Very tenuous rumours, mainly just mentions in online articles that he is looking at making an exit. My guess is he will stay for this season and most likely leave on the cheap next summer when he has 1 year left on his contract. I reckon; - Canas will leave next with a new DM coming in - The no.20 role will be filled by De Guzman or Johnnie Williams (or somebody similar) - Payet or an alternative will come in That'll leave 2 spaces left...which could be filled by the lads I've got under "remaining squad members" (Cornell, Tate, Obeng, Lucas, Donnelly) but I would like to think that at least one of those spots will be filled by a full-back. If we sign a left back and Cornell or Donnelly takes the last squad place I'd like to see a young (U-21) right-back brought in on loan....the wages must be as high as they ever have been at the moment though....difficult to judge how much capacity we have left for further signings.
So ideally my final squad would look like this; 1) Łukasz Fabiański (GK....29-30yrs old) - Free 2) Angel Rangel (RB....31-32yrs old) 3) Neil Taylor (LB....25-26yrs old) 4) Chico Flores (CB....27-28yrs old) 5) Ashley Williams (CB....30-31yrs old) 6) Leon Britton (DM....31-32yrs old) 7) Jefferson Montero (LW, RW, AM, ST....25-26yrs old) 8) Jonjo Shelvey (CM/AM....22-23yrs old) 9) Wilfried Bony (ST....25-26yrs old) 10) Gylfi Sigurdsson (AM....25-26yrs old) 11) Wayne Routledge (LW, RW, AM....29-30yrs old) 12) Dwight Tiendalli (RB/LB....28-29yrs old) 13) Timothee Kolodziejczak (or similar) 14) Jordi Amat (CB....22-23yrs old) 15) Kyle Bartley (CB....23-24yrs old) 16) Besic / Jack Cork (or similar) 17) Nathan Dyer (RW....26-27yrs old) 18) Ki Seung-Yeung (CM/AM....25-26yrs old) 19) Bafetimbi Gomis (ST....29-30yrs old) 20) Johnnie Williams / Jonathan De Guzman (or similar) 21) Marvin Emnes (ST/AM/WG....26-27yrs old) 22) Jazz Richards (RB, LB, DM....23-24yrs old) 23) Dimitri Payet / Yevhen Konoplyanka (or similar) 24) Gerhard Tremmel (GK....35-36yrs old) 25) Cornell / Donnelly U-21s Kingsley Fulton Omeruro/Wisdom - on Loan ....pushing it but maybe a young striker on loan also? Would be happy if we signed a right-back like Kyle Naughton and loaned a young left back too...just as long as a quality full-back comes in. Don't know where he'd fit but a loan of Emyr Huws wouldn't be unwelcome either. Even if we plug every hole with quality though I'd still be pessimistic as there is simply too much change for one summer. Early last season I remember posting that I hoped we'd sign this summer; RB - Rangel replacement ST - a quality young option with lots of potential. A Bony back-up we could develop. WG - So we had 4 and could regularly deploy Pablo in the centre + 3 youngsters with pedigree; GK - to challenge Vorm properly CB - to replace injury prone Bartley DM - To compete with Canas in the battle to be Leon's successor (meaning in some games we could start some games with Leon and Canas but have a decent alternative on the bench) This plus replacements for big money outs (ie. Davies/Williams/Michu/Bony) would have been evolution. Instead we have a complete overhaul of the squad in a World Cup summer. High risk.
Cant see Payet coming. The reports I ahve read all point to the clubs agreeing but the player does not want to come to South Wales.
Re Chico, I've noticed in the training videos that he's working hard and looking full of enthusiasm. He still might leave but, in my opinion, he's our best defender and that certainly includes Ash Williams. I hope Chico stays. At his best, he's quality.
I'd like to think that now Poz has gone and possibly JDG, there is a slot of Jonny Williams. I'm a huge admirer of him and he could be a big player in the future.
Agree Ivor, whether he wants to leave or not, his attitude in training etc is of the highest professionalism.
I fully agree Ivor. (on condition that Chico stops the continental showboating when fouled and also maintains his trend towards a reduction in moments of madness, as it has been embarrassing on occassion). I would be much more concerned with Chico leaving than Ash. Ash is an excellent servant for the club, but I think we have seen the best of him already. Unlike Leon who just keeps on going from strength to strength in my opinion, but we need to look after him and use him sensibly ala Ryan Giggs but a few years sooner as Giggs is a one off (freak?) fitness / age wise. .......LEEEEON...LEEEON !!
Chico is a ton more creative than Williams , but Williams has his attributes also .. Great pair of defenders that compliment each other . Nobody can scurryt to block a shot like Williams
Davies left a couple of weeks later. I agree that Chico won't leave this summer but it is a risk and must be taken into account as he is; a) a Laudrup signing b) part of the "Spanish clique" currently being dismantled and c) tried to cave Garry Monk's head in with a brick just a few months ago
The squad of 2014-15 is looking the strongest we have ever had and is looking good for a top half finish, training is going fantastic and the hardest training under Monk then any previous manager. Fitness levels are up on last season and we have brought in some good replacements, there are a couple of disappointments with Davies being swapped for sigs as they are not valued as the same in any shape or form, also letting vorm go for a poultry £2.5m is silly. He may have not had a good season but that can be explained that he did not want to get injured and miss going to the WC. All traces of laudrups ways have now completely gone and the players are full of smiles again and looking good and back on track and will be ready and prepared for the tough season ahead....no problem...
Vorm is worth between £8m- £10m of anyone's money, £2-5m is a steal plus they got a LB for bugger all and they are like gold dust in the football world. I dont understand that bit of business at all....
