Madjid Bougherra is set to play Champions League football this season after leaving Charlton for Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers in a £2.5m deal on Thursday night.
The Algerian international leaves The Valley a year and a half after arriving from Sheffield Wednesday for the same sum three days before the end of the January 2007 transfer window.
"Every player wants to play at the highest level, and once Madjid knew that clubs of the stature of Rangers and Real Betis were tracking him, it slightly unsettled him," said chief executive Steve Waggott.
"It's been a long, drawn out affair, lasting over three weeks, but we've secured the best possible deal for both the player and ourselves."
Beautiful. No need to sell to WBA, and 2.5 million to boot. Although I am disappointed to see Madjid go, this is much better than what was previously believed to be the details of his exit.
Nice one Mr W.....Good luck Magic, I dont think we ever really saw you at your best, but good luck in Europe mate, and you conducted yourself like a Gentleman
[cite]Posted By: Mr-Invisible[/cite]I would rather Join West brom
makes sense a side who will fight relegation in the Prem or the poss of champions league footy or at worst UEFA
If Rangers don't beat FBK Kaunas they won't get entered in the UEFA Cup. Interesting how our fans are commending him on his professionalism, stack contrast to how the Sheff Wed fans reacted.
decent fee for a defender I was never convinced about. Shame none of it will be invested in fees for new players, loans and freebies are the best we can hope for imo.
I'm not really bothered that we've sold MB. Nor that we got what we paid for him. I think the most worrying aspect of the Summer Sales over the last few weeks is the message it sends out to the current squad.
6 out (Iwellumo, Bent, Bougerra, Powell, Thatcher, McCarthy) and only 2 in (Fleetwood, Hudson)
Add to that the injuries to influential/senior/ex PL players like Ambrose, Holland (captain), Weaver and ZZ - and the lack of momentum going into the first game is all too apparent.
Hope I'm wrong and the players come flying out with something to prove against Swansea - but it all feels a tad depressing at the moment.
Hopefully they'll be a flurry of signings announced on the OS now....!
Not sure about those 4? Shittu is a little out of our price range at the minute. Sodje can see happening, Cranie can see happening (albeit on loan), Bowyer and Etherington I could see happening on loan with a view to permanent contracts.
This is good money for us and must have now taken us over that £5 mill target if that figure is the right one, due to the fees we've got and wages saved. Rough figure has to be around £7.5 mill saved based on fees known and an estimation on wages saved from M Bent, Iwelumo, McCarthy, Powell, Gibbs, Sankofa, Bougherra, Monteiro and Thatcher. We know at least 3 of those were on Prem wages and Iwelumo and McCarthy would have been offered very competitive Chmpionship level pay.
[cite]Posted By: Valley11[/cite]I'm not really bothered that we've sold MB. Nor that we got what we paid for him. I think the most worrying aspect of the Summer Sales over the last few weeks is the message it sends out to the current squad.
6 out (Iwellumo, Bent, Bougerra, Powell, Thatcher, McCarthy) and only 2 in (Fleetwood, Hudson)
We had a HUGE squad last season, so the outs were always going to outnumber the ins this summer. Add to that Shelvey and Racon, who didn't really feature last season, but will be bigger players this year.
I'm 'hopeful' that along with a couple of loans, a defensive 'in' is going to please a few people. The name i heard mentioned from an agent friend we are very interested in is desperately needed, so lets see over the next week how it pans out.
I think we can add Toddy and even Varney who didn't majorly feature last season (one injured for a lot of it and the other in and out more often than Ron Jeremy).
[cite]Posted By: Valley11[/cite]I'm not really bothered that we've sold MB. Nor that we got what we paid for him. I think the most worrying aspect of the Summer Sales over the last few weeks is the message it sends out to the current squad.
6 out (Iwellumo, Bent, Bougerra, Powell, Thatcher, McCarthy) and only 2 in (Fleetwood, Hudson)
We had a HUGE squad last season, so the outs were always going to outnumber the ins this summer. Add to that Shelvey and Racon, who didn't really feature last season, but will be bigger players this year.
I'm 'hopeful' that along with a couple of loans, a defensive 'in' is going to please a few people. The name i heard mentioned from an agent friend we are very interested in is desperately needed, so lets see over the next week how it pans out.
But can we really afford the sort of wages that a player like Gary Breen commands?
6 out (Iwellumo, Bent, Bougerra, Powell, Thatcher, McCarthy) and only 2 in (Fleetwood, Hudson)
..............
Most of these look like good housekeeping.
Iwelumo was effectively replaced by Gray, while Powell and Thatcher were surplus to requirements with Youga and Basey coming through (how many left backs do we need?). Hudson was a straight swap for McCarthy with us hopefully getting the better end of the deal. Marcus Bent only played one game last year before going on loan and at that time many people would have taken a free transfer, but we got money and a high wage off the books. Fleetwood I see as one for the future rather than a here and now player, and hopefully Toddy will be back to fitness soon.
The only gap I can see is Bougherra going and not being replaced so far - as he only left last night and given AFKA's hints and the rumours regarding Crainie coming in loan and the definite need to strengthen the squad at CB I think we need to wait and see what happens. Bougherra's transfer has hardly come out of the blue - with rumours about Betis and WBA making offers so I think Pards is likely to be on top of this one.
I wouldn't mind Sodje signing full time - as long as he's not the only CB/defender who comes in.
Comments
Madjid Bougherra is set to play Champions League football this season after leaving Charlton for Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers in a £2.5m deal on Thursday night.
The Algerian international leaves The Valley a year and a half after arriving from Sheffield Wednesday for the same sum three days before the end of the January 2007 transfer window.
"Every player wants to play at the highest level, and once Madjid knew that clubs of the stature of Rangers and Real Betis were tracking him, it slightly unsettled him," said chief executive Steve Waggott.
"It's been a long, drawn out affair, lasting over three weeks, but we've secured the best possible deal for both the player and ourselves."
Mugged! - I don't think so.
On the flip side, yes we need a replacement sharpish.
Why? They offered £2.3m.
So, any chance of investing the money in Shittu instead?
Would love to sign him but the wages that he's after would make Faye blush!
makes sense a side who will fight relegation in the Prem or the poss of champions league footy or at worst UEFA
6 out (Iwellumo, Bent, Bougerra, Powell, Thatcher, McCarthy) and only 2 in (Fleetwood, Hudson)
Add to that the injuries to influential/senior/ex PL players like Ambrose, Holland (captain), Weaver and ZZ - and the lack of momentum going into the first game is all too apparent.
Hope I'm wrong and the players come flying out with something to prove against Swansea - but it all feels a tad depressing at the moment.
Hopefully they'll be a flurry of signings announced on the OS now....!
Sodje - possible, but as long as it's a small fee of say 200k, if not then no way
Centre midfield - we need one but it'll be a loanee or a freebie
Etherington - can't see it as wages too high
anyway a 'flurry' tends to suggest a few signings in a short space of time but I'd be surprised if there are more than two in before Swansea
This is good money for us and must have now taken us over that £5 mill target if that figure is the right one, due to the fees we've got and wages saved. Rough figure has to be around £7.5 mill saved based on fees known and an estimation on wages saved from M Bent, Iwelumo, McCarthy, Powell, Gibbs, Sankofa, Bougherra, Monteiro and Thatcher. We know at least 3 of those were on Prem wages and Iwelumo and McCarthy would have been offered very competitive Chmpionship level pay.
Time to go spend a few bob!
We had a HUGE squad last season, so the outs were always going to outnumber the ins this summer. Add to that Shelvey and Racon, who didn't really feature last season, but will be bigger players this year.
I'm 'hopeful' that along with a couple of loans, a defensive 'in' is going to please a few people. The name i heard mentioned from an agent friend we are very interested in is desperately needed, so lets see over the next week how it pans out.
I think we can add Toddy and even Varney who didn't majorly feature last season (one injured for a lot of it and the other in and out more often than Ron Jeremy).
But can we really afford the sort of wages that a player like Gary Breen commands?
I think it is true that our squad was unnecessarily big last season (especially strikers)
This season we have some players who didn't really feature last season who may well be able to do a job for us.
I'm just pleased we managed to prise the extra 0.5 million out of Rangers for this transfer. How do things like this work anyhow?
Has Bougy got his own helicopter to fly between Glasgow and Birmingham in?
Or was it all a cunning plan?
Anyway, I'm intrigued now.
Would you be chuffed if we got him???
but blimey 2.5mil for Bougherra is fantastic for us and. . . . . . . . . Celtic!
What has Bougherra ever done in his career to justfy all these large transfer fees??
Must have a very well connected agent. . . . .
..............
Most of these look like good housekeeping.
Iwelumo was effectively replaced by Gray, while Powell and Thatcher were surplus to requirements with Youga and Basey coming through (how many left backs do we need?). Hudson was a straight swap for McCarthy with us hopefully getting the better end of the deal. Marcus Bent only played one game last year before going on loan and at that time many people would have taken a free transfer, but we got money and a high wage off the books. Fleetwood I see as one for the future rather than a here and now player, and hopefully Toddy will be back to fitness soon.
The only gap I can see is Bougherra going and not being replaced so far - as he only left last night and given AFKA's hints and the rumours regarding Crainie coming in loan and the definite need to strengthen the squad at CB I think we need to wait and see what happens. Bougherra's transfer has hardly come out of the blue - with rumours about Betis and WBA making offers so I think Pards is likely to be on top of this one.
I wouldn't mind Sodje signing full time - as long as he's not the only CB/defender who comes in.