12 million bid for Afobe?...don't do it City!

[Wiz]

 That's far too much for the lad, even allowing for the usual January transfer madness, don't do it City, 5 million tops imo:

http://www.wolves.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=426847

 

[morty]

I think the biggest pitfall here, regardless of what he is worth, is that Wolves will mess us around all month with this. I don't want this dragging on like the Brady transfer did. I want crisp, prompt business done.

 

[Wiz]

Totally agree morty.

Although I do think the player has become disillusioned with life at Wolves... so he seems intelligent at least!  

 

[Brian Fantana]

On the face of it I agree but when you stand you back and look at what players are moving for I am not so sure. No one of any potential or any quality seems to move for less than £10m these days and Afobe certainly has much going for him - young, English, athletic, good finish and a record over he last couple of years in the English second division. All in I would rather pay less than £12m but I am not sure it over values him as such.

Also, we spent £7.5m on Brady in the Summer and I thought that was way over the odds, how wrong I was so on this one I shall defer to AN....I hang my head and now think that Brady is our best player!

 

[morty]

On the face of it I agree but when you stand you back and look at what players are moving for I am not so sure. No one of any potential or any quality seems to move for less than £10m these days and Afobe certainly has much going for him - young, English, athletic, good finish and a record over he last couple of years in the English second division. All in I would rather pay less than £12m but I am not sure it over values him as such.

Also, we spent £7.5m on Brady in the Summer and I thought that was way over the odds, how wrong I was so on this one I shall defer to AN....I hang my head and now think that Brady is our best player!

Completely agree re Brady, but it was embarrassing how long it dragged on, with us determined to underpay for him I'm all for paying the right price, but it was all a bit cringeworthy.

Whether Afobe is worth a punt or not is a tough call, at least Brady had some Premiership form.

 

[Brian Fantana]

I see the point but what a bargain Brady was and maybe hanging on a bit saved us £1m or so. It wasn't ideal and I would rather see three unveilings at the press conference on the 2 January but if not then I have faith in the board. We will get our men and if they are half as good as Brady we will be fine!

 

[morty]

I see the point but what a bargain Brady was and maybe hanging on a bit saved us £1m or so. It wasn't ideal and I would rather see three unveilings at the press conference on the 2 January but if not then I have faith in the board. We will get our men and if they are half as good as Brady we will be fine!

I like the cut of your jib, Mr Fantana 

 

[Brian Fantana]

I am an eternal optimist!

 

[eatonparkboy]

As Morty says, the transfer will become a mini  series. This is the criminality of the window system. You won't get the player until the 1st of February so how is that January? And there is no way he will start the first game maybe even the second if you win his first game. So in reality it may well be six weeks before he plays after you have bid for him.

The cost of the player is going to be measured by our belief in his ability and the knowledge that Wolves, unlikely to be promoted this season and quite likely to sack the manager will be looking for the maximum amount to cover their compensation losses as much as anything.

 

[Brian Fantana]

But, if the rumors are to be believed we are already bidding, this suggests a desire to get things done early doors, clock strikes January 1st and the deals are completed. I expect movement early I also expect it to be well targeted.

 

[Brian Fantana]

Sorry, to go back to the OP, £5m for Afobe is crazy, his 'value' is based upon what people are likely to pay for him in the current market and that is at least double the figure quoted.

 

[morty]

Sorry, to go back to the OP, £5m for Afobe is crazy, his 'value' is based upon what people are likely to pay for him in the current market and that is at least double the figure quoted.

It very much depends on what anyone else is prepared to pay. And only Wolves know that, unfortunately. All the cards are held by the seller.

 

[Brian Fantana]

A young English Striker with a proven record in the Championship is not going to move for £5m, not for the last 4 years or so.

At that price clubs would be lining up!

 

[Canaryboy]

You know what, right now I'd rather us spend £12m on a top Championship striker than £8m on a foreign striker, because in recent years the latter seems to have become the much bigger gamble, and at least a top Championship striker can help fire us back up if we go down.

Look at how many strikers have made the step up in recent seasons.... Austin, Ings, Vardy, Ighalo, Wilson (pre-injury). Then you've got Holt and Lambert who did the business before age caught up with them. Glenn Murray has done OK, Deeney is doing OK. 

Granted those players came up with a club rather than signing for a club, but the failure rate for foreign players seems to be far greater in recent years. Van Wolfswinkel, Altidore, Ideye.

I do think with our place in this league in the balance we'd be wise to invest in a striker who is pretty much guaranteed goals in the league below rather than one who will flop big time in this league and then still consider themselves too good for the Championship because they got a few minutes in a couple of Holland friendlies once.

The going rate seems to be £8m to £10m on a foreign gamble, or £12m for a top Championship striker who is at least proven in the league below, I think the extra £2m to £4m may be worth paying. 

 

[Wiz]

A young English Striker with a proven record in the Championship is not going to move for £5m, not for the last 4 years or so.

At that price clubs would be lining up!

Sorry Fantana but my point in doing this thread is based on seeing Afobe's last few games, albeit Sky, and imo based on that this Wolfiwinkle bloke looks a far better prospect!

And at 12 million it would be a scandalous waste of the clubs resources . . . .imo.

 

[Canaryboy]

Do many Championship clubs still play a 4-4-2 or have they caught up with the Prem and abandoned this for one striker formations? 

Because one major plus point for Afobe is that he plays as a lone striker for Wolves, so we'd have no worry about him leading the line for us.

I don't know whether that's a silly comment and that lone strikers are the norm in the Championship now or whether this is a valid point because many still play two strikers, but pretty sure Rhodes was part of a front two with Gestede last season and Ipswich played a 4-4-2 the other day, so him being proven as a lone striker in a 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1 may be a valid point?

 

[Personal Trainer]

I am sure much will depend on off-loading Grabban, Hooper and Lafferty for reasonable money otherwise £12M seems a huge gamble and might restrict our ability to sign for other positions. Interestingly no body is mentioning Charlie Austin who will surely be moving on in this window unless clubs are waiting for him to be out of contract at the end of the season.

 

[Canaryboy]

 Interestingly no body is mentioning Charlie Austin who will surely be moving on in this window unless clubs are waiting for him to be out of contract at the end of the season.

I'd love to see us sign Charlie Austin but just can't see it happening, I think he's running his contract down so he can get a big pay day in the summer (the huge signing on fee that he'll be able to negotiate when there is no transfer fee involved). 

Rumoured that he turned down Palace in the summer because it wasn't a big enough club, and we are no bigger than them. I've got a feeling that it will be Newcastle that he signs for.

It is understandable why an English striker would want to wear the number 9 shirt at Newcastle in front of 50,000 fans, in fairness. And you could just imagine Mike Ashley whispering in his ear about a big payday if he runs his contract down.

 

[dj161]

Given the choice of Afobe or Austin, I'd go for Austin every time, but as mentioned above he's set to see his contract out and get a big contract in the summer, which is something I don't think we can offer him when the bigger richer clubs come knocking, we just can't compete with them financially right now, but I wouldnt hold that against him, if i was offered two jobs that were identical but one offered double the pay of the other I know which one I'd go for

 

[Dubai Mark]

Right now I feel that if the club believe 12m will sign a striker who's goals will help us stay up, then that is what they should do, The prize is huge and we simply must take a some risks and go for it.