Transfer Rumors-Jan. Window 06

[Disco Dale]

Guys, if the attitude is like that he´s not our man as I see it! Ashton could be well worth that 7 m. Young, potential, eager and BRITISH! But, as I haven´t seen him live, how do You guys see his ability to do cooperation and stamina?
He's pure gold, future england striker (should have had some run outs already in my opinion - and should be on the fringes of the 2006 squad), but if he gets top flight footy will certainly feature in the 2010 campaign.

It looks like you might be going in with an offer of 8 million now, and I think we might take that (would be a disaster for us, though) - as for "cooperation", he is a good team man, who has shown loyalty (or as much as you can expect in a pro football player), stuck at Crewe for ages, thought very carefully about his move to us, and then could easily have gone to a prem club when we got relegated, and during this speculation has said he is happy at City... he will need to be in the top flight soon though, so if we don't go up, and he is still with us, he will go in the summer.

[amancalledmikey]

8 million is a ludicrous offer. He's unproven (I don't care what anybody says, I'll rip your point apart) and Norwich keep driving the price up. They said 6m+ and we showed them the money. Then they said 7m+ and we showed them the money again. Now, they want 8m. I'd tell them where to go and say it's 6m, take it or leave it. The player's head has been turned. He sees us as more of sure thing. If we offer 8m, they'll want 9.5m. He's not worth that sum, he's not the new Alan Shearer. If they were so flush, why did Delia have to fund the Carl Robinson deal out of her own pocket? We're being played like a fiddle.

[Batcave Brigade]

According to the Times, Pardew is back in for Maxi Lopez. Just bloody sign somebody already!!!! Please!

[norwaytips]

Why do we need a striker? Harewood is on 10 goals. Bobby Z on 5 in the pl, with 3 more in cups. Bobby has 5 in just 8 starts and Harewood is on the same as Rooney.

We also have Katan: bought for peanuts and Teddy on the mend. This is OK for this year. Bloody hell: if Ashton is worth 8 mill, then what is Harewood worth?

No, we need a full back; and fast, plus a goal scoring midfield player, but Fletch could still make it. I just hope the pole is good, then we can use the money we save to build the east stand, and put two more lego towers up. Now wouldn't that be nice?:rolleyes:

[west_ham]

Ashton is a great player and we could really use him on our side.

However with Norwich taking the p1ss the way they are by driving the price up after every offer we make, the temptation is to just tell them to stuff it and walk away.

The trouble is this means he will get picked up by another PL and we will have to watch the goals fly in off his boot knowing we could have signed him if only we had persisted.

Also more teams will be in for him in the summer so this may be AP's last real chance to sign him.

As good as Harewood and Zamora have been they are both form players IMO and I don't want to see AP rest on his laurels the way Roeder did and just expect the wins to come to him.

It's a tricky one for Pardew this. But I would grant him one more offer to Norwich before telling them where to stick it. £8m would be my maximum and there would have to be some serious clauses in the deal to agree it.

[Disco Dale]

He's unproven (I don't care what anybody says, I'll rip your point apart) and Norwich keep driving the price up....If they were so flush, why did Delia have to fund the Carl Robinson deal out of her own pocket?
I don't think anyone would really argue that he is proven.. he has only played in the premiership for 6 months, he scored some against real top flight defenses, but ultimately six months in prem with a club that went down cannot show proven or otherwise.

We are not flush, and do not really want to sell him... crewe also has sell on clauses, so we need to ask a lot. As I say, if we are still a championship side he will go (should go really, for himself, much as it pains me to say), and everyone will be sniffing around.

the big problem is that we don't want to sell him, and I am still not sure he actually wants to go... so that it is why we can just keep saying more and more, until it is a an offer we can't refuse... if you say "stuff it - we're not paying that", fine we still have the boy, if you give us the money, fine we have loads of cash.

We paid 3 million for him 12 months ago, and he has scored 18 in 46.

[amancalledmikey]

Fair play, Disco. I agree with what's said. Let's just say I hit the town last night and was a little bit on the drunk side.

Cool name though, almost makes me wish I'd gone for What's the Story (Bishop/Morley)?

[blainehammer]

Why do we need a striker? Harewood is on 10 goals. Bobby Z on 5 in the pl, with 3 more in cups. Bobby has 5 in just 8 starts and Harewood is on the same as Rooney.

We also have Katan: bought for peanuts and Teddy on the mend. This is OK for this year. Bloody hell: if Ashton is worth 8 mill, then what is Harewood worth?

No, we need a full back; and fast, plus a goal scoring midfield player, but Fletch could still make it. I just hope the pole is good, then we can use the money we save to build the east stand, and put two more lego towers up. Now wouldn't that be nice?:rolleyes:
Could not agree more. $8 mil is too much. I would rather spend on a holding midfielder.

[amancalledmikey]

$8m would be superb, £8m not so much.

[hammer_scout51]

8 million is crazy money but 7 million for Defoe with only 6 months on his contract was also silly money. All transfers fees are highly inflated, especially in January. I think we should bite the bullett and go for it. He's English 22 great in the air, good with both feet and can spot a pass. Problem with foreign players is will they adapt to the English game, some do some don't. Ashton scored 7 goals in 16 EPL games in a side that was relegated. I think he would prove a great buy in time. If we don't sign a striker and have 2 or 3 injuries it could be disasterous. It really is silly money though that could be in Browns bank account.

[Disco Dale]

Ashton scored 7 goals in 16 EPL games in a side that was relegated.
A least a couple of those goals (e.g. vs Man Utd), he had no right to score them....but did. I am, as you may have guessed, an enormous fan of his, and I believe that we shouldn't let him go for less than 10... but what do I know?

[amancalledmikey]

It's just... if he was that good, why did Liverpool go for Crouch. I can't help but think we're paying for the fact we didn't get the forwards we should have gotten in the summer. Like Helguson. Or Andy Cole. Or Ellington. 8m's more than Boro paid for Yakubu and Portsmouth had to pay 50% of that away. This whole excuse for them wanting more and more money is that 20% has to go to Crewe.

It's not that I'm averse to spending 8m but... sod it, you want a player, you have to pay the price.

[Hammer4Life]

Doesnt matter why Liverpool went for Crouch, They have there reasons, we have ours

The fact of the matter is 8 million is the standard asking rate nowadays for a quality striker. Is Ashton quality, I guess so, most of the 8million worth seems to be based on the fact he is playing in a team with a poor midfield and with good service he will bang in plenty more goals, Im fairly sure 2 million of that is performance based.

In other words whatever happens we will be takin a punt, Ashton is something we dont have, someone who can head a goal and someone who can hold the ball up. He is young and is highly rated.

Id love to see him in a West Ham jumper but Pards will have to weigh up whether to take the punt or not. Pards hasnt done much wrong yet, dont see why he wud start now

[Gringocholo]

He could turn out to be another Jon Stead.£7mill is far too much.

[amancalledmikey]

That was my two word argument against being proven in the Premier League - Jon Stead.

[hammer_scout51]

A least a couple of those goals (e.g. vs Man Utd), he had no right to score them....but did. I am, as you may have guessed, an enormous fan of his, and I believe that we shouldn't let him go for less than

10... but what do I know?

Apart from the fact i really rate Ashton. I think he would benefit from the move if he settled quickly. 3 strikers are certain to go to the world cup, Owen Rooney and Peter Crouch. Defoe is pretty much a non runner at this stage. Darren Bent in my opinion isn't as good as Ashton, Andy Johnson i don't think will make the fourth. Sven is watching Reo Coker, Anton Ferdinand and Konch even Bobby Z has impressed him a bit. He is also looked at Etherington but i'm told is thinking of Playing Rooney in a withdrawn left sided role. I think Ashton is England class and could make the squad as fourth striker. Unfortunately as Norwich are finding out the championship is a sh1t league to get out of. Players like Ashton who can play a bit will not shine in the rough and tumble of the championahip.


Why Liverpool went for Crouch over Ashton i can only think its the long ball game they were playing. Hoping Crouch would ignite Morientis or Cisse. Crouch looks great at the moment he really is bloody tall and hard to handle especially in the air. 8 million is definately a lot of money but i think Crouch in this window would easily go for as much if still at Saints. I never rated Crouch until i saw him playing for Liverpool recently and he looks better than their other strikers.

I can understand Norwich fans not wanting to loose him and thinking he's worth 10 million.


Personally i think someone has to change the games structure. Salary cap and a transfer structure may just ignite a bit of interest in who's going to win the league. Instead of who's going to come 4-5th.

[Batcave Brigade]

From the independent, the Ashton saga may finally be over.

"And manager Nigel Worthington confirmed that position - only for Ashton's move to Upton Park for an initial £7m to go through after the match."


http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/coca_cola/article340191.ece

[amancalledmikey]

There's nothing anywhere else, though I've heard figures of £7.25m to £7.7m. Independent have probably scooped everybody else. However, we still need a medical and personal terms.

However, teamtalk is reporting that Richard Garcia scored two to put Colchester top of League One. Up the U's and all that. We also seemed to have dodged a bullet with Adebayor, who is messing Togo around again.

EDIT: I know I have been relatively negative about this signing. My misgivings are putting big money down on somebody who hasn't looked like a big money signing. It's undue pressure on player, especially considering this is the crowd who still cane 500K Marlon. If he doesn't deliver, they may destroy him. If we sign him, he'll have my utmost support, irrespective of fee.

As somebody said, we've landed enough players on the cheap, maybe this is the time to splash out on somebody.

[hammer_scout51]

There's nothing anywhere else, though I've heard figures of £7.25m to £7.7m. Independent have probably scooped everybody else. However, we still need a medical and personal terms.

However, teamtalk is reporting that Richard Garcia scored two to put Colchester top of League One. Up the U's and all that. We also seemed to have dodged a bullet with Adebayor, who is messing Togo around again.

EDIT: I know I have been relatively negative about this signing. My misgivings are putting big money down on somebody who hasn't looked like a big money signing. It's undue pressure on player, especially considering this is the crowd who still cane 500K Marlon. If he doesn't deliver, they may destroy him. If we sign him, he'll have my utmost support, irrespective of fee.

As somebody said, we've landed enough players on the cheap, maybe this is the time to splash out on somebody.


Well said Mikey our fans can be very unforgiving. I really think we will see a class act in Ashton but he may need time to settle. Regarding Adebayor his attitude reminds me of Anelka, bigger than the game.

[claret50]

Looks like a done deal for Ashton.
http://www.kumb.com/0506_story.php?id=11406