Transfer Speculation / Gossip

[supertom]

What applies to players in their last contract year - also applies to the club.....what chance of RL getting his money back  - if we are under-funded - and risk relegation?

I suppose part of Randy's thinking will be that we should be sold within a year and we also should survive with the current squad, because, with more luck with injuries and as things stand, it's stronger than last season.

If he sells next May and Delph, Vlaar and Gabby end up going on a free, then he won't give two shites. It's a gamble though because he could still be our owner going into the 15-16 season, with three of our best players gone, Benteke pushing for a move, and even Lambert unwilling to carry on having completed his final year.

It's that season, should Randy be at the helm still, that I'd be more worried about. We really could be up shite creek by then, unless he changes his attitude.

Hopefully it won't come to that and we'll have a new owner by then.

[PaulWinch again]

According to the Sunday Mirror Lambert has just £10m to spend this summer including wages.
Not good if true.

I find it hard to believe we're going to be restricted that much financially. He'd have to be absolutely stupid to think that would be enough, and Lambert would be nuts to put up with it.

However, I do think we're in for a summer of cheapness, sadly.

I doubt the restrictions will be that strict either, because even Lerner must realise in order to sell he needs to protect his investment.

[ChicagoLion]

According to the Sunday Mirror Lambert has just £10m to spend this summer including wages.
Not good if true.

I find it hard to believe we're going to be restricted that much financially. He'd have to be absolutely stupid to think that would be enough, and Lambert would be nuts to put up with it.

However, I do think we're in for a summer of cheapness, sadly.

I doubt the restrictions will be that strict either, because even Lerner must realise in order to sell he needs to protect his investment.

I doubt the £10 mil is true but 3 seasons of gambling with our PL future does not leave me with much confidence that they wont go into the next season with a survive on the cheap mentality.

[Steve67]

Aston Villa is a business, not one man's property! Surely Randy can't be pilfering the profits?

[RussellC]

Oh, and then that freaky thing from General K on the OS about how Randy has many missions in life, talked about his 'writing' and has many options regarding what to do next.

All that stuff - let's be honest, it's more than a little bit weird, isn't it?

Without wishing to offend any of our posters, isn't it just, well, very American?

[Villa in Denmark]

Aston Villa is a business, not one man's property! Surely Randy can't be pilfering the profits?

What profits.

The whole shitstorm has come about from Randy saying he can't / won't fund £30 - 50M per year loses.

[Malandro]

Oh, and then that freaky thing from General K on the OS about how Randy has many missions in life, talked about his 'writing' and has many options regarding what to do next.

All that stuff - let's be honest, it's more than a little bit weird, isn't it?

Without wishing to offend any of our oysters, isn't it just, well, very American?

I go with weird, he's a walking contradicktion

[pbavfckuwait]

Super Tom, the question I would like to ask you, is why should we have any more luck with injuries this year than we did last, the one thing we have not had since Pube head went is a lucky manager, thats what is scary.

[CJ]

If we don't offer Vlaar and Delph contract extensions it must be a likely scenario that the club will accept any reasonable offer for either or both players given their value to the club will be zero in eleven months time.

Vlaar to Yanited for £3m , Delph to Stoke or similar for another £2m

Why would Yanited need Vlaar - after all they've got Jones, Evans, Smalling.........oh

[supertom]

Super Tom, the question I would like to ask you, is why should we have any more luck with injuries this year than we did last, the one thing we have not had since Pube head went is a lucky manager, thats what is scary.

Whether there's something up with training, I don't know, though I do believe Houllier's regiment did somewhat contribute toward a horrendous spell of injuries that season. Last season if you looked at it, we were desperately unfortunate with Benteke. It's a horrible injury. Vlaar is just one of those injury prone players. Gary Gardner could fall into a barrel of boobs and he'd come out sucking his thumb.

Are we asking for trouble signing Senderos and Cole? Perhaps. All issues of ability aside, they've both had injury problems in the past. Cole in particular.

My hope is though that at the very least we get most of the season out of Kozak, and that as soon as Benteke gets back, he stays injury free for the remainder. I'm crossing fingers, toes, everything. Surely though....surely, it can't be as bad as last season, or McLeish's season, or Houlliers season...

[supertom]

If we don't offer Vlaar and Delph contract extensions it must be a likely scenario that the club will accept any reasonable offer for either or both players given their value to the club will be zero in eleven months time.

Vlaar to Yanited for £3m , Delph to Stoke or similar for another £2m

Why would Yanited need Vlaar - after all they've got Jones, Evans, Smalling.........oh

Vlaar wasn't great yesterday. I think a little too much was made of his opening game against Spain. There will certainly be people sniffing round for Vlaar, but I'm not sure we'll be getting our backdoors smashed in by raiders trying to steal him from us.

Utd do need to sign two defenders. Most definitely. Jones and Smalling are shite. Evans is average. Question is, do they sign two top class defenders at 30-40 mill outlay, or do they sign one top defender and then a decent one like Vlaar for 5ish? Though there is the connection with LVG, I don't think it'll happen. Vlaars injury record is problematic for starters.

I wouldn't think it's a question of him wanting to leave either. If anything it suits Delph and Vlaar more to see out their extra year and get a hell of a deal next year on a bosman. The main question is, if an offer comes in, will Randy snatch someones hand off? I'll be gutted if he ends up at a tin pot club like Newcastle, or worse. If Delph or Vlaar leave this summer it'll be because we let them go, not because they wanted to leave. I think both seem pretty happy at the club. As a player too, if you're good, and still in your prime and find yourself on a bosman you'll end up rolling in it.

[Ger Regan]

Aston Villa is a business, not one man's property! Surely Randy can't be pilfering the profits?

What profits.

The whole shitstorm has come about from Randy saying he can't / won't fund £30 - 50M per year loses.

And yet there are still constant suggestions of him "taking money out of the club".

[Villafirst]

The trouble is that the quality of the squad is diminishing season by season - particularly since 2010. The only eventual outcome of this strategy is relegation. If we can't keep Delph, Vlaar and Gabby then it's very worrying indeed. FFS we can't seem to compete with Hull & the Baggies in the transfer market now! I really wish Lerner had sold-up in 2010 because the last 4 years have set the club back years, and you do wonder if we'll compete anywhere near the top-six anytime soon.

[RussellC]

We've got to remember that we've got the loan system to play around with as well. I think I'm right in saying that we're allowed 4 loans in total (2 domestically and 2 from elsewhere), but stand to be corrected. If that's the case there would be plenty of players who we could look to get in on-loan who'd improve us. Off the top of my head;

Victor Moses- need regular football and would be an infinite improvement on Wiemann.
Bertrand- didn't pull-up trees last season but still made us look more solid at the back than either Bennett or Luna.
Nick Powell - looked great for Wigan last season but doubt he'll be forcing his way into the Utd team this season.
Jack Rodwell - will probably want a chance to impress Pellegrini before leaving permanently.
Joel Campbell - coming back to Arsenal but there are rumours that Wenger will look to loan him out to a Premiership Club.

Well, how positive of me on A Monday morning, eh? You're all welcome.

[Villafirst]

We've got to remember that we've got the loan system to play around with as well. I think I'm right in saying that we're allowed 4 loans in total (2 domestically and 2 from elsewhere), but stand to be corrected. If that's the case there would be plenty of players who we could look to get in on-loan who'd improve us. Off the top of my head;

Victor Moses- need regular football and would be an infinite improvement on Wiemann.
Bertrand- didn't pull-up trees last season but still made us look more solid at the back than either Bennett or Luna.
Nick Powell - looked great for Wigan last season but doubt he'll be forcing his way into the Utd team this season.
Jack Rodwell - will probably want a chance to impress Pellegrini before leaving permanently.
Joel Campbell - coming back to Arsenal but there are rumours that Wenger will look to loan him out to a Premiership Club.

Well, how positive of me on A Monday morning, eh? You're all welcome.

Loans tend to be quick-fix solutions and do not permanently address the long term problem. I think it's appalling that we've been reduced to scratching around the bargain basement for players and can't really sign quality players for the future.