[SIGNED perm] Rhys Healey

Looks like we've signed free agent Rhys Healey. A 28 year old striker who returned from a cruciate ligament rupture in April.



Marco Conterio
@marcoconterio
8m

Il #WatfordFC piazza il primo colpo in attacco. E' l'inglese Rhys Healey Per il classe '94 che si è liberato dal #Toulouse contratto firmato di tre stagioni Info
@TuttoMercatoWeb

Rhys Healey - Stats by club | Transfermarkt
Don't know much about him, but he has scored goals in the lower leagues.

 

https://twitter.com/marcoconterio/status/1668878999655677954?s=46&t=_KU6dmV8eRKAyhynTNsTOA

 

Top scorer in the French second division in 21/22... looks pretty good until I saw he only played 4 games last season - only 1 after rupturing his cruciate.

 

Seems his left knee went pop while he was at Cardiff:

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport...s/cardiff-city-rhys-healey-sidelined-12624484

And then the same knee went again while playing for Toulouse last season.

Probably still faster than Keinan Davis, but it shows how far we've dropped that this is the pool we're fishing in now.

 

No problems with this, we are not going to have a lot of money so are going to need to be shrewd and take some punts. With medical advances, a cruciate injury isn't as big a deal as it was a few years ago and didn't look like he ever relied on electrifying pace anyway.

Was just about to send and saw that UEA has mentioned same knee went before...

Anyway, cheap/free punts fine, probably necessary with our finances. Paying £3-4m for a Mogi punt... not fine.

 

Yeah, I was also in the 'one knee injury isn't the end of the world these days' camp until I saw about the Cardiff injury too.

 

If fully fit he'd be a good signing at this level. Big "if" though.

Also, I don't think tuttomercatoweb have the best reputation as a rumours site, but let's see.

 

His return goal a couple of weeks ago from 2:56 here. Not the cleanest shot, but he seems to still have some pace based on his off the ball running:

 

Follows Lloyd Doyley on Instagram. Case closed.

 

most of his goals were in the French 2nd division
Hardly played in ligue 1, his a league 1 or 2 player at best

 

Knows where the back of the net is, homegrown, free. Lots to like about this, but as others have said - the big question mark is over his injuries.

 

https://www.globalfootballrankings.com/?utm_content=cmp-true
This website uses FiveThirtyEight's methodology to rank European football leagues. Ligue 2 is marginally better than the Spanish/Italian/German second divisions, and about half-way between Championship and League 1 standard. However, the bottom of Ligue 2 is filled with dross (lower half League 1). Given his goal-scoring exploits in Ligue 2, he should be fine against bottom-half Championship teams, but the top teams will probably be a step up from what he is used to (bar the 60 odd minutes he played last season).

 

never fugging heard of him

 

I was told we are signing a player from Toulouse but that was the limit of my information to be honest. Assume this is who it was

 

21/22 radar. Similarish profile to Tai Baribo who we were linked with last week, looks as if we're chasing a striker who can actually get goals which is always nice.

 

Think those hoping for a £5m to £10m budget for Manga may be disappointed judging by this. The next Manaj.

If only we hadn’t burned about £15m on Okaye, Kalu and Bayo.

 

Not really a good comparison. Healey has scored more in the last 3 seasons (which has included missing an entire season through injury) than Manaj has managed since 14/15

Also interesting that both him and Bayo played together at Toulouse in 20/21 - looks as if they played a similar role and shared the minutes, both making 17 starts - scoring 25 goals between them.

 

Not the 6 foot 4 target man striker signing most of us were probably expecting, but potentially a very smart piece of business by us here. As others have already said, injures permitting of course, but early signs that Manga may be capable of doing some clever cost-efficient recruitment this summer. A good start!

 

https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2023/official-rhys-healey-has-left-toulouse/


“He was a vital part of the Garonne side’s promotion from Ligue 2 to Ligue 1 one year ago. In total, Healey registered 39 goals and seven assists in 77 games in all competitions with Le TéFéCé.”

 

If he refuses to take the knee it may be nothing more than a concern he won’t get back up again.

 

He’s going to be dreadful. Bookmark this post.

 

That is remarkably similar.

I really don't know why we loaned out Bayo for the second half of last season.

 

We were linked before right? Finally got our man and all it took was a serious injury! I do like the look of him though, decent start to the window. We need a lot more, mind.

 

Interestingly Bayo turned into an absolute pressing machine when he went back to Belgium. Not sure what changed but that's something that was unique to his loan spell. He obviously carried on doing what he's done at every club he's ever been at as well - taking lots of shots in good positions.

 

If he ends up joining and is a failure, then it'll be down to a lack of game-time due to injury rather than his actual ability imo.

 

No worries. He's fully Healey now...
I'm so sorry......

 

Bring him home!

 

I’m going for a Dom Foley/Manaj complete non entity.

 

There is also a disturbing sentiment that Bayo is going to come back and be of use. He will also continue to be woeful alongside this new bloke. An awful season lies in wait!

 

I am genuinely bemused why anyone has an issue with this signing.