The current state of play and a POLL

Because it’s currently the factory summer shutdown, I’m up to my proverbials in work at the moment.
This means I really don’t have much time to look at what’s been going on down the Villa.
Even when I look in on here, it’s only been cursory glances at what people are saying, so short is my time.
It’s a hard life, isn’t it?

Whatever, I’ve noticed a fair bit of doom and gloom on here, of late when it comes to our transfer dealings and find myself wondering WHY?

Ok, losing Benteke and Delph, were for me, major blows. I’ve stated my case on both of those players and simply put, they are major losses; there’s no getting away from it.
I’m also on record as saying I wish Benteke all the best.
As opposed to Delph.
I’m not really a bitter person, but did I really read that he might be out for a year, because he’s done his Cruciate? If so, Karma springs to mind, but it also strikes me that it’s a good reason as to why he wouldn’t have got a game at Citeh anyway.

Vlaar’s crocked too, but never mind, he’ll walk into a “better” club, won’t he? Two hopes, in my opinion.

Is that a bit of the wizard that is Sherwood at play, I wonder, as in “leave the mighty Villa and see what you get” type of thing?
Probably not, but I’m afraid I do have to smile sometimes.

Anyway, going back to it, let’s see what’s happened up to now, with Adam’s listed deals;

Season 2015/16:

IN:

Scott Sinclair (Man. City) £2.5 million
Micah Richards (Man. City) Free
Mark Bunn (Norwich) Free
Idrissa Gueye (Lille) Undisclosed (£9 million)
Jordan Amavi (Nice) £8 million
Jose Angel Crespo (Cordoba CF) £750,000
Ayew = £10 million

Total: £30.25 million

OUT:

Darren Bent (Derby) Released
Enda Stevens (Portsmouth) Released
Graham Burke (Notts County) Released
Andi Weimann (Derby) £2.75 million
Yacouba Sylla (Rennes) £1.05 million
Mathew Lowton (Burnley) Undisclosed (£1 million)
Nicklas Helenius (Aalborg BK) Free
Antonio Luna (Eibar) Free
Shay Given (Stoke) Free
Fabian Delph (Manchester City) £8 million
Christian Benteke (Liverpool) £32.5 million

Total: £45.3 million

Apart from the last two and Weimann, who I think was a mistake, I can’t see much wrong with any of those who have left, leaving.
Indeed, there’s plenty more who should go, but that’s by the by.

More important, is who’s come in.
While we know what Sinclair and Richards have in their locker on a good day, Bunn and Crespo are most likely just back-up.
We don’t really know about Gueye and Amavi though, but they’re highly rated, with Amavi in particular being seen as a bit of a coup signing.

So where do I see us going in the next couple of weeks?

I don’t have a clue, but one thing’s for sure and that is NO-ONE had a clue about Crespo.
Hence I have plenty of reason to think that we’re looking at players that no-one has a clue about too.

According to Adam’s figures, we’re still about £15 mill in profit with our deals up to now, although there are sell-on clauses, which might reduce it to say, £8 mill
Add in the (miserly, in my opinion, but usual) £15 million that Lerner might throw in and that’s possibly a tasty £25ish mill still to spend. Enough to buy another three players at around £7 mill, plus wages, at a push.
Don’t spread it about though, as the selling clubs will only jack the price up.

I know some of us might be worried in that we seem to be leaving it a bit late, because the squad needs time to gel, but the way I see it, is deals are incredibly difficult to agree these days.
It isn’t like the old days, where a verbal deal, coupled with a brown paper bag and a nudge and a wink, was good enough.

My point is, I think we’ll get at least another three players in before the window shuts.

I think business up to now, albeit slower than I’d like, has been ok.

What do you think?
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