Chris Hughton wants to bring in new players this summer, and it seems he will do exactly that, as he has now started the process of identifying his transfer targets.
Chris Hughton – identifying his targets
But Chris does not expect any early signings and says it may be late June or early July when the first new players arrive at the club.
That is very consistent with signing free agents or bringing in loan signings.
Players’ contracts run through June 30th – so they then become free to sign new contracts, and with loan signings you have to believe the clubs want to look at their squads in pre-season before finally deciding who to send out on loan, just like Newcastle will do this summer.
Chris said today:
“I have been talking to other coaches and managers and I have been taking a lot of calls from agents,”
“I don’t think anything will happen until late June or maybe even July but we are doing a lot of work behind the scenes.”
We can imagine he’s receiving calls from agents as there seems to be a lot of players contracts running out at the end of June, and of course their agents want to get their clients fixed up.
One good thing we’ve noticed is more and more players are letting their contracts expire – so they can get better deals from their new clubs.
And that means there will always be a number of good free agents available each summer, but of course lots of competition to sign them too, which is when wages come into the equation.
It seems that most things are tilted in the direction of the richer clubs – but what’s new?
Comments welcome.
14 comments so far
sirjasontoon
May 18, 2010 at 10:54 AM
Comment #1I am sure they should have identified targets ages ago if they where serious.
1)Identify suitable players incase we remain in championship
2)Identify suitable players incase we get promoted.
I personally don’t think any serious groundwork has been done since the last window.
sirjasontoon
May 18, 2010 at 10:55 AM
Comment #2CH will also get minimum financial backing….Miracles from spending marbles is the order of the day and is always MA’s way.
Ericles
May 18, 2010 at 11:05 AM
Comment #3CH will get players in. I believe he is looking for quality too. But, and it is a big but, I also think it will be left so late that we just get in some make weights to fill out the squad. Once again we have, as a club and toon army, been shafted by the fat man without a birth certificate.
big bob
May 18, 2010 at 11:11 AM
Comment #4not many quality players are on free transfers and the ones that are on frees will cost more then we are willing to pay in wages
when you see nufc linked with koren from wba i think that will be our stamp of player we will go for a bit disappointing to say the least
sirjasontoon
May 18, 2010 at 11:16 AM
Comment #5No proven Prem players will be signed with our wage and age cap.
Tuff seasons ahead.
pearceet
May 18, 2010 at 11:19 AM
Comment #6Robert Koren has just been released by WBA
Anyone???
pearceet
May 18, 2010 at 11:20 AM
Comment #7Anyone think it would be a good idea to sign him??*
Ericles
May 18, 2010 at 11:25 AM
Comment #8Is this Koren a Slovenian? If so then he would be a way of helping Vukic along?
Ericles
May 18, 2010 at 11:30 AM
Comment #9Apparently Koren is a playmaker and once regarded as the best foreign player in the Norwegian for Lillestrom. He is free. Worth a punt? Will wages preclude him from CH’s and MH’s reckoning?
komfort
May 18, 2010 at 11:30 AM
Comment #10sirjason , wage and age cap = kids for buttons.
…similar to his indian model.
..W@NKER.
killingworth38
May 18, 2010 at 11:37 AM
Comment #11Do you all imagine that CH wakes up every morning and thinks ‘shall I call the press and tell them which player I am pursuing today?’ Get real. We can’t possibly know who is in his notebook OR what the truth is in the wild rumopurs about the size (or absence) of his war chest. My guess is that he is playing it as cool as he did all season-rather successfully too! Go do your gardens or mend the tap you promised to do in 2006!
komfort
May 18, 2010 at 11:48 AM
Comment #12killingworth…i’ve got a 8 year old asian boy doing my chores for a quid/hour….while i sit back drinking cold beers & counting my spondoolicks.
…if it’s good enough for mikey boy then it’s good enough for me.
jesus was a geordie
May 18, 2010 at 1:54 PM
Comment #13June/July…Makes a lot of sense as this means free transfers (as most contracts run out in June/July) and loan signings (big clubs won’t allow their players to go until after they’ve brought in sufficient cover).
yuwing
May 18, 2010 at 4:33 PM
Comment #14http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=788261&sec=transfers&cc=4716
how about this guy? we can get him for free and sign short contract about 1-2 yrs, with him, newcastle will get 20 extra goal and can bring us to european competition. i’m sure he is a quality player and if he will work well with jonas, i’m sure that it will be an exciting games to watch:)