Transfer Rumours The Summer Transfer Rumour Thread 2016

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/14608031.Pelle_set_to_quit_Saints_for_China/?ref=mac

 

I think Graziano will be difficult to replace. It might not seem that way at the time, but I think he was a bit of a coup for us. For a relatively modest fee, we bought a player in his prime who scored 15+ goals for two seasons. Where do you find that kind of player for a similar fee in today's market?

 

Why are some concerned about the "unlikely".

 

I can see it from the perspective of Austin/Rodriguez though.

Going into this preseason you've got to assume they're behind Graziano and Shane, for the one central striker's position.

Graziano goes, but if you buy in another one then those two are knocked down to 3rd and 4th and are left wondering if their future belongs here. Personally, if I was them and I saw another striker brought into the club this summer to start games then I'd start to question whether I should be instructing my agent to find me a new club.

Hopefully, and I'm crossing everything, both of them will swerve major injuries or consistent niggles and if they do, I think it'll work out well for us.

Slightly concerning if they both get laid up and we're reliant on just Shane and Sam G though.

 

So we replace a striker with dodgy knees, with another striker with dodgy knees? Makes sense I guess...

 

Jay isn't just relegated to striker, though...I think most expect him to see time out wide, as well. Does that mean that we're going to buy more attacking players of a different variety, I wonder?

 

Would be a great deal if we replaced him adequately. Really worrying that our remaining 3 strikers have only played 124 games between them over the last 2 seasons, contributing 44 goals.

 

Also depends if we are going to replace Mane too

 

Just checked and Shandong Luneng Taishan's next game (playing tomorrow) is with Jiangsu Sainty Maybe he should have gone there, instead...

 

Umm course we are?

 

Yes. I wonder what Austin/Jay Rod's injury records are like compared to, for example, the whole Leicester squad combined.

Serious injuries happen sometimes and if Jay never makes it back to his 2014 ability (which will be very difficult), that will be bad luck. On the other hand, we knew exactly what we were signing when Austin arrived.

 

If the rumoured £25m bid for Boufal is true, then at least we're looking for a decent replacement. Interesting that Puel vetoed the move though, hopefully he has someone lined up.

 

I'd love nothing more than to see Charlie and, especially Jay, fit and firing again.

If either of them pick up another injury before September then we can rectify it and if it's not working by January for one or both of them, same again.

The article doesn't say they won't replace Pellè, it says they're not planning to look to get someone in immediately.

If things go a bit pear-shaped or Claude isn't convinced, then I'd bet good money on a new striker.

 

Not according to the Daily Echo?

Said that the club would like to find a replacement for VW and a new Right Back.

Hope they're feeding the Echo a load of bollocks as don't want to alert clubs to our targets, but if this is true OMG.

£63 million in so far including the compo on RK, with only £11 million spent.

And I would like to think that we have more urgent areas to strengthen at the moment than on a new bloody RB?

Anyway, rant over and off for a #meltdown and on the day my new season ticket came through. Lol

 

I don't think Jay will get anywhere close to where he was in 2014, it was a nice move by the club to offer him a contract - but he seems to have lost all of his pace which was one of his main attributes. He's put so much weight on in his upper body that it's slowed him down massively, he also seemed to get bullied off the ball quite a bit last season when he did play.

Austin was a good deal at £4m, but his injury record is terrible and he can't be relied on to lead the line for the season. Also, didn't look all that great when he did play and missed a few sitters.

Shane Long is great at what he does too, but do we really think he's good enough to be our main striker? He's only hit 10 Premier League goals once and he's 30 in January - how long has he got left before his body starts to decline? Considering his style of play, and if he's going to be relied on heavily next year (off the back of the Euros too) then I find it hard to see him having the same season he just did with us.

 

I know they both did very well for us, but I won't miss Koeman's pig-headed and blind loyalty to Graziano.

 

I too would like nothing better than to see JRod firing on all cylinders again but he hasn't played properly now for two seasons so is more than a risk to put reliance on his present ability.
We know Charlie is generally only available 50-60% of the time
We know Longy is nearly indestructible (or hope he is)
Then we have our academy
If we replace Mane with a decent striker then although I think it is a risky strategy, I can see the logic in not replacing Pelle (Just)

 

We say every year that there's always the January window, and every year when January arrives we nod and state that there's no sense buying in January, when the prices are inflated. Austin's the only exception, owing to his contract situation.

If one of our strikers does get injured after the summer window closes, we'll have to give serious thought to whether we should play the kids in Europe, because we will be stretched far too thin for the number of games we will have.