Summer transfer rumours, speculation and out-and-out b*ll*cks.

[TimTheVillain]

Odemwingie anyone ?

Very good player, £6 mill I reckon.

[Concrete John]

If he goes anywhere, it'll be for a lot more than £6m.

[KevinGage]

unless of course the so called itk poster of a couple a weeks back who reckoned there was going to be one more big sale is correct-gabby to newcastle is still a rumour doing the rounds although not sure id class that as a big sale in the context of things.

I just can't see a new manager who hasn't exactly got plenty of goodwill in the bank from the support base taking such a chance. Not this early into his tenure. It may have been a distinct possibility under Houllier, but unless Gabby himself is agitating for a move it's a non starter for me.

[Meanwood Villa]

I can't really see anyone paying 20k a week for Beye, he's about to his 34. For the same reason, I can't see the player even being interested in going elsewhere, it's not as if he's got a move to play for next summer. He'll sit tight and pick up his 40k.

Cuellar won't be going anywhere in a hurry as he's still injured, and the main suitors for him can't afford anything like that kind of money.

I admit I was going with a 'best case scenario' there, but the only players likely to/we'd want to leave are Carlos, Beye and maybe Heskey.  The good thing is that the incoming fees aren't nearly as important to us as their wages, so with them all being out of contract next summer it's a problem with a clear end in sight.  I guess it's a case of if anything happens to bring that end nearer then great, and it may prompt Randy to take a lessened short term hit.

This is the crux of the problem really. I accept that the board have a stand that there won't be any more bonanza contracts handed out while reserves and wasters are still on good money. I also accept that this is why we won't be signing anyone else this window.

What's really concerning moving forward is that we've now set the bar for what we're willing to pay and if we do move for anyone decent in a future window they can turn round in wage negotiations and say "well you were paying Beye this much and he never played so I want more". With wage inflation as it is then we're surely going to have to pay even more in wages to progress. Is this what Randy wants?? My suspicion is no which is why I think this window is the first of many of falling behind competitors due to unwillingness to pay top dollar for quality.

[eastie]

Odemwingie anyone ?

Very good player, £6 mill I reckon.

youd have to at least double that and more.

[Jockey Randall]

If he goes anywhere, it'll be for a lot more than £6m.

Really? He is 30 now. If they hang onto him for another season I can't see them getting much more than that next summer.

[pedro25]

Bent out, Lovenkrands and Leon Best in.  On a serious note I think Makoun could be the departure with a Barton/Parker type replacement.  AM has already handed Petrov the captaincy again, bigged up Delph in the media and said he's looking for a midfield general.  New midfield general and captain Petrov with Delph in reserve doesn't leave much room for Makoun.

[pedro25]

Odemwingie may be £6mill next summer but that surely means he'll be nearer £10m at least this summer.

[Concrete John]

If he goes anywhere, it'll be for a lot more than £6m.

Really? He is 30 now. If they hang onto him for another season I can't see them getting much more than that next summer.

I didn't realise he was that old!

Still, after the season he's had they'll be able to screw whoever is after him for more than £6m!

[Concrete John]

What's really concerning moving forward is that we've now set the bar for what we're willing to pay and if we do move for anyone decent in a future window they can turn round in wage negotiations and say "well you were paying Beye this much and he never played so I want more". With wage inflation as it is then we're surely going to have to pay even more in wages to progress. Is this what Randy wants?? My suspicion is no which is why I think this window is the first of many of falling behind competitors due to unwillingness to pay top dollar for quality.

I think we'll still pay the higher wages for the players that are worth it.  N'Zogbia and Bent are both on £60k+ a week, for example. 

[TimTheVillain]

We still need.

* Another goalscorer
* A midfield General
* An Ashley Young replacement ( winger in other words)

Makoun may be a makeweight for Parker , how about Fonz being a makeweight for Odenwingie ?

Creative deals to be done here.

[KevinGage]

Bent, Gabby, Heskey, The Fonz and Bill Wiemann says to me we have decent options up front. I'd be quite happy to get a better targetman than Ivanhoe should we be able to move him on, or look for a 'link' forward.

But other positions would be a bigger priority, in all honesty.

[eastie]

Bent, Gabby, Heskey, The Fonz and Bill Wiemann says to me we have decent options up front. I'd be quite happy to get a better targetman than Ivanhoe should we be able to move him on, or look for a 'link' forward.

But other positions would be a bigger priority, in all honesty.

Before bent arrived we were in the bottom 3 with those other strikers-not enough goals and if bent gets injured long term we will be struggle to score.

[TimTheVillain]

Bent, Gabby, Heskey, The Fonz and Bill Wiemann...

a) Excellent
b) Does he fit in anymore ?
c) He's Emile Heskey
d) Unable to prove himself, needs to go out on loan or something
e) Unproven

If Bent gets injured, we really are up shit creek.

[Reuben]

Bent, Gabby, Heskey, The Fonz and Bill Wiemann says to me we have decent options up front. I'd be quite happy to get a better targetman than Ivanhoe should we be able to move him on, or look for a 'link' forward.

But other positions would be a bigger priority, in all honesty.

Was Weimann involved at all pre-season?  Thought he was supposed to have more potential than the Fonz?