01 May 2026 14:22:49
Adam Wharton done for the summer. I'd say 65m.
01 May 2026 14:32:11
I really hope not, he is not the kind of midfield profile that we need imo. ?
01 May 2026 14:56:11
Imo he is exactly what we need. Even if he's not quick enough around the park, he moves the ball quickly. We need legs around him, though.
01 May 2026 15:20:08
That's a good player there. But I don't know who he replaces.
Means Macca is leaving, and there is nothing close to 2024-2025 season Macca. He touched peaks and became my fav player. He is so far away from being that player, but I don't want to lose him.
01 May 2026 15:23:55
I really hope not as well.
Again, not very mobile, no physicality, and not the best at reading the game defensively.
To be at his best he needs a proper DM alongside him, as do all our current midfielders.
01 May 2026 15:33:18
As much as I like and rate him, I just cannot help feeling he's the last thing we need. Our midfield is porous enough as it is. We need a Mascherano type who is going to eat up the ground, bite at people's legs, and anticipate and fill the gaps as and when they arrive.
Wharton has plenty about him, but I cannot help feeling we will be a soft touch if he plays in a two with Gravenberch behind Wirtz.
01 May 2026 15:39:17
Play him with Dom then.
01 May 2026 15:40:48
Spot on, Goaldigger.
01 May 2026 15:42:12
Everyone of our midfielders gets improved playing alongside a physical, mobile DM.
01 May 2026 15:47:58
We do need a passer in midfield to replace Macca and Trent. I would hope that he's not the only midfielder we bring in, though.
01 May 2026 15:48:21
@Florian, Dom hardly inspires me in that department too, to be honest! For all his hard running and bluster, his defensive game is actually really frustrating, and I do not think he is the Mascherano type we need.
I've got a feeling Dom might well be moved out to the right to replace Salah next season, with the likes of Dumfries brought in to overlap him, while we deploy one of Barcola / Diomande or another on the left as the out and out pacey winger.
01 May 2026 15:51:17
Looks like Macca is off then.
We have never replaced Fabinho. That I cannot get my head around.
If Wharton is £65m, then Anderson is going to be £90m+.
Let's hope we can finally get a deal done with Crystal Palace. If we start now, it should be done by August.
01 May 2026 15:51:22
Looking at other options, Elliot Anderson would be a perfect fit, but I cannot for one minute see us paying the desired fee for him, and feel he's already well earmarked for City, sadly.
I like the look of Fernandez at West Ham, but not seen enough of him to have a reliable opinion.
Time for those stat bods to sift out someone suitable from all the data.
01 May 2026 15:57:14
What about Baleba, Goaldigger10?
01 May 2026 16:10:18
Fernandes is just another 8 who's mobile and good on the ball, though we already have Dom and Curtis in the team. I still think that if we don't want to sign a '6' necessarily but want some physicality and bite in the midfield without sacrificing footballing ability, Joao Gomes looks the most obvious candidate.
01 May 2026 16:19:47
@Kingkenny7 - Yeah, could be another possible option but reckon he's Utd bound. Has also gone right off the boil this past 12 months and obviously got his head turned last summer. I'd be weary he's only one that only turns up for the cameras.
@PatrikBurgher - Yeah, there are a couple of options at Wolves with Gomez and Andre both been watched in the past by all accounts.
There is also that Stiller lad at Stuttgart, again I wouldn't have seen enough of him myself to have an opinion.
There are plenty of players out there and I'm sure the club have a list. I've heard rave reviews about Ibrahim Sangare at Forest this season. These players are out there, we just need a plan and need to be targeting the right profiles.
01 May 2026 16:25:07
Stiller is a similar player to Wharton, but I'd imagine he would be cheaper and probably a bigger risk given he hasn't played in the Prem before. In my eyes, he is a similar level of quality in terms of his ability to pass the ball, and he seems to not have the same injury concerns as Wharton, but he has all the same weaknesses, lack of athleticism and mobility, and he needs a midfield partner with him to do the grunt work, so he can concentrate on orchestrating play and playing balls through the lines.
01 May 2026 16:27:19
When Macca lost all of his and his partner's friends in one summer, life in L4 became much less appealing.
Wharton is another Edwards purchase.
Does Alonso play with a proper DM? I can see Stiller coming in, should Alonso join.
01 May 2026 16:47:35
From day 1 we've been told that Slot doesn't play with a 6 and since he's arrived we haven't bought one. So, I'd imagine if he stays, we won't be buying one for next season either.
So, for all the bluster that Slot doesn't choose the new signings, it's weird that Hughes, who has form for buying 6's, and Edwards, who saw how great Fab was, haven't decided to buy a 6.
Or, maybe Slot has more say in signings than some would like to believe?
01 May 2026 16:56:19
Anderson and Diomande are two players we should be going all out to sign. They will improve us no end. If we actually stumped up the cash and bought Semenyo in January, we would have had a lot more points on the table than we do now. That's for sure.
01 May 2026 16:58:16
@PatrikBurgher, If Slot stays then I think Curtis goes. We need a DM anyway to add to what we've got, imo, so if Macca and Jones leave, we need three midfielders this summer.
01 May 2026 17:02:19
@Mcgoveb, I don't think it has anything to do with Slot having much of a say in transfers. Obviously, Slot gives his input and tells Hughes what he would like, but at the end of the day, it is Hughes' decision. Hughes knows, however, that if he signed a DM, then Slot probably wouldn't play him, so why bother wasting the money.
01 May 2026 17:04:19
If we do end up going for Wharton, I hope we also buy that ball winner profile player to play alongside him.
01 May 2026 17:11:24
Another Tortoise ?. How slow are we?
01 May 2026 17:53:05
Another dud, the club would have to move on when Slot gets sacked.
01 May 2026 18:13:06
If I remember rightly, Alonso is a massive fan of Wharton. If I had a choice between Wharton and Gravenberch, I would choose Wharton every single time. So, Wharton and Dom might be a decent pairing, definitely an upgrade on Gravenberch, who struggles to complete a 5 yard pass, pulls out of more challenges in a 1 game than most players do in a season.
01 May 2026 18:40:19
Slot played Mats Weifer as a holding midfielder at Feyenoord for 2 seasons and was a key player for him. Not sure where this 'Slot never played a defensive midfielder' comes from.
01 May 2026 19:59:25
Szoboszlai and Wharton will be just as soft and weak as what we have now. Not a bit of defensive nous between them. Same old crap incoming next season.
01 May 2026 20:32:49
I expect so, Vik, as soon as Gravenberch got his extension, I said forget about a DM, it won't be happening, not unless Endo goes and we bring in backup.
01 May 2026 21:21:08
Not for me. If we're going to persist with Wirtz in the 10, then we need a different profile of player in there with him and Gravenberch.
We've been too easy to play through this season.
01 May 2026 21:53:57
Interesting if Gordon could adapt to a deeper midfield role. I'm sure he was deeper at Everton. The lad has grit and proved in the derbies he can take the game by the scruff of the neck. I still reckon it's nailed on regardless and has been for a while.
02 May 2026 03:24:59
Only one player we need from Newcastle: Bruno.
02 May 2026 07:55:44
Kees Smitt is the one I'd like to see us go after. All rounder.
02 May 2026 08:52:55
Think Wharton would be a fantastic fit for us. Superb passer of the ball and would allow players like Wirtz to push further up the pitch. I reckon we will sign another more combative type midfielder with him anyway.
Ken.
02 May 2026 11:42:28
Hopefully, we try for Anderson and not just let City have a free run at him. I'd take him and Wharton in all honesty. Both would improve us no end.
Good chance Endo, Elliot, Jones and maybe McAllister all leave.