2023 Summer transfer window - hopes, needs, expectations and rumours.

[Risso]

I think it's a complete and utter red herring, personally. You can be a devout Muslim in most western countries quite easily, and being French he's going to have far more in common with his fellow French Muslims than he is the medieval head choppers in Saudi. He might be devout, but he also clearly enjoys the bling football lifestyle judging by his Instagram, which is full of shots of him with his mates wearing Rolex and driving Bentleys etc. As others have said, he's very unlikely to live in Saudi itself, and will probably live elsewhere like Dubai, Qatar or Abu Dhabi. There's one reason, and one reason only for going to Saudi Arabia, and that's money. Completely his choice, but let's not dress it up as something it's not.

[VillaTim]

He's definitely not going out there to pray at a better mosque 5 times a day. This is 100% money driven,

[pauliewalnuts]

I think it's a complete and utter red herring, personally. You can be a devout Muslim in most western countries quite easily, and being French he's going to have far more in common with his fellow French Muslims than he is the medieval head choppers in Saudi. He might be devout, but he also clearly enjoys the bling football lifestyle judging by his Instagram, which is full of shots of him with his mates wearing Rolex and driving Bentleys etc. As others have said, he's very unlikely to live in Saudi itself, and will probably live elsewhere like Dubai, Qatar or Abu Dhabi. There's one reason, and one reason only for going to Saudi Arabia, and that's money. Completely his choice, but let's not dress it up as something it's not.

Yep, exactly this.

[paul_e]

He's definitely not going out there to pray at a better mosque 5 times a day. This is 100% money driven,

I think we should back up on this thinking a little because there still seems to be more rumour that he's just waiting for them to accept our offer rather than him having had his head turned.

[olaftab]

I think it's a complete and utter red herring, personally. You can be a devout Muslim in most western countries quite easily, and being French he's going to have far more in common with his fellow French Muslims than he is the medieval head choppers in Saudi. He might be devout, but he also clearly enjoys the bling football lifestyle judging by his Instagram, which is full of shots of him with his mates wearing Rolex and driving Bentleys etc. As others have said, he's very unlikely to live in Saudi itself, and will probably live elsewhere like Dubai, Qatar or Abu Dhabi. There's one reason, and one reason only for going to Saudi Arabia, and that's money. Completely his choice, but let's not dress it up as something it's not.

Yes indeed. In fact I would argue he is more free to pursue Islam in the way he likes in France or UK than Cuntabia.

[chrisw1]

Diaby's going nowhere until any club that wants him agrees a fee with Leverkusen. That's the hold up & they don't need to sell.

He's seemingly indicated that he's happy to come to us & no doubt we've established the basis of a contract with him. I think we'll get him by the weekend.

Agreed, John. Plus, if we're going to throw big money around I would rather it spent on a top centre forward. Who? Absolutely no idea but I'm sure they still exist. The Turkish fella at Porto doesn't need three chances to put the ball in the back of the net but age is not on his side. Pay me Monchi's salary and I'm sure I'd find a shortlist.

Piece of piss:

Timo Wener
Gianluca Scamacca
Richalison
Sebastien Haller
Tanguy Ndombele
Nicolas Pepe
Romelu Lukaku

Easy money this scouting lark.

[pauliewalnuts]

Diaby's going nowhere until any club that wants him agrees a fee with Leverkusen. That's the hold up & they don't need to sell.

He's seemingly indicated that he's happy to come to us & no doubt we've established the basis of a contract with him. I think we'll get him by the weekend.

Agreed, John. Plus, if we're going to throw big money around I would rather it spent on a top centre forward. Who? Absolutely no idea but I'm sure they still exist. The Turkish fella at Porto doesn't need three chances to put the ball in the back of the net but age is not on his side. Pay me Monchi's salary and I'm sure I'd find a shortlist.

Piece of piss:

Timo Wener
Gianluca Scamacca
Richalison
Sebastien Haller
Tanguy Ndombele
Nicolas Pepe
Romelu Lukaku

Easy money this scouting lark.

Genuinely, I wouldn't go anywhere near any of those.

Pepe? Christ.

[Risso]

I think it's a complete and utter red herring, personally. You can be a devout Muslim in most western countries quite easily, and being French he's going to have far more in common with his fellow French Muslims than he is the medieval head choppers in Saudi. He might be devout, but he also clearly enjoys the bling football lifestyle judging by his Instagram, which is full of shots of him with his mates wearing Rolex and driving Bentleys etc. As others have said, he's very unlikely to live in Saudi itself, and will probably live elsewhere like Dubai, Qatar or Abu Dhabi. There's one reason, and one reason only for going to Saudi Arabia, and that's money. Completely his choice, but let's not dress it up as something it's not.

Yes indeed. In fact I would argue he is more free to pursue Islam in the way he likes in France or UK than Cuntabia.

Let's face it, on the sort of money he's on, you could enjoy the perfect lifestyle anywhere in the world. Also, Birmingham's not exactly lacking in the multi-cultural stakes is it?

[paul_e]

Diaby's going nowhere until any club that wants him agrees a fee with Leverkusen. That's the hold up & they don't need to sell.

He's seemingly indicated that he's happy to come to us & no doubt we've established the basis of a contract with him. I think we'll get him by the weekend.

Agreed, John. Plus, if we're going to throw big money around I would rather it spent on a top centre forward. Who? Absolutely no idea but I'm sure they still exist. The Turkish fella at Porto doesn't need three chances to put the ball in the back of the net but age is not on his side. Pay me Monchi's salary and I'm sure I'd find a shortlist.

Piece of piss:

Timo Wener
Gianluca Scamacca
Richalison
Sebastien Haller
Tanguy Ndombele
Nicolas Pepe
Romelu Lukaku

Easy money this scouting lark.

Genuinely, I wouldn't go anywhere near any of those.

Pepe? Christ.

At a guess I think the point is that they're all players that were pretty highly thought of and had big money moves where they flopped.

[OCD]

Let's get Benteke back.

https://twitter.com/sistoney67/status/1681468822266494977?s=20

Maybe not based on that.

[chrisw1]

Exactly Paul. And there's plenty more where those came from.

[OCD]

One report saying we've bid £22m for Doku but they're asking for £34m.

[Risso]

One report saying we've bid £22m for Doku but they're asking for £34m.

Pointless. Al Nasty FC will be in soon at £50m.

[Percy McCarthy]

One report saying we've bid £22m for Doku but they're asking for £34m.

Pointless. Al Nasty FC will be in soon at £50m.

It’s quite possible that one of them will come in and drive up the asking price, even if they don’t want him. It’s what I’d do if I wanted to disrupt a rival of one of the other clubs I owned. And it could already be going on with Diaby.

[villadelph]

One report saying we've bid £22m for Doku but they're asking for £34m.

Pointless. Al Nasty FC will be in soon at £50m.

It’s quite possible that one of them will come in and drive up the asking price, even if they don’t want him. It’s what I’d do if I wanted to disrupt a rival of one of the other clubs I owned. And it could already be going on with Diaby.

I was talking with a friend who said the same thing last night. More along the lines of, "Oh, you want to catch up to and surpass Newcastle..? Watch how expensive they make it." They don't have the power to pluck our players (yet), but they could create a recruiting nightmare for anyone in the league around them or aspiring to leapfrog them.