Chez

very surprised a Prem side didn't sign him. Seemed to improve as the season went on. Just the kind of flare we need IMO.

has the £70m loan been spent on last years wages then?

I don't agree with you. I think you need to watch some videos of him again. I have watched every goal he scored last season several times. There is one goal where he beats a guy for a pace and its a donkey QPR centre back. Being quicker than a slow player doesn't mean you have pace. He is sharp. But he ain't got genuine pace. Doesn't mean we wont score goals.

the next Lallana? Our scouts seem to have spent a fair bit of time looking at U23 possibilities an charming their agents.

very good player according to a Sheff United fan in the family that I spoke to last Xmas. I was going ti suggest him on here, but wasn't sure how good a season he had in the end.

none of his goals show the speed. Certainly sharp, like Ings was, but nothing that suggest great pace.

it matters little what Villa did two season's ago, it's what they will do over the next three seasons and equally what we might do. He's decided they are a better option. Less likely to go down Less likelt that he has his wages cut in half.. So we are in agreement.

Maddison can play a bit, but £70m? I know we say this every year, but football has lost the plot.

Maybe. Its worth considering that Ings would probably have had to take a huge cut in wages should we be relegated. Moving to Villa perhaps reduces that possibility and thus guarantees the full £100k a week wages over the entire contract. Wage security may have been a factor. Maybe not.

oh dear. Who the fuck gave him a two year deal?

Absolutely, but I am not sure why there is so much confidence based on the performances in the second half of the season.

If we rate Armstrong and who knows if we really did bid, then you'd think we would wrap that deal up immediately. Wonder who the alternative is.

will we? We were fucking terrible last season and have got weaker.

a big disappojntment for me is not using the £70m loan to sign Patson Dakka before we sold Ings. I guess we had no chance when up against Leicester...jesus, I can't believe I am actually typing that. I suppose the other disappointment is that we couldn't eek out a few more bob from Villa, who have cash to burn. If £30m is the final fee (add ons are hard to know) then that is about right.

not surprised we sold him or that it was for a figure of £25m. I said it all along that the club can not afford to allow a £25m asset to walk for nothing. Very surprised its Villa. Fucking Villa. What a great move by them.

I guess it's no different to the likes of Dortmund signing Sancho. Some young players just stand out so much that you know they will do it. We know that better than most with Bale, Theo and Shaw.

I'll answer it on his behalf. The club accepts a bid, demonstrating to the the player that he's no longer wanted. That forces the players hand. Of course, the player can still stay, but in reality, his pride won't allow it, he doesn't want to be where he is not wanted (who does?) and he thus leaves. It's other side of the coin to a player going on strike. In that circumstance the club can dig their heals in, but in reality you cant keep an unhappy player, so you end up selling.

that was what I was getting at. If there is an injury, is he good enough right now to play games at this level? Hopefully there wont be an injury and we wont need to find out, but there is a slight gamble there. There always is, I suppose, but for all the excitement, Perraud and the two Chelsea signings haven't actually made us a better side immediately...and going on the second half of the season form we need to see a big improvement.

Great to see us buying young talent. It's the essential for a self sustaining club. But it would be nice to have seen him play some senior games out on loan. U23s football, especially when you dominate opponents like Chelsea's u23s do, is not the same as playing for Saints first team. Doesn't mean he won't thrive when stepping up, but you dont know until they play. Is he good enough to start from day 1? We might need to give him some time to find his feet. Interesting that £5m bought us Cedric with almost 70 games for Sporting Lisbon and capped by Portugal.

If our academy can't bring the quality of player through, attracting talent from Chelsea's makes a lot of sense. Hope they cut the mustard. We certainly offer them a route to the first team.

Leeds have been heavily linked with Doig for ages.

Palace have sent £35m on two new centre backs. There is probably a reason for that.

No matter what value you put on him, it seems a very big amount for any championship club to pay considering the financial difficulties they all have due to covid. No one has any money to spend. So far, Fulham have spent £12.6m on Harry Wilson. Stoke £1.5m on Ben Wilmot, QPR £1m on Dozzel, Swansea £1.8m on Piroe and Boro £780k on Ikpeazu. That's pretty much it. Lots of free transfers. Blackburn aren't spending £6m on. Not a chance.

I'd be amazed if they didn't. You don't open with your `final' bid. I guess it explains why we have apparently been enquiring/interested about Delaney.

Wilma already has pearl necklace. Im guessing Fred gave that to her.