**Summer Transfer Thread: News, Rumours and Speculation**
- Thread starter daz.wallace
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I'd certainly keep Denilson, Eboue is good backup to have, otherwise we have no backup RB. All the youths I've seen player there are shockingly bad.
Benitez didn't want to sell Alonso last season but he felt it would be benefitial if we could make a profit on the Barry-Alonso deal so that we could improve another position. Once we didn't receive a good enough offer for Alonso we kept him and still tried to sign Barry.
This season looks like being no different (regarding Barry not Alonso); I am almost certain that we'll go after Barry regardless of Alonso and at ~£10m I am not so bothered as I was last summer. With Gerrard now playing further forward, we're left with Lucas as the only first team cover for Alonso and Masch and there's a massive gulf in class between Lucas and them. Signing Barry will give us real competition for places in CM and with Dossena likely to go and Hyypia already going, he can also cover both LB and CB.
As for whether Alonso may leave; I think Rafa's made it clear that he doesn't want him to leave whatsoever and like eggyoke says it will depend on Alonso and somebody making us an offer too good to turn down. Alonso and his agent have both said that he's happy and looking forward to next season with Liverpool but like all Spanish players, you always have the thought in the back of your mind that if Real come in for him (and Perez is said to have highlighted him as a summer target) his head may get turned. Real are probably the only club, that are interested in him, that could afford him too.
Soldato
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Ok, so Villa will probably lose Barry this season.
I'll miss him. I watched him come through the ranks and move around almost every outfield position at Villa.
But, what effect will it have on the team?
The biggest effect will be to morale, I think, but in terms of on the pitch performance, I'm not quite so convinced it will be detrimental if we make a reasonable replacement.
Barry is a good player with a lot of desirable skills, but he's not the complete midfielder by a long chalk. Whilst he has the ability to slow the game down when necessary and has an excellent range of passing and good left-wing cross, he's also quite slow, doesn't beat players very often and is not strong enough in the tackle a lot of the time.
When we've been playing well, he's generally been an important part of that, but I can't often remember him taking hold of a game we were struggling in and bossing the midfield for us. Petrov has done more of that of late for us, actually. I think Barry lacks the edge of a real solid DM, both in physical challenges and mentality.
He's also not really creative enough for a more forward central role or quick enough for a wide one.
So, he's a good, well-rounded midfielder and would probably fit in quite well at Liverpool with Gerrard who is an excellent all-round player. At Arsenal I'm not so sure. He's not the solid DM they're looking for, I don't think.
I reckon Villa could potentially be better off with Petrov deep and a properly creative player in front of him. I wish we could de-age Paul Merson and have him back in that role. We're often very one-dimensional and predictable, especially with teams who don't come at us and leave space behind. Barry is the player who should be creating and pulling the strings for us in those situations, and he doesn't do that job well enough, imho.
I actually think Milner might do a better job central, as he can drive forward with real force in a way that Barry can't.
If we fail to make an adequate replacement one way or the other, we will struggle next season, but I don't think Barry is by any means irreplaceable, and I don't think he's the player Arsenal probably need. I do think he'll be off, though.
I'll miss him. I watched him come through the ranks and move around almost every outfield position at Villa.
But, what effect will it have on the team?
The biggest effect will be to morale, I think, but in terms of on the pitch performance, I'm not quite so convinced it will be detrimental if we make a reasonable replacement.
Barry is a good player with a lot of desirable skills, but he's not the complete midfielder by a long chalk. Whilst he has the ability to slow the game down when necessary and has an excellent range of passing and good left-wing cross, he's also quite slow, doesn't beat players very often and is not strong enough in the tackle a lot of the time.
When we've been playing well, he's generally been an important part of that, but I can't often remember him taking hold of a game we were struggling in and bossing the midfield for us. Petrov has done more of that of late for us, actually. I think Barry lacks the edge of a real solid DM, both in physical challenges and mentality.
He's also not really creative enough for a more forward central role or quick enough for a wide one.
So, he's a good, well-rounded midfielder and would probably fit in quite well at Liverpool with Gerrard who is an excellent all-round player. At Arsenal I'm not so sure. He's not the solid DM they're looking for, I don't think.
I reckon Villa could potentially be better off with Petrov deep and a properly creative player in front of him. I wish we could de-age Paul Merson and have him back in that role. We're often very one-dimensional and predictable, especially with teams who don't come at us and leave space behind. Barry is the player who should be creating and pulling the strings for us in those situations, and he doesn't do that job well enough, imho.
I actually think Milner might do a better job central, as he can drive forward with real force in a way that Barry can't.
If we fail to make an adequate replacement one way or the other, we will struggle next season, but I don't think Barry is by any means irreplaceable, and I don't think he's the player Arsenal probably need. I do think he'll be off, though.
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I think Villa will struggle to make the top 5 next season if they're without Barry and Laursen. They're very difficult players to replace even with money.
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Just saw Silva outside Anfield. Pic below...
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Laursen yes, absolutely.
Barry, for the reasons I stated, I'm not so sure. I think potentially you could be right, but I do think he's definitely replaceable for the sort of money he would command - and possibly replaceable with a player who would suit our needs a bit better, tbh.
However, I think we'll struggle to make the top 5 next season even if we kept Barry, magically mended Laursen's knees and bought a couple more as well.
Man City will probably spend crazy money again, Spurs will likely do well with 'arry, Everton proved too consistent for us to catch this year and will probably be so again, and I wouldn't discount Fulham troubling the top 6 or 7 next season as well.
Well i haven't seen that one before, unlike your Henry one which you post every transfer window
I wonder if Alonsos head would get turned by Real, I'm sure I remember Alonso saying a few times that he hopes to one day play for Barcelona as his father did. I dont suppose Barca are interested in him though, given their midfield.
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Well i haven't seen that one before, unlike your Henry one which you post every transfer window
There is still time for that one
If Villa struggle to make the top 5 next season, it will be down to teams pushing for the top 5/6 playing better.
Villa have done very well this season, Barry is replaceable, I still don't understand all the love he gets, he's a decent midfielder. Nothing more. Get as much as you can for him, bring in a couple of players.
Laursen is a tough player to replace, he's easily one of the better players Villa have, and will be tough to replace.
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BBC Transfer News said:
Why won't he just **** off
£50k per week or whatever he gets for the next couple of years probably.
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oh god Barton, just go, no-one wants you!
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I think i'd honour a contract of 50k a week too
Isn't he on something like 60k a week ?
He must know that he's not going to get that anywhere else, of course he is going to stay.
Why anybody wants him baffles me, Boro should have taken the last stupid money offer they got for him, he really isnt worth anything.
And now he is injured they get to pay his wages till january (last report I heard) for sitting on the treatment table.