With the transfer period and off-season well and truly underway, some new faces have joined the club along with a long list of speculation regarding who will soon be wearing Red & Black.
We collate and comment on the best articles that feature the Wanderers in a section called “What the papers say”!
Monday’s Sydney Morning Herald focused on new signings Mitch Nichols and Andreu as well as the club’s allocation of funds for a marquee signing.
Chief Executive John Tsatsimas says an elite finisher is their top priority as pre-season approaches.
“There’s only a few spots left for us to fill and we make no secret that our priority is getting a top-quality No. 9 to the club,” Tsatsimas said on Sunday.
“That’s now our main focus in recruitment. But we’re not panicking and we think there’s still plenty of time. We’ll make the right call when the time comes. The key for us is to get it right.
“We’ve been fairly judicious in our processes since the end of the season and we haven’t rushed into anything. There’s a period coming up where we think more options might materialise.”
Funds have been set aside by owner Paul Lederer to buy a marquee – the club even briefly inquired about Chelsea legend Didier Drogba.
Drogba wasn’t the only English Premier League forward in discussions according to The Daily Telegraph who made the undeniable link: Carlton Cole being club less next season and the Wanderers needing another forward.
The Wanderers had previously made contact with former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba and have also been linked to Trinidad and Tobago’s Kenwyne Jones but Cole presents an exciting option.
The England international made close to 300 appearances for West Ham after coming through the Chelsea youth system, but was reduced to a bit-part player last season.
Yet like all things in football, things can change in a minute. At midnight on Tuesday evening FourFourTwo reported that talks have broken down with Cole.
FourFourTwo understands the Wanderers were keen to bring the England international to the A-League, making him its marquee signing, but the move has stalled.
Cole is likely to sign with a European club or a side in the MLS in the weeks ahead.
With the on again off again speculation of Carlton Cole making the Wanderers contract negotiations seeming more like a Taylor Swift album, it is safe to say speculation on the next Wanderers signing will continue over the next couple of weeks.
So out with the old and in with the new, the Parramatta Sun spoke to Liam Youlley about his journey from the Wanderers youth team to first team.
“I’ve been around the first team environment for a while now and it’s a great opportunity to get another two years under my belt”, he said.
“Making my debut was unexplainable, you wait for that opportunity for so long and when it comes, you don’t want to stuff up. You feel like you’re untouchable and hopefully I get another opportunity in the A-League soon.”
Scott Jamieson spoke to The World Game about pre-season preparation and how the team has enjoying the break to freshen up.
“That’s something I’ve spoken to a few of the players about since I got here,” Jamieson said.
“Apart from their first season they’ve always had Asian Champions League commitments during the off-season, so far this is their first proper block of a pre-season training preparation and they’re enjoying it.
“The club has put together a schedule where we don’t really go overseas for any pre-season tournaments or anything, so the players are quite happy about that.
“It was pretty clear that the schedule they had last season was a vigorous one and they found it hard to adjust to it, but I think this proper bloc of pre-season without any commitments will put us in good stead.”
Good stead indeed, Scott.
See you all next week for the next edition of What the Papers Say and just a friendly reminder that any transfer deals or player signings, will always be confirmed first here at wswanderersfc.com.au
