MartinB

Yep no doubt a £15 mill bid for SFD is on the way. Brum rejected £12 mill from Stoke!

So assuming we sign Dann, Adam and Downing and don't bring anyone like Mata in where do people think we will finish? What are you're expectations? With the budget we appear to have I expect us to sign players that will see us challenging for the title. Unfortunately imo we will finish 5th at best should the above transpire. I hope I'm wrong and I will gladly say I am if we challenge for the title.

People are upset because Jones is potentially world class and he has chosen to sign for the Mancs to sit on the bench, will he really replace Ferdinand or Vidic? Additionally that average centre back at Birmingham might be the alternative! If it's Sakho no problem :-)

Surely we have to look at who are rivals are likely to sign as well. Last season's top four are without doubt going to sign better players than Dann, Adam and Downing so it's a moot point saying Enrique and Downing will improve us, what's the point in getting an extra 10 points next season if the team's above us get an extra 12? We need real quality and the only player we have been linked with recently that fits the bill is Mata.

Mata would be a great signing. Don't think it would be enough to break into the top four though.

What are people's aspirations for next season? If we sign Dann, Enrique, Adam and Downing I would be amazed if we break into the top four. As you can be certain that the current top four will sign better players then that.

Sorry I mixed up your post with Unrighteous. I'm just in that quality over quantity camp I would rather spend £20 mill on a centre back who is established as top class. If such player can't be signed I would be looking at younger players like Jones who still has the potential to be top class. At 24 and having never been considered for his country I would struggle to see Dann stepping up a level which he would need to do if he signed for us.

I don't think Skrtel is superior I think both Dann and Skrtel are average, and as you have stated you think Dann 'edge's' Skrtel. I don't see the point signing someone who is of a similar standard to what we have already especially when what we have already is not good enough.

Dann is no better than Skrtel or Carra, so his signing would make little sense to me. Along with attacking wide players I think central defence is our weakest area, I think we need two centre backs that are better than Skrtel and Carra who become our squad players.

Dann is average, means absolutely nothing he is from Liverpool. We need two new centre backs and both need to be significantly better than Dann!

Wow 20Mill for Downing? That would make Carroll look an absolute bargain! Would not pay more then 7Mill and then he would only be a squad player.

I'm wondering if these clauses that Reina and Torres are supposed to have/had actually exist. Balague is adament they don't. Maybe the club knowing both wanted to sign for other english teams last year have put it out there that these clauses exist to cover there backs so when the inevitable happens, like Torres last week and Reina in the summer the excuse is there that they have no choice but to sell. I am almost certain Reina will sign for Arsenal in the summer. It's widely accepted they tried to sign him in the summer add to that Arsenal bought no one else and were only trying to sign Schwarzer who was obvioulsy only seen as a short term signing.

Obviosuly if he signs for the Mancs that would be horrific but why would signing for say Arsenal be any better? Just don't get it.. can't believe we allowed these clauses to exist why couldn't they exclude english teams?

Milan sold Kaka to Real Madrid. Selling Torres isn't the concern, selling Torres to another english club is!

If this is the reason the Suarez deal hasn't happened then I think we are finished as a top class team. Not only would we be selling one of our best players to a rival (something we've never done before!) we would be setting a precendent that our best players can be bought. In Suarez we would be signing a good, albeit inferior player as a replacement. Suarez is excellent as a partner for Torres but if were just swapping one with the other then any aspirations we have of getting back to the top of english league will be gone for good.