To be fair Allen was ace in the Euros and that usually massively inflates a value, pretty sure he was in the team of the tournament. It's only because he's mostly been on the bench for Liverpool they didn't get more, if Sissoko goes for more than Allen (especially if he goes to Liverpool) then the world makes a bit less sense.
I agree, Allen was a major part of why Wales did as well as they did. I still don't think he's worth £13m however. Although when you look at some of the prices going round at the minute it's a joke, complete and utter joke. Sissoko value at £35m is the biggest one of them all. Again, £5m for M'Vila peanuts. He's a £20m player in today's climate IMO.
I reckon once the pre-season tour is over he will be unveiled at the Academy. Who knows, there may be others to go with him.
I saw on new snow earlier that brace and stock dale were taking training but couldn't open the article at work! Can't find it nw but wondered if it was because moyes was working on transfers
That story is,in today's echo, Moyes,was missing from the,first part of training, he was apparently engaged in transfer business and joined Brace & Stockdale later.(Sorry don't know how to lift it from the echo & print it here).
There is no time to lose for the Sunderland squad as they continue their preparations to be ready for the start of the new Premier League campaign. Fresh from the 3-2 win over Dijon at the Stade Camille-Fournier last night, the players were back out on the same pitch training this morning. Those players that had completed a full 90 minutes were doing a recovery session in the pool back at the club's plush Evian hotel, a short 300-yard walk from the stadium. The likes of Fabio Borini, Whabi Khazri, Lamine Kone and Younes Kaboul among those enjoying time in the pool out of the hot sunshine, with temperatures here set to rise into the high 20s again. I had the chance to watch the training session this morning before interviewing a few of the players, with Robbie Stockdale and Paul Bracewell leading the session. David Moyes was back at the hotel working on transfer business, although he did later appear at the session. First team coach Stockdale and assistant manager Bracewell were Sam Allardye's lieutenants last season as the club pulled off a remarkable survival bid. Both are clearly highly respected by the players and there was laughter in the air as the players got their boots on in preparation for another tough session. Moyes has a decision to make over his backroom staff after taking charge from Allardye on Saturday. For now, though, it was straight back down to business. Once the younger players had helped Stockdale & Co set up the training pitch it was straight into the warm-up. The group was then split into two groups for an intensive short, sharp, passing drill aimed at building technique, fitness and stamina. The players looked sharp, with the coaching staff pleased with their efforts over the course of the morning. Stockdale was barking the orders out to the players, who have been working hard over the summer to come back in good shape. That much is clear. Goalkeepers Vito Mannone, Jordan Pickford and Max Stryjek worked on a separate pitch over the road with goalkeeping coach Adrian Tucker before joining the rest of the squad around half an hour in. The session ended with a game using half a pitch. John O'Shea and Seb Larsson trained with the rest of the squad until the game at the end, were they then completed running drills away from the rest of the group. The pair were given an extended break following Euro 2016 and watched last night's win from a bench, alongside Jermain Defoe who is out with a thigh injury. Moyes may have had a watching brief this morning but he is very hands on, far more than Allardyce was, who used to let his coaching staff lead the training most of the time. The players will be back in training tomorrow ahead of the third and final friendly against Montpellier HSC on Saturday before the squad jet home the following day.
Sunderland remain in pole position to sign Yann M’Vila, but the summer-long pursuit is set to drag on. There had been hopes of progress being made with Russian side Rubin Kazan for the permanent signing of M’Vila, who starred on loan for Sunderland last season. But the Echo understands the deal is proving to be far from straight forward, with talks continuing between the two clubs. It is thought the sticking point has been Kazan’s determination to bank a hefty fee for M’Vila - thought to be around the £5million mark - despite only six months remaining on his contract. Sunderland, yet to make a summer signing, could wait until M’Vila is a free agent in January but would then risk other clubs beating them to his signature. There are also question marks over his fitness levels as a result of his state-of-limbo this summer. M’Vila, who has no future at Kazan and has publicly declared he wants to return to Sunderland, is understood to be willing to take a hefty pay cut from his £100,000-a-week contract. http://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport...plicated-as-summer-saga-rumbles-on-1-8041498?
If this is true we are gonna have to pull our fingers out and pay the £5 million. Because sooner or later somebody else will. Whether he only has 6 months left on his contract or not surely it is worth paying £5 million just to get him here pronto, get him up to fitness and get him used to Moyes's plans. All of this haggling means he is not gonna be 100% when the season starts. Pay £5 million now and have a player ready to go at the start, pay lets say £3 million in 2-3 weeks time and have a player not ready for a month or two. No brainer to me, however its not my money. I think there is something more to it than the transfer fee personally. Every summer we have a transfer saga!
Can't argue with any of that ........ I'm hoping there's a problem, that isn't our fault, that can be resolved.
Surely M'Vila has the sense to keep his fitness levels up even though he isn't getting match practice. Couldn't he have joined the lads for a week whilst we we're over there, he could have worn a disguise if it's not allowed.
