19 Aug 2026 18:12:31
That Baleba signing is good news isn't it?
Good things come to those that wait.
Lb next would be ideal.
Then, with any luck, shift ideally both Rashford and Zirkzee or at least one of them and get a new forward in to help Sesko.
19 Aug 2026 18:43:06
Ken, people have itchy fingers over the summer when there's no club football on to draw their focus. Lots of complaining about the lack of transfers, with no patience.
Yet it looks like we will have replaced/upgraded Bayindir as our backup keeper, and signed three really good, well-scouted signings in midfield with Baleba, Tielemans and Santos, completely rebuilding our midfield from our biggest weakness to a potential strength. As well as bringing in a couple of high-potential youngsters in Thompson and Orozco. We have also seemingly brought Lacey into the senior squad on a permanent basis, and he looks like he has the potential to have a positive impact on the team this season.
I also don't think we will stop at Baleba, I'm pretty confident that we will sign a LB, although I doubt it'll be one of the expensive, bigger-named players such as Hall or MLS now.
In an ideal world we would move Rashford and Zirkzee on and bring in a replacement, but I don't see that as realistic. And if Carrick is happy to have Rashford as part of his squad and he feels he can get a tune out of him then who am I to argue.
Also if we sign a GK, three CM's, a LB, and two youth players in one window, that's 7 players, can we really be unhappy at not getting an 8th? Or is that just unreasonable greed.
19 Aug 2026 19:13:33
Various factors have weakened Brighton's position from last year.
1. Baleba had a poor season. Why was that? Did the failed transfer affect his mentality adversely?
2. It seems like no other top team has come knocking. Why not Newcastle, after they've raised £200m+ in sales? Did Baleba make it clear he wasn't interested in a transfer to a team below Brighton?
3. The possibility that he's got an injury from which it might take him a while to recover.
4. By not negotiating at this time, Brighton run the risk of having an unmotivated asset on the books when they could take the opportunity to pick up £70m+/-. They had a very solid season last year, without much contribution from him, so the risks of keeping him look like they outweigh the benefits of selling.
Assuming the sale goes through, we will still have spent only £100m, with a potential sale of Collyer to offset that. I think the club will still have up to another £100m capacity, should the right targets at fullbacks and striker emerge.
One thing that's clearly very obvious is that the club is giving away very little to no information about what's going on behind the scenes. It may be frustrating for all us transfer rumour addicts, but it has to be a better way of doing business than we've been doing in the past.
19 Aug 2026 19:25:57
TW,
I think the issue is, having been let down in numerous windows previously, the club and owners are not trusted.
If they complete Baleba, then it is good news, an improvement on what we had.
Step in the right direction.
Strongly need a LB and definitely a striker. Let's see what happens. It is a gamble waiting to the end, just before the first game, although Baleba is injured.
19 Aug 2026 19:33:16
TW,
The rumours are, today was the first day Amazon cameras were at Carrington. Funny how this news has suddenly come out today.
19 Aug 2026 20:23:17
Great signing.
And, these guys upstairs have earned the right for us to be patient.
Everyone is losing their mind the last couple of weeks. The negativity is unreal. And a LB may still come in. If Zirkzee moves, I'm sure we will have another backup CF too.
Yeah, they timed it for Amazon. ?
19 Aug 2026 20:43:14
Think it's very good news, Ken. Clearly a player with potentially a very high ceiling, as was seen the previous season.
I know last season was different, but given he did not have a pre season and was clearly affected by the failed transfer, it certainly showed. Even his manager referenced the disappointment he felt not getting his dream move and the subsequent performance level drop.
This would seem to be a perfect example of buying to a specific need: a physically dominant, good tackler, genuinely pacy, good passer of the ball who can carry the ball forward. Baleba would seem to have all these qualities.
One thing you know for sure: when he makes his debut, he will be giving 120% as he will be where he wants to be, and that always counts.
This transfer would also perfectly dovetail in with the requirements of the club that signings have the right Personality, Mentality and Character.
Furthermore, there has to be a clear desire to play for the club; seemingly this is a significant issue and must be evident.
All of our more recent purchases comply with these fundamental requirements, and you would have to say the success of them would seem to fully justify their introduction.
I have been told the reason we discontinued the Fernandes purchase was not ultimately down to finance, but that it was felt he did not show the necessary desire and commitment to the club, and, given the opportunity to make Spurs aware of his choice, he failed to do so.
Finally, all the foregoing is well and good, but we need to actually agree and complete the transfer of Baleba!
19 Aug 2026 20:44:19
It's what I've done to maximise publicity, Redman.
But, you can ignore the rumours, the cameras have been rolling for the last 8 days.
19 Aug 2026 20:54:13
In June, if you said we'd have signed those three mids, I'd have been delighted. Very happy with that rebuild.
I remain concerned about lb and striker. With striker, I don't know why we didn't bring in Welbeck. It would have been a cheap solution that didn't hurt Sesko's development. I get that, with Rashford still on the books, this might be an area put on the back burner until next summer.
Lb is the position I think it's crucial to strengthen. Shaw is decent. Long term, we need a proper upgrade. Short term, we just need another player who plays there as their main position. Making do with Maz and Dorgu isn't good enough.
19 Aug 2026 21:00:06
Tw
Can't fault their commerciality. They know how to squeeze every cent out.
19 Aug 2026 20:39:20
Redman.
They will sign a lb. Waiting for hall as he is 1st choice is the right tactic. If they don't sell we will have another option on the hook ready to go. So waiting is the right thing. Newcastle might change their stance.
We can't add a striker if zirkzee or rashfird refuse to leave.
They will have a striker on the hook if either did go. But they can't just add more without one of them leaving. You should understand that from your extensive management experience. So just have some patience. There are elements that are outside their control in the striker position. A blind man can see that.
If Carrick makes the call that he wants rashford then he is entitled to do that. It definitely would not be my call but I won't be moaning about player selection that's the managers job and he knows a lot more about it than you or I.
I don't complain about any team a manager picks. Ill complain if who he picks don't do well for sure. But any team selection will always get my thumbs up because only he knows what the plan is.
Sometimes there are things that control the sequence of events. If we do get a lb and a cf if either zirkzee or rashford move its been a 9 out of 10 window imo.
At this moment imo a lb is a must a cf will be a must if we can create space. If we can't we can only hope rashford and zirkzee do better than before.
As it should be, the 1st 11 will be a hard team to nail down a consistent place in, with 2 players, more in some cases, for each position.
There really is so much to be positive about. Our 2nd half of the season was 1st class results wise and harmony within the squad vastly improved. We have significantly improved the squad and you know we will do more.
We are doing it in a more responsible and sustainable way. Looking to build a new stadium, returned to the cl and your not seeing or motivated or enjoying or talking about any of that.
Why do you think that is redman?
Its like your running your one man bitterness crusade.
Try to stop and look at some positives because really there are many if you care to the time to look at them in a rational way. When the club do anything you don't agree with its not a positive as far as your concerned.
Why don't you ever want to talk about the positive things?
19 Aug 2026 22:47:31
Might be in the minority here but I really like Zirkzee. I think, with a settled manager and position, he could be a great squad player for us to help when Sesko is injured/rested.
Yes, his stats are poor, but he's largely never settled into a position or started many games. His touch is elite. Big question is can w r help him turn it into end product.
20 Aug 2026 05:44:18
I think minority would be an understatement, Eric.
20 Aug 2026 06:48:45
To me, it was never the quality of the signings. I was happy with each one of them since the last summer transfer window.
I still think they should have done some of the transfers earlier, at least one of them.
You can't tell me there is any logic in waiting so long to go in for Lewis Hall, for example.
20 Aug 2026 08:56:31
Newcastle have said he is not for sale, Trololo.
So they are not signing another just yet, until they feel the Hall option is definitely exhausted.
He might try and force a move late. Newcastle may change their stance.
How do you know what they have had talks over with Newcastle? The answer is you don't. Do your comparing of what's in your head v reality.
The answer is you don't know, so why are you moaning?
20 Aug 2026 09:20:47
Trolo, we did do business early, we got Tielesmans and Santos in early which gave us a good foundation.
Every man and his dog would love the window to open and in come your main targets on day 1, but that is not reality or how the transfer market works unless you pay over the odds.
I think the business we have done and the fees we have paid the last 2 summers are so far excellent.
I am expecting a LB and a last minute striker, to be honest. It's a bit of a right field option for striker, it will be unpopular, but I'd explore Darwin Nunez. His work rate is outstanding and his pressing. I appreciate his goal record for Liverpool wasn't great, but a striker like him to cause chaos might be a good addition.
20 Aug 2026 11:09:25
Ports, I think Nunez is a decent shout. I had thought the same thing myself.
Not a great scoring record, but fantastic pace and excellent at pressing, as you say.
Let's not forget we were strongly linked with him prior to his joining Liverpool.
Given that he is available on a free transfer, worth a conversation, I would say.
Then again, who's to say we have not already had a conversation with him, which came to nothing? Things are kept much more in house nowadays. Bring back Woodward!
20 Aug 2026 11:29:50
Zirkzee is terrible.
He's a street baller at best.
20 Aug 2026 11:47:39
Of course they did Tumble, since they sold 3 major players in the meantime. If we went for him earlier, we could have a better chance of signing him.
Ports, I'm not expecting us to sign all the players on day one, no one said that.
I even expect some signings to go to the last day, but this time there is a feeling we could have done some transfers faster. Let's hope it doesn't influence our results early on.
20 Aug 2026 11:49:50
Tumble, I have every right to question the business they do.
How do you know they had talks? Why do you keep defending them? We all see things differently.
20 Aug 2026 17:01:24
But you're not questioning them, Trololo.
You're guessing and jumping to conclusions. You don't know anything about what they are doing, or indeed not doing.
You're not questioning them at all. Have you sent the club an email questioning them? No point making wild assumptions and moaning here, that's not questioning them at all.
20 Aug 2026 19:16:32
TW
"It's like you're running your one man bitterness crusade."
Er, I will continue to point out the evil of the Glazers. The more you defend them, the more you make people wonder about your motivation.
Why don't you ever want to talk about the positive things?
Clearly, you don't read those posts.
You just wait for something to pick up on and write a very Shappy-esque post.
Actually, are you using AI to write your posts now?
20 Aug 2026 23:02:10
No, Redman, that would correct my typos. ?
I have never defended the Glazers. I admire them for their money making abilities.
There is a difference between defending them and understanding them. I understand their motives. They own the majority of the club between them. So when you say they should do this or that, it's pointless. They have their agenda and we need to work within that as long as they own those shares. Ratcliffe knows the way to maximise his investment is to take the team and club back to the top.
In order to do that, they need to get the house in order. That's what they are doing.
The Glazers have their agenda, there is no changing that. I'm not supporting it, I'm just not standing in a field screaming.
There are good people there now doing a good job within the parameters they are obviously working within.
You're being totally emotional and not using logic at all.
Until the shares are sold, we have to accept that the Glazers will rinse the club for what they can get. With Sjr there, at least there is hope that he can show them the best way to maximise their return is through success on the pitch through a sustainable and practical and ambitious growth plan, which is taking shape.
21 Aug 2026 13:19:18
It actually is questioning their decisions.
Whether I send an email or not, it wouldn't change a thing, since I most certainly wouldn't get an answer, so it is a bit silly of you to say that.
I don't see it as moaning at all, just pointing out they could do better.
We both aren't in the know, so we could question each other till the end of the world, it wouldn't matter.
Another thing, they can do a good job overall and still make mistakes, it is not all black and white.