Latest player to be linked with us, from the mirror. Personally I like him, was hoping we would have made a move for him last summer but might be on the cards this time round. Another big striker so maybe the end of another?? And only 20 years old aswell!
Isn't he on loan at Bristol City at the moment? Hmmm, not sure about him to be honest, think we should be aiming a bit higher personally
I'm not saying we go out and buy Adebayor or Tevez, just someone who has been a bit more prolific than 3 goals in 15 games for a struggling Championship side this season and who hasn't made any sort of impact at WBA in the three years he's been there. I appreciate he's young and I also appreciate I don't know very mucyh about him, but from what I do know I don't think he's better than anything we already have, and that has to be the minimum standard for me personally
Got a feeling he'd be a bit like Alby - not prolific himself but makes chances for others around him by being a bit of a nuisance. Although Wood seems pretty useful I'd rather we keep Alby and perhaps looked at either Rodriguez or Paul Taylor.
11 goals in the 1st half of the season for Birmingham isn't too bad! I will be honest if we did sign him, it wouldnt be the only striker we would sign I reckon.
he is extremely highly rated. totally in the lambert mould - this is a link which probably has some truth in it. i'd be surprised if west brom let him leave but i would be happy if we brought him in. only problem might be that he spends more time in the air flying to new zealand to play international football than playing for us. if i had my way i'd throw £8m at burnley and try and prise jay rod from them but if we can't get him then wood is a feasible, cheaper target
If he is anything like he is in Football manager then he is good buy for the future. He was the bane of my life when I managing Spurs and Lazio. Back in the real world, assuming this is his agent talking up a deal, it is nice to see us linked with players that fit in with the Lambert way, instead of the nonsense we had last year.
i suggested £8m cos they rejected £7m in january (allegedly) if he's as good as i think he'll be then he'll be worth double that in 12 months time
If he costs 8m I sincerely hope we don't go for him. I doubt we'll spend much more than that in total during the Summer.
Completely agree. I imagine an £8m player will be looking to break our wage structure as well. I am all for upping the quality of the squad where we can but not at the cost of losing team spirit and having a queue of (rightly) disgruntled players asking why someone new to the team with no PL experience is on more money (or doing a QPR as we could call it).
can't find the exact article but it seems it might have been newcastle who had the bid rejected - saints bid £5m which was also turned down... http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/9494306.Clarets_rebuff_Toon_enquiry_for_hot_Rod/
i should point out that although a player costs a bomb, it doesn't mean they earn a bomb! if he doesn't break the wage structure then its fine - if he does want more money than that then he's not the right buy. simple as that. we could get him for less, it was only a suggestion based on what i'd read before about their valuation. another future england player from what i've seen though, and strikers always cost more. rhodes will likely be valued around the £5m mark yet hasn't played above league one...
That is the problem with strikers - they score a few goals down the divisions and suddenly they are worth multi-millions. I can appreciate that PL will struggle to replicate the Bennett/Howson double swoop to strengthen the forward line. I can't see us picking up one potential future England striker for £5m let alone two brilliant U-21's. Still who knows what PL has up his sleeve?
Also in january they were in with a shout of the play offs so don't blame them turning the reported fee down, bit like hudders and Rhodes. But now it looks like they will be staying down I imagine it will take a bid of 6mil to get a deal rolling.
£6m? £8m? ...so still quite expensive... if you want an exciting, young, english striker, you pay a lot for them!
