Summer Transfer Thread: Speculation, Lies, Absolute Cr*p and Bosman Rumours

[IFWaters]

Dimitar berbatov - 1 year left on contract at Man Utd. Could give our attack some much-needed guile. he is 31/32 so could be gettable for Bent-like wages.

I know you will all say big gamble but just last season he scored 20 goals in only 32 matches.

Put him up front with Bent and use Gabby on the wings with the Zog on the other side.

[IFWaters]

also Robbie Keane back in Jan (at least, if not permanent)

I know, I know recreating the spurs side of 2008 but they are great players

give the team an irish-bulgarian axis

[Ross]

I'm pretty sure Holt will be coming.  First thing PL will want is some players he can trust, and Holt comes straight into that category.  The way I see it, he is 3 years younger than Heskey and scores goals.  A bit of a no brainer upgrade to me.

[Dave]

I know you will all say big gamble but just last season he scored 20 goals in only 32 matches.

There wouldn't be any gamble. But there is absolutely no chance we would be signing him.

[TheSandman]

So that Bas Dost fella was saying we wern't big enough for him and he joined Wolsberg? Hmmmm, hope he enjoys himself there.

They won the Bundesliga a few years back. Wolfsburg are far from minnows.

[Monty]

So that Bas Dost fella was saying we wern't big enough for him and he joined Wolsberg? Hmmmm, hope he enjoys himself there.

They won the Bundesliga a few years back. Wolfsburg are far from minnows.

Yeah, and are owned by Volkswagen. I think "shitloadsamoney" is the correct term.

[Gompedyret]

So that Bas Dost fella was saying we wern't big enough for him and he joined Wolsberg? Hmmmm, hope he enjoys himself there.

He never said that. It was a mistranslation.

[villadelph]

So that Bas Dost fella was saying we wern't big enough for him and he joined Wolsberg? Hmmmm, hope he enjoys himself there.

He never said that. It was a mistranslation.

It was his agent that said he should be aiming for bigger clubs than Villa.. He'll do well at Wolfsberg, a good club.

If someone told me at last season that at years end we'll swap Heskey for Holt I'd be delighted. Can't be upset now, I'm sure Lambert will keep him firing. With Bent's on the ground prowess and finishing ability, and Holt's ability to win flighted balls in the box the Villa could be a dangerous attacking team next year.

[Mister E]

So that Bas Dost fella was saying we wern't big enough for him and he joined Wolsberg? Hmmmm, hope he enjoys himself there.

He never said that. It was a mistranslation.

It was his agent that said he should be aiming for bigger clubs than Villa.. He'll do well at Wolfsberg, a good club.

If someone told me at last season that at years end we'll swap Heskey for Holt I'd be delighted. Can't be upset now, I'm sure Lambert will keep him firing. With Bent's on the ground prowess and finishing ability, and Holt's ability to win flighted balls in the box the Villa could be a dangerous attacking team next year.

Question is, who'll be 'flighting the balls in'?
With the core of the squad we have I'd be looking for a game played on the ground rather than in the air; but maybe that's me being too one-dimenisional about the approach.

[ozzjim]

So that Bas Dost fella was saying we wern't big enough for him and he joined Wolsberg? Hmmmm, hope he enjoys himself there.

He never said that. It was a mistranslation.

It was his agent that said he should be aiming for bigger clubs than Villa.. He'll do well at Wolfsberg, a good club.

If someone told me at last season that at years end we'll swap Heskey for Holt I'd be delighted. Can't be upset now, I'm sure Lambert will keep him firing. With Bent's on the ground prowess and finishing ability, and Holt's ability to win flighted balls in the box the Villa could be a dangerous attacking team next year.

Question is, who'll be 'flighting the balls in'?
With the core of the squad we have I'd be looking for a game played on the ground rather than in the air; but maybe that's me being too one-dimenisional about the approach.

I think Albrighton would benefit from having a target to hit, as would NZogbia, or any wingers we may be interested in buying. I see Holt as a stop gap, until we can find a much younger version of him.

[Concrete John]

Holt as an upgrade to Heskey does make some sense.  However, someone made the point above that he is 3 years younger than Heskey, which means he's the same age Heskey was when we signed him.  That was for £3.5m, so that should be the benchmark and, despite his goal tally last year, should we be paying for for a player with one top flight season in his career than an England International with the depth of experience Emile had?  Randy will also have been burned by his huge wages, so I can't see Holt happening unless it's for a more sensible financial package.

[Mister E]

Holt as an upgrade to Heskey does make some sense.  However, someone made the point above that he is 3 years younger than Heskey, which means he's the same age Heskey was when we signed him.  That was for £3.5m, so that should be the benchmark and, despite his goal tally last year, should we be paying for for a player with one top flight season in his career than an England International with the depth of experience Emile had?  Randy will also have been burned by his huge wages, so I can't see Holt happening unless it's for a more sensible financial package.

I just can't stop thinking about Marlene's signing and the fact that other teams will know how to stop Holt next season, as they did with the Hare.

[Concrete John]

I'm not hugely in favour of it at all.  At best, he's a reserve to come on when needed to give us an option we don't get from Bent or Gabby.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

If we sign another 31 year old striker on a 3 year contract, then we clearly haven't learnt any lessons at all.


If Holt comes to us he will be Heskey mark 2.

[Concrete John]

It will be if we give him 3 and a half years at £60k a week.

I don't want him, but if Lambert does, which some people seem to be treating as fact despite his denial in the press conference, then what becomes important is that the overall package is not too onerous. 

£3m fee and £20k a week.  Two year deal with an option for a third.