Is this a last payout before the takeover happens maybe? I think if we got him at whatever price this represent a bit of a slap in the Leeds fans faces, bates must have to turn up at elland road in Barack obamas limo!
Although perhaps not as effective on the left flank he will be good competition and rotation with both our current wingers. Hardly as though he is one dimensional like say Valencia from United.
Don't get it wrong, this has nothing to do with Bates. If it happens it will be because he wants to leave (not the same thing as having your head turned incidentally) and we receive a bid we deem acceptable (which I doubt you'll be able to offer). All I see from Colin is a neutral statement saying we're doing our best to keep him but not promising anything, in other words telling the truth.
Not able to afford him? He's an unproven PL winger in the last year of his contract. 4m tops and that is very much affordable.
Given the choice would you go to a club where your former team-mates had gone and had a successful season or would you go to a club that had strruggled to survive? Villa have only joined the Snodgrass band-wagon because Lambert went there, Norwich have expressed interest in Snodgrass both with and without Lambert.
Oh arrr. Bates surrounds himself with heavies on a matchday, sits in the emptiest part of the stadium with his corporate buddies and is never seen entering/leaving the ground. His personal safety would definitely be compromised if he weren't so elusive. A group of us went 40 yards from him on the last game of the season to try rile him a bit - stewards were all over us like a rash, nicking people's banners, even T-shirts and balloons, saying we were under constant CCTV surveillance and considered a bunch of hardcore hooligans. Basically shows you how paranoid the old bastard is.
I could be wrong, the opinion could have changed But last time I've checked he was known as papa smurf and not affectionately.
I think you'll find it's about how much we want for him, and if it's true you have £12m total for transfers (not just fees) then you definitely can't afford him if you want to make any more signings. He may be worth £4m tops to you but he's worth more than that to us.
I'd agree with this. I'm comig round to the idea that if we get him, great, but if the price is too high we have other areas we must strengthen. We don't want a bidding war with anyone and I think Leeds want to start one. On the other hand a deal may have already been done and this is all BS. Who knows.
Have I missed when our board came out and said how much money we have to spend? All I heard was this season was going to see us spend more than any other season in our history.
Yeah I'm not sure where 15m came from, it may well be higher than that (but may include money for Jan as well)
We'll have to wait and see but if the takeover gets delayed or falls through I can see Bates snapping a clubs hand off for 4-5m to prevent him walking away for free next summer. Whether that is indeed Norwich remains to be seen.