Transfer thread for 2016-17 season

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First two points are old news but your third point is really beginning to worry me. Our transfer policy has improved drastically in that we've picked up a truckload of players at an absolute bargain who look class (Dier, Alli, Toby, Big Kev), but then on the other hand we've drifted back to the bad habits of the late 90's/early 00's in terms of signing supposedly promising players who are then unceremoniously ditched after barely a year at the club. Njie, Yedlin, Stambouli, Fryers, now perhaps Son as well.

If players are really that bad that we're happy to offload them - often at a net loss - having barely been given a chance to impress, our scouting team needs to be put under some serious scrutiny. Perhaps this was part of Levy's reasoning behind 'encouraging' Mitchell to step down? Wouldn't surprise me, given how paranoid he's been about wasting money since Baldinigate.

If you can have Stambouli, then I'm having Capoue.
 
If you can have Stambouli, then I'm having Capoue.

Capoue at least had the excuse of being a member of the Fabulous Four and their dressing room rebellion against Poch. His early departure is understandable in that context. Stambouli was simply mystifying - signed to play in a position we clearly lacked options in, looked comfortable and promising whenever he played, then we decided it would be more sensible to not play him and sold him at the end of the season at a loss.
 
Pochetino seems to be no respecter of ability/form prior to injury once you are
injured, does he. Quite a list : Bentaleb, Pritchard, Mason, N'Jie, Son.

Though I suspect Son could well be paying the price for deciding to go to Rio
than anything else.
 
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Poch is turning into the lad in the wheelchair from Little Britain.

Can I have him Mr Levy ?

Yes, Poch. I'll buy him for you.

Here he is Poch.

Oh, I don't like him.

You did say you wanted him tho Poch.

I know Mr Levy. Don't like him tho.

Riggggghhhhhhhtttttt. Who do you want Poch ?

I want that one.

OK. There he is.

Don't like him.

Harsh...but <laugh>
 
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Though I suspect Son could well be paying the price for deciding to go to Rio
than anything else.

It also probably didn't reflect well on him that Lamela refused to go, as did Eriksen IIRC. In his defense though, S Korea winning a medal would've meant him being permanently exempted from military service. Don't ask me how, but it does. That may have been part of the thinking in allowing him to go.
 
So we're shipping out all and sundry with about a week left in the transfer window and we're already a bit short in places.
What's the likelyhood of replacing those players with suitable quality in this short time-frame?
How many players do people think that we need to bring in, assuming that the deals in the rumour-mill are actually true?

We should make another exceptionally low bid for Berahino though, just to send Peace over the edge.
 
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It also probably didn't reflect well on him that Lamela refused to go, as did Eriksen IIRC. In his defense though, S Korea winning a medal would've meant him being permanently exempted from military service. Don't ask me how, but it does. That may have been part of the thinking in allowing him to go.
Son going was a no-brainer for that reason alone, for me. He was unlikely to start for us in the league, anyway.
 
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So we're shipping out all and sundry with about a week left in the transfer window and we're already a bit short in places.
What's the likelyhood of replacing those players with suitable quality in this short time-frame?
How many players do people think that we need to bring in, assuming that the deals in the rumour-mill are actually true?

We should make another exceptionally low bid for Berahino though, just to send Peace over the edge.

I think he's probably on a beach somewhere, enjoying his retirement and laughing into his lemonade about how he beat Levy at a game of brinkmanship. New WBA chairman Guochuan Lai might be open to negotiations, although the supposed asking price of £20m is ludicrous, even in the current market.

If Mentaleb both leave, CM is beginning to look alarmingly thin on the ground. I'd say we should spend big on direct competition for Dembele. Not an up n coming youngster; established talent as Wanyama was when we signed him. I think rotating 4 CM's with Winks and Carroll as back-up should be sufficient.

I'd say the same about AM if Son and Chadli leave. Again - no faffing about on promising talents (with the exception of Tielemans); Onomah and GKN aren't likely to be anywhere near seriously challenging Lamela, Alli and Eriksen for their places. We need proper competition in those areas as Eriksen in particular looks to have fallen into a bit of a comfort zone.

Poch is clearly a 'quality over quantity' manager: 1 top drawer player for each of the untrusted partnerships is in line with his philosophy. Leaves with a trimmed but honed squad. Also leaves us praying to the God who created Darren Anderton's hamstrings that we are granted mercy for another season.
 
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I think he's probably on a beach somewhere, enjoying his retirement and laughing into his lemonade about how he beat Levy at a game of brinkmanship. New WBA chairman Guochuan Lai might be open to negotiations, although the supposed asking price of £20m is ludicrous, even in the current market.
I didn't realise that Peace had buggered off as part of that whole deal.
I wonder if that makes Pulis' position stronger or weaker?

I don't see how Peace won, though.
He kept a pissed off player who's now running his contract down to leave on a free and West Brom had a **** season.
It also allegedly lead to a falling out with his manager.
If Mentaleb both leave, CM is beginning to look alarmingly thin on the ground. I'd say we should spend big on direct competition for Dembele. Not an up n coming youngster, established talent as Wanyama was when we signed him. I think rotating 4 CM's with Winks and Carroll as back-up should be sufficient.

I'd say the same about AM if Son and Chadli leave. Again - no faffing about on promising talents (with the exception of Tielemans); Onomah and GKN aren't likely to be anywhere near seriously challenging Lamela, Alli and Eriksen for their places. We need proper competition in those areas as Eriksen in particular looks to have fallen into a bit of a comfort zone.
I'd largely agree with this. A talented youngster might do a job as back-up for Dembele, though.
 
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[QUOTE="PleaseNotPoll, post: 9616196, member: 1009426"

We should make another exceptionally low bid for Berahino though, just to send Peace over the edge.[/QUOTE]

<laugh>
 
They're still playing the "We need to sign a replacement!!!" card a year later, as they trotted out that exact line when Stoke were in for him a few weeks ago.
I really don't understand why they didn't make it a priority to cash in on him in this window.
He could sign a contract with a foreign club in January and they've sat on a talented player who's done nothing for them.
Why not sell up, preferably to someone that you don't see as a direct rival and bring in a suitable replacement? Bizarre.
 
Why not sell up, preferably to someone that you don't see as a direct rival and bring in a suitable replacement? Bizarre.

From that point of view they would be better selling to us than to Stoke or Palace who are more their direct rivals, at the right price I would still have him, but my idea of the right price and albions would be probably be over £10m apart!
 
Pochetino seems to be no respecter of ability/form prior to injury once you are
injured, does he. Quite a list : Bentaleb, Pritchard, Mason, N'Jie, Son.

Good point that.

Here's hoping he dont wake up one day and decide to sell Wimmer <laugh>
 
I don't see that Son, Chadli, Mason, Yedlin or Bentaleb are going to do a great deal to improve upon last season's performance. If we sold the lot, I'd not lose much sleep. It's about bringing in Better players from the Academy or outside.

If we fail to replace them, then we've got problems. However, none of these players are central to our future. Sales are not an issue if our buying and judgment of when to rely on youth is spot on. It's going to be a very interesting week.

I'm hopeful that sales represent ambition in this stage of our development.
 
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