So, with relegation as good as confirmed it’s clear we should expect plenty of departures this summer transfer window. Looking through discussions on other threads it’s clear that there are very different opinions on which players it will be possible for us to hold on to. With this in mind, I thought it would be fun (if also perhaps slightly bleak) to each have a guess at who stays and who goes before the window slams shut. As mentioned, there are a few discussion threads already in place so please save this thread for your guesses only - this will make marking answers a lot easier too! One point per correct answer, I’ll tot-up totals at the end of the window. Don’t forget loanees that may be considered first-team if retained (ie Wilmot, Cucho, Estupinan etc). Deadline for your entries is Sunday 2nd August, as I’m sure rumours will be very strong by that point.
My guesses: Staying- Janmaat, Dawson, Mariappa, Cleverley, Deeney, Chalobah, Cathcart, Gray, Quina, Success, Dele-Bashiru, Bachmann, Whelan, Dahlberg, Wilmot Going- Gomes, Deulofeu, Welbeck, Masina, Penaranda, Doucoure, Joao Pedro, Hughes, Kiko, Sarr, Holebas, Foster, Kabasele, Capoue, Pussetto, Pereyra, Cucho, Suarez, Estupinan, Sema, Sinclair, Navarro
No way we'll get rid of 22 players. I can see Sema, Masina, Joao Pedro, Hughes, Kabasele, Capoue, Pussetto, Cucho, Suarez and Navarro all potentially staying. The worrying thing is I don't think a single one of the players in your 'staying' list would get in the Leeds team this season. Hopefully someone takes a punt on Deeney/Gray.
I think the worst bit is, instead of clearing out the team and rebuilding. Deeney and Gray will be at their level and no one will want to sign them on their wages.
It's going to be a strange window, there won't be much cash around and I think there are only 6 weeks between seasons? We won't have money to buy. I can see a lot of players asking to move, but very few clubs actually coming in for them. The biggest loss for me won't be Sarr, Del, Doucs etc it will be the youngsters Quina, Pedro etc who would be justified in saying 'sod this I'm not sitting on the bench in the championship' I fear we have Gray and Deeney until their contracts expire, although hopefully Deeney's pea sized brain and football sized ego will lead him to ask to leave.
My guesses: Staying- Janmaat, Dawson, Mariappa, Cleverley, Deeney, Chalobah, Cathcart, Gray, Quina, Success, Bachmann, Whelan, Wilmot, Masina, Cucho, Joao Pedro, Kiko, Pussetto, Foster, Sema Dahlberg, Dele-Bashiru, Success (loan) Going- Gomes, Deulofeu (in January), Welbeck, Penaranda, Doucoure, Hughes, Sarr, Holebas, Kabasele, Capoue, Pereyra, Suarez, Estupinan, Sinclair, Navarro
I really really hope so, he's one of the few players I'd be genuinely sad to see leave, but he belongs in the Premier League (**** it, he deserves to be in the England reckoning)
Staying- Foster, Cathcart, Mariappa, Dawson, Masina, Wilmot, Kabasele, Janmaat, Kiko, Chalobah, Hughes, Sema, Pussetto, Quina, Pedro, Cucho, Peneranda, Cleverly, Deeney, Gray, Cassidy, Welbeck (22 players) Going permanently- Doucoure, Pererya, Deulofeu, Gomes, Bachmann, Suarez, Estupinan, Success, Capoue, Navarro, Sinclair (11 players) Stuperavic, Dele-Bashiru and Sarr loaned out We'll need a GK, Left-Back and Central Midfielder. We've got a ******* huge squad, I think it'll be a mixed bag re getting rid of the deadwood. We're bound to lose at least a couple, other than Pererya, that are decent. I'd guess Capoue, Doucoure and Deulofeu will be the ones we don't want to lose.
I can see good offers coming in for Sarr, Del, Welbeck, Doucs, Hughes, Pereyra Cleverley, Chalobah, Quina, Capoue, Deeney may not want to play in the championship. Perhaps some can be placed at Udinese for a year. Hard to say where Suarez, Cucho, Estupinan, Sema, Navarro heads will be at, and whether they go on loan for another year Can't help but think the squad will be gutted. But if we can retain Hughes, Chalobah, Quina, Pedro, Sarr (unlikely) Wilmot, Suarez, Cucho, Estupinan, DelB, Pussetto, Peneranda... I think we could build a really decent young side playing really good football The challenge will be assembling a back 4 that can be trusted in 7 weeks whilst at the same time cutting costs. I think we will lean heavily on the catalogue of youth and loanees. Desperately hoping we don't instead rebuild around Deeney Gray can just **** the **** off
Doucoure and Capoue will go,GD in January, assuming he has recovered. Gomes,Maps and The Mad Greek are going, going gone. Make Hughes captain and a new improved contract and hopefully he'll stay but I'd imagine there'll be offers. Same too for Freddie but I'd imagine it would take a large fee,given he's only been here at season. Pedro and the rest of the boy band stay. Sell Deeney and Gray if at all possible. Success too and Kabasele although can't see many takers. Bring back Mr Wilmot Brown. Hopefully PE and CH and all the other loanees come in. New centre half/halves new full backs as Janmaat will probably fall over a water bottle and spontaneously combust.
Deulofeu is too good for the championship, no issues if he wants to leave. Abysmal that thats all I have on those lines. Pererya, Doucoure, Sarr and Capoue may be on their way. I can see Pedro and Wellbeck staying but may have a clause. Deeney should play the Glenn Murray role for us. Cleverley and Gray among others may be decent in that league but we wont get offers on them to return our investments. One or two like Marriappa and Chalobah are just past being of real value.
People are asking who would buy Gray or Troy - Agree with Pete - Deeney should play the Murray role. For the rest - Who'd want Wellbeck? He hasn't played enough for us to signal that his injuries are behind him as yet.
Pereyra has seemingly been wanting to go for a while, so that's him off. Sarr will of course be snapped up by a team in a better league, whether that be the PL or abroad. Doucoure will go. Deulofeu will leave once fit- I can see him playing a few games before January to sharpen fitness, as teams won't want to buy unless they can see he's over the injury. Can see Capoue staying for another year, really want Hughes to stay too
I'm staying. I'll be honest, I've had some interest. Sheffield United due to my proximity to the club and local ties, and they were obviously more that interested in my Premier League supporting experience and were willing to look past my father in law being a Wednesdayite. Other local championship clubs in the area were also sniffing around like Derby, Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday with my 3 championship promotions and playoff attending pedigree but my agent couldn't agree fees and ultimately I was a little out of their price range. I spoke to the Watford board about their plans and I've agreed to stay on with a new and improved contract on the table that I'm putting pen to paper on. I'm looking forward to the new season and I'm ready to throw my full support into the new campaign.
Thank god. That'll help keep the fans onside once my agent has manufactured my move to become UEA_Seagull.
This will go against the trend, but I think it's absolutely vital we keep Deeney now. He's a very good Championship striker, so is Gray. These two are probably not the answer in the top tier but in the league we'll be in next season, they will be very good for us. I think going down will actually extend certain players' careers at Watford. Players like Mapps, Deeney, Gray, Success, Sema, Navarro, Cleverley, Penaranda, Cathcart.....who may not have been part of the picture next season, will be firmly back in the reckoning now. We're going to need know how and experience to get us promoted. These players will be good at Championship level. We can't just move these players on, as they're be very hard to replace. I can't see us signing many players, if any. If we keep our squad intact, it should be good enough for a playoff place at least. But we've got to use it wisely. We need a very good head coach, who will get the most out of his squad. He needs to be opened minded and pick players on form rather than favourites. We should be able to develop our younger players now too. Players like Pedro, Quina, Dele-Bashiru, Chalobah, Penaranda, Wilmot & Pussetto. Bring in the loan players like Cucho, Suarez and Estupinan if we can. We could have a very exciting team. Imagine, although I don't think for one minute we'd be able to do this, but we have Geri, Sarr, Deeney, Gray, Welbeck, Cucho, Suarez, Sema, Pedro, Pussetto & Success to choose from next season. That's some serious firepower. If we kept that lot, we'd be promoted for sure. Watford have the players to win the league next season, but can they keep them? This is going to be Watford's the biggest challenge. It's not going to be who can we sign, it's more who can we keep.
I don’t expect as much to change as many here. The Pozzos have always in the past rejected offers for key players until their valuation is met. If that valuation is met we take the offer like a shot. But it’s in doubt they will be in this operating climate. That could see the likes of Sarr or Doucoure stay. We would, however, take realistic offers for other squad players and first teamers like Kiko to balance the books a bit. We would also shift disappointing big earners like Gray given half a chance. A few older heads, like Capoue or Cathcart may be seen as ready for a new challenge. The younger players will stay and their will be much movement with Udinese. But overall, while we may make a couple of signings (some to fit a new coach) it will be the thinned out current squad that takes on the Championship. If it’s not working by January then there will be further comings and goings.
I don’t see Sarr going anywhere other than being loaned out. I don’t think he’s done nearly enough for his value to have changed much, so they won’t sell, why would they? I think the automatic wage cuts and some other sales will help them balance the books sufficiently to avoid selling a players at knockdown prices. If someone offers £60m they’ll sell, but who would? I think most players will be loaned out rather than sold. Docuore is a weird one, he’s **** now so if we get an offer of £20m they'll probably take it because it’s hard to see his value going up again now. Capoue likes an easy life, could see him going to a french club to see out his career, can’t see anyone in England wanting him. Bobby is probably the only guaranteed sale I can see, everyone has a big question mark next to their name as to who would buy them and for how much.
Sarr-£30-£35m Doucoure-£20m Pereyra-£10m Estupinan-£10m? (is it the last year on his contract after all?) Foulquier already gone for about £2m Deulofeu probably about £25m, depends on whether we can squeeze a few games out of him and he can prove his fitness I guess We'll pick up some relatively nominal fees for other players which will add up, plus if Will Hughes does go, it'd be for a healthy fee
With an ACL and his return date not slated until after the window closes, Deulofeu won't be going anywhere soon. If he gets fit and plays well and we're at or near the top we won't sell in January if he's key to getting us promoted. Doucoure will probably go, but I wouldn't expect the club to let him go too cheaply unless he doesn't have a wage cut clause in his contract.
