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

[fredheim_holm]

Obviously dithering around left the window open for the L2 side to swoop in, but equally it would've made it easier for him to look elsewhere when someone came knocking if he's said "I'm in" and we've said "hmm maybe, let us get back to you once we've confirmed your xGA looks good".

I'm not saying he would have, but if we'd have made it clear he's our top target that we're desperate to sign he'd have had slightly more reason to turn down the L2 side if they came knocking before the deal was signed.

A two part fumble really.

 

[Dawg]

Missing Cashman on basis of not having data is a shocker after being told the club have been prepared for early summer recruitment. Can’t happen again

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

We’re all speculating a bit around Cashman, no doubt some have heard some things from reliable sources but none of us know the true picture. It he is going to Crawley and it‘s his home town then maybe friends or family persuaded him it was better for him to be close to his support network, he’s only 24 after all. Whatever the reasons, it looks like it’s not happening now and at least it looks like he’s probably going to a team in the division above. Let’s move on to some new transfer rumours than speculating why that deal didn’t get across the line - frustrating as it is for all of us.

 

[leeblue]

DD
Stiff competition for players
Sustainability
Rinse and repeat.
I look forward to hearing how gateshead offered an extra 100 pound a week to our top target and boom we lost out.

Bump

 

[Hampshire Shrimp]

I think that the w*lly waving competitions about we`ve got more fans than others needs a thread of it`s own. I`m sure players don`t look at average gates to make a decision on signing for a club. We have to get out of the mindset that because we are a well supported club that players are lining up to sign for us. I hope that our process of signing players doesn`t take too long by analysing to death, data, etc... and through many DD processes we are missing out on primary targets, not for the first time. Now I know last season was different totally, however, now we have no excuses. It is clearly obvious that we haven`t got a massive budget to sign players, even if that hasn`t been transmitted to us, but it is apparent. No need to panic, for now as their is plenty of time, but players I imagine will be back early July for pre season, it`s only a few weeks away. I hope by then that we will have added 2 or 3 players. We don`t want to get in the panic mode and end up with a couple of players that we regret in the future. Let`s see how this plays out.

 

[flangejackrabbit]

Missing Cashman on basis of not having data is a shocker after being told the club have been prepared for early summer recruitment. Can’t happen again

We must have data. NLS data is reasonably covered these days in my understanding and should be pluggable into whatever models we are using with minimal time overhead. Is it more that some stakeholders aren't convinced by what the data is showing?

 

[kentblues]

No mention of Cashmans agent
Any agent worth his salt would still be flouting his client possibly saying “Southend have made an offer obviously thinking Cashman would be good enough for a step up to the EFL with them, so can any of you EFL clubs offer him a better deal?”

Or am I just being cynical

And zero chance the agent wasn’t talking to the league club just a few miles up the road- the player won’t even have to move.

Unfortunately you need to identify targets, look to move quickly, a know when to move on. The data stuff should have already been done long ago to identify targets so I don’t think it’s anything to do with that- it certainly shouldn’t be.

I was more concerned about previous talk of a “transfer committee”. Decision by committee is often a slow and frustrating process and more often than not turns on questions of different individuals view of “value” regarding contracts- particularly if they are spending their own money..

But business should be judged at two points- start of training and start of season. What normally happens if we haven’t got our targets in is the narrative moves to it always being the plan as targets would wait for EFL window to close first before considering a move to the NL.

 

[Shrimper]

Need to bin this data approach rubbish

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

His profile isn't that dissimilar from Kendall albeit slighty more prolific though in the division below.

 

[kentblues]

Obviously dithering around left the window open for the L2 side to swoop in, but equally it would've made it easier for him to look elsewhere when someone came knocking if he's said "I'm in" and we've said "hmm maybe, let us get back to you once we've confirmed your xGA looks good".

I'm not saying he would have, but if we'd have made it clear he's our top target that we're desperate to sign he'd have had slightly more reason to turn down the L2 side if they came knocking before the deal was signed.

A two part fumble really.

And we need to be the ones looking to get it done asap if we want him or make clear we will move on to other targets if we are clearly not his choice. Clubs generally can hang around to long waiting for deals where they are the backstop and end up losing options 2,3 and 4 who were actually realistic. Identifying targets is only a part of the process that means nothing if you can’t get the cow over the bucket..

Btw there is a well known saying in sales that many live by: “Time is always working for someone”

 

[lreed567]

If we have lost our on cashman because we haven't moved quickly enough, could this be a downside to having a consortium? As in having multiple people to decide? If it's down to being too slow waiting for data, then that also isn't great, I found in about 2 seconds his stats from last season (as in goals and assists) and surely would be worth a punt on a free transfer

 

[hlane17]

As has already been suggested several times, by good sources, league football was not on the table at the time we could have apparently got this deal done.

Time often kills deals, such is true in any kind of business, even more so in football where better players are in high demand.

We have to find the balance between assessing each potential signing and actually getting things over the line.

 

[Linda Loan Shark]

In the data approach we trust

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

If we have lost our on cashman because we haven't moved quickly enough, could this be a downside to having a consortium? As in having multiple people to decide? If it's down to being too slow waiting for data, then that also isn't great, I found in about 2 seconds his stats from last season (as in goals and assists) and surely would be worth a punt on a free transfer

I don’t think having a consortium as owners is the problem. Not all of them are Board members. It is always the Board which signs off on investments - under any ownership model.

 

[Holy Joe]

I don’t think having a consortium as owners is the problem. Not all of them are Board members. It is always the Board which signs off on investments - under any ownership model.

The board can delegate investment decisions. Set parameters and delegate to staff.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

The board can delegate investment decisions. Set parameters and delegate to staff.

Absolutely, and this would be even more fleet of foot. Or should be. Either way, it seems likely that those responsible haven’t moved quickly enough to secure one of our top targets and they need to learn from that - and quickly.

 

[annie1954]

Looks like Cashman is going to Crawley. Can't blame the lad for wanting to play in the EFL but the fact we cannot compete with Crawley is a stark reminder of how far we have fallen over the past 5 years.

Football League V National League no surprise he didn’t fancy a trips to Gateshead and Truro next season

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

The reality of where we find ourselves now. We can’t compete with L2 clubs. The offer of playing in front of 7-8000 fans in the NL doesn’t cut it against the offer of EFL football.

In not convinced this is true with Cashman. He’s someone who joined Worthing when there would have been better options available.

He presumably chose Worthing as there was a manager who believed in him, had a role for him and was local for him. It’s probably the last thing we fell short on as Crawley is a lot more local to him than Southend.

As an EFL player he not only has the kudos of being a league player but gets pension, union rep, player insurance amongst other things, all of which are hugely important for a player who could retire from playing at 35, have to stop through injury, or is unfortunate enough to be at a club that can't pay its players. All things some of ours haven't had.

Cashman is a former EFL player so would have this anyway.

With the NL being more or less full time the union should really cover the NL. We can probably file this under more reasons why there should probably be an EFL3.

Obviously dithering around left the window open for the L2 side to swoop in, but equally it would've made it easier for him to look elsewhere when someone came knocking if he's said "I'm in" and we've said "hmm maybe, let us get back to you once we've confirmed your xGA looks good".

I'm not saying he would have, but if we'd have made it clear he's our top target that we're desperate to sign he'd have had slightly more reason to turn down the L2 side if they came knocking before the deal was signed.

A two part fumble really.

Maybe. It’s also entirely possible that if we had said ok let’s go the agent would have just stalled until Crawley came up with their offer. I suspect he knew Crawley were interested before he said he was leaving Worthing.

I think it’s also worth bearing in mind that whilst he might be an amazing player we also need to consider our overall transfer strategy. Would prioritising this transfer leave us unable to pursue more pressing needs (a CCB and a goalscorer)? If signing him was going to change how we set up does that then change our other transfer targets?

 

[leeblue]

All this talk of league status.
If we had offered him more money than the team in question he would have signed.

 

[Thor1]

And zero chance the agent wasn’t talking to the league club just a few miles up the road- the player won’t even have to move.

Unfortunately you need to identify targets, look to move quickly, a know when to move on. The data stuff should have already been done long ago to identify targets so I don’t think it’s anything to do with that- it certainly shouldn’t be.

I was more concerned about previous talk of a “transfer committee”. Decision by committee is often a slow and frustrating process and more often than not turns on questions of different individuals view of “value” regarding contracts- particularly if the are spending their money..

But business should be judged at two points- start of training and start of season. What normally happens if we haven’t got our targets in is the narrative moves to it always being the plan as targets would wait for EFL window to close first before considering a move to the NL.

Exactly, the club had plenty of time over the course of the season to do their homework on Cashman and other Top targets. Personally I can't believe we were still umming and ahing over the deal, I can only assume Crawleys intervention must have come earlier in the process as anything else points to the 7 Ps and would indicate lackadaisical attitude at the top or the club processes need a urgent revise.