Well it looks as normal that we have narrowed it down to one of these chaps as our latest multi-million pound target. I must say that I have lost count of the number of players we have been linked with this summer! My thoughts for what they are worth on these chaps are as follows:- Troy Deeney- has been a bit of a handful against us in previous meetings but NO way worth £10m more like £5M tops IMHO. Connor Wickham - This lad has some class and began to show it last year saved Sunderland from relegation. Well worth £5 - 6m and one for the future! Islam Slimani - Not done a lot last year in his domestic league but showed up well in the world cup. Could be useful but again £5m max. I conclude in my opinion that I am happy with the strikers we already have including Chris Woods I quite like the lad and would like him to stay but NP clearly does seem not to rate as highly and would like someone else, therefore my vote would be Connor Wickham for £5 to £6m. Whats your thoughts please on these players?
I think Troy Deeney is worth more to us than he is to you. He has a very good relationship to Matej Vydra up front - in fact Vydra is only half the player when Deeney isn't there. Breaking up such a partnership would probably mean us having to buy 2 more strikers in.
To be brutally honest neither fit NP's normal criteria Deeney is massively over priced Slimani just had a good World Cup and he wouldn't be the first to have a big money move after a World Cup and be crap Wickham has had 5 good games in 3 years. Doesn't warrant the price tag or wage demands I would go for Jordan Rhodes. If worst case senario happens and we go down we know we have a striker who can score 20-30 goals in the championship. He might even be a runaway success in the prem
Deemed is over priced but again if we were to go back down with a forward line of Ulloa, Deeney, Nugent, Vardy, we would be pretty formidable.
Now we've sold Long, I'd expect us to bid for Deeney or Wickham. Personally, I'd rather have Rhodes, but it seems Blackburn want ridiculous money.
Don't see too much difference between Chris Wood and Connor Wickham ... although the latter appears to have more ego and likes his nights out I think Troy Deeney would have both the desire and physical presence to step up to the plate in the prem ... the asking price is too high for his ability but does, as colognehornet alludes, reflect his worth to Watford .i.e what they would need to spend to have the same promotion prospects if he leaves (and would also placate the fans) My own preference is Slimani - showed he had a touch of class at the World Cup and troubled the German defence arguably more than any other opposing forward ... Never really been a big fan of Jordan Rhodes - for me very much in the Ross McCormack, Adam LeFondre mould ... very good in the Championship admittedly but doesn't convince me that he would be anywhere near as effective in the Prem .. prefer Vardy tbf ... doesn't supplement his goal tally with pens ...
Wickham has always done very well for Sunderland, when played, which hasn't been often. At the end of last season was his first proper run in the Premier League and he done a lot of damage. When he came to Sunderland he was probably a bit to young but the loans to the Championship seemed to have done him the world of good. How many English 21 year old centre forwards can you name that are better and have more potential then Connor. With the way money goes now for young English players, he's easy worth 10 million at least. That's just the way football is now. If you paid 8m for Ulloa then you couldn't grumble at paying 10m for Wickham!
Must admit they are all overpriced! But I do like Wickham,if he could calm down from the high life he would certainly be my 1st choice.
Troy Deeney- I can see Watford doing very well if he stays with them, but don't think it warrants the £10m price tag. Connor Wickham - Its Chris Wood part 2 but with partially more prem experience, hardly proven premier league and wouldn't probably get in above Ulloa and Vardy anyway. Islam Slimani - I cant see Pearson buying anyone that will have an inflated world cup price.
... I wouldn't class Euro 6.5 million as 'imflated' to be fair ... now £27 million for Lallana, £25 million for Shaw and £28 million for Lukaku on the other hand ... and if you compare our Slimani bid against the Lukaku amount it looks, potentially, like a real bargain to me ... further, Forest have just paid £5 million for Brit Assombalonga .... the market dictates and if we could get Slimani for the bid price I'd look at it as remarkably good business ...
Assombalonga will turn out to be worth every penny i think - i think he is a top top player and one that i wouldnt have minded here
... I put a thread on the Peterborough board asking how good he is etc... generally they liked him but his talent is rather raw and I don't think he would resolve our immediate need in the Prem ... could be one for the future mind.
Much rather take a risk on Slimani then Deeney even if they cost the same price. Slimani being half the price is a bonus
For a man with such strength, he is so quick and agile on his feet. Yes he's raw but i really do think he will be a top striker in the future and the £5m nottingham played for him will be a decent investment when you look at the inflated prices.
