Summer '09 Transfer Speculation Thread

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

I think the agent is acting in the "best interests of his client" and can't allow his professional or personal relationship with Rafa muddy that - and fair enough. I also think we desperately need a 3rd way - ie someone in the Torres and Gerrard category that can play out wide either left or right.

 

However, I'd rather sign nobody than sign someone average. Last summer proved that just by keeping the players together as Rafa said you can improve just through experience and age. We didn't have a single significant success out of the £42m spent last summer but still challenged for the league.

 

Agree with that, bar maybe some defensive cover, but that's likely anyway.

 

I'd argue that Riera was a decent signing, he had some decent games, should improve and most importantly provided a different option and added depth, not that I don't think we are still lacking on the left side.

 

I think, if the money was right, he'd love Silva, but unless something can be worked out, I wouldn't get my hopes up, but you never know.

 

This is of course assuming that we retain Alonso and Mascherano.

 

Although I suppose it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if selling Mascherano meant he could go out and get Silva with the cash left after re-signing Sissoko

[Thants]

I'm liking the consistency in the squad.

[ToxtethTerror]

Although I suppose it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if selling Mascherano meant he could go out and get Silva with the cash left after re-signing Sissoko

 

Sissoko gets a lot of stick on here but I'd still have him back if it meant we improved in attack. If as you say Mascherano were to be sold, I'd buy Sissojo or someone similar and get Silva or someone like him. But as Rafa says, the most important part of this summer is keeping our boys together.

[StevieH]

Liverpool lurk as Sunderland's Cattermole bid fails - Transfers, Football - The Independent

 

Sunderland have had a bid for the Wigan Athletic midfielder Lee Cattermole rejected but the player is attracting interest from higher up the Premier League and there could be yet more pressure to sell.

 

 

Liverpool are understood to have considered a move for Cattermole in the event of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano leaving, a prospect that looks less likely after Rafael Benitez took a defiant stance about their contracts on Thursday.

H

owever, Cattermole, who looked effective for the England Under-21s in last month's European championships where Stuart Pearce's side reached the final before losing to Germany, is attracting a lot of interest.

 

The former Middlesbrough midfielder was the subject of a bid, thought to be of around £8m, from Bruce, who brought him to Wigan last summer. Cattermole is relatively experienced in the Premier League for a 21-year-old and his English nationality puts a premium on him with the prospect of the "4+4" quotas the Premier League is considering introducing.

 

Bruce, who is close to a deal for Fraizer Campbell of Manchester United, has also lodged a firm interest in the Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch, valued at around £15m by his club. He is waiting to hear from the player who has also had interest from Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa. The willingness of Sunderland to pay higher wages is making them significant players in the transfer market.

 

On Cattermole, Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said: "Lee is not for sale. End of story. He is a fantastic player, a leader on and off the field, and is central to our plans going forwards. We are not interested in selling him, which was why this offer was rejected immediately.

 

"It is not usually our style to discuss incoming or outgoing transfers until they are completed, but we have made an exception in this case because I feel so strongly about keeping Lee, along with all my best players. He is one of many talented players. Let's forget about this now and move on."

[James Dean]

[rebel23]

we need a winger to open up teams at home i.e Turan would be good, we also need a backup striker because if Nando is injured (and I expect him to get injured over 10 months after the season he's just had) our striking options aren't much good. Imagine having to face Chelsea/Man Utd with Voronin or N'gog? Too much of a gamble.

 

Valencia are not selling Silva so just forget it UEM...

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

we need a winger to open up teams at home i.e Turan would be good, we also need a backup striker because if Nando is injured (and I expect him to get injured over 10 months after the season he's just had) our striking options aren't much good. Imagine having to face Chelsea/Man Utd with Voronin or N'gog? Too much of a gamble.

 

Valencia are not selling Silva so just forget it UEM...

 

If you say so

[Brownie]

I think we definitely need an attacking wide player so fingers crossed we'll sort something out soon.

[2pak]

James Dean - the only man to post sense in this thread to date.

[drewy]

we need a winger to open up teams at home i.e Turan would be good, we also need a backup striker because if Nando is injured (and I expect him to get injured over 10 months after the season he's just had) our striking options aren't much good. Imagine having to face Chelsea/Man Utd with Voronin or N'gog? Too much of a gamble.

 

Valencia are not selling Silva so just forget it UEM...

 

and you know this how?

 

We made contact with Silva and his representatives last week, a meeting has been sorted out for early next week.

[Code]

Manuel García Quillón looks after Rafa and Bob, so you'd think if he really wanted him to stay he'd have quite a bit of sway.

 

This is the same agent that briefed the press that he was homesick last year, which was the apparently denied by Bob when quizzed face to face at Melwood last pre-season

 

Strange

 

But the majority of the people reading that article will not have a slightest clue about that and those are the ones Rafa is addressing when he is playing his games in the press.

 

If any journalist was worth their salt they would ask the question you just did though, but it will never happen.

[danhaddad]

Massive News.......Bouzanis has signed for Wrexham on loan!

[Ted]

Lee Cattermole? Oh. My. God.

[Red Phoenix]

Imagine having to face Chelsea/Man Utd with Voronin or N'gog? Too much of a gamble.

 

Agreed, we really badly need another striker or we might be fucked before we even start. N'gog and Voronin just isn't enough if we don't have Nando. Ok you can say Stevie can play further up, but we all know he isn't just going to stay upfront all the way through games, we need another out and out striker.

 

Or if we did manage to get Silva we could put him right up there and have Riera on the left. I'm starting to get sick of mentioning Silva now, but that could work. It still doesn't feel right though, we should have better options upfront. Not saying Voronin and N'gog are crap, but it just doesn't seem enough.

[Ted]

Stevie could play further up with Ngog or Helmsley but you only have to look at Stoke away last year to see how much he trusts any of the other strikers at the club who aren't Torres.

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

Stevie could play further up with Ngog or Helmsley but you only have to look at Stoke away last year to see how much he trusts any of the other strikers at the club who aren't Torres.

 

 

Good point, well made

[Code]

People were happy with Torres, Keane, NGog and Babel last season.

 

Well Voronin is a better player than Keane so I would say we have upgraded our strikeforce from last season if nothing changes from now on.

[rebel23]

and you know this how?

 

We made contact with Silva and his representatives last week, a meeting has been sorted out for early next week.

 

look at the facts. Valencia have just been taken over and had their debt wiped out. they're making ambitious noises. they've been able to resist bids for Villa from Madrid (who signed 2nd choice Benzema instead). Silva is on a long contract. There's speculation that Villa might be allowed to leave to Barce but only for 40m+. They won't let two of their best players leave. And we probably don't have the sort of sums they would demand.

 

i'm not saying it's impossible but I rate it as very unlikely and I don't care what you've heard

[Spy Bee]

I can't see us signing a striker though. We've not been seriously linked with one.

[Ted]

Maybe if we sell a few of them. We could do without at least three of them.

[rogaas]

Any chance that Nemeth will get at few games this season, as a sub? or Pacheco? no point harvesting young strikers if they are never given a chance. Playing with better players around them.

[Ted]

Nemeth, maybe.

[drewy]

look at the facts. Valencia have just been taken over and had their debt wiped out. they're making ambitious noises. they've been able to resist bids for Villa from Madrid (who signed 2nd choice Benzema instead). Silva is on a long contract. There's speculation that Villa might be allowed to leave to Barce but only for 40m+. They won't let two of their best players leave. And we probably don't have the sort of sums they would demand.

 

i'm not saying it's impossible but I rate it as very unlikely and I don't care what you've heard

 

I am dealing in facts.

 

You arrogant fuck!

[Sangria]

I am dealing in facts.

 

You arrogant fuck!

 

You know by now that quite a few on this forum struggle with facts.

[danhaddad]

According to BBC we have signed Chris Mavinga from PSG....Youngster?