Still a week or so to go but currently this is roughly how it looks assuming a 4-3-3 distribution

Hennessy
Guaita

Wan-Bissaka (under age)
Ward

Sakho
Dann(?)

Tomkins
Kelly

van Aanholt
Souare

Kouyate
Schlupp

Milivojevic
Riedewald

Meyer
McArthur

Zaha
Sorloth

Benteke
Wickham

Townsend
Kaikai

Puncheon, Williams, Jach + several U21s

Given a preponderance of midfielders you can see the case for an Riedewald/Ayew deal and possible interest in Ings (at a reasonable cost) and Antonio

Given Dann's unavailablity and Jach's limited ability another central defender could be one loan and a winger the other. I'd be looking at players at top clubs looking for more playing time, like last year.

One, at least, of Puncheon and Williams needs to go on loan or be sold

and with 3 strikers all of whose strength is aerial it makes even more sense to have someone who can cross ball in open play - although I am not sure that is Ayew's strength

Edited by pssguy (02 Aug 2018 7.54pm)

I unashamedly borrowed this from BBS:

Goalkeepers
1. Julián Speroni (GK; Platense, Dundee) DOB: 18/5/1979 (403 apps, 0 goals) Contract till June 2019
13. Wayne Hennessey (GK; Wolves, Bristol City*, Stockport County*, Yeovil Town*) DOB: 24/1/1987 (106 apps, 0 goals) Contract till June 2021
31. Vicente Guaita (GK; Valencia B, Valencia, Recreativo*, Getafe) DOB: 10/01/1987 (0 apps, 0 goals) Contract till June 2021

Full Backs
2. Joel Ward (RB/LB; Portsmouth, Bournemouth*) DOB: 29/10/1989 (206 apps, 4 goals) Contract till June 2021
3. Patrick van Aanholt (LB; Chelsea, Coventry*, Newcastle*, Leicester*, Wigan*, Vitesse*, Sunderland) DOB: 29/8/1990 (43 apps, 7 goals) Contract till June 2021
15. Jeffrey Schlupp (LB/LM, Leicester, Brentford*) DOB: 23/12/1992 (43 apps, 0 goals) Contract till June 2021
23. Pape Souare (LB; Lille II, Lille, Reims*) DOB: 06/06/1990 (59 apps, 0 goals) Contract till June 2019
29. Aaron-Wan Bissaka (RB) DOB: 26/11/1997 (7 apps, 0 goals) Contract till June 2022

Centre Backs
5. James Tomkins (CB/RB; West Ham, Derby County*) DOB: 29/3/1989 (57 apps, 6 goals) Contract till June 2021
6. Scott Dann (CB; Walsall, Køge BK*, Redditch United*, Hednesford Town*, Coventry City, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers) DOB: 14/2/1987 (136 apps, 15 goals) Contract till June 2020
12. Mamadou Sakho (CB; Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool) DOB: 13/02/1990 (28 apps, 1 goal) Contract till June 2021
34. Martin Kelly (RB/CB/LB; Liverpool, Huddersfield Town*) DOB: 27/4/1990 (104 apps, 1 goal) Contract till June 2019

Central Midfielders
4. Luka Milivojević (CM; FK Radnički 1923, Rad, Red Star Belgrade, Anderlecht, Olympiacos) DOB 07/04/1991 (51 apps, 12 goals) Contract till June 2020
7. Maximilian "Max" Meyer (CM; FC Sardegna Oberhausen, Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, MSV Duisburg, Schalke 04) DOB: 18/09/1995 (0 apps, 0 goals, Contract till June 2021
18. James McArthur (CM; Hamilton Academical, Wigan Athletic) DOB: 7/10/1987 (130 apps, 16 goals) Contract till June 2020
20. Jonathan Williams (CM/LM/RM; Ipswich Town**, Nottingham Forest*, MK Dons*, Sunderland*) DOB: 9/10/1993 (68 apps, 1 goals) Contract till June 2019
42. Jason Puncheon (RM/LM/CM; Wimbledon, MK Dons, Fisher A, Lewis, Barnet, Plymouth A, MK Dons*, Southampton, Millwall*, Blackpool*, QPR*) DOB: 26/7/1986 (160 apps, 16 goals) Contract till June 2019
44. Jaïro Riedewald (CM/CB; Ajax) DOB: 09/7/1996 (14 apps, 0 goals) Contract till June 2022
--Cheikhou Kouyaté (CM/CB; ASC Yego Dakar, RWDM Brussels, Anderlecht, Kortrijk*, West Ham) DOB: 21/12/1989 (0 apps, 0 goals) Contract till June 2022

Wide Midfielders/Wingers
10. Andros Townsend (RM/LM; Tottenham, Yeovil Town*, Leyton Orient*, Milton Keynes Dons*, Ipswich Town*, Watford*, Millwall*, Leeds United*, Birmingham City*, Queens Park Rangers*, Newcastle) DOB: 16/7/1991 (79 apps, 5 goals) Contract till June 2021
11. Wilfried Zaha (RM/LM; Crystal Palace, Manchester United, Cardiff City*, Crystal Palace*) DOB: 10/11/1992 (287 apps, 43 goals) Contract till June 2022
25. Sullay Kaikai (LM/ST/RW; Crawley Town*, Cambridge Utd*, Shrewsbury Town*, Brentford*, Charlton*) DOB: 26/8/1995 (9 apps, 1 goals) Contract till June 2018

Forwards
9. Alexander Sørloth (ST; Rosenborg, Bodø/Glimt*, Groningen, Midtjylland) DOB: 05/12/1995 (4 apps, 0 goals) Contract till June 2022
17. Christian Benteke (ST; Genk, Standard Liege, Kortrijk*, Mechelen*, Aston Villa, Liverpool) DOB: 03/12/1990 (71 apps, 20 goals) Contract till June 2020
21. Connor Wickham (ST; Ipswich Town, Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday*, Leeds United*) DOB: 31/3/1993 (34 apps, 9 goals) Contract till June 2020

Now fully satisfied with the window.

What with the two academy CBs who have apparently impressed, as well as the fact I could see williams as decent cover out wide if necessary, I'm not too fussed about whether we get loans in to further cover these positions.

That being said, strength in depth is always appreciated, so loans for a promising (& PL proven if possible) Wide player & CB wouldn't necessarily go amiss, especially as the academy CBs, Williams & Kaikai are all unproven at this level.

1 GK Julián Speroni
2 DF Joel Ward
3 DF Patrick van Aanholt
4 MF Luka Milivojević
5 DF James Tomkins
6 DF Scott Dann
7 MF Max Meyer
8 MF Cheikhou Kouyaté
9 FW Alexander Sørloth
10 MF Andros Townsend
11 MF Wilfried Zaha
12 DF Mamadou Sakho
13 GK Wayne Hennessey
15 DF Jeffrey Schlupp
17 FW Christian Benteke
18 MF James McArthur
20 MF Jonny Wiliams
21 FW Connor Wickham
23 DF Pape Souaré
25 MF Sullay Kaikai
31 GK Vicente Guaita
34 DF Martin Kelly
42 MF Jason Puncheon
44 MF Jaïro Riedewald
45 DF Ryan Inniss

this is our 25 current squad, looking good.

I think that one or two of your list will either be sold or sent out on loan to make way for one or two new arrivals.

I guess that Ryan Inniss will be the first out of the door as Sam Woods may have done enough to take his spot as well as being under the magical age limit too.

If we bring in another striker I can see Kaikai being moved on and Souaré could also be sent out on loan to get his match sharpness back again