The 2016 summer transfer thread

[Iron-worx]

Carroll is injury prone(27 apps/9 goals 15/16), Sakho WANTS to leave the club (20 apps/5 goals 15/16) and Valencia (15 apps/4 goals 15/16) ,Martinez is unproven. Forgive me if I don't share your confidence in the strikers we currently have.

I wouldn't want to be paying our asking prices for Sakho and Valencia based on recent performances, while can Sakho even be relied on to be committed ?

Carroll may or may not break down, certainly can't be relied on.

Martinez as you say ???????

The bizarre thing is that if I was a striker I'd be thinking I'm likely to be getting some pretty decent service from Payet, Feghoulli, Tore, Lanzini, Cresswell...

Seems Calleri has his head well screwed on to me.

[Chavs]

I am guessing at this point you considered dipping in to the loan market.

I have looked at the queue for the cab rank to Palms and its heaving, I also know that there's never anything decent in there and the chances are I will end up with an old bird that used to be superb but lost a yard of beauty

[Redkanpps dog]

I have to laugh or else i'll cry with this whole striker situation. The owners stated long before the window opened that we were going to be buying a new shiny goal scoring striker and don't get me wrong, we've tried. But have been unsuccessful in doing so.

In this time, we've lined up a sale for 1 striker, i think that our open interest in signing a big time striker has played a part in Sakho wanting to leave as well. So now we go into the 1st leg of our Europa qualifier with Andy Carroll, Valencia (who the majority have torn to shreds this season for his performances) and 2 youth players that were likely signed for the future.

I believe/hope the Dave's will come good in the end, but with all the above and now Cresswell injured, i fear we're going to see some signings come in like the West Ham of old and it's going to make us a bit of a laughing stock.

[bobd_uk]

Some of the players who are currently holding out for champions league will have a rethink later in the window when they don't get those offers. We're aiming for players who would prefer to go to bigger clubs - we'll get someone later in the window.

We will be short for the start of the season, but Valencia and Sakho will have to get on with it, while hopefully Fletcher and Martinez will be decent backup. Long term we'll have Carroll and (we assume) Calleri, with another signing coming in to make a decent first three.

No need to panic just yet.

[HammerMan2004]

I think something which can't be underestimated is at least getting in to the group stages of the Europa League

[paulhs1]

Our striker search reminds me of my clubbing days, we are out and just got into Time and Envy in Romford

You started all wrong and we're looking in the wrong place....fifth avenueon, Ilford on the other hand

[westhamwalsh]

I think we need to be more realistic with our player choice, and our approach.

We obviously cant afford/cant attract a striker who is the 'level above us' and there is a fixation of 20+ goals a season
Why not buy two strikers that can score 10+? all strikers come in and out of form/injuries.

Arguably we have Carroll, who I think looks great under Bilic, and more mobile if pre season is anything to go by - your looking at 10 from him at least this season.
Calleri/Fletcher - who knows, the target my be 5+ each, depending on game time

For me, we need two more - arguably players who could play with or without a strike partner, who would score 10+ goals this season

Oxford looks set to go - Id take Bony off their hands - and give him the target of 10+ goals this season.
Same with Valencia with Swansea - cash plus player for Ayew - he too with the target of 10+

We then have 4 strikers, plus 1 striker/winger all differing qualities, who's target is 40 goals +.Doesn't seem like a lot, but baring in mind last season our 6 strikers scored 30 goals, its an improvement.


Carroll
Sakho --------->Bony (using Oxford) = 5 Million
Valencia ------------>Ayew (using Valencia) = 10 Million
Zarate ------------>Calleri (Loan)
Eminike ------------> Fletcher (not sure how much he cost - would have been minimal)
Jelavic -------------->no replacement needed

15 million to get rid of a player who doesn't want to be here (Sakho) a player we don't deem good enough (Valencia) plus losing Oxford, which looks like its inevitable, for two good quality replacements, plus a pot luck in Calleri and a good youngster in Fletcher, not all bad is it?

[ashbanki]

Please dont include Martinez in your striker options - He has NEVER played a competitive senior match in his life.He is for the future and the Academy for now.

[ashbanki]

Meanwhile, Bacca has rejected Barcelona as he may not get a game.His last hope is PSG who have told him there is no room as the foreign contingent quota is full..

[*dicanio*]

it is 1.30am all the lookers are taken and i am desperately searching for anything.

Funny and well written though your post is Chavs, I 100% agree - it we hadn't wasted the last few weeks trying for strikers who were never going to join us (primarily Lacazet, Batshuayi), we could have been pursuing other more realistic targets instead and got them signed up pronto - the only problem is who are these strikers?
It's obvious the club don't want Benteke
Zaza and Mandzukic don't seem interested
Gomez too perhaps plus wants huge wages
Bacca maybe?

[dodger]

I think something which can't be underestimated is at least getting in to the group stages of the Europa League

Absolutely. I just hope Bilic and the club don't underestimate (again) the importance of doing so.

[The Old Man of Storr]

the chances are I will end up with an old bird that used to be superb but lost a yard of beauty

That'll be Paulo Alves then .

[Dicks' Thunderbolt]

Our striker search reminds me of my clubbing days, we are out and just got into Time and Envy in Romford, the night is young and i am still looking fresh in my cream jeans, Rockports and Ben Sherman, I’ve got my bottle of Stella in hand I am ready to hit the dance floor, I start the night by wooing the bunch of good looking girls in the corner, they are dressed nice and smell great but deep down i know that i am punching above these birds want to be out in Mayfair not here, but I spend far too long trying to woo them and they have now turned me over for about £20 worth of Smirnoff Ice and out of nowhere Big Ricky from the Gym roided off his swede turns up with his mates and cock blocks me out of the game, now i must look elsewhere

I move on to another group but its too late, they have seen me doing the robot with the first bunch of ladies and have decided that if i aint going to make them my number one they will move on, now i have found myself my prime target, a hen do from Kent still good looking and i think i have every chance, i spend another couple of hours with this mob really grafting but they just keep me hanging, are they going to put out???, I can see its getting late but I persist, I still think that there is every chance of getting back to their BnB in Rush Green but now other lads who are in the same situation as me are circling and its becoming quite the game of thrones, i stick by my guns and tell them that i have just moved into this nice new house (renting it but they don’t need to know) and i am really trying hard to become better looking than i already am, but i don’t have the decent German car they are desperate for, i still drive a Focus, albeit a Ghia X

Deep down I know and I give up and now it is 1.30am all the lookers are taken and i am desperately searching for anything, ANYONE, there she is the 2am munter and i know that i could be 3 digits deep if i take her for a kebab with chips and burger sauce which is better than nothing, but i still hang out, waiting for something to show my mates that i have pulled better than they have, instead the lights are on, the jungle music has finished and i am standing there alone, waiting to run home for the Television X 10 minute freeview and to wake up again. Strikerless.

You should count yourself lucky that you got into Time and Envy! it could have been grab a granny night up at Branigans,who knows who you could have ended up with ? Raiding the free transfer market of age 35+ striker.

[leer34]

Worth giving sakho a pay rise to keep him happy and move him on next window?

A motivated sakho is a beast maybe it's just money that motivates him?

Devils advocate and all that

[TheRealHammer]

Worth giving sakho a pay rise to keep him happy and move him on next window?

A motivated sakho is a beast maybe it's just money that motivates him?

Devils advocate and all that

No, players will then think that sort of behavior is acceptable.

Don't reward for doing bad.

[YorksHammer]

You know, my immediate reaction to Bony is a no, but when you think about it and look into it - even at City he's maintained a goal scoring record of better than 1 in 2 (based on minutes) in his appearances. He's clearly still kept sharp even in coming off the bench, and he chips in with a fair few assists too.

The issue is the cost - as with Benteke. If City want to recoup their £25-28 million expenditure on him, that seems rather high to pay for one of the big boys' cast offs. If we're talking £15-20 million, that might seem more reasonably.

I'd definitely rather Benteke than Bony based on age, but either would definitely improve our options.

[Turns to Stone]

There's always the kebab shop?

[ageing hammer]

Deep down I know and I give up and now it is 1.30am all the lookers are taken and i am desperately searching for anything, ANYONE, there she is the 2am munter

That made me spill my coffee, Bravo Sir Bravo

[giantsteps]

Meanwhile, Bacca has rejected Barcelona as he may not get a game..

That bloke would reject an OBE.

[kasabian]

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[player] identified by forum member -> [player] recommended by individual with access to YouTube -> [player] picked up by various twitter users -> [player] cannoned at Sullivan brothers by various twitter users -> [player] tangibly linked to club by clickbait newsfeed -> [player/club] reject reported interest -> supporters commit various hate crimes

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