Largest transfer fee that we will pay this summer?

[Berkshire Blue]

What are we expecting, a few million? I have no idea, but I am reasonably sure that we won't go crazy like some championship clubs.

Any ideas?

[Sam_Brown]

Gotta be more than the million we splashed on Marquis a few seasons back.

[Blue Walter]

Maybe all free transfers or 'nominal' fees. Murphy was labelled as an '£11 million pound player' but was actually out of contract on a free transfer. I actually think we will be paying fees for players not in the Championship already but with potential and good enough to play at Championship level. I think any established Championship players we sign will be mostly out of contract players not ready, or willing, to step down to League One. I think that the target this season is to maintain a mid table position with significant spending to come when we are more established in this League.

[Rjk66]

Maybe all free transfers or 'nominal' fees. Murphy was labelled as an '£11 million pound player' but was actually out of contract on a free transfer. I actually think we will be paying fees for players not in the Championship already but with potential and good enough to play at Championship level. I think any established Championship players we sign will be mostly out of contract players not ready, or willing, to step down to League One. I think that the target this season is to maintain a mid table position with significant spending to come when we are more established in this League.

I second this opinion. Not a penny over two bob.

[NSRailings]

I think that the target this season is to maintain a mid table position with significant spending to come when we are more established in this League.

That's right and we need the bridge. Hopefully we'll hear about some progress on that this season.

[Pompey55]

Maybe all free transfers or 'nominal' fees. Murphy was labelled as an '£11 million pound player' but was actually out of contract on a free transfer. I actually think we will be paying fees for players not in the Championship already but with potential and good enough to play at Championship level. I think any established Championship players we sign will be mostly out of contract players not ready, or willing, to step down to League One. I think that the target this season is to maintain a mid table position with significant spending to come when we are more established in this League.

Moushino recently said the free agent market was pretty much exhausted as far as we were concerned and that paying fees and the loan market was the way we would proceed for the additional recruitment
Bearing in mind our main deficiency at present is an extreme weakness in the midfield with in my view only Pack and maybe Lowery at championship level both of whom will not play Saturday/Tuesday consistently
Unless we have some exceptional loans in the pipeline then we would I believe be looking at 7 figure fees to get the quality we need not a few bob on prospects
I worry that the club is not willing to pay such fees unless there is a potential asset value going forward and we are in for a long hard relegation fight as the team in my view is at best not an improvement on last season if any improvement at all
Sorry but a mars bar and 2 packets of crisps will not work at this level

[Blue Walter]

Maybe all free transfers or 'nominal' fees. Murphy was labelled as an '£11 million pound player' but was actually out of contract on a free transfer. I actually think we will be paying fees for players not in the Championship already but with potential and good enough to play at Championship level. I think any established Championship players we sign will be mostly out of contract players not ready, or willing, to step down to League One. I think that the target this season is to maintain a mid table position with significant spending to come when we are more established in this League.

Moushino recently said the free agent market was pretty much exhausted as far as we were concerned and that paying fees and the loan market was the way we would proceed for the additional recruitment
Bearing in mind our main deficiency at present is an extreme weakness in the midfield with in my view only Pack and maybe Lowery at championship level both of whom will not play Saturday/Tuesday consistently
Unless we have some exceptional loans in the pipeline then we would I believe be looking at 7 figure fees to get the quality we need not a few bob on prospects
I worry that the club is not willing to pay such fees unless there is a potential asset value going forward and we are in for a long hard relegation fight as the team in my view is at best not an improvement on last season if any improvement at all
Sorry but a mars bar and 2 packets of crisps will not work at this level

You may be right and we spend millions, however, I wasn't suggesting it would be all cheapo signings. As I pointed out Murphy was out of contract but if he was signed while under contract he would have pulled a significant fee. So I wasn't suggesting the type of business you refer to by our club. You may be possibly correct and the only players available to us will involve transfer fees, who knows. The club will not want to return to League One for the want of signing players to keep us in the Championship.

[Jack_Tinn]

the transfer targets at this stage are said to be:

3rd choice GK
Centre Half (back up)
Central Midfield (first team)
No.10 (first team)

We shouldn't be spending a large sum of money or at all in my view on a 3rd choice GK. Archer was given a two year contract and you'd think the club will extend Norris so there is no clear pathway for a 3rd choice to affect the first team. Steward is being developed as a first team player of the future. So I am expecting a free transfer - perhaps of an older experienced championship level keeper who can come in as 3rd choice and as a mentor type player.

Likewise at centre half, the need is for cover on the right side to back up Shaughnessy until Regan Poole is fully fit (presuming that the opening day pair is Shaughnessy and McIntyre). Jamal Baptiste is on trial and is available as a free and would fit the bill of a younger right sided football playing centre half that the club can develop as 4th choice centre half during this season and this may then let Towler be released on loan to say L1 for the season or until January at least. Signing Baptiste on a free would clearly not involve Pompey spending at all and if Baptiste doesn't work out then I expect a Towler type signing of a young centre half from a Premier league/Champ level u23 level that the club likes but again without spending a lot of money on someone that is primarily for squad depth and development next season.

Central midfield is a pretty weak area imho for Pompey right now. Pack, Moxon, Lowery, Stephenson is not going to get it done in the Championship. Branaghan at Oxford is in his last year and could be available for the right fee but would Oxford sell him to Pompey? Would Man City sell or only loan Robertson to Pompey? A fee for him would, you'd expect, be above the Marquis recent record signing fee. Perhaps Chelsea would sell Anjorin to Pompey too and again I could see that fee being £750,000 or above. I believe the club feels that Robertson and Anjorin are likely to come back this season - lets say both on loan at this stage - and both would add to the midfield but I still think Pompey could buy one or maybe two players for this area of the pitch. They could then look to loan or sell Stephenson to a L1 side.

No.10 - Pompey have players who can play in this position: Saydee and Lang and Anjorin would seem to be a good fit there too (I see Robertson as a 6 or 8 and not a 10 right now) but if there was a player that Pompey had in mind for this position then quality proven players who can play as a 10 and still undertake their defensive duties - cost real money.

As I have written elsewhere Nisbett left Central Coast Mariners in Australia to join an overseas team and he is the current Australian league player of the year. He is available on a free and he would fit into that no.10 role since last year he had 16 assists. He has just broken into Australia's national team. He could be a very good free transfer for Pompey.

I think therefore that Pompey are going to be looking to spend up to £1.5m on ideally two players: A central midfielder and an attacking no.10. If they have earmarked Anjorin as a loan signing or can sign 'Nizzy' for the no.10 role then the rest of the budget can go on a top quality central midfielder.

[Pompey55]

I didn’t say the club would spent millions the exact opposite in fact they will not in my view pay what will be needed to strengthen the midfield outside of loans
On the point of Murphy I doubt if he would actually have cost that much if you discount the second half of last season
If we get the player from early in his career and the end of last season it will be fine but if we get the player from the previous season and a half at Oxford and immediately prior then not so great for the reported £20000 a week we are paying him

[Pompey55]

the transfer targets at this stage are said to be:

3rd choice GK
Centre Half (back up)
Central Midfield (first team)
No.10 (first team)

We shouldn't be spending a large sum of money or at all in my view on a 3rd choice GK. Archer was given a two year contract and you'd think the club will extend Norris so there is no clear pathway for a 3rd choice to affect the first team. Steward is being developed as a first team player of the future. So I am expecting a free transfer - perhaps of an older experienced championship level keeper who can come in as 3rd choice and as a mentor type player.

Likewise at centre half, the need is for cover on the right side to back up Shaughnessy until Regan Poole is fully fit (presuming that the opening day pair is Shaughnessy and McIntyre). Jamal Baptiste is on trial and is available as a free and would fit the bill of a younger right sided football playing centre half that the club can develop as 4th choice centre half during this season and this may then let Towler be released on loan to say L1 for the season or until January at least. Signing Baptiste on a free would clearly not involve Pompey spending at all and if Baptiste doesn't work out then I expect a Towler type signing of a young centre half from a Premier league/Champ level u23 level that the club likes but again without spending a lot of money on someone that is primarily for squad depth and development next season.

Central midfield is a pretty weak area imho for Pompey right now. Pack, Moxon, Lowery, Stephenson is not going to get it done in the Championship. Branaghan at Oxford is in his last year and could be available for the right fee but would Oxford sell him to Pompey? Would Man City sell or only loan Robertson to Pompey? A fee for him would, you'd expect, be above the Marquis recent record signing fee. Perhaps Chelsea would sell Anjorin to Pompey too and again I could see that fee being £750,000 or above. I believe the club feels that Robertson and Anjorin are likely to come back this season - lets say both on loan at this stage - and both would add to the midfield but I still think Pompey could buy one or maybe two players for this area of the pitch. They could then look to loan or sell Stephenson to a L1 side.

No.10 - Pompey have players who can play in this position: Saydee and Lang and Anjorin would seem to be a good fit there too (I see Robertson as a 6 or 8 and not a 10 right now) but if there was a player that Pompey had in mind for this position then quality proven players who can play as a 10 and still undertake their defensive duties - cost real money.

As I have written elsewhere Nisbett left Central Coast Mariners in Australia to join an overseas team and he is the current Australian league player of the year. He is available on a free and he would fit into that no.10 role since last year he had 16 assists. He has just broken into Australia's national team. He could be a very good free transfer for Pompey.

I think therefore that Pompey are going to be looking to spend up to £1.5m on ideally two players: A central midfielder and an attacking no.10. If they have earmarked Anjorin as a loan signing or can sign 'Nizzy' for the no.10 role then the rest of the budget can go on a top quality central midfielder.

Nisbet is an interesting player as last season his most productive was his first as an attacking midfield/second striker prior to that he had played most of his career in a far deeper midfield role without the G/A contribution of last season
Not saying that’s an issue but could be good to have that versatility

[jam tomorrow]

"Nisbet is an interesting player as last season his most productive was his first as an attacking midfield/second striker prior to that he had played most of his career in a far deeper midfield role without the G/A contribution of last season
Not saying that’s an issue but could be good to have that versatility"

Only issue I have with Josh Nisbet and I am not discriminating against people of smaller stature here but he is only 5 feet 3 inches which is not ideal for playing in the Championship. We already have had Lowery and Morrell who got bullied off the ball and Morrell had to resort to more physical contact, meaning more red cards. Having taller players in defence and attack is a big advantage in dead ball situations and we are going to need all the help we can get.

[Aussiefan]

the transfer targets at this stage are said to be:

3rd choice GK
Centre Half (back up)
Central Midfield (first team)
No.10 (first team)

We shouldn't be spending a large sum of money or at all in my view on a 3rd choice GK. Archer was given a two year contract and you'd think the club will extend Norris so there is no clear pathway for a 3rd choice to affect the first team. Steward is being developed as a first team player of the future. So I am expecting a free transfer - perhaps of an older experienced championship level keeper who can come in as 3rd choice and as a mentor type player.

Likewise at centre half, the need is for cover on the right side to back up Shaughnessy until Regan Poole is fully fit (presuming that the opening day pair is Shaughnessy and McIntyre). Jamal Baptiste is on trial and is available as a free and would fit the bill of a younger right sided football playing centre half that the club can develop as 4th choice centre half during this season and this may then let Towler be released on loan to say L1 for the season or until January at least. Signing Baptiste on a free would clearly not involve Pompey spending at all and if Baptiste doesn't work out then I expect a Towler type signing of a young centre half from a Premier league/Champ level u23 level that the club likes but again without spending a lot of money on someone that is primarily for squad depth and development next season.

Central midfield is a pretty weak area imho for Pompey right now. Pack, Moxon, Lowery, Stephenson is not going to get it done in the Championship. Branaghan at Oxford is in his last year and could be available for the right fee but would Oxford sell him to Pompey? Would Man City sell or only loan Robertson to Pompey? A fee for him would, you'd expect, be above the Marquis recent record signing fee. Perhaps Chelsea would sell Anjorin to Pompey too and again I could see that fee being £750,000 or above. I believe the club feels that Robertson and Anjorin are likely to come back this season - lets say both on loan at this stage - and both would add to the midfield but I still think Pompey could buy one or maybe two players for this area of the pitch. They could then look to loan or sell Stephenson to a L1 side.

No.10 - Pompey have players who can play in this position: Saydee and Lang and Anjorin would seem to be a good fit there too (I see Robertson as a 6 or 8 and not a 10 right now) but if there was a player that Pompey had in mind for this position then quality proven players who can play as a 10 and still undertake their defensive duties - cost real money.

As I have written elsewhere Nisbett left Central Coast Mariners in Australia to join an overseas team and he is the current Australian league player of the year. He is available on a free and he would fit into that no.10 role since last year he had 16 assists. He has just broken into Australia's national team. He could be a very good free transfer for Pompey.

I think therefore that Pompey are going to be looking to spend up to £1.5m on ideally two players: A central midfielder and an attacking no.10. If they have earmarked Anjorin as a loan signing or can sign 'Nizzy' for the no.10 role then the rest of the budget can go on a top quality central midfielder.

Agree with you re Josh Nisbet, fine player who's had to do it the hard way due to his lack of height. Another Aussie midfielder who I'd be very surprised if he doesn't make a move very soon is Australian under 23 international Jake Hollman, can play anywhere in central midfield like Nisbet.

Was linked to a Danish club earlier this month but that has gone quiet since. In my opinion a quality player who can handle the Championship.

[Milton End]

the transfer targets at this stage are said to be:

3rd choice GK
Centre Half (back up)
Central Midfield (first team)
No.10 (first team)

JT just a word of thanks for your long and thoughtful post - much appreciated.

Sadly, I'm not sufficiently well informed to add anything further

[jam tomorrow]

I don’t want to start the bed wetting but l hope we can get some transfers done pdq. We have just over three weeks left until the season starts. The sooner we get new players training with us the better. It will be interesting to see where Oxford United will finish compared to us with their early transfer dealings?

[Jack_Tinn]

I don’t want to start the bed wetting but l hope we can get some transfers done pdq. We have just over three weeks left until the season starts. The sooner we get new players training with us the better. It will be interesting to see where Oxford United will finish compared to us with their early transfer dealings?

agree, I take some comfort though that if Anjorin and Robertson return (as the club clearly want) then both know what Mousinho wants and how the team plays so its not as if they are coming in and have to then allign with a new manager and an unknown style of play