James Maddison (now playing for Tottenham Hotspur)

[The College Dropout]

Would cost £50m or more but an excellent signing. 

[loki679]

5 minutes ago, ElDiablo said:

Would rather Barnes.

 

[maze]

Good player. Yes, please.

In other news, I don't think we are in a situation where we choose one over the other here.

I'd take both. We have the funds.

[Toon No9]

3 minutes ago, kingxlnc said:

Then wait until he is.

After yesterday tbh I'm actually ok with Almiron in that position more than I am with him at RW.

Spend the money on a RW and ST instead. 

At the moment I'd be ok with Almiron as RW and Longstaff/Anderson as our third CM.

But if we could get players such as Paqueta, Maddison, Werner or Diaby it's a no-brainer of course.

 

We have a good enough starting eleven for a top half finish. What we need is more quality in players 12-18 imo. At this moment a couple of injuries, to say Bruno or Wilson, would be such a big blow.

[Guest HTT II]

7 minutes ago, ElDiablo said:

Would rather Barnes.

[54]

Remember when we got constantly told there wasn't much money left, and were actually skint by Luke Edwards. Good times that.

[TheHoob]

Edwards smashing up his laptop as we speak. 

[SUPERTOON]

16 minutes ago, kingxlnc said:

Then wait until he is.

After yesterday tbh I'm actually ok with Almiron in that position more than I am with him at RW.

Spend the money on a RW and ST instead. 

You cant wait forever for a player who may never want to come. We may wait a year, and by then he may have already left.

[Nobody]

Another Ashley era type signing if it comes off. Worrying. 

[KaKa]

4 minutes ago, 54 said:

Remember when we got constantly told there wasn't much money left, and were actually skint by Luke Edwards. Good times that.

 

This is how much we bid for Diaby though, and so unless we sign another couple at this type of fee then it's still in line with our reported budget.

[Izakaya]

I want exotic foreign names not this 

[Interpolic]

Tbh I find the Maddison link a bit concerning, unless we've heard some credible patter he's attainable for £50m or so. Otherwise it is another bid for a well established / hugely hyped player at well below their asking price. 

 

We need to be aiming for players like Maddison / Bowen before they have excelled in the PL for a number of seasons. No idea who those players are, but that's who the scouts should be identifying. 

 

The only clubs that generally make these type of signings - well established PL players who are already among the best players at their clubs, generally for inflated fees - are Man Utd, Man City etc. 

 

So unless we're somehow going to get him for below asking price or are willing to pay the going rate, it sounds like a waste of time when we should be focusing elsewhere. 

 

That all said, I do love Maddison as a player and always have done. He'd be a fantastic signing and one of those where you don't worry too much where he fits in. 

[xLiaaamx]

Him and Bruno would play some lush pass and move stuff. 

[KaKa]

Maddison's cool, but don't think we should go anywhere near £50 million.

 

Both Houssem Aouar and Julian Brandt are on the market for less than £20 million if we are looking to upgrade and add goals and assists through the middle.

 

And those two are right up there with Maddison talent wise, if not more so.

[TheBrownBottle]

Percy is reliable in terms of East Midlands football, so this definitely has legs.  No idea if we’ll go back in, but clearly we’ve bid for him.

 

I think Maddison is a very good footballer - no idea how much it would take or how far we’d be willing to go, but it still feels odd trying to buy good players from good PL sides.  It’s been so long since that was the case …

[Guest]

1 minute ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Percy is reliable in terms of East Midlands football, so this definitely has legs.  No idea if we’ll go back in, but clearly we’ve bid for him.

 

I think Maddison is a very good footballer - no idea how much it would take or how far we’d be willing to go, but it still feels odd trying to buy good players from good PL sides.  It’s been so long since that was the case …

 

I'd be surprised if we get this close with having a bid made and a player of that calibre interested, if we walk away. Think this will be one of those that we just do what it takes to get it done.

[Mazzy]

It's probably been said but why would we want him if Paqueta is available for a similar price? That seems ridiculous. 

[TheBrownBottle]

Just now, Optimistic Nut said:

 

I'd be surprised if we get this close with having a bid made and a player of that calibre interested, if we walk away. Think this will be one of those that we just do what it takes to get it done.

Yeah, you could well be right - but then Leicester might ask for something crackers like £70-80m.  You’d think Maddison is worth at least £50m based on recent form.

 

It’ll be interesting to see how this goes.  And I fucking LOVE the fact that not one ‘ITK’ - either NE football hack or Twitter gobshite - saw this coming n

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Mazzy said:

It's probably been said but why would we want him if Paqueta is available for a similar price? That seems ridiculous. 

 

They're a similar age, similar figures and Maddison has the benefit of being able to hit the ground running in this league?

[TheBrownBottle]

Just now, Mazzy said:

It's probably been said but why would we want him if Paqueta is available for a similar price? That seems ridiculous. 

Maybe Paqueta isn’t interested?  Maybe Howe isn’t interested in Paqueta?  Maybe Paqueta’s asking price is not what the media has reported?  Just a few reasons there. 

[Coffee_Johnny]

5 minutes ago, Interpolic said:

 

We need to be aiming for players like Maddison / Bowen before they have excelled in the PL for a number of seasons. No idea who those players are, but that's who the scouts should be identifying. 

…

 

That all said, I do love Maddison as a player and always have done. He'd be a fantastic signing and one of those where you don't worry too much where he fits in. 

Totally agree. And I get the sense this is the default position, given some of the young and promising we have been linked with. I do think that we need a blend though and believe we’ll make every effort to get the established players and the could-be’s who are potentially available to us. 

[gdm]

7 minutes ago, KaKa said:

Maddison's cool, but don't think we should go anywhere near £50 million.

 

Both Houssem Aouar and Julian Brandt are on the market for less than £20 million if we are looking to upgrade and add goals and assists through the middle.

 

And those two are right up there with Maddison talent wise, if not more so.

Not a dig at you but I love posts like this that offer up random alternatives like our scouting team and Ashworth haven’t poured over mountains of footage, stats and reports on our targets 

[TheBrownBottle]

I try not to grumble about our support, but ho’way man, we can’t possibly be complaining about bidding for Maddison?

[Hovagod]

I want us to sign somebody, anybody.

 

Not him, though. 

[Dokko]

44 minutes ago, Coffee_Johnny said:

Can’t decide whether you’re just terrible at betting/always choose the wrong option, a self-defeating mentalist, or really don’t rate him? Answers on a postcard. 

 

We talk about getting the right characters then rock up for this smary arse. He's Grealish lite. 

 

Every time he thinks he's hit the next level, his form falls off a cliff. If he signs for us, does well he'll be looking at a bigger club whilst playing like he's in pre-season. Any time Arsenal have been mentioned to be in for him his head goes walkabouts, its the same when he gets an England call up, starts playing like billy-big-bollocks and inevitably doesn't get selected.  

 

£50-60m. No thanks.