Summer Transfer Window Thread 2015

[Nerf]

Didn't Begovic start at Chelsea or did I make that up?

[stokeriño]

His first English club was Portsmouth, so...you made that up. >_>

[DavidMarrio]

See if one of the top 6 got rid of a keeper it would make sense. Even then the only two who might lose their first choice would be Man Utd and Tottenham.

Even then Man Utd have Valdes so he would be competing with him.

I could see him playing in the cup games for Chelsea but he could easily be a starter for plenty of teams in England or abroad. Not sure who would be a step up in England for him in which he could realistically be a starter at a bigger club than Stoke... Swansea, Everton?

[stokeriño]

It could be a fairly short-term thing I suppose. Maybe he wants to stay in England but there are no suitable first-choice GK openings for clubs better than Stoke at the moment (I say this on the basis that the Utd/Spurs situations are likely to remain unclear for a while)...so he'd take a job that isn't exactly going to lower his stock (he may even play in a Champions League game or two), but will earn him a bit more cash in the interim.

[Hobo]

I heard a good point from Jamie Carragher. 15-20 years ago, there were a wealth of 'world class' centre halves around. How many are there now? Less than 10 who you could genuinely put in that top bracket?

Ramos is definitely one of those and (it appears) could actually be available. No brainer, really.

I feel like ten years ago teams were just more defensive so CB was more important. I think the influence of Barcelona and the perception that they're good everywhere but in defence has a lot to do with it.

[stokeriño]

The spin-off belief that there is a 'right' and a 'wrong' way to play football is part of that. For example, the phrase 'anti-football' is not the sort of thing you heard back when people were holding Serie A up as the pinnacle of a disciplined, tactical game.

[Rich]

The spin-off belief that there is a 'right' and a 'wrong' way to play football is part of that. For example, the phrase 'anti-football' is not the sort of thing you heard back when people were holding Serie A up as the pinnacle of a disciplined, tactical game.

Serie A still had more goals per game at that time than both La Liga and the Premier League at the time, it was a perception that came as a result of it being less frantic, didn't mean there were less goals by any stretch.

[Matt]

Uwe's got Wood!

Chris Wood signed a 4 year deal with Leeds today. We're actually making positive steps in the transfer market.

[Benji]

You've got a good signing there, Wood has been a solid hand at Leicester and probably should have got more first team football than he did. Sad to see him go, but glad for him likely getting the first team football he deserves.

[METALMAN]

Oh Serie A. I miss you so much.

[Adam]

Clyne has signed for Liverpool. Somebody post his obligatory "new signing leaning" photo, because I've already seen it on Twitter.

[Rich]

It's official

[METALMAN]

I like his Nike tick tattoo.

[DavidMarrio]

I give that lean a 7/10. It's on a wall whereas this lean I give a solid 8.5

[badotori]

8.5? I wouldn't go that high, looks like a Bog standard lean to me.

[Gazz]

It's actually an optical illusion, he's nowhere near that guardrail.

[brenchill]

Glad to see Naths has finally signed for Liverpool.

[badotori]

Latest from Sky:

STOKE AGREE SHAQIRI FEE

According to Sky Italia sources, Stoke have agreed a £12million fee with Inter Milan for Xherdan Shaqiri.

It is now up to the player where his future lies, having spent just six months at the club. He signed on a four-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee during the January transfer window.

Brilliant signing if Shaqiri (Shaqiri) goes with it. Only 23 too!

[METALMAN]

Oh wow. I thought he was only on loan at Inter.

[Hobo]

Now to see if Liverpool and Villa will do a deal for Benteke because that seems to be the striker the club really want.

And whether or not Sterling will go. I'm still not fully convinced he will.