[Baggievicar]

I would think that if he looks good in his first year at Bremen we'll extend his contract anyway so we have an option for more of him. It's entirely aimed at building our image in China anyway, which may be good in the future even if he leaves us (that may be what the SCP article is saying, but I can't be bothered with it now).

[Slick_Footwork]

Somehow I had missed that we paid an estimated €9 million for Yuning Zhang.

So we have paid €9 million (our sixth biggest signing fee) for a player who Transfer Markt rate at £595K. We sign him on a three year deal, we then loan him out for two of those three years.  I understand that he cannot get a work permit to play in the UK and is seen as a player for the future, but how is he a player for the future, for us anyway? If he blossoms into an amazing player he only has to wait a year and he can leave on a free. If he does not come good, we have spent €9 millionon a player currently not even rated at 600k. Anyone make any sense of that for me

The South China Post have had a good go mind:

http://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article...-west-brom

I think the transfer was undisclosed, so that €9 million could be speculation? I suspect we would announce if we'd paid that much - as fans are assuming he was a nominal fee (and might be right).

To be honest, he looked sh*t even on Youtube, so I doubt we'd pay that unless there's some guarantee on return from a marketing point of view. I'm sure the money men know what they are doing, but I'd be surprised if the fee was as high as the South China Post are claiming.

[Stairs]

It was money paid out of a separate budget and not having an impact on the transfer funds available for this summer (therefore I don't really care and assume its a PR stunt or wise investment).

Galloway talking to press about his nightmare season with West Brom - although I have some sympathy for him, given TP's reputation with wasting any loan player we have had, I must assume that he just did not shine on the practice ground enough to get his chance - sour grapes maybe. So will watch his peformances wih Sunderland with interest.

[Salopbaggie]

I would think that if he looks good in his first year at Bremen we'll extend his contract anyway so we have an option for more of him. It's entirely aimed at building our image in China anyway, which may be good in the future even if he leaves us (that may be what the SCP article is saying, but I can't be bothered with it now).

It certainly looks as if building football in China is part of the bigger plan, I do wonder though how much of this will be of benefit to the club.  I would even go as far as to question, whether we will ever even see Zhang in game, playing for us anyway.

It all just looks strange, I understand that Chinese clubs are paying over the top, but if we put this in relation to Rondon, whom I think most of us thought the Chinese were "a little generous" in offering £32M for him.

Using the same escalator, the Transfer Markt valuation.

Rondon value £12.750,000
Zhang value €595,000

So to pay  €9,000,000 for Zhang is the equivalent of paying €219,811,000 for Rondon, based on their Transfer Markt values and today's XE foreign exchange prices, so something very weird is going on here.

---

I think the transfer was undisclosed, so that €9 million could be speculation? I suspect we would announce if we'd paid that much - as fans are assuming he was a nominal fee (and might be right).

To be honest, he looked sh*t even on Youtube, so I doubt we'd pay that unless there's some guarantee on return from a marketing point of view. I'm sure the money men know what they are doing, but I'd be surprised if the fee was as high as the South China Post are claiming.

Agreed Slick, but its not only the SCP claiming this, I actually saw it it 3 or 4 UK articles before seeing this one, if I remember right even the Birmingham Mail ran with undisclosed; believed to be 9M euro.

Here is one of the Mail articles
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/fo...s-13330710

[Slick_Footwork]

It was money paid out of a separate budget and not having an impact on the transfer funds available for this summer (therefore I don't really care and assume its a PR stunt or wise investment).

Galloway talking to press about his nightmare season with West Brom - although I have some sympathy for him, given TP's reputation with wasting any loan player we have had, I must assume that he just did not shine on the practice ground enough to get his chance - sour grapes maybe. So will watch his peformances wih Sunderland with interest.

There was a game at home early in the season last year where Galloway started, i think it was West Ham, and I remember saying to my dad at the time (who attends the games with me) that I'd be gobsmacked if we saw him again.

The lad just couldn't defend at all, every time the winger went at him, it was basically a free lunch.

And actually, I think it was the last time. Nyom replaced him.

He was good going forward, but absolutely shocking defensively in one on one situations. I can't see him making it as a Premier League full back unless his defending improves massively. Might do well at Sunderland though, as the wingers are less tricky and expect them to be one of the more dominant sides in the division.

---

I think the transfer was undisclosed, so that €9 million could be speculation? I suspect we would announce if we'd paid that much - as fans are assuming he was a nominal fee (and might be right).

To be honest, he looked sh*t even on Youtube, so I doubt we'd pay that unless there's some guarantee on return from a marketing point of view. I'm sure the money men know what they are doing, but I'd be surprised if the fee was as high as the South China Post are claiming.

Agreed Slick, but its not only the SCP claiming this, I actually saw it it 3 or 4 UK articles before seeing this one, if I remember right even the Birmingham Mail ran with undisclosed; believed to be 9M euro.

Here is one of the Mail articles
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/fo...s-13330710

Interesting, one can only think the new owners must think it's worthwhile business wise, as from Youtube there was absolutely nothing to suggest this guy will ever be a capable Premier League footballer.

Hopefully if they're interested in business, they'll also realise that we're worthless if we get relegated and start investing that sort of cash into first team players to improve this paper thin squad!

[Worldclassalbion]

Hegazy confirmed

https://www.wba.co.uk/news/2017/july/alb...loan-deal/

[Beefy 1965]

Arsenal TSN‏ @ArsenalTSN 3h3 hours ago
More
Kieran Gibbs is set to join West Brom in a £12m deal.
[@JimWhite on @talkSPORTLive]

[Baggievicar]

I could get quite excited about that. If it's true.

[talkSAFT]

I really don't rate Gibbs for Arsenal or England, but he's probably about our level. £12m though is ridiculous.

[drewks]

Oh deary ......this article basically says that Hegazy has NO pace - therefore it seems we're doomed to be playing very deep again.
Yawn.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/fo...n-13345149