500 transfer rumours that might need a taxi ordering...

[oldcolner]

As for Forest? A grubby little outfit who I hope we do not bother contacting ever again.

Don't we go there on Nov 29th because we seem to play Warburtons teams each year.

Just call em Notts Forest in future - they hate that.

[sinkov]

There's not much of the milk of human kindness around this morning, why has everyone got out of bed on the wrong side ? A Championship striker who we were interested in has gone to another Championship team, so what, that's football. Forest make a decent profit, Asso gets a pay rise, Boro get their man, all parties are happy so why on earth should two lower league teams doing a deal for a lower league player bother us ?
We move on, there are plenty more fish in the sea, and we still have loadsamoney to spend. And good luck to Asso, he's of no concern to us now, I don't wish him any harm, he's only done what all footballers do, took the best deal for his bank balance.

[Supersub6]

I agree with that sinkov, however, you failed to add that, because he has opted for the Championship, he has shown a distinct lack of ambition. Any sportsman worth his salt would want to play at the highest level, he obviously does not have that desire and is happy to ply his trade at a lower level.
Money rules --silly money rules even more.

[sinkov]

I agree with that sinkov, however, you failed to add that, because he has opted for the Championship, he has shown a distinct lack of ambition. Any sportsman worth his salt would want to play at the highest level, he obviously does not have that desire and is happy to ply his trade at a lower level.
Money rules --silly money rules even more.

In that respect you're right Ss6, but he's by no means the first or the only one, and it's his choice. I can remember many years ago now our first choice keeper, and a very popular player with our fans, Marlon Beresford, deciding to enhance his bank balance with a move to Boro (can't keep them out of it) where he vanished into relative obscurity warming his bum on their bench for years. I could never understand why he gave up being a goalkeeper for us to become a spectator at Boro, but as you say, money talks.

And in Asso's defence, he sees three strikers already at Burnley, no guarantees Gray will leave, no guarantees he'll be playing PL football even if he signs for us, and he has a dodgy knee, I can see why he'd take the money.

[Sean Duché]

Him signing for Middlesbrough doesn't show a lack of ambition by the player but more by Burnley with our lack of ability or reluctance to pay the going rates of a footballer these days. They have a better chance of gaining promotion than forest otherwise he wouldn't have gone there. Money helps but in today's market if you don't pay you don't get. He's 24 and if he has a good season or 2 at Boro then even if they don't get promoted a lower premier club could still come in for him. We have a good chance of going down again this season with us losing a key player in Keane and potentially others with no sign of any real investment yet. Newcastle will survive this season, I think Huddersfield will do ok with Wagner as he's a good manager and made some good purchases already so i suspect 2 clubs with Brighton will go down. Those clubs will be from Us, Palace, Watford and Swansea I suspect unless the club gets its finger out and strengthens our squad. We picked up 11 points from our last 15 games and that included playing the relegated 3 teams and 8 bottom half teams which is not good enough. We managed to pick up some points from teams who have improved their squads this summer so will be harder to get this valuable points from them this season. Some of you are comparing Bournemouth and how they progressed but look at what the brought in last summer to help them, Wilshire, Cook, Ibe and Ake along with a few others and spent a total of about £40m. This year the bought Ake, Begovic, Defoe and Mahoney all for a minimum of £30m. You cannot keep progressing without spending money and whether that's in big chunks or small ones it still needs to be spent.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Small chunk of our dosh looks to be going to Palace. £2 million for James McArthur is one heck of a buy!

Attachment 5475

[army88]

The more I think about it, the more I fear he may be. There are some barking mad deals done every summer, and dafter ones than signing Gray, but I still find it hard to credit than any PL club is that desperate for a striker that they'd spend possibly £15m plus on Gray and double his wages, and certainly not the clubs he's been linked with, Newcastle, Spurs, Everton and West Ham.

I have this horrible feeling we might be lumbered with him.

It's a double double Sinkov IMO , yes we may end up stuck with Gray however a good way of looking at this could be

If he really wants- wanted away and it doesn't get realised he only has a small window of opportunityo shop window himself for a move in January or next season.

So we may get a more motivated Gray hungry for goals to show his worth to all those that left him this time around.

If he scores a couple pre season I bet he's gone before first week in August--- just a thought really it could be a win win for us .

[The Bedlington Terrier]

From the Official Boro Club site:

"MFC would like to clarify that contrary to reports in Tuesday’s Teesside Gazette, the club’s new record signing Britt Assombalonga was a £15m transfer and not £14m as reported.
We can also further state that the wage figures suggested in reports by the Gazette are wide of the mark. We can confirm that the club works within the strict parameters of our wage structure and all our playing staff*are inside a bracket that falls way below the figures reported.
Furthermore, the same report states the club paid Atalanta £10.8m for the services of Marten de Roon last summer when, in reality, the club paid a transfer fee of £8.8m with a further £900,000 on the player making 30 appearances.
As a club, we are keen to ensure our fans receive the correct information and facts rather than read misinformation from outside sources."
Tags: Transfers Loans and SigningsMedia

That's telling 'em!

[Supersub6]

"Him signing for Middlesbrough doesn't show a lack of ambition by the player but more by Burnley with our lack of ability or reluctance to pay the going rates of a footballer these days. They have a better chance of gaining promotion than forest otherwise he wouldn't have gone there. Money helps but in today's market if you don't pay you don't get. He's 24 and if he has a good season or 2 at Boro then even if they don't get promoted a lower premier club could still come in for him.........."

You have just proved the point that he has no ambition. He has moved to Boro --who MAY get promotion. You say that IF they don't get promoted then a lower premier club COULD come in for him.
He had the chance, apparently, to go to a lower premier club and to prove himself which, as a 24 year old with a dodgy knee, is a hell of an opportunity which he has chosen not to take on the chance that he may get promoted etc., etc.
No lack of ambition from Burnley who obviously didn't think that it was worth paying over the odds for a player who does not want to play at the highest level.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Honestly? If you asked me to open my cheque book and pay £15 million for a player who is unknown at the top level and rather injury prone, the wife would kill me.

Danny Ings went for £6 million at a Tribunal, he had already played a full season in the Premier League and was capped for England.

I'm not having the "lack of ambition" malarkey on this one!