Chez

I assume he has a wage cut on relegation, otherwise he will be going nowhere other than out on loan with us paying half is wages.

Like it. Doubt the sponsor would approve the logo colour though. Too subtle.

He's here until a reasonable offer comes in. I can't see us turning down `reasonable' money. Not least because he wants to go. I wonder what offers we/he will get?

If no Prem side offers Manning a deal - although he's had a good season and is available on a free it's all about whether he has the quality - you'd think we'd be next in line. We then perhaps need one of Larios and Small to be good enough to at least be second choice. If we have turned down offers for Small from Spurs (no idea if those reports were true), we must think there is a top player in there still. In terms of Larios, can he step up and not just fill a shirt, but truly impact a game next season?

So rather than out a talented but relatively untried and tested u21 side together, get promoted with whoever can help us win games in the here and now - a mix of young and old, dependable and emerging talent....then sweep up all the talent from the Championship (like Clyne and Rodriguez) and others in the summer after winning promotion to strengthen your chance of surviving. Then buy the best talent you can find and afford thereafter.

I was about to post something along these lines. Depending on the departures and our budget, deconstructing and rebuilding the squad presents an opportunity to start again and get some new momentum. I've seen quite a lot of posts about wanting to bring in tried and trusted championship players - perhaps players that `do it' at this level, but haven't been plucked out of the championship by a Prem side for whatever reason. Perhaps Grimes is a good example. Decent championship player, who could help us, but is he ever going to shine in the Prem? I think the general argument is `get promoted and then upgrade' as we did last time, but is it possible to look beyond that right now? I'd like to think so, but I am not entirely sure it is possible. What is your alternative recruitment philosophy? I assume it about finding another Morgan and Lallana (real young talent) while we are down here (and have a Shaw coming through in the background)?

Cheers. Some very good insight there. One minor thing, I don't think Will Smallbone is more physical and he certainly isn't a DM - hasn't played in that position for us or Stoke and is more likely to battle it with Alcaraz for the AM role - and shows how shirt we are in that DM role when JWP, Lavia and Diallo depart.

Sizeable wages (on his second contract, which probably means £60k or £70k+ a week) and only a year left. Got fee transfer written all over it.

Scottish sun reporting that Martin will be announced next week and links us to Piror Grimes and Fulton. Also briefly mentions Armstrong wants out. https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/22659391/swansea-transfers-southampton-salernita-piroe-grimes-fulton-armstrong/

Alan Nixon reporting that Stuart Armstrong wants to move abroad (not Scotland)

After a successful season in the Championship, I should imagine one or two Prem sides, not least the promoted teams might be looking at him. City will be keen for him to `progress' which doesn't mean another season in the championship.

fair enough, I just used 25 because Sir Rickie scored about that number in the championship. That is a high bar. Maybe 20 goals would have been more realistic, but Tella got what, 17? 15 goals in 46 games isn't exactly setting the world on fire. Che scored 22 for Brum, Armstrong 28 for Blackburn. Piroe scored 22 and 19 the last two seasons for a very average Swansea.

Selles immediately recognised he wasn't good enough for the Prem, which is why he didn't pick him. And I don't blame him. Poor man's Kev Francis. You can see that in his youtube video. Yes he scored some goals, but he just ain't good enough for the Prem. It annoys me so much that someone actually got paid to scout players and they came up with him.

You can sit on the fence. The club can't. Will he score 25 goals next season. Yes or no?

is FC Union and Union Berlin the same club? Their record signing is about £7m. Stuttgart's is about £10m.

They will do well to get that seeing as he only has one year left on his contract.

He's decent and looked tremendous in the Championship. Great first touch, lots of time on the ball and he seemed to be a class above - hence he got a Prem move. I thought we might try to sign him last summer, he looked liek the player we hoped Diallo would be, but obviously we had Lavia lined up. I was going to suggest he'd be a good signing for us this summer myself. However, I thought perhaps it's unlikely that he'd drop back to the Championship after one season (no player wants to give that up easily). I guess the only time that might happen is if he was a complete disaster and didn't get a game. For a while that looked the case. Despite West Ham struggles and he couldn't dislodge Soucek. He has tended to come on for the last 10 or 15 minutes in games only (the odd cup game apart). More recently though he has started three or four Prem games and done OK. I would imagine West Ham see him as a decent squad player that may be able to step up next year, rather than a guy that isn't good enough and needs shipping out. The other issue is he will be on prem wages. They may not be huge prem wages, but we need to reduce wages first before we can add. If you like seeing defensive work from a CM, the first two minutes of this video are of him making sliding tackles...

Is he worth £50m to us?

Why are we doing that? Is it for financial reasons or have someone like Chelsea (or whoever) cornered the market down there so there is no talent left?

he's impressed someone then. Has anyone on here actually seen him play for stoke?

probably some sort of requirement to have them to ensure the ground retains it's UEFA level x status, although that can't be true as Anfield doesn't have any screens. Maybe they get away with not having them...sorry, I've bored even myself now with this reply.

In the past it has been totally ripped up and relaid, but on this occasion it looks like it has just been heavily scarified to me - which I think the grounds staff tweeted about - and then it would presumably be reseeded.

Unless someone comes in with an offer, he will be here next season and then we can all see first hand whether he looks any good at this lower level. Unless he can't get a game of course. I am guessing that he played in the Alcaraz position (so will be behind him) most of the time at Stoke and not within a CM paring?

Now's the time for them to do it then (spend £20m on Tella). Perhaps we could stick a sizeable sell on clause in there, and maybe a buy back deal should we get promoted and they get relegated. They have just spent €15m turning Beyer's loan into a permanent deal.

Sounds a lot, but at this stage it's better than hearing we are looking for £30m and then Spurs putting in a bid of £12m.