Again it seems you lot are a few hours ahead of me on this one, but I feel it deserves a post of it’s own, so here goes;
According to various sources and I’m going with Sky in particular;
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11677/12061767/matty-cash-aston-villa-agree-fee-with-nottingham-forest-for-right-back
We’ve agreed a £14 million fee with a possible £2 million extra in add-ons.
I’ve said previously that I haven’t really seen the right back position as so much of a priority as the left flank. I think Guilbert, with Elmohamady and even Konsa as back up was sufficient.
But hey, Dean Smith’s the manager and he probably knows a lot better than me.
In fairness, Elmo is getting on a bit now and he’s just signed a one year extension to his contract.
Hence it’s probably fair to think that we might look to let him go in the winter window, where he’ll still have some value.
So, yes, perhaps getting another RB in is a good idea.
The interesting question for me is will Cash go straight into the team?
I’d definitely think so, but it begs the question on what it is that Smith doesn’t like about Guilbert?
I mean, the Frenchman has often not been played even though he’s been available and it’s led to a few fans, myself included to be surprised.
I wonder if the player’s not happy at the Villa? But that’s me guessing and wondering again.
Anyway, I like this signing, assuming it actually gets done (and it should do if you believe we’ve already agreed personal terms) as from what I’ve been reading Cash is a good pro who’s willing to learn.
I think he originated on the wing and has been moved back to full back, which should mean that he offers good options on the attack side of our game.
My only concern about him is that his being somewhat inexperienced in the defensive position means his positioning can be poor at times.
It’s just a big bugbear of mine and is why I’m not massively keen on Targett and Taylor on the other flank, but apparently Cash learns quickly and hopefully we’ll see improvement in that side of his game under Smith’s tutelage.
So happy days then and it’s not before time.
Bring in some more signings, sharpish and I’m sure we’ll all be even more positive.
UTV!
Not too sure what our transfer strategy is to be honest, we are either trying (unsuccessfully) hijack players going to other clubs at the last minute or haggle the other clubs to submission and missing out.
I’m beginning to wonder if we should revert back to home grown and stick with it, Villa being held to ransom with other clubs knowing how rich Villa are. To me we are not liked by the major big clubs and the FA included, we always get the short straw when it comes to decisions. It’s time to fight back on pricing our youngsters, or am I being over dramatic. , again.
Now its starting to look as if our owners have taken a leaf out of Levy’s book!
Are we going to end up buying third or fourth choice targets for too much money?
I’m beginning to despair.
I think what’s happened here is the owners and new director of football have had their eyes opened as to how difficult it is to bring (the right) players to the club.
It’s lovely to make sure every purchase you make is young, talented and full of piss and spunk but the reality is there is value in players that are older and maybe not so exciting that may only be around for a season or two.
A piece from the informer,
Something to understand about signing players.
Christian Purslow:
‘It takes four years to be able to pay average Premier League salaries & comply with Financial Fair Play.
I have to comply with one year of the Premier League but two years of Championship rules.
The total wage bill we CAN pay is much, much lower than clubs in the Premier League for three years.’
Wages in the Premier League massively ballooned while we were in the Championship. Even for lower to mid table sides.
UTV
Just shows what a load of cr*p FFP is and how it creates an unfair advantage for EPL clubs.
We have the fifth richest owners in the EPL but FFP has got nothing to do with ability to pay……
Or is Purslow just making excuses ….?
I guess this makes sense and explains how difficult it is to get established in the PL. It is frustrating given the wealth of our owners but it also maybe reveals something about the appointment of Lange. We may need to cast the net wider and buy from a European league where wages are much lower in order to get what we want. There’s obviously a risk there but we may need some of the Copenhagen model for at least a season or two.
However we do it, we need to strengthen quickly.
Just announced Wilson gone to Newcastle for £20m…
Quite glad; was worried we were going to pay top-dollar for a player with a poor fitness record and non-too-impressive recent scoring record.
The wage deal he’s rumoured to have got from Newcastle and a 4-5 year contract, just look completely OTT, even by Premier League standards.
Think we’ve dodged a bullet then?
Absolutely.
If the media reports are correct, he’s been given a pay-rise to take him over £100k /week; plus a 4-year deal with an option for a 5th year at HIS discretion.
The guy is what 28, going-on 29 years old? Nice deal for him, no wonder he preferred to finish his career at Newcastle.
Oh dear! I actually think the fact Newcastle felt the need to agree to Wilson contract is worse than us pulling out any deal.
He’s stats are far from impressive, he doesn’t offer anywhere enough in his overall game. Watkins has so much more about him.
I was surpised that we were supposed to be after him.
According to the “B’ham Mail” (or whatever it’s called now) it was because he’d given our defence a rough time when we’d played Bournemouth last season.
How many times have I heard that about players we’ve signed over the years?
– most of whom turned out to be pretty useless at scoring for us…
Think DSVilla has the right answer, stop chasing players that after money and go abroad for younge hopeful footballers. And give our youngsters a chance.
Agreed in principle.
However we desperately need a goal-scorer NOW; with Wesley still out for a few more weeks at least, we really do need someone who can hit the target – and I don’t know of anyone in the U23’s who can step up and do it in the short term.
Can’t see Keinan Davis ever managing a PL goal; who else is there?
So apparently we have lodged a second bid of 20 mill for Martinez of Arsenal. If and it’s a big big if we can bring him in that would be one fantastic piece of business and I think Arsenal would be out of their minds for letting him go after the way he has performed.
If we oiled land him and a quality striker then I’ll be over the moon!
Is a £20m ‘keeper really our priority?
Yes, I think it is.
To me no, we don’t need a goalkeeper. Have we struggled because of the one’s we have, again I don’t think so, our problem been a striker and midfielders, Minn had hick ups and our backs have struggled, its been a striker needed, our wings not been good and our approach to certain games has been questionable.pay the money and get a striker in now.
I think our single biggest problem last season was simply that we didn’t have anything like a natural goal-scorer (certainly after Wesley’s injury).
All of the effort going forward seemed wasted as soon as we got near the opposition box, and the midfield/defence were under constant pressure whenever one of our forwards lost posession.
Under those circumstances I don’t think any of our ‘keepers did too badly, and while I’d always like to see more quality added (in any position), I really think the available funds should go on the front, rather than the back…
Heaton is out ‘till Christmas and Steer also has a long term injury – both are injury prone.
I can’t believe you are happy to start with Nyland as our first choice keeper!
Goal keeper, centre half and centre forward the key positions – the spine of the team – and we only have one of those positions filled with the quality needed.
No argument we need a quality striker to lead the line but we also need a commanding, reliable top class goal keeper as well.
For me getting those two positions filled is top priority even if those are the only two players we sign.
WE NEED A STRIKER! Hurry up and get one FFS. That’s my message to the powers that be at VP. I’m not bothered about Wilson going to the barcodes because he isn’t prolific and he is injury prone. I think we should be going full throttle in getting Watkins and Benrahma but I fear FFP and agents combined will see them going to a club that will pay more unfortunately.
£20m for Martinez is a joke! It’s far too much for a 2nd choice keeper. £16m for Joshua King might be worthwhile if we don’t get Benrahma although I think wages will probably prove a non starter. And definitely a no way Jose for a loan deal for Brewster. STOP improving other clubs squads.
I’m seriously concerned that our owners talk big about the future but right now we are amongst the favourites for relegation with the bookies and I can’t disagree with that. LESS TALKING, MORE ACTION!
Whose been a naughty boy then, two England player’s sent home over meeting two girls in the hotel after the Iceland match, Mason Greenwood, is one of them move over England team Grealish is coming.
You’d be up to the same if you had the money, Bill! 😁.
Josh King the latest link…. I so hope there’s deals we’re working on in the background as surely our scouting network extends beyond Brentford and the teams relegated last season. If not… major questions of Purslow and the board need answering.
The Birmingham mail have linked back to the Purslow interview in Feb(?) where he talks about how our FFP is based on two seasons of the Championship, meaning we can’t match average Prem wages.
This makes perfect sense to me and explains why we pulled out of the Wilson chase. Not that I understand why we were in for him except he’s probably about the best we could have done.
Which means that the very best we can expect is Championship or foreign players.
Wages will not be a problem there, so if the very best we can aim at is Watkins or Benrhama, I really don’t understand what we’re messing about at.
I don’t see us signing anything near a marqee signing and if the club thought Wilson might have been it, well………
FFP is also complicated by the ‘relaxation’ in the sums owners can invest in clubs because of the significant losses caused by COVID. It also seems that last season and this season are to aggregated together in some way although, the article I read suggests clubs are unsure about what that actually means.
I agree though, that it’s likely we will be only looking for players that will come to Villa without breaking our wage structure – so I agree with Badger that we will be looking primarily at Championship / overseas players.
If reports of the contract Wilson has secured at Newcastle are true then we were right to withdraw our offer – ludicrous sums and a 5 year contract! Ross McCormack anyone!
We are not rebuilding the team this window and we now have players (and a management team) with a year’s EPL experience under their belts. We are in a better position than last year but it will still be tough and we shouldn’t expect better than a lower half finish.
Let’s face it, whatever we do in this window, we’ll still be most people’s favourite for relegation.
What are the details of Wilson’s contract?
I can’t find anything.
I read £100k per week / 4 year deal with option of one year extension which Wilson has the sole right to call!
No thank you.
And the latest is that Guilbert is up for sale and we’re willing to let him go for £4.5 million.
WTF?
Have I fallen asleep and woken up in some kind of looneytune world?
How on earth can a player we brought in with no prem experience, who’s done well if you ask the fans, be worth less next season?
If this story is anywhere near true, I’m beginning to seriously doubt whoever is making these decisions.
I agree – I can’t understand that one if true. I mean, fair enough if we think he’s a liability but no way is he worth that much. I’d say he’s sub 10m now.
Have we given up on trying to buy the Brentford squad now, and now trying to buy the Bournemouth Squad instead?
Is the Watkins deal dead?
I can see us scrambling on the final day and having to buy the dross that no one else wanted.
Why on earth it takes 6 weeks of the window being open to buy our first player is beyond me
Chelsea bought about 5 players in that time!
Surely it works this way…
We identify a player we want
we make an offer
if rejected we make another offer
if rejected we move on
how does that take 6 weeks
I can see how clubs may delay responding to bids in an attempt to buy to for other clubs to join in a bidding war or in attempt to keep the player they are reluctant to sell and hope the interest dies off.
What I can’t understand is why we waited until a week after the last game of season to sack this DOF and bring this new fella. The team was struggling all season, if anything the last 4 games should have saved our previous DOF neck.
The algorithm I would imagine is pretty standard for identifying players and Dean Smith will have a good idea of what he wants.
“if anything the last 4 games should have saved our previous DOF neck.”
Yep, I suggested exactly the same in a previous post.
If the deciding factor as to whether Suso kept his job or not was survival, surely he passed, as much as many of us didn’t rate many of his signings?
Most will probably be glad Suso was sacked, as am I, but it still smells of a lack of consistency to me.
Thought I might mention about Villa under 21 tonight against Sunderland. At least it give us a chance to see what’s on offer. 1900 hr.