Direct link here - 17 mins of transfer chat from Adam Blackmore: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0jgp36d
In, out, in, out ... we shake it all about. Are we signing Matt O'Reilly, nobody knows. That's what it's all about. Ohhhhhhh, it's Matt O'Reilly...
Summary of the Blackmore chat: - ABK wasn't taken to Spain, understood to be a bad influence behind the scenes - Considered to be a negative character, not appreciated by current dressing room / coaching staff for his attitude - Russell Martin has been very clear that he won't accept a negative attitude from anyone - Saints pushed hard for Carvalho in January - Player and manager spoke, both really liked each other - There were conditions attached to the deal such as a big agent fee (which Saints didn't agree with for a loan) - Another condition from LFC was a number of guaranteed starts, Saints wouldn't agree but Hull did - The player and Russell still appreciate each other and would still like to work together - The leak has come from the Liverpool end, hence Ornstein - They don't want to loan, they want to sell but are letting their fanbase know it's a 'reluctant sale' and seeing if other clubs get involved - I think Saints want Matt O'Riley and Fabio Carvalho, I don't believe it is one or the other - O'Riley is happy to come, they've already had that conversation and both parties know the deal - Celtic are being slow and Saints are getting agitated because they are worried it run too late in August - O'Riley doesn't have an agent he is only represented by his parents and they have a relationship with RM - Is the Brighton leak an effort from Celtic to get Saints to move to Celtic's negotiation point? Let's see Specific Qs... Onuachu? - Trabzonspor been offering 3m, 4m, 5m - Saints won't do business at silly prices and are irritated by Trabzonspor's approach - They are happy to hold onto him, think that he might get offers from other leagues at the end of the window, maybe if a Dutch club comes into some money GK? Yes, I think they need a goalkeeper. I think they want to get Lis out on loan again or at best, as the third choice. I had a look at the Premier League squads and there's some good experience on benches. I'm not anti McCarthy, I think he's been a good servant to the club but I think they need to get someone with more Premier League authority. Extra comment - not verbatim: Ramsdale is on either side of 100k by a slim margin, would look at more experienced people on benches to look for better value - example given: Martin Dubravka Alcaraz's future? I think he should go. I know some fans like him because he runs around a lot, he's busy, he's all-action, he's hot-headed. I've got no problem with him because I think he is a good lad but I don't think he has got the tactical understanding for how the team plays. There's a reason he didn't start a lot last season. I think he needs to move on because he can't do the job he is being asked to do. I think you have to sell him to get some money in to go out and acquire some more players. KWP? I'd like him to stay, we'd all like him to stay. He was fantastic in agreeing to stay and be professional last summer to give them one go to get straight back into the Premier League - and it worked. I'm at the stage now where I think 'thank you very much Kyle' and if you want to go and find somewhere else to play that's fine, but we just need to get the right money for you before your contract expires. My feeling is that he will need to go for himself and his own career, and it won't do the club any harm to get some money in rather than him going for nothing. Saints have actually got too many full-backs now but I do accept that Kyle Walker-Peters was a clear cut above the rest last season. Lots to still be done? Yes, I think there is a lot that is going to be done. And I don't know if I believe it will all go to the wire. I know for a fact they want to get a couple of things done in the next week. But moving a few on would help Saints because it will give them more strength and money, some salaries off the wage bill. Saints/Solak is not going to spend endlessly and end up with a huge squad again. If you could get Onuachu, Bella-Kotchap and Alcaraz out in the next two weeks then you can really attack the end of the transfer window a lot better. I think they can get O'Riley done. Is the Brighton leak an effort to get Saints to move to Celtic's negotiation point? Let's see. With Carvalho, the player is clear that he would like to play for Russell Martin and come and fill that role in the team. Let's see.
So the GK is just Blackmores opinion that they need one, not actually from the club, same with Alcaraz leaving
Exactly. This is how transfers work and to many of our fan base are overreacting imho. With what Blackmore has said this evening, I think a couple of things are coming to a crunch this week and I think we are ready to pounce very soon. Would imagine if we can get out the players that have been mentioned, the club will move very quickly.
He has a good relationship with the club, staff and players. Just spent a week with the squad in Spain so I think he will drop snippets without losing trust from the club.
He’s not leaving much to the imagination, “yeah they need a keeper, ABK is a complete ****, Alcaraz is too stupid/doesn’t want to play Russball, Celtic ****ing about with O’Riley. All my opinion of course, read between the lines”
doesn’t really make much sense to me. ABK as an example, probably our best centre back ability wise, but we are obviously looking to move him on for off the pitch reasons. That’s fine but maybe don’t do an interview saying what a bad influence he is if you’re actively trying to sell him. I’m sure other clubs who may be interested in him can do some research into that but to come out and say it so bluntly seems stupid to me. Basically said fans don’t understand football if they like Alcaraz as he runs around a lot, but isn’t good enough to play the super intricate tactics we play. And again we should sell him to raise funds, if any buying club sees this it could work against Saints on price I get trying to be open with the fanbase but this doesn’t really achieve anything positive that I can see
I don't think a lot of clubs use Adam Blackmore's audio notes in negotiations, tbf - a radio presenter doing an audio note is a very 'soft brief' to use the phrase and it's not like it's all been run in the Athletic. Comms/PR people know what they are doing with this sort of stuff usually and it's far more rife in US sports, although there is a lot of it here too if you pick out the right characters
I don’t think they will take Blackmores twitter feed as some negotiation cheat sheet, just that i don’t see what it really achieves. Just seems like negative info about a couple of players we are trying to sell, doesn’t seem to be any positive to leaking that in my view.
on Facundo Buonanotte, sharing some WhatsApps from a good friend of mine who is an Albion STH... Reckon he can become very good, yeah. Definitely high potential, just not getting the game time he probably needs with us. He isn’t great out wide - better through the middle. All Brighton fans were quite pissed off that apparently for Feyenoord loan they were considering a buy option. People rate him - just needs to go away and play a good number of games I reckon. Think a loan to Saints could be good for everyone!
All of this stuff gets passed around on phone calls and WhatsApps anyway, I really don't think there is anything here that any recruiting club wouldn't know already. Lots of clubs don't really mind, they can tolerate a dickhead for a couple of years for some good performances or tripling their fee But I take your point
This really confuses me. I've seen many fans say how good ABK is and that we should have tried to reintegrate him. But I just don't get it. He had a good run for about 2 years ago but has done absolutely nothing since. Salisu actually had more good performances in a Saints shirt but we don't bang on about him. THB and Bednarek bith better IMO.
I’m sure “he’s a dickhead” could apply to a lot of players so I’m sure it wouldn’t put many clubs off, but yeah don’t really see any benefit in publicising that at this time with a player who isn’t particularly liked by the fanbase anyway. Alcaraz I can understand more as the fan base seem to really like him and be disappointed if he was sold so get a reason out there before he goes which may appease some of the fanbase. I said it awhile ago that we’ve tied our colours to Martin so Alcaraz will not be played much, he is too creative/flair/unpredictable/unreliable choose whichever you want for a Martin team. Some people still won’t be happy and say we should adjust to keep someone like Alcaraz around but you can’t please everyone
I think he showed enough in the first half of the relegation season to say he’s better than Bednarek or THB. I guess it’s the whole age thing aswell so the “potential” is there also. Have no idea how he did out on loan, I heard he was injured a lot so maybe there won’t be much interest in him for a permanent deal and another loan might be on the cards. Oh and I would bang on about Salisu, fantastic player, but burnt his bridges with the whole not wanting to play thing that came out plus he’s not a Saints player anymore so not really relevant when talking about current squad
