the saint in winchester

Stoke don't want to sell and have put a £30M price tag on him. Any Prem team looking for a keeper may now consider Forster after all. No doubt we would take £10M then they have £20M available to fund his wages. However, currently no Prem team looking, although if Courtois does move, that may start the merry-go-round again, and where it stops, nobody knows.

It is. We send players off on loan assuming they will be developed and improved. Just as often as not, they get left out or played out of position to meet the loan club deficiencies. (eg Gallagher playing at RW, Reed at RB for Norwich).

Nope, he got clattered, either by his own teammate (some sources) or an opposition player (other sources). Get well soon, Nick, love and light.

Hardly a good move for Saints, LeG's initial reaction is mine too. The ethos of this club is to develop through the Academy. Gallagher and Sims are gems and should be given every chance here, not shipped out on loan or sold off. We have to sell to buy, so loaning won't generate much/any capital.

I can't disagree with anything you say, but look at the Burnley squad last season. It looked low grade yet they managed to pull off a 7th place finish. Team spirit was good for us when Hughes came in, so let's hope he can inspire us next season to at least a mid table finish.

Yep, the boy done good. Get him in!!!

Sounds like Karius non too chuffed at Allison incoming, so he wants to get on the merry-go-round. More supply than demand this summer!

Sadly this is now the biggest challenge we face and the suitors we hoped would take him and his wage bill off us have made alternative arrangements. The OP suggests he may be 3rd choice, but I fear he may not even make the cut of the 25 man squad and make the 3rd GK slot. As you state, top prem clubs who could afford him don't want him, lower prem club who could make a 50% contribution, don't want to pay even that; Championship clubs won't make much contribution at all. So we are looking for a decent overseas option and I can't see anyone (like Torino) going for another English GK. This is a mess, sadly. We can debate the merits of his contract extension until the cows come home, but we are where we are. I can't see a solution that excites all parties, unless we pay him off in full now, and that would be daft. He may have to stay on, on full pay, and compete for a place. It's like owning an ancestral home, putting it on the market, finding there are no buyers and having to live on there paying all the bills.

Taken in isolation, I would agree with you. However, I fear he would take Gallagher's place in the squad and I'm one that wants SG to be part of our plans this season. If you guarantee me that SG stays even if Llorente comes, then I'm in. However, from some pics I saw on Insta at lunchtime, we seem to be trying Forster out as a CF. Makes sense - not going to get many games in goal, and we could use his height up front.

Heavens, this thread has descended into Wish You Were Here, with trip advisor, food and wine critics .... I'll save this one for a trip to France

And that's the key phrase. West Ham are not, in reality, a bigger club than us. Only in their own imaginations. If he does well for us, he may get a move to a Champions League club next season. But if he goes to West Ham, he will be just a squad player on huge money.

is this one going to be on youtube, to save us the fiver for an alien site?

Gallagher IN !!!!

They do. The Liverpool fan in the office is up for the title challenge this season, believes they have what it takes now to overhaul Citeh.

I love the 5-2-3-1 formation, that should confuse the opposition, adding subs (while taking no-one off)

What did the above link say? It's a blank page now.

Probably simply that "Boufal is looking for options away from St Mary's" .... which we already know!

And who do you suggest, and don't say Mbappe!

I am on record here as saying I would keep Sammy G and any names I nominate are entirely on the premise that one of our strikers has left previously. I was only ranking Origi above Ings. I/we acknowledge there is no link to Origi at this stage for us, only that my Liverpool fan colleague was suggesting he would be available for transfer/loan.

Liverpool fan in office, earlier this week, when I commented about the Ings link, commented that we should be asking them about Origi, that they would let him go. I would rather Origi than Ings, at this stage.

Yeah, confused by above. Thought their initial offer was £10M yet they claim to have upped their offer to £8M? Have to conclude the initial offer was £5M plus another £5M in add-ons? Either way, NO. We need to keep him.

I can't see beyond page 1

Odd? When did Southampton move to Essex? Isn't there someone nearer home we could have been drawn with?

Because they need to get some money back IN to compensate for all the OUT spend.

Not 'managed', just been given. Not selected often enough.