Dusic

Next saga will be whether he signs the new contract or not. I suspect not, at least for the time being as no real incentive for him to when being a free agent next summer would give him so many options.

Still a bit concerned about where the goals will come from across a season aside from Arma and Stewart. Doesn't seem likely we will replace Tella's goals effectively and might be light up front with Stewart, Arma and Mara if one or two got injured. Defence and central midfield looks extremely strong.

Interesting shift in our recruitment towards British players. We could name a very strong team entirely of British/Irish players, arguably on Alcaraz would get in our strongest side. Wonder when the last time we had a first team lineup with nobody outside UK/ROI - probably 20 years or more?

Nothing seems imminent with Onuachu so surely if he is is still here then we integrate and use him? The guy scored stacks of goals in Belgium ao obviously has something about him and no reason to leave him out in the cold if he is still here. Also worth remembering that at times Sulemana pretty much played up front for us and surely could do so if needed. Personally I am more concerned that of Roberts is replacing Tella then we basically need Fraser, Stu, Edozie, Roberts and Sulemana (if he stays) to start banging goals in at a rate none of them have before i.e 10 plus a season for a couple of them, otherwise we will be so reliant on Stewart and Arma. That said, until last season Tella had no goal record to speak of and he hit 20.

Patrick Roberts is a very good player at this level, but would mean there isn't a huge amount of pace and directness in the side. That was where Tella was a nice point of difference, Roberts is more similar to Edozie as in a technical, tricky player.

Right side attacker will be interesting to see who we go for if not Pantsil. Need a goal threat from out there in a 4-3-3. Few real links in that position so far.

Nathan Wood must be pretty pissed off tonight!

Sounds like we will sign Stewart with the hope Adams stays but safety net that if he doesn't he is already replaced.

With a burgeoning recruitment of Scots, in addition to the gaffer is this our biggest tartan influence since the days of WGS, Paul Telfer and Antti Niemi?

Interestingly on the Coaches Voice video with RM talking through the Swansea double over Cardiff when he was there he actually spoke quite a bit about Drameh who was playing for Cardiff at RB. Was raving about how athletic he is and that he is a very good presser (and how they actually played around him because he was always drawn forward to press). He also said they targeted their build up to the Cardiff left side because Drameh was strong on the right. Certainly seems a fan of his, and his numbers are actually pretty decent. https://fbref.com/en/players/e0d1510a/scout/365_m2/Cody-Drameh-Scouting-Report

https://theathletic.com/4805463/2023/08/29/england-youth-transfer-scouts-agents?source=user-shared-article He is mentioned in this article: Quote: There is a lot of talk about Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez, who scores England’s goal in the first game. He already has the facial hair of an adult and is the most powerful and the hardest-running player on the pitch. Though he plays for Southampton and has grown up in nearby Eastleigh, he can also represent Venezuela and Portugal. Overall gist being agents are all over these kids due to the brexit restrictions and also notes that its hard to tell if some are just much more physically capable than others and therefore standout and perhaps get caught up eventually in that regard. There was another comment about an unnamed player which might have been him... Quote: There was one England player with a huge reputation. Everyone knows about this boy and most clubs want to sign him. Chelsea, the agent believes, are the front runners but he thinks other players will catch up with him physically – even if he did perform well against Italy, especially in the first game. This view means he won’t be trying to bring him into his stable. Hopefully we can get him on a scholarship but there will be plenty of offers for him no doubt.

As others have said, if Leeds get Spence then Drameh would surely be allowed to move and aupposedly we are keen. Was Cardiff POTS a year or so ago and has been highly rated for a while but it hasnt worked out at Leeds for him. If he did come in then clearly either KWP or Bree would go. If we could keep KWP that would be great especially as he can cover both sides. Bree clearly will want to play and he doesn't fit here. Could see him going on loan within the Championship.

Of course its partly down to the reduction in media coverage but the club have done quite well at keeping a few of our incomings pretty quiet until shortly before they happened. All of Manning, Fraser and Holgate were on the day stories when news broke and Shea Charles was confirmed by The Athletic after just a passing mention a couple of weeks before.

Of course it works both way but we have lost money on so many players in the last couple of years that its bound to have a significant impact. Aside from Onuachu we have made a recent loss on Orsic, DCC, Diallo, Elyounoussi, Perraud, Lyanco and thats before potential exits for Aribo, Mara etc to whom the same would apply. Clearly we aren't in huge financial trouble because we wouldnt have agreed a big fee for Shea Charles if we were but noticeable that this summers recruitment has been based around British players (tend to have an easier market to move them on) who either Wilcox or Martin can vouch for - quite sensible IMO. Going up and staying up need totally different levels of quality so no issue with using loans very cleverly with no long term obligation.

Also think people sometimes forget that transfers are paid in installments, so we will still have significant outbound payments for players we have already sold and the ones that will inevitably be loaned out like Onuachu, plus the likes of Aribo, Alcaraz, Sulemana etc. Whatever happens with Onuachu we will still be paying out more for him this season than whatever we get back in return.

We need four senior CBs, plus we have Charles who could cover as a 5th. I would say we expect ABK to go (maybe a loan would suit all, as long as he plays and retains/increases in value) so then if Woods were to come in then thats a strong four. Whether Stephens' injury may change things then who knows, but with Charles I think we can cover it.

For the benefit of others I have to point out that this is incorrect. RM said he has played lots of positions but will primarily play as a CB for us. Echoed by Holgate in his interview.

All the players I expected to leave at thebstart of the summer have gone apart from Alcaraz, KWP and Adams. Seems Alcaraz will stay, but I still expect KWP and Adams will go as clearly a PL market for both. KWP especially will be hard to replace and he is a good quality PL level player and aside from Aarons I could think of anyone from last years Championship who was close and Bree is certainly not the answer. Shame Dany N'Guessan has retired as he would have been a top signing to replace Tella on a shoestring budget, and he knows the club.

Purely from this, some very deft finishes with his left foot. Looks pretty promising albeit SPL level. https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/scottish-premiership/bojan-miovski-braced-southampton-transfer-27600787 Says RM wanted him at Swansea too. Also...listen to the end of this interview. RM very clear on Tell and Adams situations. He sounds pretty comfortable with it all. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0g91712?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

If Sulemana stays then surely we won't sign anyone else in that position? We certainly wouldn't need more bodies with Edozie, Fraser SAA, Arma, S. Armstrong all able to play wide too. The key players window wise are Adams, Sulemana and KWP. Need to be keeping two of those three now. KWP would be almost impossible to replace.

Personally expected Tella to go as he has obviously been pushing for a move all summer. Sounds like a good fee and to be fair a great opportunity for him. Hopefully we can reinvest the cash whether in that position or elsewhere or at least keep Sulemana. Have to say I was suprised by how well both Fraser and Holgate come across on their video interviews - both seem keen to prove themselves and genuinely pleased to be joining. Low risk, potentially high reward additions.

Holgate, assuming we also sign Wood, is decent enough and leaves us with 4 good CB options assuming Lyanco and ABK go. Could see a loan for ABK. Fraser obviously less appealing but largely depends on who he is replacing. If getting him means one of Tella or Sulemana goes but one stays then its not so bad. There is also Djenepo, whose days are surely nunbered. Hopefully we can keep either Tella or Sulemana and then with Edozie, SAA, Fraser and the option of Arma/Stu thats a pretty strong pool of options. Holgate is better than Lyanco and is a low risk move so hard to really knock that.

Interesting moment for the club to leak an offer of a contract being on the table. As with Piroe and Swansea, don't see why we would allow Adams to run his contract down. Surely its either sign a new deal or be sold. If the window passes and he doesn't sign one I don't see it being a huge amount more likely in Sept or Oct. Still think he goes this window.

We would only lose him last minute if we agree to. Clearly if its not in the interests of the club and we couldn't get a replacement then they wouldn't agree to it. There are so many variables that really we know nothing about and which move extremely quickly at the end of the transfer window. We don't know how likely Adams is to move, whether he will take action to try to force a move, where Piroe is on our list of targets, whether we have actually tried to sign him rather than just being interested and if we have why he is seemingly going elsewhere, is it pay, prefers Leeds, Swansea don't want to deal with us etc. The club will know most of these things. End of the day, if Adams stays we won't be spending upwards of £10m on another striker. If he goes, and we decide when that is, then he needs to be replaced and the club know that. Joel Piroe is decent but he isnt the only good striker that we potentially have the chance to buy or loan with 9 days left.

Or we can't/don't need to because Adams move has fallen apart. If Adams doesn't move then we don't need Piroe.