Tom Ince

[BigChief]

blackpool know that if we wait to consider the any fee increase they are in a better poition to see if other teams come and step in.

our negotiating skills are wank. we buy players for gold, and sell them for shiny beads or magic beans

Conversely, we SHOULD enter into a bidding war. Take his price right up to 10million. That's nearly 4 million in our back account for nothing, which should pay for a large salary - Walcott's?

[Captain Stu]

Conversely, we SHOULD enter into a bidding war. Take his price right up to 10million. That's nearly 4 million in our back account for nothing, which should pay for a large salary - Walcott's?

Hahaha, we're not that clever.

[baitman]

we'll go head to head with spuds, pushing up the price towards 10m...

we bid 9.9m, then they say 'ok, hes all yours'

[Jagan]

[malg]

Our last launch on the talent at Blackpool,took a long time a lot f dosh and ended in disaster,why are we going thru this again,for someone who left us 18 months ago.

[little dave hedgehog]

one possible motivation might be that he's not charlie adam.

[tsb]

I wouldn't mind Ben Arfa, shame we couldn't bring back God as well to form a partnership up front.

[Jaymo]

be pretty disappointed if we go ince over a move for walcott.

ince is decent - nothing more nothing less. we let him go for buttons last year for a reason (rumoured attitude was a big issue) and to buy him back 18 months later for 6mill region is scandalous.

walcott is a player who has lost his way of late but in recent games is showing a willingness to work hard to get back where he was. he's a threat who will not need time to settle or time to break in gently. if a price of 8 mill is being touted for walcott and we dont make a move it will be pretty poor on our part.

The whole reason he wants to leave Arsenal is over the position he wants to play in. Through the middle. It clearly won't happen here unless Rodgers changes the system again.

Ince is a winger, so is Walcott. The difference being that Walcott wants to be a striker and about 60k per week in wages, which we haven't got.

[saj]

The whole reason he wants to leave Arsenal is over the position he wants to play in. Through the middle. It clearly won't happen here unless Rodgers changes the system again.

Ince is a winger, so is Walcott. The difference being that Walcott wants to be a striker and about 60k per week in wages, which we haven't got.

I'm fairly certain from what I have read, that Walcott's reluctance to sign the contract is down the amount he wants as salary

[Jaymo]

I'm fairly certain from what I have read, that Walcott's reluctance to sign the contract is down the amount he wants as salary

And to play through the middle

Of which we cannot offer either. Therefore non starter.

[MrMichael]

The Walcott thing has been ridiculous wishful thinking from the start with no logic behind it at all.

Rumours on twitter about us after Ben Arfa too.

We love dealing with Blackpool and Newcastle. We just might as well set up a direct debit to pay their monthly sky subscription and leccie bill.

Heh. Obviously nonsense, however if it wasn't I'd be all over Ben Arfa, cracking player who seems to have settled his attitude issues since joining Newcastle.

[~LFCHistory~]

Ince is a winger, so is Walcott. The difference being that Walcott wants to be a striker and about 60k per week in wages, which we haven't got.

Riiiiiiiiiight. So let me get this straight, we can afford to spend 18 million on Sturridge and Ince not including wages but we can't afford to give a player 100k a week ?
And don't forget that Walcott's transfer fee wouldn't be more than 7 million seeing as his contract runs out in the summer. Walcott's combined transfer fee and wages would cost the club less than Sturridge and Ince and that's just the financial side, in football terms obvioisly Theo is on a different level to DS and TI.

[Neil Young]

If you don't mind my saying, I think that's simplistic. Pay Walcott £100k a week and loads of other players will want £100k a week. It's just how things work.

I believe the stories that FSG want to bring down the wage bill, it makes sense of what's happened since Rodgers took over and it certainly makes sense in financial terms, especially with us being out of the Champions League for some time now.

I also think Walcott is likely to stay at Arsenal and if he left we wouldn't be his first choice anyway but who knows, I suppose we'll see in the summer.

[~LFCHistory~]

If you don't mind my saying, I think that's simplistic. Pay Walcott £100k a week and loads of other players will want £100k a week. It's just how things work.

I believe the stories that FSG want to bring down the wage bill, it makes sense of what's happened since Rodgers took over and it certainly makes sense in financial terms, especially with us being out of the Champions League for some time now.

I also think Walcott is likely to stay at Arsenal and if he left we wouldn't be his first choice anyway but who knows, I suppose we'll see in the summer.

Why do you think Walcott will stay at Arsenal ? I'm not ruling it out but Walcott leaving would certainly fit into the pattern of Arsenal selling their best players - Fabregas, Nasri, Clichy, Song, Van Persie.

And on your point about the wage bill - what FSG and BR need to realise is that we will never get back into the CL without offering high wages to the right players.
Our problem is that we lack quality players especially up front, due to our lack of CL football the only way we can attract top players is by offering high wages, that's just the reality I'm afraid. Money talks.
Now I'm not suggesting offering big wages to half a dozen players, just to 2 or possibly 3 players of genuine quality who can instantly improve us. Walcott would fit the bill.

[MrMichael]

Why do you think Walcott will stay at Arsenal ? I'm not ruling it out but Walcott leaving would certainly fit into the pattern of Arsenal selling their best players - Fabregas, Nasri, Clichy, Song, Van Persie.

Sold to

Fabregas - Barcelona
Nasri - Man City
Adebayor - Man City
Clichy - Man City
Song - Barcelona
Van Persie - Man Utd

Are we seeing any pattern here? Those players all left Arsenal either for more money, or to play for the most successful teams in their leagues right now. Teams that were demonstratively ahead of Arsenal either financially or positionally. We are neither. It is utterly illogical to suggest him as a legitimate transfer target right now.

And on your point about the wage bill - what FSG and BR need to realise is that we will never get back into the CL without offering high wages to the right players.
Our problem is that we lack quality players especially up front, due to our lack of CL football the only way we can attract top players is by offering high wages, that's just the reality I'm afraid. Money talks.
Now I'm not suggesting offering big wages to half a dozen players, just to 2 or possibly 3 players of genuine quality who can instantly improve us. Walcott would fit the bill.

We will never get back into the CL until / unless we can sort this out.



In business, if you pay more out than you're getting in then you go bust. We can't afford to gamble, spending huge wages on people, even on the assumption they would come to the club, is no guarantee of success and would only endanger the entire future of the club. We need to put down some solid foundations and build, sustainably, from there.