Summer Transfer Window 2025/26

[Lighthouse]

I’d rather have Archer, BBD, Ramsdale, Fernandes and Dibling in the squad than Adams, KWP, Rothwell, Stu and Brooks. As of right now, I’d say the team was stronger than it was two years ago.

[Saintsfan79]

There is without doubt a player there if he really wants to try, That's obviously not with us but I think any sale of him should come with a sell on percentage. 

He still has stacks of potential and look at how clubs like Chelsea and Man City been burned by discarding players who become immense. Mo Salah to start the bidding. 😆

[hypochondriac]

Reckon we could get 7 million for ABK? Would represent decent business at this point. 

[StrangelyBrown]

21 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I’d rather have Archer, BBD, Ramsdale, Fernandes and Dibling in the squad than Adams, KWP, Rothwell, Stu and Brooks. As of right now, I’d say the team was stronger than it was two years ago.

I can't work out if you are being sarcastic, contrary or if you genuinely think that?

[Saint86]

7 minutes ago, StrangelyBrown said:

I can't work out if you are being sarcastic, contrary or if you genuinely think that?

Are you for real??

Edited 23 hours ago by Saint86

[S-Clarke]

29 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I’d rather have Archer, BBD, Ramsdale, Fernandes and Dibling in the squad than Adams, KWP, Rothwell, Stu and Brooks. As of right now, I’d say the team was stronger than it was two years ago.

For the first game after relegation last time out, we started with KWP, Bednarek, JWP, Charly, Tella. With Adams, Stu Armstrong, Lavia on the bench.

We will not be able to field a similar level team when we kick off against Wrexham, even if we haven't sold anyone at that point. 

We are definitely a weaker outfit this time round, as we came down last time with a lot more proven PL players and stacks of experience. This time not so much.

I don't think you'd find many Saints fans who'd prefer Archer and BBD over Adams or Stu Armstrong.

[hypochondriac]

10 minutes ago, StrangelyBrown said:

I can't work out if you are being sarcastic, contrary or if you genuinely think that?

I wouldn't say that's too outlandish. Archer and Adams are probably comparable. Certainly Ramsdale, Dibling and Fernandes are a cut above everyone else in that list. I expect they will all leave though. 

[Patches O Houlihan]

Ramsdale vs Bazunu is a big bonus though based on these assessments 

[Matthew Le God]

1 minute ago, hypochondriac said:

Archer and Adams are probably comparable.

Not currently. As Che Adams has had 9 league goal seasons in both Serie A and the Premier League. Archer doesn't currently look to be capable of doing that if he was playing in those leagues. His record of 18 goals in 40 Championship games is however promising given that is where he'll be playing next season.

[Lighthouse]

6 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

For the first game after relegation last time out, we started with KWP, Bednarek, JWP, Charly, Tella. With Adams, Stu Armstrong, Lavia on the bench.

We will not be able to field a similar level team when we kick off against Wrexham, even if we haven't sold anyone at that point. 

We are definitely a weaker outfit this time round, as we came down last time with a lot more proven PL players and stacks of experience. This time not so much.

I don't think you'd find many Saints fans who'd prefer Archer and BBD over Adams or Stu Armstrong.

We sold JWP and Lavia by the end of August so you can hardly call them part of the last promotion team. Lavia didn’t play a single minute for us in the Championship.

The question was whether we have a stronger squad now than in our last promotion season. I think we do. Clearly some players will leave but then again we will also make a couple of (hopefully decent) signings, so I have no idea where we’ll fall in comparison come the start of September.

[Midfield_General]

38 minutes ago, Saintsfan79 said:

There is without doubt a player there if he really wants to try, That's obviously not with us but I think any sale of him should come with a sell on percentage. 

He still has stacks of potential and look at how clubs like Chelsea and Man City been burned by discarding players who become immense. Mo Salah to start the bidding. 😆

And De Bruyne.

Quite impressive for the same club to fail to recognise the potential in not one but two of the world's best players. 

Edited 23 hours ago by Midfield_General

[Farmer Saint]

1 hour ago, Lighthouse said:

I’d rather have Archer, BBD, Ramsdale, Fernandes and Dibling in the squad than Adams, KWP, Rothwell, Stu and Brooks. As of right now, I’d say the team was stronger than it was two years ago.

Agreed, by a mile.

[Farmer Saint]

19 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

We sold JWP and Lavia by the end of August so you can hardly call them part of the last promotion team. Lavia didn’t play a single minute for us in the Championship.

The question was whether we have a stronger squad now than in our last promotion season. I think we do. Clearly some players will leave but then again we will also make a couple of (hopefully decent) signings, so I have no idea where we’ll fall in comparison come the start of September.

And we were constantly told we had the best squad in the league last time round - so even if it's a bit worse (which it definitely isn't) it's got to be at least top 3.

[UpweySaint]

59 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Reckon we could get 7 million for ABK? Would represent decent business at this point. 

If we did it would be good business. I had been working on the assumption we wouldn’t get a fee for him so anything is a bonus. I would take a lower fee with a good sell on clause - just in case he kicks on.

[Sheaf Saint]

22 minutes ago, UpweySaint said:

If we did it would be good business. I had been working on the assumption we wouldn’t get a fee for him so anything is a bonus. I would take a lower fee with a good sell on clause - just in case he kicks on.

Much more likely to kick off, than kick on.

And I don't mean in a football sense.

Edited 22 hours ago by Sheaf Saint

[Dark Munster]

8 hours ago, goodymatt said:

29 apps last season in Bundesliga 2 but only played 1,801 mins total so 20 full games of mins. In those appearances he scored 10 goals and got 5 assists. That’s a goal every 2 games and an assist every 4. Remains to be seen what he can do at championship level and if he can translate that ratio over a season but I do think this guy has the potential  to score goals. Looks like his link play is decent, which will help Archer/Armstrong.

Eni Aluko informs me that’s actually a goal a game when you think about it, so he should fire us to promotion no problem.

Almost as impressive as Guido Carrillo's Monaco stats!

[hypochondriac]

1 hour ago, Matthew Le God said:

Not currently. As Che Adams has had 9 league goal seasons in both Serie A and the Premier League. Archer doesn't currently look to be capable of doing that if he was playing in those leagues. His record of 18 goals in 40 Championship games is however promising given that is where he'll be playing next season.

So he is comparable with Adams then. That's actually a better goalscoring rate in the league we are actually in. 

[hypochondriac]

49 minutes ago, UpweySaint said:

If we did it would be good business. I had been working on the assumption we wouldn’t get a fee for him so anything is a bonus. I would take a lower fee with a good sell on clause - just in case he kicks on.

Getting him off the books is the most important thing. He's still quite young and lots of potential as you say. We should get a few million at least. 

[Matthew Le God]

2 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

So he is comparable with Adams then. That's actually a better goalscoring rate in the league we are actually in. 

He isn't currently comparable in quality because Che Adams has shown he is capable of scoring 9 league goals a season in two top 5 European Leagues. Archer hasn't yet shown he can score a reasonable amount at that higher level.

[Pamplemousse]

Adams was phenonemal for us last season and we never replaced him. We'd have scored a lot more goals and created a load more if he had stayed. He was a massive miss.

Archer will come good for us next season, he looked effective on the counter (his best games were at Man City and Arsenal and the cup game against Liverpool when we deviated away from RussBall...). 

[bangkoksaint]

His attitude and accountability is shocking. He’ll never fulfil his potential. I’m sure one day he’ll look back and think what might have been.

[suewhistle]

2 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

I wouldn't say that's too outlandish. 

It was the mention of BBD that threw me! Maybe a pre-season with Still will help, but whether that helps fitness, touch, pace, passing, effort or any other aspect remains to be seen He must have something to have scored a few goals but I certainly haven't seen what it is.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

2 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

Reckon we could get 7 million for ABK? Would represent decent business at this point. 

After surprise TP and Sule pennies, any thing's possible. Hoffenheim pulled out of a 12.8 million pound move for him last summer. Most agree that there is talent there.

We paid something like 10 million euros for him. At this stage a thing over a couple of million euros is an accounting profit. A sell on would be nice, and get what we can over that couple of million, so that everyone can move on.

[Convict Colony]

ABK is a distressed sale at this point.

If he was a horse he would of been shot.

Anything over 5mil and they can have him.

[SuperSAINT]

11 hours ago, Convict Colony said:

ABK is a distressed sale at this point.

If he was a horse he would of been shot.

Anything over 5mil and they can have him.

Crikey, that would be amazing.

I’m pessimistic so I’d expect a loan.

Edited 9 hours ago by SuperSAINT

[ChrisPY]

4 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

Crikey, that would be amazing.

I’m pessimistic so I’d expect a loan.

Shooting or getting £5m?

[hypochondriac]

1 hour ago, Matthew Le God said:

He isn't currently comparable in quality because Che Adams has shown he is capable of scoring 9 league goals a season in two top 5 European Leagues. Archer hasn't yet shown he can score a reasonable amount at that higher level.

I don't care about your crappy league comparisons. Their championship goal scoring records are comparable. 

[hypochondriac]

57 minutes ago, suewhistle said:

It was the mention of BBD that threw me! Maybe a pre-season with Still will help, but whether that helps fitness, touch, pace, passing, effort or any other aspect remains to be seen He must have something to have scored a few goals but I certainly haven't seen what it is.

You're right I wouldn't be mentioning BBD and I doubt he will be here. For me, Charles of 2025 is better than two years ago. Add Ramsdale, Dibling, Fernandes and Archer and that is clearly preferable to last time. The problem is it's not really a fair comparison because we are obviously going to lose two or three of them. However, I'd expect us to get a better keeper in than Bazunu. 

We will most likely end up weaker at rb and possibly in AM but hopefully with a stronger midfield overall, more depth at CB, stronger at lb and maybe with a comparable attack. 

[sockeye]

1 hour ago, bangkoksaint said:

His attitude and accountability is shocking. He’ll never fulfil his potential. I’m sure one day he’ll look back and think what might have been.

He had a very good chance of moving upwards towards another Premier League side after the relegation season if he had just put his head down and done his best. I can’t fathom why he acts the way he does.

[Gloucester Saint]

Question with BBD is where would the market be? Flop with Saints and Villarreal, one good and one poor loan spell with Sheff Utd. You’d buy him maybe based on his Blackburn record but looked out of shape last season not just out of form.

[Chez]

3 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

Clearly some players will leave...

Not sure what the point of making the comparison is then.  Lets compare the two squads near the end if the window not the start.

[Chez]

2 hours ago, Pamplemousse said:

Adams was phenonemal for us last season

Was he? Played OK, did a good job, but not sure he was 'phenomenal'. 

We certainly didn't replace him. Not sure it was that hard a job either, but BBD failed. 

[saintant]

35 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Question with BBD is where would the market be? Flop with Saints and Villarreal, one good and one poor loan spell with Sheff Utd. You’d buy him maybe based on his Blackburn record but looked out of shape last season not just out of form.

As did most of his team mates.

[Whitey Grandad]

5 hours ago, East Kent Saint said:

Race to sign ABK , you couldn't  make it up 😀 . I'm pleased he's in such demand ££

I can't imagine ABK in any sort of race.

[Lighthouse]

55 minutes ago, Chez said:

Not sure what the point of making the comparison is then.  Lets compare the two squads near the end if the window not the start.

The universe is eventually going to run out of energy and collapse in on itself, so I’m not really sure what the point in anything is. Still, someone posed an opinion so I gave my response.

[macca155]

These are somewhat pointless arguments. Not a chance Saints go into the new season with Stewart, Archer, Armstrong, Downs, and BBD all competing for two forward positions. Especially as they seem to want to give Ballard a chance as well. The wages will be astronomical.

I reckon Stewart and Downs will compete for one position. Maybe Armstrong and Ballard the other. BBD and Archer will no doubt find suitors elsewhere.

But who knows, we haven't seen Still's system yet, and way more chapters in this transfer window.

[hypochondriac]

31 minutes ago, macca155 said:

These are somewhat pointless arguments. Not a chance Saints go into the new season with Stewart, Archer, Armstrong, Downs, and BBD all competing for two forward positions. Especially as they seem to want to give Ballard a chance as well. The wages will be astronomical.

I reckon Stewart and Downs will compete for one position. Maybe Armstrong and Ballard the other. BBD and Archer will no doubt find suitors elsewhere.

But who knows, we haven't seen Still's system yet, and way more chapters in this transfer window.

Personally I'm hoping it's Stewart, Downs, Archer and maybe Ballard. 

[Football Special]

9 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

Personally I'm hoping it's Stewart, Downs, Archer and maybe Ballard. 

That looks a weak forward line to me 

[Matthew Le God]

6 minutes ago, Football Special said:

That looks a weak forward line to me 

In the Premier League it would be weak, but not in the Championship. 

[gio1saints]

13 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

So he is comparable with Adams then. That's actually a better goalscoring rate in the league we are actually in. 

Yes true BUT ( and I’m in favour of starting with CA but think only fair to point something out first …

…That rather fails to point out that CA’s most recent goal scoring spree record is 2 goals…from 1071 minutes……and for those out there who prefer it as goals per game that’s a magnificent one goal every 17.5 matches : 20 starts and 15 sub appearances.

Yes EPL is tough I get it…oh it was in a bad team I also get that ….but I watched most those games and did not get the impression here is a player going to take the game - ANY Game - by the scruff of the neck and turn it around for us. Game changing he was not. Prolific in running into spaces where the ball isn’t - he was. 

My only hope is that if he plays alongside DD his runs into Outer Space will leave DD with a tad more time and space to do a shoot and score things that we used to see long time ago from our centre forwards before it became unfashionable. All imho of course. 
 

NB. Think I’ve just created a new nickname for CA: “Spaceman” and we all know the song…😁
 

Edited 8 hours ago by gio1saints

[hypochondriac]

25 minutes ago, Football Special said:

That looks a weak forward line to me 

The last time we got promoted our forward line was Mara and Adams 

[macca155]

39 minutes ago, Football Special said:

That looks a weak forward line to me 

Stewart and Archer have a pedigree of scoring in this league. Other teams would bit our hands off for them. In fairness you can add Armstrong to that, plus he always brings high energy and pressing. Managers love that.

Downs and Ballard are unknowns, but probably reasonable back ups.

I really don't think the forwards are the problem. It's getting the ball to them, frequently enough, in scoring positions that seems to be the main issue.

They are better in the Championship because the team isn't pushed back as much. That gives Dibling, Robinson or Edozie room to expose the opposition's defence.

They can't all play. The challenge for Still is to find a winning combination from what he has left in September.

[Pwoite]

12 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

You're right I wouldn't be mentioning BBD and I doubt he will be here. For me, Charles of 2025 is better than two years ago. Add Ramsdale, Dibling, Fernandes and Archer and that is clearly preferable to last time. The problem is it's not really a fair comparison because we are obviously going to lose two or three of them. However, I'd expect us to get a better keeper in than Bazunu. 

We will most likely end up weaker at rb and possibly in AM but hopefully with a stronger midfield overall, more depth at CB, stronger at lb and maybe with a comparable attack. 

But, and it’s a big but, we won’t have a tippy tippy playing style that makes us so vulnerable at the back. That cannot be included in any squad comparison. 

[saintant]

1 hour ago, Football Special said:

That looks a weak forward line to me 

Not sure why a few are putting Ballard's name forward. He showed very little out on loan to lower league clubs. He's been around long enough and not proved himself so is probably not up to the level required to break through.

[saintant]

1 hour ago, hypochondriac said:

The last time we got promoted our forward line was Mara and Adams 

Thought Adam Armstrong registered 24 goals that season?

[Lighthouse]

1 hour ago, Matthew Le God said:

In the Premier League it would be weak, but not in the Championship. 

Disagree. Ballard and Downs have proven nothing so far and Stewart's fitness is far from guaranteed. Whilst Archer should be decent, I'm not sure I'd be relying on him to get the lion's share of goals we'll need for promotion.

Archer, Stewart, Downs and Armstrong I'd be okay with, Ballard can go and prove himself in League 1 as far as I'm concerned.

[hypochondriac]

10 minutes ago, Pwoite said:

But, and it’s a big but, we won’t have a tippy tippy playing style that makes us so vulnerable at the back. That cannot be included in any squad comparison. 

Indeed and it's a good point worth mentioning. Maybe we won't have the same level of control that we had in some matches either but hopefully we will score a few more and overwhelm teams in a manner that we didn't under tippy tappy. 

[StrangelyBrown]

1 hour ago, gio1saints said:

Yes true BUT ( and I’m in favour of starting with CA but think only fair to point something out first …

…That rather fails to point out that CA’s most recent goal scoring spree record is 2 goals…from 1071 minutes……and for those out there who prefer it as goals per game that’s a magnificent one goal every 17.5 matches : 20 starts and 15 sub appearances.

Yes EPL is tough I get it…oh it was in a bad team I also get that ….but I watched most those games and did not get the impression here is a player going to take the game - ANY Game - by the scruff of the neck and turn it around for us. Game changing he was not. Prolific in running into spaces where the ball isn’t - he was. 

My only hope is that if he plays alongside DD his runs into Outer Space will leave DD with a tad more time and space to do a shoot and score things that we used to see long time ago from our centre forwards before it became unfashionable. All imho of course. 
 

NB. Think I’ve just created a new nickname for CA: “Spaceman” and we all know the song…😁
 

There seemed to be plenty of games where Archer made really decent runs that no one in the team seemed able to spot. This seemed to happen early on in the game and then his head dropped and he stopped doing anything much and became a waste of a shirt.

My view is we simply weren't set up to make the most of his talents. Whether that changes this season remains to be seen, but I hope he gets paired with a centre forward who can hold the ball up (either as part of a 2 or 3 up top). Then I think we'll find out if he's any good or not.

[hypochondriac]

1 minute ago, Lighthouse said:

Disagree. Ballard and Downs have proven nothing so far and Stewart's fitness is far from guaranteed. Whilst Archer should be decent, I'm not sure I'd be relying on him to get the lion's share of goals we'll need for promotion.

Archer, Stewart, Downs and Armstrong I'd be okay with, Ballard can go and prove himself in League 1 as far as I'm concerned.

I'm not sure we can view Downs as a negative yet until he's actually shown what he can do. He hasn't proven himself yet but he hasn't disproven himself either. 

Edited 7 hours ago by hypochondriac

[ally_uk]

Come on Saints time is ticking....

Stop the trying to be clever bollacks

Get the readies on the table we want.

Sainz and Sargent and the best performers in the Championship last season. 

Not some twonk in some Siberian league noone has heard of.... 🤣