I might as well start this of with news of that Steven Gerrard is set to agree to move to LA Galaxy from Liverpool in the summer.

 

And also news that Manchester City are in talks over a deal with Swansea's Wilfred Bony for a fee of more than £30m.

£30m for Bony to be a 4th choice striker. The mind boggles!

We're in need of a striker and goalkeeper. Not sure we'll get either though to be honest

 

Valdes would have been a good choice, but wages tend to usually be the sticking point for us

 

Don't think bringing back Origi early is the right decision either. I'd rather he was left at Lille for the remainder of the season as I doubt he'd make a huge contribution here in the final few months and epecially for the fees being quoted

We're in need of a striker and goalkeeper. Not sure we'll get either though to be honest

 

Valdes would have been a good choice, but wages tend to usually be the sticking point for us

 

Don't think bringing back Origi early is the right decision either. I'd rather he was left at Lille for the remainder of the season as I doubt he'd make a huge contribution here in the final few months and epecially for the fees being quoted

 

I think Origi will come back.

 

Hopefully we get a goalkeeper in. I'm not holding my breath, but Cech on loan for the rest of the season would be the best option available.

No chance of Liverpool signing Cech - especially since they've sold Schwarzer to Leicester.

 

Bony to Man City is the obvious big singing so far, but even that's underwhelming. Yes, he's a great striker and much too good to be fourth choice at Man City. Not exactly value for money though. They were much more exciting when they signed Robinho and chased Kaka :lol:

Bony is the complete antithesis of what Manchester City have been trying to create for themselves over the past 5 seasons in terms of both creative imagery and style of play. Granted he's a proven Premier League goalscorer but £30m quoted for a striker who won't get a sniff with Aguero/Jovetic/Dzeko fit is stupider than any Scott Sinclair or Javi Garcia deal they've come up with in the past. I'm all for enhancing your chances for a title battle as much as possible if funds are available but seriously. Wilfried Bony. Manchester City. Fucking hell.

I'm surprised that Manchester City have not offloaded Scott Sinclair, he was a great player before he joined Man City! Hoping that he manages to get a loan switch to Crystal Palace or Aston Villa.

 

I'm surprised that Valdes has joined Manchester United, I'm sure Liverpool or Arsenal should have taking a chance on him unless that is signalling the end of David De Gea.

I'm surprised that Manchester City have not offloaded Scott Sinclair, he was a great player before he joined Man City! Hoping that he manages to get a loan switch to Crystal Palace or Aston Villa.

 

I'm surprised that Valdes has joined Manchester United, I'm sure Liverpool or Arsenal should have taking a chance on him unless that is signalling the end of David De Gea.

 

Sinclair's all pace and not really much else. He had his season with Swansea but Nathan Dyer was just as good for them that season. It was a ridiculous buy.

 

The club's you listed would probably benefit from him, especially Villa who don't seem to be fancying this scoring goals malarkey this season. Anyone above stable mid-table status, he'd struggle.

I don't think the Bony signing would be that ridiculous if it weren't for the AFCON. That just makes it a little pointless, they'll have three fit strikers by the time he's available. Aguero and Jovetic both fit their gameplan, Dzeko is Plan B until he hits form and they'll probably only use one of them in some big games anyway.

I don't think the Bony signing would be that ridiculous if it weren't for the AFCON. That just makes it a little pointless, they'll have three fit strikers by the time he's available. Aguero and Jovetic both fit their gameplan, Dzeko is Plan B until he hits form and they'll probably only use one of them in some big games anyway.

 

At what point will Bony realistically be anything more than third best during this season? Barring another injury crisis they're paying £30m for a player who may get a decent domestic cup run with them if he's lucky. One of the most frivolous, profligate acts of transfer policy I can ever recall in the Premier League.

Edited January 10, 201510 yr by Cassidy

I can only think they're buying him because he's eligible to play in the Champions League. I suppose Negredo will be off to Valencia full-time in the summer, so effectively he's just a more expensive replacement of Negredo. Still he's going to be 4th choice, unless the other 3 get injured, which to be fair is quite likely.

I can only think they're buying him because he's eligible to play in the Champions League. I suppose Negredo will be off to Valencia full-time in the summer, so effectively he's just a more expensive replacement of Negredo. Still he's going to be 4th choice, unless the other 3 get injured, which to be fair is quite likely.

 

Why not keep hold of Negredo though? He did fantastically well with them prior to his injury and didn't really get any chance thereafter. I know there were hints at a behind-closed-doors job. In terms of the influence they both can have on the game I'd probably still take Negredo. Definitely more adept at tracking back to the halfway line and channelling the flanks.

PS hi Ren :hi:

I'm surprised that Valdes has joined Manchester United, I'm sure Liverpool or Arsenal should have taking a chance on him unless that is signalling the end of David De Gea.

De Gea has 18months left on his contract and rumour has it that Real Madrid are circling him. It's an insurance policy to make sure we still have a damned good goalie in the event of Real doing what they do. Smart.

Why not keep hold of Negredo though? He did fantastically well with them prior to his injury and didn't really get any chance thereafter. I know there were hints at a behind-closed-doors job. In terms of the influence they both can have on the game I'd probably still take Negredo. Definitely more adept at tracking back to the halfway line and channelling the flanks.

 

I have also heard rumours. I think he got in a spot of trouble with some Manchester locals, hence his abrupt departure, even though he was excellent when called upon and more suited to City's style of play.

 

OMG hi :kink:

 

De Gea has 18months left on his contract and rumour has it that Real Madrid are circling him. It's an insurance policy to make sure we still have a damned good goalie in the event of Real doing what they do. Smart.

 

Yes it makes sense. Real will come calling eventually, whether de Gea goes or not is another discussion, but they will come and try to unsettle him. I would have loved to have Valdes at Liverpool, but he's not played for a long time, and would still want a huge salary, so understandable why Liverpool backed out. He would have walked in to the #1 spot at Liverpool though, won't be at Man Utd.

I can't fathom out the De Gea/Valdes situation. If he's there to put pressure on De Gea's starting XI spot then it's all well and good (Lindegaard is abysmal). Louis does seem to typically prefer having two good players for each position too.

 

That being said, I don't understand why the goalkeeper position would be an area you'd even attempt to strengthen. Our goalie's been the only consistently good player for the past season and half. There's the ever-present hole in our central defence and something's definitely amiss in midfield. Louis doesn't seem too struck on Mata's lack of pace in a pressing team and something's not quite right with baby Ander.

Apparently Negredo's wife was homesick.

 

I might be missing something but would Bony really be behind Dzeko in the pecking order? Although regarding the Champions League, because of City's smaller squad he'd have to replace someone who's already in there. Some are saying Jovetic, others Caballero given that Hart never gets injured or suspended.

Dzeko's had a consistently good return rate (largely from the bench) since he joined the club, minus a bit of a foggy patch this season where he's largely been hampered by injury. 3rd in City's all time Premier League goal scorers. Think their fans have their gripes with him mostly because of his style of play and stroll-through-the-park mentality, in contrast to Bony who'll make more of a nuisance of himself/do a bit more running. Kind of similar to the frustrations Spurs and United fans had with Berbatov. His class can't really be called into play though. On a personal level, I'd take Dzeko in my team over Bony any day.

Dzeko's had a consistently good return rate (largely from the bench) since he joined the club, minus a bit of a foggy patch this season where he's largely been hampered by injury. 3rd in City's all time Premier League goal scorers. Think their fans have their gripes with him mostly because of his style of play and stroll-through-the-park mentality, in contrast to Bony who'll make more of a nuisance of himself/do a bit more running. Kind of similar to the frustrations Spurs and United fans had with Berbatov. His class can't really be called into play though. On a personal level, I'd take Dzeko in my team over Bony any day.

I like both, and you can guarantee that Dzeko will go on a scoring run before long but I'm kind of intrigued by what Bony would do with that type of service.

I like both, and you can guarantee that Dzeko will go on a scoring run before long but I'm kind of intrigued by what Bony would do with that type of service.

 

I don't think you'd get much more out of him than what he's already doing with Swansea tbh. Him and Gylfi Sigurðsson have been one of the most natural, free-flowing and efficient attacking pairings in the league this season. Bony's a one-dimensional type, does what he does and does it to a relative standard.