Connor Wickham

[JCL - the new kid in town]

Couldn't that be mitigated with a large signing on fee?

indeed it could

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Ulloa and Obika.
Yes one is on loan.

But really we need a 3rd when we only play one up top ?

Wickham is better than Obika.

It's the Arsenal syndrome. Arsenal didn't NEED another midfielder, but they signed Ozil because he was better than what they had.
We don't NEED another striker in terms of physical bodies....but Wickham is an improvement and has been playing and knows this league. He would hit the ground running and could be the edge we need to make the playoffs.
I would happily take a LITTLE bit less for Liam and have Wickham here. Sure, it may not work and you wish after you took the extra £300k or whatever we haggled over....or we could end up in the prem.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Wickham is better than Obika.

.

and Leo.

 

[Marshy]

Wickham is better than Obika.

It's the Arsenal syndrome. Arsenal didn't NEED another midfielder, but they signed Ozil because he was better than what they had.
We don't NEED another striker in terms of physical bodies....but Wickham is an improvement and has been playing and knows this league. He would hit the ground running and could be the edge we need to make the playoffs.
I would happily take a LITTLE bit less for Liam and have Wickham here. Sure, it may not work and you wish after you took the extra £300k or whatever we haggled over....or we could end up in the prem.

I see your point I do. However i just dont see us taking Wickham on loan and then us playing him with Ulloa... we just wont play 2 up front unless were losing a game.

And i really dont see us bringing in him on loan and dropping Ulloa, who has been magnificent for us. That will just see Leo leave in teh summer.

I would rather we spent the money elsewhere on a quality centre midfielder and wide man.

 

[Marshy]

and Leo.

in your opinion, certainly not in mine ;-)

 

[Betfair Bozo]

and Leo.

Not sure I agree. Better than the lacklustre post injury Leo, yes. Not convinced he is better than the fit and firing one.

 

[RowleyBirkinQ.C(deceased)]

Conor Wickham

From the Peterlee Star:

SUNDERLAND are set a land a central midfielder before the transfer window closes – either Liam Bridcutt OR Ever Banega, but not both.

And it emerged Connor Wickham could be the key to Gus Poyet getting the man he wants.

Poyet has already added three new players to his squad this January – on loan Fiorentina full-back Marcos Alonso, and Argentinian duo Oscar Ustari and Santiago Vergini.

Now he is closing in on a fourth – another Argentinian, Internacionale’s versatile attacker Ignaciio Scocco in a £4million deal.

And he plans more arrivals before the window closes with Bridcutt and Banega firmly on his radar.

But the Black Cats’ boss is looking to strengthen specifically, rather than recruit a job lot of players, and intends to bring in only one central midfielder before the transfer window closes in little more than 72 hours time.

His first choice is Bridcutt, who Poyet worked closely with in his time as Brighton boss, and he believes the 24-year-old would fit perfectly into the style of play he wants to develop at Sunderland.

A firm bid, in excess of £2million, has been made by Sunderland though that was rejected by Brighton.

Brighton are determined to get more than the money offered so far from Sunderland – pointing out that Poyet himself described Bridcutt as “a £5million player” during his time at the Amex Stadium.

However, there could be a compromise in the form of Wickham going out on loan to the south coast club as a makeweight in the deal.

Brighton are on the lookout for a striker to reinforce their options up front as they look to maintain a push for the play-offs.

And the Seagulls might be tempted to take Sunderland’s offer for the midfielder if it means getting a proven Championship finisher in Wickham as part of the deal.

The England Under-21 ace – scorer of eight goals in 12 league games during his time on loan at Sheffield Wednesday – could be loaned out to Brighton until the end of the season.

Wickham was recalled by Sunderland yesterday, two days before his loan at the Owls was due to end – and before he was due to play for them against Millwall tonight.

That indicates Poyet has a plan for the 20-year-old, and it could be that he is used as bait to tempt Brighton to sell Bridcutt.

The Wearsiders however are determined not to be held to ransom and have opened up inquiries on another front, over Valencia midfielder Banega.

The Argentine has two dozen international caps under his belt and the 25-year-old would not come cheap.

But he suffered several injuries while at the Spanish club and they may be tempted to cash in on a player they paid Boca Juniors somewhere in the region of £16 million for five and a half years ago.

The Argentine has been watched by a number of Premier League clubs but Sunderland are prepared to up their interest if no progress is made on the Bridcutt transfer.

Looks like a loan for Wickham then.

"The Wearsiders however are determined not to be held to ransom"??!! Cheeky Get.
We're looking for a fair price and as the article just stated Poyet himself said Bridders was £5 mill player.
Initially i was against the idea of doing any business with Sunderland because of Poyet and I love Bridders.
But I'm starting to warm to the idea, Wickham is class and we have a very excellent and improving Ince.
I'll be sad to see Buckley go but he hardly plays. Shame that it looks like Wickham will only be loan.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

"The Wearsiders however are determined not to be held to ransom"??!! Cheeky Get.
We're looking for a fair price and as the article just stated Poyet himself said Bridders was £5 mill player.
Initially i was against the idea of doing any business with Sunderland because of Poyet and I love Bridders.
But I'm starting to warm to the idea, Wickham is class and we have a very excellent and improving Ince.
I'll be sad to see Buckley go but he hardly plays. Shame that it looks like Wickham will only be loan.

Indeed !

They are the ones that want the deal not us !

Pay the price we want or get lost Gus.

 

[Marshy]

if Wickham comes on loan he will hardly kick a ball in my opinion.
Dropping Ulloa for him is just suicidal.

We will end up with an unhappy striker in Ulloa and have 2 loaners who will go back to there parent clubs at the end of the season.

Leaving us with Macca as our only striker, who wont have played football in 12 months.

 

[chucky1973]

One name:-

UPSON.

and

Ward, who I think has been awesome.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

if Wickham comes on loan he will hardly kick a ball in my opinion.
Dropping Ulloa for him is just suicidal.

We will end up with an unhappy striker in Ulloa and have 2 loaners who will go back to there parent clubs at the end of the season.

Leaving us with Macca as our only striker, who wont have played football in 12 months.

Obika goes back at the start of April, a number of matches before the end of the season.

 

[The Wizard]

and Leo.

Do you not remember how good Leo was before his injury? Alright he's looked rusty since he came back but that's to be expected, he took a while to get going when we first signed him too, performance wise I mean. Give me Leo in the team over Wickham every day of the week.

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

Just get it done !

 

[Marshy]

Obika goes back at the start of April, a number of matches before the end of the season.

Either way unless we are looking to get rid of Ulloa.... which i cant believe we are, its asking for trouble to bring in another loaner and drop Ulloa

Who bar a couple of average games recently has been magnificent for us.

We need a front man that can play anywhere in a front 3, much like Grabban would have offered us, and what Barnes did.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Unless its a permenant deal for Wickham I really dont see the point.

We already have 2 strikers that play the exact same role that he does. Why would we need a 3rd !?
He cant play either side of Ulloa. And before anyone says it, we wont play 2 up top.

Agreed. A loan deal in return for Bridcutt is a strange compromise. If Buckley is part of the deal it would be even stranger. Maybe we are not prepared to blow most of the fees we would get for them and/or pay Wickham his Prem level wages. Maybe The Albion are happy with a short term loan of Wickham until we get Buckley, CMS and Hoskins fit.....?

But allowing Gus to give us the run around and determine the outcome of our own transfer window seems unlikely. If Gus suddenly cools his interest in Bridcutt then Wickham becomes irrelevant. It would be simpler to just get Conway back on loan who is at least a known quantity and would blend straight back into the team.

It would be interesting to see Wickham play for us, but among all the discussions on here there is no mention how Wickham would feel about joining us? I'd like to think he would be positive but what if he isn't impressed or motivated at being moved on again? I'm concerned he already has a series of loans behind him and hasn't exactly established himself long term. Maybe Oscar can take him to the next level.

Maybe things could move quicker if another Club comes sniffing around Bridcutt........

 

[B.W.]

Personally, I wouldn't accept a loan. Liam is our best player. Now, a swap deal with cash adjustment. Yes, that would make some sort of sense. I get the impression Gus is still taking the p1ss. In which case, he can stick his lousy offer where the sun don't shine.

 

[bluenitsuj]

Unless its a permenant deal for Wickham I really dont see the point.

We already have 2 strikers that play the exact same role that he does. Why would we need a 3rd !?
He cant play either side of Ulloa. And before anyone says it, we wont play 2 up top.

Maybe, just maybe, Ulloa will not be the first choice target man like everyone presumes, there is no reason, if we bring in Wickham, that he would not get the nod over Ulloa, on current form.

 

[B.W.]

Either way unless we are looking to get rid of Ulloa.... which i cant believe we are, its asking for trouble to bring in another loaner and drop Ulloa

Who bar a couple of average games recently has been magnificent for us.

We need a front man that can play anywhere in a front 3, much like Grabban would have offered us, and want Barnes did.

Can Wickham not do that? I agree with you BTW.

 

[Bob!]

Agreed. A loan deal in return for Bridcutt is a strange compromise. If Buckley is part of the deal it would be even stranger. Maybe we are not prepared to blow most of the fees we would get for them and/or pay Wickham his Prem level wages. Maybe The Albion are happy with a short term loan of Wickham until we get Buckley, CMS and Hoskins fit.....?

But allowing Gus to give us the run around and determine the outcome of our own transfer window seems unlikely. If Gus suddenly cools his interest in Bridcutt then Wickham becomes irrelevant. It would be simpler to just get Conway back on loan who is at least a known quantity and would blend straight back into the team.

It would be interesting to see Wickham play for us, but among all the discussions on here there is no mention how Wickham would feel about joining us? I'd like to think he would be positive but what if he isn't impressed or motivated at being moved on again? I'm concerned he already has a series of loans behind him and hasn't exactly established himself long term. Maybe Oscar can take him to the next level.

Maybe things could move quicker if another Club comes sniffing around Bridcutt........

I would suggest that Sunderland have spoken to him about this, and if he wasn't interested then this possibility would not have got this far.

 

[The Wizard]

Wickham might not quite be up to Ulloa's level of ability yet, but over time he will surpass it. Future England player possibly.

Would be our best signing since Zamora, really hoping this happens.

I'm really not sure about that though? Alright yeah Wickham has done well this season but apart from a purple patch at Wednesday this year he hasn't scored that many goals over a consistent season or period of time in his young career. Its easy to get taken in by the hype that's all I'm saying. Hes clearly a very decent player for his age but I just think he's one of those typical overhyped English young players, hes good, but not nearly as good as some make out.

I fail to see how he'd fit in here in all honesty, we only ever play 1 up top with Leo there (or Barnes at the time when he was injured) so it would mean one of them not playing which just doesn't seem viable to me, given Leo is probably on very high wages and cost a lot of money, and Wickham would be pretty much the same and I don't see Wickham coming here unless we assure him of first team football.