Transfer Speculation / Gossip

[brontebilly]

 I think Caulker is a bit overrated.Every time i see Cardiff, there defence is all over the place.I think hes ok, but not worth £8m imho.

no way at that price, Id avoid Caulker like the plague this summer to be honest. Dawson at half the price would be better. For 8m we should be getting an established European international defender not Caulker.

Raphael Varane signed for Real for about 6m stg. Pique cost Barcelona 5m. The days of clubs like ours overpaying for average British players like Caulker is surely over.

Signing him for that price would bring back memories of signing Curtis Davies with arguably the same net result imo.

Come on now, you can't point out those two signings and act like that is the going rate on centre backs. Varane (who was £9m) was only that cheap because he was running out his contract and was only ever going to sign for Real Madrid. Pique was a flop at United and he too was only interested in going back to Barca. Both revelations but Villa could never have signed them.

When it comes to Caulker, he's 22, an England international, captained Cardiff and is a menace at corners. I don't think you can get any better for £8-10m, especially for a centre half under 25.

I can't stand the phrase, "he is an England International" intending he's class. He has 1 cap and England are a poor team. Being English and under 25 means absolutely nothing....its mentality and technical ability for me which a lot of English footballers don't have, let alone both.

Why are we suggesting Caulker anyway...is Vlaar now not good enough and has Okore been forgotten?

Vlaar is crocked for about 10 games a season and Okore is coming back from a horrendous injury. We need a centre half, without a shadow of a doubt. We can't have Baker starting 20 games next season.

Being under 25 is a massive factor in the sense that he has a lot of development still to come and we can always sell him for a profit in the future. Its been the clubs aim over the past two years to buy younger players and improve them and Caulker fits right in that bracket.

Thats the same attitude that had MON paying 8m or so for Curtis Davies. Davies has improved a good bit since but Caulker is in the same boat now as Davies was then imo.

Shawcross has an England cap too, a butcher of a footballer but miles a better defender than Shawcross Id argue. Id even go as far as saying Id prefer Winston Reid or Gareth McAuley to Caulker at half the price. Id have Caulker on the same level as Curtis Davies or Steven Taylor. Bang average English defenders that we would be paying a premium for having a British passport. None that much an improvement on Vlaar either really. The standard of English defending is piss poor to be honest. Cant find someone to partner Cahill at this World Cup. Glen Johnson is the likely starter at right back. Not good

Benedikt Howedes (captain of Schalke, 26) might be our replacement for Vlaar. Maybe our European correspondents can unearth some better possibilities to the likes of Steven Caulker.

[olaftab]

No thanks as far as players from relegated teams are concerned.

[pauliewalnuts]

Nobody is saying Caulker is world class but he's vastly better than Baker and Clark.

That said, I'd take Curtis Davis back ahead of any of them. He's improved beyond all recognition to the player we once had.

I thought he was quite poor yesterday, only one game I know, did you see him?

I noticed him when he got easily hustled off the ball by Gabby prior to the ball across for the first goal.

[Malandro]

No thanks as far as players from relegated teams are concerned.

I'd take Hangeland, I really don't think Fulham's season is down to him

[silhillvilla]

Maybe we should blow out entire budget and some getting Cahill back home .
Thanks MON you devious , caniving, useless four eyed sack of shite.

[olaftab]

That said, I'd take Curtis Davis back ahead of any of them. He's improved beyond all recognition to the player we once had.

You mean Curtis Davis the worst defender by a long way on the pitch yesterday?

[brontebilly]

No thanks as far as players from relegated teams are concerned.

I'd take Hangeland, I really don't think Fulham's season is down to him

33 next month, injury prone, snail like slow. bringing him in would make the Given deal seem good value

[UK Redsox]

I'd take Sidders back for a year

[supertom]

That said, I'd take Curtis Davis back ahead of any of them. He's improved beyond all recognition to the player we once had.

You mean Curtis Davis the worst defender by a long way on the pitch yesterday?

But that's only because he was Agent Davis yesterday.  He's been their player of the year this season. Even more so than their midfield dynamo the Hudd (who was also well below par yesterday).

Would I take him back? Probably not, but in a straight choice between him and Baker or Clark, I'd choose Curtis every time.

[supertom]

I'd take Sidders back for a year

I feel dirty for saying it but I probably would too if we're shopping on a budget again. Surely no more than 2-3 million.

If we've loosened the purse strings a bit or have been taken over, I'd be looking at better though.

[silhillvilla]

If you're in for Sidwell you may aswell take Aaron Hughes whilst there aswell

[enigma]

That said, I'd take Curtis Davis back ahead of any of them. He's improved beyond all recognition to the player we once had.

You mean Curtis Davis the worst defender by a long way on the pitch yesterday?

I'm judging him on his performances over a season, not just one game. he's been one of the best centre backs in the league this season.

[john2710]

That said, I'd take Curtis Davis back ahead of any of them. He's improved beyond all recognition to the player we once had.

You mean Curtis Davis the worst defender by a long way on the pitch yesterday?

I'm judging him on his performances over a season, not just one game. he's been one of the best centre backs in the league this season.

Davis was never a bad defender nor was he ever worth the £8m+ MON spent on him. I think he played when not fully fit & then fell out of contention. I always thought he got a raw deal from us.

[Malandro]

No thanks as far as players from relegated teams are concerned.

I'd take Hangeland, I really don't think Fulham's season is down to him

P
33 next month, injury prone, snail like slow. bringing him in would make the Given deal seem good value

A good defender

[Dave]

He was a great defender four years ago.

A good defender two years ago.

An absolute liability for most of this season.