Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread

[OCD]

Smith did say things need to align. It may well be that he's being careful in case the deal that he wants doesn't come off in time.

[ktvillan]

I've a suspicion Smith might want to play a bit like Liverpool with three quick mobile forwards who can play wide or down the middle, with the full backs providing additional width.  So Benrahma would fit that bill more so than another Centre Forward type like Wesley.  Trezeguet, AEG, Jota maybe Kodija, also possibly would work in that respect. Possibly even Wesley himself.   In which case a hold up type player might not play all the time, or be expected to bear the goalscoring burden -  and Davies would be adequate backup. 

[cdbearsfan]

I'm not sure why people are so worried about goals from the strikers, we've just socred 16 goals in pre-season and only 3 were from forwards. Complaining about the lack of goals from the forwards but ignoring the fact that the midfield was scoring for fun just seems a strange way to react to that, for me.

Good form in friendlies is nice, but hardly something to base a season upon. It's unrealistic to expect our midfield to score as many in the Premier League as they did in a division below. Kodjia is injury prone and Davis has moments of promise but is hardly prolific, to say the least.

We would never have got promoted without the goals of Abraham, and he's gone. If Wesley gets injured or struggles for form, we look woefully short up front.

We need another striker.

[hilts_coolerking]

Can't see us not signing another striker regardless of Davis not going on loan.

3 strikers isn't enough and Dean Smith will know this.

Only if it is the right striker. We know for experience that getting the wrong player is worse than not getting anyone.

I agree, but in this instance I'd say Kodjia and Davis are also the wrong strikers.

[Dogtanian]

Kodjia given games and played in the right position scored lots of goals for us in the Championship which is at least as good as the Belgian league.  Surely we aren’t going to write him off already.

Davis is a work in progress, we have to work and see how he progresses.

[algy]

You didn't watch too closely because both were free kicks.

Feel Deano's building a team that's unplayable here, and Hourihane's a bigger part of that than he's given credit for.

Goal threats across the board from midfield.  If you give them space, they'll punish you.  If you pressure them, you risk giving away free kicks left, right and centre.  If we have someone who's dangerous there (aka Conor), and you pose a serious problem.  Saw from England at the last world cup, it can be an effective tactic.

This chap from Galatasary is interesting too.  He scored for fun whilst he was playing for Kasimpasa with Trezuguet.  Could only find a few highlights of him there, but he looked like he was getting on the end of absolutely everything.  Maybe he thrives where he has good delivery, that's the impression I got.  Hopefully that's what's been seen, and we've put in a bid.

In any case, someone who can just get on the end of balls and send them goalwards would be handy.  Not for every game, but when we're playing someone who's struggling to contain the midfield, a player like that could turn draws in to wins, and wins in to absolute maulings.  Big Wes is there for the games where we're marked tightly and need a creative striker rather than a scrappy one.

[Toronto Villa]

New rumour: Rodrigo from Valencia. Name sounds like he should be great. No idea if he is. And Gregg Evans is reporting an unnamed French player. That’s journalism for you.

[mallo]

Davis loan moved blocked by Deano for the time being, Diagne links are off the mark and we're after a French striker as per (yes, yes I know) Gregg Evans. Would appear the Augustin rumours are closer to the mark.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

New rumour: Rodrigo from Valencia. Name sounds like he should be great. No idea if he is.

For 60m euros, you'd hope so. Do we really need another Brazilian?

[Des Little]

Of all the links I've sen, Rodrigo would be my preferred choice, he's excellent.  Add to the fact that Suso is ex Valencia and you never know...!

[JUAN PABLO]

What about Julian Joachim?

[mallo]

Rodrigo would surely only go to a team with Champions league football? Real Madrid were sniffing around last season.

[Clark W Griswold]

New rumour: Rodrigo from Valencia. Name sounds like he should be great. No idea if he is. And Gregg Evans is reporting an unnamed French player. That’s journalism for you.

I wouldn't listen to anything that gormless ****** is spouting.

[Clark W Griswold]

Of all the links I've sen, Rodrigo would be my preferred choice, he's excellent.  Add to the fact that Suso is ex Valencia and you never know...!

On the one hand he can play as a winger or a striker, which is ideal. On the other hand he's 28 and in the 60m euro price bracket so i doubt it's us that's bid for him. Just my thought anyway.

[Toronto Villa]

New rumour: Rodrigo from Valencia. Name sounds like he should be great. No idea if he is. And Gregg Evans is reporting an unnamed French player. That’s journalism for you.

I wouldn't listen to anything that gormless c*** is spouting.

Gregg is just a few decades behind the news and sees us linked with Trezeguet.