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Transfers The Summer Transfer Thread 2025

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Optimistic_Spur said:
I completely see what you're saying on the 'where he fits' sides of of things but there's a few other things to take into account here....

Frank is not managing brentford anymore. People like to call our player useless but the fact is that next season we will be back to being dominant over the majority of teams in the prem. We will almost certainly be back to trying to break teams down, finding a way through. Eze helps this massively. Dealing with maddison, eze, bergvall and porros in and around the box is going to be torture for teams to defend out.

If you see the way that brentford looked to play out from the back for goal kicks then adding eze is a dream for someone like frank. Essentially they setup in a 4 and 2 with the 2 cms close together centrally. Once played short there would be a series of short passes between them (plenty of numbers and passing lanes meaning opposition must commit players to try counter it) before springing a longer pass to damsgaard (or mbeuno) who would then recieve closer to the halfway line, hold onto it or recieve on the turn and then look to spring a 4 man attack after beating the opposition’s press. If we translate this to Tottenham then this gets supercharged with a blend of maddison, eze, johnson (in behind, finishing) and solanke (holdup and box finishing) . A 4 man attack consisting of those 4 from the halfway line is NOT what a team wants to face. You'd have 2 great supplier feeding the big man and man in behind (as johnson played for forrest) and if that fails and the attack is held up you have eze and maddison picking up the scraps.

I did make a post on formation In another thread a couple of days back. What I did was put together a team and what it would look like IN possession as though we were camped in another teams half attacking. I did recieve some criticism for it but I stand by that as being how I see our team shaping up so far as player roles and areas operating in. Porro held width high on the right, eze tucked in from the left and along with maddison they would supply solanke and johnson whilst picking up scraps themselves.

Against the big teams we really lack ball retention and control, it's like watching an u12's v men at times the way we cough it up. Eze sorts this greatly, those few extra seconds relieving pressure and picking that team mate out without panicking.

The only thing lacking in that team I posted was a dm, somebody like hjulmand would be perfect.

So to answer you question definitively hee would play as an inside left dropping off from the forward line. Very similar to mata and Silva played in there pomp.

Talking of hjulmand it's his birthday today like it is mine! Happy birthday!!
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Franks Brentford in the championship where they had a competitive team is a much different beast to the pragmatic approach he took in the PL.

I wouldnt assume him wanting to do the same playing styles myself.
 
Shadydan said:
Being mid table has nothing to do with it lol Liam Delap literally earnt a move to Chelsea on the back of his team being relegated, Cunha and Mbuemo are Utd players etc...if you're a good player, the big teams will eventually pick you up, same with Eze...he's obviously a stand out hence why people are arguing for him to come to Spurs.

RE: Gray - a year ago people were talking him up to be a future England intl, yet all of a sudden we need to throw him on the scrapheap all because last season was a disaster and literally all of our players went backwards. We can't keep turning our backs on our own players and pine for shiny new toy syndrome especially since our players lacked proper coaching over the last year or so.
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I wouldn't say going to United and Chelsea is much of an upgrade on going to spurs. We could also attract the same 3 players if we wanted to offer the same wages. My point is simple - we can also attract these midtable players and that is all Wharton will be while he stays at Palace who will struggle next year with Europe. You are saying he will hold out for bigger clubs, I don't think its a guarantee they come.

I am agreeing with you re-Archie Gray. And I hate shiny new toy syndrome. I'd love to see us develop our own players more. I'm not saying to give up on Archie Gray but on all evidence he is not ready to step up and be our starting 6 next year in the champions league! Lets be real. My hope is that we'd sell someone like Bissouma and replace him with Wharton. That would be my ideal scenario but I know it won't happen.

I just don't like your tone around the whole Wharton thing. One minute he's too good for us and can play for Real Madrid and the next minute your arguing Archie Gray could turn out as good as him. Wharton is a realistic signing if we wanted to throw the money at him. I see no reason why he wouldn't come as the other champions league teams in England don't need him as much and he wouldn't be a guaranteed starter. He is a massive upgrade on what we have and if Gray was to develop then he could play alongside him in midfield. Wharton is young, homegrown and fits all our models.
 
Shadydan said:
But why does he want to this Summer? This is the point I'm trying to make - there's nothing suggesting that he wants out of Palace now, why can't he stay at Palace for another year or two then eventually leave and get to move to a team of his choice?

Also you know full well that we won't sell him for big money to wherever he wants, it's going to be a team abroad and that's only when he parts on our terms, Kane has to run his contract down to get a move and Bale refused to turn up for training, both sold for big money, Romero can't get out of his contract unless Atletico pay big - that's not even remotely attractive to any up and coming players who genuinely think they can use us as a stepping stone, not to mention that we don't pay particular well compared to others clubs he could potentially sign for.

I don't think we're an unattractive team to sign for by the way in the main, but when you weigh it up with the options he could potentially have on the table we aren't close to that at all.
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But if the other clubs aren’t coming in for him then who is to say they will in the future?

Is it better to jump ship now and play CL football, secure yourself financially for life and play for one of the biggest sides in Europe.

12 months is a very long time in football, he could get injured, a new superstar in his position could emerge, clubs could change managers or approaches.

It’s all a gamble, but with CL football on the table I think he would find it very difficult to turn down.

For me he would upgrade us more than Eze would as Maddison can do what Eze does and to a degree Kulu - but we literally don’t have a Prem ready 6
 
nicoclaesen said:
But the likelihood is his legs won’t go. He’s 31. He’s not a forward who relies on bursts of speed. He’s a fit boy who gets about the pitch well. Too many people want to write a player off because they turn 30! These guys are fit as fuck.
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You mean like Perisic? When we were first linked with him, I voiced concerns about his age for a position that involved a lot of running. Surprise, surprise! He was shit and we lost him at the start of his second season to a long-term injury.

Yet, in the summer of Conte's War Chest, everyone thought he was a top tier talent and built like a tank. Age didn't matter.

:harrysmile:
 
Shadydan said:
What? 😆 😆

Gray needs mins, if Wharton signs then he'll likely take his mins, how the fek is he actually learning sitting on the bench lol

I am saying that there's 0 point in investing in a player like Gray, who, by the way was being talked up in the same breath as Wharton a year ago then buying Wharton who has now been given a platform at Palace to push on when we haven't really allowed Gray to flourish.

Gray will eventually grow into a good player who is likely to have a similar career trajectory given time.
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Bollox, how can you talk so matter of factly.

Gray has spent 90% of his career at RB or CB - he would be better off with a loan.

Spurs can’t afford to keep playing him in a position where he looks vastly out of his depth at Prem level - we’re not Palace, we need the finished article or a young player that is 75% of the way there - Gray has shown no sign so far that he can be a 6 in the Prem and he has had opportunities
 
Kid Chameleon said:
You mean like Perisic? When we were first linked with him, I voiced concerns about his age for a position that involved a lot of running. Surprise, surprise! He was shit and we lost him at the start of his second season to a long-term injury.

Yet, in the summer of Conte's War Chest, everyone thought he was a top tier talent and built like a tank. Age didn't matter.

:harrysmile:
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It’s simple, at that age injuries are more likely and they take longer to recover, it’s simple science.

It’s pointless anyway, absolutely no chance that Levy parts with good money for a 31 year old player that isn’t a superstar. Even on a free Levy would be wincing at the wages.
 
Don Pedro said:
I wouldn't say going to United and Chelsea is much of an upgrade on going to spurs. We could also attract the same 3 players if we wanted to offer the same wages. My point is simple - we can also attract these midtable players and that is all Wharton will be while he stays at Palace who will struggle next year with Europe. You are saying he will hold out for bigger clubs, I don't think its a guarantee they come.
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My friend, you are missing the point :)

I brought up Utd and Chelsea as examples because you said he is likely to struggle at a mid table side, those teams bought players from mid table and relegated teams because those players stood out, so why would Wharton stagnate, especially if his stock is increasing?

Don Pedro said:
I am agreeing with you re-Archie Gray. And I hate shiny new toy syndrome. I'd love to see us develop our own players more. I'm not saying to give up on Archie Gray but on all evidence he is not ready to step up and be our starting 6 next year in the champions league! Lets be real. My hope is that we'd sell someone like Bissouma and replace him with Wharton. That would be my ideal scenario but I know it won't happen.
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Of course, the evidence was that last season every player went backwards because a lot of them were poorly coached and lacked direction. I'm not saying Gray will be our starting 6 but you can't buy him for £40m and earmark him for a role one Summer and then invest more than double the amount for a player who he was levelling last year, all because one was playing in a more settled side and received better coaching.

What I'm saying is Gray can be our Wharton given time.

Don Pedro said:
I just don't like your tone around the whole Wharton thing. One minute he's too good for us and can play for Real Madrid and the next minute your arguing Archie Gray could turn out as good as him. Wharton is a realistic signing if we wanted to throw the money at him. I see no reason why he wouldn't come as the other champions league teams in England don't need him as much and he wouldn't be a guaranteed starter. He is a massive upgrade on what we have and if Gray was to develop then he could play alongside him in midfield. Wharton is young, homegrown and fits all our models.
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I said potentially he could play for Real or City and I stand by that, that's where his potential lies at the moment, I think with adequate coaching Archie gray can also be a top shelf player.

You may not like what I say but I'm just being realistic, the Wharton ship has sailed and we're unlikely to go for him anyway so I think this convo is moot.
 
Richard Splash said:
But if the other clubs aren’t coming in for him then who is to say they will in the future?
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Because his stock is rising, that's what generally happens when players improve - they start to attract much better sides and they eventually move.

Richard Splash said:
Is it better to jump ship now and play CL football, secure yourself financially for life and play for one of the biggest sides in Europe.
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Why is that? And Why is CL football in the more than likely short term better than the long term which he can secure at bigger clubs who qualify consistently?

Richard Splash said:
12 months is a very long time in football, he could get injured, a new superstar in his position could emerge, clubs could change managers or approaches.
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If if, could could, pure speculation...he could have the season of his life and win POTY, what then?

Richard Splash said:
It’s all a gamble, but with CL football on the table I think he would find it very difficult to turn down.
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See my point earlier ^

Richard Splash said:
For me he would upgrade us more than Eze would as Maddison can do what Eze does and to a degree Kulu - but we literally don’t have a Prem ready 6
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Cool, you're just hoping it will happen...I get it but the likelihood of it happening is low.
 
Kid Chameleon said:
You mean like Perisic? When we were first linked with him, I voiced concerns about his age for a position that involved a lot of running. Surprise, surprise! He was shit and we lost him at the start of his second season to a long-term injury.

Yet, in the summer of Conte's War Chest, everyone thought he was a top tier talent and built like a tank. Age didn't matter.

:harrysmile:
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Was he shit? That’s not how I remember him. The injury was just bad luck, could have happened when he was 25. He recovered and has been great for PSV.
 
Richard Splash said:
Bollox, how can you talk so matter of factly.

Gray has spent 90% of his career at RB or CB - he would be better off with a loan.

Spurs can’t afford to keep playing him in a position where he looks vastly out of his depth at Prem level - we’re not Palace, we need the finished article or a young player that is 75% of the way there - Gray has shown no sign so far that he can be a 6 in the Prem and he has had opportunities
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Sorry do you need me to qualify my posts with a disclaimer on the end of put IMO just to appease you?

Spurs can't afford to play him in a position where he looks vastly out of his depth yet you're here pining for him to play at RB where...he looked vastly out of his depth last season :harrysmile:

And as I keep saying you're judging him last season where all of our players were quite frankly rubbish, that is not a player issue, it's a coaching issue - give the boy a chance before you write him off.

Get real, we didn't spend £40m on the kid to loan him out either.
 
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