Here we go again... The window's open again soon so have a chat about who you want in/out and I'll update it the list below with what we actually do! With 4 games to go, it's touch and go whether we'll be in the CL or the EL and what happens will hugely affect our transfer dealings. Permanent: IN Paulinho - (Corinthians, £17m) Nacer Chadli - (FC Twente, £7m) Roberto Soldado - (Valencia, £26m) Ãtienne Capoue - (Toulouse, £9m) Vlad Chiriches - (Steau Bucharest, £8.5m) Erik Lamela - (Roma, £25.7m) Christian Eriksen - (Ajax, £10m) OUT Nathan Byrne - (Swindon, free) Dean Parrett - Released Jack Barthram - Released Jack Munns - Released David Bentley - Released John Bostock - Released William Gallas - Released Jake Nicholson - Released Tom Gardiner - Released Mason Bush - Released William Ekong - Released Billy Grainger - Released Sam Smith - Released Victor Zapata-Caicedo - Released Steven Caulker - (Cardiff City, around £9m) Clint Dempsey - (Seattle Sounders, around £6m) Tom Huddlestone - (Hull City, around £5m) Scott Parker - (Fulham, around £3.5m) Massimo Luongo (Swindon, £0.4m) Gareth Bale - (Real Madrid, around £85m) Loans: IN - Returns IN - New Out - New Grant Hall - Swindon Ryan Mason - Swindon Adam Smith - Derby County Bongani Khumalo - Doncaster Rovers Tomislav Gomelt - Royal Antwerp Jake Livermore - Hull City Alex Pritchard - Swindon Yago Falque - Rayo Vallecano Benoit Assou-Ekotto - QPR Tom Carroll - QPR Cristian Ceballos - FC Arouca
Back to the thread, and I warn you this may be slightly reactionary after today's game: IN: A right back, 2 strikers. Recall Townsend and Rose. OUT: Naughton, Parker, Dempsey, Adebayor, Gallas, Gomes .... might add Freund to the list too. Next season's squad: Lloris, Friedel, Whoever our 3rd keeper is these days. NEW RIGHT BACK, Walker, Benny, Rose, Vertonghen, Kaboul, Dawson, Caulker. Sandro, Livermore, Dembele, Hudd, Holtby, Sigurdsson, Bale, Lennon, Townsend. Defoe, WORLD CLASS STRIKER IN PRIME, YOUNG STRIKER WITH POTENTIAL. Before today I had hoped that Walker might be a candidate for the 'Bale conversion', from full back to winger. Judging on the quality of his crossing today this could be a step too far.
A few names which spring to mind: Right-back: There aren't many about. Is Smith ready for promotion? Micah Richards might be ready for a move... Strikers: Kiessling, Remy, Benteke, Negredo, Gomis, Lukaku.
I predict the usual Levy tactic of making an unrealistic offer for a player he's not interested in at the last minute a la Adam, Moutinho and Damiao
I think he's interested in anyone if he can get them at bargain basement prices (Holtby). Real quality as Moutinho, Damiao, will cost the going rate and Uncle Daniel will not go there. Most of the deadwood will stay as he will want top squid. More than likely Levy (son of Thatcherite policy ) will handicap whatever manager we have . Roll on a window of eventual disappointments . As being the highest earning director of a club he has to consider his highly deserved 2 million plus salary first.
As it stands I think we need: A right back, a creative midfielder, a defensive mid, a left winger, and 2 strikers. I say a left winger, as I'm presuming that's the end of Bale on that side and don't know what'll happen with Townsend? With Bale now playing central, I think he has become our "Top striker" to be honest and I don't think we'll spend stupid money when he's got plenty of goals in him. However I see us getting the likes of a Remy and/or Benteke. - they are typical levy deals. IMO we lack any threat down the left at the moment, so Townsend would be nice to have back. Don't know whether he's ready for a top 4 push, but we certainly need him, there's no doubt about that. Walker has just not been the same player this season and has been at fault for so much. Despite having Naughton in the squad, he's not actually had any competition as Naughton always plays at LB! We need to get someone in to give competition to walker at the very least. I also think we lack creativity massively and there is still a huge hole left from VDV and Modric. - this position is almost as important as the strikers, IMO. - so often we are just completely out of ideas. I also think it's fair to say that we've got to do something about replacing Parker with a Young up and coming DM. However, it's all hypothetical as we have no idea whether we'll have bale, whether benny will be sold, or who else AVB wants shipped out! Could be a very busy summer, could be another disappointing one.
The signings fail at 5pm leaving us desperately scrambling for anyone who has a pair of boots and is in the area to sign before the deadline
Does that mean you will be standing outside WHL with a pair of boots over your shoulder just in case?
As I couldn't see me lasting for more than one week, I thought I might as well push for as much as I could get!