Who do we need (Summer 2026)

[Sol thewall Bamba]

20 or more outgoings to start with.

[Stadt]

19 hours ago, BrummieFOX said:

Wonder how many more hours this forum put into player research compared to the Club?

The scouts and analysts probably do a good job largely.

 

They're likely then overruled by any combination of Glover/Rudkin/the manager who want their men or whoever an agent has put in front of them. I doubt the scouts and analysts have pushed for say, Aribo.

[LCFCJohn]

4 hours ago, AKCJ said:

It's going to have to be a culling. We know we're losing Aribo, Ramsey, Mukasa, Winks, Ricardo, Daka, Lascelles, Ayew, Begovic, James and Wanya. We'll probably also be forced to sell Fatawu and Nelson. We might also find it difficult to keep Page and Monga.

 

Which probably means we'll have to;

 

• Sign a 50 game a season right back.
• Sign two central defenders.
• Sign two central midfielders.
• Sign two strikers.
• Sign a 50 game a season winger.
• Promote French/Bausor, Aluko, Hutchinson, Motsi etc.
• Some of the loanees will probably be ready for League 1 (Braybrooke, Popov, Cartwright etc).

It's going to be a massive overhaul this summer. We might even end up in a situation where we can't bring players in and have to make do with what we've got but i'd really worry for the lack of good, experienced heads in the squad. Big part of the problem for me has been the number of experienced players who are clearly workshy dickheads who have been a terrible influence.

Agree with most of this.

 

Assuming you have mentioned Winks as you expect him to leave even though it has been said his contract isn’t actually up? 
 

And hopefully we will keep Page but agree Monga will go as well as Nelson and Fatawu.

 

Signings will need to be well thought out (ha). For example, the right back. Let’s get a solid pro with a good attitude but also not a kid as we have Aluko so you want that balance. Someone he can learn from. 
 

Same with centre backs. A mix of younger and an older (not over the hill but just experienced) pros. Like when we have signed players like Morgan. 
 

As you say, character and attitude need to be spot on. But I don’t trust the club to do that. 

[CornwallFox]

I have zero faith in Glover to come up with any useful signings

[Tuna]

Ideally target Championship standard players to bolster the talented youngsters.

[JimJams]

 

 

Obviously we need bare goals, and I think he's out of contract this summer, so makes sense to add him.  Then if we can take Pierce Charles off of Wednesday that's a bonus. If that side doesn't rack up 139 points next season then the game's gone.

[DJ Barry Hammond]

2 hours ago, JimJams said:

 

 

Obviously we need bare goals, and I think he's out of contract this summer, so makes sense to add him.  Then if we can take Pierce Charles off of Wednesday that's a bonus. If that side doesn't rack up 139 points next season then the game's gone.

That looks a very short and weak midfield trio - kinda like our current midfield.

 

Have you truly thought that side through?

[JimJams]

7 hours ago, DJ Barry Hammond said:

That looks a very short and weak midfield trio - kinda like our current midfield.

 

Have you truly thought that side through?

No, I've thought ""Who is actually going to be here next season?".

[LCFCJohn]

10 hours ago, JimJams said:

 

 

Obviously we need bare goals, and I think he's out of contract this summer, so makes sense to add him.  Then if we can take Pierce Charles off of Wednesday that's a bonus. If that side doesn't rack up 139 points next season then the game's gone.

Nelson and Monga will be gone. Charles won’t be coming to us. All these will get offers from at least the Championship.
 

Hopefully we can keep Aluko and Page and build around them and Braybrooke who will be ready to step up to L1 after a strong season in L2.

[JimJams]

2 minutes ago, LCFCJohn said:

Nelson and Monga will be gone.

I'm not sure they will be.  Despite the fact we'll be dropping a level, they've not torn up any trees themselves, we won't be getting Prem offers for them, so it's champ level teams and so champ level financial offers.  We still need to put a team out next season so we can't just sell everyone.  They're low earners (comparatively) with low market value at the moment.

Besides, I needed players.

[LCFCJohn]

8 minutes ago, JimJams said:

I'm not sure they will be.  Despite the fact we'll be dropping a level, they've not torn up any trees themselves, we won't be getting Prem offers for them, so it's champ level teams and so champ level financial offers.  We still need to put a team out next season so we can't just sell everyone.  They're low earners (comparatively) with low market value at the moment.

Besides, I needed players.

Monga is still a 16 year old kid with high potential and will barely cost anything. I’m sure PL sides will be licking their lips a the prospect of picking him up even as a youth signing for the time being.

 

Nelson has a year left and has been dropped. With our relegation, how much can we really ask for? Couple of mill? We could play hard ball but it will only mean he goes for free the next summer. I reckon lower PL or promoted sides, or even the relegated sides would be interested. We’ve seen with players doing well elsewhere that not succeeding here, in this version of the club does not break a players career, particularly not a young player. 
 

Charles similar for Wednesday. A year left and clear high potential. PL and Championship clubs will be across a bargain there. 
 

Ordinarily, in this scenario, you’d be thinking yeah, pick up the cream of the league we are dropping into. Players like Ballard at Orient. But I’m sure we will be dealing in frees and loans and not spending any fees on anyone. 

[JimJams]

I know what you're saying but the very idea that Monga will barely cost anything is the very reason we won't be inclined to sell him.  And if it's a minimal fee for Nelson, same thing goes even if we lose him on a free the following season.  The incentive to sell is to reduce on inflated wages and maximize incoming revenue via transfer fees.  The players with low to no transfer fee along with low wages won't make sense to sell as they'll need replacing so there's no cost benefit to doing it.

[BKLFox]

5 hours ago, LCFCJohn said:

Monga is still a 16 year old kid with high potential and will barely cost anything. I’m sure PL sides will be licking their lips a the prospect of picking him up even as a youth signing for the time being.

 

Nelson has a year left and has been dropped. With our relegation, how much can we really ask for? Couple of mill? We could play hard ball but it will only mean he goes for free the next summer. I reckon lower PL or promoted sides, or even the relegated sides would be interested. We’ve seen with players doing well elsewhere that not succeeding here, in this version of the club does not break a players career, particularly not a young player. 
 

Charles similar for Wednesday. A year left and clear high potential. PL and Championship clubs will be across a bargain there. 
 

Ordinarily, in this scenario, you’d be thinking yeah, pick up the cream of the league we are dropping into. Players like Ballard at Orient. But I’m sure we will be dealing in frees and loans and not spending any fees on anyone. 

Nelson not dropped but out for remainder of season with a thigh injury (as is Okoli with a hamstring injury)

[LCFCJohn]

34 minutes ago, BKLFox said:

Nelson not dropped but out for remainder of season with a thigh injury (as is Okoli with a hamstring injury)

He’d already been dropped from the starting 11 to the bench. Maybe injury has caused him to be left out the squad then. Either way, even if he was in the 11 for the rest of the season, relegation and his contract situation would still see him sold. It might only be a couple of million we get but still profit and we will need anything we can get to stay afloat.

[LVFox]

Ethan Pye from Stockport

Dom Ballard from Orient

 

New RB&LB (I actually think the core of our leftover squad is set up for 3-4-3 next year, so wingbacks)

 

experienced CM and CF for squad depth 

[AKCJ]

30 minutes ago, LVFox said:

Ethan Pye from Stockport

Dom Ballard from Orient

 

New RB&LB (I actually think the core of our leftover squad is set up for 3-4-3 next year, so wingbacks)

 

experienced CM and CF for squad depth 

Dom Ballard would cost about £5m which is about £5m more than our budget allows.

 

Plus he wouldn't leave Leyton Orient to play for Leicester City, such is life under Aiyawatt.

[Finnegan]

I don't know how you even begin to approach this thread to be honest.

 

We need so much. I can't think of many that will be here next year. I think the squad will be unrecognisable which isn't really a bad thing.

 

But who knows what kind of budget we have to rebuild. We have players that should make money but we just won't be able to sell. Guys like Okoli and Kristiansen will end up on loans somewhere making us very little. We'll get absolutely mugged on a fee for Fatawu, BEK is going for a small loss, if we cash in on Monga I doubt we get any huge fee. 

 

Nelson hasn't covered himself in glory, I doubt Premier League clubs are still sniffing around who'd pay that much? If he's willing to stay he's the start of a spine I guess. Assume Stol will be behind him and Aluko probably gets his breakthrough year. 

 

Skipp is a weird one. We overpaid so insanely that nobody can afford him, he'd probably be good in League One tbh but does he want to stay and can we afford to pay his wages if he does? Might have to loan him out too. Then we need an entire midfield.

 

Alves and Braybrooke aren't good enough, forget that right now, Page probably isn't either. We'll need an actual, quality midfield of decent, established (not ****ing ancient) players to drive that. We had Oakley and Clemence in there last time to support King and Cleverley, we need that again. There's no chance JJ is playing League One football for us next year.

 

We need a whole attack. None of our kids are good enough (yet, if at all) - Mav 23/24 probably would be but his ghost that's lingering now definitely isn't. Pretty much everyone else is gone?

 

[LCFCJohn]

53 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

Dom Ballard would cost about £5m which is about £5m more than our budget allows.

 

Plus he wouldn't leave Leyton Orient to play for Leicester City, such is life under Aiyawatt.

Exactly. Some of the shouts on this forum! Where do people think the money is coming from?

 

I saw something saying that Orient were benchmarking Ballard against Stansfield. That doesn’t obviously mean they’ll get £15 mill but he has a decent length contract left. Kone went for about £5 mill with a year left didn’t he? Bet Orient will have their eyes on around £10 mill personally. Maybe won’t get that high but well out of our range and will have offers from the Championship.

[LCFCJohn]

41 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

I don't know how you even begin to approach this thread to be honest.

 

We need so much. I can't think of many that will be here next year. I think the squad will be unrecognisable which isn't really a bad thing.

 

But who knows what kind of budget we have to rebuild. We have players that should make money but we just won't be able to sell. Guys like Okoli and Kristiansen will end up on loans somewhere making us very little. We'll get absolutely mugged on a fee for Fatawu, BEK is going for a small loss, if we cash in on Monga I doubt we get any huge fee. 

 

Nelson hasn't covered himself in glory, I doubt Premier League clubs are still sniffing around who'd pay that much? If he's willing to stay he's the start of a spine I guess. Assume Stol will be behind him and Aluko probably gets his breakthrough year. 

 

Skipp is a weird one. We overpaid so insanely that nobody can afford him, he'd probably be good in League One tbh but does he want to stay and can we afford to pay his wages if he does? Might have to loan him out too. Then we need an entire midfield.

 

Alves and Braybrooke aren't good enough, forget that right now, Page probably isn't either. We'll need an actual, quality midfield of decent, established (not ****ing ancient) players to drive that. We had Oakley and Clemence in there last time to support King and Cleverley, we need that again. There's no chance JJ is playing League One football for us next year.

 

We need a whole attack. None of our kids are good enough (yet, if at all) - Mav 23/24 probably would be but his ghost that's lingering now definitely isn't. Pretty much everyone else is gone?

 

Clubs will definitely be after Nelson. Perfect storm to pick up an England U21 defender who has done well up to this season and whose stock has dropped due to the team he has been in and his performances of course as a result. Not saying he’s been great. 
 

But with a year left, us being desperate financially, how much do we really think we can get for him? Of course there’ll be clubs higher up the pyramid willing to take a punt. Given the circumstances, he represents a good opportunity.

 

Stolarcryk also has a year left so represents a chance to get something for him. 
 

Otherwise I’d agree. Probably a lot of loans and frees to pad out the team and squad when many leave.

[AKCJ]

1 hour ago, LCFCJohn said:

Exactly. Some of the shouts on this forum! Where do people think the money is coming from?

 

I saw something saying that Orient were benchmarking Ballard against Stansfield. That doesn’t obviously mean they’ll get £15 mill but he has a decent length contract left. Kone went for about £5 mill with a year left didn’t he? Bet Orient will have their eyes on around £10 mill personally. Maybe won’t get that high but well out of our range and will have offers from the Championship.

I guessed £5m because of the Kone transfer but you're probably right, I forgot that he was in the last year of his deal.

 

 

[LCFCJohn]

39 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

I guessed £5m because of the Kone transfer but you're probably right, I forgot that he was in the last year of his deal.

 

 

Somewhere between. Obviously not Stansfield money as a PL side in Fulham gets more than a L1 side. Rightly so in that case as Stansfield has played at Championship level. 
 

Leyton Orient are a similar standing to Wycombe and the players of a similar age and performance level at L1 level. It would be the contract length so I reckon he’d go for about £8 mill. 
 

Honestly don’t see us spending anything in fees, let alone that much, and let alone that much on one player…

[AKCJ]

2 hours ago, LCFCJohn said:

Clubs will definitely be after Nelson. Perfect storm to pick up an England U21 defender who has done well up to this season and whose stock has dropped due to the team he has been in and his performances of course as a result. Not saying he’s been great. 
 

But with a year left, us being desperate financially, how much do we really think we can get for him? Of course there’ll be clubs higher up the pyramid willing to take a punt. Given the circumstances, he represents a good opportunity.

 

Stolarcryk also has a year left so represents a chance to get something for him. 
 

Otherwise I’d agree. Probably a lot of loans and frees to pad out the team and squad when many leave.

I could see Nelson being snatched up by a club like Brighton and loaned off into the Championship before being sold on for big profit in 2/3 years.

[kingfox]

If we drop, we’ll be left rummaging around for frees and loans. You see a lot of League 1 teams picking up players from Under 21 teams, that are either available for loan or end up getting released, that’s a route that I’d like to see us focus on, someone like Tommi O’Reilly from Aston Villa for example who I mentioned the other week. 
 

Getting the spine of the team right will be most important, we’ll probably need a new centre back and central midfield partnership, plus two strikers, preferably one who has history of scoring goals in League 1.

 

Midfield will definitely need a leader added to it, players like Oli Norwood and Lewis Wing who are 30+ are still very much doing the business at that level.

[Stadt]

God it's depressing we're here but we should be all over Tom Eaves on a free as a 2nd/3rd choice striker. Awkward target man, great L1 record, would have a relationship with Jake Evans already.

[AKCJ]

4 minutes ago, Stadt said:

God it's depressing we're here but we should be all over Tom Eaves on a free as a 2nd/3rd choice striker. Awkward target man, great L1 record, would have a relationship with Jake Evans already.

I genuinely think he's the worst striker I have ever seen play in person.