Without knowing the new owners full intentions, I feel we can only make suggestions in a similar vein to the players we're more akin to signing. Therefore I don't think Nahki Wells is realistic. Whilst we need strikers desperately, the only names that come to my head are mainly midfield players: Ryan Leonard, Southend winger who's proposed move to Sheffield United doesn't seem as much of a formality as it did 2 weeks ago. Hakeeb Adelakun, Scunny winger. Big, quick and powerful. Can play up front but his goal record is almost non existent. Erhun Ozstumer, Walsall creative midfield player. Probably too similar to the type of player we already have at the club, in Moncur, Potts, Mallan etc. Fairly young, fairly experienced at league 1 level. Got an eye for goal and I believe is out of contract in the summer. Murray Wallace, Scunthorpe defender. Know little about him other than he's a young Scottish centre half. Scunny fans are raving about him, and their defence has been water tight of late. He's been playing at left full back for them but he's primarily a centre half. Shows he's versatile too. Jodi Jones, Coventry City winger. Young, tricky player. Might be the sort of player we need to get the best out of the strikers we already have. Not too dissimilar to Barnes. Quick edit. Jones is out for the season with a cruciate ligament injury.
I think Matty James would fit the criteria. What about Sam Byram or Leonardo Ulloa? All the extra money means is that we’ll be buying young talent from Sainsbury’s rather than Aldi or Lidl. Young players deemed not quite good enough for the premiership who we can mould and improve rather than players from league 2 who look to have a potential. Some would say slightly less of a gamble? The team also needs a bit of experience through the spine.
I feel like a parent telling their kids the truth about Father Christmas. Seasonal Greetings everyone, enjoy.
Expectation from some folk is amazing. We're not going to compete with the likes of Aston Villa for signings, not this window anyway. We'll probably recruit a better calibre of player, but we aren't going to sign a player that was sold for £5million, six months ago.
I don't think that we are going to see the basic policy of transfers change that much and that we will almost certainly already have on the radar the sort of players we will need, not just to survive, but to build on into the 2018-19 season. The difference the new consortium should make is that we ought to be able more easily to hold on to our key players, such as Hourihane, Winnall and the likes of Scowen, whilst bringing in the sort of lower league (and hopefully some premiership) youngsters to develop further. Matty James is a good shout, for sure. Christian Doidge from FGR would be on my list. If we are after Newton from Stevenage, we should be able to pull him now, for sure, but at a price. The board will know who they want already. It's just that we will be in a better position to sign them now and see off competition for their signatures.
It was reported last season that Matty James was on circa £25,000.00 per week at Leicester so I’m not sure whether he’s as viable as some are leading us to believe. When he was at Oakwell last season it was under completely different circumstances and to be perfectly honest I can’t see it happening. Re the likes of Ulloa, I’m not sure whether that’s a tongue in cheek post but for the avoidance of doubt again I think it’s a non starter. I think we will see an increase in the wage budget to make us more competitive in the transfer market and more aggressive when it comes to contract renewals but not to the extent where we see our top earner go from circa £7,000.00 per week to £25,000.00 per week.
Would hope that Jack Taylor at Barnet and George Cooper at Crewe are being looked at. Imagine some bigger clubs are tracking them but both would be quality talents to add to our club at centre mid and left wing respectively. If we do sign a few more established players I hope we still look to pick up the most promising talent from L1 and L2. Still some gems out there to be had.