The 2012 Summer Transfer Window thread

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

The Poland manager claims Euro goals co-leader Lewandowski is heading to United.

Which isn't true, completely lost in translation.

That and Dortmund have said time and time again they wont sell him. So unless we offered silly amounts of money, which is highly doubtful, it's safe to say it's not going to happen.

[MJB]

Not sure how Fergie would deal with four strikers anyway. Especially if Kagawa plays in the hole off the front, that means we'd only have one out of Rooney, Welbeck and Hernandez as it is without adding another striking option.

[Lineker]

Gennaro Gattuso has explored the possibility of a return to Rangers.

Charles Green, who is leading the consortium in place to buy the stricken Ibrox club, spoke to the 34-year-old Italy midfielder's representative.

"To me, it's a massive positive he wants to come," said Green. "His agent came over and we explained the difficulties surrounding the club."

Green is hoping that Rangers will be in a position to sign players once they exit administration.

A year-long transfer ban was imposed on the club by the Scottish FA but the governing body is reconsidering the penalty after Rangers took civil court action.

Green says he has held budget talks with manager Ally McCoist, and that Gattuso - who played for the Scottish Premier League giants between 1997 and 1998 - could be an option.

"Gattuso himself came out publicly and said he would love to join Rangers and, after the illustrious career he has had in Milan, that's great," Green told the club's website.

"It's an endorsement that the world's top players would still like to come and play for this club.

"The SPL can't register any players because we are in administration and the SFA and the club have been in a very public dispute for some time.

"However, the manager has identified a number of people from a playing point of view he would be interested in.

"The manager actually played with Gattuso years ago when he was here at the club in the late 1990s.

"From my point of view as CEO, we've sat with Ally and arranged a budget with him and should we be allowed to sign players, he will be able to do so."

Gattuso, who has played at three World Cups for Italy, is a free agent after ending his 12-year spell at AC Milan.

Joe Mattock has signed for Sheffield Wednesday after his release by West Brom.

[Rafael]

Newcastle seems to have agreed a bid for Vurnon Anita. No more Danny Simpson!

[Lineker]

Danny Simpson is the best right-back in the league :/

[King Ellis]

Oh come on, Liniker. He forgot to put in the comma.

No, more Danny Simpson!

[Colly]

Newcastle seems to have agreed a bid for Vurnon Anita. No more Danny Simpson!

Do you have a better source than Talksport, because all quotes seem to be pointing towards Debuchy.

[TCO]

Newcastle seems to have agreed a bid for Vurnon Anita. No more Danny Simpson!

Oh look it's the "Tiote is shit and lets sign Wayne Bridge and play him right back" guy!

[Rafael]

I can say I made a misjudgment on Tioté, but matter of fact is, Danny Simpson SUCKS.

[Lineker]

Stats don't lie, fella.

[Rafael]

Newcastle seems to have agreed a bid for Vurnon Anita. No more Danny Simpson!

Do you have a better source than Talksport, because all quotes seem to be pointing towards Debuchy.

Both sound great transfers, Debuchy looks like a safer investment. More experienced, and a French international.

Edited June 11, 2012 by RafaelFms

[Rafael]

Stats don't lie, fella.

About who? Tioté or Simpson?

Because if it's about Simpson, it's a complete lie. The guy was solid in the Championship. I repeat, IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP. And if you remember our worst defensive efforts against Tottenham and Wigan, most goals came from his side. He might be fast, but he's clumsy and he barely crosses. Sure, Ben Arfa barely plays it to him, but he's right. Simpson is bad offensively and average defensively.

[Lineker]

I was at that Spurs game. Your whole team was shit that night mostly because both Cabaye and Tiote were absent.

You've shown to be a crap Toon fan in the past, and here is more of the same!

[Rafael]

I was at that Spurs game. Your whole team was shit that night mostly because both Cabaye and Tiote were absent.

You've shown to be a crap Toon fan in the past, and here is more of the same!

I'm ambitious, that's different. In 2011, back in the end of the season, I said Newcastle would be gunning for European spots with Ben Arfa recovered and a few good signings with the Andy Carroll money, but you and most of the people in the forum said 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOO NEWCASTLE WILL BE AT MID-TABLE, FIGHTING FOR RELEGATION'. What happened? 5th place. And now it's the only chance we'll have in YEARS to make it big, but instead, people like you want to keep Danny Simpson. I've been a Newcastle fan through thick and thin, I support this team since I saw Bobby Robson coaching this team back in early 2004 and Shearer tearing it up. I supported this team when crappy administration and incredibly garbage coaching led us to the Championship. I supported this team when we sold our top goalscorer and were left with the average championship striker and the guy that will bleed for the club but has a crappy goal average. I supported this team every single goddamn game.

[Dan]

[Berober]

Can we keep him?

[Rafael]

Can we keep him?

No.

[Plubby]

In 2011, back in the end of the season, I said Newcastle would be gunning for European spots with Ben Arfa recovered and a few good signings with the Andy Carroll money, but you and most of the people in the forum said 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOO NEWCASTLE WILL BE AT MID-TABLE, FIGHTING FOR RELEGATION'. What happened? 5th place.

Didn't they do that with Danny Simpson at Right-Back?

[Lineker]

We rest our case.

[Lineker]

Southampton have completed the signing of Burnley striker Jay Rodriguez on a four-year deal for a reported club record fee of around £7m.

Saints had an offer for the 22-year-old accepted at the end of May, but the player's summer holiday delayed completion of the transfer.

"This is a great club who are where they belong [in the Premier League]," Rodriguez told Southampton's website.

"It's a squad I want to be a part of. The sky is the limit."

A string of Premier League clubs, including Everton, Aston Villa and Wigan, had been linked to the former England Under-21 international over recent months.

But newly-promoted Southampton were the only club to meet Burnley's valuation for the youngster, who had a year left on his contract and scored 21 goals last season.

They had been pursuing the striker for more than a year and failed with bids last summer and in January.

Burnley-born Rodriguez started his career at his hometown club, scoring 41 goals in 128 appearances overall.

"Jay is an exciting young English prospect, so I am really happy he is our first signing of the summer," said Saints boss Nigel Adkins.

"There has been a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes on several fronts and we are delighted Jay has signed for us as we get ready for our pre-season schedule.

"He has demonstrated a superb attitude and, when we met him, it has only confirmed what our research has told us.

"He has a hungry and enthusiastic attitude, with a desire to work hard in the positive environment that we have at Southampton where he will be able to develop his talent."

Rodriguez added: "As an outsider, you look at the club from where it started, and the drive they have to move up the leagues in quick succession is amazing.

"They want to push on even higher, and carry on the way they're going."

Rangers could attempt to sign new players before the club is officially out of administration.

Charles Green is aiming to have a Company Voluntary Arrangement approved on Thursday, after which there is a 28-day cooling-off period.

But SPL rules state that, with board approval, clubs in administration may replace players whose contracts expire.

"If you are correct, that is an avenue open to the club," Green told BBC Scotland on Sunday.

Asked about the wisdom of discussing buying players in the days leading up to a vote by creditors being offered just a few pence in pound Green told BBC Scotland: "No money is required for players. Most are free because of the financial crisis across Europe."

Asked about money for wages, he added: "That's why I've added £1.5m to the budget."

Further funds will be freed up as current players leave.

Rule 6.20 of the Scottish Premier League's regulations makes provision for signings being made in special circumstances by clubs who have suffered an insolvency event.

While there is no guarantee the SPL board would approve any signings, with several players' contracts expiring, that could allow Rangers to use the rule to bring replacements in.

If the CVA is approved, which is still the subject of dubiety, the cooling-off period would take Rangers to mid-July.

The club had been banned from signing players for 12 months by a Scottish Football Association-appointed Judicial Panel, a decision upheld by an Appellate Tribunal but subsequently set aside by the Court of Session.

The Appellate Tribunal must now decide what punishment to administer.

In the meantime, Green has confirmed he had told a supporters' meeting on Wednesday that he has a list of 19 target players drawn up, five of whom are involved at Euro 2012.

And he says he has added £1.5m to the budget Ally McCoist and the administrators Duff & Phelps had been working to for next season.

Green had also been examining the possibility, if Thursday's creditors' vote goes in favour of a CVA, of setting aside the 28-day cooling-off period, to allow a swifter exit from administration.

But lawyers have advised that even if the two main creditors - HMRC and Ticketus - had been willing to agree to that, it would not be possible because other creditors had to be allowed the right to raise objections in that period and only a judge can bring the period of administration to an end.

Of the money raised so far (£5.5m is lodged with the lawyers Taylor Wessing, as confirmed by Simon Shipperley of Duff and Phelps at the fans' meeting), £2m has come from Singaporean investors, £2m from another major investor, with the remainder split.

Having closed the initial round of funding with £10m raised, Green says he will entertain a second round of investment with a maximum of £4m per investor.

Green also referred to a £10m stadium-naming deal with "an airline investor or alternative".

"I've been speaking to a number of people, some of whom are connected to our investors, some not," he added.

"I've said all along, stadium-naming is an emotive issue, but whatever we do it would always be Ibrox Stadium."