2023 Summer transfers

Those two positions are not mutually exclusive. Did we ever have a blueprint after such an unexpected promotion? We were ever going to have steady acclimatisation and progress last season? I would argue that was not a realistic expectation for us, given the combined chaos of a last-minute promotion, an earlier start to the season and an exodus of key players, together with some early arse-kickings, a mid-season break and a lousy injury record throughout the season.

We at least actively managed all the uncertainty and challenge of last season with a series of tactical and personnel changes resulting in a decent outcome* rather than just changing the manager several times.

It might therefore be more reasonable to expect steady acclimatisation and progress this season, with the confidence that there are some really good young players with more experience, a manager who can deal with significant challenge and an owner who was not as trigger happy as we had feared.

So: I would say progress and grounds for optimism!

(*I did not think it was possible: and as I write, it seems even more ridiculous that we stayed up).

Fabrizio reporting we are in advanced talks to sign Ismail Jakobs. Monaco left back.

Player keen to join us.

This might be the least impressive highlights reel I've ever seen:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH2nEzZQ_rk

Athletic has us turning down a £35m offer for Brennan and MU being willing to loan with obligation to buy as long as we pay in Jan.

Apparently the difference is they want the obligation after 3-5 games, we want it after 30 games....

Somewhere in the middle would seem fair

Might be worth mentioning you are talking about Henderson.

Good point.

After the Wood debacle, that seems pragmatic. But we are getting to the urgent stage of keeper negotiations and United want to look less ineffectual than usual.

It is 3/5 of games (including cups) so 60% rather than 3 to 5 games (which would be a bit bizarre - think they would just call it 4). So doesn't sound like we're that far apart. They'll agree at 25 league games. Makes sense.

Looks good but another player presumably who would be at Afcon in Jan with Senegal. As would Sangare with Ivory Coast, who is looking like he might be our big summer signing. Surely they have thought of this though.

Wood wasn't a debacle, at least from the perspective of how the deal was structured. It was never intended to be a loan, just a mechanism to have the transfer fee count against this year's FFP calculations rather than last year's. I suspect the Henderson situation is the same, but complicated by the injury.

In any case, we're going to be needing 2 keepers and A.N. Other is likely to be starting against Arsenal because Henderson won't be fit to start the season, Hennessy isn't staying/isn't good enough/isn't fit either, Horvath isn't good enough and will be off too and there's surely no way we will risk Shelvey. I wouldn't rule out Navas coming back for a short loan, he is still at PSG I think.

In that sense it was ok (I wasn't even considering it). The hindsight of a commitment after 3 games when he got injured after 5(?) is just frustrating.

The problem with Wood was structuring a deal where you might pay 15M for someone who is on the wrong side of 30, is on a downwards trajectory and doesn't really fit how we play when we play well. But who knows he may yet prove useful in the Dele Adebola Plan B sense if we don't flog him.

Yeah, but you can't think of it like that - you have to think of it like we purchased him in the Jan window and just used a deferred payment scheme.

Yet another reason to dislike Afterpay*.

*I have cause. Not after a debate.

You won't get one from me, I have no idea what Afterpay is.