Kompany's Signings (Complete List)

[Goody1975]

If they were never going to settle in at the same time, and those responsible for our transfer policy knew this, then it's even poorer business.

We're in a better position than in August 2022 because we since won promotion to the Premier League. I don't think we're in a better position than May 2023 though.

In May 2023 we were obliged to sign Obafemi and we had an option with Beyer.

Maatsen, Tella, Harwood-Bellis and Dervisoglu didn't belong to us.

Signing the main three on top of Obafemi and Beyer would have cost us the majority of our budget.

Do I agree with all of our signings? Certainly not but the majority are very good players, the issue is the physicality needed to help them thrive.

[Westleigh]

We need a list of outgoings in the same period for context, and also worth keeping in mind the reduction in wages.

About £72 mill.

[Rileybobs]

In May 2023 we were obliged to sign Obafemi and we had an option with Beyer.

Maatsen, Tella, Harwood-Bellis and Dervisoglu didn't belong to us.

Signing the main three on top of Obafemi and Beyer would have cost us the majority of our budget.

Do I agree with all of our signings? Certainly not but the majority are very good players, the issue is the physicality needed to help them thrive.

If you could rewind to May 2023, with the Premier League TV income secured, would you have done things differently?

[Goody1975]

Covid and it's impacts on Garlick's business & football in general has a lot to answer for here - it isn't as straight forward as being made out.

I strongly believe if Covid didn't hit, we were lining up to reinvest into the playing squad, it really cannot be stated enough.

I think the transfer business in the summer of 2018 did more harm than COVID, seeing us struggle for the first half of the season and then getting humped by Everton at Christmas made them realise spending money can mean very little.

[NewClaret]

I don’t think we’d be far off making a profit of we sold everyone

The point is, not everyone is going to reach their maximum value at the same time, so all we need is one or two to be in a profitable position at any point and as long as we continue to develop the rest, everything’s fine.

In that sense I like the loans to give players like McNally, Twine, Mellon, maybe Obafemi and Zaroury now (not a fan of loaning Benson as I think our right flank is one of our weak links) to give them game time/aid their development.

[Goody1975]

If you could rewind to May 2023, with the Premier League TV income secured, would you have done things differently?

Probably but I'm not a medium and I presume neither are you.

I've already answered the question, In hindsight I've already said the lack of physicality has really affected the young players but I like many were worried about this at the start of the season.

I can also say that I like the majority of the signings without writing them off.

[forzagranata]

I don’t think we’d be far off making a profit of we sold everyone

If we sold them now?

I can imagine that in the future, if things go well for them, we might make a good profit on Koleosho and Odabert. If Trafford lives up to his promise maybe a small profit there too.

I don't think, as it stands, we'd get our money back on Trafford, Ramsey or Tresor - three of our most expensive purchases.

But its early days.

Unfortunately valuations do change when players become Championship players.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Last season's business was a huge success based on the outcome of the season and the fact we sold players for loads as well.

This season's business has been a huge failure and we will need sales this summer.

Of course, this season’s business is not done yet. But it looks less than ideal I would agree, unfortunately with holes that most of us were referring to since May, unfilled.

Personally I don’t have a problem with the amount spent, probably about £80m initially with relegation clauses and buybacks or protection, an amount not dissimilar to what VK was telling the board in Mission To Burnley. I heard, and it may not be true, that Villa have a clause to buy back Ramsay if we go down. Don’t know whose decision that would be or if true at all but it shows the degree of protection we may have.

The assessment into the categories in the thread above, like “proven”, “promising” etc I think we are all tempted to be harsh on. I rate some above promising but below fully proven, so of major benefit to us this season but not necessarily in every game or at their peak. Foster and Berge for example. Berge and Amdouni could yet be the signings that save us, they seem beyond what teams like Luton and Sheffield have, and more in line with the class that Everton and Forest have, i.e. they give us a chance.

[CoolClaret]

I think the transfer business in the summer of 2018 did more harm than COVID, seeing us struggle for the first half of the season and then getting humped by Everton at Christmas made them realise spending money can mean very little.

That's just a hunch of yours though, and is partly explainable with Europa league and all that newness, not to mention we rectified that season in the end...

Covid and it's wider implications is factual though...

[Goody1975]

That's just a hunch of yours though, and is partly explainable with Europa league and all that newness, not to mention we rectified that season in the end...

Covid and it's wider implications is factual though...

Is your theory factual or just guesswork?

COVID didn't hit till March 2020.

[Goliath]

We probably werent a million miles off getting it right. A left back instead of Tresor, Sacha Boey instead of Trafford and we'd have been a decent outfit. Its fine margins and i think its reasonable to think wed have 6 to 9 more points just with those simple changes.

[Goody1975]

We probably werent a million miles off getting it right. A left back instead of Tresor, Sacha Boey instead of Trafford and we'd have been a decent outfit. Its fine margins and i think its reasonable to think wed have 6 to 9 more points just with those simple changes.

Yes, I agree we are/weren't a million miles off.

Two or three players in key positions, probably at the expense of some of the new signings.

The majority of the business has been good.

[Rileybobs]

Probably but I'm not a medium and I presume neither are you.

I've already answered the question, In hindsight I've already said the lack of physicality has really affected the young players but I like many were worried about this at the start of the season.

I can also say that I like the majority of the signings without writing them off.

I was a medium before over indulging at Christmas.

My point is, we did a good job rebuilding the squad upon relegation. We lost our best players which was largely out of our hands, and we lost them below their true value to us which was an unfortunate result of our circumstances. We signed a lot of unknown talent who performed much better than I, and probably most expected. Then we won promotion and guaranteed a significant pot of money to add to the squad and build a side that could at the least challenge to stay in the division.

We then spent a lot of money on players who clearly aren’t good enough to do so. That’s not saying that some won’t be good enough in the future, but I don’t think we should have been looking so far ahead into the future. My view is that the team that won promotion, minus the loanees that we lost, plus the c €100m, was in a better position than it is now. And unfortunately, with relegation we are likely to lose a number of players before they reach their potential. That €100m could, and should have been used to add genuine ready-made quality in key positions to a squad that already had a lot of potential throughout.

[forzagranata]

Departures (for fees in Euros - as cited by Transfermarkt)

23/24: Bobby Thomas 2.3

22/23: Nathan Collins 24.3 million
Maxwel Cornet - WHU 20.7 million
Dwight McNeil - Everton 17 million
Nick Pope - Newcastle 11.5 million

Total incomings 75.8 million euros (65 million quid)

Doesn't include two loan fees for Weghorst.

[Vegas Claret]

There is no transparency around most transfer fees. So if we want to get a rough idea, you have to go off 'reported fees'. I'd go with transfermarkt over the tabloids for example.

But go ahead and make a list using newspapers or other websites and see what number you come up with.

or you could just accept that reported fees are utter nonsense. Trying googling Transfermarket reliability and read a few things, it's pure guess work on their part. Then if you have knowledge of contract law nobody within a club nor an agent or player would disclose details of fees, wages etc etc. The website is nothing other than guesswork hence the reason it is often ridiculed. I understand 100% why you would use it for the reasons you state but it's just not accurate

[NewClaret]

Departures (for fees in Euros - as cited by Transfermarkt)

23/24: Bobby Thomas 2.3

22/23: Nathan Collins 24.3 million
Maxwel Cornet - WHU 20.7 million
Dwight McNeil - Everton 17 million
Nick Pope - Newcastle 11.5 million

Total incomings 75.8 million euros (65 million quid)

Doesn't include two loan fees for Weghorst.

Good point about the loan fees and by the sounds of it, we’ll be getting some loan fees in this window too.

[Goody1975]

I was a medium before over indulging at Christmas.

My point is, we did a good job rebuilding the squad upon relegation. We lost our best players which was largely out of our hands, and we lost them below their true value to us which was an unfortunate result of our circumstances. We signed a lot of unknown talent who performed much better than I, and probably most expected. Then we won promotion and guaranteed a significant pot of money to add to the squad and build a side that could at the least challenge to stay in the division.

We then spent a lot of money on players who clearly aren’t good enough to do so. That’s not saying that some won’t be good enough in the future, but I don’t think we should have been looking so far ahead into the future. My view is that the team that won promotion, minus the loanees that we lost, plus the c €100m, was in a better position than it is now. And unfortunately, with relegation we are likely to lose a number of players before they reach their potential. That €100m could, and should have been used to add genuine ready-made quality in key positions to a squad that already had a lot of potential throughout.

Ready made quality?

Like who? How do we finance ready made quality and the wages that comes with Premier League quality players?

[CrosspoolClarets]

If we sold them now?

I can imagine that in the future, if things go well for them, we might make a good profit on Koleosho and Odabert. If Trafford lives up to his promise maybe a small profit there too.

I don't think, as it stands, we'd get our money back on Trafford, Ramsey or Tresor - three of our most expensive purchases.

But its early days.

Unfortunately valuations do change when players become Championship players.

It’s swings and roundabouts.

Redmond, for example, we got for no fee. Same with Massengo. Transfrmarkt values those at €15m between them. Berge is also worth more at €20m (which I could see us getting). I could see the same fee for Amdouni. Easy to imagine us recouping our outlay if we sold the lot. The problem is when some are forced by the player and we have to sell for a lower value, but that too is part of the fun. A player taking time to settle into this league, like Tresor or Al Dakhil, obviously have a short term value hit, so ideally longer term we’d keep them, depending on the player’s wishes (though some of the ridicule layered on them by “supporters” won’t help).

Not mentioned by anyone is the messages passed on within the group about what a buzz the title was last year. Some players may fancy giving it a year to see, like Leicester players have done. I can picture a side for the Championship that is better than last years, some of our forwards terrify PL defences, I shudder to think what they could do to EFL ones. Not that I’m giving up on this season yet, far too much to play for, particularly with the legal aspects in play.

[Rileybobs]

Ready made quality?

Like who? How do we finance ready made quality and the wages that comes with Premier League quality players?

In the same way that we bought Berge and Redmond, for example.

[Goody1975]

In the same way that we bought Berge and Redmond, for example.

Redmond has barely played.

Berge was playing in the Championship and no club had taken a punt on him after Sheffield United got relegated. Many on here spent the first couple of months slagging him off.

[RVclaret]

Forest’s leaked transfer spends and wages due to this FFP issue show how much ready made quality costs. Lingard 200k a week, Dennis 70k a week, Wood 100k a week, Shelvey 70k a week, Gibbs-White 30m fee + 70k a week. I’d be surprised if we have anyone above 50k (probably Jay Rod and that’s it). Likely most of our younger players will be on 20-30k and therefore a more sustainable wage bill, either if we stop up, or go down (40-50% cuts on that leave something appropriate for the Champ). I’m sure we hoped the likes of Tresor (full capped Belgian international and best player in Belgium last season) would have made a more immediate/bigger impact (and might still).

[Rileybobs]

Redmond has barely played.

You're not exactly disproving my point there.

Redmond has made nearly 300 Premier League appearances.

[Goody1975]

You're not exactly disproving my point there.

Redmond has made nearly 300 Premier League appearances.

But we signed him and he has barely played, so what is your point?

O'Shea has Premier League experience with West Brom, is that counted as Premier League ready players?

You could say yes but that is the only quality we can afford fitting the bill. He was deemed **** until the past few weeks.

[Rileybobs]

But we signed him and he has barely played, so what is your point?

O'Shea has Premier League experience with West Brom.

You asked how we could afford players with proven Premier League quality, so I used Redmond, who does, as an example.

Are you saying that we couldn't have afforded to bring in anyone who has previously had good experience in this division? Really?

[ksrclaret]

But we signed him and he has barely played, so what is your point?

O'Shea has Premier League experience with West Brom.

I think Rileybobs point is an absolutely obvious one.

We should have signed more players like Berge and Redmond (both PL quality players, despite Redmond having been ignored by the manager) and fewer players like Trafford, Ramsey, Amdouni, Tresor etc etc.

It was perfectly achievable to sign more players like Berge and Redmond but we perused a deliberate strategy not to. That was a huge error and we're sat on 12 points.

[Goody1975]

Forest’s leaked transfer spends and wages due to this FFP issue show how much ready made quality costs. Lingard 200k a week, Dennis 70k a week, Wood 100k a week, Shelvey 70k a week, Gibbs-White 30m fee + 70k a week. I’d be surprised if we have anyone above 50k (probably Jay Rod and that’s it). Likely most of our younger players will be on 20-30k and therefore a more sustainable wage bill, either if we stop up, or go down (40-50% cuts on that leave something appropriate for the Champ). I’m sure we hoped the likes of Tresor (full capped Belgian international and best player in Belgium last season) would have made a more immediate/bigger impact (and might still).

It's the premium wages required by signing players already on the English football gravy train.

[Rileybobs]

The reason why we didn't buy proven Premier League quality is because we have put our emphasis on buying young 'rough diamonds' in the hope that enough of them will turn into successes and will be sold at a huge profit. No doubt that may give us financial success, but it clearly won't keep us in the Premier League, which as a fan I care more about than a balance sheet.

[Goody1975]

I think Rileybobs point is an absolutely obvious one.

We should have signed more players like Berge and Redmond (both PL quality players, despite Redmond having been ignored by the manager) and fewer players like Trafford, Ramsey, Amdouni, Tresor etc etc.

It was perfectly achievable to sign more players like Berge and Redmond but we perused a deliberate strategy not to. That was a huge error and we're sat on 12 points.

So which players are we signing?

Berge, Redmond and O'Shea fit the bill.

Berge was deemed useless early in the season, Redmond hasn't played and O'Shea was hammered every week until December. My point is if we signed another three of this quality are you telling me we'd be half way up the table?

You move up a level in terms of quality and you are paying the kind of wages Forest did last season.

[Jakubclaret]

Forest’s leaked transfer spends and wages due to this FFP issue show how much ready made quality costs. Lingard 200k a week, Dennis 70k a week, Wood 100k a week, Shelvey 70k a week, Gibbs-White 30m fee + 70k a week. I’d be surprised if we have anyone above 50k (probably Jay Rod and that’s it). Likely most of our younger players will be on 20-30k and therefore a more sustainable wage bill, either if we stop up, or go down (40-50% cuts on that leave something appropriate for the Champ). I’m sure we hoped the likes of Tresor (full capped Belgian international and best player in Belgium last season) would have made a more immediate/bigger impact (and might still).

I'm pretty sure the reluctance to spend wasn't induced by fear of FFP & you can probably strike a balance somewhere in-between the extreme Nottingham forest. You don't have to go mad at it a odd 1 or 2 won't go overboard.

[taio]

The reason why we didn't buy proven Premier League quality is because we have put our emphasis on buying young 'rough diamonds' in the hope that enough of them will turn into successes and will be sold at a huge profit. No doubt that may give us financial success, but it clearly won't keep us in the Premier League, which as a fan I care more about than a balance sheet.

Absolutely correct. Very clear what the strategy was. We needed both balance positionally and in terms of experience.

[Goody1975]

The reason why we didn't buy proven Premier League quality is because we have put our emphasis on buying young 'rough diamonds' in the hope that enough of them will turn into successes and will be sold at a huge profit. No doubt that may give us financial success, but it clearly won't keep us in the Premier League, which as a fan I care more about than a balance sheet.

Or because of the massive premium you pay in possible transfer fees and especially wages, a strategy that leaves you buggered if you still go down.

Who wants players on premium wages if they have just failed to impress?

[ab1882]

Using transfermarkt as a "source", ALK players in and out only.

Cornet, Collins, Hennessey.
Arrivals: €29m.
Departures: €45m (including free for Hennessey which I don't think is right, add a mil?).

Obvs taking a loss on Weghorst, even if wages have been covered for two years.

As others have said, fees on transfermarkt look high for the most part. For example Sacha Tavolieri had Delcroix at £1m, Fab had Trafford at £14m with £5m add ons.
On the flip side, Egan-Riley & Massengo won't be "free" as they have gone/will go to tribunal.

No doubt in my mind Kompany and crew can spot a player, look at Anderlecht. Verbruggen, Cullen, Gomez all brought in and sold for more.
Doku, Lokonga & Duranville sold via youth team. Had Zirkzee & THB on loan.

It's not going to be perfect every time but a decent start. Current squad short of staying in Prem, but decent chance of building and returning and being able to spend another "£100m" to try and compete. Unfortunately this is what our football pyramid has become.

[Vegas Claret]

The reason why we didn't buy proven Premier League quality is because we have put our emphasis on buying young 'rough diamonds' in the hope that enough of them will turn into successes and will be sold at a huge profit. No doubt that may give us financial success, but it clearly won't keep us in the Premier League, which as a fan I care more about than a balance sheet.

that's a short term view though, how does the club (or clubs our size) grow so at some point it can get into the PL and complete properly ? I agree 100% that they got the balance wrong on this though, they should have signed 3 or 4 of these rough diamonds and the rest should have been more experienced. Huge mistakes were made and nobody can dress them up as anything other than that, but that's the human factor and we all get things wrong (it's one of my specialist subjects!) - Alex Ferguson signed the likes of Bebe ! Next seasons recovery is going to be the biggest deciding factor on ALK and VK for me

[ksrclaret]

So which players are we signing?

Berge, Redmond and O'Shea fit the bill.

Berge was deemed useless early in the season, Redmond hasn't played and O'Shea was hammered every week until December. My point is if we signed another three of this quality are you telling me we'd be half way up the table?

You move up a level in terms of quality and you are paying the kind of wages Forest did last season.

No, I am not telling you that we'd be half way up the table. I'm not sure where on earth you have got that from. Certainly not from anything I've posted.

I'm suggesting we'd have had a better chance of remaining in the PL had we signed more players with experience of the PL, which was eminently possible.

[Goody1975]

No, I am not telling you that we'd be half way up the table. I'm not sure where on earth you have got that from. Certainly not from anything I've posted.

I'm suggesting we'd have had a better chance of remaining in the PL had we signed more players with experience of the PL, which was eminently possible.

All I'm asking is which players?

It's obviously simple

[Westleigh]

It’s swings and roundabouts.

Redmond, for example, we got for no fee. Same with Massengo. Transfrmarkt values those at €15m between them. Berge is also worth more at €20m (which I could see us getting). I could see the same fee for Amdouni. Easy to imagine us recouping our outlay if we sold the lot. The problem is when some are forced by the player and we have to sell for a lower value, but that too is part of the fun. A player taking time to settle into this league, like Tresor or Al Dakhil, obviously have a short term value hit, so ideally longer term we’d keep them, depending on the player’s wishes (though some of the ridicule layered on them by “supporters” won’t help).

Not mentioned by anyone is the messages passed on within the group about what a buzz the title was last year. Some players may fancy giving it a year to see, like Leicester players have done. I can picture a side for the Championship that is better than last years, some of our forwards terrify PL defences, I shudder to think what they could do to EFL ones. Not that I’m giving up on this season yet, far too much to play for, particularly with the legal aspects in play.

Shows what a load of Tosh TransferMarket is,I’d be amazed if we got more than £3 mill for the pair.

[Jakubclaret]

Or because of the massive premium you pay in possible transfer fees and especially wages, a strategy that leaves you buggered if you still go down.

Who wants players on premium wages if they have just failed to impress?

Eerily it looks like that finding will be found at home with the obligation to buy tresor if he doesn't buck his ideas up because that's exactly what we'll have.

[ksrclaret]

All I'm asking is which players?

It's obviously simple

Players with PL experience.

[Rileybobs]

Or because of the massive premium you pay in possible transfer fees and especially wages, a strategy that leaves you buggered if you still go down.

Who wants players on premium wages if they have just failed to impress?

So you're fine with the way we have used the Premier League revenue and the opportunity that was afforded to us by winning promotion?

As far as I know most signings come with a clause that the players' wage will decrease upon relegation, of course this leaves teams in a weak position when players want to stay in the PL (as we found out) but it doesn't necessarily leave you buggered if you go down.

You're making it sound like it was impossible for a team that absolutely smashed the Championship to make the step up and compete at the bottom of the Premier League. I'm sorry, but I just don't buy it.

[Goody1975]

Players with PL experience.

Who?

[ksrclaret]

Who?

Okay, if you really want me to provide a list, I will do.

But just to avoid confusion, me being able to provide a list of players that you may or may not agree with (no doubt you'll find flaws in every player below) doesn't in any way determine Burnley FC's ability to sign PL quality players. It was eminently possible but they chose not to.

Ross Barkley
Albert Sambi Lokonga
Andros Townsend
Jonny Evans
Harry Winks
Conor Coady

[Goody1975]

So you're fine with the way we have used the Premier League revenue and the opportunity that was afforded to us by winning promotion?

As far as I know most signings come with a clause that the players' wage will decrease upon relegation, of course this leaves teams in a weak position when players want to stay in the PL (as we found out) but it doesn't necessarily leave you buggered if you go down.

You're making it sound like it was impossible for a team that absolutely smashed the Championship to make the step up and compete at the bottom of the Premier League. I'm sorry, but I just don't buy it.

I've answered your question, we lack physicality that is the issue.

On the point about Premier League ready players or ones with experience, the ones that improve us come with wages already on the inflated English levels, the premium ones cost an excessive amount of money, the ones we can afford/bought this season are not guaranteed to succeed. O'Shea being a prime example in many people's eyes.

[Chester Perry]

Departures (for fees in Euros - as cited by Transfermarkt)

23/24: Bobby Thomas 2.3

22/23: Nathan Collins 24.3 million
Maxwel Cornet - WHU 20.7 million
Dwight McNeil - Everton 17 million
Nick Pope - Newcastle 11.5 million

Total incomings 75.8 million euros (65 million quid)

Doesn't include two loan fees for Weghorst.

or discount outstanding fee payments sell on agreements, or in the case of Pope and Collins the cost of factoring their deals or even the fact that the McNeil deal is likely paid over a few seasons, with reportedly little up front, so inflation devalues the cash received. Cornet was reportedly paid in full

The real number is likely to be around £40m - £45m, and this is before you take the enforced £20m repayment to MSD which is what we were told the sales also contributed to. Then there was another £12.2 m repaid to MSD in August 2022 probably with a penalty payment attached that we currently believe the club also made.

I think everyone is expecting that the Weghorst deal is likely to see little of his fee recovered in any way/

I seem to remember some very extensive discussion and investigation into at the time, including the fact that in domestic transfers all outstanding fees relating to the incoming of the player in question having to be settled at the point of transfer, not so on the international ones where the structure of the incoming deal prevails

[Westleigh]

IMG_1458.png (1.26 MiB) Viewed 1775 times

i
I know Utd were on a different level ,but their squad was sprinkled with some older professionals,which we didn’t really have at the beginning of this season.

[Rileybobs]

that's a short term view though, how does the club (or clubs our size) grow so at some point it can get into the PL and complete properly ? I agree 100% that they got the balance wrong on this though, they should have signed 3 or 4 of these rough diamonds and the rest should have been more experienced. Huge mistakes were made and nobody can dress them up as anything other than that, but that's the human factor and we all get things wrong (it's one of my specialist subjects!) - Alex Ferguson signed the likes of Bebe ! Next seasons recovery is going to be the biggest deciding factor on ALK and VK for me

The long term view, for me, should have been to spend wisely with the number one priority being staying in the Premier League, then using this as a springboard to gradually add young players with future potential. Integrating a young player or two at a time rather than fielding almost a whole team of potential. It's not really radical thinking. We already had plenty of these players with great potential for growth such as Zaroury, Beyer, Al-Dakhil etc.

[taio]

that's a short term view though, how does the club (or clubs our size) grow so at some point it can get into the PL and complete properly ? I agree 100% that they got the balance wrong on this though, they should have signed 3 or 4 of these rough diamonds and the rest should have been more experienced. Huge mistakes were made and nobody can dress them up as anything other than that, but that's the human factor and we all get things wrong (it's one of my specialist subjects!) - Alex Ferguson signed the likes of Bebe ! Next seasons recovery is going to be the biggest deciding factor on ALK and VK for me

You do both - better balance

[Goody1975]

Okay, if you really want me to provide a list, I will do.

But just to avoid confusion, me being able to provide a list of players that you may or may not agree with (no doubt you'll find flaws in every player below) doesn't in any way determine Burnley FC's ability to sign PL quality players. It was eminently possible but they chose not to.

Ross Barkley
Albert Sambi Lokonga
Andros Townsend
Jonny Evans
Harry Winks
Conor Coady

Why would I disagree with them? I can't possibly know whether they'd be a success and neither can you.

I can give my opinion, I do know that we were heavily linked with Lokonga and Townsend was with us, the recruitment team chose neither.

Many on here would have wet themselves if we'd signed Barkley, he is playing well for Luton but was dismissed out of hand on this very board when we were previously linked with him.

[TheFamilyCat]

I can't be arsed reading through the thread.

Has any point as to why it was started been established?

[Westleigh]

Why would I disagree with them? I can't possibly know whether they'd be a success and neither can you.

I can give my opinion, I do know that we were heavily linked with Lokonga and Townsend was with us, the recruitment team chose neither.

Many on here would have wet themselves if we'd signed Barkley, he is playing well for Luton but was dismissed out of hand on this very board when we were previously linked with him.

Got to agree with you there it would have been a real gamble signing them ,and wages would have been too high ,probable turning out a bit like Redmond.

[ksrclaret]

Why would I disagree with them? I can't possibly know whether they'd be a success and neither can you.

I can give my opinion, I do know that we were heavily linked with Lokonga and Townsend was with us, the recruitment team chose neither.

Many on here would have wet themselves if we'd signed Barkley, he is playing well for Luton but was dismissed out of hand on this very board when we were previously linked with him.

When Joey Barton was first linked he was dismissed by lots on this message board. It's irrelevant because professional scouting departments don't consider that when analysing a player.

The bottom line is this: would we have been better or worse off this season had we signed more players with PL experience? Of course nobody knows for sure, but the vast, vast majority would suggest better off so mistakes were made. That's all there is to it.