Thursday, January 08, 2009

Thursday transfer round up - further bid expected for Santa Cruz

Roque Santa Cruz's determination to join Manchester City led to high-level talks at Blackburn Rovers tonight in which the unsettled forward reiterated his desire to leave the club. Santa Cruz made it clear he was desperate for the move to happen and the player's stance will encourage City to return with a new, improved offer in the coming days.
>>guardian.co.uk

An interesting comment from Mark Hughes in that he acknowledged that the release fee in Santa Cruz's contract does not kick in until summer 2009, meaning we can either wait until the off season or pay what appears to be over the odds to secure the deal in January.

However, it doesn't sound as though Hughes is overly keen on paying over the odds for Santa Cruz:
"We have bid a realistic figure but that is clearly a different figure to what [Blackburn] require to allow him to leave. We accept that. We have pursued him for a long time and they have been aware of our interest for quite a long time and we are just trying to make it happen now. It will come to a point where we will have to make a decision and that could be the decision to walk away. If we throw £50m at it then I am sure they would sell but we are not going to do that."
A report in The Times follows on from this theme, with Hughes acknowledging that a 'premium' is being placed on deals as he tries to add to his squad.

I'd be surprised if the Santa Cruz deal did not ultimately go through, but it is likely to be a protracted and drawn out affair - maybe even with Blackburn stalling until they can bring in a replacement.

Although money is clearly no object for us, it would set a dangerous precedent in terms of future transfers if we were to pay way over the odds for Santa Cruz - so perhaps an important decision needs lies ahead for Hughes.

vote it up!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would sooner Hughes sign Fat Bastard from the Austin Power's Movie than Santa.
A cheap useless lump as opposed to an expensive useless lump.

newsoftheblues said...

^ made me chuckle!!

Hughes thinks over 16 mill for santa cruz is value for money? Deluded!

why dont we buy james beattie, marcus stewart or kevin phillips instead...

Anonymous said...

Please o please blackburn stick to your guns and dont sell him especially to us, unless at a reasonable price and even then wtf has he done this year sod all.

Anonymous said...

waste of money hes injuired walk away get Crouch and they would be more than happy to take Bengani back

Blue Phoenix - Moving on up! said...

I'm just starting to wonder if any of you lot have got a clue.

Look at Cruz's record from last year when Hughes was managing him. You will see his is constantly on the score sheet for them and probably the main reason that got them into the top 7 unlike us who couldn't even bag a goal most of last season and especially in the second half of the season.

I think the objective with Cruz is clear in that he is the type of player that we need. He is a big physical presence and will offer us speed, height, scoring ability and will help give defences a run for their money with the different weapons we can throw at them.

Sometimes to win games you just need a different mix of player abilities and I think over you bunch of Ejits Hughes has far more insight into what is required.

Just look at the players Hughes has brought in so far and he's hadly had a chance this far. Kompany, SWP, Robbo and lo and behold only one of the best naturally left footed left backs in the country if not the best in Bridge.

So please do the clube you support a favour and get behind the rebuilding plan which incidentally will take years and cannot be achived as easily as you all seem to think.

Personally I would rather Hughes do exactly what he is doing and address the team balance and replace some faltering players whilst cutting out the dead wood.

The next phase of our recruitment plan should see some more home grown talents coming through combined with top quality players wanted to join us also.

But as it stands not knowing of half of our team are going to turn up or not is the most damaging factor to our success and we need to cut that out now before we move forward.

mankmanuk

James said...

mankmanuk
Great post, agree totally.

Just seen on Goal.com that City have apparently lodged a bid of £15m for Taye Taiwo (LB, Marseille) as well. Curious buying two left backs, can only assume Hughes is going to convert one of them either into a midfielder or LCB. Taiwo looks the business though and bags a few goals too.

Looks like times up for Garrido as well as ball if we do get him as well.

newsoftheblues said...

patrick thats a very blinkered response.

we criticise the choice of Santa cruz, because he had one good season in the premier league, i have watched him for many a year having lived in germany and he has been a giant flop, generally couldnt muster up 5 a season. So we are paying way over the odds on the hope that hughes can turn his 3 goals that he has scored in to 15.
#hughes has identified targets that will make us medicore at best, his insight is based on his work at a small town club with low aspirations, he's failed to handle high profile players at this club and not been able to organise a good team out of a decent squad.
finishing 9th last year, is that the marks of a shit team, no, they were top 4 by christmas, now hughes has spent heavily, even before the arabs came in and we have got worse!

as for bridge, there are only a couple of decent british left backs around, mainly him and cole, wasnt exactly hard choice to prize away someone who has spent 5 years on his arse!

Anonymous said...

Patrick all comments you leave you seem to think your right, if santa cruz comes to city and scores goals fair enough but there is no proof he will do that, he has done sod all this year are you seriously telling me that you would pay 20 mill for a striker that isnt in form, there is much better we could get. p.s it seems you dont have a clue all your comments are ludicrous maybe you are hughes in disguise

Anonymous said...

Hughes took a massive chance on Santa Cruz when he bought him (persistant ligament problems) , and that was at 3.5 million ! luckily for hughes it paid off and he bagged a lot of goals, now he looks like a spent force, constantly injured and even when he is on the pitch he does nothing, his goal tally this season proves that point, in all honesty he isnt worth 10 million let alone 16 and anything above would be ridiculous.

Mark Hughes is desperate, noone wants to sign for us at this time of year knowing that they possibly wont be there in the summer (alhough given Hughes complete lack of ambition in this transfer window it wouldnt surprise me if they were) He is not a top manager and cannot attract top names. Given the performances he's managed though its hardly surprising, why would the likes of Kaka want to join a team that gets battered by notts forest? Sicknote Cruz on the other hand would no doubt be getting extortionate wages by his bum chum and would happily warm our bench for 100k a week. How many more 28-29 year old arrogant has-beens must Hughes be linked with before the board says enoughs enough and give him his P45 ?