Summer Transfer Window 2013

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/apr/11/liverpool-ashley-williams-swansea-city

The Guardian with a story that we are confident of signing Williams from Swansea. No quotes there, but The Guardian is usually a good source.

The article says that Arsenal had a £9m offer rejected in January and I really don't fancy paying anything above that figure for Williams.

Yeah, I would be a little disappointed to see us pick him up for more than 6-8m. I don't see him being more than a 3rd choice, whether or not Skrtel gets sold (if we sell Skrtel I would accept to see a first-team quality replacement come in), and the 10-12m numbers I'm hearing about are a larger investment than I would like in that spot. I don't slate him as much as most of this forum, but I also don't think he's worth 12m, and I think BR might be a little too willing to pay extra for the familiarity.

Get Alderweireld, Keep Skrtel, loan Coates, make Kelly/Wisdom 4th choice CBs and let's call it a day for center of defense.

The 12m rumor I'm hearing about Williams is giving a fever.

12m does seem a bit steep for Williams, especially when Alderweireld appears to be available for 2/3rd of that.

Hypothetically, let's say we could sell Skrtel for 18m (Russian clubs) and get Alderweireld and Williams for a combined 20m, or Alderweireld and de Vrij/Indi for a combined 15m. Would people still be upset if the club let Skrtel go in either of those cases?


Also, no interest in my other thread suggestion(s)?

Signing Williams as a first team player is going backwards. Yes... backwards. It's not even moving sideways. Stupid signing if we do actually sell Skrtel and replace him with Williams.

Rami from Valencia has stated he wants to move to a big club and wouldn't mind moving to the Premier League.

ynwa wrote:Rami from Valencia has stated he wants to move to a big club and wouldn't mind moving to the Premier League.

Watch us pay £10m for Williams and Laudrup sign Rami for £5m

Rami is not an improvement over Skrtel either just so you know. He might fit Rodgers' play better but that's as far as it goes.

Still head and shoulders better than Williams.

Also has more "experience" that Rodgers supposedly wants.

Williams - 2 good seasons in the PL, plenty of time under Rodgers, clear leader for his side

Rami - 1 good season, 1 mediocre in La Liga, no familiarity with Rodgers or the PL, known to be a bit mistake prone


And he'd be a better option? Bullshit.
Rami is at best comparable at this point, but in no way clearly better.

Rami would be like Bramble in our league ffs.

my valencia season ticket holder who goes to every game at mestalla absolutely hates Rami.

I don't think anyone here expects us to sign Rami, but I can't be the only one thinking that Rodgers shouldn't sign any more of his previous players for inflated prices, seeing how questionably Allen and Borini have performed.

Harry Redknapp wrote:Rami would be like Bramble in our league ffs.

my valencia season ticket holder who goes to every game at mestalla absolutely hates Rami.

And yet, I still find him a better option than Williams...

ynwa wrote:

Harry Redknapp wrote:Rami would be like Bramble in our league ffs.

my valencia season ticket holder who goes to every game at mestalla absolutely hates Rami.

And yet, I still find him a better option than Williams...

Yes, which is why we're suggesting there might be a bit of bias there...

I have an agenda against signing average players that don't improve the squad, forgive me.

Carroll:

"This is obviously a great club and I do not see why not," Carroll said. "It has been great here and every minute has been fantastic. The lads have been great, the gaffer has been great and the fans are unbelievable."

Carroll has scored just six goals for West Ham during his season-long loan move from Liverpool, but Hammers officials have made it clear that they are ready to agree a club record transfer fee to sign him next summer.

"Andy is very important for us," Allardyce said. "I always said once he got match-fit he would put the goals in the back of the net and show he is a good scorer as well as a top player and a strong target man.

"We have to sit down at the end of the season and make decisions on all of the out-of-contract and loan players, including Andy. If it could be done it would be very nice, but there’s a long way to go between now and then."

I actually worry for both West Ham and Carroll if they do sign him, because they are in desperate need of midfield reinforcements and if they blow their transfer budget on Carroll, they will create wank all next season.

Nolan seems past it (went to a Hammers forum the other day, they're calling him Captain Invisible there), Noble is Championship quality at best, well, actually pretty much all their midfield looks Championship quality, Diame apart.

The best option for Carroll would be a return to Newcastle, unless something surprising comes up.

ynwa wrote:I have an agenda against signing average players that don't improve the squad, forgive me.

No, you obviously don't, or you wouldn't be putting forward Rami as an option. That's exactly what we're pointing out.

There's an ever growing list of experts, analysts, ex-players (like Rush), and others connected to the game saying that Williams would be a decent to good signing and that he's good enough for the squad. Meanwhile even Valencia fans are frustrated with Rami's poor form this season. Yet you suggest that Rami is a better (potential) signing. Therefore its clearly not simply you're dislike for "average players" that's in play here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22160271

New financial fair play rules could scupper West Ham's hopes of signing striker Andy Carroll, manager Sam Allardyce says.

The on-loan Liverpool striker, 24, is open to a move to the London club.

But Allardyce said restrictions due to be introduced next season may prevent any move for the England man.

Allardyce said: "I will still point towards financial restrictions being implemented next season - they could blow the whole deal in one go."

The new financial rules agreed by Premier League clubs mean
each team will not be allowed to make a total loss of more than £105m over the next three seasons.

Not sure if manager is the best person to talk about accounting and finances, but - referring to my previous post - it could be a blessing in disguise for Carroll and perhaps even for West Ham if this deal didn't happen. Although Allardyce's words are probably more an attempt to bring down the fee for Carroll, in my opinion they need players for other positions before spending big on a striker.

RedOranje wrote:

ynwa wrote:I have an agenda against signing average players that don't improve the squad, forgive me.

No, you obviously don't, or you wouldn't be putting forward Rami as an option. That's exactly what we're pointing out.

There's an ever growing list of experts, analysts, ex-players (like Rush), and others connected to the game saying that Williams would be a decent to good signing and that he's good enough for the squad. Meanwhile even Valencia fans are frustrated with Rami's poor form this season. Yet you suggest that Rami is a better (potential) signing. Therefore its clearly not simply you're dislike for "average players" that's in play here.

So an average season makes an average player? What are your thoughts on Agger and Skrtel then?

Rami hasn't had a good season but who under Valverde has? Ridiculous to call him as a bad candinate considering the majority of the team can't adapt to Valverde's ways. He's simply made Valencia average.

Obviously ex-players are going to praise a potential candinate. They've NEVER said a bad word against anyone. Ex-players don't know if a player is a genuine or target or not. (Half our ex-players thought Martinez was favourite for the job...) Also, if the player does arrive, it puts the player in strife to perform. And I doubt ex-Liverpool players would want to put such pressure on a player.

Experts and analysts thought Allen was a good signing. Nothing against Allen as a player, I actually rate him a lot. But he wasn't really needed, was he? And we decided to splash 15m on him... these experts and analysis also rate Downing ffs. You can hardly take them serious.

My Sauces tell me Liverpool are about to sign Josimar(16) and Canos(16) from Barcelona Cadete A. Former is a RB/CM, while latter is a CF.

RealGunner wrote:My Sauces tell me Liverpool are about to sign Josimar(16) and Canos(16) from Barcelona Cadete A. Former is a RB/CM, while latter is a CF.

They won't really be useful in the first team for another 4/5 years to get excited about.

Sergi Canos has been a reported target for a month or so now. He's also a versatile forward who can play on the wing, as a wide forward, or as a center forward. Given his age and the lack of experience though he wouldn't be an immediate first team signing.

Interesting developments being rumored regarding Erikson. . .

if you're referring to the internet rumours that Ajax and LFC have agreed a deal then Ajax have already officially rejected that talk. No deal has been agreed.