Summer Silly Season Transfer Thread 2025

[DadCreature]

It's such a different world now- FFP and all the new rules coming up hammer the promoted sides- surviving the first year in the EPL will soon, I think, be harder than winning the league.  The deck is stacked hard against them.   Fulham were very wise to focus a few years on solidifying their position as a mid-table team (using older, safer players).  The ladder is being pulled up and, thankfully, we are on the inside.

[Drewry66]

Honestly think I'm missing something somewhere in this as looks almost impossible to remain compliant for any club if the above is correct as even with £100m profit from sales this year they would still be struggling and that is crazy.

So Bournemouth are closer than we are, provided they also sell Zabarnyi this summer, don't buy anyone else, and we discount the £120m they spent in 24/25 because we're going on old accounts at this point, and also assuming they can carry half the profit of these sales over to subsequent years. Sorry, think they'd be more screwed than us.

Starting to feel like the inclusion of transfer fees might be a collective misinterpretation but a lot of people. The UEFA ratio is purely wages:revenue. Where it says "fees" are included in that it means signing on fees etc, not transfer fees. Clubs have been working towards these 70/80% wages:revenue limits for a while. If you include amortisation of transfer fees then for a typical club that spends £50-100m each summer, wages have to come down to about 40-50% of revenue which no one is doing.

It took me ages to find out how incoming transfer fees are accounted for with this as not very clear anywhere. It would be madness not to get some benefit in the books for making a high profit sale. Current rules that profit sale just sits on the books for 3 years. So Villa lived off the Grealish £100m for 3 years.

Finally found how the new rules work with this on a Keiran Maguire thread I think ages ago but all I could find so just have to assume correct. Their SCR calc is in year but I thought surely the sale profit doesn't only count for that year? It doesn't from what this thread said but the full amount also doesn't sit on the account gir 3 years...

You basically take the highest value of current years sales, the average of the last two or average of the last 3.

So if you made the following:

Current year: 50m profit sale
Last year: £20m
Year before: £20m

This year: £50m
Two year average: £35m ((50+20)/2)
Three years average: £30m ((50+20+20)/3)

You would therefore us the £50m from the current year as the highest.

Let's say it was the other way around.

Current year: £20m profit sale
Last year: £20m
Year before: £50m

This year: £20m
Two year average: £20m ((20+20)/2)
Three years average: £30m ((50+20+20)/3)

For this then you'd use the three year average at £30m as the highest.

Whatever figure it is it reduces your cost by that amount to hopefully get you to the 85% requirement as far as I understand it.

For that Bournemouth example then the guesstimate £100m would be worth £50m if they didn't make any sales next year. If they did likely they'd be taking a two year average.

For us if correct not great for the sales we've made. Mitro is out of the 3 year period next year I believe. JP and Jay say we made £45m profit would be third year back so assuming not other sales would only be worth £15m (£45m/3) to knock off however far we are over.

As I say only found one little snippet on this so may be done another way but that is my understanding of it from what I could find.

[hopper]

I know they're a huge club with big turnover but I'm absolutely baffled that United have been able to send £130 or so on Cunha and Mbeumo, and are now offering around £80m or so for Sesko.

They never make big sales and had a disastrous season, thought their failings would catch up with them, but no signs of tightening up their crazy transfer spending - despite cost cutting internal staff.

[Drewry66]

Honestly think I'm missing something somewhere in this as looks almost impossible to remain compliant for any club if the above is correct as even with £100m profit from sales this year they would still be struggling and that is crazy.

So Bournemouth are closer than we are, provided they also sell Zabarnyi this summer, don't buy anyone else, and we discount the £120m they spent in 24/25 because we're going on old accounts at this point, and also assuming they can carry half the profit of these sales over to subsequent years. Sorry, think they'd be more screwed than us.

Starting to feel like the inclusion of transfer fees might be a collective misinterpretation but a lot of people. The UEFA ratio is purely wages:revenue. Where it says "fees" are included in that it means signing on fees etc, not transfer fees. Clubs have been working towards these 70/80% wages:revenue limits for a while. If you include amortisation of transfer fees then for a typical club that spends £50-100m each summer, wages have to come down to about 40-50% of revenue which no one is doing.

Sorry I may have misread. This certainly seems to suggest amortised fees are included in the SCR rules:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6144456/2025/02/19/athletic-fc-podcast-squad-cost-anchoring/

"What counts is wages — players and first-team staff — and the amortised transfer spend."

Think the UEFA ratio may be different and just wages but not looked at that so much.

To be fair to not include amortised fees in the rules would make little sense I would have thought. That would essentially mean you could spend what you want on the transfer fee which spending within means was part of the point of the regulations in the first place. May be folk are wrong but the Athletic seems to suggest amortised fees are included from what I can see snd they are usually very reliable. Agree seems like madness!

[Carborundum]

If the clubs hierarchy believe that the type of players we want to sign will, in effect, shake loose, close to the end of the window, then the current torpor makes sense. 

Half the teams will lose a player to significant injury between now and the end of the window.  But none knows which teams and which position their injured player(s) play in.  Spurs have gained a Palhinha but lost a Maddison this week.

We are keeping our powder thoroughly extra-dry. 

The one thing I do know is that there's very little correlation between my level of excitement about a new signing and how they turn out.  Iwobi - "what on earth have we signed him for?"  Knockeart - "Great, exactly what we need".  Mawson - here comes the robust leader at the back". Castagne - "we just put five by half time past a defence with him in"

To be fair to Mawson, it was injury that prevented him shining.  And for Castagne my reaction was accompanied by "at least it's not Wout Faes"

[HV71]

It's such a different world now- FFP and all the new rules coming up hammer the promoted sides- surviving the first year in the EPL will soon, I think, be harder than winning the league.  The deck is stacked hard against them.   Fulham were very wise to focus a few years on solidifying their position as a mid-table team (using older, safer players).  The ladder is being pulled up and, thankfully, we are on the inside.

I think this observation says a good deal about the psyche of our owners.
They bought the club , like so many American and foreign owners because they saw it as a good investment.They may have had hopes of using it as a springboard for their NFL asset - who knows?Certainly nothing untoward in that.
They have invested and even experienced the " unthinkable " - relegation. Having survived this and bounced back twice the word " sustainability " was , and still is, key. Whilst I am sure they would love us to win trophies - be in Europe etc that isn't the primary goal - because for a club of our size that involves risk.Potentially high stakes and a gamble.
The investment is now about producing ' best in class" off the pitch. Sweating the asset of the stadium with high margin offerings for a wealthy and corporate audience - again a good strategy and understandable.
Like most of us on here - they probably believe that this current squad is good enough to achieve a lower to mid table next season. It seems that potential new rules and regulations might well be a real threat to that stability and certainty so why spend when you can try to put your house in order , reposition yourself and still be able to avoid the unthinkable drop?
A sound and prudent business strategy, a good owner doing the right thing for the long term future of their investment and the club.

The only problem as a fan is that I hate it - I understand any business logic , but being a supporter isn't about logic it's about passion and hope.

Never mind we will all be dead soon

[Drewry66]

I know they're a huge club with big turnover but I'm absolutely baffled that United have been able to send £130 or so on Cunha and Mbeumo, and are now offering around £80m or so for Sesko.

They never make big sales and had a disastrous season, thought their failings would catch up with them, but no signs of tightening up their crazy transfer spending - despite cost cutting internal staff.

Yeah their turnover is over 3 times ours. By all accounts though they will need to sell even under current rules to make this Sesko deal happen. Garnacho is meant to be off plus a few others I believe.

[Neutral Zone Ultra]

If the clubs hierarchy believe that the type of players we want to sign will, in effect, shake loose, close to the end of the window, then the current torpor makes sense. 

Half the teams will lose a player to significant injury between now and the end of the window.  But none knows which teams and which position their injured player(s) play in.  Spurs have gained a Palhinha but lost a Maddison this week.

We are keeping our powder thoroughly extra-dry. 

The one thing I do know is that there's very little correlation between my level of excitement about a new signing and how they turn out.  Iwobi - "what on earth have we signed him for?"  Knockeart - "Great, exactly what we need".  Mawson - here comes the robust leader at the back". Castagne - "we just put five by half time past a defence with him in"

To be fair to Mawson, it was injury that prevented him shining.  And for Castagne my reaction was accompanied by "at least it's not Wout Faes"

Please do us a favour and moan about every signing we make from now on 

[Nero]

we just need to sell out spare training ground to the Jags for 300M

[WindyCity]

We are ten days or so away from the start of the season. If we have a bad start to the season.. the fallout from a lack of signings could be poisonous.

I mean, its no different to any other season is it really. We have a rough set of fixtures to open with so we'll just have to wait and see.

Yep, really not any different than past recent seasons.  The only new incomings that I can recall that were done in timely fashion, allowing for preseason integration, were Palhinha and Pereira.  But outside of them, it's been pretty much last minute incomings.

Yes, we need to hope we have a good start to the season, the first 3-4-5 games, because the team will be the very same as last season.  Still a very good squad, capable of good results, but any upgrades/new faces won't be helpful in those early games.

COYW!!

[Fulham Tup North]

.... the last 11 games were relegation form and we have the same team ....

This was proved INCORRECT yesterday and yet you still keep spouting it??
Just because you repeat a lie, it will never become the truth...

The rest of your statement ... cannot argue... tbf...
COYW

[WindyCity]

.... the last 11 games were relegation form and we have the same team ....

This was proved INCORRECT yesterday and yet you still keep spouting it??
Just because you repeat a lie, it will never become the truth...

The rest of your statement ... cannot argue... tbf...
COYW

I don't know if we were 'actually' in relegation form, BUT, you can't deny that the end of the season was terrible, some very poor results, lost chances for higher table finish and possible Euro qualification due to poor results v lower table clubs.  Very disappointing finish to last season campaign....

[Fulham Tup North]

.... the last 11 games were relegation form and we have the same team ....

This was proved INCORRECT yesterday and yet you still keep spouting it??
Just because you repeat a lie, it will never become the truth...

The rest of your statement ... cannot argue... tbf...
COYW

I don't know if we were 'actually' in relegation form, BUT, you can't deny that the end of the season was terrible, some very poor results, lost chances for higher table finish and possible Euro qualification due to poor results v lower table clubs.  Very disappointing finish to last season campaign....

You are correct ... but as soon as these new players bed in we will be flying ... 

[Super Mick]

.... the last 11 games were relegation form and we have the same team ....

This was proved INCORRECT yesterday and yet you still keep spouting it??
Just because you repeat a lie, it will never become the truth...

The rest of your statement ... cannot argue... tbf...
COYW

I don't know if we were 'actually' in relegation form, BUT, you can't deny that the end of the season was terrible, some very poor results, lost chances for higher table finish and possible Euro qualification due to poor results v lower table clubs.  Very disappointing finish to last season campaign....

You are correct ... but as soon as these new players bed in we will be flying ... 

Stick our new keeper up front when desperate for a goal

[RAY Rock]

Man united a billion in debt
Bournemouth 10,000 seater stadium
Sunderland spending for fun
Everton spending for fun
Burnley spending for fun
Leeds spending for fun
Fulham scratching their balls
We are in for a world of pain we hardly ever score more than 1 goal and concede every game . We have a defence and a central midfield that contributed 1 goal last season the last 11 games were relegation form and we have the same team . No Fulham fan can put a positive spin on this summers shambolic negligence. It is obvious Silva is off at the end of the season if not before .

Every situation is different. Everton got rid of 13 high cost players and have half a squad to fill! If we had got rid of 13 high cost players you can bet we would have been doing plenty so just a crazy comparison. Promoted teams will not be loaded with the same high cost squads that we have. Sunderland also just made a huge profit sale this summer. Man U debt nothing to do with the rules. Their turnover was £613m vs our £182m on the last set of accounts. You're not comparing  comparing apples with apples.

Everton had 2 points deductions not so long ago now they are able to throw money around like confetti doesn't add up . Most clubs got billionaire owners who are not aloud to do anything it is a joke complete farce Masters need investigating all these financial rules are not fit for purpose every premier league club should have to give 3 million to the football pyramid every season and out of that 57 million at least 1.5 should go to grass roots football .

[jayffc]

.... the last 11 games were relegation form and we have the same team ....

This was proved INCORRECT yesterday and yet you still keep spouting it??
Just because you repeat a lie, it will never become the truth...

The rest of your statement ... cannot argue... tbf...
COYW

I don't know if we were 'actually' in relegation form, BUT, you can't deny that the end of the season was terrible, some very poor results, lost chances for higher table finish and possible Euro qualification due to poor results v lower table clubs.  Very disappointing finish to last season campaign....

Indeed it was a disappointing end to the season, considering how well the rest of the season was going.
Worth noting at the end of the season we had:

Key injury to our main striker at the time Muniz.
Robinson in and out of the team playing on an injury that needed surgery this summer.
Castage out on an injury that needed surgery
Tete coming back from a major multi-month layoff that kept him out of alot of second half of the season
Wilson coming back from a major injury that also kept him out similar time
ESR reportedly playing through niggling injury issues so not at 100%
Iwobi absolutely knackered from a long season after Nelson got hurt.
No Reiss Nelson (who looks likely he will eventually rejoin)

We won't be starting with vast majority of those things being the case.

We DO need reinforcements though 100%. But the idea a healthy Fulham team is relegation fodder because they ended the season poorly is a massive overreaction from the same poster. We need additions, we need quality who can improve the team and squad depth to add to a team that spent most of last year top 10 and missed it by 2 points.

We'll see how it comes out in the wash come September, no idea other than others speculation on the financial situation, but hoping we can achieve what the board and silva set out in making 4-5 key additions come the end of the window to add to a talented and so far, healthy group.

[WindyCity]

Lots of excuses, excuses, excuses.....

All teams have injury issues...

Just sayin'.....

[jayffc]

Lots of excuses, excuses, excuses.....

All teams have injury issues...

Just sayin'.....

Way to completely miss the point

"Excuses" lacks nuance entirely

It's context to the period where performance fell off and it's the most important part to the point being made in the post...

When multiple key players get injured, teams usually struggle...and ours did come all together and were particularly vital, to players that were in very good form before they got hurt.

Muniz
Robinson
ESR
Both RBs
Wilson

(+Nelsons departure)

All were important players dealing with issues around the same time second half of season when our form declined. When fit (like they are currently) our form was good enough for 6th-9th most of the season.

Yes teams get injuries, duh...that didn't need explaining.
The point completely missed is we arent starting with those injuries like the period where our form fell off. Went on to state clearly - yes obviously we do need additions to add to that currently fit squad to improve that depth of quality.

Just sayin.

[Drewry66]

Pretty much what I've been highlighting as the potential reason for 1 year loans only and no bigger purchase commitments:

https://x.com/FulhamTransfer/status/1952738083201257703

[spikey norman]

May have been posted earlier but Mitro being offered around to Prem clubs



https://tbrfootball.com/sunderland-and-leeds-offered-chance-to-sign-50m-striker-pep-guardiola-called-clinical/