is the potential pot for transfers this January? I am not sure how much would have come in to the coffers when we got promoted. Perhaps the powers that be will not spend much as they may feel that there are three teams worse than us? Any thoughts?
No idea on the figure but it did sound like the mgt team were trying to do more business at deadline time so I'd imagine there's automatically funds for Jan. who knows, if we do have something lined up for Grabban with Bournemouth or Wolves etc then that fund could be significant.
To wildly speculate.... We were throwing around bids of up to £11m towards the deadline, but then Grabban to Bournemouth was probably factored into that. Perhaps that gives us £8m or so in the kitty, plus wages for a player. That would fit with the CB rumours, as if that happened we wouldn't have been selling Grabban, and those bids were definitely lower. Late on though we shifted Johnson on for what must be ~£5m, and seeing as Ricky looked to be starting to integrate into the squad again, can't imagine we let him go on loan unless Betis were picking up his wages. That would potentially give us £13m and the wages for two, perhaps three players. I would expect Hooper, Lafferty or Grabban to be sold in January, but not for a great fee. If so, that could push us towards £15m with the wages for three signings. As to how we could then spend that money, I think 2 £7-8m players would improve us more than 3 £4-5m players. The wages we'd then be able to offer would be closer to Prem level too.
Some interesting speculation in the previous posts and I'm hoping we don't lose any targets the AN or our scouts have identified because of a few £M - especially as the rewards for staying in the PL next season are MASSIVE!!!! Time for McNally and co to give AN some serious money to spend methinks!!!
It is not the amount that counts, it is getting the right player(s). If tha costs £10m or £500k it doesn't matter. The art is getting the right player to fit in, an overpriced showboater would be a poor investment.
I'd say that DH's calculations are reasonable. IMO, a CB should be the top priority, then another striker if at least one leaves. DH's two "£7-8m players" sounds right as well, but that will probably depend on what we can get for anyone leaving.
I'd have thought around 12-15m we could dip into - add 3 or 4m for grabban and that's a decent pot to hit January with. Central defender priority, although thought we've looked better since Ryan Bennett came in. Afobe would be the cherry on top.
He's been injured for 8 months, and has been back in Holland rehabilitating. Sounds like he's fit again now.
I think if we don't spend that sort of money, we're going to be seriously 'looking over our shoulder' come next April/May. There's also the problem of any players we do recruit have to fit in with AN's style of play and want to be involved in a possible relegation battle!!!!
Generally I think there will be a lot of money available, I'd we can borrow against future earnings to a pretty high amount plus these deals are always structure over medium to long term payments, this however in now way means we will spend big. If we're investing in good players they will hold value. They become an asset not a consumed expense. So if we can go out and pay £8m-£10m on day the Polish chap Gilk then I'm not worried about it as if needed we could sell him on and recoup our expenditure no harm done, it improves our chances of staying up and doesn't put us in a dangerous financial position. The position that would unnerve me is when we're spending over the odd on squad players as they make it harder to recoup the money. Effectively they have far higher depreciation. We're in the position where the £8m-£10m market is where we need to shop to improve our first XI for the most part. Short of finding a hidden gem or a couple of our weakest positions such as right back. I'm sure we will be looking for good players, probably already having conversations and the money will be secondary and available. It is never true that there is a pot of money it's just not how accounting works.
On Vlaar, the following is from Vital Norwich today: "Reports in today's Sunday tabloids suggest that Dutch defender, Ron Vlaar is attracting the interest of both Norwich and Sunderland in the Premier League. The 30yr old Dutch international left Aston Villa as a free agent in May, having rejected a new contract and looked likely to be heading for Lazio before he suffered a knee injury related to a previous problem. That injury scuppered Vlaar's move to Serie A and has meant he has had to miss the first half of this season. Now though, the man nicknamed 'Concrete Ron' by Dutch football fans (due to him being so hard) is approaching full fitness again and is likely to be available as a free agent very soon. It is said by the Mirror and Sunday People that the player would be interested in a return to the Premier League, although he also has interest from Germany and an offer from Feyenoord. Ron has been training with his old club, AZ Alkmaar to help regain fitness and would obviously be a good addition to a club like Norwich City."
I mentioned him as a possible target only yesterday evening, and today there is actually stories about the possible move! I'd love us to sign him.
The danger with that way of thinking though is that if we were to get relegated, chances are those expensive signings won't have demonstrated why they're worth the money. That's less of a problem if the club go into the championship not needing to sell (like last time), but if we're not so comfortable financially because we've overspent, then thats a bad combination. With any signing there's no guarantee the player will come in and be more than a squad option.
That was my earlier point, it is not the amount but the fitting in. We weren't overthrilled by the Jarvis move but that has turned out to be quite inspired. Money is not everything!
This is the key, Thurnby. I know we spent big on Brady but that is looking good as I'd rate him top in the PotS race so far this year. Jarvis, Wisdom and Mbokani on loan look like great deals so far, as does Mulumbu on a free. If we could get Vlaar on a free in January, then we could go for a marquee striker, as long as he fits in, as you say. Not another RvW please, but at least we already have quality strikers this time around.
