Summer Transfer Window 2026

[swedish dave]

with a week to go...I'm not overly convinced that the squad is anywhere near good enough

as we seem to be overly-dependent on a few key players, who may suffer form-loss

or worse--significant injuries may put them out for longer periods.

THB will eventually go, and those others still on the books who have had the "thumbs-down"

from Tonda will be leaving, one way or another.  NOW ..another quality CB is essential.

Impressive though they were Larin and Mubama are the only strikers likely to score on a

regular basis and good as he has shown up so far Flynn Downes (2 yellows in 2 games)

is already on his way to longer suspensions unless he can control his emotions. 

IMO Bragg is looking better but he can't be expected to lead the midfield burden alone.

 

Scienza's reputation has preceded him and as "the most-fouled Championship player"

last season it was ominous to note that three Watford players were yellow-carded in their

clumsy attempts to stop him last week. Losing him - even for a short time - will unbalance

the attacking strategy. I don't expect any big money buys, but we need find several suitable

experienced additions to the squad if we are to consider ourselves promotion candidates. 

 

[West end Saints]

11 minutes ago, swedish dave said:

with a week to go...I'm not overly convinced that the squad is anywhere near good enough

 

 

Why?

It clearly was good enough for the tough end of season from January onwards as we were the divisions best side 

We have lost Charles and Stewart.

Both played significant roles but neither first choice. Stewart often  played less than half a game.

We have signed  Mubama for CF and they have said Charles would be replaced. I feel Mubama is likely to be more reliable than Stewart.

Bragg looked very good and hopefully more involved as he gains experience.

Dobbin has been added to add cover across the front, particularly for Azaz.

So at the moment I don't think the squad is worse. If CM signed at decent level then definitely not.

If, and sounds like he is, THB goes that would be a miss for his passing etc. 

No need to panic though

[suewhistle]

Saints "have rejected a new verbal offer from #AVFC".

What does that mean? Villa haven't worked out how to use email? They don't want to put the offer down in writing? Or just sloppy journalism?

 

[hypochondriac]

OK then a week to go. Anyone want to predict what the squad will look like? I reckon Jander goes along with bbd and Archer, Downs out on loan. We keep Scienza and then signings are 

Backup gk 

CB

CM x2 

Versatile attacking signing 

A lot to do there. Hopefully Jander stays so that means one less signing to do. 

[Football Special]

32 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

How on earth can THB be worth less than we signed him for?

Give Villa the price and a deadline and walk away.  Fucking cheap tyre-kicking cunts.

Its mindbogging, proper piss take of a bid, we might as well reply with a £15M bid for Watkins just to make a point. 

This and the Benfica offer that was clearly never going to be accepted just feel like a public attempt to unsettle the player as they'd have known no chance of these bids working. 

 

[trousers]

9 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

OK then a week to go. Anyone want to predict what the squad will look like? I reckon Jander goes along with bbd and Archer, Downs out on loan. We keep Scienza and then signings are 

Backup gk 

CB

CM x2 

Versatile attacking signing 

A lot to do there. Hopefully Jander stays so that means one less signing to do. 

As long as the squad is "exciting", "gets me off my seat" and is "as good as, or better than last season" I'll be happy...

Edited 1 hour ago by trousers

[hypochondriac]

1 minute ago, trousers said:

As long as the squad is "exciting" and "gets me off my seat" I'll be happy...

Ha. I do think we will make some exciting signings. I remember this time last summer I was pissed off but in fairness to the club they really stepped up at the end of the window. I hope we recognise the importance of another attacking signing though 

[Pilchards]

2 minutes ago, trousers said:

As long as the squad is "exciting", "gets me off my seat" and is "as good as, or better than last season" I'll be happy...

Many were certainly out of their seats when Divin scored as they were making their way out.

😁

[Chez]

10 minutes ago, suewhistle said:

Saints "have rejected a new verbal offer from #AVFC".

What does that mean? Villa haven't worked out how to use email? They don't want to put the offer down in writing? Or just sloppy journalism?

a verbal offer is pretty normal, with a formal (written, email) offer following. If its in writing, there is some legal weight to the offer...and maybe as they are seemingly bidding for two (or three) CBs at the same time, they want to retain maximum flexibility. However, I suspect the word "verbal" has been added to the story just to make it sound more 'genuine' and that they have more insight than the next bloke. 

 

[Football Special]

57 minutes ago, swedish dave said:

with a week to go...I'm not overly convinced that the squad is anywhere near good enough

as we seem to be overly-dependent on a few key players, who may suffer form-loss

or worse--significant injuries may put them out for longer periods.

THB will eventually go, and those others still on the books who have had the "thumbs-down"

from Tonda will be leaving, one way or another.  NOW ..another quality CB is essential.

Impressive though they were Larin and Mubama are the only strikers likely to score on a

regular basis and good as he has shown up so far Flynn Downes (2 yellows in 2 games)

is already on his way to longer suspensions unless he can control his emotions. 

IMO Bragg is looking better but he can't be expected to lead the midfield burden alone.

 

Scienza's reputation has preceded him and as "the most-fouled Championship player"

last season it was ominous to note that three Watford players were yellow-carded in their

clumsy attempts to stop him last week. Losing him - even for a short time - will unbalance

the attacking strategy. I don't expect any big money buys, but we need find several suitable

experienced additions to the squad if we are to consider ourselves promotion candidates. 

 

It does feel that way, what % of our goals last season were scored by players no longer here (or leaving) , must be quite high between Stewart, Charles,THB, plus Jander being unavailable probably for another week at least, thats some key players missing. 

In regards to Scienza, Watford players cynically set out to injure him in the first half last week, he took a battering,  if teams take that approach for now and double up on him we need to make the most of the space that creates for other players. 

[Saint86]

15 hours ago, Saint NL said:

Did Tonda comment on THBs absence?

Emery sounds thoroughly pissed off 

 

 

Tonda praised THB's professionalism, said he loves the club and wanted to play, but wasn't in the right headspace, and that it was the right decision to go with the boys out there today. Or something along those lines.... So basically the opposite of Watkins (or VVD if you prefer a saints reference).

Edited 48 minutes ago by Saint86

[Chez]

18 minutes ago, Football Special said:

It does feel that way, what % of our goals last season were scored by players no longer here (or leaving) , must be quite high between Stewart, Charles,THB, plus Jander being unavailable probably for another week at least, thats some key players missing. 

24% of our league goals were scored by those four players...but seeing as one was a striker, I am not sure that's a ludicrously high figure.

Removing them doesn't automatically remove 24% of your goals for this season as others take their place in the side and have the opportunity to score goals. Mubama already has one goal for example. If Larin is rotated out less maybe he scores more this season.

Ultimately, its not so much the goals scoring ability we may lose, it's more the reduction in quality, that potentially leads to less control, less good chances and goals. And maybe conceding more, or going behind more which in turn can impact how easy it is to score.

 

 

[benjii]

55 minutes ago, suewhistle said:

Saints "have rejected a new verbal offer from #AVFC".

What does that mean? Villa haven't worked out how to use email? They don't want to put the offer down in writing? Or just sloppy journalism?

 

Fax was out of paper.

[Saint86]

1 minute ago, Chez said:

24% of our league goals were scored by those four players...but seeing as one was a striker, I am not sure that's a ludicrously high figure.

Removing them doesn't automatically remove 24% of your goals for this season as others take their place in the side and have the opportunity to score goals. Mubama already has one goal for example. If Larin is rotated out less maybe he scores more this season.

Ultimately, its not so much the goals scoring ability we may lose, it's more the reduction in quality, that potentially leads to less control, less good chances and goals. And maybe conceding more, or going behind more which in turn can impact how easy it is to score.

 

 

Jander scored 2 league goals last season. Its a bit of a misnomer including him from a goal-scoring standpoint 😆. But i do agree - a loss of quality around the pitch is what will concern me, and especially if we lost Jander in CM (although i think that he'll be the last one we consider selling).

THB is very good at attacking set pieces (ironically given i think he's poor at defensive ones - and he isn't the most physical), but i suspect we can get another good CB (for the champ) who can also score a few headers etc.

I also don't think people should dismiss Larin, his movement is absolutely superb - with players like scienza, azaz, fellows etc feeding him in this side, he is going to fill his boots this year. We've got him from the start of the season, embedded in the side, and fully fit from the get go - he's going to be far better than last year. There is a case to be made for having to share the goals around the side because we didn't have a reliable CF last season (i.e., stewart and larin had fitness issues).

[Chez]

1 minute ago, Saint86 said:

Tonda praised THB's professionalism, said he loves the club and wanted to play, but wasn't in the right headspace, and that it was the right decision to go with the boys out there today. Or something along those lines.... So basically the opposite of Watkins (or VVD if you prefer a saints reference).

The end result was the same - we were missing a player we could have done with.
I felt before the game that if THB didn't play it meant the deal was done. Tonda said THB had gone through exactly the same thing in January but he played through it. So why couldn't he do it this time? What was different? Either the club didn't want him getting injured because the move looked very likely and they'd like the sale to happen this summer (at the right price) or a deal has actually been agreed (and the media are a fraction behind) and it's just the medical and formalities. Perhaps neither are true. If he's at training then I am well wide of the mark. 

 

[suewhistle]

33 minutes ago, Football Special said:

In regards to Scienza, Watford players cynically set out to injure him in the first half last week, he took a battering,  if teams take that approach for now and double up on him we need to make the most of the space that creates for other players. 

Back to my suggestion of bringing him on as a sub against tiring players, possibly on a card already?

[CSA96]

Josh Mulligan is still at Hibs despite being linked to us, Wolves, West Ham an maybe Boro(?) right at the start of the window. Over the weekend, Hibs have signed a midfielder on loan from Man United who expects to start (Devaney, the lad whose name was randomly stuck on here without context a month or two ago)

About to move?

[Chez]

4 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

THB is very good at attacking set pieces (ironically given i think he's poor at defensive ones - and he isn't the most physical), but i suspect we can get another good CB (for the champ) who can also score a few headers etc.
 

Obviously we should be primarily looking for a CB that keep the goals out, but Henrik Falchener scored 6 in 29 league games for Viking 2025 and has 2 in 10 in 2026. 

[Saint86]

2 minutes ago, Chez said:

The end result was the same - we were missing a player we could have done with.
I felt before the game that if THB didn't play it meant the deal was done. Tonda said THB had gone through exactly the same thing in January but he played through it. So why couldn't he do it this time? What was different? Either the club didn't want him getting injured because the move looked very likely and they'd like the sale to happen this summer (at the right price) or a deal has actually been agreed (and the media are a fraction behind) and it's just the medical and formalities. Perhaps neither are true. If he's at training then I am well wide of the mark. 

 

I don't disagree - I suspect that in January the club had no interest in the sale and that this time around it can surely only mean that a deal is very close. I guess it could also be the case that the club need this sale and have plans in case, and so don't want to risk anything.

[Chez]

8 minutes ago, CSA96 said:

Josh Mulligan is still at Hibs despite being linked to us, Wolves, West Ham an maybe Boro(?) right at the start of the window. Over the weekend, Hibs have signed a midfielder on loan from Man United who expects to start (Devaney, the lad whose name was randomly stuck on here without context a month or two ago)

About to move?

Genoa also linked to him. Italian clubs seem to be buying a lot of young talented Scottish players.

[Football Special]

25 minutes ago, Chez said:

24% of our league goals were scored by those four players...but seeing as one was a striker, I am not sure that's a ludicrously high figure.

Removing them doesn't automatically remove 24% of your goals for this season as others take their place in the side and have the opportunity to score goals. Mubama already has one goal for example. If Larin is rotated out less maybe he scores more this season.

Ultimately, its not so much the goals scoring ability we may lose, it's more the reduction in quality, that potentially leads to less control, less good chances and goals. And maybe conceding more, or going behind more which in turn can impact how easy it is to score.

 

 

Agree, stats can be even more misleading when adding in Adam Armstrong (did he finished as our league top scorer last season despite leaving in January?!) 

Just feels to me that we're missing some of the crucial match winning players , need others to step up, reliance on Larin an issue if he gets injured 

[Saint Garrett]

1 hour ago, hypochondriac said:

OK then a week to go. Anyone want to predict what the squad will look like? I reckon Jander goes along with bbd and Archer, Downs out on loan. We keep Scienza and then signings are 

Backup gk 

CB

CM x2 

Versatile attacking signing 

A lot to do there. Hopefully Jander stays so that means one less signing to do. 

Cant see Jander leaving personally.

THB, BBD, Archer, Downs, Sugawara, Bazunu, Ramsdale all out (probably mostly on loan)

Think Edozie will stay now, but sure we'll be open to him leaving if the right deal comes in.

In: Young GK, CB, CM, possibly another attacker, if BBD, Downs and Archer all leave.

 

[Fabrice29]

1 hour ago, trousers said:

As long as the squad is "exciting", "gets me off my seat" and is "as good as, or better than last season" I'll be happy...

People need to stop quoting these like we don't already have an exciting team. Better than last season will be judged on the outcome at the end obviously but in the very same interview as these quotes Dragan tells us we'll sign cover for Azaz and replace any big hitters that go. We'll do that. 

People quoting these expecting a week of ridiculous signings are doing so deliberately so they can have a dry dig. It's not even subtle.