🌞Summer Silly Season Transfer thread 2026

[SG]

What's the difference between playing two right footed centre backs or two left footed centre backs? Not entirely sure but two left footed centre backs personally feels cumbersome? Possibly you won't see that very often either?
It's not ideal and hope it's not a case of throwing in the towel for the first game?

Professional footballers on thousands of pounds a week can't use both feet, a bloody disgrace they should be ashamed what are the coaches at youth level doing? picking their noses!

Fully Agree and there are average players earning a fortune. At Ajax from their Academy upwards they use to coach right footed players to play on the left side, and left footed players on the right side in training in practice and in friendlies.
That is why they produced so many players who felt comfortable on the ball with both feet and strengthened their first touch no matter how they received the ball.
It was called total football.
These days players get money for old rope, for diving, pretending to be injured, time wasting and attempting to get an opponent sent off or booked.
No wonder the game at the highest level is in turmoil.

1961 - my first day at Grammar school and the sports master asks those of us who are right footed to put our hands up and most did. Then asks those who are left footed to put their hands up and some did. Then he says we have all given the wrong answer as we should be able to play with both feet ! Never forgotten that and so spent hours working on the left foot. Managed some improvement but still rather sh1t unfortunately.
It really is a sad indictment of the modern footballer that some are so one footed

[SimonDaviesEnjoyer]

Sorry but Robinson a couple of seasons ago was being touted for a big money move. He was being called the best left back in the league by some pundits.

He wasn't being called that five or six years ago.

[cmg]

1961 - my first day at Grammar school and the sports master asks those of us who are right footed to put our hands up and most did. Then asks those who are left footed to put their hands up and some did. Then he says we have all given the wrong answer as we should be able to play with both feet ! Never forgotten that and so spent hours working on the left foot. Managed some improvement but still rather sh1t unfortunately.
It really is a sad indictment of the modern footballer that some are so one footed

It annoys me, too, watching modern forwards squander chances by shuffling the ball on to their 'comfortable' foot. I am led to believe that modern coaching theory holds that players are not coached to use their 'wrong' foot, possibly for the strange reason that it may diminish the skills of their 'natural' one.
I recall George Best getting rather annoyed (unusual for the normally affable George) with an  interviewer who suggested that he was lucky to be naturally two-footed. George pointed out strongly that he was not naturally two-footed and that he worked for many hours after training (this was obviously in the days before George found other things to do after, and indeed sometimes instead of training) to make both feet equally efficient.
I had the pleasue and privelege to watch Haynes for many years, it was well after his reirement when I read his comment that his right-foot was better...but you would never have guessed it.

[Hatch007]

When I was a kid kicking a ball against the wall in the back garden my dad made me wear a slipper on my right foot and a football boot on my left.

I did that everyday after school for years and I've been two-footed ever since.

I take penalties, corners and free kicks with either foot with equal proficiency. It's second nature to me and easy.

It's not rocket science, just coaching and practice from a young age.

What the hell are Academies doing these days? 🤷🏻

[AJW48361]

I would like Tomori but only as Andersen's replacement. He's old and on fairly big wages but he is younger than Andersen and on lower wages than Andersen so we'd still improve in both areas plus one of his biggest assets is his pace which fits very well in Arbeloa's system. The fee should roughly be about what we could get for Andersen. I would even propose a straight swap with Milan because he would fit well in Amorim's system as a CCB. Then get Boudlal or Mbow or Le Guen or whoever to be the younger RCB with pace and height to grow into the starter.

I thought Tomori was left sided

[KentFulham]

Sorry but Robinson a couple of seasons ago was being touted for a big money move. He was being called the best left back in the league by some pundits.

He wasn't being called that five or six years ago.

He was as we came up to the PL, since then that boat sailed, which in my opinion is another example of the club not taking advantage and selling at the right time to continue the build.

[junior white]

I would like Tomori but only as Andersen's replacement. He's old and on fairly big wages but he is younger than Andersen and on lower wages than Andersen so we'd still improve in both areas plus one of his biggest assets is his pace which fits very well in Arbeloa's system. The fee should roughly be about what we could get for Andersen. I would even propose a straight swap with Milan because he would fit well in Amorim's system as a CCB. Then get Boudlal or Mbow or Le Guen or whoever to be the younger RCB with pace and height to grow into the starter.

I thought Tomori was left sided

He is right footed scoring to transfermarkt so assuming he is  right sided centre back

[Arthur]

I did that everyday after school for years and I've been two-footed ever since.
I take penalties, corners and free kicks with either foot with equal proficiency. It's second nature to me and easy.
It's not rocket science, just coaching and practice from a young age.
What the hell are Academies doing these days? 🤷🏻

You're fortunate. Even with practice, not everyone can be as two-footed as you. Look, for instance, at what SG said two posts above yours:

Never forgotten that and so spent hours working on the left foot. Managed some improvement but still rather sh1t unfortunately.

To imply Academies pay no attention to improving a players' weaker foot doesn't strike me as something you really believe.

[Count Flapula]

Sorry but Robinson a couple of seasons ago was being touted for a big money move. He was being called the best left back in the league by some pundits.

He wasn't being called that five or six years ago.

He was as we came up to the PL, since then that boat sailed, which in my opinion is another example of the club not taking advantage and selling at the right time to continue the build.

2 seasons ago virtually all of our attacks went through him, last season he was injured so you've written him off permanently? Righto.

Goes back to the original point though is he as a defender and player improves out of sight under Silva. When Silva came in there were a sizeable number saying Jedi wasn't even good enough to start in the Championship as he wasn't good enough technically / lost the ball in possession. Etc.

Same for Ream, who was widely considered a total dud at Prem level before Silva. Tete (who never went past the half way line under Parker) also greatly improved under Silva

The revisionism on here sometimes is breathtaking.

[jayffc]

Agree with the above ...Also

If every time we had a player peak for us we sold him there would be people up in arms. Ya can never know for sure that selling or keeping someone is right without the benefit of hindsight. Sometimes ya get it right, sometimes ya don't.

There's no pleasing some people, it is what it is

[KentFulham]

Agree with the above ...Also

If every time we had a player peak for us we sold him there would be people up in arms. Ya can never know for sure that selling or keeping someone is right without the benefit of hindsight. Sometimes ya get it right, sometimes ya don't.

There's no pleasing some people, it is what it is

Of course hindsight is wonderful, but given our squad AVG age over the last few years we haven't really gone out of our way to be a club that buys and sells.

Hopefully AA is going to change that

[jayffc]

Agree with the above ...Also

If every time we had a player peak for us we sold him there would be people up in arms. Ya can never know for sure that selling or keeping someone is right without the benefit of hindsight. Sometimes ya get it right, sometimes ya don't.

There's no pleasing some people, it is what it is

Of course hindsight is wonderful, but given our squad AVG age over the last few years we haven't really gone out of our way to be a club that buys and sells.

Hopefully AA is going to change that

Prior yes,
But we have been working towards this for 2 years
That's why we bought

ESR
Cuenca
Bassey
Sess
Kevin
Bobb
JKA
Garcia
Palacios
Charles

And have been pushing for Cestero/Pitarch, Ait Boudlil/nwaiwu
And why we also were trying to sign Ernest Nuameh a while back

We have been moving towards this model if you look at the average age of signings the last 2 years compared to the previous years under Silva. But...we were also very close to Europe and wanting to compete keeping the core players in our system,of which Robinson was one under silva

Of course we need to have a steady turn over to refresh the squad but it's also not the sole point of signing players, ultimately we want to compete and there's no guarantee selling and reinvesting results in an upgrade of our performance in the pitch. If we have a shot of Europe I wanna see us retain our best players where we can too, so it's a balance. Personally only wanna sell our best performing players if an offer comes in so insane it's impossible to turn down - like 50m+ type ones we see elsewhere.

We have remained in FFP and the sales of palhinha,mitro and Stansfield helped us tick along. Now we're heading into an era with younger signings as an established premier league entity so hopefully that brings some sustainable turnover of success we shall see. Between Ridgeon,King, Zepa, Casey, Ali Wahid, Amissah hopefully we fan bring in some serious pure profit from the academy somewhere too , but not before enjoying the players for us first

[FFC007]

I agree Parkerball stifled both full backs who effectively were banned from getting past half way...

Hopefully AA will get them further forward than Silva, and with Charles and Berge in the engine room.. they should licence to thrill.

Kevin should have a better season.

[Hatch007]

I did that everyday after school for years and I've been two-footed ever since.
I take penalties, corners and free kicks with either foot with equal proficiency. It's second nature to me and easy.
It's not rocket science, just coaching and practice from a young age.
What the hell are Academies doing these days? 🤷🏻

You're fortunate. Even with practice, not everyone can be as two-footed as you. Look, for instance, at what SG said two posts above yours:

Never forgotten that and so spent hours working on the left foot. Managed some improvement but still rather sh1t unfortunately.

To imply Academies pay no attention to improving a players' weaker foot doesn't strike me as something you really believe.

That's a very fair point, Arthur.

There are plenty of things in life I've tried my hand at without success despite committing hours of practice so I guess I am lucky with being two-footed.

I can also bat either handed when I play cricket which I only discovered a couple of summers ago when injuring my shoulder batting RH.

I switched to LH for the first time and found certain shots easier. Maybe it's just the way my brain is wired.

It still amazes me, however, just how many highly-paid players that train everyday are so awkward on their weaker foot to the extent it compromises their effectiveness in certain match situations. And that starts with the academies.

[Jeroen]

pitarch not on a 12 player bench tonight for Real Madrid.... I got a sneaky feeling we will go back for him before the window is over

[SimonDaviesEnjoyer]

pitarch not on a 12 player bench tonight for Real Madrid.... I got a sneaky feeling we will go back for him before the window is over

Hasn't he just signed a new deal?

[Hatch007]

Pitarch is injured

https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2026/08/335358/real-madrid-and-mourinho-decide-to-keep-thiago-pitarch/

[Jeroen]

Pitarch is injured

https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2026/08/335358/real-madrid-and-mourinho-decide-to-keep-thiago-pitarch/

A sh/t yeah I forgot - sorry got excited for a moment :-)

[jayffc]

Pitarch is injured

https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2026/08/335358/real-madrid-and-mourinho-decide-to-keep-thiago-pitarch/

A sh/t yeah I forgot - sorry got excited for a moment :-)

The more likely currently is Cestero - looks like that could well happen now Madrid have signed this Martinez kid

Arbeloa likes him + player interested + same agent as Arbeloa and the other Madrid signings

[Jims Dentist]

They've known for a long long time that a RCB is a top priority and we are heading into match week one undercooked in the back line.

If Bassey or Cuenca get injured we are in serious bother.

Yep, that sums up our recruitment team.
Most other clubs just go out and get it done.