Transfer News, Gossip & Speculation Transfer Thread - Summer 2025 Edition.

[Magnum PI]

We wanted cashman and had advanced talks but the date held it up and Crawley jumped in..

Surely when a player is so far ahead of his level and doesn't command a big fee then it should be down to management and not some algorithm.

We have missed out on a great player. A real game changer.

I've heard that we are close on a certain Bulgarian

We are ... But still dithering unfortunately

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

No. Cashman was the chosen one, guaranteed to lead us to title winning success by Christmas. We were set to become the envy of the footballing world with his signing... and now it's all ruined. RUINED!

What's worse... it's all down to data analytics taking too long, and nothing to do with his hometown EFL club coming in for him, likely with a better wage offer.

Next season is a write-off.

Let’s hope we’re not sat here in a month still not having signed anyone as it will be as toxic as anything on here!! The test will be if it happens again. What concerns me is the reported delays due to too many hurdles.

Trouble with releasing snippets of stuff on SM .. everyone’s suddenly an expert despite probably never having seen the player actually play or knowing the circumstances. Whoever we do sign will be **** according to SZ, you know it .. Cashman is suddenly Messi .. always the way.

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

Uncle Bulgaria?

Underground, overground he will play the wombling-free role in any system.

 

[fredheim_holm]

No. Cashman was the chosen one, guaranteed to lead us to title winning success by Christmas. We were set to become the envy of the footballing world with his signing... and now it's all ruined. RUINED!

What's worse... it's all down to data analytics taking too long, and nothing to do with his hometown EFL club coming in for him, likely with a better wage offer.

Next season is a write-off.

1. This squad will not win the league and will need to get lucky to win the playoffs
2. We’re probably 3 top quality for this level additions away from being a top 3 side, plus squad depth competition
3. We scored nowhere near enough goals last season despite our RWB scoring 17.
4. Cashman is clearly one of the best players on the market who wanted to come to us, those ITK say we could have got the deal done but delayed.

All that considered, with us missing out on Pearce last season who looks yet again set to be a part of a far stronger York side (who only a few seasons ago were in the league below us) then yes it is a little frustrating to still be missing out on key targets from the south of the country who wanted to come here and have shown more promise than a hopeful punt that might come good in 6-24 months time.

I trust Kev to be able to coach the likes of Spasov into a good signing in time, but the two don’t seem hugely comparable.

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

I know, I know. This wouldn’t have happened under our last regime!!

Very true, we would of been under an embargo

 

[CaptainSmudger]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1933192698699165782

We all need check our expectations to be honest

We don't have a massive budget, so signings need to be smart and well thought out. This is how our transfer committee works.

The reality is, we will miss out on signings ... But the ones we do get will fit the mould and improve the team.

Just need to be patient

How do you know what size budget we have?
As JR has said, our ambition is to get into the EFL.
In that case, we need a competitive budget now.

 

[Shrimp Curry]

1. This squad will not win the league and will need to get lucky to win the playoffs
2. We’re probably 3 top quality for this level additions away from being a top 3 side, plus squad depth competition
3. We scored nowhere near enough goals last season despite our RWB scoring 17.
4. Cashman is clearly one of the best players on the market who wanted to come to us, those ITK say we could have got the deal done but delayed.

All that considered, with us missing out on Pearce last season who looks yet again set to be a part of a far stronger York side (who only a few seasons ago were in the league below us) then yes it is a little frustrating to still be missing out on key targets from the south of the country who wanted to come here and have shown more promise than a hopeful punt that might come good in 6-24 months time.

I trust Kev to be able to coach the likes of Spasov into a good signing in time, but the two don’t seem hugely comparable.

One of the most sensible posts I've read in a while.

We are a long way off, sneaked in to the playoffs and it was a hell of a ride but to go from 67 points to the 85+ required to seriously challenge is going to take big changes.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Some thoughts

1) having worked with a few agents it's all about the money for their asset and themselves - I don't believe data got in the way unless it was a reassessment of roi based on a competitive offer
2) data is absolutely the way to go - especially if this is moneyball style. Data plays into building a team that can operate together not a bunch of "stars" (inverted commas due to our NL status)
3) personally will judge at end of the summer and the team that walks out first day of the season and then judge the team results and performances thereafter

Do you not think pretty much every other team uses a stats based approach?

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

One of the most sensible posts I've read in a while.

We are a long way off, sneaked in to the playoffs and it was a hell of a ride but to go from 67 points to the 85+ required to seriously challenge is going to take big changes.

But we have only lost a centre back from a squad that would have finished 3rd with 41 points from the 2nd half of the season.

You just cannnot look at last season as a whole as the first half was an utter cluster**** with embargo’s and Cardwell/Kensdale leaving.

We don’t need big changes to go from 68 points to 85+ as the current squad should get about 80.

We just need 3 or 4 quality additions to challenge the top 2 or 3.

 

[Thundersley Blue]

The time to have opinions is when we line up for the 1st game in August , by my reckoning that is still 8 weeks off. Tom Lawrence explained the recruitment process back in March as far as I can see that process is being followed.

 

[blueveined]

The time to have opinions is when we line up for the 1st game in August , by my reckoning that is still 8 weeks off. Tom Lawrence explained the recruitment process back in March as far as I can see that process is being followed.

Tom did but he also said we would be getting our transfer business done early this year!

 

[danbowen]

The time to have opinions is when we line up for the 1st game in August , by my reckoning that is still 8 weeks off. Tom Lawrence explained the recruitment process back in March as far as I can see that process is being followed.

Did he mention about us dragging our heals and losing out on signings because of it? People need to stop always defending the club and admit they have ****ed up. It’s clear from multiple ITKs that the club are at fault with Cashman and delaying it. Was we waiting until July to save 1 months wage?

 

[Holy Joe]

How do you know what size budget we have?
As JR has said, our ambition is to get into the EFL.
In that case, we need a competitive budget now.

He's said lots of things, some of which temper the 'ambition to get into the EFL', certainly immediately at the very least.

 

[Streaky]

Has Cashman actually signed for Creepies, nothing on their socials??

 

[fredheim_holm]

But we have only lost a centre back from a squad that would have finished 3rd with 41 points from the 2nd half of the season.

You just cannnot look at last season as a whole as the first half was an utter cluster**** with embargo’s and Cardwell/Kensdale leaving.

We don’t need big changes to go from 68 points to 85+ as the current squad should get about 80.

We just need 3 or 4 quality additions to challenge the top 2 or 3.

To be fair, the post he quoted and said he agreed with (mine) stated that in point 2.

Kev and the team managed to squeeze all the juice out of this squad given what they had. I'd personally be very surprised if this squad with no additions finished 3rd next season, I'd estimate 6-7th is more likely, but who knows maybe the three amigos can yet again over deliver on the tools they've been given.

Naturally COSU aren't to blame for those tools and aren't the enemy, they're the clubs saviours who are doing everything they can to rebuild the club in both the short and long term. As with any new ownership group there will be teething problems, targets missed and lessons learnt.

What annoys some of us on here is the self-righteous mockery from some that seem to think the idea of anyone being frustrated that we've missed out on our top target, who by all accounts was ready to sign, are being delusional.

We're all aware of the history of many of our great signings not being obviously the next big thing (Corr, Leonard, etc) and there's a sizeable chance that a Spasov may be far more impactful than Cashman would have, but having been through the pain of being a Southend fan and having missed out on any half decent player for half a decade, it's naturally a little annoying when the new dawn is announced but turns out to be false.

 

[danbowen]

Most the teams in the league had nothing to play for over the last 10 games or so. Our current team won’t come anywhere near 3rd next season without serious additions. Bridge, Husin and a number of others either aren’t good enough or are on a steady decline and we need to improve all over the pitch (LWB, CB, strikers, midfielders who can create and score to name a few).

 

[TrevorFitzpatrickHattrick]

Has Cashman actually signed for Creepies, nothing on their socials??

No formal announcement yet but I’m led to believe he had a medical there yesterday.

 

[londonblue]

Most the teams in the league had nothing to play for over the last 10 games or so. Our current team won’t come anywhere near 3rd next season without serious additions. Bridge, Husin and a number of others either aren’t good enough or are on a steady decline and we need to improve all over the pitch (LWB, CB, strikers, midfielders who can create and score to name a few).

In your opinion. In my opinion they really picked up in the 2nd half of the season.

 

[Shrimper]

Did he mention about us dragging our heals and losing out on signings because of it? People need to stop always defending the club and admit they have ****ed up. It’s clear from multiple ITKs that the club are at fault with Cashman and delaying it. Was we waiting until July to save 1 months wage?

Losing Kawa to Halifax too would be a bigger worry

 

[fredheim_holm]

I’m guessing the club gave up on attempting to plug the leaks? It is near impossible to do that in football nowadays so I guess that’s why stuff still flows out

A lot of the leaks are external supposedly, agents, other clubs etc, so even if the ship was fully tightened up a lot would still get out.