[Archived] Di Santo -

[Hughesy]

Fantastic.

BIG SAM SIGN HIM UP!!!!!!

[RIML]

Franco Franco Franco

He is here from Chelsea on loan

It was Diiii Santo's goal

That sent us outta control

To send the six fingered @#/?s back home

To the tune of Follow Follow Follow

[thenodrog]

I can't really see Di Santo ever figuring for Chelsea whilst the Russian money is still behind em.

4th / 5th choice for them yet first choice for us says it all about the Champions League and the Prem league. It's all a load of crap.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Just a thought - if he carries on on playing as well for us as he is, there is every chance a club with money coming in January and buying him from Chelsea.

[Guest Wen Y Hu]

I can't really see Di Santo ever figuring for Chelsea whilst the Russian money is still behind em.

[...]

Agreed.

Just a thought - if he carries on on playing as well for us as he is, there is every chance a club with money coming in January and buying him from Chelsea.

True - which is why I think the club must surely already be on the case. From what I've read in the news and what have you, the ban caught Chelsea with their pants down. Their successful appeal has bought them some time to build a defence case and also to do some major restructuring of their transfer plans to tie them over, as it were, in the event that they are not able to overturn the ban.

In the short term they need to cover themselves for the remainder of this season (especially for the loss of Drogba, Essien, et al. to the ANC in January), while in the long term they need to cover themselves for the whole of the 2010-11 campaign. They have to do this during the coming January transfer window.

Surely that means bringing in some experienced world-class talent for serious cash to bolster first-team options. If that is the case, then the likes of Sturridge and di Santo will be useful, indeed necessary, backup for the next season and a half, but they are unlikely to get near first-team action outside of January 2010. Assuming Chelsea bring in at least one top striker in the January transfer window, then they will struggle to get on the bench even once the ANC is over.

It would seem there is some uncertainty, indicated above in this thread, as to whether di Santo could go back to Chelsea and play for them in January before returning to us on loan at the end of January. Leaving that aside for the time being, however, I'd say things look pretty good for us.

For one, chances are that Chelsea will at least have a very good idea of whether they can secure their targets by the opening of the window (if not have the major deals already sorted), which may leave the door open for negotiating an extension to the loan for the rest of the season - subject, perhaps, to a release clause in case of injuries within the Chelsea squad.

And secondly I can't imagine Franco being too chuffed at the prospect of being on the fringes of the squad for yet another season. So surely he'll be pressing his case to stay and get experience. And presumably it is in Chelsea's interests to have him gaining that experience as long as they are covered in case of injuries during the period of the ban and between transfer windows.

As such, I think we should be optimistic about getting an extension to the loan, and personally I'd be after negotiating a loan deal with a first option on him to buy for an agreed fee. If he develops into the fine player that he could well become, and we can afford it at that time, then all well and good. If not, nothing lost. And it's better to negotiate a fee right now, based on potential, rather than once he has really made his mark (hopefully!), which would put him out of our league.

Get him signed up.

[Blue n White Rover]

If we are to sign him up on a permanent basis then how much would he cost us? I'm sure it'll be quite expensive as Chelsea rate him quite highly, and I don't think we have that kind of money after we spent £6million on Kalinic.

[Majiball]

I can see Chelsea spending big as well.

Look at some of the names linked there this summer, Ribery, Aguero, Pirlo, Pato and the such. For all the reasons previously stated by others I can see some serious money coming out and a striker coming in one of Aguero or Pato. I'd also expect a midfielder as well and really can't see the lad (Di Santo) really getting close, they have Sturridge as well. I'm hopeful we'll work something out because with them facing the task of going some serious time before being allowed to spend again they have to cover their bases. So it makes a lot of sense, all of A Madrid, Milan and Bayern are not having quite the seasons expected of them so might be persuaded.

But Di Santo still needs to develop and beyond this season as well so I do wonder if some sort of more permanent deal might be bartered along the Bentley lines one?

Especially if as it seems Benni Leaves, we could get away with three strikers if we persist in playing 1 up top and Hoillet could be a fourth option. He links up play well, but could do with upping his goal threat and getting into some more goal scoring opportunities but in the lone role its not easy for him at his age. Hopefully though today Sam pushes the wingers up to support Dunn and Di Santo more, so I'm keen to see what spaces he can find to exploit today, should the pompey defence have a bit more to worry about than just two. The lads shown he has a good footballing brain with his link up play and creative flicks with more support and options around him today he might be able to get a bit more out of his locker.

Don't forget though, Ancelotti is also an Italian and in Italy loans are second nature and seen as an essential part of developing talent. Players staying at a club for a couple of seasons to get them first team football are common so I can really see something being worked out. Also consider Di Santo's public words about being here and you've got to be confident that something can be worked out and maybe even for longer (should they be banned, chelsea that is will they still be able to loan players out?). I really think this stay of execution is fantastic news for us as I'd now say the chances are very high we may see him here for longer.

Personally I think I could get on board with Benni out if it gets him in ala Bentley, or even on a long term loan till the end of next season. At the end of the day I think all the signs point in the direction of him staying beyond January, one way or another.

[Hughesy]

All the signs are that Chelsea will go for Aguero - if they do then Di Santo is surplus to requirements! Simple as!

Aguero, Drogba, Anelka, Kalou & Sturridge is plenty - african nations or not!

[Steve Moss]

Would Chelsea sell him to us at a cut rate price if the contract included a buy back option? If the buy back is decent by our standards but low by their's, it might be a win-win. And it would allow us to do another loan deal.

[Amo]

Someone please explain how we're ever going to afford him.

Santa Cruz sold - £17m

Kalinic bought - £6m

There's an example of the scale we're working on. Unless we can sell someone for similar bucks, I can't see us signing this prospect.

[thenodrog]

Di Santo is a classic BRFC target player. Another Bentley / Warnock. Not good enough for his current mega club but with much potential to improve. His agent should be pressing Chelsea to allow him to stay at BRFC for the time being in the hope that his value will increase over the next season or two and a big money move will present itself.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Di Santo is a classic BRFC target player. Another Bentley / Warnock. Not good enough for his current mega club but with much potential to improve. His agent should be pressing Chelsea to allow him to stay at BRFC for the time being in the hope that his value will increase over the next season or two and a big money move will present itself.

Fair point - he is one player I'd risk 'breaking the bank' for in the hope of making a future profit.

I'm just concerned that clubs like Everton or Villa may now be sniffing to pick him up in January.

Rovers need to act NOW and get the necessary sorted before others can get nick him.

[Sysagent]

Be interesting to see if our resident journo has anything on the subject now since the ruling...

Alan?

Also let's not forget Ray Wilkin's statement the other week though:-

"We have a number of players out on loan and we follow their progress week in week out, and Franco comes back in January.

"Hopefully the experience Sam (Allardyce) has afforded him will do us the world of good, we lose players to the African Nations and we will need Franco to come back into our squad."

Be good to know if the thought process's are along the same lines now.

[nicko]

Does nobody read the Sunday People any more?

[serious question].

[jim mk2]

Does nobody read the Sunday People any more?

[serious question].

To judge from its plummeting sales figures the answer to that must be an emphatic No.

It's even worse than the Sunday Mirror.

[Majiball]

There's no links in newsnow so no would be the answer. I have had a trawl through and see Sam wants more on his backroom team, but nothing on Di Santo as I assume by posting in this thread your story is about him?

Found it.

will we won't we

Nicko you need to get them to redesign the site, its awful to find news stories. Nice find on the story but 7million, bloody hell thats a lot for a player with 1 league goal.

[Bobby G]

nicko you have linked us with a central midfielder, a winger and a striker. How on earth can we afford anything more than one of those players?

[S15]

JW has appointed our very own Hughesy as BRFC fantasy accountant.

[Gally]

Nicko, bearing in mind Pedersen's contract is up in the summer, how much do you think we'll be looking to get for him?

[nicko]

Di Santo is THE signing priority just now. It could well become permanent from the word I am getting...and that is really where the whole of the January dealings have to begin.

Chelsea wants £7 million for him in the summer, but that is always open to negotiation. The fact the kid wants to come is a major bargaining chip.

On other targets...

MERIEM - in this week, if he does well could come on a free which would help.

IBRICIC - did well yesterday...down to price. He would look a very good shout to replace MGP, who I would expect to leave.

ELM - would cost, I think he is only likely to come if [a] he pushes it and someone leaves.

No idea about some of the other names in the Sunday People tale today before you ask.

[47er]

There's no links in newsnow so no would be the answer. I have had a trawl through and see Sam wants more on his backroom team, but nothing on Di Santo as I assume by posting in this thread your story is about him?

Found it.

will we won't we

Nicko you need to get them to redesign the site, its awful to find news stories. Nice find on the story but 7million, bloody hell thats a lot for a player with 1 league goal.

Di Santo would be a bargain in the current market at 7M. Lack of goals is directly related to the role he's been asked to play. He does the donkey work upfront often chasing lost causes and the chances fall to others. I can't recall him missing any chances he should have scored from.If we did somehow find the cash he'd be worth a lot more in a couple of years. The clause in his contract would most likely benefit Chelsea though as we saw with Bentley.

[Bobby G]

I think the only thing that can get the Rovers board to agree to buying Di Santo is the fact that they may believe he would be sold for more down the line.

[Majiball]

Di Santo would be a bargain in the current market at 7M. Lack of goals is directly related to the role he's been asked to play. He does the donkey work upfront often chasing lost causes and the chances fall to others. I can't recall him missing any chances he should have scored from.If we did somehow find the cash he'd be worth a lot more in a couple of years. The clause in his contract would most likely benefit Chelsea though as we saw with Bentley.

Don't get me wrong, I rate him and was very vocal when we signed him about just what we where getting. I think he's got potential but last time we spent £7million we got a seasoned england international with some serious pedigree.

I just don't see how he's worth that. If all it takes is a handful of games to become a 7Million pound player then I despair, because its getting seriously out of control. 2, 3 maybe even 4 with some clauses and its not such a huge gamble for us because at 7 million its the biggest transfer gamble we will have ever taken. He works hard and covers a lot of ground but even when we have been on fire he has not gotten himself into many goal scoring opportunities. Whether he would benefit from having a partner is one aspect but will Sam play two up top?

If we can really raise that kind of money, then personally I want the Bosnian, Ibricic first as our midfield needs attention more than our strike force, even if Di Santo leaves. We need to create more, before we look at someone to actually take these chances, IMO.

I guess I'll just have to get my head round the fact that transfer fee's have now gone beyond the ridiculous.

[Gav]

Can't help but think Di Santo is over priced at 7m.

I know the market is inflated, especially for strikers, but I’m sure we could get someone with a goal scoring record for that kind of money.

I like Di Santo, I think he’s got every chance of making the grade, but he’s going to struggle in our side with chances few and far between.

If we bought him for 7m I’d not be unhappy, but I think we need a proven goal scorer, not a promising young lad who may make the grade, 7m is a lot of money for us and it needs spending wisely.

[Bobby G]

I think we could get him at 5m. But I agree, from abroad its possible to get someone at a lower price.