You have to giggle - "Kinnear's Pathetic Efforts Leave Toon Fans Gobsmacked! Having pulled the piss out Aston Villa with a bid of £2m for Darren Bent, the old duffer made a last ditch bid to bring the former Mackem to SJP ... and FAILED! The former Sunderland striker will be announced as a Fulham player this morning after undergoing a medical last night – but The Journal reports United made contact yesterday morning in an attempt to revive their interest. By then it was too late for Bent to renege on a move to Fulham on a season-long loan, and the decision was made to proceed with a switch to Craven Cottage." Source: http://www.newcastleunited-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/kinnears_pathetic_efforts_leave_toon_fans_gobsmacked_803234/index.shtml
Reasonably happy, Bidley. I think he'll combine well with Berbatov, but it may mean the end of Ruiz's time as a first team regular, which I would feel more sorry about than some on this board. The best thing is that if anything happens to Berba, we'll have another proven, experienced goalscorer.
Levy at the double. “Fulham thought that after matching QPR’s successful £2million offer for the player they would be be granted permission to talk to him. But they had not allowed for Spurs chairman Daniel Levy’s tough negotiating stance. Levy told Fulham that they would have to pay double the fee agreed with QPR to take Parker from White Hart Lane. Levy insisted that the £2m figure was a reduced price because QPR were in the Championship. Premier League clubs would be asked to shell out £4million. But that has not put off Jol, who is still hoping to beat QPR boss Harry Redknapp to the signing.” Source: http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/422925/Daniel-Levy-tells-Fulham-they-must-double-offer-for-Scott-Parker?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+daily-express-football-news+%28Daily+Express+%3A%3A+Football+Feed%29
God, I bloody hate that Levy. He's such a crook. If he were running a building firm he'd be on Rouge Traders every week. There's being a tough negotiator and there's being a crooked wide-boy and he is the latter.
OR.. as the better alternative to Scotty Parker, Clement Chantome. please log in to view this image ”Little used in Paris, Clement Chantome could rebound in England. Team of the day announces interest for Fulham midfielder. Not within the plans Laurent Blanc, Clement Chantome is negotiating the termination of the lease (which runs until 2015). The midfielder is not short on proposals for a transfer. His name was circulated to the OL, but the Rhone club would not be the only one track. Londoners Fulham have also expressed an interest about it.” Source: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.goal.com%2Ffr%2Fnews%2F33%2Ftransferts%2F2013%2F08%2F18%2F4194891%2Ftransferts-chant%25C3%25B4me-dans-le-viseur-de-fulham%3Futm_source%3Dtwitterfeed%26utm_medium%3Dtwitter Here is a mini-bio about him: ”He is a player whose game is based around winning the ball, bringing it out of midfield and distributing it, contributing towards the play as a sort of deep-lying playmaker (a position that Carlo Ancelotti is famous for pioneering). On the pitch he is a fighter, not a muscle man whom opponents fear and want to avoid but a player that other managers are aware of because of his intelligence and ability to craftily take the ball from players to win his team back possession before turning that defence into attack with an accurate raking pass or foraging run. A central midfielder by position, Chantôme is an all-rounder who can play in either an attacking or defensive capacity depending on what is asked of him, but excels when played in front of a back four where he is able to roam and pick up loose balls or intercept opposition attacks. His style of play if comparable to anybody’s would be someone like Marseille legend Didier Deschamps (yes, whisper that one quietly!), a player famed for his tenacious attitude and ability to win the ball and then retain its possession. A popular character off the pitch, Chantôme is a true fans’ favourite as he embodies the club and symbolises the future (or did) because of his history in the youth system and his successful promotion from the academy to the first team alongside fellow graduate and current captain Mamadou Sakho. Having played for a succession of local youth sides, a young Clément was quickly snapped up by the hungry scouts at PSG eager to stop the flow of talented local youth slipping through their fingers and fast proved to be one of the club’s most promising young prospects. Soon after he made his breakthrough to the first team in 2006 under Guy Lacombe and has been a first team regular ever since.”
Chantome would be a fantastic signing for us. He's a player I've wanted all summer but, then as now, I think he's out of our budget. But in a straight up comparison with Parker, I'd let Parker give up his world cup dream and go down the road every single time.
Sounds like Osvaldo is on his way to St. Mary's for £15m. That's insane, especially after the outlay on Wanyama. Big risks at Southampton.
Not seeing the risk so much. We've got playing assets that we could easily recoup the fees with if it came to that.
Still a heck of an outlay for a (nearly) 28 yr old striker with little re-sale value. Not sure about this Pie, but didn't he play for Pochettino before? Hope he can keep him under control. PS The deal has been confirmed at £15m http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23750101
It's a lot I grant you, but given that the bottom club this year will get, what £40 million, and it isn't going to be Southampton let's be honest, I think it's a bearable risk. If only we would lay out a few quid to "take us to the next level" as the chairman said he wanted to do a few weeks ago. Well that isn't going to happen by bringing in 2 loan players, 1 from a team who was relegated and 1 who couldn't get a game (although that was no fault of his). All these teams strengthening while we are standing still or going backwards. It's very worrying really.
that means he is going to rangers, we will not pay over the odds for any player, specially a player past his best
Definitely agree we won't pay over the odds. The way Levy has conducted himself, I hope both QPR and us pull out and they get lumbered with an expensive benchwarmer all season. However we've got a good track record taking players that are out of sorts and past their best then reigniting their careers (Danny Murphy, Bobby Zamora, Mark Schwarzer). I think Parker still has the potential to be one of the best passing midfielders in the PL for at least 2 more seasons).
Probably not all that surprising since it had all gone quiet, but looks as though we've lost out on this guy: "Fulham and Hull City have missed out on signing Evian midfielder Mohammed Rabiu, who is set to sign for Russian side Kuban Krasnodar. The Premier League pair both made enquiries regarding the Ghana international this summer. Rabiu previously claimed that he wanted a switch to play England but Kuban have come forward and they believe a deal is imminent. The 23-year-old, who signed a five-year deal in France after signing from Italian outfit Udinese in 2011, is likely to move for around £4m." Source: http://talksport.com/football/fulham-and-hull-miss-out-ghana-international-13081956298#gCMQcC09FjjjFheg.99
Really disappointed that we missed out on this guy, he seems like the exact player we need, a young Diarra who can defend, pass and runs from box to box.