Winter 2025 Transfer Window - hopes, speculation, rumours etc.

[algy]

I remember the summer Grealish left, a lot of folk on here were adamant that there was no release clause in his contract. Of course it shouldn't have been a surprise that there was given his previous "disappointment" at not going to Spurs in exchange for Josh Onomah and whatever fell out of Levy's sofa.

Durán strikes me as more restless than Grealish and with little ties to us. I'd be more surprised if he doesn't have one. Hopefully we've set it as high as Grealish's.

Given his age , position (Nr 9) and potential I'd hope it's a tad higher . £120m ish

From what I have seen of him so far, he has got so much potential in a position that there aren't too many elite players around.  For example, I think he's got a hugger ceiling than Ollie Watkins, but there could be concerns as to whether actually achieve his potential as he does come across as a bit disruptive (may have got that totally wrong).

I think he just needs an arm around him.

Rather than trying to sell him to the highest bidder, I think we just need to embrace his talents

[Demitri_C]

Lets say there was a 90m release  clause in lets use duran as a example - if a club matches that i have faith in unai to use the 90m to make the team better  by adding 2 or 3 quality additions.

I mean if it was gerrard in charge then i would have massive reservations.  But unai will invest that money.

My point being its a win win duran stays or we get a shit load of money to invest and help with FFP

[Rigadon]

Lets say there was a 90m release  clause in lets use duran as a example - if a club matches that i have faith in unai to use the 90m to make the team better  by adding 2 or 3 quality additions.

I mean if it was gerrard in charge then i would have massive reservations.  But unai will invest that money.

My point being its a win win duran stays or we get a shit load of money to invest and help with FFP

We'd be losing one of the best prospects in world football and would really struggle to replace him, regardless of who the manager is, so I'm not sure I'd describe it as win win.  The most recent examples of us losing great players didn't work out as win wins either - Grealish out, Buendia Ings and Bailey in?  Only Bailey you could say has been a success and that's been patchy.  The guys we brought in for Luiz - who knows, haven't seen them play yet! 

I obviously trust Emery & team more than Gerrard, but let's not pretend losing Duran would be anything other than a setback. 

[Demitri_C]

Lets say there was a 90m release  clause in lets use duran as a example - if a club matches that i have faith in unai to use the 90m to make the team better  by adding 2 or 3 quality additions.

I mean if it was gerrard in charge then i would have massive reservations.  But unai will invest that money.

My point being its a win win duran stays or we get a shit load of money to invest and help with FFP

We'd be losing one of the best prospects in world football and would really struggle to replace him, regardless of who the manager is, so I'm not sure I'd describe it as win win.  The most recent examples of us losing great players didn't work out as win wins either - Grealish out, Buendia Ings and Bailey in?  Only Bailey you could say has been a success and that's been patchy.  The guys we brought in for Luiz - who knows, haven't seen them play yet! 

I obviously trust Emery & team more than Gerrard, but let's not pretend losing Duran would be anything other than a setback.

I think strikers (not at his age and potential) but generally who score goals are easier to replace than a goal keeper or a center back for example)

I mean lets throw a example in oshimen. The guys a top player. If we could get someone like that i think he is as good as durans current ability.  Newcastle  picked up isak for 60m and look how unbelievable  he is. Pur scouting team  has certainly  improved over the years. Of this was still under the lerner or xia days then i would certainly  agree and understand you.

I mean we managed to get better selling grealish who contributed  more over a longer period of time. So i do have faith that we will still win if it happened.

[Demitri_C]

Another link 18 year old forward tidiam gomis from caen according to lequipe

[paul_e]

Lets say there was a 90m release  clause in lets use duran as a example - if a club matches that i have faith in unai to use the 90m to make the team better  by adding 2 or 3 quality additions.

I mean if it was gerrard in charge then i would have massive reservations.  But unai will invest that money.

My point being its a win win duran stays or we get a shit load of money to invest and help with FFP

We'd be losing one of the best prospects in world football and would really struggle to replace him, regardless of who the manager is, so I'm not sure I'd describe it as win win.  The most recent examples of us losing great players didn't work out as win wins either - Grealish out, Buendia Ings and Bailey in?  Only Bailey you could say has been a success and that's been patchy.  The guys we brought in for Luiz - who knows, haven't seen them play yet! 

I obviously trust Emery & team more than Gerrard, but let's not pretend losing Duran would be anything other than a setback. 

The guy we brought in for Luiz is Tielemans but the players we got from Juve, they were signed to be options going forward. A well organised team (which we are) will know who might want to go and will have plans in place rather than the sort of panic buy that Ings in particular was.

That's not to say I agree with selling Duran, just that I trust this lot we have now to have ideas of how to both replace him in the squad and to use the money in a way to raise the overall level of the squad.

[LeeB]

Lets say there was a 90m release  clause in lets use duran as a example - if a club matches that i have faith in unai to use the 90m to make the team better  by adding 2 or 3 quality additions.

I mean if it was gerrard in charge then i would have massive reservations.  But unai will invest that money.

My point being its a win win duran stays or we get a shit load of money to invest and help with FFP

We'd be losing one of the best prospects in world football and would really struggle to replace him, regardless of who the manager is, so I'm not sure I'd describe it as win win.  The most recent examples of us losing great players didn't work out as win wins either - Grealish out, Buendia Ings and Bailey in?  Only Bailey you could say has been a success and that's been patchy.  The guys we brought in for Luiz - who knows, haven't seen them play yet! 

I obviously trust Emery & team more than Gerrard, but let's not pretend losing Duran would be anything other than a setback.

I think strikers (not at his age and potential) but generally who score goals are easier to replace than a goal keeper or a center back for example)

I mean lets throw a example in oshimen. The guys a top player. If we could get someone like that i think he is as good as durans current ability.  Newcastle  picked up isak for 60m and look how unbelievable  he is. Pur scouting team  has certainly  improved over the years. Of this was still under the lerner or xia days then i would certainly  agree and understand you.

I mean we managed to get better selling grealish who contributed  more over a longer period of time. So i do have faith that we will still win if it happened.

Of course, that's why goalies and defenders always fetch more money and are paid better than goalscorers.

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

Lets say there was a 90m release  clause in lets use duran as a example - if a club matches that i have faith in unai to use the 90m to make the team better  by adding 2 or 3 quality additions.

I mean if it was gerrard in charge then i would have massive reservations.  But unai will invest that money.

My point being its a win win duran stays or we get a shit load of money to invest and help with FFP

We'd be losing one of the best prospects in world football and would really struggle to replace him, regardless of who the manager is, so I'm not sure I'd describe it as win win.  The most recent examples of us losing great players didn't work out as win wins either - Grealish out, Buendia Ings and Bailey in?  Only Bailey you could say has been a success and that's been patchy.  The guys we brought in for Luiz - who knows, haven't seen them play yet! 

I obviously trust Emery & team more than Gerrard, but let's not pretend losing Duran would be anything other than a setback.

I think Grealish is a bit of an outlier in that everything went through him so was always difficult to replace, Duran isn’t anything like that, he’s hardly had a run in the team. He’s a fantastic talent and could go on to be a great or he could move and fade away, no one knows. I just feel he’s always going to be talked about as wanting to leave no matter how well we do.

All the talk, on here, of either selling Duran or Watkins and a fair few preferring the latter to go is misguided imo as in a season or two with Duran as the main striker he’d go anyway.

I don’t want either to leave and hope that they’d both be happy but I just don’t think he’s someone we can plan our long term future on.

Liam Delap would be a decent Duran replacement.

[Rigadon]

Lets say there was a 90m release  clause in lets use duran as a example - if a club matches that i have faith in unai to use the 90m to make the team better  by adding 2 or 3 quality additions.

I mean if it was gerrard in charge then i would have massive reservations.  But unai will invest that money.

My point being its a win win duran stays or we get a shit load of money to invest and help with FFP

We'd be losing one of the best prospects in world football and would really struggle to replace him, regardless of who the manager is, so I'm not sure I'd describe it as win win.  The most recent examples of us losing great players didn't work out as win wins either - Grealish out, Buendia Ings and Bailey in?  Only Bailey you could say has been a success and that's been patchy.  The guys we brought in for Luiz - who knows, haven't seen them play yet! 

I obviously trust Emery & team more than Gerrard, but let's not pretend losing Duran would be anything other than a setback.

I think strikers (not at his age and potential) but generally who score goals are easier to replace than a goal keeper or a center back for example)

I mean lets throw a example in oshimen. The guys a top player. If we could get someone like that i think he is as good as durans current ability.  Newcastle  picked up isak for 60m and look how unbelievable  he is. Pur scouting team  has certainly  improved over the years. Of this was still under the lerner or xia days then i would certainly  agree and understand you.

I mean we managed to get better selling grealish who contributed  more over a longer period of time. So i do have faith that we will still win if it happened.

Centre forward is the hardest position to fill with genuine quality, which is why they always cost the most money.   

[Demitri_C]

Lets say there was a 90m release  clause in lets use duran as a example - if a club matches that i have faith in unai to use the 90m to make the team better  by adding 2 or 3 quality additions.

I mean if it was gerrard in charge then i would have massive reservations.  But unai will invest that money.

My point being its a win win duran stays or we get a shit load of money to invest and help with FFP

We'd be losing one of the best prospects in world football and would really struggle to replace him, regardless of who the manager is, so I'm not sure I'd describe it as win win.  The most recent examples of us losing great players didn't work out as win wins either - Grealish out, Buendia Ings and Bailey in?  Only Bailey you could say has been a success and that's been patchy.  The guys we brought in for Luiz - who knows, haven't seen them play yet! 

I obviously trust Emery & team more than Gerrard, but let's not pretend losing Duran would be anything other than a setback.

I think strikers (not at his age and potential) but generally who score goals are easier to replace than a goal keeper or a center back for example)

I mean lets throw a example in oshimen. The guys a top player. If we could get someone like that i think he is as good as durans current ability.  Newcastle  picked up isak for 60m and look how unbelievable  he is. Pur scouting team  has certainly  improved over the years. Of this was still under the lerner or xia days then i would certainly  agree and understand you.

I mean we managed to get better selling grealish who contributed  more over a longer period of time. So i do have faith that we will still win if it happened.

Centre forward is the hardest position to fill with genuine quality, which is why they always cost the most money.

I get your point and ive never understood that because you can see how many goal scorers there in football today but how many top keepers is there now days and same with that top level cb?

I mean its going to be almost impossible to replace emi for example compared  to duran in my opinion

[LeeB]

This is a wind up, surely?

[Rigadon]

Given he's literally the best in the world, I agree that will be tricky!  Anyway, I hope we keep Duran and he becomes the world class striker he looks like he could be with the Villa, and not some other club.

[Demitri_C]

This is a wind up, surely?

Whats a windup? Do enlighten us

Given he's literally the best in the world, I agree that will be tricky!  Anyway, I hope we keep Duran and he becomes the world class striker he looks like he could be with the Villa, and not some other club.

Absolutely  i would rather keep duran than sell. I would rather cash in on ramsey if its ffp reasons  we need to sell

[Chico Hamilton III]

We haven’t had a striker at Villa who has scored 20 top flight league goals in a season for 44 years. During that time we’ve had 3 world class keepers and several top class defenders.

[Drummond]

We haven’t had a striker at Villa who has scored 20 top flight league goals in a season for 44 years. During that time we’ve had 3 world class keepers and several top class defenders.

Sigh...... I'm dreaming of Watkins having a barnstorming run of games until the end of the season, and hitting that target, overtaking Agbonlahor, McParland, Withe and Yorke in the process.