VectisSaint

We already have his replacement, Ollie Lancashire can make the step up if needed.

Looks like he has signed for RC Lens. Don't worry he has not re-signed for Saints.

Channon and Ball (ideally with Steve Williams alongside Bally)

9m is the bottom price for Delaney, Dortmund are looking for more as there are a few clubs interested.

Villa Hampton? Ings, Targett, Mings, JWP...

To be fair it would be interesting to read anything about JWP instead of MLG and Turkish arguing about the definition of opinion or whatever today's pedantry topic happens to be

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He is a (short) lifelong Chelsea supporter, it has always been his dream to play for the Blues. I think you can be confident that if he does well and Chelsea activate the buyback option, that he will go back. It is usually at least 2 seasons before a club can activate a Buyback. Seems to me that if Chelsea think he is worth 45m and want to buy him back that he will have had some phenomenal performances for us, so that can only be good.

People seem to be forgetting Ings had COVID in amongst the injuries. His lack of sharpness since might be explained by long covid. I know its not popular among the hipsters, but it is a serious problem, fatigue would go a long way to explain his issues in 2nd half of season.

I reckon we still will. Don't forget we have already offloaded Gunn, Forster going is still a possibility, and we have been linked with keepers. Getting a new keeper in before the season starts is not so critical as outfield players, and what we have is (just about) adequate to start.

I read somewhere that the Simeu deal may have influenced Livramento. Can play either side and CM so seems like a good fit for the squad, backup for Perraud and KWP and with Valery still here as well gives us strength in depth. Much better option than Williams on very expensive loan from Man U. Assuming that unlike Simeu he will go into the first team squad rather than the u23s, even though like Simeu he is yet to make a 1st team appearance, I guess the difference between a FB and a CB in terms of development.

One of the very few sensible posts on here.

Villa are not looking to sell Grealish. Just like we are not looking to sell JWP.

Agreed, not sure I believe what the Athletic have said. It doesn't have a ring if truth about it, no substance. Just following up the earlier guff from the Birmingham Mail.

Not sure he would, he tries to be pedantic but he is not very good at it.

We've only signed one for the first team, Simeu is for the B team, for whom we've also signed Olly Lancashire

Spurs were never in the non-existent race for Ings.

18 and 32 first team appearances, 21 and 22 years of age. At what point do they become first team players. 32 first team games (and full international cap) is hardly "blooded a little".

It was what was said at the Fans Forum (or reported). Seemed to get overlooked after that, suspect that was because Ralph hoped Lemina might stay. It was always the case that we needed an extra body in CM, two positions, 4 players. Romeu's injury brought this issue into stark perspective.

Strangely bringing in a player like this at CB is probably the best position to use. Progressing CBs through the Academy is notoriously difficult, and it won't block too many youngsters' paths (can see him working well alongside the new lad from Chelsea for example), it is also a position where you are in the heart of what is going on on the pitch, why very often CBs are skippers (along with CMs). It helps too that Lancashire has some affinity with the Club (being "almost local" and a past Academy product, even though he came to us from Palace). I thought Drew Surman might have been a good shout, but think that Lancashire's position may trump Surman's. I wouldn't be averse to seeing another of this type of player, a goalkeeper perhaps where we have no record/history of bringing academy players through. Sometimes you have to look at it objectively and say, why do we bother training players in certain positions when we know pretty well that they are never going to make it, lets concentrate our resources in areas where we have proven to be successful.

FFS, you even hinted at it yourself. This is a discussion forum, not a court of law. Get a life and stop trying (and failing) to be so pedantic.

FFS get a life.

Actually people on here were saying he was going to be in the team, that's why I said what I did. They thought he was a replacement for Vest.

It was surely always the plan to ship out Gunn and one of the others in order that we can bring a new keeper in. That`s why we have offered FF a crap deal, less than Alex, so he gets the idea he needs to shift his arse.

I think they get at least 3 weeks, Denmark went out on 7th, so I would guess he will be back Monday week. At least we don't have any English (or Italian) players, another week for them. Most England players will miss the start of the season be ause they will only have been back a few days.