S-Clarke

What does more flexibility mean? Umm....signing players before you have to sell to generate the funds? We had to hang around for months trying to sell target so we had enough cash flow to sign Adams. We were in dire straights with zero flexibility in the market, we couldn't be proactive with our plans and we had to be reactive to everything. I didn't say experienced players were out of our reach, I said proven players. Proven PL players. We have to work in different areas to sign players who have the potential to become proven PL players. Awoniyi is one in the remit of someone we look to sign, I think the fee is a bit too high though in this instance. Awoniyi is not proven at the top level at all, so you've just agreed with what I said. We do sign players who will improve the team on the pitch. I think it's safe to say KWP, Tino, Salisu improved us on the pitch. I'd expect Bazunu and ABK to do the same too, then the same people will be jumping up and down in a few years time when they get linked away for mega money. But if that happens, we've been a success and the model has been a success. Under Gao was pointless, we had no money for improvements we had to generate everything. It's clear that there is a bit more positive cash flow to play with this summer and it's not just because Lemina and Hoedt aren't here.

Why use Ben Mee as an example? You know what I mean. Signing a proven 10-15 goal a season PL striker, or a proven PL midfielder like Tiliemans or Soucek, Bisoumma etc. Out of our reach. That's what I mean.

Baffling response. Have a look at the date. It's not even July and we've signed 3 players without having to sell anyone to do so. That didn't happen under Gao, we immediately have more flexibility in the market. In terms of our model and who we scout, where do you expect us to go? We can't buy proven because they're too expensive and out of our reach. The up-and-coming talent not yet poached by a big club is absolutely the right way for us to go, there's no other way we can really go. Do it right and it'll work. Selling and looking at future profit is also the way clubs like us work, Dortmund, RB, Monaco etc. They spend fee's with an eye on what they'll get on a resale, it's just how football works for the clubs that aren't run by state countries. I really don't know what you expect.

If you're expecting a transfer window akin to 2014 then you need to re-address your expectations, as they're completely unrealistic.

Yeah, the Lyanco ones are weird. If that happens we should try and get Levi Colwill in as 3rd CB.

Don't forget ABK

We need a CM, someone in the Romeu mould as we have no alternative. Ideally someone better than Romeu to come in and take his place. Not sure Svanberg is that player, but the guy at Lens certainly is. (Dacoure I think he's called). Sambi-Lakomba at Arsenal isn't a bad shout either, potential loan so saving some pennies there. Lavia is another shout down the cheap loan route. 2x new 10's (well, wide players in the old fashioned terms). We need direct players who can break the line, confident enough to beat a man and not pass backwards. Someone like Sinisterra at Feyenoord. 2x Strikers. Assume long is gone and Broja has already gone, so that's two spots to fill. Potentially the second 'number 10' could also play as a striker so Amadu could be that guy. For our starting striker signing - someone like Sesko from Salzburg, Delap from City or the fella from Stuttgart. All powerful front men, although Sesko has a higher ceeling imo. For 'cheapness' purposes a loan for Delap is probably the route we'll go once the U19's Euros are over. On paper there is still a hell of a lot to do. Luckily we've made a decent start.

Daka is a good player, just used very poorly by the manager in a really disjointed Leicester season. He'll come good.

I guess if you like a player who plays like he's committed, emotionally engaged etc then he will get some fans who think he's brilliant. But at the same token, by being so emotionally charged in games he is rash as hell. I'm not a fan because he will give up goals due to his stupid decisions. Can't deny his passion and all of that stuff, but you need more. It would be a strange loan though, but this is the second link I've seen for Lyanco in the space of a couple of days - so makes you wonder if he's been told to look for a new club and his agent is at work.

I think that tells you all you need to know about the guys motivation. They are prob the only club who were prepared to pay him what he wanted for an 18month USA holiday. He won't need to work as hard as he would have had to in the Championship or PL either, just what he was after. Once the WC is over he will fade into obscurity and then retire on mega money. It's a shame he fell out of love with football like he did, a few years ago he was in and around the best 4 players on the planet.

It seemed to go cold, so maybe we didn't feel he was worth the release clause we were quoted. I don't think guaranteed starts would have been an issue, any new striker we sign will be first choice from day 1 as we have no one else! I reckon we're looking for more mobility and pace up top.

This is the point I'm trying to make. £75m is nothing if we spend it like we did the VVD money. We don't have enough good players 'here at the moment' to absorb the loss of our best player, let's develop some more good players here before we sell our only one at the moment. That's all I'm trying to say. Yeah, we can spend £75m but it's all a gamble and we'd be gambling with no safety net. This is totally different to the situation we had selling Lambert, Lallana, Shaw, Chambers, Lovren etc. We still had Morgan, Wanyama, Clyne, Fonte at the club - with decent scouting we managed to offset the loss of those other key players, but let's not forget the impact the existing important players still had on that side.

I think the most surprising part of this is the fee. He's not into his final year or anything like that, £42m in this market for an English international seems a bit cheap. Not sure what's happened there. Looks like the signings Leeds have been making (Aarronsen/Roca etc) have been done in advance of his accepted departure, like Villa did with Grealish. The DM they've signed from City is interesting though, they were very interested in Lavia but clearly unable to secure a deal (i'm sure they tried). I wonder if that now puts us in pole position for Lavia, even if it's just a season long loan?

No one is going to offer that! But even £100m I'd say no. Selling JWP would equal relegation with the current state of the squad, keep JWP around with the new players we're buying this year, let them mature and we can absorb his loss a bit better next year if all goes well. At the moment, you're taking out 1 of our 2 PL quality players and that would be curtains in my opinion.

This has come up a few times in recent months, but as of this window - no, no matter what the bid is. Once we've sorted the rest of the team out, the likes of Bazunu, AKP etc have matured as regulars and there's value in other individuals like Salisu/Tino next summer, then we could maybe absorb his loss a little easier. At the moment though, with a squad that already needs substantial work, selling JWP would just create too much to do and leave us with a load of unproven players.

Surprisingly quick, he's strong enough to hold off a defender and then quick enough to spin them and run away from them. It did seem as if teams and opposition players figured that out a bit last season and stopped getting so tight to him, which made it harder for him to spin and run. In terms of finishing, he gets a bit excited and isn't always the most clinical - but if he can calm that down and get a bit more composure he'll be excellent for anyone as his raw physical attributes will always make him a threat.

There's an equally good write up in the Athletic by our new reporter. I think this is Jacob's first article, but already he looks to be on a different level than Dan ever was, who just found lots of words to describe what we already knew.

£10m for Pope apparently, which is insanely good value. I think it's clear what our model is, the big fee's go down on young players with potential with a view to recouping double/treble that in a few years. I doubt that would be possible with Pope, although in respect of the here and now it would be perfect.

If he's half as good as Anders then we're going to be more than happy with him!

Yep, seconded. Appreciate his posts and keeping across all of twitter!

My take on that is that he was referring to players who had top level experience and 'could help us now', rather than being older in age terms. ABK and potentially Svanberg tick those boxes.

Never really thought he was cut out for the PL, I'm not surprised there weren't many takers in this league at that price. He'll probably do well in France.

The Mane deal came out of nowhere.

There is most value in Bednarek, so it will be him who departs. Will prob get 15m for him.