Stoke City - Summer Transfer Speculation

Adam is an odd one. He gives the ball away a lot in the "cage" area, not sure he'd suit us. Noble certainly would though, made for the "cage" he was. Jerome I wouldn't mind as long as we signed 2 much better strikers as well.

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.u...-hit-list/article-3597584-detail/article.html

CAMERON Jerome, Mark Noble and Charlie Adam headline a hit-list of Stoke targets at relegated trio West Ham, Blackpool and Birmingham.

Boss Tony Pulis has drawn up a shortlist of possible signings after making similar raids on relegated clubs in each of the last three summer transfer windows.

He is also looking closely at the likes of Blackpool left-back Stephen Crainey and their out-of-contract ex-Crewe midfielder David Vaughan, while Adam's evident desire to leave Bloomfield Road has left Pulis an interested spectator if bigger clubs shy away.

Blackpool goalkeeper Matthew Gilks is also on the radar as a viable alternative should Thomas Sorensen depart the Britannia Stadium this summer.

City's Danish keeper is under contract for another 12 months, but his future remains uncertain after he lost his first-team place to Asmir Begovic last October.

Sorensen played throughout Stoke's FA Cup run, but only played in one league game – away at Manchester City just days after the Potters' Wembley defeat – in the final seven months of the season.

West Ham's impending fire sale since relegation leaves Pulis renewing his interest in Carlton Cole after circling the England striker without success last summer.

Pulis fancies his chances of resurrecting Cole's career as he did Matthew Etherington's – and the latter has never sold Stoke short in conversations with his old West Ham team-mate.

Pulis hasn't ruled out a second attempt to sign West Ham striker Demba Ba following his successful three months at Upton Park.

However, Stoke's 11th-hour decision to pull out of their original £7m move for Ba from TSG Hoffenheim in January because of a knee injury is still a major concern.

With Premier League player-of-the-year Scott Parker out of Stoke's price range, his midfield partner Noble is seen to possess both the ability and mobility to slot seamlessly into City's midfield engine room.

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is determined to hold on to his better players following their dramatic demise after two seasons back in the Premier League.

He will face Premier League interest for the likes of Jerome, however, along with goalkeeper Ben Foster and central defender Roger Johnson.

Jerome remains the most attractive and affordable option for Pulis as he seeks to add pace to Stoke's attack next season.

The Stoke boss was heavily linked with Jerome in January, but instead signed John Carew for the rest of the season on loan from Aston Villa.

Pulis has previous form for poaching from relegated clubs after taking Dave Kitson and Ibrahima Sonko from Reading in 2008, Robert Huth and Tuncay from Middlesbrough in 2009 and Marc Wilson from Portsmouth last year

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...r-cost-of-relegation-from-Premier-League.html

Got the following from a poster on the Oatcake:

The journo from the Telegraph, Jason Burt, was on the radio yesterday. He repeated that his sources at West Ham had told him Hodgson, Warnock and Pulis were the 3 in for Carlton, and that they "were looking for 9m" - but he felt they'd have to settle for half that in the end.

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...West-Ham-star-Carlton-Cole-article740450.html

 

Not sure he would be an improvement on anything you have got. Doesn't score many goals and is just a physical presence really, which you already have in Crew and Jones. Wouldn't you be better off looking for a quick striker who could help you exploit high defensive lines away from home? Someone like Demba Ba or Webo?

 

agreed Cole these last 2 yrs has been awful but i do think Carew will be let go and might be a better longer term option ??

 

Carew is unlikely to stay. By the sounds of it his wages are putting us off. Demba Ba would be ideal. Whether Pulis will want to go back into it despite his injury record. The Mirror claimed Ba would leave on a free due to a clause in his contract, the same for Hitzlsperger. I don't think he'd be an improvement either. We've been heavily linked with Victor Obinna, the one who was at West Ham on loan this season, he'd be a good squad player. Skybet or some other betting company, have had us favourites to sign Agbonlahor since February plus Agbonlahor's brother tweeted something like this the other day: "Wish Newcastle and Stoke would make an offer instead of talking to agents". Interesting stuff, now Agbonlahor is someone i'd love us to sign, he would suit us, with his pace running down those channel balls. I reckon we will sign Jerome and 2 other strikers. We will go for Mark Noble, Pulis has chased him for a while.

PotterPalm - Do you think I should set up 1 thread for the Summer's Transfer activity, would that be a good idea? Or should I not bother?

 

From the relegated clubs I would like to see Larsson (free), Noble, Collison, Zigic, Spector (LB?), and Jerome.
Elsewhere? Pulis should feel like a kid in candy shop compared to previous seasons. The Europa League will attract players we never thought possible so I couldn't even guess. I would like Reo-Coker and Carew on free's though.

 

TP pulled a gem out with Jon Walters we need players that are hungary and something to prove.The older players of other clubs will they have the motivation or just look to see out there career.

Out of all the relegated clubs Demba Ba is new and exciting but can we re negotiate something with him.A player who i think will suit us.Apart from the midfield We do need also to bolster the defence as the injury to Huth showed we struggled without him and no Higgy to slot in.

 

Roger Johnson and Scott Dann are the two centre backs that we should be looking at, they are both fine, no nonsense defenders and would be excellent backup. Whether they would be willing to come as backup is debatable, maybe the lure of Europe as well as a return to the Premier League could sway it.

 

Why do you want Jerome, he is like a poor mans Walters? Shouldn't you be aiming for someone of higher quality?

 

You'd think so Robin. As long as we sign 2 more strikers of better quality, I wouldn't be too fussed if we signed him.

 

thats the problem SGT will they be happy as a squad player. TP early season tried to play Huth at right back to accomodate everyone. Its about rotation now that we are in all competions and we have a great chance to build something.

Can't wait for the Euro Draw .

 

Its about motivation and Tony Pulis is able to really get the best out of players who are supposed less quality.

 

I don't think his problem is motivation, McLeish got him running around enough at Birmingham. Pulis may be a good man manager but you can only draw out talent if it was there in the 1st place. For gods sake he only scored 4 goals all season this year! Why waste your money on a poorer quality player than what you already have when you should be saving up for a striker who scores 10+ goals a season?

 

Like robin says, we do not need jerome, he is pants, all we are missing upfront is a smallish speedy striker, who will be the fox in the box & score 15+ goals.

Personally i think someone in the Owen/Defoe mould will do.

 

Carlton Cole and Jerome are both poor and I would be devastated if we bought them. Why look at strikers that played for sides that got relegated surely that should tell you how good they are!

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...3-5m-Carlton-Cole-West-Ham-ticket-Europe.html

Stoke City are to test West Ham’s resolve to keep Carlton Cole with a £3.5million move to take him from the Championship into Europe.
Manager Tony Pulis has been a long-time admirer of Cole and has not been put off by the 27-year-old’s disappointing form during West Ham’s relegation season.
The England striker scored only five Premier League goals and failed to find the net after February but Pulis, who has helped turn around the careers of players like Jermaine Pennant and Matthew Etherington, believes he can do the same for Cole, whose pace and power would be a huge asset at the Britannia Stadium.

West Ham are looking to cut costs after dropping out of the Premier League with Rob Green and Scott Parker set to leave with Cole.
Two more of their England internationals, Matthew Upson and Kieron Dyer, have been released.
Pulis will look to boost his squad this summer with the club’s run to the FA Cup final earning them a Europa League place.
A striker is top of his priority following his decision not to sign John Carew on a permanent basis following his loan spell from Aston Villa.

 

Johnson and Dann ARE already IN Europe next year!!!

 

I know nicky, I worded it slightly differently, that's why I added "as well as a return to the Premier League."

 

You can keep Cole and Jerome sgt, Waddo is right. HOW come they are so good when BOTH teams were relegated.
Even the Brummie fans don't rate Jerome as for Cole, nah he's no where near as good as we already have at the club.
Bring in a couple of GOOD midfielders, cover for Ethers, another full back and we're sorted. BOTH K.J. and Walter's got
into double figures last season, build on those two and our very good defence and I would be well chuffed.

Sgt, good idea re the thread for summer signing I think

 

OK Potts i'll merge the transfer threads done recently.