02 Jun 2014 18:07:09
Here is my view of the situation (which I know will be ridiculed by Swan. but you can't win em all).
We have dealt well in the transfer market the last 2 windows and should have surplus cash left over. I mean from the Felli deal and Jelavic deals. Rodwell also brought a bit in. We have spent far less than these deals brought in. Added to that we have last seasons tv money and this seasons tv money. So all in all we have a big bag of cash (compared to recent seasons).
Lukaku will sign for a Champions League team or stay at Chelski. We might get him on loan again, but that is unlikely in my view. Barry is 50:50. Both were key to our great season. Europa League will put a strain on our squad. So we need to sign 6 or 7 players. I predicted this about 4 months ago only to have a load of abuse for being negative. I like to think I am being realistic not negative! If I was RM, I would offer 30 million for Bony now. I would look at which kids can be brought into the 1st team squad and bring in 2 or 3. Like Moyes did last time we were in Europa. I would then hope and pray that Kone, Alcaraz and Gibson can play more than 5 games without dropping. If it looks like they can't, I would move them on and still bring in another 5 or 6 players using loans, free agents or whatever. I would also reward players now who deserve it. eg McCarthy, Barkley and Stones. I would then pray to God that the new players fitted into the system and stick to the current main core of players for at least the first quarter of the season. If Bony would not sign, I really don't know what we will do? Other suggestions will be welcomed. but I don't see many 20 goals a season center forwards available in our financial bracket.

{Ed025's Note - a good and very fair assessment of our situation there degs, not a lot to argue with for me mate..

1.) 02 Jun 2014
Batashyui for £7m Young, Skilfull, Quick, Strong, Can hold the ball up, Confident, Knows where the net is! Belgian! 18 Goals this year at 20! For £7m would be a bargain and we could get bony for £20 because Swansea are getting castaignos which means they are willing to sell!

2.) 02 Jun 2014
Why 30 mill for Bony when his price tag is 20, I believe we have about 35 40 mill to spend most of TV money goes towards costs players wages and general bills all season long. I remember Elstone saying that out of every pound Everton makes 78 pence goes towards players wages.Just saying you can spend a portion of it but the majority of it goes on wages.

{Ed025's Note - im with degsy on this one stef, i think it will take a lot nearer £30m than £20m to land bony mate..

3.) 02 Jun 2014
Probably ed but only if a bidding war starts however would you pay 30 mill for him that's a lot dosh for Everton to spend on one player.

{Ed025's Note - i would pay whatever it takes stef, its the one position i feel we are short of top quality, a suit from matalan will look ok, but one from savile row will really stand out, sometimes paying big money makes all the difference mate.. :)

4.) 02 Jun 2014
Fair point ed, but my only problem with spending 30 mill on one player is that we are not Chelsea or City we need at least five or six players coming in with all the games we have next season and our budget is roughly around the 40 mill mark mate 30 mill on one player won't cut it for us considering the amount of injuries we seem to get in a season, but I understand your point mate.

{Ed025's Note - your right about beefing up the squad stef, but with bobbys contacts and insight, he may be able to do that on a shoestring, giving us that marquee signing that i certainly crave, and also bolster the squad with some good loans and signings from under the radar mate..

5.) 02 Jun 2014
Ye maybe your right ed I never looked at it that way I was just viewing it by the dollar mate, and yes I would love a big signing aswell let's hope Martinez does it again in the market and gives the haters something to moan about again.

6.) 02 Jun 2014
Dear Stef, please allow me to chip back in. in one of my other posts below, you will see that I predict a horrible transfer window where clubs will do their best to hold onto players. I also suspect players to put in transfer requests which these days is rare because they give up their 10% when they do this. I expect 95% to happen on the last day. I also expect fees to be quite extraordinary. I said 30 million for Bony because papers are saying 20 million. Believe me, Swansea know that if they show any sign of letting him go, there will be a bidding war. Like Ed025 says, 30 million will be more realistic. Who knows the exact fee? None of us for sure. I was just trying to suggest we make an offer difficult to refuse. I would use most of our funds for him for the reasons Ed explained. We need 20 goals a season from our center forward whoever it is. I would not have signed Kine for 6 million or whatever it was. I would have kept that with the Jelavic money and added some of the felli money and ensured we had a decent center forward. By the way, I had a look at Batashyui and yes he also looks a great prospect. Worth a go I would say. I suspect both him and Lukaku and Bony are really out of our ability to sign. That is exactly why I suggest a silly offer in now before the world cup finishes and all the Champions League teams start signing all the rosey apples at the top of the tree. The Batshuyi or however you spell it situation has already started. Rumours of Arsenal etc. Same as Bony. We need to be quick in.

7.) 02 Jun 2014
I believe RM knows who he wants and is realistic enough to accurately assess the situation regarding Lukaku and Barry and therefore is making the moves behind the scene to improve the squad.
Personally, I would like Michy as our striker.

{Ed025's Note - i have complete faith in bobby fancy..

8.) 02 Jun 2014
I truly hope he is able to bring in a top quality center forward able to score 20 a season. It will be a very difficult thing, but we do have a lot of pundits talking about progress under RM. This has got to help when a player is thinking "Spurs or Everton"? Surely a professional who is offered a position at both would pick us. Other than the top 4 and Man Utd, we would surely be picked over any other Premier club? We might even be ahead of Arsenal with their alleged restrictive wage structure? I think next season will be decided by 2 signings. Our center forward and our holding midfielder to partner McCarthy. The rest of the team picks itself with a reasonable amount of cover. Not forgetting we do not want to lose any key players. I am sure Barkley and Stones will have been watched by Barca, Italians et others around Europe. These are two of the most exciting youngsters I have ever seen (Rooney excepted) coming through so quickly. I guess I can add Steve McMahon to that as well. Yes 3 things to hope for: keeping our squad, signing a 20 goal center forward and a holding midfielder. That's my view anyway.

9.) 02 Jun 2014
I like Michy too mate. But he is in a poorer league and so there is always a little doubt over ability to step up. I would make him my plan b after 30 million for Bony which is funnily enough where this conversation started.

10.) 03 Jun 2014
03 Jun 2014 07:46:26
Swansea have released today that there value of Bony is at £19m.