2016 Summer Transfer Speculation

Wookster wrote:BBC WM Sport 95.6 ‏@sportbbcwm 15m15 minutes ago

VILLA UPDATE: @Everton have activated the release clause in Idrissa Gana's contract. Expect other bids to follow #avfc
38 retweets 8 likes

This isn't the one that is (supposedly) less than what we bought him for is it?

Yup.

I know a lot of people like him, but I'm honestly not bothered. IIRC he stated on his first day of joining that the club was a stepping stone. The only bit that stings is clubs like Everton basically treating us like a nothing club.

He was probably one of our better players, but I reckon it won't be very hard to replace him if we get £ 7 million. We probably have to look for players abroad though. The PL inflation is absolutely ridiculous.

Wyness on Gana

We are the Villa. Gana going no where!

I'm not even sure if I believe Everton are interested. All summer they've been linked with an higher caliber of player. If he does leave then I think we already have a replacement in Tshibola, plus Westwood, Sanchez and Gardner can all play the anchor role.

I do think we need additional midfielders though, a creative one, maybe Ravel Morrison and a box to box type, maybe someone like Hendrick from Derby, he might be hard to get, If so someone with similar qualities.

Tottenham have apparently made bentelab, Carroll, Mason and Pritchard available, maybe one of those might be of interest, if of course they'd play in the Championship.

All very well Wyness saying that on Twitter, but if the release clause has been met, then there isn't a fat lot he or anyone else can do if he wants to leave, so over to you Gana.

Has the release clause been confirmed by the club. Might not actually exist. And even if there is one, it might have certain conditions, for example only applying to clubs in the Champions league, or whatever.

Don't think Wyness would have tweeted what he has done if it was as simple as Everton bidding for him, and us having no choice but to sell him.

deadbuzzardalive wrote:Has the release clause been confirmed by the club. Might not actually exist. And even if there is one, it might have certain conditions, for example only applying to clubs in the Champions league, or whatever.

Don't think Wyness would have tweeted what he has done if it was as simple as Everton bidding for him, and us having no choice but to sell him.

Fair points, need some concrete info from Wyness or the Doc then to clarify situation, ie if there is a release clause and any stipulations attached

deadbuzzardalive wrote:I'm not even sure if I believe Everton are interested. All summer they've been linked with an higher caliber of player. If he does leave then I think we already have a replacement in Tshibola, plus Westwood, Sanchez and Gardner can all play the anchor role.

Wyness has tweeted that Gana is going nowhere (as mentioned above) but has not replied to questions about a release clause. So either:
(a) he only posts on Twitter but doesn't read any further.
(b) has yet to come back on and see the question
(c) has said his piece and believes no further clarification is needed
(d) has fucked up in not realising there's a release clause.

If it's (d) then it's awfully embarrassing for him.

Maybe you can add his twitter feed to the site also?

maybe we could just be a site for official twitter feeds?

4 Goal Striker alert!!!

Yacinne Bammou from Nantes.

The 24-year-old is ready to quit the French club after a disappointing 2015-16 campaign which yielded just four goals in 32 Ligue 1 appearances - 17 of which were starts.

Surely this is just the press throwing in a few clubs names to make a story as i can't imagine why we would buy someone with such a poor record in the french league?? Thought i'd post it though as its a link...

My tweet to the good Doctor:

‏@dazdsc  7m7 minutes ago
@Dr_TonyXia Clarify the situation regarding Idrissa Gueye, does he have a release clause in his contract?

And his reply:

Dr. Tony XiaVerified account
‏@Dr_TonyXia Dr. Tony Xia Retweeted
Yes.And there are several clubs up to him now,and if he wants go,we are powerless.

Proving he does have a release clause, and not just Everton are interested in him, so the only person able to stop Gana leaving is Gana himself

Then based on that, Wyness's tweet doesn't make any whole lot of sense, or at least he could have chosen his words more carefully. I think it's probably inevitable that he goes.

Apparently he had very similar stats to Kante last year, and with Steve Walsh now at Everton maybe that's why they're interested. I just hope it doesn't spark a mini exodus that sees us also losing Ayew and Amavi.

i aint too bothered if he goes in all honesty.
i have said it before and will say it again - anyone of the players that got us relegated last year can go!

Gana can go for me, an occasional burst forward only to lose the ball, shooting was awful and the amount of times I saw him meandering back after our possession broke down was shocking.
The only reason he has stats like Kante was the fact his tackles made were as a result of his own first touch.
The new lad from Reading has to be an improvement on Gana, I don't rate him at all.

A central midfielder who never heads the ball, never runs with the ball, doesn't shoot, doesn't create chances for others and doesn't influence a game.
But he can tackle a bit and pass short and sideways.

We have enough players like this, Gana will be no great loss, none whatsoever.

"Dr. Tony XiaVerified account
‏@Dr_TonyXia Dr. Tony Xia Retweeted
Yes.And there are several clubs up to him now,and if he wants go,we are powerless."

the same can be said about any player in the modern day game...

On a side note I have to say I'm never less than amazed that Villa fans actually have a direct dialogue with our owner via Twitter etc. I know it's been said before but especially in this age of corporate message control, it's incredible and fantastic that Tony Xia responds in the way he does to rank and file fans. My God, if nothing else, he shows how much he cares already. Top bloke.

VillaBill wrote:Gana can go for me, an occasional burst forward only to lose the ball, shooting was awful and the amount of times I saw him meandering back after our possession broke down was shocking.
The only reason he has stats like Kante was the fact his tackles made were as a result of his own first touch.
The new lad from Reading has to be an improvement on Gana, I don't rate him at all.

Finally somebody else that totally sees through the Gana-Hype-Bullshit!

You are 100% spot on with this mate....perfectly sums up what I see also.

What really makes me laugh is prats on twitter saying "we're under-cooked for this season"....or "We're well short for the start of the season"..erm do people think we're gonna be playing in the Champions league instead of the championship or something? I think people need to get real. Burnley won the league with this team...

.................Heaton...............

...Lowton..Keane..Mae...Ward...

..Boyd...Marney..Barton..Artfield..

.............Gray....Vokes.....

Does anyone in their right mind think that the squad we currently have right now isn't better than that? New signings will no doubt arrive to further strengthen the squad but it's almost as if people still think we're in the premiership. If we didn't make another signing in this window I'd still expect us to get promoted tbh. Last season was as much to do with the crap managers we had in our dugout than it was about the quality of the players imo.

AstonThriller wrote:What really makes me laugh is prats on twitter saying "we're under-cooked for this season"....or "We're well short for the start of the season"..erm do people think we're gonna be playing in the Champions league instead of the championship or something? I think people need to get real. Burnley won the league with this team...

.................Heaton...............

...Lowton..Keane..Mae...Ward...

..Boyd...Marney..Barton..Artfield..

.............Gray....Vokes.....

Does anyone in their right mind think that the squad we currently have right now isn't better than that? New signings will no doubt arrive to further strengthen the squad but it's almost as if people still think we're in the premiership. If we didn't make another signing in this window I'd still expect us to get promoted tbh. Last season was as much to do with the crap managers we had in our dugout than it was about the quality of the players imo.

Agree we should already have the individuals that can get out of this league with a top 2 finish. As it stands we could line up in a number of formations with most of the leagues better players in those positions. With the players we currently have id not be against them lining up in a 4-2-3-1;
                                     Gollini
Lyden             Elphick                     Baker            Amavi
                  Tshibola                       Westwood
        Green                  Grealish                   Sinclair
                                   Ayew

Amavi almost certainly won't start games until maybe September/October but I'd not be too concerned with Bennett/Cissokho starting in the meantime. We can change the CB positions at any time with Okore/Clark/Toner all capable in this league. I've not included Gueye or Sanchez as I believe they'll be sold/moved on, ditto Veretout who doesn't seem to want to hang around. With the like of Gestede, Traore, Kozak, Gardner, Bacuna all waiting in the wings I don't accept we don't have the personnel to get out of this league. Once more it's down to the management and coaching staff to find a way of gelling 11 of them into a functioning team. And I haven't even mentioned Hepburn-Murphy or Agbonlahor..............and putting the hate for Gabby aside, we have to accept that he might be a more than useful "tool" in this league!  
Our attacking "talents" should see us near the very summit of the championship, I'm convinced that 95% of the other teams in the league would snap our arms off to get hold of the likes of Ayew, Grealish, Sinclair, Traore etc.

Boldfinger wrote:i aint too bothered if he goes in all honesty.
i have said it before and will say it again - anyone of the players that got us relegated last year can go!

Absoltely correct, in hindsight, even Ayew could have done a tekkers and kept us up on his own, but nah, not good enough. Only Amavi deserves to be here.

I think RDM probably realises this already and will just need longer to get HIS squad together.

I wouldn't dispute that we have the players even at this point in time to make a good go at getting out of the championship but as we have seen they do not gel together and play as a team. To me this has to be an absolute priority by the coaching and management team because we have to have that togetherness to get out of this division.

why would you pick westwood who is s--t over Gardner