January transfer window...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I don't know though DSB, he can be a liability can Curtis, maybe Villa want more than we can afford for him and are happy to have Wheater as a replacement?

Probably so. Not saying necessarily that Curtis would be better than Wheats as a signing now; maybe one to work on over summer, when Houllier's replacement wants shut of a few.

[TKIZ!]

I don't know though DSB, he can be a liability can Curtis, maybe Villa want more than we can afford for him and are happy to have Wheater as a replacement?

Probably so. Not saying necessarily that Curtis would be better than Wheats as a signing now; maybe one to work on over summer, when Houllier's replacement wants shut of a few.

Ahhh, right I see. Maybe.

[officer_dibble]

Is he called Davies? check

Does he play for Villa? check

Isn't this how we usually sign players?

[KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab]

Usually one or the other. Kills two birds with one stone, that.

[thebish]

according to myriad unreliable gossip-mongerers...

Fiorentina are eyeing Bolton Wanderers striker Johan Elmander.
The big Swede is off contract in June and keeping his options open.
Corriere dello Sport says Fiorentina are weighing up a move for Elmander - possibly as early as this month.
Elmander has also been linked with Liverpool this season after reviving his career under Trotters manager Owen Coyle.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Birmingham give Newcastle permission to speak to Seb Larsson - SSN

[BWFC_Insane]

Birmingham give Newcastle permission to speak to Seb Larsson - SSN

Newcastle are welcome to him for me.

Decent enough player when he's "on it" but not what we need at the minute IMO!

[Bruce Rioja]

Birmingham give Newcastle permission to speak to Seb Larsson - SSN

Newcastle are welcome to him for me.

Decent enough player when he's "on it" but not what we need at the minute IMO!

Agreed. Absolutely.

Brum are in talks with Bentley btw and Villa have had a bid for Charlie Adam turned down.

[TKIZ!]

Birmingham give Newcastle permission to speak to Seb Larsson - SSN

Newcastle are welcome to him for me.

Decent enough player when he's "on it" but not what we need at the minute IMO!

Agreed. Absolutely.

Brum are in talks with Bentley btw and Villa have had a bid for Charlie Adam turned down.

It will need a 'big' bid for Adam as Holloway is unlikely to get rid on the cheap

[thebish]

more Elmachinations...

Fiorentina are set to swoop for reported Liverpool target Johan Elmander.

Corriere dello Sport reports that the Italian side are weighing up a January bid for the Sweden international as he continues to stall over new contract with Bolton.

Elmander is Bolton's record-signing after joining the club from Toulouse for around £10 million in 2008, and the 29-year-old has been in magnificent goalscoring form this season.

His performances have led to the Trotters launching a surprise assault on the Champions League places and have also reportedly caught the eye of Liverpool director of football strategy Damien Comolli.

Liverpool are known to be keen to add more potency to their attack this month after admitting that they rely too heavily on Kop heroes Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.

And, with Torres' chequered injury history, new Reds boss Kenny Dalglish is keen to strengthen his striking ranks and is thought to be interested in bringing Elmander to Liverpool.

However, Bolton boss Owen Coyle has attempted to ease fears that the Swede would be moving to Anfield, but admitted that Elmander would be crazy not to consider joining a club the size of Liverpool.

"If it was a club of a similar size to Bolton I believe he would stay here. If an elite club came in Johan would be crazy not to think about it.

"I have no problems with that. Johan is well within his rights to do what is right for himself and his family. What I will do game by game is try to get the best out of him."

Coyle added: "Phil [Gartside] has had talks with Johan's representative and that will be on-going.

"Johan has been terrific from day one and if they decide they want it to run its course into January, then so be it."

[boltonboris]

Fiorentina are scrapping it out with Brum for the signing of Kenny Miller. So fingers crossed, they win the race

[thebish]

i really don't know what I think of this....

IF elmo is gonna leave for free in the summer - and (to me) that seems likely - then you might say he has already scored us the goals that that pretty much grant us safety (always our first objective)... we're not realistically looking for a push for europe this season (are we?)

so... will we get as much for a sale (no figures are mentioned) as we would recoup from the income from potential higher premiership-placing should we keep him (£500,000 per place?)

factor in the uncertainty over the proposed Vela loan
the patchy form of Klasnic
the chubby ineffectiveness of Blake against York

i'm struggling to know what to think....

if elmo went - would we revert to the 4-5-1 that lots of people are calling for to accomodate Mavies?

too many decisions - too many variables - i'd make a shit manager!

[Worthy4England]

if elmo went - would we revert to the 4-5-1 that lots of people are calling for to accomodate Mavis

Are lots of people calling for 4-5-1 to accommodate Mavies? Or were they just suggesting that Mavies might be better in a 4-5-1 than a 4-4-2?

[Bijou Bob]

With Elmo in mind, it seems to me that Coyle has something up his sleeve. He's been incredibly cool about losing his top goalscorer so far and whether that's a ploy to keep the agents from trying to double his wages come summertime or he has someone lined up as a replacement is anyone's guess.

The big question is whether we take a fee now or let him go on a free come summer. I'd suggest the club would want some return on the 8.3 million we shelled out, so if a bid comes in, for me, he could and should go.

Could Vela fill Elmo's boots? It'd be interesting to see and give us a bit more pace up front?

[thebish]

if elmo went - would we revert to the 4-5-1 that lots of people are calling for to accomodate Mavis

Are lots of people calling for 4-5-1 to accommodate Mavies? Or were they just suggesting that Mavies might be better in a 4-5-1 than a 4-4-2?

I dunno! (I'm in a very strangely unopinionated mood today! I'll get over it!)

[thebish]

The big question is whether we take a fee now or let him go on a free come summer. I'd suggest the club would want some return on the 8.3 million we shelled out, so if a bid comes in, for me, he could and should go.

indeed - hence my question..

which is bigger..

1. the amount Fiorentina or Liverpool would give us for a striker who will go for free in 6mths time
2. the number of places higher we would finish (x £500,000) if we kept elmo

both would be a "return" - which would be bigger?

NB - we are currently trying to get Wheater on a knock-down price because his contract is about to end - others will do the same with elmander...

[Lofthouse Lower]

Sell him. He's too unreliable.

[BWFC_Insane]

I'd keep him in the hope we can persuade him to stay here beyond the summer.

Been a revelation this season. 10 goals already.

At the end of the season lets see how many strikers get into double figures and then see how many of them we could afford to realistically buy. I bet it won't be many.

For me this season Elmander has been as good up front as we're likely to get, so I'd be happy to keep him. I actually think he's looked like a top class striker so losing him would be a big blow.

[boltonboris]

He's unreliably scored 10 goals this season...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

He's unreliably scored 10 goals this season...

Good job you're not a fish, friend.