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Summer 2021 transfer thread.


manwiththestick
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On 26/12/2019 at 13:07, 3 Stacks said:

Written by : 3 Stacks.

 

As any hopeless romantic knows, love is a fleeting emotion. It is ever so hard to find, but when we do find it, our previously dour lives gain meaning. This is why we crave love, we chase love. And when we find that special person who makes us feel, we are willing to do anything for them. This is why I was compelled to write this article. 

 

I never thought I would find another. When I first laid eyes on that lovely French-Tunisian lad I thought; this is it. The tanned caramel skin tone, the curly brush cut, the left peg crafted by the Gods themselves. I gave my heart to Hatem Ben Arfa. I followed first, his stint on the North East at Newcastle, where he dazzled Geordies with his tantalizing skill. I remember where I was when I watched his solo goal against Bolton Wanderers. I'll never forget that moment. I supported him through the hard times, because that's what love is all about. Although, I couldn't bring myself to watch him at Hull. There are limits after all. But my joy rekindled during his time at Nice and, subsequently, at Rennes. His time at PSG in the middle of those two stops, I'd rather not talk about. Too emotionally charged. Too painful. I still haven't recovered from the heartache, although better times followed.

 

As shown, love has its ups and downs. And now, with Hatem being out of work I thought that was it. Was my first footballing true love going to be my only experience of this wonderful emotion that we all cherish so much as human beings? Was this tumultuous relationship destined to be a singular experience with no other player able to fully capture my heart?

 

And then, this season, I saw. I saw him. And wonderfully, my heart skipped a beat, once more. The slicked back blond-streaked mane, the low shin pads revealing the greatest legs I'd ever seen since a young Alison Brie, the way time seems to stop when he gets on the ball. Jacky Fucking Grealish. Stay still my beating heart.

 

When I first saw him for a few fleeting moments in the Championship, I was intrigued. You could say I gave him a double-take. But unfortunately, it wasn't yet meant to be. The timing wasn't right. Wrong place, wrong time. Do you think for one second I was going to be watching the Championship? Absolutely not. But in the right circumstances, could I give him a chance? Absolutely.

 

And then, that chance came. Jacky G led his team to the Premier League. It's like the smoke show I was admiring from afar, bumping into from time to time, moved right next door. And so I acquainted myself with him, watching Villa every chance I got. And when I first did, let me tell you, I felt the sparks immediately. The control he had over the ball. Mesmerizing. But I wanted to see more. Like a great first couple of dates that makes you wonder what lies in store. And then, the end product. The deft left-footed finish against Norwich, the match-winning performance against Brighton, the world class curler vs. Man United, the low fizzer against Leicester, and the cracking half-volley vs. Southampton. Moments that confirm what you're feeling is real.

 

And boy was it real. But that's often not the issue. When we find that special someone, that feeling that they give us in isolation is often enough to blind us to trouble. What is this trouble, you may ask? Villa are terrible. Unwatchable. Jacky G is its lone guiding light. Its shining beacon. It is beyond painful watching him, alone, fighting off the desperate challenges of thugs around Britain, as his team play pedestrian football on its way to losing comfortably to the likes of Sheffield United and Southampton. Even in victory, such as today against Norwich, he cuts a depressed figure. Letting out sighs of frustration as Matt Targett once again, hoofs the ball up the field instead of finding his talisman, rushing towards him like a knight in shining armour to give him an option to play it short. 

 

And so this is my plea to Aston Villa Football Club: Please let him leave, this January, or this summer. Let him lead his own life. Let him run to greater pastures. The man I have found space for in my heart once again has a dysfunctional family around him trying to drag him down. He has so much potential. Get him away from the shouting matches, the drugs, the alcoholism, the bad neighborhood. Set him free from his broken home and let him go to a better one. Let him realize his potential. My former love could never escape the clutches of mediocrity around him and it broke him. Don't let the same happen to my new love. If you truly care for him. 

 

Thanks for reading. 

Remember when I wrote this? I was completely ahead of the times. 

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34 minutes ago, Trumo said:

This Neuhaus deal looks quite complicated. There may or may not be a release clause, but we also have to consider wages, bonuses, agent fees, estate agent fees, solicitors' fees, stamp duty...

Getting Dion Dublin in as a consultant, he reckons there’s potential for a 12% yield if we loan him out.

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7 hours ago, Ronnie Whelan said:

Not sure Butch. If Mbappe runs his contract down, we could get him for relatively speaking fuck all given how good he is. They know that they could sell him on for a gigantic profit to say Real two or three years after buying him. Very possible we sell Sadio or Mo next year to fund the deal anyway. 

 

If Mbappe doesn't renew his contract, Real Madrid will move heaven and earth to get him next summer, and he has made it clear that it is his dream to play for them one day. Why would Real Madrid give us a huge profit on him when they could pick him up for free? 

 

I think the only way we would get him would be to move this summer. Ideally we could offer say Mane plus 30/40 million?

 

As I've said before though, we like the idea of signing Mbappe, because of the amount of clicks it generates and the perception that we could sign him makes us look like we are right back at the top level, but in reality it's not the type of signing I ever see us doing under this ownership model. 

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3 hours ago, MegadriveMan said:

 

If Mbappe doesn't renew his contract, ...

 

I think the only way we would get him would be to move this summer. Ideally we could offer say Mane plus 30/40 million?

 

As I've said before though, we like the idea of signing Mbappe, because of the amount of clicks it generates and the perception that we could sign him makes us look like we are right back at the top level, but in reality it's not the type of signing I ever see us doing under this ownership model. 

Mane plus 30-40m for Mbappe?

 

tenor.gif

 

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4 minutes ago, aRdja said:

If we’re definitely keeping Naby then we won’t need to replace Gini. Fabinho, Hendo, Thiago to start the bigger games and Jones, Keita, Ox, and Milner as rotation options. A centre forward is a more pressing need IMO

Keita and Ox will probably be injured for 70% of the season. Hendo injury record is getting concerning(only played over 30 league games twice in six seasons). 

Milner as much as he can do a job just isnt there anymore to play more than the odd game. 

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6 minutes ago, Red74 said:

We’ve only got Robbo and the front 3 who can stay fit. We’re fucked if weve exhausted these.

 

 

Trents good and i honestly wouldn't put Virg in with the malingers,never injured until a short armed cretin clattered him

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1 hour ago, aRdja said:

If we’re definitely keeping Naby then we won’t need to replace Gini. Fabinho, Hendo, Thiago to start the bigger games and Jones, Keita, Ox, and Milner as rotation options. A centre forward is a more pressing need IMO

That is the same 'Naby' as the one who has played the full 90 mins for us 3 times in our last 76 league games and been unavailable for the vast majority of them?

 

Wijnaldum has been pretty much our only reliable midfielder for a while now and i just can't see who fills his shoes in terms of that availability and reliability, which relying on your rotating cast of permacrocks, an ageing Milner and the still with a lot to prove Jones will IMO cause us real problems and leave us struggling as soon as one of the hardly unbreakable Henderson or Fabinho go down - which they will....problems with the cover not being available and problems with it leading to chopping and changing and as a result struggling for fluency/consistency.

 

For my money we need to add in there.

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Yeah, I think it's clear we're going to add at least one midfielder. Curtis can step up some in terms of the minutes he plays but you can't have an ever-present player like Gini leave without addressing the position at all.

 

It's looking a little bit like we could end up with one defender (Konate), one midfielder (Neuhaus?) and one forward (Daka?) at the end of the window. For me, if we can do that without selling anyone important, maybe just Origi, Shaqiri, Minamino, Grujic, and Wilson (and maybe one of Keita and Ox?), I'd be pretty satisfied.

 

Maybe a bit light at fullback depth (is Tsimikas alive?) but overall, that team at least competes for a title IMO barring another injury plague at one position.

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21 minutes ago, Ne Moe Imya said:

Maybe a bit light at fullback depth (is Tsimikas alive?) but overall, that team at least competes for a title IMO barring another injury plague at one position.

Club have offered a new contract to Larouci as well. He should help with the HG quota as well as being a backup for LBs.

 

Club have refused to sell Tsimikas to Napoli (I think) so either they want him to stay and fight or are expecting a higher fee.

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5 minutes ago, Bad Red Bull said:

Club have offered a new contract to Larouci as well. He should help with the HG quota as well as being a backup for LBs.

 

Club have refused to sell Tsimikas to Napoli (I think) so either they want him to stay and fight or are expecting a higher fee.

He left the club last month 

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