Rumour: John Mensah

[Wycombe Royal]

Anyway, EP reports that the deal is all but dead hence why the Cameroonian defender is in Sweden.

Apparently we have been close to tying up some deals only for it to break down at the last minute.

which cameroonian defender are we trying to sign then??
i#d been reading about this ghanain fella for a few weeks, but can;t remember a cameroonian

See this thread:
http://hobnob2.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45833

[ArfnipIsARoyal]

The sun have also used this story today with the same quotes as this thread.

Also it says ''Left-back Nicky Shorey, 25, has snubbed interest from West Ham to sign a new three-year Royals contract''

HNA? viewers obviously

[G'La]

Nicky Shorey, 25, has snubbed interest from West Ham to sign a new three-year Royals contract''

[mydak]

Anyway, EP reports that the deal is all but dead hence why the Cameroonian defender is in Sweden.

Apparently we have been close to tying up some deals only for it to break down at the last minute.

which cameroonian defender are we trying to sign then??
i#d been reading about this ghanain fella for a few weeks, but can;t remember a cameroonian

See this thread:
http://hobnob2.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45833

ah...
that one

[Only one Trevor Morley]

These concrete quotes seem to suggest that the Mensha deal is still alive - source is the Chronicle - I like the fact that he wants to join


READING are putting pressure on Rennes to sell John Mensah after making a club-record £3.5 million bid.The Chronicle can reveal that talks with the French Ligue One club are on-going and the Royals remain confident of landing the Ghana international before the Premiership transfer deadline on August 31.

However, they face competition from both Monaco and Sheffield United who have also been linked with the 23-year-old central defender.

It is believed Mensah wants to join the Royals but Rennes are holding out for the highest possible bid as they prepare for the start of the French League season this Saturday.

Reading's director of football, Nicky Hammond confirmed: "We've been working very, very hard on John Mensah but nothing is imminent.

"There's a degree of frustration with that but we are continuing to push discussions forward, although it's not that easy.

"Good players are hard to come by and their clubs don't want to lose them, even if the player himself is keen to come.

"But we've still got three weeks until the transfer deadline and we'll be working extremely hard to add to the squad before then."
The capture of Mensah would smash Reading's transfer record set last month with the £1.5 million capture of South Korean international Seol HiKyeon from Wolves.
Coppell has also bolstered the central defensive area by landing Sam Sodje from Brentford for £500,000.
But Mensah has been the prime target for many months and his reputation was bolstered by his impressive World Cup performances for Ghana who were the only African team to reach the last 16.

He joined Rennes from Italian side Chievo in January and soon earned himself a three-year deal at the Stade de la Route de Lorient.

He was in the Ghana team that finished runners-up at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championships and has also had spells with Genoa, Modena and Cremonese.

The Royals are also set to hand a trial to Lokomotiv Moscow defender Andre Stephane Bikey.

The Chronicle has learnt that the 21-year-old Cameroon player will join up with Coppell's squad during their week-long tour of Sweden.


The powerfully-built Bikey is likely to be involved in at least one of the three friendly matches Royals have lined up against Gallstads FK tonight (Thursday, 7pm), Lanna GoIF on Saturday (4pm) and Orgyte IS next Tuesday (7pm).


Meanwhile, the Royals will not be following-up their interest in Sunderland's highlyrated Dean Whitehead.

[SpaceCruiser]

Now that's more like it.

Great stuff!

[EASTENDER MARKY]

Now that's more like it.

Great stuff!

Agreed.
If we sign Mensah, this Bikey fella and another midfielder then we are well on our way. May have to fork out for a striker in January if we have failed to score goals before then.

[warrpp]

things is the chronicle have got quotes from hammond mentioning mensah, and yet the official site say that

"the club made no comment on continuing speculation linking them with a move for rennes defender john mensah"

seems strange that sqeaky would give quotes to the chronicle, but the official sites line is to to clam up when asked

[Only one Trevor Morley]

things is the chronicle have got quotes from hammond mentioning mensah, and yet the official site say that

"the club made no comment on continuing speculation linking them with a move for rennes defender john mensah"

seems strange that sqeaky would give quotes to the chronicle, but the official sites line is to to clam up when asked

I think its getting to the stage where officially we cant say anything (ie through the website) but Hammond wants to demonstrate to supporters that we're still trying as hard as we can to get Mensah and therefore hes happy to talk to the chronicle - I cant think that such direct quotes would be made up........

[warrpp]

you'd hope not (at least for the chronicles sake)

because if they're making up quotes for meetings with hammond, coppell etc, that never occured, then they may find themselves being blacklisted by the club

ie....... the players and employees of the club being told not to talk to anyone fronm the paper ?

[Stranded]

you'd hope not (at least for the chronicles sake)

because if they're making up quotes for meetings with hammond, coppell etc, that never occured, then they may find themselves being blacklisted by the club

ie....... the players and employees of the club being told not to talk to anyone fronm the paper ?

No paper (certainly a local one) will make up quotes that extensive. If it had been one line perhaps but that is a whole paragraph.

[rabidbee]

I think its getting to the stage where officially we cant say anything (ie through the website) but Hammond wants to demonstrate to supporters that we're still trying as hard as we can to get Mensah and therefore hes happy to talk to the chronicle - I cant think that such direct quotes would be made up........

They might be using the Chronic for 'credible deniability', or whatever the god-awful American phrase is. In other words, they can put the stuff out through the media but still be able to claim they were (unfortunately) misquoted if they need to in the future.

[Only one Trevor Morley]

I think its getting to the stage where officially we cant say anything (ie through the website) but Hammond wants to demonstrate to supporters that we're still trying as hard as we can to get Mensah and therefore hes happy to talk to the chronicle - I cant think that such direct quotes would be made up........

They might be using the Chronic for 'credible deniability', or whatever the god-awful American phrase is. In other words, they can put the stuff out through the media but still be able to claim they were (unfortunately) misquoted if they need to in the future.

cynical - but you may have a point.....

[Dennis the Butler]

Saw a rumour that Rennes are on the verge of signing Mario Melchiot ...
could this be the deal that see's Mensah coming to Reading ? ... hope so, but I ain't gonna hold my breath !

[Rawlie19]

Saw a rumour that Rennes are on the verge of signing Mario Melchiot ...
could this be the deal that see's Mensah coming to Reading ? ... hope so, but I ain't gonna hold my breath !

3rd post down, page 4

[Ian Royal]

Is anyone else thinking that rather than waiting this one out maybe we should just try bunging on another £500k?

I know it's a crap way of doing business and could have no effect, but this guy does sound like the bollocks and we REALLY could do with another CB.

[urz_1871]

Is anyone else thinking that rather than waiting this one out maybe we should just try bunging on another £500k?

I know it's a crap way of doing business and could have no effect, but this guy does sound like the bollocks and we REALLY could do with another CB.

Thats what Rennes would love us to do or someone else to do, so it will go into a bidding war.

[Ian Royal]

Is anyone else thinking that rather than waiting this one out maybe we should just try bunging on another £500k?

I know it's a crap way of doing business and could have no effect, but this guy does sound like the bollocks and we REALLY could do with another CB.

Thats what Rennes would love us to do or someone else to do, so it will go into a bidding war.

no Rennes would love someone else to do it. it's not a bidding war with only 1 team involved.

[dobcheck]

Coppell just said on radio berks that they have had a bid on the table for mensh for a while but he thinks it may have been rebuffed and perhaps its time to leave it and look other targets.

[Ian Royal]

Coppell just said on radio berks that they have had a bid on the table for mensh for a while but he thinks it may have been rebuffed and perhaps its time to leave it and look other targets.

ah the old "accept or we walk" approach to pressure Rennes.