Saint_lambden

Yep. Dibling has one foot out the door but they're very relaxed with Fernandes. A lot of interest in him but nothing concrete with a many clubs put off by the price we want (£50m+ addons I believe). West Ham for example really like him but they're playing around with £30m odd for a new central midfielder so have no chance of getting him for that. His agent Mendes will keep whipping stuff up in the media throughout the window but at the end of the day, if nobody pays the price tag we've put on him them he'll stay. Gut says he will still go as I just can't see someone that talented in this division for long but we should just enjoy him for as long as we can whilst he's here.

Just read his piece in The Times and you'll see he's buzzing. Everything I hear from the training ground is very positive about his man management and the way he conducts himself - doesn't try to be everyone's mate all the time like Russell Martin did and constantly emotional. He's level-headed, someone who just adores football and is focused on the job in hand.

Agree on the timing front but the bid was genuine, though not sure how much it was actually for. Cov want at least £20m up front apparently plus add-ons so similar ballpark to what it would cost to get Fellows in. Both would be perfect for Still's system/style so hopefully we kick on and get them done rather than posturing.

They're up there with Newcastle, Arsenal and Liverpool fans for levels of delusion and self-importance.

---------------------Bazunu--------------- ---Edwards--------Stephens----Quarshie--- -Sugawara--Downes--Charles-------Welli- --------------Fernandes--Armstrong------- --------------------Archer------------------- Is what I would expect, but if we go 4-2-3-1 then Robinson must be included.

As per I said on here a couple of weeks ago, Jack Rosser confirming that we may shift on Smallbone and Aribo has interest too. Romeu has still been training with Barcelona even though he's not in their plans so doubt the story about him being at our training ground this week. Sounds like when he visited in Girona a few weeks ago he chatted with Spors, Bitcon and Still very informally about his next move but nothing more as he was waiting on his contract situation with Barca to be resolved. Asked my POC about Fellows - there's still an interest in him even since Martin left but nothing formal at this stage. Would likely cost around £20m mark. Number 10 still a priority, then x2 wingers and a central midfielder (or two depending on outgoings of WS/JA) and a 3rd senior GK to compete with Bazunu.

He's injured so won't be playing at the weekend

Nonsense

Should imagine we'll meet in the middle in the next few days as it's only a few million apart. We're calling their bluff and they're doing likewise with the old 'we're looking at alternative targets' trick but Dibling is the one they want.

Why would we cave in? They’re desperate for new signings and we know it. He’s their number one target that they’ve made x3 bids for in the last week. We hold the power.

Baffles me every year why people think the club are not working on deals just because every single move is not reported to them, but I guess we're living in a time of instant gratification. People would rather be fed a load of bollocks that has no substance to it than wait for deals to secured. Look at the Quarshie deal - nobody knew that was happening until it was basically done. That's how the club should be operating. Quality over quantity is still the mantra.

Donley. We still want him (amongst other Championship sides) but Maddison got a bad injury last night so I do wonder if Spurs will want to keep him now rather than loaning him out.

Yep, given our lack of wide men then we're relying on the width of the full-backs. Look totally devoid of any creativity otherwise.

Classic. 65% possession but massively lost xG and the shot count plus racked up 4 yellows. They'll get through next round of UCL v Plzen but he'll be hounded out soon enough.

Forest, West Ham, Fulham, Porto, Galatasary, Al-Qadsiah, Juventus, Inter, Atalanta (I wonder why) and Monaco are some of those I know of who have active interest, no idea how many - if any - have bid.

All of those apart from Harwood-Bellis I reckon. He’s apparently happy to stay and he’s only just coming back from surgery but I guess hard to say who may come in for him later in the window. The Porto bid story wasn’t all it was made out to be, sounds like they enquired about him when discussing Bednarek but it wasn’t a formal bid. Porto are actually interested in Fernandes but I’m not sure (just a hunch rather than knowing) he would join one of Sporting’s rivals. Fatawu is still there yes. Had a bad injury not long after the game at St Mary’s so only just back in training. Monga is the one to watch for them, only just turned 16 and been brilliant in pre-season. Their youngsters is probably what will get them through the other side of their financial situation. Foreign markets still. Sounds like they feel there is more value there than in England. We have done/are doing lots of scouting in Scandinavia but I guess that’s because their leagues have been playing through the summer compared to the rest of Europe.

They’ve accepted internally that Fernandes is off but it’s just how much we can get for him. It’s the reality of relegation. The other two clubs have had or are going to go through the same. The only two Premier League quality players that Ipswich had last season were Delap and Cajuste and they’re both gone, with Leicester it is Hermansen and El Khannouss - neither of whom will be there in a few weeks. It will all come down to who can then recruit best with the funds available. Ipswich didn’t need to add too much as their squad from promotion 2 years ago are basically all still there, but their signings have been impressive. Leicester are in a financial mess so haven’t signed anyone. Of course people are concerned about the outgoings but we will spend a portion of what we get in on replacements.

£40m will do it.

I'd be adding Sesay in to the CM box - he's impressed a lot in his first few weeks. Too soon to be starting but I think we'll see him on the bench a lot, especially if (when) Aribo goes. Does bring him the glaring gaps in the number 10 role as well as quality/pace in wide areas.

Aribo, ABK, Taylor and don't be surprised if Smallbone departs as well in terms of the ones we want to shift on. THB and Fernandes we want to stay but plenty of interest so will be about maximising return if they depart and we're in a good position given money taken in on other departures so if they go, it will be for plenty of £.

The GK Sunderland are about to buy (Roeffs) is one we had looked at as recently as the under 21 Euros in the summer. The club have a long standing interest in Patterson so them signing a new GK could make buying/loaning him more viable but he wouldn't be top of my list. Other than Setford who I mentioned earlier, I know we've in the past scouted Matt Freese who plays for NYCFC in MLS and I think is the USNT number 1 GK at the moment. No idea if Matt Ryan is someone on the list but it would make sense as a stop-gap for a year.

Bump.

The potential lack of motivation talk seems a bit unfair. He's played at Krasnodar for a lot of years and has turned down many an opportunity to move to bigger and better teams for more money but wanted to win a trophy with his current team which he's now done as they won the league last season, so he and the club are open to a move, especially as he won't be able to play in the Champions League now with all Russian clubs banned from it. We'll now have the financial muscle to pay him very handsomely and he'd start every week for a team trying to get back to the Premier League within a year so it may well be the best route to eventually playing there without a current Prem team wanting to commit.

Yes, there was a meeting yesterday between the police, council, the clubs etc. about the plans for the games and it will be the same for both fixtures.

A friend of friend connection to the club on the scouting side so it tends to be more snippets on who we're interested in/have been looking at rather than who we're actually following through on. In general, there is a feeling that we didn't shift anywhere near enough of the dead wood and those that didn't want to be here last time we came down (at least not early enough and so it impacted first couple of months of the season) and the new management team don't want a repeat. Aribo will be gone in the next few weeks as an example. And on incomings, it's absolutely a focus on quality over quantity. Sounds like they're amazed internally that Downs wasn't picked up by a Premier League team. His dad grew up in Hampshire and went to school in Alton so there are connections there and they see him as a future number 1 but don't disagree with you that it would be a big risk as if he came here, Arsenal would want him to play every week overwise what's the point and sticking a 19 year-old in for a side needing promotion is a gamble. Get the sense the club don't feel like they need to spend the earth to get promoted again which would allow more £ for transfers if we go up when it really would be needed (like Sunderland/Leeds so far this summer). Ipswich splashing out big money on Hackney might change their mind though...