The Times report on Rafa's meeting with G&T...

[dww]

I'm willing to bet that no figure was set in stone at the meeting. I would suspect that for players with a higher media profile, who will add to merchandising revenue we would be willing to increase our budget. We need to add three class players to the squad come what may and I think we will pay top dollar for one and the other two will be more modest signings.

I think £70m is way more than we will have to spend, but that a budget of around £50m ish is reasonably plausable. I think a lot of the time it is the signing on fees/wages of players on top of the fee that people forget when discussing these things.

[CJ]

i agree dww top drawer players cost alot more than merely very good players.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

I meant £15m-£20m/season.

Yeah I know mate. Just reaffirming your correctness.

[AFII]

If you look at what the players Maddock links us with will probably cost then Rafa will get a lot of money.

Alves...£18m
Deco...£20m
Eto'o...£50m
Bent....£15m

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

I think a lot of the time it is the signing on fees/wages of players on top of the fee that people forget when discussing these things.

Spot on.

Lets say we manage to flog Cisse for £6m. After we've paid off the remainder of his contract, paid his agent and the agent of the club we've sold him to, and the lawyers the club will be lucky to see half of that money.

So when people talk of net spends any figures quoted is largely irrelevant. We've likely spent a lot more money than people would like to admit.

[CJ]

we wont get that much or all of those players

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Eto'o...£50m

Now behave yourself, surely you meant to put a "3" instead of a "5" and just mistyped.

That would break the world transfer record, and smash our transfer record by £36m.

Now put the bong down and step away from it before you do anymore damage.

[REDSCOUSER]

the point i was making was that big money doenst mean lots of players. some people think we will buy 4 or 5 top class players. we cant afford that only chelski could do that. and even if we did it would mean a poor start i would think

With the new american ownership i think we will spend big this summer, and yes it will be a wee Spanish revoultion
Many people are expecting the same as every summer, tight budget and decent players signing and nothing more.
I have a feeling this summer we will all be grinning like Cheshire cat with some big names coming in and maybe a couple out to make way.
Just me gut feeling like & knowing how Hicks operates in the US with his teams.

[AFII]

Now behave yourself, surely you meant to put a "3" instead of a "5" and just mistyped.

That would break the world transfer record, and smash our transfer record by £36m.

Now put the bong down and step away from it before you do anymore damage.

Eto'o is the best striker since Romario IMO and he is on a long term contract at Barca. Why would they sell the best striker in the World on the cheap?

It will take a massive offer if any club want to sign Eto'o.

[CJ]

i think we will spend big just not chelski big. it wont happen. so £40 to £60 million at best. but i do think it will be exiting but still think it wont buy as much as some of us think.

[desertscouser]

Loving this fantasy thread.

The only certainty is that Voronin will be a Liverpool player at the start of the season.

[kurtangle01]

very interesting

for £40 mill its one world class signing and maybe one good signing. lets not forget world class costs alot. Also how many players do we need? an what effect will they have? look at the start that chelski and ourselves had. both had a fair number of new players and did not start as we hoped.

my point is that i dont see a revolution this summer that would cost chelski money and that wont happen also that if we did buy alot of players we probably wouldnt win the league do to settling in time.

I was going to make that point. I don't have to now. Well said.

[Mattshark]

wish i had 40 million to spend

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Eto'o is the best striker since Romario IMO and he is on a long term contract at Barca. Why would they sell the best striker in the World on the cheap?

It will take a massive offer if any club want to sign Eto'o.

Yes it will.

It just won't be from us.

[Darth Marty]

60M will suit me fine thanks, i reckon one of eto'o or villa = max of 25 mill, alves = max 15 mill, bale = 10 mill, thats 50 mill PLUS what we make off sales so say 20 mill for some good youngsters. IF that all happens we will be there or thereabouts and ill be mega happy!!!