Albion have lined up a triple boost to their squad. Transfer targets Sam Baldock, Adam Clayton and Stephen Ward are all expected to sign for the Seagulls. They have been on the trail of the trio during pre-season and deals could be clinched before Saturdayâs opening Championship fixture at home to Sheffield Wednesday. Boss Sami Hyypia said after Thursday nightâs 3-1 friendly defeat against Southampton at the Amex that a few more quality signings are needed for Albion to âreally have a goâ this season. Baldock, Clayton and Ward are unlikely to be the only additional arrivals as Albion look to exploit the £8 million fee received from Leicester for Leo Ulloa. They have already had bids turned down for Bristol City striker Baldock and Huddersfield midfielder Adam Clayton. Both would bring the type of extra quality to the squad Hyypia is hoping for, along with versatility. Former MK Dons and West Ham marksman Baldock, 25, can operate wide or through the centre. http://m.theargus.co.uk/sport/11383490._/
After all of the stories saying how much he wants to stay, it will be a bitter pill to swallow if Sam leaves
I agree, he might want to stay, but if someone offers you championship football,a team that came close to the play offs, in a new stadium, closer to Milton Keynes and presumably more money, I don't really think he would be likely to turn it down. Player of the season for me last year and would be gutted if he went.
Newspaper hype or fact based? I somehow think it is the former regards Baldock. Would you pay £2 million plus for a player who has only ever scored goals at League One level. His record for W Ham and City in Championship were hardly noteworthy.
2 mill !. at that price tell them to stick it where the sun don't shine, 3-3.5 maybe time to think about it.
To be fair Baldock was in fine form for West ham, Then we went up to their place drew 0-0 with them and injured him until pretty much the end of the season, think it was Cisse who injured him... They then bought Maynard and Vaz Tae making it hard for him to get back in the side. Then when Baldock was with us in the championship McInnes f**ed him about big time, was in and out of the squad every other game. Last season was the first time since Baldock was at MK Dons that he had played a full season!
I have had a sneaky feeling for quite some time that we would lose Sam to a bigger club. Let's face it he was scoring goals for fun in a very poor team and imagine what he is capable of surrounded by better players. Should Brighton be interested enough to up the ante to around 3 million then he should move on with our best wishes. I would prefer that people were interested in Jet because I don't think he is capable of steeping up and taking the goal scoring reins, and the odd spectacular goal doesn't win championships. Keep your eyes on the prize early next week because I think it will happen, and that is not how most supporters wanted to spend the last week prior to the kick-off wondering if we will be up to the task or whether we were too reliant on Sam's goals to shake our tree.
I'm also not sure Sammy is capable of playing at the top of the Championship, but maybe I just don't want him to go..!!!!
We don't have to sell, Is promotion at the expense of not getting £2 million better off than selling him and no promotion. Keep him unless an amazing replacement can be found.
If we sign Agard and he is performing well by November do you think the potential sale of Baldock would be easier? A problem that would be nice is if we have a strike partnership of Baldock and Agard setting the league on fire and we are at the top, then what would we do when you consider Sam is in the last year of his contract. A nice problem to have but the downside of performing well in that instance is we could lose a valuable asset for nowt.
I think we might be offering a Sam a 3 year deal ! This year we go up, next we consolidate, year after we will have a team to get in prem he is still then in contract for our first up there and still only under 30
I've said all summer I reckon he will go. Hope to be proved wrong in September but I've got a doom laden feeling
We did this in 98 with Shaun Goater, we were top and comfortable and the board sold the Goat to Man City and we did just limp over the line in 2nd for promotion, then promptly swapped places with Man City the following year as we went straight back down and they came up. The big difference now is the transfer window, as I think we only sold the Goat in about March back then.
Devil and the deep blue sea kind of scenario isn't it? Next week should reveal some things as it is the last kick of the cat prior to the start of the season. Exciting stuff but I really hope Sam stays and does the business to earn a longer term contract but history tells us that after signing a new contract a lot of players disappear from the scene.
I personally, think it would be a hammer blow to City if he was transferred now. We have had four years of total underachievement but with the results in the second half of last season and signings like Freeman and Korey Smith, it is apparent to most of us, that there is a much more upbeat atmosphere at The Gate. Yet if the Club decided to sell our well respected captain and top scorer because of a big cash offer or Sam decided to go because of Championship football, it would have a very deflating effect on the squad and supporters. So I really hope that Sam's comments in recent interviews and SL's resolve to take us back up sooner rather than later, will not dissolve like the Wedlock, into a pile of dust.
