Transfer Rumours Arrivals & Departures, 24/25 season

Doesn’t always make the starting eleven for Celtic.

 

Idah has had 4 starts and 9 sub appearances at Celtic. With us he had 8 starts and 7 sub appearances.

 

Wagner sacked this morning.

 

Presumably it will be announced soon but the club could be more professional about this. I have mixed feelings about this and there will be a lot of pressure on his replacement to reach the playoffs again. Assuming this means a rebuild and a younger squad I have my doubts that this will happen given the end of parachute payments but we have to hope it works.

 

Now confirmed on the BBC

 

As an individual, I liked DW, but I was never "sold" on him as our manager, although I never called for him to be axed.

Sure, he did well to drag the team from 17th to 6th, and we had a good run of home form but the away performances were mostly unforgivable.

Last night was the "big one" and the team just did not show up, although even if they had, I suspect the way Leeds played, City would still have lost (only by a narrower margin).

Let's see who is next - a certain former Hull manager perhaps? (Not Steve Bruce )

 

Carlos Cuesta being tipped as the new man. Began as a coach at Athletic Madrid, as an 18 year old, moved to Juventas then four years at Gunners with BK. I think this could be a very exciting appointment. He is clearly very highly rated within the game, and is said eager to move into management. Maybe at just 28 years old it could be seen as a gamble, but nearly any appointment at our level is just that. Go for it Knapper.

 

Webber would have handled it better

 

Mark Robins anyone? That’s assuming Coventry City let him go.

 

https://x.com/ChrisReevo/status/1791476011718029582

McCallum, Batth, Sorensen, Gibson, Giannoulis, van Hoojdonk are our expiring deals.

McCallum probably the only one I was expecting to stay? But at least that points to a radical overhaul of the defence, which is needed, and can hopefully match what the new manager wants.

 

Out of contract June 2024:

SVH 24
Giannoulis 28
Gibson 31
McCallum 23
Sorensen 26
Batth 33

I can’t see SVH staying unless we can’t get anybody else. Certainly he will leave if Idah returns from Celtic and Sargent stays. Giannoulis may return to Greece if not he should stay. Gibson should go, unless he is offered a 1 or 2 year contract. Gut feeling is he will leave. McCallum should stay, especially if Giannoulis returns to Greece. Sorensen should stay. Batth, at 33, may be considered too long in the tooth and will go. The other player who may move on is Barnes soon to be 35.
Players sold to balance the books (unless funds are forthcoming) Sara, Sargent and Rowe, although the latter has not shown the same early form after his injury.

 

I'd be surprised if McCallum isn't being offered a new contract, but less so about the others, but perhaps Sørensen for his versatility. This has the feeling of Webber's clear out of players when he arrived. That produced a 14th place finish in Farke's first year. Let's hope whoever the new coach is manages something more than that but this has a 'back to square one' feel about it. van Hooijdonk was hardly a splendid start for Knapper's recruitment record if he goes.

 

I hope McCallum stays. I think he has a lot to offer going forward and is a good header of the ball (useful at corners). I accept he has some work to do if he is playing as a left back but I am not sure that is the best position for him.

 

Rumours McCallum has agreed a deal with Stoke.

 

We have a year option on Sorenson don't we?

Gibson is on 40k/week ~2 million a year, we won't pay that for him or anything near that moving forward

 

Where was this mentioned DH. I've been through all of the Newsnow transfer rumours for Stoke and there is no mention of McCallum.

 

And why would he go there? The contract, and promotion possibility, here would exceed any Stoke could offer I would guess. But Wagner playing him for the last few games and then dropping him for the two Leeds games was poor man management and dented his confidence, and probably his mindset.

 

On the information we have maybe ! Having said that I think Giannoulis was our highest scoring player on Who scored. May view is that on the information I have McCallum deserved the chance to start the first game.

 

• We sometimes forget that to a player it is first and foremost a job and the Club have little sway when a player is out of contract. The only other person who holds sway is 'er indoors' In the financial straight -jacket we are now in we could not offer Gibson or Giannoulis anywhere near what they are earning now and in Gibsons case would we want re-employ another Central Defender the wrong side of 30 when we already have Hanley and Duffy? If we have a one year option on Sorenson I am sure we will use it and if we can tie McCallum down to a new contract we probably will but that is as far as it will go.

 

I didn’t realise that Gibson was on high wages. If so then he is very probably going to be shown the front door.