30 Jul 2013 09:45:59
This week, saints are going to re-bid for Ever Banega according to many newspapers, english websites and spanish websites. We put our interest for Ever Banega on hold while we were trying to sign Victor Wanyama. Now that we have signed Wanyama, Saints are going to put in a bid (around €10 million) to now sign Banega. Also, Banega is an attacking midfielder and not a defensive one so don't get confused and start to think that wanyama and banega will play a similar position because they won't. What do you guys think about this? Would it be a good signing or do you think we should spend elsewhere on another position?

1.) 30 Jul 2013
I wonder if interest has been re-enlivened due to a concern that Ramirez might be on the way out?

2.) 30 Jul 2013
Think we're covered pretty well in midfield, quite like to see another striker to work with Rickie, take some of the pressure from him, also, and I know it's only my personal view, i'd like to see another top class centre-back brought in. Think we might need a bit more in defence.

3.) 30 Jul 2013
I dunno if its good or bad as gaston has got great potential but needs as much time as he can get on the pitch and if we signed banega he'd probably go on th eright and I think jay rod can play there or pucncheon or now lookin at pre season isgrove so i'd athe not have ehim as cam wise were ok but damaio I thinks our priority atm

4.) 30 Jul 2013
We have got a very good midfield at the moment, but why not add more quality? Ever Banega will provide another way through, but is he our top priority? I personally wouldn't have thought so. We could do with another 15-20 goal striker, with Rickies and Jay Rods goals, and Mayuka will come good I think. We also need cover or someone to compete with the fullbacks, I wouldn't mind Kyle Naughton from Spurs.

5.) 30 Jul 2013
I think it's clear from the Pre-Season tours of both Spain and Austria that some (not all!) fringe players are going to get their chance to impress. IMO Saints are trying to build an attacking unit that is fluid (like Barcelona), and maybe players won't be held to playing one postion so you may see the likes of Mayuka given a chance - Rickie does need help, but if you change things around you want something different during a game - I reckon you'll see Mayuka, Jay Rod, Guly and potentially one other to be signed competing upfront. (Imagine the attacking options of Lambert, Puncheon, Ramirez, Jay Rod, Mayuka, Guly, Lallana plus all the exciting youth coming through!)

6.) 30 Jul 2013
He would be a great signing, though I am not sure he is willing to come. He seems very attached to Valencia based on his tweets.
Don't really see what keeping hold of Ramirez has to do with trying to sign Banega.
We are desperately short of creativity to set up our strikers and only have Gaston to fill that box, so we we need both of them. Our other players hold on to the ball for too long and only Rickie seems to be effective at linking up play, when would rather he was in the box. Lallana and Punch are far too wasteful.
Our shots to goals ratio is embarrassing and that is no doubt heavily linked to the quality of the chances that we are creating.
And as for buying more defenders, maybe we could do with more cover, but that is hardly a priority. We're not Stoke or West Ham.

7.) 30 Jul 2013
To my mind, there are a lot of ifs and buts when it comes to Ever Banega. He seems a great player, who could be commanding a higher fee; probably something like £16m. Why do we think we can get him, according to reports, for £10m? Why aren't the CL clubs after him? He's had disciplinary problems in the past. I wonder whether they persist. Maybe that's it. Maybe it's Valencia's ongoing financial quagmire.

It looks like they'll get near enough £26m for Soldado from Spurs. Do they need to offload another of their best players on the cheap? If Valencia try to replace him, as has been said this morning, with Javier Hernandez from United, I guess for approx £20m, maybe they do.

Honestly, I hope we do get him. I think it's worth the risk. If it doesn't work out, I can't see his value depreciating dramatically over the next couple of seasons.

I agree with a lot of people that we need another classy striker to challenge SRL and the youngens, but I don't see why we couldn't afford both a new AM in Banega and a goal scorer. Zenit are still odds on to get Damiao if he does leave Internacional, so don't hold your breath.

8.) 30 Jul 2013
To the original post.

Are you saying we can only work on one signing at a time! I somehow doubt we are that inefficient.

Jannersaint

9.) 30 Jul 2013
Valencia had a new manager last year, and apparently wasn't impressed with banegas antics off the field, attracting bad media coverage. A report in feb said the new manager wanted to sell him in the summer (now). So even if he wanted to stay, Valencia might get rid anyway. Based on that I'm surprised cortese and co are interested
Saintsmiff

10.) 31 Jul 2013
How can people say we don't need someone like Banega? One of our biggest problems was service to the forwards. Too often we outplayed in the midfield then tried to walk it in. We have service, we will get goals. Puncheon and lallana are not going to be the ones for that consistently enough

11.) 31 Jul 2013
Ever Banega 5/6 to join Saints on .
So clearly the bookies think that the chances are it will happen!