The Official Silly Season Summer Transfer Thread 2018/19

[Nero]

I know that goalkeeper position isn't ours biggest problem, but I am really worried that we only have two keepers in our books. I think signing Martinez from Arsenal would be ideal. He is theirs 4th choice keeper and every time I watched him he looked decent. Also my mate who is an Arsenal fan told me that he looks like their best keeper in the preseason training videos.

Rodak is only on loan at Rotherham I think and more than capable as the third keeper.

Agree with you there, but while he is on loan we should sign a 3rd choice keeper on loan, and I suggested Martinez, but it could be anyone else. I think it is very risky to have just two keepers. Imagine if Fabri was injured and Betts pick up a knock during the game, who would you put on the goal? Odoi?

Norman or Ashby-Hammond, both promising youth players.

Blimey I don't want to sound like a hypocrite, because I've been banging on about having 2 senior players for every position, but you're not going to have 3 surely.what self-respecting decent keeper is going to join any club as 3rd choice, knowing he'll almost certainly never get a game? Even at PL level there has to be a point where we give the kids a chance otherwise there's no point having an academy.

Robert Green

[Facts Not Fiction]

All ifs - I don't have any confidence with just 2 weeks to go

🙄🙄🙄

[mkras99]

http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulhams-counter-offer-not-ruled-club-close-agreeing-new-deal-player/

[Steven Ageroad]

The Transfer Window is all IFs and a few BUTs thrown for good measure.
Which highlights the full complexity and difficulty in getting deals complete, bearing in mind that there are at least 4 Parties involved. Everyone wants to gain an edge, and get the best deal for them, human nature.
On top of that, if another club comes along out of the blue to try and muscle in on our deal, then negotiating lengthens. 
But that's how it is these days with these windows, never use to be like it when there were no windows.
Only doors to walk through.
But like it or not, on the 9th August the Transfer Window will close, and the next dozen days could be overwhelming.
But nobody really knows for sure until it happens.
In twelve days we will certainly know.

Just like the 12 days of Christmas!

[WhiteJC]

 
Report – Aleksandar Mitrovic To Leave Newcastle Imminently

There's a report in This Is Futbol that Aleksandr Mitrovic is likely to leave Newcastle imminently – the report does not mention which club he will go to – but we expect it to be Fulham.

Mitro was on the plane to Portugal yesterday with the rest of the first-team squad, but the report says he will leave Portugal and come back to England today to finalize his move away from Tyneside.

Mitrovic has had three years on Tyneside but has never really fitted into Rafa Benitez' long-term plans at Newcastle.

The recent news was that Fulham bid £16M for the striker and Newcastle wanted £20M so maybe they made a deal for around £18M and split the difference.

Today's news in some outlets had suggested they were only £2M apart – so it would not be a surprise if a deal has indeed been struck between the two clubs.

We'll know if this report is accurate if indeed Mitro heads home today.

Mitrovic played 72 times for Newcastle over three seasons with 17 goals but never really lived up to his potential on Tyneside, although some fans will argue he didn't get the chance to do that.

He is still very popular at Newcastle and is already popular with Fulham fans who took to him immediately when he went to Craven Cottage on loan in January.

The fact he scored 12 goals in 20 appearances for them helped Fulham get promoted via the playoffs.

The £20M – or whatever the fee is – will help Rafa bring in another striker – thought to be Salomon Rondon from West Brom – although it's unlikely Newcastle will get the full £20M in cash this summer.

It will likely be paid over three or four years via installments.

Mitro returned to training last Wednesday and wanted his future sorted out by then – he may have got his wish today.

The key to this story being true is whether we hear that Mitro is on his way back to England today.



http://www.nufcblog.com/2018/07/28/report-aleksandar-mitrovic-to-leave-newcastle/

[aaronmcguigan]

what self-respecting decent keeper is going to join any club as 3rd choice, knowing he'll almost certainly never get a game?

David Ospina
Emiliano Martinez
Jason Steele
Adam Ledgzins
Anders Lindegaard
Robert Green
Julian Speroni
Eldin Jakupovic
Joe Hart
Simon Mignolet
Lee Grant
Joel Perreira
Rob Elliot
Freddie Woodman
Fraser Forster
Paolo Gazzaniga
Daniel Bachman
Pontus Dahlberg
Brian Murphy
Lee Camp

Not saying a keeper should ever aspire to be 3rd choice but it's not just the teams in Europe having 3 keepers. The above keepers are 3rd or 4th choice for their teams currently . You only have to look at Burnley to see how possible it is to have 2 keepers injured. Didn't we go out of Europe when having to field Etheridge for a make or break europa game against Odense?

[Tabby]

Mignolet, Hart, Ospina are all up for the taking out of those names. There aren't a huge amount of clubs that sign players specifically to be third keepers, it just tends to be a keeper that has fallen out of favour and they haven't been able to offload.

[bornafulhamfan]

Just seen that Milan want just 13m € (roughly 11.5 m £) for Carlos Bacca. I think that he would be a good backup for Mitro or maybe even a starter.

[Skatzoffc]

Just seen that Milan want just 13m € (roughly 11.5 m £) for Carlos Bacca. I think that he would be a good backup for Mitro or maybe even a starter.

He looks a steal at a that price.
Why on earth are they selling him?

[Fernhurst]

Well I never Kebano pops up with equaliser from our first attack....

[wheelerdeeler]

Just seen that Milan want just 13m € (roughly 11.5 m £) for Carlos Bacca. I think that he would be a good backup for Mitro or maybe even a starter.

He looks a steal at a that price.
Why on earth are they selling him?

They're supposedly signing Higuain, think Bacca wants out of Milan, and Cutrone would be second choice as it is anyway.

[mkras99]

https://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/football/fulham-closing-in-on-deal-for-newcastle-s-aleksandar-mitrovic-1-9274229

[Deeping_white]

If we could put in a cheeky bid for Inaki Williams while Bilbao are still around that would also be lovely, he's already good and is going to be some player in the years to come.

[aaronmcguigan]

Now take out all the keepers in that list that (a) play for clubs like Arsenal et al in Europe and (b) who actually joined the club as 1st or 2nd choice. I'm not going through all of them but the first one, Ospina for example, would be out on both counts, (a) and (b).

And in the unlikely event you've still got anyone left over after that have a long think and tell me whether we're seriously suggesting the club pays a salary of £1m-£2m (not to mention a potential transfer fee) to have a 3rd choice keeper play a couple of league cup games ahead of the 3/4 really promising keepers coming out our academy.

I'm not seriously suggesting anything. I'm just providing a list showing most clubs are going with a 3rd keeper with experience. Can clearly see the arguments for and against. But in terms of preference, it's too early to have Norman or ashby Hammond anywhere near the first team and I'd fear if Betts and Fabri were injured together. They've both been out injured a fair bit. The 3rd keeper which is solely backup, with experience to help the young keepers and also to provide backup while not standing in anyone's way, while also covering for any keeper out on loan is clearly a trend that is growing in the past year or 2.

Again, it's not a must have, and clearly at the bottom of any priority list, but like i say, a few years ago you could barely name any 3rd choice keeper

[bornafulhamfan]

Leeds officially announced Barry Douglas. Weird one imo.

[Barrett487]

NEWCASTLE ACCEPT MITROVIC BID

Sky sources understand Newcastle have accepted a bid from Fulham for striker Aleksandar Mitrovic. 

The Serb has left their Portuguese training camp to finalise his move to Craven Cottage. We understand the fee to be in the region of £20m.

http://www.skysports.com/transfer-centre

[mkras99]

Keith Downie
@SkySports_Keith

BREAKING: Newcastle have accepted a bid from Fulham for Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Serb has left their training camp here in Portugal to finalise his move to Craven Cottage.

1:58 PM - 28 Jul 2018 from Oporto, Portugal

[FFCFOREVER]

NEWCASTLE ACCEPT MITROVIC BID

Sky sources understand Newcastle have accepted a bid from Fulham for striker Aleksandar Mitrovic. 

The Serb has left their Portuguese training camp to finalise his move to Craven Cottage. We understand the fee to be in the region of £20m.

http://www.skysports.com/transfer-centre

Great news.Well done FFC.Now lets nail the other targets and we are good to go.

[Mince n Tatties]

What was the point of him flying out there to come straight back😵

[Lighthouse]

What was the point of him flying out there to come straight back😵

That is where our money goes. Paying for two lots of plane tickets because nobody can make the right decision at the right time.