Summer 2014 Transfer rumour thread

We definitely need a CB, but a striker must be very close to top of the list. We have an aging Rickie who is carrying an injury, an injured Jay rod who may not be back to top fitness before Christmas and an 18 year old who has started one game.

I'd say we need a striker quite urgently.

 

I wouldn't be upset if we payed slightly over the odds for Ings as I'm sure his contribution to our team would be great.

 

We currently have one striker and he's a 32 year old who has struggled with form for a long time now (despite his recent resurgence). Jay is more of a winger and who knows how quickly he'll come back to form following a huge injury, it could be 2015 until we see him at his best again. There's absolutely no way that's enough.

 

My shopping list:

Goalkeeper (Boruc has cost us too many points and can'tuse his feet) - Begovic would be nice
Centre back - First choice (to partner Lovren) - no real ideas of specific targets though.
Midfielder - Holtby or Pardo(only if Gastón goes)
Wide player (versatile preferably) - García at Espanol or Ferghouli at Villareal??
Centre forward - Ings would do nicely, less enthusiastic about Rhodes - perhaps Carlos Vela?

 

Boruc has also stopped us losing alot of points. Has made some vital saves. He needs competition for his place, Gazza just doesn't offer that.

 

Where is the money going to come from for all these transfers? I hope we shift Osvaldo for a meaningful sum but how much chance do we have of that?

I would say that a striker is now absolutely top priority (if it wasn't before). I'd rather stick with Jose & Dejan and not replace them (especially if Callum can play at CB), than stick with Rickie & Sam and give them no competition for places, back-up or injury cover etc...

I'd like to have SRL as an impact (and what an impact!) sub option next season - not as leading striker for every game.
The ramifications of JRod's injury get worse and worse the more I think about it :-(

 

Agreed. He was probably our 2nd best player for the first half of the season but lots of howlers since then! 1 at Arsenal, 2 at Sunderland and others too. Just think somebody like Begovic would eradicate that air of insanity!

 

We would have been in the market for another striker whether Jay was injured or not. Jay's injury is a blow for him personally and because we would probably have had a strong finish to the season, but luckily we are in a good position anyway.

 

I don't dislike Ings, I just think he's going to be too expensive to justify the price and there are cheaper foreign options.

I also still think we might make one big, big splashy signing this summer at striker. Maybe with Osvaldo + Ramirez money. I was convinced we would do this prior to Cortese leaving, not I'm not so sure but still feel like there's a good possibility.

Ings is sort of in between for me-- good but not great and not that cheap.

 

If we are going for a goalkeeper or a forward both need to be proven players in the premier league. Both need to come in and hit the ground running. Somehow I don't see that happening....Don't ask me why I feel that...just a feeling. Am a bit concerned that the Frauline just might start asset stripping. I so hope she proves me wrong!!

 

Relax....there is no sign she intends to sell and she is not so broke that she needs to asset strip. The worst that could happen would be that she'd ask Mauricio to decide if he is willing to sell in order to buy i.e. get rid of one player to buy 2-3. I think some book balancing for the long term is going to happen by the new board working on improved commercial deals, but doubt that it means we will stumble to a halt. I bet we buy up to 4 players in the summer....good ones that MP can work on and make great.

 

Getting the mythical 'proven in the premier league' player isn't really the best option, you'd most likely have to spend a massively inflated fee or skimp and buy someone no better than we already have.

 

Can I ask on what you're basing this fear?

 

It doesn't make fiscal sense to asset strip the club when the club as a whole is worth more than the individual assets. If you're selling assets piecemeal, you don't invest in long-term infrastructure like a crazy-fancy training ground.

The club doesn't really have debt in the form of long-term obligations. And as a current a business, the club is profitable. The losses on the balance sheet are because KL voluntarily put money into transfer spending and club improvements. Which are investments, that if she sells now she won't realize a return on. If she's tired of losing money, she can simply stop spending as much or sell the club entirely.

 

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/foot...to-make-Southampton-s-Gaston-Ramirez-new-Kaka

Milan want Ramirez for £12.5m apparently.

 

Agreed

 

Well Beddy, life isn't always like that. We always hope players hit the ground running but it doesn't always happen. They don't necessarily need to be proven Premier League players

 

I don't think Poch would be particularly bothered about proven premier league players. Not really the model we work with, and if we do buy foreign, of course there is never a guarantee that they will hit the ground running. I'm pretty confident of Poch's abilty to recognise and improve talent.

 

People need to realise that we are not going to be getting Begovic.

He is an ex Pompey player and will most likely have no interest.

 

we've signed plenty of ex pompey players, though i agree that he won't be coming here