouldn't be clambering for him to return. Souza can be added to the long list of former players that our fans would take back... Doyle, McAtee, Choudhury, Souttar, no wonder we'll never be a serious club! We need to stop being a desperate ex and let go.

I'm not bothered about if they've played for us before. But every single one of those players named in your post would improve our squad. That's the aim of transfers as well isn't it?

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

I can see this being a goer. Not itk. If Wolfsburg are going down I think even more so because he'll not want to play in the German second tier id imagine. I know he did play second tier with us but the championship is a higher standard in terms of wages by some distance than the Bundesliga 2.

It would probably be a loan I'd imagine.

Souza was a cheat code in the Championship. It's what made Peck look so good as well.

 

[jimmymuir]

I'm not bothered about if they've played for us before. But every single one of those players named in your post would improve our squad. That's the aim of transfers as well isn't it?

Doyle and Choudhury, really? Souttar has been out injured since Boxing Day 2024...

 

[Badger Blade]

If there was anyone we did fetch back, Souza would be the one who would make a real difference and offer a genuine improvement on the current squad.

He was prone to the odd lapse but he was an absolute beast last season.

Would there be an issue regarding work permits etc if we did try and bring him back?

 

[Rudders]

He can’t come back until we’re three-one up

 

[diplomat]

There's nothing in this I'm sure of it.

Few reasons.

1. Whilst we may be able to get get him back fee wise for not a great deal (As they likely owe us instalments) that also eats back into our money in with the accounts.
2. If he's done OK for Wolfsburg then there will be other suitors. IF of course they sell him. If they do go down he might just stick it out in bundesliga 2 like he did with us.
3. I think he enjoyed it here last season but I imagine he would want to aim higher in the English leagues if he was to return to England.

On top of the above, I enjoyed watching him really dominate most players he came up against last season. But it was more of the physical side of things for the most part.
What Souza enabled us to do was win the ball back or break up play for us to start an attack. He gave us some protection too defensively.

However I would caveat, he didn't really show in the PL that he could keep up with the speed of the game in that level. Sure I think not having much of a pre-season before signing for us did not help. But even so, that would be my instinct.

I don’t think we need to be worried about whether he can cope in the prem just yet! He might be one of a number of players who are a standout in the championship but lower end of the table fodder in the prem. For now we need the former.

 

[Kenilworth]

Souza was a cheat code in the Championship. It's what made Peck look so good as well.

Or Peck needs a big strong midfield destroyer by the side of him to be more effective - like most of the prem teams have.
It’s not Peck’s shortcomings, it’s that he can’t do both jobs at once

 

[FriethBlade]

I can see this being a goer. Not itk. If Wolfsburg are going down I think even more so because he'll not want to play in the German second tier id imagine. I know he did play second tier with us but the championship is a higher standard in terms of wages by some distance than the Bundesliga 2.

It would probably be a loan I'd imagine.

You can't play Jairo and Souza in the same midfield. Plus assuming nobody leaves we've already got Jairo/Peck/Rothwell/Blaster competing for 2 spots with Wilder also saying he wants Phillips back. There's no way on our budget we can afford all those wages in one area of the pitch.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

You can't play Jairo and Souza in the same midfield. Plus assuming nobody leaves we've already got Jairo/Peck/Rothwell/Blaster competing for 2 spots with Wilder also saying he wants Phillips back. There's no way on our budget we can afford all those wages in one area of the pitch.

I don't think you need to worry about us signing players sho went for 12 million a year ago

 

[DronnieBlade]

It’s without a shadow of doubt in my mind that Vini would have plugged many (but not all) of the gaps in our leaky defence this season.

His presence has been sorely missed.

Can’t imagine there is a hope in hell he would return,

UTB

 

[Old Programme seller]

It’ll be all free signings and loans next season I’m afraid

 

[KMC-1889]

There’s no way we resign him. The remaining installments on his fee are owed to a bank so not ours to write off and wages will be miles higher than he can afford.

 

[Blademan89]

You can't play Jairo and Souza in the same midfield. Plus assuming nobody leaves we've already got Jairo/Peck/Rothwell/Blaster competing for 2 spots with Wilder also saying he wants Phillips back. There's no way on our budget we can afford all those wages in one area of the pitch.

Oh but he can lol, wilder would shit himself against spurs away and start with Jairo Philips & Vini as a midfield 3 anchor.

 

[Booker4]

You can't play Jairo and Souza in the same midfield. Plus assuming nobody leaves we've already got Jairo/Peck/Rothwell/Blaster competing for 2 spots with Wilder also saying he wants Phillips back. There's no way on our budget we can afford all those wages in one area of the pitch.

I think Jairo and Douza might work but it would need someone more attacking minded in there too like Arblaster.

 

[sufc323]

If he returns to England, I can see one of the relegated PL clubs or promoted clubs going for him. Ipswich and Wolves were linked with him before, and they'd be more realistic than coming back here. I image his wages would far exceed what we'd be able to pay without PL money or parachute payments

 

[Thrice]

Can see him go back to Spain or one of the Dutch clubs like PSV or Feyenoord. Don't think he'll come back to the Championship and he hasn't shown enough at the top level (Premier League or Bundesliga) to have a Premier League club interested enough to buy him.

 

[billyblademan]

It’ll be all free signings and loans next season I’m afraid

Another summer of 'frees, small fees, and loans' bingo?

 

[Keen Blade]

Another summer of 'frees, small fees, and loans' bingo?

Summer 24 wasn't a splash the cash but we got a 92-point side together.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Summer 24 wasn't a splash the cash but we got a 92-point side together.

Splashing the cash doesn't have to mean transfer fees. We had a huge wage bill.

 

[Keen Blade]

Splashing the cash doesn't have to mean transfer fees. We had a huge wage bill.

Good point

 

[Balham]

Splashing the cash doesn't have to mean transfer fees. We had a huge wage bill.

Only Leeds (£104m!!), Burnley (TBC, but likely) and Sunderland (£45m) spent more on wages than our £40m and Sunderland's would have probably doubled with promotion.

This season isn't going to be much different except that our ~4th highest wage bill for the division is going to result in a ~14th place finish, rather than 3rd and 3rd as it was last season.

 

[CPB]

Summer 24 wasn't a splash the cash but we got a 92-point side together.

As many have said we can't be spending as much on wages.

Not sure by how much the bill will need to be reduced but probably looking at getting it down to £30m or less.

However we did spend or re-invest money in summer 24.

We sold Osula, Trusty, Traore, Slimane (Eventually), Archer went back too effectively a sale.

And brought in on fee's Cooper, Burrows and Moore.
With O'Hare, McCallum, Shackleton, and Campbell on free's. Complimented by some loans.

I expect similar will happen this summer. The figures will surely show more money out than in for transfer fees.
And the wages when the accounts are put out will deffo show a drop.

We already know we will see T.Davies leave the squad which will save a decent wage. Ing's probably will and Mee.
And then all the loanee's go back too. Then it will be a case of seeing what and who we need to sell to balance the books and make room for incomings.