Dusic

Your response doesn't make sense. Still is talking about the window knowing that it doesn't close until September, not that we only needed to add Quarshie (and Downs). Pretty obvious some of our better players will go and when they do some of them will be replaced by more incomings.

We haven't even played the first pre season game yet and there is almost two months left of the transfer window. Clearly we will bring in more players and clearly at least some of our best players will leave (the club might not know which yet) - there is loads of time for this to happen. Absolutely no sign that Quarshie and Downs are seen as "all that were required" nor that "we must be keeping most of our best players".

You have mentioned 7 players there but once you take out those who are certain to leave and not even with the squad (ABK), those likely to leave (Bednarek, THB) and those who aren't really centre backs then only Stephens is likely "ahead" of Quarshie just now. I would think our CB pool come Sept will be something like Stephens, Wood, Quarshie and Edwards (unless he is deemed not physical enough and is sold) with either Kayi-Sanda if he isnt loaned out or Bree as a emergency option in a 3CB setup. Then its up to those guys to show who deserves to play - but I am certain Quarshie is seen as a real contender to start games.

Not sure if we are any different to other teama but is it a coincidence that most of the playwrs who are really struggling in the red ball team don't play white ball and just seem short of any rhythm? Also very clear that the recruitment approach for this season has been all wrong, we ditched Abbas to beef up batting without Vince yet didnt actually do that until Varma joined midway through the season. In T20 we have been a bit unlucky that the SA lads got called up but it was surely to be expected and planned for rather than a seemingly reactive approach? Also in our best years we have had 2 quality spinners bowling in tandem, which pretty much all good T20 sides do - why have we moved away from that?

https://www.expressen.se/sport/fotboll/forre-aik-backen-joe-mendes-aktuell-for-flytt/ Suggests we are in for RB Joe Mendes amongst other clubs. Have been a few links to RBs this window so would assume it is a position we are targetting which surely means either Bree (only a year left and surely no extension) or Sugawara (more likely perhaps) will go.

Don't see why we would even contemplate selling Downes to Ipswich. It would need some explanation!

If Downs had longer on his contract we would be paying a lot more, and we have sold countless players with one year left for considerably less than their true value for the same reason. Paying a higher fee doesn't always equate to signing a better player. If we have him as our top target then to bring him in is great, and without breaking the bank is a bonus rather than an issue!

To me it just all feels a bit more organised this summer. One signing done (Quarshie), one seemingly close and by all accounts both are first choice targets which is massive. Downs seems to have specific strengths which on paper suit the style that Still will adopt and also must be keen to make the move aa he could easily re-sign as a Bundesliga player with Koln. Far prefer a move like this rather than looking around in August for a PL squad cast off. Hopefully he avoids injury or scoring a worldy hattrick in the remaining Gold Cup games.

Whole article seems pretty speculative but if they can pay £20m and match his wages then fair enough.

Its not just about now. Dibling has a much higher ceiling IMO and I can see him eventually being a top player at a big club. Elliot is a decent player but is being let go by a big club because he hasnt been able to properly break through after a number of years. Before this tournament they would have done well to get £30m for him I think. Dibling is probably our best academy talent since Shaw so we should clewrly be trying to get as much as we possibly can for him, eapecially when players like Quansah cost upwards of £40m and Jobe Bellingham £30m - he is miles better than both.

Could see most of the squad in todays video/pics. The main ones, Intls aside that I couldn't spot (from a quick look) were Ramsdale, Dibling, Aribo and ABK. Bazunu looked to be training which is good whether we sell or keep and THB seemed to be wearing trainers (bad injury, will interested clubs want to see him playing before moving for him?)

Spot on - a lot of baseless dross written on here at this time of year as you have just demonstrated. We have revamped our entire recruitment setup so for now need to trust that they know what they are doing rather than moan because some of the players that they want, that they know in a lot of detail, are players most of us have never seen play.

I am slightly concerned that in the end he won't just agree a new deal with Koln seeing as they have been promoted and he played a decent part for them in their promotion season. On the face of it, with a young, high potential player you would usually expect that to happen but would assume that Spors et al are obviously close to it and it must be a realistic deal or we surely wouldn't be pursuing it for so long.

Can we add grit for the full house?

No more than before I wouldn't have thought as Joe Shields is already there and besides pretty much every u18 who is genuinely high potential gets taken by one of the big club academies already. Very hard to keep a hyped player all the way through to a pro deal now.