Remember when we went up to the Prem under Lambert, we had several Bennetts and a Barnet? This time we have a Tim, A Timm, a Timi and a Teemu.
Has this one been posted yet? http://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/985832570?-11057:808 Kalvin Phillips? Be a very good signing imo, but £9-12m seems out of our reach!
Thompson needs letting go and Tettey (as much as I love him) isn't Prem standard. Trybull is untested at that level so at least 1 DM is a MUST!!! Godfrey would be a good bk up but is going to be down as a CB. Imo we need a: GK RB (back up) DM (possibly 2!) Winger Striker (competition for Temmu) Striker (back up) That is 6 or 7 players. Id get rid of: McGovern Franke Thompson Cantwell (loan) Morris Srbeny We also have others; Nelson and Naismith etc whi will leave.
Why get rid of Thompson, because of injuries? At least the last one was to his shoulder not his leg. Didn't we sign him to a new contract last autumn? DF and SW must rate him highly.
Of your outs, McGovern signed a new contract last month, he's not going anywhere. Thompson for me gets a loan to prove his fitness, whilst Cantwell stays unless we sign 2 wide players. The squad is thin in that area. Morris and Srbeny are probably competing to be the 4th striker in the squad. I don't think we need to write either off, so would expect a loan for the other.
If, as it looks, Rhodes is signed on a permanent deal, that's at least £5m out of the budget but the most expensive signing completed. We then need a RB, at least one wide player, a CB or CB/DM if we're going to use 3 at the back at times, and I'd say another attacking player. If SW can get any of those on a free transfer or loan then we might manage 3-4 of those players within the £15m but it will be tight, as wages and sign-on fees have to be included. I can't see any possibility of a £12m-£15m player as part of that.
I'm not sure if the £20m figure includes wages? Or just transfer fees? I've always seen it compared to the Fulham spending, which was £100m on transfer fees alone. Given how little we know about wages, I doubt they're included in that figure. Regardless, I agree with your conclusion that spending £10m+ on one player is unlikely.
I fail to see the need to stick so religiously to this supposed £20m budget. If a player is identified who fits all the Webber / Farke criteria and blends in with the team and squad ethos (no show ponies now, Kyle Lafferty) then spend £2,3,4, even 5 million more. And don't forget any fees for Oliveira plus the savings on his, Jarvis, Naismith and Wildschut's wages. No point spoiling the barrel for a ha'porth, as they say. Or used to?
SW was quite specific that it includes wages as well. I've just seen from a Sheffield source that Rhodes is on £38.5k per week, so that would be just under £2m for this year. They're also talking about a £4.5m fee, but that would have to be negotiated. We have some good possibles on free transfers like Nick Powell, Marvin Bakalorz and Mehdi Zeffane so that could spread the budget further. Kieran Scott was quite forthright about just how tight the transfer budget is.
I was having a look at the Bundesliga freebies available and saw Josip Drmic. He was a highly rated striker a few years ago, seems to have had a couple of injury hit seasons but could be worth a punt. Similar style to Pukki
Any guesses as to what our top player salary will be next season? Rumor was Nais was on £45-50K. Top salary this time around must be closer to £40K per week. There is a £10mil bonus to be shared among the players; would that be in lieu of, or in addition to a jump in PL wages?
Presume you've seen we owe Everton and Wigan £1m each in promotion clauses from the Naismith and Wildschut transfers? Massive savings there...
