It's that time of year again.
With the season drawing to a close, who will your club be releasing or trying to keep? And is that the right decision in your eyes?
The BBC are collating their released list stories at the bottom of their May transfers page.
Kicking off with Watford, the only first-team players that are out of contract are a set of back-ups we bolstered our squad with in January: left-back Achraf Lazaar, non-playing third-choice goalkeeper Rob Elliot, both formerly of Newcastle, and defensive midfielder Carlos Sanchez, last at West Ham. The latter two have made Instagram posts that suggest they are departing. I'm mildly surprised about Elliot, who seems like the sort of avuncular, experienced presence that one would look for in a number three - perhaps he fancies finding a first-team gig. Sanchez has looked tidy in his appearances and might have a been an option for an extension had we stayed down, but the club are likely to want to sign at least one starter in his position and at 35 he's not a long-term investment. Lazaar hasn't been especially impressive, although I'm told he was much improved on the final day when I was giving my attention to Derby-Wednesday. With Ashley Young rumoured to be returning to the club, there's no room for him.
With those three departing (and long-term loanee striker Cucho Hernandez finally set to return from Spain), our squad numbers 25, not including those who still count as under-21s. That means that, thanks to Premier League squad limits, any new signings will have to displace an existing member of the team. First for the chop should be third-choice right-back Marc Navarro, who has barely featured since joining three years ago, but remarkably still has two years to run on his deal. Diminutive creative midfielder Domingos Quina, 21, was loaned to Granada in January - he's much vaunted by a section of our fan base who would like to see him get a run of games. He is obviously technically very gifted, admittedly doesn't do much wrong, and has perhaps been a victim of the side playing formations that don't suit him, but I've never seen him impose himself enough to warrant consistent selection and a series of managers haven't seemed especially fussed. It would not surprise me to see him leave, either on loan or permanently, given he only has a year left on his contract.
Change is definitely required among the club's set of low-scoring strikers. Isaac Success returned from a year out this season and scored an enjoyable goal on the final day. He very occasionally shows flashes of what he could be - a powerful forward capable of both hold-up play and decent dribbling - but he frustrates more than he impresses. With three goals from 63 league appearances over five years it's surely time to attempt to cut our losses. Andre Gray looks like a superb footballer when he's off the ball, but all the intelligent runs in the world can't make up for a poor touch. He's a trier, and capable of occasional decent link play, but is not of Premier League quality.
And then there's Troy. He's become steadily more immobile as the years have passed - although he claims this is to do with playing with injuries. Of his seven goals this season, six were penalties and his long-term injury coincided with our dramatic uptick in form as we switched to a formation that might not have suited him. I'm open to the idea of him being a presence on the bench, his character and presence both suited to the classic crash-around cameo, but can Troy adapt to being a bit-part player at a club where he's been the dominant personality and single constant presence for a decade? He and Gray, 33 and 30 respectively by the start of next season, both have a year on their contracts, while Success, 25, has a deal until 2023 - all three will be well remunerated. I would imagine there will be a paucity of takers for any of them, although sister club Udinese could potentially help us out with Success.
The club's defence equalled the goals against record for the Championship (only going back to the rebranding in 2006) with just 30 conceded. On the other hand, chronic under-investment in the back-line was frequently cited as a reason for our relegation, so one might expect some investment there this time round. The club did add two centre-backs last summer, both from Udinese, and they were the starting pair during our latter season purple patch. Francisco Sierralta is a Rolls Royce, who for some reason was unable to get a game in Udine and was fifth-choice at Watford until mid-season, while partner William Troost-Ekong is prone to periodic lapses of possession that would worry me in the top flight, but is generally solid. Is that enough? Both are untested at this level - although Ekong played a bit in Serie A.
If another centre-back was added, someone would likely have to be moved on. Long-serving Craig Cathcart, 32, and Christian Kabasele, 30, are popular figures at the club but can probably only just make a case for being Premier League standard, while England under-21 international Ben Wilmot, 21, slipped to fifth-choice under Xisco. He would seem worth investing in over the two other ageing options, but there's talk of another loan. Having been a loanee for 18 months and returned for this season, he would be wise to consider how many players return to contention having been sent out again after a period back in the squad. He and Cathcart hold contracts to 2023, while Kabasele's runs to 2024.
I think that's probably enough. What about your lot?
Previous editions: 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017
With the season drawing to a close, who will your club be releasing or trying to keep? And is that the right decision in your eyes?
The BBC are collating their released list stories at the bottom of their May transfers page.
Kicking off with Watford, the only first-team players that are out of contract are a set of back-ups we bolstered our squad with in January: left-back Achraf Lazaar, non-playing third-choice goalkeeper Rob Elliot, both formerly of Newcastle, and defensive midfielder Carlos Sanchez, last at West Ham. The latter two have made Instagram posts that suggest they are departing. I'm mildly surprised about Elliot, who seems like the sort of avuncular, experienced presence that one would look for in a number three - perhaps he fancies finding a first-team gig. Sanchez has looked tidy in his appearances and might have a been an option for an extension had we stayed down, but the club are likely to want to sign at least one starter in his position and at 35 he's not a long-term investment. Lazaar hasn't been especially impressive, although I'm told he was much improved on the final day when I was giving my attention to Derby-Wednesday. With Ashley Young rumoured to be returning to the club, there's no room for him.
With those three departing (and long-term loanee striker Cucho Hernandez finally set to return from Spain), our squad numbers 25, not including those who still count as under-21s. That means that, thanks to Premier League squad limits, any new signings will have to displace an existing member of the team. First for the chop should be third-choice right-back Marc Navarro, who has barely featured since joining three years ago, but remarkably still has two years to run on his deal. Diminutive creative midfielder Domingos Quina, 21, was loaned to Granada in January - he's much vaunted by a section of our fan base who would like to see him get a run of games. He is obviously technically very gifted, admittedly doesn't do much wrong, and has perhaps been a victim of the side playing formations that don't suit him, but I've never seen him impose himself enough to warrant consistent selection and a series of managers haven't seemed especially fussed. It would not surprise me to see him leave, either on loan or permanently, given he only has a year left on his contract.
Change is definitely required among the club's set of low-scoring strikers. Isaac Success returned from a year out this season and scored an enjoyable goal on the final day. He very occasionally shows flashes of what he could be - a powerful forward capable of both hold-up play and decent dribbling - but he frustrates more than he impresses. With three goals from 63 league appearances over five years it's surely time to attempt to cut our losses. Andre Gray looks like a superb footballer when he's off the ball, but all the intelligent runs in the world can't make up for a poor touch. He's a trier, and capable of occasional decent link play, but is not of Premier League quality.
And then there's Troy. He's become steadily more immobile as the years have passed - although he claims this is to do with playing with injuries. Of his seven goals this season, six were penalties and his long-term injury coincided with our dramatic uptick in form as we switched to a formation that might not have suited him. I'm open to the idea of him being a presence on the bench, his character and presence both suited to the classic crash-around cameo, but can Troy adapt to being a bit-part player at a club where he's been the dominant personality and single constant presence for a decade? He and Gray, 33 and 30 respectively by the start of next season, both have a year on their contracts, while Success, 25, has a deal until 2023 - all three will be well remunerated. I would imagine there will be a paucity of takers for any of them, although sister club Udinese could potentially help us out with Success.
The club's defence equalled the goals against record for the Championship (only going back to the rebranding in 2006) with just 30 conceded. On the other hand, chronic under-investment in the back-line was frequently cited as a reason for our relegation, so one might expect some investment there this time round. The club did add two centre-backs last summer, both from Udinese, and they were the starting pair during our latter season purple patch. Francisco Sierralta is a Rolls Royce, who for some reason was unable to get a game in Udine and was fifth-choice at Watford until mid-season, while partner William Troost-Ekong is prone to periodic lapses of possession that would worry me in the top flight, but is generally solid. Is that enough? Both are untested at this level - although Ekong played a bit in Serie A.
If another centre-back was added, someone would likely have to be moved on. Long-serving Craig Cathcart, 32, and Christian Kabasele, 30, are popular figures at the club but can probably only just make a case for being Premier League standard, while England under-21 international Ben Wilmot, 21, slipped to fifth-choice under Xisco. He would seem worth investing in over the two other ageing options, but there's talk of another loan. Having been a loanee for 18 months and returned for this season, he would be wise to consider how many players return to contention having been sent out again after a period back in the squad. He and Cathcart hold contracts to 2023, while Kabasele's runs to 2024.
I think that's probably enough. What about your lot?
Previous editions: 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017
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