Nix Transfer Speculation 2019-20

Wilfred Bony, still a free agent....

Didn't realise he was only 30! Very skilful player, would be an awesome signing, but given he's been linked with Brighton, I imagine that's where he'll end up.

https://www.futhead.com/20/clubs/wellington-phoenix/

https://www.futhead.com/20/leagues/australia-hyund...

Thoughts and feelings? Interesting that Ball's listed as a CAM. Davilla rated as good as Taylor. McCowatt with a pretty good debut rating.

Cacace getting some plaudits. Singh would be our joint top rated. Lawrence Thomas top rated GK (wasn't he dropped at points last season. Although I suppose so was Singh). 

Here's the NZ list too. https://www.futhead.com/20/nations/new-zealand/

Singh for comparison:

https://www.futhead.com/20/players/11188/sarpreet-singh/

Yeah Ball played in midfield for Rotherham so will need to play a few games at ST for it to change, it’s a strange process.

Boyd up to 75 from 71 which is pretty damn high (better than Thomas, 1 away from Reid and 2 away from Wood) and almost completely due to his nationality change - Americans are generally very overrated, just look at some of the absurd MLS ratings.

Singh at 69 making him Bayern II’s best player.

Any ratings people would change?

Wait until FM 2020 is out.

hope the Nix ones aren’t too meh - I do them ;)

couple players aren’t there for reasons - but TAHW is 61, McGing 55, Piscopo 61 (for now)

Interesting, was trying to find Piscopo but Renate aren't in the game either.

Oh cool. Can I ask under what premise you do that?

Okay... im sorry but are we seriously going to ignore the fact that Steven got given 69? Coincidence? I think not.

Themi's is pretty high, I'm a little surprised by that. 

Stuff reporting that Clayton Lewis is training with the team in Sydney. One year left on his Scodhorpe contract but apparently his partner just got a job in NZ

Same article says 'Talay hoped to have that (import) striker across the line by the end of the week'.

Cue the rumour machine again...

Besides, he hasn't really been in the team - even though they were relegated to League Two. 

As a domestic, young prospect, I wouldn't be against signing him up on a one year deal, but according to Talay, we need to sort out our visa CF first.

Does that mean we'll have to be paying a fee for him if are going to sign him?

The Phoenix do not appear to be signing him this window

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/115820063/wellington-phoenix-assess-clayton-lewis-but-import-striker-still-the-priority

"There's a couple of players we're looking at but we've got to see who fits into our team and into our budget." 

After this comment. Not holding my breath on a high profile striker signing. 

More likely to be a lower tier grafter than someone a bit more prolific like a Gary Hooper type.

At this late stage I prefer they get someone on loan that has been training in a team environment rather than a free agent that hasn't been, and takes months to get up to speed.

Loan deal?

Scodhorpe are struggling yet have let him miss about 6 League Two games whilst away with U23s. His GF now back in NZ.

Might as well get him in. Looked good against Olyroos, just needs to get his fitness up.

We signed Mandi around this time last season, and he was a pretty handy contributor and an unquestioned starter. Realistically there's still 4 weeks before the season starts, that's basically a full pre-season for a lot of clubs in Europe.

I don't really understand why we wouldn't get Lewis if we can get on a loan deal or free. We've got Davila, Piscopo and Devlin in the CAM area so would be good depth and I'd put him ahead of Devlin in the pecking order and he can play in CM role too so if we change formations he can play in different roles. We'll have 3 spots left to fill after an import ST can't see the harm in having more depth in the squad and it'd be unlikely we'd sign 3 players in January.

To be fair, he wasn't a 90-minute player at any point of the season, and was obviously underdone because he'd been hurt and never got the full match fitness (and he may never do considering his age now, some injuries just can't be gotten over). 

The point I was trying to make that we seem to be panicking as if the season was starting this weekend, whereas it's completely normal  in world football not to have a full squad signed up 4 weeks before the first game of the season. 

Admittedly, in our circumstances that does mean that we'll basically be taking a punt on someone, but that was realistically going to be the case at any rate.

Will see who we end with before deciding if its a punt or not, but definitely a level of risk to every signing that will only get higher the longer we wait.

I meant the fans. I don't think the club's panicking at all.

I can't see us being that close to the cap based on the players we have and the gaps in our squad still. I also can't see Lewis costing much

It is hard to know how much budget we have left but it'd be odd if we didn't have a decent amount of left with our squad atm

Well there is the salary cap floor too, so we won't be way below the cap as that's contrary to the league regulations.

no it isn't