31 Aug 2023 07:47:43
It's the final two days and still a bit to do.

Reading between the lines I wouldn't be surprised if the Amrabat transfer has been agreed on the player side for weeks. He's been told to sit tight. I don't know if it's the player or his club who decided he should train away from the main squad. If it's the club, it would point to a transfer being agreed imminently. Clearly "imminent" isn't in our lot's vocabulary so it's taking longer, as everything does with us, but for the player to be kept away from the main squad would point to something happening.

GK positions to be sorted.

The injury to Varane and a weak England manager could mean we're stuck with slab head for a while longer. I still hold a feint hope that something is agreed with West Ham (or Everton or an equally desperate club) .

It may be a bit late for McTominay now, who knows. I think he's a good player and what we we're allegedly asking for was fair in the current market. He'd be a starter for half the Prem clubs, but not quite for us despite his best efforts.

Clearly we need another CB and a proven forward which has been discussed to death, but proven forwards are scarce and expensive so I can't see that one happening.

In short, I have no idea. Nor do you lot. Bring on the next ~48 hours of madness! ?.

1.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 09:11:37
I wouldn't be surprised if something happens with Bayern Munich in regards to McTominay/ Gravenberch. Just an inkling.

Also something just doesn't seem right about the Amrabat deal to me. It feels more like he's a back up option the club have parked rather than the first choice player they really want.

From what it's reported it wouldn't be an expensive or difficult deal to sort out. Especially as Fiorentina are looking to sell. Payments tend to be spread out anyway, so not having the cash in the bank doesn't really fit, while the club do have access to a credit facility that could bridge the gap on any up front costs.
It's not like Amrabat would cost 50m+ with his club being difficult to work with and demanding of all of the fee up front. The excuses of it being difficult financially don't really hold much weight with this potential deal. Which seems to suggest that the reason the club haven't pulled the trigger on the deal sooner is that they are waiting for something or someone else.

2.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 09:35:08
Feels like the Gravenberch ship has sailed.

3.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 09:48:59
shappy

I have thought the same thing for a while and asked ed002 about it but did not get posted. I think its lazy journalism and people stirring about us completely being cash strapped. Something else going on in the background. The fees being mentioned is chicken feed and this deal will get done if we want it.

I will be more surprised if the cucurella deal happens than the Ambrabat deal.

The loan fee and wages makes the cucurella deal around 15 million if what being reported are true. Not sure we are prepared to spend 15 million on a loan deal and would not surprise me if we signed someone else as a temporary solution. Then again they media can be completely wrong on the cucurella deal as well and much cheaper if it happens.

Chelsea just did a lukaku deal at a reported 6m loan fee and i think the wages that Roma pay is significantly less than his contract. whether you like him or not this is 80/ 90 mill player so the loan fee is always going to be high.

4.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 10:00:39
Gravenberch is in discussions with Liverpool, no chance of that one Shappy.

5.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 11:04:18
True Sim, we all know that the moment Liverpool start negotiations for a midfielder they are nailed on to sign for them.

That said I wonder where Gravenberch fits in that side alongside the likes of Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Bellingham, Caicedo and Lavia who they've already signed for their midfield this summer???.

6.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 11:23:47
Finally a reasonably sensible post thread on the transfer window.

Work to be done from every single club these next few days, not just us. Europe’s finest clubs like City and Bayern etc still sorting deals and have gaps. Chelsea will buy half a dozen wingers yet, Spurs have still not replaced Kane, Liverpool desperately need defensive and midfield additions, Arsenal have exits and maybe one more to come in too, not to mention the rest of the league clubs vying for players.

I have never quite understood why clubs leave it so late in the window to do business, but I also have no idea how football transfers and negotiations work, just like the rest of us. Maybe that’s just how the industry works, as everybody does it. It’s makes it quite exciting to be fair.

Let’s wait until 11.01pm Friday night before we get the pitch forks out if we’ve not addressed the squad requirements.

7.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 11:28:12
Shappy you're deluded if you think mctominay was ever of interest to bayern.

8.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 13:24:12
It would be criminal to allow Liverpool to sign Gravenberch. I know that he is not the same type of player as Amrabat but he is the kind of player that you could build your team around. In two to three years he will be world class.

9.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 14:07:41
Jodler, I must admit if we signed Gravenberch and he reaches his full potential, alongside Mainoo reaching his full potential then we'd have a midfield pairing that could be world class for us over the best part of the next decade.

Lot's of ifs though.

10.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 14:38:24
Surely if Gravenberch was that good, there’d be no way Bayern would let him leave?

{Ed002's Note - So only poor quality players are transferred?}

11.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 15:30:24
Looks like cucurella deal is off even though I believe he was the best option.

The fee and wages and them playing him last night which means he is cup tied now, I can see why we are walking away from it. Not going to throw my toys out of the pram and rant about it.

12.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 15:41:22
Of course not Ed - but if he is really the next big midfield thing, why would Bayern transfer him/ not give him game time and then go into the market for a new midfielder? Unless it’s a loan only with no sale agreement?

{Ed002's Note - There is no loan - there is no talk of "next big thing".}

13.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 16:37:28
Cucurella Off, Reguilon On!

14.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 17:02:58
dev1,

I hope we get the Reguilon pre-Spurs. He was a very good player.

Spurs Reguilon, not so much.