Transfer Rumors

McCormack certainly has 20 goals in him, if played in the right position. The others ought to be able to get 20 between them. I think this year's midfield is better equipped to make chances for the strikers than last season, and probably better able to contribute a few goals themselves as well. As others have said, a striker and a right-winger would have been good, but overall we've had a very good window.

 

We're only a year removed from Smith/McCormack having 40 goals between them, so there is definitely 40 goals potential.

Whether they can put it together is, of course, a very different question!

 

Very happy with our dealings. I'm OK with not getting Hooper as long as Dembele, Cauley and Smith can get/stay fit. Fredericks can play right wing and would give Jazz some good cover at RB. Selling Bodurov and Voser and loaning out Kavanagh would have topped it off nicely.

 

Don't forget that outside the Premier League, loans can still take place after the window has closed. If Norwich wanted to, they could still loan Hooper to us, and we can still loan Kavanagh or anyone else if we want to.

 

Not totally sure about this but think today was the deadline for season long loans, which I believe is what both Hooper and Norwich ideally wanted. [And I'm sure we most certainly would have preferred for Bodurov since we couldn't sell him.]

That obviously doesn't rule out bringing in a striker shorter term. However given we're where we are, I'd rather see Dembele and Woodrow share a run of 12 to 15 (?) games and take stock in January.

 

I agree that it would be good to give the youngsters their chance. Dembele really impressed me against Huddersfield, and both him and Woodrow have their best chance to develop if they get game time. I was just making the point that if we need a striker, particularly if injuries strike, we're not limited by who we've already got.

You're right about emergency loans rather than season-long, I think. I'd forgotten about that.

 

Talking about strikers - the one that got away on ‘Deadline Day’ ?

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Dimitar Berbatov has signed a one-year deal with Greek club PAOK.

The 34-year-old Bulgarian was a free agent after leaving Monaco in the summer. He was reportedly linked with Aston Villa but has instead gone to PAOK, who are coached by former Juventus defender Igor Tudor.

 

We turned down the chance to sign Chelsea defender Papy Djilobodji earlier in the summer, according to the Telegraph.

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“The 26-year-old defender, who is also able to play as a defensive midfielder, was almost on his way to Craven Cottage until the London club turned down the chance to sign the Senegalese man.

However, in a shock turn of events, the defender signed for Premier League champions Chelsea from Nantes towards the end of the summer transfer window. It was a transfer that not many Chelsea fans understood due to their high expectations when it comes to incoming players. Perhaps more controversially, Jose Mourinho has stated that it wasn’t his decision to sign the player and the high profile boss has left the defender out of Chelsea’s Champions League squad.

First team football would have been more likely to be found at Fulham for the Senegalese, as he finds himself far down Mourinho’s pecking order at Chelsea.

Whether or not he will be loaned out the gain first-team experience remains to be seen, but what is clear is that Chelsea have gained a player that a Championship club didn’t want in their ranks. That seems a shock considering the quality Chelsea have at their disposal.”