2025 Summer Transfer Thread. 😂

[roversfan99]

16 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

Number of bodies isn't necessarily an issue, more the quality of those bodies to come in.

Have to hope Henriksson and Tavares are any good if we don't want a repeat of last year when Trav and Tron were ran into the ground.

Very true. And also what we are lacking. We might have 9 (?) bodies once we get a winger in, but where are the goals? Where is the pace?

The squad might look ok if fully fit, come winter when injuries start to pile up, could easily end up with subs benches not far off the Tomasson second season.

[Exiled_Rover]

4 minutes ago, Ricky said:

Surprised he’s not interested in loans Chaddy. I have no reason to doubt what you say on that but it seems a strange decision as im sure other championship teams will be strengthened by some quality loan signings. We’ve historically (less so recently) done pretty well in that market. 

But we continue to tighten our belts.

Why would we pay wages and a loan fee (several hundred £s) to develop someone else's player?

They're not going to be the missing piece to fire us into the PL so it's literally setting fire to money.

[Ricky]

1 minute ago, Exiled_Rover said:

But we continue to tighten our belts.

Why would we pay wages and a loan fee (several hundred £s) to develop someone else's player?

They're not going to be the missing piece to fire us into the PL so it's literally setting fire to money.

I’d argue they could be the difference of keeping us in this league more than promotion.

On the loan front, if Harvey Elliot moves this summer would he be the most expensive transfer to have ever played for us (based on transfer fee alone).

[simongarnerisgod]

7 minutes ago, Ricky said:

Surprised he’s not interested in loans Chaddy. I have no reason to doubt what you say on that but it seems a strange decision as im sure other championship teams will be strengthened by some quality loan signings. We’ve historically (less so recently) done pretty well in that market. 

loans are great if you can get a harvey elliot or van hecke,on the the hand you can end up with a moran and duberry who offered us absolutely nothing

[andyroversmad]

We need another striker we can't just rely on Gueye and Ohashi

[KentExile]

4 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

But we continue to tighten our belts.

Why would we pay wages and a loan fee (several hundred £s) to develop someone else's player?

They're not going to be the missing piece to fire us into the PL so it's literally setting fire to money.

I wouldn't mind too much if that was all it was 😉 

[Emerald Isle Rover]

1 minute ago, roversfan99 said:

At the end of the day, he was offered a 3 and a half year deal at a Championship club in a league where he was probably going to struggle to get a job otherwise having failed in his last 2 jobs at this level.

He wont have followed the club over numerous years like we all have. His first contact will have been with people who will have put a positive spin on it all. 

He may genuinely have some naivety that things will change too. Mistakes of the past? No evidence of them being left in the past. Tomasson for example was happy for a season when we bought 3 players. It was the summer after when the shit started to hit the fan.

Middle paragraph would suggest he and his team when doing due diligence wouldn’t have been aware of the noise around rovers? I find that very very hard to believe 

you don’t have to be a rovers supporter - type it in Google or speak to fellow agents or footballing people to ask

JDT season he was unhappy come end of Jan (failed transfers) then the next summer tipped him over the edge 

if he naive then that’s on him il have zero sympathy for him 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

14 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

But he's giving it the spiel about "transition periods" and how they wanted players to extend contracts etc..... none have!

If the penny hasnt dropped with him yet he's either not as bright as he appears or he's simply here to collect his pay check as long as possible.

Rovers has become what we used to call in the engineering industry a “ stopping off shop “. A company you went to until something else better turned up. One at which you had no intention of staying for any length of time but provided a wage for the time being.

[M_B]

17 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

At the end of the day, he was offered a 3 and a half year deal at a Championship club in a league where he was probably going to struggle to get a job otherwise having failed in his last 2 jobs at this level.

He wont have followed the club over numerous years like we all have. His first contact will have been with people who will have put a positive spin on it all. 

He may genuinely have some naivety that things will change too. Mistakes of the past? No evidence of them being left in the past. Tomasson for example was happy for a season when we bought 3 players. It was the summer after when the shit started to hit the fan.

Selling Britain when he wouldn't sign is very much evidence. We'll see if there's any more evidence over the next few weeks. 

[chaddyrovers]

 

 

 

[roversfan99]

6 minutes ago, M_B said:

Selling Britain when he wouldn't sign is very much evidence. We'll see if there's any more evidence over the next few weeks. 

Id like to see first team players actually signing new deals to consider potential improvement on this matter.

But maybe I am the one being unreasonable.

He has said repeatedly that we will happily keep players and risk them leaving on frees.

[AspRover]

Steven Nzonzi signing for stoke after being released by an Iranian team was not on my bingo card this morning.

[yankfan]

12 hours ago, KentExile said:

Or it could have been that JDT didn't rate him, but others at the club did, which is why he was loaned rather than sold so that he was still here for when JDT (who was unhappy & had already apparently offered to resign at least once at this point) left 

The main issue for me was once JDT did leave & once Championship football was secured on the last day of the season, that contracts were not immediately offered (at decent Championship pay rates) for Travis, Tronstad & Brittain in the summer of 2024.  But as ever, Rovers tried to kick the can down the road for an extra year to save a few quid.  That is what will have told those players that they were not valued as highly as perhaps they should be

That’s most certainly the case but footballers like wives want to feel wanted and appreciated. Once that’s lost it’s hard to get it back 

[Mercer]

'One more signing unless there is an unexpected departure'.

Wow, think we will need to batten down the hatches.  Frightening.

Out - all proven Championship performers: Batth, Beck, Brittain, Dolan, JRC and Weimann (and 20+ goals between them!!!)

In - with Championship experience:

• Forshaw (washed-up, we didn't want him at end of season and possibly only re-signed him out of desperation, looks like wont be fit until almost September) 
• McLoughin (signed as a centre back but only played half his games for Hull in that position last season, strange if he's good - what we've seen so far, looks painfully slow)

In - with no Championship experience:

• Alebiosu (strong and athletic but is he a footballer?  Looks clumsy with little technical ability)
• De Neve (even the locals in Belgium expressed their surprise at this signing.  Can run all day, as could Jason Lowe, but haven't seen much else)
• Henriksson (Could prove to be well worth the punt - scores goals, aggressive and wants to win)
• Miller (Aggressive and wants to win - a good start.  Should be okay defensively but another Nyambe going forward?)
• Tavares (only started half the games for his previous club and actual completed 90 minute games could be counted on one hand - unconvincing and unproven)

I think, unarguably, we start the season with a considerably weaker team/squad than we finished last season with.

We might have names on paper that make a squad of 24 or 25 but a good number of them are simply not good enough or ready for the hurly-burly of Championship football.

IMO, we are at least 3 players short - a quality striker, a quality right winger and an experienced goalie (if Pears goes, as seems likely, it would be folly to run with a young inexperienced Michalski as only back-up for Toth).

All in all, an underwhelming window IMO - you simply can't replace proven Championship players of a good ability with, in the main, cheap and unproven foreign imports and supplement them with Academy lads who are either not good enough or not ready.

ATM, feels like it will be difficult to keep out the bottom six.

 

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Mercer

[chaddyrovers]

19 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

You are again just parroting what the club say and what Ismael says we are doing. I am giving my opinion. We will be left short of quality, short of goals, short of pace and short of numbers (I dont want your squad plan, I mean quality in all areas) if its just one more. I suspect one more wide man and the budget has gone. 

Just like you going on and on without actually taking into account what our head coach wants and say. 

We need a quality right side attacking player and if we can sign Miyoshi I would be delighted with that move. that has to be main focus. 

Ismael has said if players leave they will be replace so if Buckley moves on, I suspect we bring in another midfielder. He has some decisions to make whether Buckley and Garrett will be in the 25 man squad registration or not. If not, we need to find them clubs for them and asap

19 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

He did say 6 or 7. That was before Batth left, Weimann left and Brittain left. Explain that.

Brittain replaced by Miller who can play right back and centre back. Just like Henning Berg was for us back in the 90's. 

Batth and Weimann? did Ismael know that both wasn't re-signing here before he made that comment and 

19 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Gestede also mentioned competition for Ohashi and Gueye and they both pointed out power along the front line. Seemingly, that wont be happening. Explain that.

Leonard or his replacement if loan out

19 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

People are really scraping the barrel suggesting Leonard is a reason not to strengthen. He has spent 2 or 3 years constantly out with serious issues including his back and he wasnt up to it even when he did play. He hasnt been with the first team. What could have happened during him being sat on the sidelines to make us think, actually, we dont need a striker.

Here a thought, Maybe Ismael and the medical staff have set Leonard a different training plan and easing him back into the training since they returned for pre season

or here a thought, maybe Ismael will bring in another striker when Leonard goes out on loan. Any loan deal need to give Leonard the proper game time we want for him. 

19 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I love the assumption that it must be exactly what Ismael wants. Maybe its all the budget can stretch to and hes having to prioritise.

Ismael doesnt seem the type to kick up a fuss, not yet anyway. Praising our terrible owners and suggesting that contract issues are an issue in the past. He seems pretty comfy, why rock the boat on a 3 year deal. 

You always looking for conspiracy or disagreement at every opportunity aren't you? you enjoyed it and it wouldn't be you if you didn't. You don't have the scope to think Ismael has got what he mainly wanted and the profile of player he has talk so much about. 

I think Ismael is a straight talker, no bullshit person and he was very honest and open about why Brittain missed the Stanley game and what would happened. 

Maybe he is "pretty Comfy" as you say cos he is happy with our transfers and happy with his squad and him, Gestede, Owen and recruitment staff are all aligned. That would really upset you wouldn't it?  

[MarkBRFC]

Think it will end up being a huge mistake not sending Leonard out on loan and bringing in another striker.

[Mashed Potatoes]

9 minutes ago, Mercer said:

'One more signing unless there is an unexpected departure'.

Wow, think we will need to batten down the hatches.  Frightening.

Out - all proven Championship performers: Batth, Beck, Brittain, Dolan, JRC and Weimann (and 20+ goals between them!!!)

In - with Championship experience:

• Forshaw (washed-up, we didn't want him at end of season and possibly only re-signed him out of desperation, looks like wont be fit until almost September) 
• McLoughin (signed as a centre back but only played half his games for Hull in that position last season, strange if he's good - what we've seen so far, looks painfully slow)

In - with no Championship experience:

• Alebiosu (strong and athletic but is he a footballer?  Looks clumsy with little technical ability)
• De Neve (even the locals in Belgium expressed their surprise at this signing.  Can run all day, as could Jason Lowe, but haven't seen much else)
• Henriksson (Could prove to be well worth the punt - scores goals, aggressive and wants to win)
• Miller (Aggressive and wants to win - a good start.  Should be okay defensively but another Nyambe going forward?)
• Tavares (only started half the games for his previous club and actual completed 90 minute games could be counted on one hand - unconvincing and unproven)

I think, unarguably, we start the season with a considerably weaker team/squad than we finished last season with.

We might have names on paper that make a squad of 24 or 25 but a good number of them are simply not good enough or ready for the hurly-burly of Championship football.

IMO, we are at least 3 players short - a quality striker, a quality right winger and an experienced goalie (if Pears goes, as seems likely, it would be folly to run with a young inexperienced Michalski as only back-up for Toth).

All in all, an underwhelming window IMO - you simply can't replace proven Championship players of a good ability with, in the main, cheap and unproven foreign imports and supplement them with Academy lads who are either not good enough or not ready.

ATM, feels like it will be difficult to keep out the bottom six.

 

 

As has already been pointed out you came out with this gloom and doom stuff this time last year ahead of a season when we finished 7th. 

[Emerald Isle Rover]

Agreeing with mercer overall is pretty painful all except miller being like nyambe - miller has scored goals for hibs and Australia 

i also wouldn’t be judging the other players yet time for that will be tomorrow at 5 and the next few weeks after

but I do agree I think we need a striker and a right winger 

[DeeCee]

He said "unexpected departures" perhaps some departures (Trav) are "expected"?

[roversfan99]

25 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Just like you going on and on without actually taking into account what our head coach wants and say. 

We need a quality right side attacking player and if we can sign Miyoshi I would be delighted with that move. that has to be main focus. 

Ismael has said if players leave they will be replace so if Buckley moves on, I suspect we bring in another midfielder. He has some decisions to make whether Buckley and Garrett will be in the 25 man squad registration or not. If not, we need to find them clubs for them and asap

Brittain replaced by Miller who can play right back and centre back. Just like Henning Berg was for us back in the 90's. 

Batth and Weimann? did Ismael know that both wasn't re-signing here before he made that comment and 

Leonard or his replacement if loan out

Here a thought, Maybe Ismael and the medical staff have set Leonard a different training plan and easing him back into the training since they returned for pre season

or here a thought, maybe Ismael will bring in another striker when Leonard goes out on loan. Any loan deal need to give Leonard the proper game time we want for him. 

You always looking for conspiracy or disagreement at every opportunity aren't you? you enjoyed it and it wouldn't be you if you didn't. You don't have the scope to think Ismael has got what he mainly wanted and the profile of player he has talk so much about. 

I think Ismael is a straight talker, no bullshit person and he was very honest and open about why Brittain missed the Stanley game and what would happened. 

Maybe he is "pretty Comfy" as you say cos he is happy with our transfers and happy with his squad and him, Gestede, Owen and recruitment staff are all aligned. That would really upset you wouldn't it?  

It has been an incredible turn from 6 games ago when you wanted Ismael out. (Which is fine)

Now, you cant fathom that anything that unfolds isnt exactly how he has planned. Your opinions also follow exactly what he does or what you think he will do. Youve even created a scenario where you are justifying us going from publically saying that we want a striker, something you agreed with, because hes come up with a miracle fitness regime that will lead to a young lad with repeated recurring injuries coming in and filling that role.

Its not a conspiracy to suggest that he might (im not saying this is the case) not get everything he wants in a transfer window. As I said, I suspect a lot of managers end transfer windows like that.

Also on the numbers. 6 or 7 was mentioned. A new first choice right back was clearly not included in that. (Nor was Batth and Weimann leaving)

[OnionBalaji]

Have a weird gut feeling there’s a chance Cantwell may leave now we have a replacement in the building 

[USABlue]

2 minutes ago, OnionBalaji said:

Have a weird gut feeling there’s a chance Cantwell may leave now we have a replacement in the building 

You must have the same as me I've had it a while and am perplexed he's never been even mentioned as leaving.  Odd to me.  Or no one sees him as any.good.

[sharpysharps86]

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Ismael has said he has no interest in loans when he attended a breakfast meeting with different businesses leaders 

I know what he said, and I'd still be surprised.

What the head coach wants and what the club does will not always sync up, especially at this club.

Edited 3 hours ago by sharpysharps86

[miqaayil]

Watched the interview ...all i got was creating value for project players...factory model... no ambition , fight or fire to remotely trying to get to PL...effing sad and this our 150th year 

[B16Rover]

I always dread sitting in the Riverside and watching the shooting drills. 

Next year will be complete parts unknown!  Warning to home fans, duck for cover.