Summer 2016: Transfer rumours and suggestions

[Matt C]

Some utterly ludicrous fees around at the top end - Pogba, Stones, Lukaku - defining what the rest of the market is looking like. I saw on The Guardian site Smethwick are paying £15m for Sakho? £30m-odd for Sissoko who looked utterly anonymous in a relegated Newcastle side? Crazy.

[ldavfc4eva]

Not a massive YouTube fan either but he looks a natural finisher and also someone who looks decent a set pieces, so we kill two birds with one stone.

Price wise I think he is a few million over the mark if we buy at £14m but then again this is a transfer market where Sakho is going for £15/£16m and Sissoko is going for £35m after a pretty anonymous season at a relegated club, so about right for the times we are in I think.

The clock is ticking and I'd be happy to get him in now, as someone else posted we need to stop thinking that the clubs money is our money, we need to get back up so need to buy some proven and quality players. We didn't do it in January and we went down, this week we have been balancing the books so getting him in seems a no brainier.

Would love us to get rid of Lescott and Richards next and get a few more replacements in, if they are McNair and Jedinak the that's not a bad couple of additions.

Can't think who mentioned Charlie Daniels from Bournemouth but he would be a good shout for left midfield with Amavi behind him, think he was in the top 5 for distance covered last season and wouldn't cost the earth.

[ldavfc4eva]

Bid accepted according to Sky, medical today. Looks to be ours unless someone steals him at the last minute

[JUAN PABLO]

I know the risks of forming an opinion based on YouTube clips, BUT, I was really impressed with that.

He looks like a proper striker, and a goal threat from free kicks too.

Just what we need IMO.

whats wrong with Westwoods free kicks?

[JUAN PABLO]

I hope I'm wrong but I really don't think McCormack is the right player for us up front, he'll score some goals and get some assists but I don't think he'll make that much of a difference to us.  We still need to find some real pace so we have a threat on the counter attack, I just see Grealish, Ayew and RM all wanting to play in the same pockets of space around the edge of the box and no one dragging defenders around to create that space.

to be fair Paul . who is actually making goals and assists and are we sure the likes of Bamford would score the same amount. One month ago I would have said not RM but now Im thinking sign him up now . Get Three million for Sinclair gets a bit of the fee and hes hopeless.

[Ads]

I think the Bent comparison's are unfair, as he does a hell of a lot more outside the box.

[paul_e]

I hope I'm wrong but I really don't think McCormack is the right player for us up front, he'll score some goals and get some assists but I don't think he'll make that much of a difference to us.  We still need to find some real pace so we have a threat on the counter attack, I just see Grealish, Ayew and RM all wanting to play in the same pockets of space around the edge of the box and no one dragging defenders around to create that space.

to be fair Paul . who is actually making goals and assists and are we sure the likes of Bamford would score the same amount. One month ago I would have said not RM but now Im thinking sign him up now . Get Three million for Sinclair gets a bit of the fee and hes hopeless.

Given I don't want Bamford either I'd agree with you on that one.

Let me try again.  Our fundamental problem last season was that we were easily crowded out because we didn't have the threat in behind that pushed defenders deeper and created a gap between the defence and midfield which is where our creative players (Grealish, Ayew and Gil) wanted to operate.  Because of that they all ended up coming far deeper than they'd like and then none of them has the raw pace to beat a man on halfway and break on goal.  For me McCormack does nothing to address that problem so we still need to sign another striker.  If we go out and do that and we fill that massive gap in the squad then RM may prove to be worth the money but if we don't then I think he'll just be another disappointing signing who doesn't give us what we expected.

[rob_bridge]

I think the Bent comparison's are unfair, as he does a hell of a lot more outside the box.

And he is nowhere near as good as Bent was in the box either. Nowhere near.

Good enough for this level though.

[oldtimernow]

A lot of money on a striker whose trajectory is most likely to be downwards rather than upwards.

If he does the job this year then it will be money well spent but I would have liked to have seen it spent on a player who is more likely to be upwardly mobile .Maybe we will get him as well?

Fingers crossed

[JUAN PABLO]

I hope I'm wrong but I really don't think McCormack is the right player for us up front, he'll score some goals and get some assists but I don't think he'll make that much of a difference to us.  We still need to find some real pace so we have a threat on the counter attack, I just see Grealish, Ayew and RM all wanting to play in the same pockets of space around the edge of the box and no one dragging defenders around to create that space.

to be fair Paul . who is actually making goals and assists and are we sure the likes of Bamford would score the same amount. One month ago I would have said not RM but now Im thinking sign him up now . Get Three million for Sinclair gets a bit of the fee and hes hopeless.

Given I don't want Bamford either I'd agree with you on that one.

Let me try again.  Our fundamental problem last season was that we were easily crowded out because we didn't have the threat in behind that pushed defenders deeper and created a gap between the defence and midfield which is where our creative players (Grealish, Ayew and Gil) wanted to operate.  Because of that they all ended up coming far deeper than they'd like and then none of them has the raw pace to beat a man on halfway and break on goal.  For me McCormack does nothing to address that problem so we still need to sign another striker.  If we go out and do that and we fill that massive gap in the squad then RM may prove to be worth the money but if we don't then I think he'll just be another disappointing signing who doesn't give us what we expected.

sign the Bristol city striker as well Id be happy , he looks pretty good to be fair , but RDM would need to get rid of Gestede and Kozak  unless RDM rates RG as he seems to rate Gabby , mcgrath help us.

[cdward]

Fast pacey strikers are no use if the majority of teams that come to VP are happy to sit deep and defend.

RM is being bought for his instant impact ability, we need to hit the ground running, forget his age, forget his price tag, forget his sell on value, he will give us goals.

[themossman]

A lot of money on a striker whose trajectory is most likely to be downwards rather than upwards.

If he does the job this year then it will be money well spent but I would have liked to have seen it spent on a player who is more likely to be upwardly mobile .Maybe we will get him as well?

Fingers crossed

If you widen the scope of 'do his job' to stop us slipping into the quagmire of mid-lower table championship team, while we still have *some* credibility as a footballing force, and add the context of a poor balance between leavers and joiners this windows (so far anyway), then £12m for a proven scorer looks like less of a gamble.

[passitsideways]

Fast pacey strikers are no use if the majority of teams that come to VP are happy to sit deep and defend.

RM is being bought for his instant impact ability, we need to hit the ground running, forget his age, forget his price tag, forget his sell on value, he will give us goals.

We don't know how teams who come to VP will approach the game though, and of course, that's only one side of the coin. That's why you get variety. Gestede/Kozak will be the big lumps, McCormack as the goalscorer, and then a pacy striker to stretch defences and play on the counter.

[paul_e]

Fast pacey strikers are no use if the majority of teams that come to VP are happy to sit deep and defend.

RM is being bought for his instant impact ability, we need to hit the ground running, forget his age, forget his price tag, forget his sell on value, he will give us goals.

Which would be all well and good if we'd been losing to teams that came to defend like that but actually most teams last year came and played a high line and choked us in midfield.

[curiousorange]

A striker who can score a free kick is a major asset as well. If we're playing with the likes of Grealish and Traore, this division will probably give us a fair amount of free kicks outside the box. McCormack gets my vote of confidence to try his hand.