07 Apr 2026 12:48:59
Looking forward to our game with Brentford on Saturday. A real six pointer. We have a good record against them having only lost once in the last five years, would be really massive for us to get a win on Saturday and we are more than capable with the same Team as the one we walloped Chelsea with, and get closer to European footy.
I’m going 0-2 COYB.
07 Apr 2026 13:40:27
Who is scoring GB?
07 Apr 2026 13:51:34
KDH and Jimmy, mate.
07 Apr 2026 15:48:38
Is this the same Brentford that put four past us a couple of months ago?
07 Apr 2026 16:43:22
Yep, and the same Brentford that has only beaten us once in five games, and, incidentally, we will probably be the same team line up that thumped Chelsea 3-0, no brainer then, mate.
06 Apr 2026 10:38:27
Braiden's back training with the Senior squad. I'm pretty sure we'll see him involved with the first team before the season's out.
06 Apr 2026 11:51:14
Would like to think so, mate, some involvement would be really good.
06 Apr 2026 14:02:50
I don't think he's ready for the demands of the Premier League. He's got talent and potential, and hopefully he keeps developing the way he has. But right now he's exactly where he needs to be, being integrated into the 1st team for experience from U-21s. Then he'll go on loan for a season or two to get used to senior football.
06 Apr 2026 15:05:30
You are probably right there, Joe, but he can still be given some cameos, which will be fantastic for his development and confidence.
He has been playing Men's football since he was 15. From what I have seen of him in training, he does not shirk the physical battles with our 1st teamers.
He might not be ready to lead the line, but I think he could still be used on the flanks or just off the striker.
If we don't try it, we will never know.
Whilst loans can be good for a player, how many have we seen from our academy just fade out, e.g. Garbutt, Ledson and more. The so-called big clubs seem to blood their youngsters in, so why can't we. If they don't turn out to be good enough, their value can only increase by having PL minutes on their CV, if we move them on.
06 Apr 2026 15:30:02
As you say, BN, unless we try and get him involved we won't know, so give him a go.
06 Apr 2026 16:08:19
If it gets to the point where we have no hope of Europe, then put him in the side. Until then, play the winning formation from the Chelsea game, barring any injuries.
{Ed025's Note - that makes sense to me Ace..
05 Apr 2026 11:00:16
Looking ahead to next season, I think there are a few strikers we should seriously be looking at — both for an immediate starting role and for the future.
For me, the four who could come straight in and improve us are:
• Jhon Durán – Feels tailor-made for us. Physical, aggressive, presses well and can run the channels. We've been linked with him before too, so there might already be something there.
• Artem Dovbyk – Proper focal point striker. Strong in the air and a real presence in the box. Would suit the way we play, especially with crosses and set pieces.
• Joshua Zirkzee – A slightly different option. More technical, drops deep and links play really well. There were links in the past, and he'd give us something we don't currently have.
• Ivan Toney – If it's possible financially, he's probably the best fit overall. Proven in the league, elite hold-up play and brings others into the game. We were linked with him previously, although wages and fee would be the big hurdle.
Then looking a bit more long-term, two players who could be smart investments:
• Ricardo Pepi – Still developing but has a great work rate and eye for goal. Could grow into a really solid Premier League striker.
• Franculino Dju – More of a raw talent, but already scoring goals and has been mentioned in connection with us recently as one for the future.
Feels like we need to get this next striker signing right — someone who can lead the line properly but also fit the system. Personally, I'd lean towards Durán or Toney for immediate impact, but I wouldn't mind us bringing in one of the younger options alongside them.
What do you reckon?
05 Apr 2026 13:25:05
Not going to lie, Optimum, I would take any of these over who we have, but not sure any are perfect, in my opinion.
Duran is exciting, but seems to have major attitude problems - and I'm not sure his playstyle suits us. The reason he barely started at Villa is that he is so selfish it's crazy. If he got the ball within 40 yards, it did not matter who was around him, he was shooting and blazing it over the bar most of the time. I know that doesn't sound the worst, but it is incredibly frustrating, especially when there are players around who thrive off linkup play.
Dovbyk, I have only seen a couple of times, but I know he is polarising with his own fanbase. Seems a little stiff, but could be completely wrong.
Zirkzee is the opposite, basically a False 9, but I don't think he is technical enough to do it in the Prem, and I don't think Moyes is savvy enough to get the most out of him. He's also slow and lazy.
Toney, I think, is the best, but he'd cripple the wage bill, and is another who is great in the right system, but lethargic and a passenger in the wrong one - and I don't think our system is right for him.
Plus, he's 30.
Pepi and Dju, I've not seen much of but I know Pepi is highly thought of and a few people have been very keen on Dju here, so worth considering!
I don't want to seem dismissive or negative, I just think all of those options aren't quite perfect, and I think Moyes himself doesn't really know what kind of striker he's looking for. I suspect he'll go for someone who ticks his usual style (big and strong) , but we don't really have any distinctive playstyle which makes it clear what profile of striker we need.
It's all well and good knowing we just need something 'better' than B&B, but a target man is useless until we get fullbacks who can cross, a speedy poacher is useless until we commit to playing balls in behind etc. etc.
05 Apr 2026 14:34:24
Toney won't come; said he'd been racially abused by our fans.
Zirkzee, I'm not convinced by. Some European team will offer him a chance where the demands of the league are less than the Prem.
Pepsi and Dju have been mentioned before and I think BN rates them.
I'd like us to have a look at Thiago at Brentford. Could be our next Richarlison..
05 Apr 2026 14:59:13
I get where you're both coming from - none of these lads are flawless, and realistically we're shopping in a market where every option has a "but" attached.
On Duran, the attitude stuff is definitely a concern, but I do wonder how much of that was him being a young striker who was desperate to impress in limited minutes. Villa fans seem split on him, but the raw tools are there. If Moyes wants someone who can bully defenders and run the channels, he's probably the closest profile to that.
Dovbyk is similar - I've seen the "stiff" comments too, but he's also scoring consistently and offers that proper penalty-box presence we've lacked. Whether he adapts to the Prem is the big unknown.
Zirkzee is the biggest gamble. But I agree he's more of a system player. If we don't build around his strengths, he'd look anonymous. And I'm not convinced we'd give him the freedom he needs.
Toney is the safest bet in terms of proven quality, but yeah - wages, fee, and whether he'd even want the move are all massive hurdles.
If the racial abuse story is true, that probably kills it anyway.
Thiago is an interesting shout. He's got that Richarlison blend of chaos, work rate and unpredictability. Brentford's recruitment is usually spot on, so anyone they've backed is worth a look.
For me, the bigger issue is exactly what you said: we don't seem to have a clear idea of what our striker should be. Until the system is nailed down - whether we want a target man, a runner, a link-up forward, whatever - every option will feel like a compromise.
That's why I leaned toward Duran or Toney: they're the closest to being plug-and-play in a dysfunctional attack. But I'd still like us to pair whoever we sign with a younger project like Pepi or Dju so we're not in this same cycle again in 18 months.
05 Apr 2026 15:24:34
Fair points on all the options there Alex.
Duran and Toney don't appear to be the right fit in terms of personalities for me. Wages would also be a problem as Alex rightly said. BR's point on the abuse is also a factor.
I don't rate Dovbyk. We were interested in him when he was at Dnipro and available for around 10m. Now wouldn't be the right time to buy him. He is 4 years older and has not pulled up any trees in Serie A to suggest he would be a regular scorer in the PL - for ref, Beto had better numbers during his time in Italy.
Zirkzee is not a striker. I do actually think he is a talented player and enjoyed watching him play under Motta during his stint at Bologna. He linked the play really well but he is not what we need right now.
Pepi - Decent numbers in Eredivisie but it is a very poor league. I have watched him on a number of occasions since the links started over 12 months back.
When watching a forward, I can't help but analyse each goal and then make a judgement if the goal would be scored in the PL - he would have a fair few chalked off to say the least.
The level of GK's in the PL is a different kettle of fish to the Eredivisie, as are the defenders. He wouldn't come cheap either. I think they would want more than what we paid for Barry.
Dju - Really like the look of this lad and have watched him for a while. Has brilliant attributes - he can score goals, assist, link up play, strong etc. I think his best trait is his decision making and calmness, which is not common amongst forward players.
Would have been a great signing when he was around 15m. Buying from the lower leagues is always a risk but at that price, I think it would be a calculated purchase. By all accounts Midtjylland want upwards of 25/30m now - that makes it much more of a risk. Add to that he suffered a serious injury to his knee in December - coincidentally, he came back for a 19 min cameo yesterday.
Out of the list I think I would go for Dju. To me he looks like he has the most upside and he is comfortable playing on the flanks and through the middle. Whilst he has plied his trade in a weaker league, he has got decent scoring numbers in the European competitions, both CL and Europa.
It is clear that we need to go after 2 strikers. I would like us to aim big and go after some bigger targets and then, if we have to move down the list, so be it.
Obviously those targets will be highly dependant on whether we qualify for Europe or not.
Big & Unlikely Moves
Samu Aghehowa
Fisnik Asllani
Jonathan Burkardt
Francesco Pio Esposito
Jonathan David
Ange-Yoan Bonny
Folarin Balogun
Affordable & Realistic Moves
Nikola Krstović
Romulo Cardoso
Tim Lemperle
Georges Mikautadze
Mateo Pellegrino
Nikola Krstović
Joaquin Panichelli
Breel Embolo
Sebastiano Esposito
05 Apr 2026 15:36:12
The way we play, we need someone who can bully the 2 centerbacks marking him, have a decent touch, control the ball with his head and chest to bring other players into the game, have a great work rate, and can also put it in the net. Am I asking for too much?. 😉
05 Apr 2026 16:37:27
Or we could adapt the way we play Ron..
05 Apr 2026 17:08:10
Some really interesting names in those lists, and I think they show exactly how wide the striker market is right now — loads of profiles, loads of potential, but every option comes with a caveat.
On the "Big & Unlikely" bracket:
Samu Omorodion – Massive upside. He's basically a chaos generator up top: wins duels, runs channels, presses like mad. But he's raw and Atlético will want silly money. Would suit a transition team, but we're not getting him.
Fisnik Asllani – Intelligent mover, links play nicely, but he's more of a second striker. Doesn't solve our "lead the line" issue.
Jonathan Burkardt – If he stayed fit, he'd be perfect for a Moyes front line. Pressing, movement, tidy finishing. But the injury record is a huge concern.
Francesco Pio Esposito – Proper Italian No.9 prospect. Strong, good back‑to‑goal, technically tidy. But he's still very young and unproven. More of a long‑term project.
Jonathan David – Proven goalscorer, clever movement, great in tight spaces. But he's not a target man and doesn't naturally play with his back to goal. Quality player, but stylistically not a classic Moyes fit.
Ange‑Yoan Bonny – Big, athletic, powerful. Can play wide or central. Has the tools to explode, but still inconsistent. Parma will price him like he's already arrived.
Folarin Balogun – Direct, pacey, good finisher when confident. But he's streaky and needs a system built around his strengths. Fee + wages make it unrealistic for us.
On the "Affordable & Realistic" bracket:
Nikola Krstović – Hard‑working, physical, decent finisher. Very functional, very Moyes‑coded. Ceiling might be limited, but he'd give us reliability.
Romulo Cardoso – Tall, mobile, improving technically. Still raw, but there's upside. Depends entirely on price.
Tim Lemperle – Rangy, presses well, can play wide or central. But he's not a natural goalscorer. More of a wide forward than a No.9.
Georges Mikautadze – Probably the standout in this group. Clever, technical, great movement, links play beautifully. Not physically dominant, but he'd massively improve our combinations in the final third.
Mateo Pellegrino – Big, left‑footed, good hold‑up, tidy technique. Not the quickest, but feels like a smart value signing.
Joaquin Panichelli – Sharp poacher instincts, good movement. But zero top‑level experience. One for the U21s initially.
Breel Embolo – If he stayed fit, he'd be perfect. Strong, carries the ball well, links play. But the injury record is brutal.
Sebastiano Esposito – Technical, creative, good vision. But he's more of a support striker. Doesn't fix our main issue.
For me, the takeaway from all of this is that the market is full of interesting profiles, but very few who tick every box. That's why I keep coming back to the same point: we need to decide what type of striker we actually want before we start throwing names around.
If we want a target man, that's one list.
If we want a runner, that's another.
If we want a link‑up forward, that's another again.
Until the system is nailed down, every option will feel like a compromise.
But from everyone listed, the ones who stand out to me in terms of upside + realism are Dju (if the price hadn't ballooned) and Mikautadze. Both have traits that translate well and would give us something we're currently missing.
05 Apr 2026 21:42:58
Can BN and Optimum be our new scouting network?
You guys seem to have your finger on the pulse of players we could do with or without.
Wonder where our current scouts are? Possibly lost in some woods, trying to start a fire to cook their tea.
{Ed025's Note - they will probably be rubbing two bricks together to get a spark BR..
05 Apr 2026 21:50:43
Great info, lads. Should be an exciting summer for us. Hasn't that Pepi already signed for Fulham?
05 Apr 2026 22:59:45
Brilliant posts them lads, as always, keep up good work. Always joy coming on here and getting different opinions, gotta love this site.
06 Apr 2026 00:53:22
A name not mentioned, Brobby, don't know if Sunderland would sell, but strong, quick, great hold up play, and scores goals, plus 25 years of age, what's not to like?
06 Apr 2026 14:15:11
Some great info there, lads. I don't know much about the players outside the EPL. The descriptions are exactly the types of players we need. We do have a big, strong forward who can bully defenders in Beto.
But, unfortunately, that version of Beto doesn't turn up consistently, which is a shame because after his exploits at the end of last season, I thought he had stepped up.
