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I love this time of year - the sun is out, cricket is being played and transfer gossip begins. So what do we know? What do we want? And what will happen.
Firstly, what we know or should I say what is being hinted at? Those including insideman, pete and BBC's David McIntyre are suggesting that we are after Darren Pratley of Swansea and a target man in the mould of Ebanks-Blake but not Adebola according to Pete as well as a player from Sheffield Wednesday but no hint at a name so it could be Tommy Spurr to sort out our left back trouble or someone like Marcus Tudgay who can lead the line. Also hinted was a speedy striker which we all hoped was Campbell but unlikely unless in the form of a loan. No striker who now has Premiership and European experience is going to want to move permanently to a Championship team. He may have no choice if sent out on loan but if sold he won't be coming our way.
What else do we know??? According to McIntyre we were after Jordan Tabor and this has come true (played the last few games for the reserves) and also we are after Amaury Bischoff who like Prattley is another defensive midfielder. If true do we really need four defensive midfielders - Mahon, Leigertwood, Prattley and Bischoff? The new manager might not want any so unless Mahon and/or Leigertwood are sold/released this signing puzzles me. McIntyre suggested that Bischoff will go to Bahrain with the squad, which is only a few weeks away so time will tell.
What do we want? If we didn't sign another player except for a left back and two strikers everybody would be happy. Having said that it would depend on which strikers. Names being demanded by this board are Beckford, Lita, Campbell and Hooper. Very few would actually like Adebola but most would agree that a strong forward that can score goals alongside a speedy one would be great. Beckford is unlikely to leave Leeds if they are promoted and with Leeds no longer in a financial position where they are desperate to sell they could demand upwards of £3m (more likely £5m).
Hooper, like Simon Cox are cheaper and younger options. Neither Swindon nor S****horpe look likely for promotion so both players are more likely to leave. If Nicky Maynard's transfer fee is anything to go by then £2m seems the likely price. Selling an experienced goal scorer in Dexter Blackstock for £1.5m to buy an inexperienced (at this level) for more money seems daft to me but it wouldn't surprise me if thats what the club do. If Wolves' signing of Sam Vokes is anything to go by then if we are to buy a young inexperienced striker we should introduce him into the first team slowly and not expect 10-15 goals from him.
More sensible striker options would be Andy Gray from Charlton, currently out through injury but an experienced campaigner who now be valued at around £1m. Marcus Tudgay, strong, quick and has 14 league goals this season and is entering the last year of his contract so would be around the £2m mark. Tommy Smith, he too is in the last year of his contract and has scored 16 league goals this season, probably because of his age would be no more than £1.5m. David McGoldrick of Saints due to their financial situation his value could be anywhere between £1-£2.5m depending on the amount of clubs interested. As for left backs, Michael Ball is a free agent in the summer, Ryan Bertrand won't get much game time at Chelsea when his loan deal expires with Norwich. Spurr is an option but would be valued at £1.5m.
The club should be looking at the Bosmans and spending the money on strikers and not midfielders or defenders. Good young loan players from Premiership clubs (Bertrand) or Bosmans (Ball) to sort the left back issue and then spend all of the money bringing in strikers. I've not mentioned Earnshaw or Lita but if we are serious about promotion we need strikers of their quality but more importantly we need 2 and not just 1. A fee for Beckford may wipe out the entire budget when instead we could probably bring in Smith and McGoldrick for the same price.
What will happen? Well we will buy Bogdani because the club have seen him all of once and think he is the answer to our prayers. He'll no doubt flop and all of the other strikers I've mentioned will go to other clubs and score against us. Like Paterson, like Iwelumo, like Phillips, like, Hunt, like McCormack etc. We don't need another foreigner with no experience of this league when there are potential bargains to be had.
Firstly, what we know or should I say what is being hinted at? Those including insideman, pete and BBC's David McIntyre are suggesting that we are after Darren Pratley of Swansea and a target man in the mould of Ebanks-Blake but not Adebola according to Pete as well as a player from Sheffield Wednesday but no hint at a name so it could be Tommy Spurr to sort out our left back trouble or someone like Marcus Tudgay who can lead the line. Also hinted was a speedy striker which we all hoped was Campbell but unlikely unless in the form of a loan. No striker who now has Premiership and European experience is going to want to move permanently to a Championship team. He may have no choice if sent out on loan but if sold he won't be coming our way.
What else do we know??? According to McIntyre we were after Jordan Tabor and this has come true (played the last few games for the reserves) and also we are after Amaury Bischoff who like Prattley is another defensive midfielder. If true do we really need four defensive midfielders - Mahon, Leigertwood, Prattley and Bischoff? The new manager might not want any so unless Mahon and/or Leigertwood are sold/released this signing puzzles me. McIntyre suggested that Bischoff will go to Bahrain with the squad, which is only a few weeks away so time will tell.
What do we want? If we didn't sign another player except for a left back and two strikers everybody would be happy. Having said that it would depend on which strikers. Names being demanded by this board are Beckford, Lita, Campbell and Hooper. Very few would actually like Adebola but most would agree that a strong forward that can score goals alongside a speedy one would be great. Beckford is unlikely to leave Leeds if they are promoted and with Leeds no longer in a financial position where they are desperate to sell they could demand upwards of £3m (more likely £5m).
Hooper, like Simon Cox are cheaper and younger options. Neither Swindon nor S****horpe look likely for promotion so both players are more likely to leave. If Nicky Maynard's transfer fee is anything to go by then £2m seems the likely price. Selling an experienced goal scorer in Dexter Blackstock for £1.5m to buy an inexperienced (at this level) for more money seems daft to me but it wouldn't surprise me if thats what the club do. If Wolves' signing of Sam Vokes is anything to go by then if we are to buy a young inexperienced striker we should introduce him into the first team slowly and not expect 10-15 goals from him.
More sensible striker options would be Andy Gray from Charlton, currently out through injury but an experienced campaigner who now be valued at around £1m. Marcus Tudgay, strong, quick and has 14 league goals this season and is entering the last year of his contract so would be around the £2m mark. Tommy Smith, he too is in the last year of his contract and has scored 16 league goals this season, probably because of his age would be no more than £1.5m. David McGoldrick of Saints due to their financial situation his value could be anywhere between £1-£2.5m depending on the amount of clubs interested. As for left backs, Michael Ball is a free agent in the summer, Ryan Bertrand won't get much game time at Chelsea when his loan deal expires with Norwich. Spurr is an option but would be valued at £1.5m.
The club should be looking at the Bosmans and spending the money on strikers and not midfielders or defenders. Good young loan players from Premiership clubs (Bertrand) or Bosmans (Ball) to sort the left back issue and then spend all of the money bringing in strikers. I've not mentioned Earnshaw or Lita but if we are serious about promotion we need strikers of their quality but more importantly we need 2 and not just 1. A fee for Beckford may wipe out the entire budget when instead we could probably bring in Smith and McGoldrick for the same price.
What will happen? Well we will buy Bogdani because the club have seen him all of once and think he is the answer to our prayers. He'll no doubt flop and all of the other strikers I've mentioned will go to other clubs and score against us. Like Paterson, like Iwelumo, like Phillips, like, Hunt, like McCormack etc. We don't need another foreigner with no experience of this league when there are potential bargains to be had.
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