João Pedro

[Keegans Export]

From the outside looking in, the problem is that our "small pool" of targets is putting us in direct competition with teams who can spend considerably more than us. 

 

Hopefully we haven't limited our targets to the established, 'perfect' players because this sort of thing will happen more often than not. Either we get quoted an extortionate price by the selling club or we get blown out of the water by Chelsea, Man Utd etc. 

[aussiemag]

Who do we realistically sign now as an alternative to Isak? 

[Nucasol]

Just now, aussiemag said:

Who do we realistically sign now as an alternative to Isak? 

If the transfer team and scouting network are doing their job they’ll have any number of alternates to come in as a second striker. It’s a case of taking more of a punt now than buying an EPL tried and tested option.

[KingArthur]

2 minutes ago, aussiemag said:

Who do we realistically sign now as an alternative to Isak? 

Well there certainly is a list of players and Pedro was one of them. 

[PauloGeordio]

3 minutes ago, aussiemag said:

Who do we realistically sign now as an alternative to Isak? 

[geordiesteve710]

1 minute ago, Keegans Export said:

From the outside looking in, the problem is that our "small pool" of targets is putting us in direct competition with teams who can spend considerably more than us. 

 

Hopefully we haven't limited our targets to the established, 'perfect' players because this sort of thing will happen more often than not. Either we get quoted an extortionate price by the selling club or we get blown out of the water by Chelsea, Man Utd etc. 

 

Think the club needs to understand the reality that if we want to sign established players, we will have to pay huge fees to do so.

 

So either we suck it up and pay up or we look elsewhere for value. We're currently rummaging around in the back of the yellow stickers fridge hoping to find a fillet steak that nobody else fancied for tea.

[aussiemag]

Bring Ayoze home! 

[Yorkie]

Just now, aussiemag said:

Who do we realistically sign now as an alternative to Isak? 

 

You'd expect our alternatives to be on the continent.

[gbandit]

Aye, find the pointing of fingers odd when we have access to such tiny amounts of info. I do agree though that we’re largely going to struggle buying from the PL market if we’re only looking at buying established quality players. We got Tino from a relegated side after an ACL, we got Hall as an 18 year old prospect, we got Pope from a relegated side and Barnes too. Looking back it’s impressive that we landed Gordon given there was interest from other clubs. 
 

My concern is less about “how fast we move” and more about “where we target players from and what stage of development”. If we target players who are slightly earlier in the development then sure, there’s more risk and they’re not likely to come in and make an immediate impact but theyll be younger and have a higher ceiling most likely

[Pablo]

If everyone stopped wetting the bed about business, maybe we could do it all behind closed doors, not require 24/7 updates from journalists and then have pleasant surprises when signings are made. This is all getting undressed in fenwicks window and it’s so annoying. I hope our real targets are completely unknown. Love a surprise signing out of the blue.

The club are doing their best, every single one of them. We have a great club and we should be proud as punch and stop all this criticism.

[kingxlnc]

I’d love pif or Howe or whoever is making the decisions to get so royally annoyed by playing nicey nicey and getting players that they can grow like Pedro to think screw it let’s just get Osimhen. Similar to Ekitike to Isak

 

 

[Nucasol]

1 minute ago, geordiesteve710 said:

We're currently rummaging around in the back of the yellow stickers fridge hoping to find a fillet steak that nobody else fancied for tea.

Did well for a couple of years but now the big fat cunts have latched on to when the Asda Whoopsies get stuck on and are hovering around the bloke with the pricing gun.

[PauloGeordio]

1 minute ago, Pablo said:

If everyone stopped wetting the bed about business, maybe we could do it all behind closed doors, not require 24/7 updates from journalists and then have pleasant surprises when signings are made. This is all getting undressed in fenwicks window and it’s so annoying. I hope our real targets are completely unknown. Love a surprise signing out of the blue.

The club are doing their best, every single one of them. We have a great club and we should be proud as punch and stop all this criticism.

We'll be mint come kick off of the new season. HTL 

[Yorkie]

Just now, gbandit said:

Aye, find the pointing of fingers odd when we have access to such tiny amounts of info. I do agree though that we’re largely going to struggle buying from the PL market if we’re only looking at buying established quality players. We got Tino from a relegated side after an ACL, we got Hall as an 18 year old prospect, we got Pope from a relegated side and Barnes too. Looking back it’s impressive that we landed Gordon given there was interest from other clubs. 
 

My concern is less about “how fast we move” and more about “where we target players from and what stage of development”. If we target players who are slightly earlier in the development then sure, there’s more risk and they’re not likely to come in and make an immediate impact but theyll be younger and have a higher ceiling most likely

 

To me it seems fairly simple this summer; the top targets are here and that's where we'll try first. If it doesn't happen, move onto the theoretically more attainable targets; players on the continent or those less-coveted PL players.

[madras]

15 minutes ago, HayDen Traces said:

Sounds like we had our window to get a deal done and blew it. Cant blame Chelsea for that

More like we were beaten on price rather than timing.

[Paulinho]

I’d love to know the story behind the Bruno/Botman/Isak signings. Whatever that strategy was it’s been long abandoned. 

[Fenham Mag]

Losing out on top targets, regularly, is going to damage to our appeal as a club to both current and prospective players.

 

This cannot carry on.

[Nucasol]

1 minute ago, Paulinho said:

I’d love to know the story behind the Bruno/Botman/Isak signings. Whatever that strategy was it’s been long abandoned. 

I think any transfer strategy was abandoned the last two years because of PSR concerns. This summer should be the reset; I’d not be averse to that decent blend again of PL shopping meets continental diamonds.

 

Antonio Silva and Ederson are the ones I’d like to see come in. Think they’d be brilliant for us. Up front / RW - can’t say I’m as aware of who’d do the job on the continent.

[STM]

6 minutes ago, gbandit said:

Aye, find the pointing of fingers odd when we have access to such tiny amounts of info. I do agree though that we’re largely going to struggle buying from the PL market if we’re only looking at buying established quality players. We got Tino from a relegated side after an ACL, we got Hall as an 18 year old prospect, we got Pope from a relegated side and Barnes too. Looking back it’s impressive that we landed Gordon given there was interest from other clubs. 
 

My concern is less about “how fast we move” and more about “where we target players from and what stage of development”. If we target players who are slightly earlier in the development then sure, there’s more risk and they’re not likely to come in and make an immediate impact but theyll be younger and have a higher ceiling most likely

 

I do wonder whether we might go for a younger player or two. Someone like Dibling makes alot of sense to me. The issue again is cost.

 

If hes going to cost the same as Pedro then its mental that some clubs can hold out at such a high fee.

 

Also, I do wonder at what point Madueke becomes available at Chelsea. 

[Yorkie]

4 minutes ago, Paulinho said:

I’d love to know the story behind the Bruno/Botman/Isak signings. Whatever that strategy was it’s been long abandoned. 

 

Bruno was to upgrade on Shelvey. Botman, Lascelles. Isak, Gayle. Now we're trying to upgrade on significantly better players meaning the pool is a lot smaller, meanwhile our own targets have changed beyond survival/consolidation, again reducing the pool of players who can help achieve our new targets. Then you've got the inflation of prices which has changed even in just the last three years, plus the risks of PSR are far more established and emphasise the need to invest with as much guarantee as possible. 

 

= Targeting PL players in the first instance.

[gbandit]

Just now, STM said:

 

I do wonder whether we might go for a younger player or two. Someone like Dibling makes alot of sense to me. The issue again is cost.

 

If hes going to cost the same as Pedro then its mental that some clubs can hold out at such a high fee.

 

Also, I do wonder at what point Madueke becomes available at Chelsea. 

I think Madueke is available but we’ve moved on. I’m all in on Dibling even if it is silly money and the same as Pedro. I think anywhere up to £55m is fair for Dibling personally and I do think he’s in a similar category to a Lewis Hall or Tino in that a lot of clubs wouldn’t take the risk on him yet 

[PauloGeordio]

1 minute ago, STM said:

 

I do wonder whether we might go for a younger player or two. Someone like Dibling makes alot of sense to me. The issue again is cost.

 

If hes going to cost the same as Pedro then its mental that some clubs can hold out at such a high fee.

 

Also, I do wonder at what point Madueke becomes available at Chelsea. 

When they have a full 11 of wingers to choose from 

[Broadsword]

36 minutes ago, JT24 said:

Quite funny how the club have lost out on him twice in three years. Maybe next time. 

Clearly we didn't lose out on him last time, we decided to sign Isak instead.

[HayDen Traces]

Shola to come out of retirement 

[Broadsword]

36 minutes ago, Ikon said:

Can’t really blame us but we’ve been too slow. 

 

Do you really believe this?  It's not like bargain polaroid TV's on black Friday in Asda. Christ.