Reading target Hooper?

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Only Celtic have been mentioning £8m.

I've not seen Hooper play so I can't comment on what he is worth. I think we need to pay a mixture of wages of £20k/£30k/£50k per week to stay up. Some teams play 10 average players and a super goalscorer and do well. I hope City don't try to play 11 average players.

Actually if you go to the media report on the original post, it says "Jaw dropping 8 million swoop", i'm pretty sure, that isn't a Celtic media outlet, Its the English media who started throwing that figure around, not Celtic
 
Lets go get Austin for 4 mill.

I agree. If we did that he would be a great addition and a statement of intent. Until we do something like that players will always worry that they will be asked to sign a contract that includes a significant relegation clause without being likely it wont be used.
 
I know a damn sight more about football than the Allams.

Hooper would be worth every penny, I can guarantee it. I've been saying for about two years that he deserves an England call up, and now we've got the chance to sign him. We should go for Austin too. That's the only way we've got a chance of staying up, and that's without considering a centre-half, keeper and winger.

Unfortunately, at least for you, you know less than the Allams about making money so will never be in the position of putting millions into saving your local football club and putting your theories into practice.
You are good at telling other people how to spend their money. Are you a socialist?
 
We got our fingers seriously burned last time in the PL paying stupid amounts of money for players not worth their asking price and with virtually no sell on value and in many cases no relegation clauses.

I was of the opinion that nearly everyone that counts themselves a City supporter suggested that the Club should never go down that route again.

Yet lo and behold there are some on this board advocating that very thing or at the very least paying over the odds for players.
 
We got our fingers seriously burned last time in the PL paying stupid amounts of money for players not worth their asking price and with virtually no sell on value and in many cases no relegation clauses.

I was of the opinion that nearly everyone that counts themselves a City supporter suggested that the Club should never go down that route again.

Yet lo and behold there are some on this board advocating that very thing or at the very least paying over the odds for players.

Can you give a concrete example of that? I mean in the sense of somebody saying that we should pay £x for a player or £y wages for a player.

Any differences are down to what people think needs to be paid to get a player which will help us to stay up.

I think the main issue is lack of information - which is understandable. If there are 10 goalkeepers the club are interested in it makes sense to see what is possible. I worry that players see the club not having a good enough squad for the Premier League at present yet they are asked to commit to a £10k per week relegation clause.
 
I can never understand these "budgets". Surely there's a trade off between transfer fees and wages?

We need a few £3m - £5m players or spend £30k - £50k on wages if we want a couple of good strikers and goalkeepers and other players.

Valid point.

As I recall the original interview Ehab was saying £15-20m Transfer pot and Wage Roll limit of £40m (Which Assam later confirmed "matched" the £60m we get for going up). ish!!!
 
I think most of Wigan's squad have/had relegation clauses built in to their contracts and it didn't seem to harm their recruitment during their time in the PL.

On the other hand many of QPR's expensive flops seemingly didn't - bet Tony Fernandes wished he'd done this with mercenaries such as Samba
 
If transfer fees are paid in stages then you can budget on a cash basis over a few years. The problem is that if you get relegated after a year the cash available in future years is reduced. I suppose you can write clauses in the contracts to ensure you pay reduced wages, terminate contracts, have buy out clauses but it gets complicated and it puts you at a disadvantage when competing with "more established clubs".
 
I think most of Wigan's squad have/had relegation clauses built in to their contracts and it didn't seem to harm their recruitment during their time in the PL.

On the other hand many of QPR's expensive flops seemingly didn't - bet Tony Fernandes wished he'd done this with mercenaries such as Samba

I think that's why have a good manager and coaching staff is vital. You can have a squad of players that will work well together and then you only pay out for a few additions. Whether you can keep team spirit good when some players are on £15k a week and others are on £45k a week depends whether the lower paid respect the contribution of the higher paid players.
 
Reading fan in peace.

I honestly believe the rumour about us offering anything like £8 million for Hooper is just that, a rumour. Shelling out money like that is not the Reading way. I'm not saying Adkins wouldn't like to sign him, and we may well make a bid, but it certainly won't be £8m for an untried striker.

My best guess is he won't go to Reading or Hull. He's more likely to sign an extension to his Celtic contract
 
From the Reading board...


If its a straight fight between hull and Reading,we must be favourite.Hooper is a southerner and we are in a much better location then the north.Hull city,no disrespects have not got a cat in hell's chance of staying up ,while we ,if the signings are true,could possibly go up again.So Reading,nice area,right next to London and Heathrow,good prospects,wealthy chairman,a manager who knows him and Hull,ever been there lol.

****ing mong. <laugh>
 
From the Reading board...


If its a straight fight between hull and Reading,we must be favourite.Hooper is a southerner and we are in a much better location then the north.Hull city,no disrespects have not got a cat in hell's chance of staying up ,while we ,if the signings are true,could possibly go up again.So Reading,nice area,right next to London and Heathrow,good prospects,wealthy chairman,a manager who knows him and Hull,ever been there lol.

****ing mong. <laugh>

Why is it, every year without fail, everyone always says the promoted teams have zero chance of staying up and then every year at least one of them does? Why does nobody ever learn?