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Summer 2024/January 2025 Transfer Thread

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andyt

Canes Moderator
Staff member
The summer transfer window officially opens on July 1 and closes on August 30. But we have thr first signing. Kylian Mbappe, who was out of contract with PSG, signs with Real Madrid.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Kylian Mbappe 'SIGNS Real Madrid contract'

But now, he will finally represent the Spanish giants after Fabrizio Romano claimed everything has been agreed and that Mbappe had penned a contract with the club.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
 
Looks like Villa are kicking off the window in the bargain bin, securing Ross Barkley from Luton for a reported fee of 5 million pounds. He's having medicals today. The need for quality depth was obvious this season as Villa ran healthy midfielders like John McGinn and Douglas Luiz until their legs fell off. Barkley had a decent bounce back season for Luton and should be able to provide some support off the bench. Seems like he's been around forever, but he's only 30. This would be his second stint at Villa after playing 24 games on loan in 20-21.

www.birminghammail.co.uk

Aston Villa medical due as Unai Emery closes in on first summer transfer

Aston Villa are close to signing Ross Barkley after reportedly reaching an agreement to sign the midfielder
www.birminghammail.co.uk www.birminghammail.co.uk
 
I like the addition of this version of Barkley for CM depth. He basically reinvented himself last season playing much further back than he did earlier in his career. I thought he looked good in buildup play last year for Luton and also is a big body which will help on set pieces which was a real weakness for us.
 
Multiple reports that Tim Ream is in advanced talks with MLS Charlotte FC.
 
andyt said:
Multiple reports that Tim Ream is in advanced talks with MLS Charlotte FC.
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Wonder who'll swoop in and take this one away. They all but had Marco Reus signed before LA snatched him away. Ream is a million years old and would still be one of the better defenders in a league that is still woefully short on quality CBs.
 
More and more rumors of a Douglas Luiz swap deal with Juventus involving McKennie, Illing Jr and about 20 mil in cash. I'm hesitant about this, because McKennie was horrible at Leeds, but to be fair to him, that team was a mess. He apparently had a pretty good season this year even after they tried to ice him out over the summer (I didn't pay attention to how that played out, but I'm guessing they brought him back into the side after the Pogba ban). I am legitimately concerned about Luiz's fitness with how outright bad he was in the second half of the season. The entire team fell off obviously in the second half especially with the injuries, but Luiz especially looked cooked and was mostly invisible after being one of our absolute key players in the first half of the season.

Also, more talk about Chelsea trying to sign Duran with Villa wanting 50 mil for him. I'm actually more torn on this than Luiz oddly enough since Duran's potential is crazy and he just turned 20. He could also never mature and become a bust, so I understand selling if the offer is right, plus we kept hearing rumblings about him and Emery not getting along. Unfortunate.

Apparently Milan are interested in Matty Cash and Villa want 30 mil. I'm guessing it won't be that high if it happens, but I'm sure Emery wants a RB who is a better fit for how he wants to play. Cash has solid qualities, but just isn't a fit for the buildup play that Villa do.
 
Cash ... I'd be happy to have a more stable, predictable player in that role.

Luiz ... I dunno. Villa have to address salary concerns but he's just so fundamental to what they do. And he's been so durable during a time when others have not. McKennie is my guy, so that makes it hard for me to be impartial. Anybody who thinks all he has to offer is what they saw in that trash fire at Leeds is being stupid. Emery could absolutely unlock that guy in way we have yet to see outside of his play for the US team. And Illing is electric and very experienced to be only 20 years old. And having been already eff-ed over by Chelsea he won't be as likely to be pining for a bigger name club. I'm torn.

Duran ... shaping up to be more trouble than he's worth, IMO. In order to make him happy, you'd have to elevate him above Watkins and that would be bizarre at this stage to say the least. I'd have no problem if they sold him for a tidy profit and brought in somebody who was more of a team player as a second striker. Or just get Archer signed to a new deal now that he's back and then figure it out later.
 
Luiz deal is being reported as complete for Illing Jr, Barrenechea and 28 m euros. Get an exciting young winger and fixing our PSR issues isn't horrible. I think I'd feel worse about this deal if it happened in January when he had just been one of the best midfielders in the prem for the first half versus now where I watched him be completely invisible for three months.

As talented as he is, I feel like Luiz is much more replaceable for us as the more box to box central midfielder than Kamara is as the six. Tielemans is much more natural to slot in there then how he was initially struggling having to play more defensive duties and it allows him to take more shots like the beaut he just scored for Belgium.
 
Jack Harrison will be spending another season on loan with Everton from Leeds. He had 4 goals in 35 matches for the Toffees last season.
 
An interesting development this year as all the teams in PSR trouble are just swapping academy players. Everything about the FFP/PSR system is trash and the teams that are punished by it are just going, fine we'll play you're stupid game.

Also, in more Villa news, it seems Chelsea are no longer interested in Duran. The talent is clearly undeniable, but he's getting the reputation of being difficult. I'm really hoping that something clicks with him and he takes a deeper look at himself and grows up a bit, cause I truly think he could be a star.
 
VinatieriDefinesClutch said:
Luiz deal is being reported as complete for Illing Jr, Barrenechea and 28 m euros. Get an exciting young winger and fixing our PSR issues isn't horrible. I think I'd feel worse about this deal if it happened in January when he had just been one of the best midfielders in the prem for the first half versus now where I watched him be completely invisible for three months.

As talented as he is, I feel like Luiz is much more replaceable for us as the more box to box central midfielder than Kamara is as the six. Tielemans is much more natural to slot in there then how he was initially struggling having to play more defensive duties and it allows him to take more shots like the beaut he just scored for Belgium.
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Part of me is glad that it's Barrenechea and not McKennie ... even though in the short term, McKennie would be a better fit. Now they just need to hope that Kamara can stay healthy for a change.
 
Yeah, I think a big issue last year was there clearly was no one who could even rotate with Kamara. I'm not surprised that there's been a clear emphasis on bringing in more players who can rotate into the central midfield roles. Barrenechea is more of a six type, which is good, but with more and more of the modern game being based on pressing and playing out the back through the press, the types of defensive midfielders who can receive a pass under pressure and deliver smart passes or even beat the press themselves are becoming more and more valuable and harder to get.
 
I also hope for nothing but the best for him. His body clearly can't hold up though and as someone who has had injuries get in the way of my much less storied athletic career, I can relate. I was really hoping he would find success with us and I hold no ill will toward him. He clearly just wants to play and as much money as he's made, he's taken multiple large paycuts throughout his career to try to play more. The one silver lining is that Barca had a pretty substantial sell on fee for him with us and this means they get nothing.
 
Now looking like Villa has been unable to cobble proper terms together for Coutinho's permanent move to Vasco Da Gama, so they're going to have to loan him out. Which presumably means that they're going to still be on the hook for a chunk of his salary. That contract is the Gerrard gift that just keeps giving.
 
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