CSA96

Deal agreed over the weekend, was travelling for the medical on Monday so presumably announced today

Yeah, not a ringing endorsement but a mixed bag overall. Common theme seems to be they appreciate his team play and work rate but he does tend to fluff chances when they fall to him. He obviously got better as the season went on based on their comments and the fact McKenna dropped Hirst and was starting Azon during the run-in

Ipswich forum's reaction to the news of the Azon bid: https://www.twtd.co.uk/forum/635799/big-bid-going-in-for-azon/#22

I remember reading a book about analytics in professional sport and it was saying that recruitment teams and data analysts do tend to prefer these guys who are proving wasteful but have a superior expected return, compared to guys who convert on a lower clip, where the data will suggest that they aren’t getting into the right areas as often. Azon would tally with that thinking

Spain U21 forward (now 23). 5 goals and 4 assists last season, mainly from the bench. Looks like he made 38 appearances but just over half of those were sub appearances. Interestingly he was getting more and more minutes as the season drew to a close and Ipswich were chasing auto promotion

Neither does signing the other GK really. Granted he's only 19 but he's currently Italy's U21 GK and you'd assume that means they have high hopes for him

Torino 'going all out' to sign Aaron Ramsdale as #1 GK, signing Spezia goalkeeper Diego Mascardi as one for the future

Had one delivered today and that's exactly what I thought seeing it laid out

Apart from the owner saying at the start of the summer that he’d already signed off signing another important player who can play behind the main striker and provide goals and assists to lift the burden on Azaz next season? He’s really not equivalent to Scienza at all so I’m not concerned about this being a replacement

Interesting graph in there on one of the pages (from late February time)

Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold reporting that Saints are one of the three clubs mentioned here. Other two clubs who have recently made approaches are Sporting and Wolves. Has been a mixture of permanent transfers (around eight figures) and loans with obligation to buy on certain conditions

Bild reporting that Saints are interested in Justin Njinmah, 25 year old forward from Werder Bremen

Peter Ridsdale is in talks to sell to Amr Zedan on behalf of the Hemmings family, I think - but don't think anything is officially agreed or going through just yet

Alex McCarthy is signing for Russell Martin and moving to Leicester

BBC running it now: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c0jyx2gl26po Aston Villa forward Lewis Dobbin is close to a move to Southampton for almost £9m. The Saints have beaten a number of Championship clubs, including Middlesbrough, to the 23-year-old. Dobbin has never played for Villa since a £10m move from Everton in 2024 and spent last season on loan at Preston. He scored 11 times in 41 appearances for North End while he also had loan spells at West Brom and Norwich. Dobbin joined Villa two years ago as midfielder Tim Iroegbunam moved to the Toffees in a separate deal as the clubs looked to comply with Profit and Sustainability regulations.

Just seen a Saints fan asking a Preston fan on X about him - to which he said this... He is exceptional as a second striker. He needs someone to feed off of, use as a decoy. Needs to be centralised, likes to drop deep and carry the ball. Incredible I think your 4231/433 system will not work for him, can guarantee he’ll be played on the left. That’s not his strong suit. Needs to be in the middle. Doubt you’ll play him as a 10 with Azaz there. Don’t see him replicating it on the left. Sweeps from left to right as a second striker Playing off of Larin would be his perfect counter part I’d say. But MUST be centralised. He easily drifts left or right after starting in the middle. Huge waste if he doesn’t start

I saw Preston fans chatting about him late in the season and they were saying he was at his best when he was playing in the space behind a striker who could hold the ball up. Loves to make runs in behind or attempt a shot from the edge of the box. They felt he was more effective as an AM or coming off the left