If they wanted to sell him they would sell him now. If your theory is correct and he doesn't cut the mustard here they'd be stuck with a player they don't want by the end of the season. Or alternatively if he does well they won't want to allow him to move at a guaranteed knock down price at the end of that - they could do similar now presumably.

OK fair enough, see above then. Can only be a loan in that case.

That makes no sense whatsoever. Even if he signs a new deal with Leicester before joining Rovers that would tend to suggest that they want to keep him in the long run. Therefore they won't be prepared to put an option to purchase at an agreed fee in and in the very unlikely event he does well his time here will come to an end when the loan period expires and we'll be priced out of a permanent move.

I give up. He isn't their player by then! Who does the money go to? Charity?

(Beats head against brick wall) In Hirst's cade, if he's out of contract at the end of the season, we don't need to pay anything by then. He'll be a free agent! I fully agree that in different circumstances where the player is still under contract the only advantage of entering into a loan with an obligation rather than an option to purchase is that you've already decided you definitelywant the player but can schedule the payments differe try for FFP purposes.

Maybe if the Club ever got round to discussing a new contract with him.........

Read back what you're saying. He's a free agent at the end of the season but you're claiming we're entering into an agreement which would involve us paying Leicester a fee at that point out of the goodness of our hearts even though they no longer own him.

If he's crap, what is remotely sensible about an obligation to buy?

God help you if he takes over at your place, I'll be laughing my socks off. Expect platitudes about being on an unspecified "journey" with no definable targets or end goal. From his point of view it should be enough to keep him in situ until the end of his contact when everyone wakes up and smells the coffee and realises that you're in a no better place than when he took over.

🤣 As a point of order, if anyone was actually barking enough to go in for Dykes I suspect it would take a Gallagher size fee to land him. Hopefully we won't be finding out.

Maybe I should have said "current" criteria. Thank you for agreeing with me. Neither of above remotely like Hirst or Dykes.

If we could get him for next to nothing, as low cost, low risk back up he might just about be worth a go. It's difficult to see how he could be much less effective than Gallagher and in the long run it might allow us to get Gallagher's wages off the books. If we were relying on him to be a primary source of goals it would obviously be an absolutely suicidal move. Still don't want him. There must be loads of options out there better than him and Dykes.

*Tin hat on.* Cant really see it happening but theoretically I like the idea of this. Add a bit of razzmatazz and interest for once. Reminds me a bit of signing Ardilles/Archibald etc. However as it also has the potential to go horribly wrong and not end up being any more successful than Rodwell I hope it would be a stand alone Venky's project and not impact on the rest of the playing budget. Certainly wouldn't want to see BBD sold specifically to fund it. Bit more exciting than rumours of Dykes/ Hirst though. Christ, I remember watching Dykes for Scotland a while back and he had bleached blonde hair and I made a point of looking him up to see who he was because I couldn't believe anyone at international level could be that bad. Wonder what our criteria for a striker is? Must be "Find me a complete donkey whose second touch is a tackle but the most important criteria is, they must not know where the back of the net is."

The Bournemouth owner probably didn't appreciate Parker demanding more investment publicly on the back of a 9-0 defeat. Wonder where that leaves Rothwell? A new manager might not fancy him at all.

"1st division here we come, Right back where we started from....."

Ross Barkley has just left Chelsea by mutual consent. I don't know what's gone wrong with him but worth a look as the Rothwell type replacement?

We need to do the usual around this time of year, kidnap him and lock him in a cupboard in a secret location for 72 or so more hours until the window closes. Why do you care about the price? Is it your money?

The question for me has to be (when fit) who plays with Wharton? He's so good that he makes it easy for whoever is playing alongside him. No coincidence that with him in we've won 3 and without him lost 3. There was that remarkable stat last year as well for a long time of never having lost a game when he's started. If Hyam's any use the pecking order would be Wharton/Hyam/Ayala/ Phillips/ Carter for me.

That's it then........ We'd obviously better sign Nuttall back. Or sometimes your career stats suggests you're just not that good and they're not far wrong. Comparisons to Birtles are downright silly. Birtles looked the bees knees before he went to Utd, it just didn't work out for him there. However he had already shone at the SAME level.This lad at age 23 has done NOTHING previously at this level. Indeed none in 32 is a little more than coincidence or a hard luck story it suggests Championship football is well beyond him.

That's Noel in a Spurs shirt as a young lad.

Substitute (Scott) Wharton for Ayala and I mostly agree with the above.

Partially agree. Would have preferred JPVH (permanently) to Hyam or SVDB. Think us and Brighton were a LONG way apart on valuations. (Maybe more their fault than ours) However now we've signed Hyam, not sure we need SVDB. Think Phillips is finding his feet quite quickly tbh. Edit: Definitely didn't want Caulker anyway.

Unless I'm mistaken he is a striker and has made 31 or 32 appearances at this level and has failed to find the net. Joe Nuttall has a better record than this guy. Would you say we should be signing him back?

Because you are unable to offer an argument in reply.

Now you're being silly!