Bournemouth about to sign a CB from Juventus for £15M. That may start things moving with a potential loan for Hill. But suspect that any loan will not happen until the last week of the window and we will be left crossing our fingers that Bournemouth do not pick up any injuries before then

Indeed they did, thanks for that, have edited my original post Although by all accounts the initial fee was about half that https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5238109/2024/01/30/morgan-rogers-aston-villa-transfer-2/

They have sold Akpom, Spence, Tavernier & Rogers for about £40M. They may have also banked a sell on fee from Woods move from Swansea to Southampton this summer. But based on that, Rovers should have a vaguely comparable spending power to Boro On a slightly related note Akpom had a similarly prolific season to Szmodics (having done nothing quite like that before) before he got his move and apparently went for an initial fee of £10.5M. Rising to £12.5 by all accounts Slight differences are Akpom was in the last year of his contract at Boro, but was a year younger (27 at the time) than Szmodics is now.

The initial fee will be low (I would imagine no more than £50K-£100K up front), But there will be appearance fees and a sell on fee (even if the clubs cannot agree and it goes to a tribunal) so it is well worth negotiating. An extra couple of % sell on fee is worth potentially millions in a few years time. Hopefully that that point, Venkys will be long gone and whoever owns the club will spend the profits on the team. Completely agree that Newcastle will not do us any favours with loans though

Goddard has had his past 2 seasons curtailed by two pretty serious knee injuries which probably stifled his development somewhat. (He is currently as you stated, 20 years old) Michalski only turned 17 in March, and was in the U21s for a fair chunk of last season, so he is well ahead of the curve developmentally, and imagine it is a move into men's (rather than boys) football to toughen him up and make him a little more streetwise For reference. Raya was 19 when he went on loan to 5th tier Southport Hyde (also 7th tier) beat our U21s 3-2 a couple of weeks ago (only a friendly) RE the glut of young Keepers - Hilton, Eastham, Barrett, Goddard & Kahn are all out of contract at the end of this season, albeit a few do have year options. I suspect at least 2 more will be sold/loaned this summer. This leaves (barring any additional sales/contract extensions or options taken up) Pears, Honor & Michalski (and the 15/16 year old keepers who will play for the U18s this season Wolsoncroft and Thompson if we want to be really pedantic) under contract next season

33 in a week

I am assuming you are both talking about Gueye rather than Ohasi I will leave this here, He is in yellow wearing 29

Useful to have a Plan B Edit - Under Venkys we often have not even have a Plan A, so it is very novel to have an option 😉

My issue is not with Wiemann as a signing (as versatile back up), but Wiemann at wing back, Fleck is a no, no matter where he would play

He is 33 in a week, surely not a good idea

Weimann more of a versatile forward for me than a number 10, Gilsenan more of a wide forward (when fit). Sigurdssons fitness continues to be an issue, then we are down to 2

I suppose it depends on if Eustace sees Szmodics as a 9 or 10? Given how he has set up since arriving in February, arguments could be made either way. It may also be a case of Eustace being slightly economical with the truth as he is not wanting to put too much pressure on Ohasi having to replace our main man

Alongside Gueye, Ohashi and an out and out winger with pace, I would be fairly happy (in terms of forwards brought in). Which I did not think I would be saying a week ago. Obviously all gambles, but we are where we are

Pickering at left centre back if/when Eustace goes for a back 5, and Gent or a loanee at wing back. Personally do not see a back 5 being employed at home to Derby

The Dingles signed a lot of players form the Belgian league last time they were in the Championship and they adjusted quickly and were definitely the required quality Zaroury, Benson, Foster off the top of my head Edit, also Cullen, Viniho & Delcroix. So essentially half a team full of players from Belgium

His wage would have been roughly halved following relegation last season

https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2024/huddersfields-sorba-thomas-undergoing-medical-ahead-of-nantes-loan/ He is off to France

The only way Szmodics stays at this point is if he fails his medical or Rovers are bought later today by Elon Musk

He isn't a winger. Played his best football last season as an attacking central midfielder/10 https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/karamoko-dembele/leistungsdaten/spieler/466602/plus/0?saison=2023

How tall is the 19 year old French lad? Edit, 5 ft 9, he is not our guy

when we had Brereton playing wide left, we wouldn't have asked him to change his game to play as an out and out winger as it would not have suited his game. Same argument here

A bit erratic, but he is not afraid of whipping crosses in, can see it working with a big target to aim at

Can see Ohashi in the 10 spot, Gueyes technique does worry me from that video, but he does look to have good movement and is certainly a physical presence, so as long as he is used correctly, he will hopefully be a good signing

Dembele more an inside forward than a winger who will cross it in