No way they'll go for Mowbray, their owners are ambitious and won't be hoodwinked by hogwash about journeys with no end. The game should give an insight as to how close Everton are with BBD - he plays they must still be some way off, if he doesn't a deal may be imminent. For the purposes of Saturday's game let's hope they are still some way off.

I don't know how the new FFP rules will operate but IF that's the case then we might as well give up in the long run and enjoy BBD in the short run for 12 months then as selling him won't make a ha'peth of difference.

This is the crux of the matter. I know you're loath to believe it but I'm fairly certain we have a decent budget available for transfer fees now irrespective of a BBD sale but still can't seem to get players in. Unless we look at the wage structure we won't be able to spend any monies received for BBD on anyone half decent either.

Worsen, without question. We needed a heavy positive net spend this window irrespective of what happens to BBD.

100 %.

(Hypothetically) Ben: Sorry to hear you think that way but I can't afford to turn down £7m over 5 years and neither would you. If that's your decision then I'm happy to play at under 21 level for the season but of course if you require me to play for the first team I'll always give my all for them as well. The ball's in your court".

Is that a reputable source, or is it another spotty youth operating from a laptop in his bedroom pretending to be itk? If there's any truth in it it's getting close to the £20m the V's supposedly wanted. Last week they were only offering £12.5m apparently. Sounds like they're getting desperate so we should be able to get a few more million out of them if BBD is willing to go.

Apart from leaving us absolutely goosed, that scenario also depends on him being happy to leave now. I'm not saying this is actually the scenario with BBD but hypothetically - if you could sign for team X now on £30k p.w.or wait until summer and get a £2m signing on fee and £50k p.w. - what would you do?

Don't get them started on bloody acronyms! 🙂

I strongly disagree; in addition to the existing holes in the squad we'd then need another two decent strikers on top imo.

Definitely not. We have bid more than that already. On two occasions.

Wasn't it said by the poster (Islander) who offered the info about Lenihan being made the increased offer that the increased offer for him was only made after he'd already committed to joining Boro and if it had been offered earlier he'd have signed here?

Yep, hands like shovels big Pat. Could Catch a ball with one hand. Probably not what rebelmswar wants to hear.

We've already failed (so far) with bids for JPVH and the guy who went to Sheff Utd. Reading between the lined from what Cov fans and Nixon have been saying this looks like another (so far) unsuccessful bid for the player that was actually made a couple of weeks ago that social media outlets are actually just catching up on. What would be good is actually getting someone over the line chaddy. If they come and they're good I couldn't care less if the news leaked out first!

Prostate exam takes place. The Doctor walks in and says "Afternoon Mr. rebelmswar, who was that?"

He's getting nearly as bad as Rich Sharpe. Merely confirming anything long after it's happened.

Most of then don't seem that bothered about losing him and that if it was a choice between losing him or 4 other "star" players it's no contest. Some saying they heard we've had a bid of around £2.5 to £3m in for him for 2-3 weeks. So maybe it's not a particularly new development.

Possibly isn't a significant upgrade on Lenihan. Perhaps we should have thought about that before allowing him to leave. Things are however now so desperate perhaps we should be grateful for any substantial link to anyone. This O 'Rourke chap has a pretty ropey record on anything Rovers related recently though. Sadly, if there is any truth on this, it would tend to indicate we've finally given up the ghost on landing JPVH after chasing him all summer.

Think this is relatively old news, a week or so old. Might have been some add ons incorporated but nevertheless might buy one leg. Hopefully the owners treat that bid with the contempt it deserves. The worry is that they come in nearer the deadline with a more realistic offer. Hopefully no-one does. If Broughton had have done his job and got a couple of decent striking options in, then maybe we'd have been in a position to entertain a (realistic) bid for BBD. As things stand surely we can't afford to lose him at this stage.

£5k - £6k p.w. Edit: But didn't someone claim the other week he has a contract until 2025? That was money well spent.

Depends on who else we've brought in at CB at that point. If we'd made a solid enough looking permanent CB signing in addition, fair enough. But to flip your question round a bit, would you be happy with the notion of Lenihan being replaced by a loanee. That would be more can kicking down the road and another player not properly replaced for me.

I took his original post to mean he wanted one permanent CB signing and a CB loanee to put us back in the same position as we were last season. And I'd agree with that.

Pretty good summary. I wonder, given the trouble we've had getting players in, that if we could go back we'd be a bit more flexible in what we were offering the three who left to get them to stay? It seems fairly obvious to me that in pure economic terms it was always going to be a lot more expensive to pay a transfer fee, agent's fees and then similar wages to a new player.

The knock on effect will be that it will push prices for domestic players up as well.

Yep, to go back to the one day cricket analogy the run rate is going up and up. You would also have thought that with there being a possibility of BBD leaving, we'd have been heavily linked with several strikers as a possible back up - and not a hint of that. There's no need to panic though. Apparently all these top quality players apparently become available out of nowhere at a knockdown price as the window draws to a close.