Chez

We may hold the cards, but you simply cant tell someone that they can't get a move to a PL side (offering a decent transfer fee) and earn twice as much money. If a club wants him and Fernandes wants the move, he goes.

I think we are going to struggle to find the right striker, so maybe focusing on creative players might be a good idea. Have talent like Chakvetadze, O'Reily and Rak-Sakyi behind Stewart and the side has a very different look.

Not sure he's what we need this summer, but Chelsea, City have all the young talent, so I don't have a problem returning to that well.

Who is the next one? Trying to buy a decent striker while in the championship (one that will be good at this level but perhaps be able to do it at the level above) seems almost impossible.

I notice Eddie Beach (former Saints academy keeper) got released by Chelsea. Not sure he's good enough for us either. A player that might be is Donnell McNeilly, a striker, who rejected the contract Chelsea offered him. Not sure he's another Livramento, but might be worth a look.

Not a lot to go there MLG. Any insight into his game at all?

Sizeable loan fee with obligation to buy might work for Brighton, but he's not choosing Saints over Roma.

Poku's move to Birmingham seems to have hit the skids. An opportunity for us?

Tanganga has a £1.2m buyout clause but looks like PL sides are interested.

Your figures are not quite right. Total club wages for 2023 were £122m, and in 2024 they were £81m (93.5% of turnover). Wages for 2025 will have risen a fair amount, but you would imagine not to the 2023 level. However, we offloaded a lot of players and wages when we were relegated. If we don't do that again, the reduction won't be as high. Losing KWP, Ramsdale and maybe someone like Bednarek would save a lot.

We only made a £5.7m profit in a season we sold £150m worth of player and spent £18m. Last season the net spend on transfers was about £70m. Obviously not all of that will be paid in that financial year, but I'd be surprised if we didn't make a loss rather than the small profit you suggest. I hope you are right. The more we have to spend the better, obviously. Over the three year period 2022-25, what it the total loss we are permitted? Is it £93m? That would allow us roughly a £12.3m loss in the 2024/25 season just gone. I'd be very surprised if we didn't have to sell to balance the books. Clever accounting can only get you so far. At some point we will have to pay for last season's failure.

£150m sold last time to allow us £20m to spend. There will need to be some significant sales to give us much of a budget.

With the Onuachu to Trabzonspor deal going the usual path - them offering bobbins, us saying no - the latest rumour is that Rennes are interested. Meanwhile it looks like Braga want €11m for Simon Banza, and that is beyond Trabzonspor (he scored 19 goals for them while on loan), hence Besiktas being the club likely to sign him. If we still want a similar amount for Onuachu, then he wont be going to Trabzonspor.

Yes, see posts above, we signed Stewart for £8m. Charles cost £10m. The rest were loans plus the promise of £20m to City for THB the following summer on promotion.

I forgot about Stewart. So we spent £18m in that window then. Perhaps a similar amount this summer?