Transfer Window Summer 2025 Transfer Window Build-Up Thread

[Jaboysmith]

Transfer Rumours In
​

Player​	Current Club​	Link or Source​
Thierry Small​	Charlton Athletic​	Football World Article​
Kasey Palmer​	Hull City​	YF ITK​
Ethan Erhahon​	Lincoln City​	Football World Article​
Onel Hernandez​	Norwich City​	Instragram Post​
Davis Keillor-Dunn​	Barnsley​	Football World Article​
COD​	Cardiff​	Scotchegg​
James Dornelly​	Peterborough​	Football League World​

Transfer Rumours Out​

Player​	Interested Club​	Link or Source​
Tyler Goodrham​	Burnley, Southampton, Middlesbrough, Coventry​	Football World Article, Bigboy​
Stuart Findlay​	Hearts, Kilmarnock​	Daily Record​

Transfer Window Dates
​

Opens​	Closes​	Re-Opens​
Sunday 1 June to Tuesday 10 June (19:00)​	Tuesday 10 June (19:00:01) to Monday 16 June (00:01)​	Monday 16 June to Monday 1 September (19:00)​

 

[CaptainOx]

We knew Placheta had triggered an option (I expect appearances based) a while back. He had spoken about being contracted until the end of next season in an interview with Radio Oxford.

Assumption is that Matt Ingram was only on a one year deal and this is to extend it rather than extending his current contract further.
Gatlin only signed a new long-term deal in August 2023, so I think it's safe to say that was a 2+1 deal, and we've triggered the +1 element whilst offering a further extension.

Probably fair to assume that Leigh and Thorniley have a year left alongside loads of others.
I think that Bradshaw, Cumming, Brown, Harris, Long, Moore, and Placheta are also due to expire at the end of 25/26.

Thankfully Woltman was only on a two year deal.
No mention of Josh Johnson who triggered an option last season which was assumed to be a one year.

Always interesting to see which youths/young pros get offered deals/extensions.
Brearey had been around on a pro for a while now without threatening the first team.
Franklin had his appearance in the EFL Trophy, got his pro and had a few loans in non league.
Elliott-Wheeler and McIntyre had extensions triggered, both spent majority of season out on loan. McIntyre part of AFC Totton's promotion team.

Marriott and Took-Oxley had both been on third year scholarships but the latter not played much football this season due to injury. Marriott spent the season at North Leigh.
Burton and Lacey well thought of in the youth setup. Lacey had a very good loan at Stratford this season, I am interested to see the plan for him. Burton also spent time at Stratford.

 

[Jster]

Franklin was really unlucky. Played well in the EFL Trophy against Northampton, and then got a nasty ligament injury late in the game, which must have set back his progress a lot.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

I always feel sorry for young goalkeepers (i.e. Brearey). When you've got a decent keeper in the first team plus an experienced backup, then your chances are very very limited. Add in Eastwood still being around and that limited chance goes down even lower. Outfield players can potentially play in a number of positions - keepers obviously not so.

Good luck to all those released - especially the young players.

 

[Swaby39]

You need to give Stan a chance . Shemmy and Dembele are frustrating but Phillips is in a different category - he really isn’t going to offer us anything as an attacker

Oh don’t get me wrong I like Stan a lot. It’s just a process of elimination. Facing facts, we are not going to go in to next season with the current crop of wingers. So knowing that something has to give and nobody is likely to take Phillips, Dembele or Placheta (could be wrong), then Mills is the obvious one to go and would have a queue of teams in L1 happy to take him at least until January.

Goodrham may of course get bought, but it doesn’t really solve the headache as he’s an important player as it is.

It might be that we can get Placheta a loan which would mean we free up the spot but he doesn’t lose out financially. I just think Mills is the obvious one to go given the likely amount of interest and we could probably get the bulk of, if not all of his wages covered.

 

[Left Wing Cross]

Franklin was really unlucky. Played well in the EFL Trophy against Northampton, and then got a nasty ligament injury late in the game, which must have set back his progress a lot.

At least we won't confuse him for a new signing again when the squad reports for preseason

 

[ZeroTheHero]

That's probably right, in that Mills would get a L1 team easily enough. However, I was really impressed with him when he was here initially and I think that after more recovery and strength training (post injury) over the summer and a full pre-season with us he could be a really effective player for us next season, so I hope we don't loan him out.

 

[CaptainOx]

I always feel sorry for young goalkeepers (i.e. Brearey). When you've got a decent keeper in the first team plus an experienced backup, then your chances are very very limited. Add in Eastwood still being around and that limited chance goes down even lower. Outfield players can potentially play in a number of positions - keepers obviously not so.

Good luck to all those released - especially the young players.

We've given a lot of young keepers pro deals in the last few years. Only Jack Stevens made the breakthrough:

Jack Stevens (16/17)
Manny Agboola (17/18)
Niall Clayton (18/19)
Max Harris (19/20)
Eddie Brearey (21/22)

Monty Marriott offered one for 25/26.

 

[Didcotox]

Was surprised not to see Eastwood in the released list.

 

[CaptainOx]

Was surprised not to see Eastwood in the released list.

New contract was given out around the turn of the year but not announced.

It was listed amongst the deals that saw agent fees paid in the documentation published a few weeks back.

 

[Osei Yaw]

I'm impressed with our retained list. It just all makes sense.

Also it's great to see us able to get so many contracts signed quickly, especially as we haven't had a pen all season.

 

[holdsteady]

Gut feeling is that if we had the option, he’d be going. Not because he’s terrible (although my personal view is he isn’t great) but because we could do with that extra slot in the squad to be filled with someone better.

We’re now quite heavy on wingers that don’t really cut it in the cold light of day - Placheta, Phillips, Dembele and Mills while also facing the prospect of losing Goodrham. We’re up s**t creek a bit when it comes to revamping that area of the team unless we can offload which is why I think Mills will end up out on loan as the easiest squad space to create.

Placheta renewing is what anybody else would do to protect himself, but I highly doubt we’d stand in the way of an exit if someone offers. Ditto Phillips and Dembele.

Unfortunately, no matter how wide we leave the door open, we are not offloading Phillips with the contract he has here.

 

[Swaby39]

I'm impressed with our retained list. It just all makes sense.

Also it's great to see us able to get so many contracts signed quickly, especially as we haven't had a pen all season.

Nor a calendar in the boardroom.

 

[battman]

Unfortunately, no matter how wide we leave the door open, we are not offloading Phillips with the contract he has here.

Doesn’t mean we have to register him though - even a loan out means he’s earning the same but using what he has left of his pro career playing some games

 

[tonyw]

Unfortunately, no matter how wide we leave the door open, we are not offloading Phillips with the contract he has here.

But you'd hope that we're at least in discussions with him about a pay-off?

I'm not saying he'd do it - he may go all Winston Bogarde on us - but if he would accept 50-75% of his remaining year as a lump sum now, at a time when he could go and sign a contract with a mid-range League One club (I reckon he'd still be very effective at that level), then that would be better for us than him sticking around for another season. Placheta and Dembele at least had their moments going forwards last season, and at their slightly younger age, there is still the chance that they could have a good season in 2025/26. Phillips looks like he's done at Championship level.

It's a horrible deal for us - but the mistake was when we gave him the contract in the first place; costs are all sunk now.

 

[JC_Yellow]

Franklin was really unlucky. Played well in the EFL Trophy against Northampton, and then got a nasty ligament injury late in the game, which must have set back his progress a lot.

And by the time he was back, we'd moved up to the Championship and the opportunity to break into the team was basically gone.

 

[Old Man]

But you'd hope that we're at least in discussions with him about a pay-off?

I'm not saying he'd do it - he may go all Winston Bogarde on us - but if he would accept 50-75% of his remaining year as a lump sum now, at a time when he could go and sign a contract with a mid-range League One club (I reckon he'd still be very effective at that level), then that would be better for us than him sticking around for another season. Placheta and Dembele at least had their moments going forwards last season, and at their slightly younger age, there is still the chance that they could have a good season in 2025/26. Phillips looks like he's done at Championship level.

It's a horrible deal for us - but the mistake was when we gave him the contract in the first place; costs are all sunk now.

Can we loan him out ?

 

[holdsteady]

But you'd hope that we're at least in discussions with him about a pay-off?

I'm not saying he'd do it - he may go all Winston Bogarde on us - but if he would accept 50-75% of his remaining year as a lump sum now, at a time when he could go and sign a contract with a mid-range League One club (I reckon he'd still be very effective at that level), then that would be better for us than him sticking around for another season. Placheta and Dembele at least had their moments going forwards last season, and at their slightly younger age, there is still the chance that they could have a good season in 2025/26. Phillips looks like he's done at Championship level.

It's a horrible deal for us - but the mistake was when we gave him the contract in the first place; costs are all sunk now.

If he took 50% then he would need to get another club to pay him £8,500 a week to match what he is earning, which isn’t happening, if he took 75% then he needs to find a club to pay him £4,350 a week, which is still a long shot. How many league one clubs will be willing to given an ageing, injury prone player who we don’t want a contract?

We have probably overpaid him by so much that, combined with the fact it will be flying around football gossip that his legs have gone, shifting him isn’t going to be easy.

 

[Evan9]

 

[holdsteady]

Doesn’t mean we have to register him though - even a loan out means he’s earning the same but using what he has left of his pro career playing some games

Probably the most likely option, we won’t get much but it’s better than nothing. Problem is he isn’t going to want to move far at this stage of his career so it will need to be something local to him.

Need his ex club Wycombe to continue making s**t decisions like the manager appointment, turning down 6 million for a forward who hasn’t scored in ten games now who will go for less in the summer and spending a million on a danish player who doesn’t play, might be our best hope.

 

[holdsteady]

Us vs Chelsea for his signature then, let the bidding war begin.

Actually any chance we can take advantage of their owners lack of knowledge about football and do a swap deal where they get Nelson and we get Matos plus £20 million, worth a try.

 

[werthersoriginal]

If he took 50% then he would need to get another club to pay him £8,500 a week to match what he is earning, which isn’t happening, if he took 75% then he needs to find a club to pay him £4,350 a week, which is still a long shot. How many league one clubs will be willing to given an ageing, injury prone player who we don’t want a contract?

We have probably overpaid him by so much that, combined with the fact it will be flying around football gossip that his legs have gone, shifting him isn’t going to be easy.

Do we know he's paid that much? It's just a rumour I think. Your point is basically right though, someone like Walsall might want him but they won't pay as much as half of his wages.

 

[holdsteady]

Do we know he's paid that much? It's just a rumour I think. Your point is basically right though, someone like Walsall might want him but they won't pay as much as half of his wages.

The rumour of £17,500 a week seems a pretty strong one.

 

[WRox]

The rumour of £17,500 a week seems a pretty strong one.

I don’t think we know, but can safely assume he’s owed half a million quid for the next year and the best case scenario is we get a quarter of that back.

Seems to me we’ll be more likely to keep him around, and loan out someone more talented for close to an actual profit - Mills or El Miz for example, for a decent loan fee and good wage contribution.

Not ideal but think the club might rather use £10k a week extra on some new wingers than paying off Phillips.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

No surprise. £15m easily.

 

[BarrySpang]

 

[Marked Ox]

BIDDING WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Royalstandard74]

BIDDING WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Could it be?

 

[Foley]

Good news

 

[tonyw]

I don’t think we know, but can safely assume he’s owed half a million quid for the next year and the best case scenario is we get a quarter of that back.

Seems to me we’ll be more likely to keep him around, and loan out someone more talented for close to an actual profit - Mills or El Miz for example, for a decent loan fee and good wage contribution.

Not ideal but think the club might rather use £10k a week extra on some new wingers than paying off Phillips.

I mean, we need to ship three out before we even get to the point of One In-One Out (and that's not even including Eastwood, who I assume we will keep around for coaching purposes, but won't actually register).

If we want to bring half a dozen new players in - and I think we all agree that we do - then we have to find homes for nine of our (over 21) players.

I'm sure El Miz will be one of them (we'll find a club to send him on loan), Mills might be too - but I think in an ideal world we would include Phillips as well.

 

[Oxonion]

Don't give a flying fish fcuk about any "bidding war", if we can just get rid then the first bit of really good news this summer (same would go for Thornily, mind you).