I regret this move as I feel that he would have made a decent contribution in the coming season. I can see the logic concerning the wages bill (but have we reached that stage already considering £23m in parachute money?) and also that Adam's might well have preferred his own men from the outset. He was pretty quick to get alternative strikers in and also took time out to ramp up Gary Hooper on more than one occasion.
Everything that has come out, either from RVW or the Club recently has been diplomatic and no more. I do sense the agent's influence in all this though ..... "The Championship is no stage for Ricky Van Wolfswinkle" is rich after the way last season turned out for all concerned. I would hope the player himself blushed at that nonsense.
I do very much fail to see the 'agreed fee' part of the deal, if that is the actual case.
So if Ricky comes good, with the added exposure of the Europa Cup, St. Etienne get him cut-price and we lose out on a player who may have finally risen to expectations.
Even a loan fee, full wages and a decent wedge at the end of it won't compensate for this with the price of strikers nowadays.
If he fails again, then we get him back.
Lose, lose for me.
In sum, the signing of Ricky Van Wolfswinkle was probably the bravest piece of transfer activity in the history of our Club. If this business is not mostly motivated by the player or his agent then I will be able to hear the clucking at Carrow Road in Broadstairs.
