Steven N'Zonzi is the latest rumour to surface. I know we looked at him before after Blackburn went down so I just wonder if this is rehashing that story.
Get it on the front page DH! http://www.express.co.uk/sport/foot...ootball-news (Daily Express :: Football Feed)
He was Stoke's PotS this year. At 24, a good age. How do people feel he might fit into our squad? Here's his Stoke Profile: http://www.stokecityfc.com/team/player-profile/index.aspx?playerid=394058&tcmuri=368049
Added I think the idea of signing someone from Stoke worries me, purely as I don't want our club looking to emulate the Stoke approach to 'football'. Whilst he's young, has PL experience, etc, he's hardly the 'wow' signing I would be looking for in that position. I don't really think he's any better than Johnson, so he simply adds more depth of the quality we already have, rather than helping to push us on.
Some may not like him automatically because he comes from Stoke and previously Blackburn, but if we can get him I honestly think he would be a great signing. He is more of a signing in the "new" (or even "failed") Stoke mould that Pulis was trying to bring in, to his eventual demise. He won't come cheap though, even with the transfer request I think we're looking at £7-8m, and given that we're up against Wet "splash the cash on Carroll" Sham, the price could push up even futher. He would be a real step up from Tettey, his passing is much better and he can do the driving runs forward. I can see him raising Tettey's game once Tettey has recovered from injury.
He cost Stoke £3m, so wouldn't come cheap. I was hoping for more goals from mid-field and he doesn't score many, and at 6'4" he'd be far too tall for Carrabuh's liking!
I see him as a little different to Johnson. If we were playing 4-5-1 away from home, Johnson and N'Zonzi combined would be very, very strong. N'Zonzi is a good passer of the ball and was originally an attacking midfielder.
This is true - but he has a decent touch, actually. Perhaps he is best described as like Fellaini, but he scores fewer goals because he is not pushed forward? Again, I know he is from Stoke, but I really don't think their PotS should be sniffed at given they have one of the tightest defences in the league. As our new DM signing, he would be great, as long as we get someone a little silkier out wide and as an AM. The major problem with him is his discipline.
Agreed, regrettably. Allardyce brought him to Blackburn and Wet Sham are much more prepared to pay over the odds than we are. Hughton would have to use all his famed "nice guy" skills, and more
Unusually biased for you DH! I wanted him last year, and I would like to have him here now. I'd bench Tettey for him. Stoke young player of the season (in, from my experience, not the least-racist city ever) and easily the best player in that Blackburn side too. As for the Capel thing, whoever said it, as I've stated before Porto have ridiculously strong finances (now even more so), and so cannot really be associated with the rest of ZON Sagres finance-wise. Capel would be available fairly cheaply, but his wages and quality will mean we have no chance. The Porto players are Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez - two of the hottest prospects in the world. I truly believe if Neymar wasn't around we would be talking about Rodriguez instead - and so I'm not surprised to see them go for a combined 60m.
Got to be honest I don't know much about nzonzi, except for my blackburn supporting friend who has a problem with over hyping player described him as amazing and reckoned he could get in any prem squad so i'll take that as he is decent.... Also he has a problem with giving accidental last minute penalties if I remember correctly
Seen him play for both Blackburn and Stoke at Carrow Road, I think he actually scored in the Blackburn game. He wasn't bad but we could do a lot better. I don't remember him doing much apart from tackle and score, he didn't appear to run the midfield. We need intelligent ball players with vision who can tackle.
I watched Nzonzi for Stoke against West Ham away and he looked really good. Fast powerful and not afraid to get forward. He does pick cards up though.
I wouldnt be so worried about his footballing discipline as I think a player of his type needs that edge and the occasional red card is the risk you take when signing him. I would worry about a player who at 24 has handed in 2 transfer requests from 2 struggling sides. The Stoke request is less than a year from when he signed for them. I wouldnt want a player with that attitude joining us.
A good point. I hadn't considered that at all. I think that we will always run the risk of having players want to leave us, though. It's part and parcel of the modern game. If he can do a brilliant job for a season, then be a bit of a twat and force a move to a bigger club, we will at least recoup our transfer fee, so it's not the end of the world.
I agree we may be likely to get in the situation where a player demands a move I just dont know whether I would want to pay say £6-8m for a player who it appears does it at the drop of a hat. If we paid say £6 for him would it be likely we would make much money on selling him after 1 year? I doubt we would and the potential negative impact he could have on the dressing room is worth a lot more in my eyes.
I think we probably would make a profit... But seriously - yes, I think we would make a profit. The only reason he could legitimately force a move would be where a bigger club was interested in him, which would be because he'd had a very strong season. I agree that it's a potential problem, but I suppose we just need to weigh up the balance of having him playing brilliantly for a season and leaving immediately against not having him at all. Another factor that makes me doubt this quite a bit is that I imagine he is on very good wages at Stoke - they've been able to fund Crouch and Owen who while admittedly were at the end of their careers, would still be commanding quite big wages. Charlie Adam must be on quite a bit too, having been at Liverpool (!) So I imagine N'Zonzi's wages may well price us out and this discussion is irrelevant!
