Summer 26 Transfer Rumours

Best of luck to Metcalfe, hopefully he goes on to have a fantastic career, and we have a decent sell on. Can't stand Millwall though, let him shine as they fail and sell him for a big whack in 12 months. In an ideal world, I think we'd have kept him and extended his contract. If he hit top form again with more consistency, we'd probably be talking 3 times as much in 12 months. But I get the club's position; there are no guarantees with young lads, so he could have been worth next to nothing as well. Still, 7 figures for a signing made 12 months ago are light-years ahead of where we were a year or two ago. I hope at least one purchase is a young talent we've scouted so we can try to do the same again.

I think he will do well in the championship, where the football will suit his game. I can remember his debut at Blackburn; it was obvious we'd come across a gem straight away.

 

One of the Millwall lot I speak to since they did us in the play off final seems to think Metcalf deal is £1.7m with add ones taking to £2.3m and we have a sell on fee of around 20%.

Now if that is anywhere near correct I think that's a very good deal all round for us.

 

Bailey Cadamateri was mentioned a good 3 or 4 weeks ago wasn't he? Although with Beesley coming in that one might be done unless Swan or Humps are moved on.

 

I’d imagine that recruiting a striker will be tough unless we’re taking a kid on loan. After paying a decent fee for Beesley, he’s clearly intended to be our starting striker. Whoever joins will find themselves in competition with Swan, Humphrys, possibly Jackson and potentially Nick Powell to make the bench. Not sure I’d be gasping to sign for us.

Ideally we can move Humphrys on. I’d also let Swan go unless he accepts he won’t be starting many games and is content to be a utility forward from the bench.

 

Bit torn on all of this. On the one hand, I understand not wanting to turn down a decent fee, but on the other I am disappointed that we're likely to undergo a rebuild as opposed to just adding to the squad.

Of course the squad needs to evolve and the league two players in the squad need to be improved on, but I highly doubt Alexander will have wanted to lose his first choice midfield including his captain before pre season has even started. You don't only have to replace their ability but also their availability - that's two players who are fit to play 50 games each a season.

Of course the fees received will help us in recruiting their replacements but sometimes continuity of a successful squad is more beneficial than a constant turnover of players.

 

if we’ve got 2.3million and a 20% sell on then we’ve had their pants down.

 

McGoldrick is finished as an influential anyway. He'll be on high wages and I reckon he'll only really be good for 12/15 starts this season with similar 30 minute appearances off the bench.

 

Very useful though to have a player like that for the last thirty minutes

 

Unfortunately both players will have wanted the move, so getting as high as fee as possible was our only option. Sounds like we’ve done well in that regard, so we move on and reinvest it as best we can.

 

I agree but given that he'll likely be on very high wages then it's not enough of a contribution I don't think.

Similar situation we'll have here with Humphrys. You want all your high earners to be regular starters and he won't be which is the reason I'd be trying to move him on.

 

But how do you keep two players that clearly wanted to leave, one for career progression and one for personal reasons? Player turnover is just part of football.

 

If you can replace at cheaper cost then it’s money in the bank to improve the squad in its entirety . Thats what clubs do .

 

Next priority should be to offload Humps

 

It's a funny one, because while normally I'd agree, I've said all second half of the season we are in a false position and have overachieved. Had we started a new season with the team that finished the last season we'd be nowhere near the playoffs. Our first 10 league games of the season saw us go at a rate of 2.3 PPG, and we were top scorers. When Power and Metcalfe started we went at around 1.5 PPG and were one of the lowest scorers in the league at just over 1 goal per game. I think had they both stayed we'd have been calling for a different option or two anyway. Throughout the second half of the season, we struggled to play football and would often resort to hoofing it. We may fail in getting upgrades, but tbh I'm happy to try. The team that got promoted in 2025 had a totally different midfield come the next season, it is the nature of lower league football.

 

I would say lets start signing these players in the pipeline because so far we have only had crumbs off X what ever.

 

That's if true and he fulfils the requirements in the deal

 

It's been said before but maybe needs saying again.
Signing players and announcing players are not the same thing.

 

When his agent was whoring him out on deadline day in January, he was always going to be moving on in the summer. Just hope we've got a good deal and can spend wisely. Trust Sharpe and co will get it right, they did ok last summer window so no reason not to have faith in them this time as well.