Transfer Rumour Thread

[DubaiSpur]

I have absolutely no problem at all with a young striker who misses 4 chances and scores 1 goal in a game. Show me a young striker who can get himself 5 chances in a game of football and I'll show you a very, very good player. Getting into the right positions is the hard bit, the finishing tends to develop as the player gains experience and also gets used to playing against top level instead of youth keepers where suddenly you have to find the corners instead of just hitting the target.

Maybe, but when seen as a part of his overall game (which includes the erratic closing down and sub-par passing), I'd say he isn't someone who can come in and make an impact like Alli's doing. He's a few years away from that, imo.

 

[DubaiSpur]

Thanks Dubai - good summary.
Re: Zaza. Juve's treatment of him has been strange. I wonder whether they paid the £12 million for him because they would've looked silly if he had gone elsewhere and done well. The fact that he hasn't had a look in there suggests that they would be open to selling him I think, especially as they are well stocked for options up front. I think all it would take is a modest profit on what they paid for him.

Re: Negredo. I'm not talking about a permanent transfer, just a six month loan. That would allow us to either bring in a Dembele type and leave him at Fulham until the summer and/or wait until the main Summer window for more permanent cover/competition for Kane. The reason I want Negredo is because from what I saw of him at Emirates Marketing Project he looked to be perfectly suited to PL football and he had many similar attributes to Harry Kane. I also think he could come in and hit the ground running, which is essential in the position we are in.

Maybe. Truth be told, I don't know why Juve bought him either: the more promising prospect of the two (by far) was Berardi, but they sent him out to Sassuolo with a buy-back clause (that they've now activated, thankfully for them), while keeping Zaza.

IF we can get him for under ten million quid, I'd say shoot, we have little to lose. If we can't, it's probably best we look elsewhere.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Maybe. Truth be told, I don't know why Juve bought him either: the more promising prospect of the two (by far) was Berardi, but they sent him out to Sassuolo with a buy-back clause (that they've now activated, thankfully for them), while keeping Zaza.

IF we can get him for under ten million quid, I'd say shoot, we have little to lose. If we can't, it's probably best we look elsewhere.

I think it would take at least the same fee that they paid for him. Clubs tend to like to avoid looking stupid and taking up an option on a player only to sell him 6 months later for less money having not played him would make them look a little silly.

 

[DubaiSpur]

I think it would take at least the same fee that they paid for him. Clubs tend to like to avoid looking stupid and taking up an option on a player only to sell him 6 months later for less money having not played him would make them look a little silly.

True, but in that instance...12 million for Zaza seems a bit much. Again, he's big, strong, and works like a carthorse...but his goalscoring record's only around 1 in 3, and his passing and link up play leaves a bit to be desired (even though he's relatively used to being a link-up player for more technical attackers, as he was for Berardi at Sassuolo).

 

[Gutter Boy]

We made 2 official bids on deadline day. Contract details were agreed with his agent and the player. Why on earth would Levy want to do anything for the cameras? It makes no sense at all.

To appease the entitlement tossers who were calling for his head.

The 'but we tried' routine is well-established. The only difference this time is that I think Poch was satisfied with Son instead, rather than the charade being for his benefit

 

[milo]

To appease the entitlement tossers who were calling for his head.

The 'but we tried' routine is well-established. The only difference this time is that I think Poch was satisfied with Son instead, rather than the charade being for his benefit

There was a lot going on towards the end of the window what with Lamela's move being pulled and the late failed bids. I think that it is difficult to say with any certainty what was really going on. I think that we will have a better idea at the end of January but I do not think that it would be that much of a surprise if we say some fringe players leave and a striker come in.

 

[Gazzasrightboot]

To appease the entitlement tossers who were calling for his head.

The 'but we tried' routine is well-established. The only difference this time is that I think Poch was satisfied with Son instead, rather than the charade being for his benefit

You cannot honestly believe that they put on all of that as a routine? I mean, Peace with his statements, Berahino going on strike?

 

[Gutter Boy]

You cannot honestly believe that they put on all of that as a routine? I mean, Peace with his statements, Berahino going on strike?

Zero net spend to the penny (as always) and Son's similarities to Berahino. How else can you reconcile those?

The only other possibility, as Milo mentions, is that we were going to sell Lamela to fund Berahino. But now Lamela's performing at a higher level than SB's ever managed, that must have completely killed it off.

 

[Gutter Boy]

There was a lot going on towards the end of the window what with Lamela's move being pulled and the late failed bids. I think that it is difficult to say with any certainty what was really going on. I think that we will have a better idea at the end of January but I do not think that it would be that much of a surprise if we say some fringe players leave and a striker come in.

But a striker. Not a WF like Berahino. With Son, Lamela, Njie, Chadli, Dembele, we've got plenty of excellent WFs now.

 

[Gazzasrightboot]

Zero net spend to the penny (as always) and Son's similarities to Berahino. How else can you reconcile those?

The only other possibility, as Milo mentions, is that we were going to sell Lamela to fund Berahino. But now Lamela's performing at a higher level than SB's ever managed, that must have completely killed it off.

I reconcile it by taking it at face value and we were going after a player in a position that we needed that the manager wanted. We placed numerous bids generating huge press, tinkling off WBA and Peace in particular and unsettling a young player. I don't think it was a charade as what if they accepted the bid?

And it did look like we were going to sell Lamela which was probably going to negate the net spend issue. I just don't honestly believe that it was a charade as you think it was.

 

[billyiddo]

Looking at overall net spend in a window is flawed imv as deals will be structured in different ways - the headline figure for Berahino was 20m+ but as we know from the public fall out we were looking to structure the deal in a way where it was paid over X amount of years meaning only a % of the 20m would have left our account this year


Anyway, Townsend could well replace Lamela as the one to be leaving to accomodate SB's arrival (if you need to visably see a net spend of Zero for it to make sense)

 

[milo]

But a striker. Not a WF like Berahino. With Son, Lamela, Njie, Chadli, Dembele, we've got plenty of excellent WFs now.

Poch likes his players to be flexible. If we were to bring in another forward, I would expect them to be be able to both lead the line and play in the positions behind.

 

[milo]

Zero net spend to the penny (as always) and Son's similarities to Berahino. How else can you reconcile those?

The only other possibility, as Milo mentions, is that we were going to sell Lamela to fund Berahino. But now Lamela's performing at a higher level than SB's ever managed, that must have completely killed it off.

The deal for Lamela was a loan IIRC

 

[Bullet]

I'd get Austin if his off-field mojo is right, i.e. he's not a drinker or trouble maker etc. Buy him for 8, sell him for 6, £2m for a proven Prem striker that works his nuts off and scores goals.

 

[billyiddo]

There was a Guardian article the other day which mentioned that Levy asked Poch if he wanted Austin (as an alternative to Berahino when that deal stalled) and Poch turned it down as he didn't suit his style - obviously there were no quotes but it seemed a funny thing to include in a general piece without there being some base to it

 

[Bedfordspurs]

A lower league striker who is big 6ft 1 with. Good work rate and an emotional record... I give you Jordan Rhodes

Better than a 1 in 2 average for a poor Blackburn side and a player who gets on with his job even when his club turn down some big money comparatively speaking

My bro swears that Afobe is a player we should be after too but I've not seen enough

 

[thfcsteff]

Looking at overall net spend in a window is flawed imv as deals will be structured in different ways - the headline figure for Berahino was 20m+ but as we know from the public fall out we were looking to structure the deal in a way where it was paid over X amount of years meaning only a % of the 20m would have left our account this year


Anyway, Townsend could well replace Lamela as the one to be leaving to accomodate SB's arrival (if you need to visably see a net spend of Zero for it to make sense)

Agreed, and I mentioned this in another thread the other day because Pulis seems to be trying to live life without Berahino. Having said that, you just know he's going to play him on Saturday!!!

 

[braineclipse]

If he wasn't a prime target then the size of our final bid on transfer deadline day suggests that we were in a huge panic.

We weren't in that much of a panic if rumours of Pochettino turning down Austin are correct.

I don't know how much can be made about the size of our offer on deadline day? What we know is that we didn't make an offer big enough to get the deal done...

I don't think Son is suited to playing as a number 9. I also don't think N'Jie is suited to playing there.

Son looks like a player who would be comfortable playing in the 7, 10 or 11 positions. N'Jie looks like he is a 7 or 11 only.

I think that either player is probably capable as playing as a number 9, but only if Kane is behind playing as the number 10 (and that kind of defeats the purpose). While we are by no means a long ball team, our gameplan does involve getting passes into Kane who has to take those balls with his back to goal and hold the defenders off. Both Son and N'Jie instead play the game on the half turn. If either were up front on their own I think we would see the ball being over turned by the opposition far too often.

I'm not sure that Berahino is the answer either, as I'm not convinced that he could play as the number 9 without Kane playing 10 behind him.

IMO Coulthirst isn't good enough to play for our first team yet and I don't believe he will ever quite be good enough for that level. I think he'll have a playing career at Championship level. Harrison is also not ready to play for our first team yet, although I think he may become so in future. My thoughts are that it is at least 2 years away though and he needs at least one good loan move.

I agree that Austin is a risk in terms of injury and also his contract situation means we won't drop any real money on him. However you couldn't be further from the truth in comparing him to Rasiak. If you are comparing him to Saha then that is more fair, as long as you're comparing him to the mid 20s Saha and not the one on his last legs that Harry took for 6 months. While I know that you clearly don't rate Austin, I wonder whether you have actually ever bothered to actually watch him? He is probably one of the most Kane-like strikers that we could get.

My thoughts are that we need a player who is first and foremost a number 9, but who can also operate as either a 10 or a wide forward. I can't think of too many of those types of player however. Austin would suit us pretty well, but his contract situation means that Levy would never pay QPR's asking price for him. The player is also quite likely to want to see his contract out and pick up a very big wage going on a freebie in the summer. It is for that reason why I keep banging on about nabbing Dembele from Fulham as an investment for the future but leaving him at Fulham for the rest of the season, while we also take Negredo on loan to provide top class cover for Kane. We would then be catered for in the here and now as well as the future.

I question Berahino as a fit as a lone striker for us too. Seems like a potentially expensive sideways step.

Haven't seen Dembele at Fulham, but what people have been saying about him seems to add up.

Negredo on a loan deal for the rest of the season might just about make sense. Though I think it would be more likely that if we sign Dembele Pochettino will trust him to come into the squad and make the step up from the Championship and do a job for us, rather than essentially leaving him out on loan.

Oh, and Stefan Kiessling, of Bayer Leverkusen: he's 31 (will be 32 in January), so he doesn't tick a lot of Levy's boxes (or, indeed, Poch's), but he's like the proto-typical Poch player. Big, strong, fit, crazy work-rate, nice guy, goalscorer, leader of the line in a Bayer Leverkusen team that did furious pressing and turnover attacks long before we did. And apparently he wants out in January if he can't get playing time at Bayer (Hernandez took his spot), so he wouldn't cost a bomb. But, like I said...there's drawbacks to him as well.

If it makes sense financially Levy doesn't seem against signing older players. Naybet, Parker etc. If he really wants out in January and Bayer are ok with seeing him leave for a sensible fee for a 32 year old it's not a bad shout at all.

A lower league striker who is big 6ft 1 with. Good work rate and an emotional record... I give you Jordan Rhodes

Better than a 1 in 2 average for a poor Blackburn side and a player who gets on with his job even when his club turn down some big money comparatively speaking

My bro swears that Afobe is a player we should be after too but I've not seen enough

Interesting suggestions. Remember Rhodes being hyped up when he signed for Blackburn, but could be another Austin type that comes into his own a bit later in his career?

Afobe was being talked about somewhere, but I can't remember.

Thanks for bringing them up

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I'm not saying Rhodes is good enough or is the answer but he has the characteristics I'd be looking for and I'm sure he would have the hunger and willingness to work

I am genuinely surprised other sides haven't taken the gamble on him though so maybe there is something wrong...

But there are players out there who could step up given the chance I'm sure. You only need to look at Kane's progress in the last 18 months to see what the right coaching, confidence and team can do to someone with genuine ability

 

[Jordinho]

Rhodes is one for the humble pie thread really. Just another striker going through a purple patch (back then) and suddenly we have to sign him.