Winter Silly Season Transfer Thread 2025/2026

[Twig]

And before that, Scott Mctominay would've been even better

I disagree with this. We were looking for a DM. Getting McTominay would have been awful. He's not playing as a DM in Italy. In fact, he even played as a winger in a few games this season. Would he be good for the 8 role? Yes. But Palhinha left the club and we were only left with Lukic, who at that point in time usually played as an 8 for us alongside Palhinha and not instead of him. Signing Berge made way more sense than signing McTominay.

If you check the thread that this comment was lifted from, it was in the context of discussing a TC replacement. Nothing to do with signing a DM.

[Jules]

To my mind we need the next TC; a midfielder with the skills to shoot effectively from distance plus the passing ability to set up attacks and unlock opposition defences. (A version with a tad more pace would be a big bonus!).

Hayden Hackney ( touted by many on here for some time) could well have been the answer. Every time I have seen him I have been really impressed  with his ability to pick a pass.
I say ' could ' have been the answer as it would seem many other clubs are now interested in him and may well have priced us out.

For some reason the club seems relatively unwilling to make football league signings. We brought in Benda from Swansea, and before that Robinson from Wigan. But its certainly a market we tend to overlook.

Rogers and Wharton are two recent examples of players who have made the step up very well.

Many others as well including Semenyo and Gykores who would have been attainable for us having performed well against us in the championship. But,for some reason we prefer to ignore that league for targets.

[SerbianLad]

If you check the thread that this comment was lifted from, it was in the context of discussing a TC replacement. Nothing to do with signing a DM.

But we weren't linked with McTominay as a TC replacement, like we were with KDH. We were only linked with him when we were looking for a dm.

[HV71]

In relation to players in the Championship that we missed ( when some on here were crying out for them - long before " bigger" clubs were interested ) I remember a number of posters - particularly Mince - was pointing out just how good Jarrod Bowen was when playing for Hull.

Obviously West Ham benefited by ' taking a chance '

[Snibbo]

To my mind we need the next TC; a midfielder with the skills to shoot effectively from distance plus the passing ability to set up attacks and unlock opposition defences. (A version with a tad more pace would be a big bonus!).

Hayden Hackney ( touted by many on here for some time) could well have been the answer. Every time I have seen him I have been really impressed  with his ability to pick a pass.
I say ' could ' have been the answer as it would seem many other clubs are now interested in him and may well have priced us out.

For some reason the club seems relatively unwilling to make football league signings. We brought in Benda from Swansea, and before that Robinson from Wigan. But its certainly a market we tend to overlook.

Rogers and Wharton are two recent examples of players who have made the step up very well.

Many others as well including Semenyo and Gykores who would have been attainable for us having performed well against us in the championship. But,for some reason we prefer to ignore that league for targets.

Gyokeres was a "attainable" by every premier league club , but he didn't want to stay in England - he wanted to go overseas for more experience.

[C Block]

West Ham (apparently) are making moves to sign Strand Larsen from Wolves,
There's a very good player in there, he just needs to get away from Wolves.

[jayffc]

West Ham (apparently) are making moves to sign Strand Larsen from Wolves,
There's a very good player in there, he just needs to get away from Wolves.

West hams recent history of signing strikers had been insanely poor. If they're in for him there's a large probability he'll turn out useless 😅

I half jest, he had a nice purple patch for them but had looked completely lost this year.

[General]

And before that, Scott Mctominay would've been even better

I disagree with this. We were looking for a DM. Getting McTominay would have been awful. He's not playing as a DM in Italy. In fact, he even played as a winger in a few games this season. Would he be good for the 8 role? Yes. But Palhinha left the club and we were only left with Lukic, who at that point in time usually played as an 8 for us alongside Palhinha and not instead of him. Signing Berge made way more sense than signing McTominay.

We need a DM perhaps, but we also need a goalscoring midfielder. Lukic and Berge aren't outright DMs and they're not goalscoring midfielders either.

[SerbianLad]

And before that, Scott Mctominay would've been even better

I disagree with this. We were looking for a DM. Getting McTominay would have been awful. He's not playing as a DM in Italy. In fact, he even played as a winger in a few games this season. Would he be good for the 8 role? Yes. But Palhinha left the club and we were only left with Lukic, who at that point in time usually played as an 8 for us alongside Palhinha and not instead of him. Signing Berge made way more sense than signing McTominay.

We need a DM perhaps, but we also need a goalscoring midfielder. Lukic and Berge aren't outright DMs and they're not goalscoring midfielders either.

We don't need a DM any more. We needed a DM when we were linked with McTominay and he wouldn't have been a good fit. Both Berge and Lukic are much more suited for that role than McTominay.

[hopper]

And before that, Scott Mctominay would've been even better

I disagree with this. We were looking for a DM. Getting McTominay would have been awful. He's not playing as a DM in Italy. In fact, he even played as a winger in a few games this season. Would he be good for the 8 role? Yes. But Palhinha left the club and we were only left with Lukic, who at that point in time usually played as an 8 for us alongside Palhinha and not instead of him. Signing Berge made way more sense than signing McTominay.

We need a DM perhaps, but we also need a goalscoring midfielder. Lukic and Berge aren't outright DMs and they're not goalscoring midfielders either.

I think we could use a DM too. Lukic gets stuck in, but out of possession Berge isn't the strongest.

I don't trust us at all when we're needing to hold onto a lead in a narrow game and think it would be nice to have another option in midfield that gives us better protection.

Regarding McTominay conversation, we can't be sure what role the club would have had in mind for him after Joao left. We still had AP then. I imagine the club liked the fact that he could have covered various positions across the midfield.

[Jims Dentist]

To my mind we need the next TC; a midfielder with the skills to shoot effectively from distance plus the passing ability to set up attacks and unlock opposition defences. (A version with a tad more pace would be a big bonus!).

Hayden Hackney ( touted by many on here for some time) could well have been the answer. Every time I have seen him I have been really impressed  with his ability to pick a pass.
I say ' could ' have been the answer as it would seem many other clubs are now interested in him and may well have priced us out.

For some reason the club seems relatively unwilling to make football league signings. We brought in Benda from Swansea, and before that Robinson from Wigan. But its certainly a market we tend to overlook.

Rogers and Wharton are two recent examples of players who have made the step up very well.

Many others as well including Semenyo and Gykores who would have been attainable for us having performed well against us in the championship. But,for some reason we prefer to ignore that league for targets.

Agree Hopper.
Others being Alex Scott at Bnmth, Eze and Olise who went to Palace and as mentioned elsewhere Bowen when he was a Blackpool.

[Hugh Janus]

This Will Hughes talk is growing. I welcome it. We need creativity in there too though.

[FFC007]

Jack Rudoni from Coventry?

[Deadcowboys]

Jack Rudoni from Coventry?

We looked at him when he was at AFC Wimbledon a couple of years or so ago.

[FFC007]

Some of the real current PL talents had good campaigns in the EFL and we've missed a real trick in not going after some of these in the past...

Eze, Olise, Maddison, Rogers, Wharton to name a few... not necessarily saying that we would have been able to tempt some of them, but we should be looking at home grown and we may get a gem who can be persuaded to join.

Everton snapped up Dibling from Soton who could be a real talent in the future.

The only player we've taken out of the EFL who's caught the eye was Antonee Robinson if memory serves me well.



 

[Deadcowboys]

Some of the real current PL talents had good campaigns in the EFL and we've missed a real trick in not going after some of these in the past...

Eze, Olise, Maddison, Rogers, Wharton to name a few... not necessarily saying that we would have been able to tempt some of them, but we should be looking at home grown and we may get a gem who can be persuaded to join.

Everton snapped up Dibling from Soton who could be a real talent in the future.

The only player we've taken out of the EFL who's caught the eye was Antonee Robinson if memory serves me well.

Everton spent £40m+ on Dibling, hardly call that snapping up. Like Kevin, yet to prove his worth.


 

[Super Mick]

The lower league players clearly aren't in Tones deadline day data crunching machine. Unless they're American! 

[Ara's bacon crisps]

Semenyo was the obvious one for me. When we played Bristol City in our Championship winning season he ran riot in front of us in the HE and had them 1-0 and 2-1 up before we sorted things out and were then 5-2 up at half time before winning yet another game 6-2. But he was worth the entrance fee alone that day and if I was the club I would have offered them £10m for him the second the game ended.

[@jolslover]

Some of the real current PL talents had good campaigns in the EFL and we've missed a real trick in not going after some of these in the past...

Eze, Olise, Maddison, Rogers, Wharton to name a few... not necessarily saying that we would have been able to tempt some of them, but we should be looking at home grown and we may get a gem who can be persuaded to join.

Everton snapped up Dibling from Soton who could be a real talent in the future.

The only player we've taken out of the EFL who's caught the eye was Antonee Robinson if memory serves me well.



 

haha Dibling has 1000% been worse than Kevin this season, and they paid 40m for him!! He has hardly got on the pitch..
There is a lot of talent at Championship level and I agree we should buy from that league more (it's a top league) but everyteam in the Prem is looking at the Champ for talent so it can often lead to inflated prices too (especially homegrown talent)..

[@jolslover]

Read the last couple of days Man U linked to Ruben Neves for around £20m if ever there was a box to box type midfielder who would suit us it would be him. With our Portugal management team surely there must be one or two who have worked with him before? Perhaps the Man U pull and wages make us a non-runner from the off?

He would be quality but is above our level I think.
I think for the upcoming window we need a CM and a striker - I would cut Kusis loan short given Silva clearly doesn't rate him and look at bringing someone else in if we can