Big_Bald_Si

Very happy with this! This is a piece of the jigsaw, only a couple of pieces missing I'd say.....

It's clearly going to be Lee *Crosses fingers secretly hoping it's someone else*

Just to add, you didn't "produce" Larsson, if you're making comparisons.

Spurs got Rafael Van der Vaart for £8 million, to put that fee into perspective.

lol - by some very crude attempt at applying inflation to the last fee. Even if we sign someone for £4.1 million, our record will have been broken.

A very well reasoned post - good work. It might be down to Hooper - if he saw us as the bigger club, then I think he'd have to kick up a stink if he wanted to move. Even then, Celtic don't have to accept our offer(s), no matter whose seen as the "bigger" club.

No - it was some random posting it on twitter on Fourth Official's page

All very, very exciting to hear. Watched the stream today and thought we did very well, adding a few new signings into the mix makes me want to go and play with myself!

Can't make it full screen annoyingly

Spot on - good feed! Many thanks

HP - but the one with Guinness - heaven in a bottle

lol - I might start a thread saying Lee Holmes is off to Rangers

This - we made around a £6 million loss last year, plus we have to consider the signings we've made thus far. Money's there - but I just can't see us spanking £6 million on Gary Hooper.

Depends what you mean by "we". We have wealthy owners, yes, but that's not Southampton FC's money by any means. I also recall Nicola Cortese stating, when Saints Markus bought our club, that we wouldn't be throwing money around like Man City. Spending an alleged/reported/made up figure of £6 million on a striker strikes me as throwing money about.

Actually, the number came from the daily mirror's article this morning. (although, having said that, they probably looked on here for the figure - so you're right )

And if we don't get promoted? Hooper's likely to want a fair old wage given he's the flavour of the month at Celtic.

Not with the entire first team squad having signed new long term deals this season (or signed for us on a long term deal - Jack Cork for example)

If we get it to #500 we get him for free

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/may/19/football-club-accounts-debt Although a little out of date, it does illustrate an important point. £90 million or no £90 million for being in the Premier League, costs go up when you're in the Premier League. Saying we should spend £6 million on a player on the basis we'll "get" £90 million for promotion isn't as simple as it seems. £90 million is not profit - it's revenue.

Sordell plays for Watford

Most clubs do this. There's no way a potential transfer target would sign for a promotion chasing club without asking for a high wage, or a clause for a substantial pay rise on promotion. Most of our first team have signed new, long term deals, and all will receive substantial pay rises if we get promoted.

Both excellent examples. Neither is sat on a pot of gold, like some people seem to think. Both will be receiving parachute payments, but this isn't to say this immediately gives them £50m in their back pocket, allowing them to spend beyond their means.

In fairness, West Ham are walking the tightrope financially and are banking on an immediate return to the Premier League. I'd cringe if we had players on the same salaries as the likes ot Taylor, Carew and Nolan (who was on £50,000 a week at Newcastle) in our ranks.

It really depends on what our chances of promotion are - sure, we're top, but we have some very, very tough away games second half of the season and our form of late hasn't been the best. The other consideration is whether having Hooper in our side would give us a significantly better chance of promotion. £6 million is a lot of money when you don't get promoted, that's for sure.

You think £6 million is a small amount of money? It might be a small amount of money to the Citys and Uniteds of this world - but you're forgetting that we're a championship club with a 32,000 seater stadium. I'm not quite sure where the "champions league in 5 years" has come from. I was under the impression Cortese wanted us to be an "established team in the Premier League in 5 years", with over half the team having come from our academy. We are not going to be a champions league team in 5 years time by splashing cash - look at Stoke and Sunderland, they've spanked an incredible amount of cash since they've been in the top flight, and look where thats got them. Certainly nowhere near champions league football. You could add Liverpool into that as well, they don't look like breaking into the top four either, despite going on a spending spree this summer (on a collection of average players, i'll add). Think we all need to be a bit realistic about what an acceptable gamble is. I'm not sure £6 million on a player that played for S*****horpe two years ago is that.