Who should we get? The generic 2012/13 speculation thread.

[Hoop Blah]

Pearce is a great example of what I'm talking about.

He went to a League One team, as an 18 year old, and immediately commanded a spot in the centre of their defence. He not only got the PR spin but he proved it on the pitch. McDonald, as an example, might be an equal talent but, for whatever reasons, has gone to a League Two team at 19 and can't get in the team.

Different teams and different circumstances of course, but he's not made quite the impact that Pearce did. I'd put Hector in a similar bracket, although he has actually been playing of course.

[pea]

Emnes

[SCIAG]

Dont understand why u would say selland an mcdonald who we havnt even seen play in for Reading, also Sheppard hasnt played for Reading, and Antonio still has more to give, same with wallcot

I have seen MacDonald play several times and I really don't rate him, he can't deal with high balls which makes him fairly useless as a centre back. Admittedly I haven't seen him for Torquay, but I'm confident based on what I've seen that he'll never be good enough for Reading unless it turns out AZ is a fraud and we do a Pompey. Lots of players have impressed on loan and then done nothing, particularly at League 2 and non-league level. I already rate Partridge much more highly (though I haven't seen as much of Partridge as I had of MacDonald at that age) and we also have Morrison and Hector sniffing around- though again I'm not entirely sold on Hector.

Sheppard might not have played for Reading but he's already a long way down the pecking order here and we are likely to add at least one striker if we go up, it's David Mooney all over again.

Walcott, like MacDonald, is below younger players (Obita).

I rate Antonio quite highly, but we have to be realistic. We could get a good fee for him if we sold him to, say, a newly promoted Championship side. He could get on with his career. He's very unlikely to be a regular PL player for us. Maybe he's worth shipping out on loan for a season in case we go down and lose Kebe and McAnuff.

Sigurdsson, Long, Pearce etc. aren't comparable. In all three cases, myself and other posters on here who watched reserve matches said they could be first team players for us (I got laughed off by some Arsenal fans when I said Long would be better than Bendtner- I was right). Sigurdsson and Pearce were also brilliant on loan at League 1 level. The same goes for Karacan, Robson-Kanu and Henry.

[specialjon]

I'd bring in Nick Powell from Crewe, using our premiership status to bring him as one for the future. I'd also keep things generally as they are as bringing in too many can cause more problems than solve them, look at QPR compared with Norwich and Swansea. I don't think we'll have a chance with Bertrand, Sig or Long. Maybe Bertrand on loan.

[Super Kevin Bremner!]

Depending on what wages we'd be prepared to pay I wouldn't mind us making a move for Bendtner. Not quite prolific but has played a lot of games for Arsenal and has a fair amount of quality. He's looking for a Prem club close to London by all accounts and would cost apx £4m.

[Royalz96]

No.

[Big Ern]

If we go up couple of full backs will be essential as Harte is too old and Cummings is just not up to Premiership football. Also another centre back would be important to provide cover and competition. Maybe another central midfielder, but probably best we do not disturb the team too much as they play well as a unit. All depends on how deep are TSI's pockets, whether the takeover goes through and what division we are in.

[urz13]

Depending on what wages we'd be prepared to pay I wouldn't mind us making a move for Bendtner. Not quite prolific but has played a lot of games for Arsenal and has a fair amount of quality. He's looking for a Prem club close to London by all accounts and would cost apx £4m.

Yes please!!

[Friday's Legacy]

Depending on what wages we'd be prepared to pay I wouldn't mind us making a move for Bendtner. Not quite prolific but has played a lot of games for Arsenal and has a fair amount of quality. He's looking for a Prem club close to London by all accounts and would cost apx £4m.

Yes please!!

No chance. He's already sounding out clubs in european competition, and said that moving to Sunderland has been "a culture shock"..

[NR_Royal]

Let's be honest, we're going to make signings based on the Swansea/Norwich model of cheap, hungry players who want to play as a team rather than the buying failed stars QPR model. That would just ruin us, and send us straight back down.

[Friday's Legacy]

Let's be honest, we're going to make signings based on the Swansea/Norwich model of cheap, hungry players who want to play as a team rather than the buying failed stars QPR model. That would just ruin us, and send us straight back down.

When we were in the Premiership we were very close to signing Gary Cahill for £5m. Our ethos, John Madejski believes, will remain the same but with "deeper pockets". So it isn't out of the question that we will look at players in the region of £5-7m this time; but as you quite rightly say, they will need to be the right type of player rather than just buy a name player because we can.

I would expect one or two lower budget experienced additions, and then one or two more that would take a 'sizeable' fee, but all very much within our means rather than what some may be hoping for and a summer of big spending.

[royalp-we]

Depending on what wages we'd be prepared to pay I wouldn't mind us making a move for Bendtner. Not quite prolific but has played a lot of games for Arsenal and has a fair amount of quality. He's looking for a Prem club close to London by all accounts and would cost apx £4m.

Dont you know why he took the squad no. 52 (000) ?

[Bumblebee]

Chris Burke (assuming we go up and Brum don't). Best winger in the division and more consistent than Kebe.

[Very near...far away]

Depending on what wages we'd be prepared to pay I wouldn't mind us making a move for Bendtner. Not quite prolific but has played a lot of games for Arsenal and has a fair amount of quality. He's looking for a Prem club close to London by all accounts and would cost apx £4m.

Dont you know why he took the squad no. 52 (000) ?

I think when he changed it to 52 at Arsenal he said it was because it was a lucky number for him. He also said he would refund the cost to all fans who had his name and (previous) number on their replica shirts. Must have put him about £12 out of pocket I would think.

[Hoop Blah]

As promotion edges closer and closer I'm starting to catch myself thinking about would X or Y fit into our side/club whilst watching games or names crop up in the media. It's going to be really interesting to see what kind of market we're going to be operating in as and when the TSI takeover goes through.

Some obvious targets out there like Bertrand, Sigurdsson, Doyle and Long, just because of their history with us and the way we know they'd fit in with the staff and players, but it's still a bit early to be thinking too hard about it.

[URZZ]

That Ince bloke at Blackpool isn't bad

[RoyalX]

Don't really understand people suggesting Bertrand and Sigurdsson - Bertrand is now getting games for Chelsea and is clearly back-up for Ashley Cole; whereas Swansea who will have had a year in the Prem will struggle to sign Sigurdsson. Both players are way, way out of our reach.

[Hoop Blah]

It's a wish list, and one based on TSI coming in and giving us considerable funds for McDermott to invest.

Sigurdsson is probably out of our reach however much money we have. Doesn't mean I wouldn't like us to get him back, but I do agree it's probably not going to happen.

Not so sure on Bertrand though. He's at an age where he probably wants to be playing more often than not. With Cole getting older, and a new manager coming in over the summer, I don't think he's going to be the answer for Chelsea. He's hardly been 'getting games' either, although to be fair he does look more like second choice now than he was under AVB.

[melonhead]

Don't really understand people suggesting Bertrand and Sigurdsson - Bertrand is now getting games for Chelsea and is clearly back-up for Ashley Cole; whereas Swansea who will have had a year in the Prem will struggle to sign Sigurdsson. Both players are way, way out of our reach.

bertrand will still be back up next year, meaning hell play about 10 games
he may want more, and come on loan


if reading are willing to pay the~10 million we may need to, sig could come to us, if no big team comes in for him
which is doubtful

but its a wishlist, so.....

[RoyalX]

Fair play, didn't realise it was fantasy list, thought it was a discussion on realistic targets!

Sorry, by "getting games" I meant that he's started the last two in the Premier League and is in line to play an FA Cup semi-final and against Barcelona if A.Cole isn't fit. Di Matteo seems to have confidence in him, whether or not that is due to a lack of options is up for debate. I guess if Chelsea sign another left-back he could be out on his arse, but if they don't then I don't think that Bertrand will want to go somewhere else to play games - I think that he'd stay to challenge for his place in the team.

Would be happy to be proved wrong though - I'm already having nightmares about having Ian Harte vs. Valencia, Walcott, Ben Arfa etc.