Speculation: Joe Lewis (Peterborough)

[Shoody]

Alex McLeish is in pole position to sign Joe Lewis – with Brad Guzan set to quit Aston Villa this summer.

McLeish has identified Peterborough’s England Under-21 star as the ideal replacement for the ­American, who is stalling over a new deal.

Lewis is out of contract in the summer and is also wanted by QPR and Leeds United, but Villa remain the most attractive option after failing to land him a year ago.

Guzan, 27, is out of ­contract at the end of the season, and although he has been offered fresh terms, he is fed up of playing back-up to Shay Given.


McLeish said: “We made the offer and we respect that Brad needs time to mull it over. I understand the dilemma he is facing.

“But at the same time it is not like he is second-in-command to Joe Hart, who is only 24. Shay is 35.”

Would be a great replacement for Brad imo

[TheSandman]

Can we just have one Summer Transfer thread for all these rumours?

[Shoody]

I thought that normally opened up closer to the summer

[eamonn]

Yeah, but these threads are a bit Villatalk in style. We couldn't have that now, could we?

[Shoody]

Anyway, he'd be a good signing. Last season when it looked as though Brad was going either Lewis or Smithies were my preferred choices to replace him so for us to get one of those on a free would make me quite happy. He's a good player and would be a good backup and hopefully a good number one when Givens contract is up.

Quite a little team we could make from free's

-----------Given
Clyne-Cuellar-Clark-Figueroa
-----------Diame
--Sigurdsson-Ireland
Marc-------------------NZog
----------Gabby

B: Lewis, Herd, Hutton, Bannan, Verhoek, Olic, Gardner

FWIW I would buy new centre backs and would prefer someone other than Figueroa,  but theres some bloody good (and possibly gettable) players available on free's this year.

It'd be a flaming miracle but if we sold say Warnock, Dunne, Collins and Petrov for circa £13m (saving further £16.5m in wages - including Brad's, Emiles and Beye's) you could get some good players in on free's, use some to service debts and buy two decent CB's.

*yes i know we'd be massively lucky to be able to sign either Clyne or Sigurdsson on free's as they will likely go somewhere much better than us.

[hartman_1982]

And of course there is the fact that Sigurdsson is not available on a free and, as Clyne is under 24, we would have to pay a fee for him anyway.

[Shoody]

Has gylfi signed a new contract then? Was sure he his was due to be up this summer.

Normally the 'fee' for an under 24yr old is somewhere around 300k, which is a pittance considering how promising he is. Even if its more than 300k it would be pennies.

[KevinGage]

Was on the fringes of the England squad a few years ago  (admittedly something like 4th choice when one or two of the senior goalies picked up a knock). 

But last season his stock had plummeted so much that even his own fans turned on him. 

If it's youngish goalkeepers we're targeting, Alex Smithies at Huddersfield or Stockdale at Fulham might be better options.

Neither might be crazy at the prospect of being number 2, but I wouldn't be completely stunned to see Given depart this summer. I said the same about Downing around this time last year and took pelters for it.

  He's been better than I expected -so good that a team looking to progress might be a realistic option for him, rather than having to merely fill out his time with us. 

Mark Hughes at Fulham would probably again be interested, seeing as he currently has a fat bloke from parks football between the posts at the moment. They have cash to spend, so even if they're struggling at present and don't finish a million miles off us, next year they might actually have a dart at it.  He's better than either Friedel or Gomes at Tottingham too, so I could see 'arry sniffing around,  loveable transfer window mover and shaker that he is. 

[TheSandman]

Hughes is at QPR, not Fulham. And I doubt Given is looking to play in the Championship which is where I think QPR will most likely be next season.

Not that I think Given won't move. I won't rule it out.

[Shoody]

Fortunately Hughes isnt with Fulham and will struggle to pay Shays wages in the Championship.
And 'Arry wont be at Spurs this summer either.

[eamonn]

Not a chance Given would be offered a 4 year + deal with another club on the same money. He'll stay and believe in ''Alex's project''. (I preferred Alex Party)

[KevinGage]

Apologies, I  meant QPR of course. Mark Schwarzer does actually look vaguely like a professional athlete. Unlike Paddy Kenny.

Or maybe I've just mentally erased the last 12 months.

[hipkiss92]

Didn't Swansea buy Sigurdsson in Jan, why would his contract be up in the summer?

[brian green]

I have a number of friends who are Peterborough fans whose opinion of Lewis is that his expected development into a top flight keeper has hit the buffers.

[Dave]

Didn't Swansea buy Sigurdsson in Jan, why would his contract be up in the summer?

Loan until the end of the season.

The sort of loan we should probably have been looking at.