by Z175 »
15 Aug 2014 12:45
Ian Royal Extended-Phenotype Le Fondre – out
McAnuff – out
Kebe – Out
Leigertwood – out
Roberts – out
Morro – soon to be out
McCarthy – soon to be out
+ others
LOL at there being ‘no money’ for new signings, even discounting Samrit’s pledge.
Mackie - In
Cox - In
Ferdinand - In
We're going to be bringing in less than we released, because our squad was bloated in numbers and because our expenditure was higher than our income. Cox may be the only one we paid a transfer fee for, but signing on fees are common for player's without a transfer fee. So Ferdinand at least is unlikely to have actually been "free".
I think we havent paid a fee for anyone. After almost a whole year without signing a player we suddenly get two, from the same club, who the day before signed a player with a sell on clause owing to us? Too coincidental surely.
Forest have well documented FFP struggles and with a £5m signing in the Assman they were desperate to get rid of Cox and Mackie, who were signed from PL clubs so presumably on PL wages. When Forest went in for Antonio from Sheff Wed they were probably told to raise their offer cos of the Reading sell on fee. Now iirc Antonio's transfer to Wednesday from Reading was somewhat protracted, so I wouldn't be surprised if there was a mammoth sell on fee - we clearly knew Antonio had potential after all his goals on loan for them. Forest probably gave Hammond a call and asked if they could smooth a deal - and we would have been very happy to suddenly get two attacking players from somewhere.
Nothing wrong with that of course but I suspect if we had got cash from the Antonio sell on it would have disappeared to banks and creditors. With a backroom, off the record agreement who is to know - and suddenly we have two decent Championship forwards.
The Anton Ferdinand deal also took some time, so I suspect there wasn't much of a signing on fee. I don't get the sense he was particularly in demand or why consider a move to Thailand!
All conjecture but I suspect the "Thai investment" is more a committment to meet the future wagebill and that no Baht has yet arrived. Madejski would be lauding them to the skies if it had, out of sheer relief.