Leicester to bid £8m for Mainz forward Shinji Okazaki

[Webbo]

I reckon this could be the owners wanting an Asian player to promote their brand back home.

[Finnegan]

I reckon this could be the owners wanting an Asian player to promote their brand back home.

Narh I think they've learned to not interfere and I doubt the Thai populace care if we have a Japanese player.

Okazaki is a very Pearson player, he runs all day, will do the role Nugent has done this season sitting in the hole and doing the donkey work. He's a bit like Ivica Olic, all hustle, not technically brilliant.

I wouldn't be upset if we signed him but 9m for a 29 year old in a position we're not desperate for would be daft.

Defenders and midfielders a bigger priority as is cover at wing back if we stick with this system.

[lgfualol]

I really hope we don't go for him. I think this story isn't true anyway, I cant imagine Nigel spending much time looking for players when we're not garaunteed survival.

[cc_star]

Don't know why people are treating £8m as if it's their own

Obviously we need a lot of quality adding to midfield, especially defensively

We also must sign Huth at whatever the cost, simply because he's worth that much to us

And we need someone to challenge Schlupp too

Vardy's playing injured, Nugent is injured so we're hardly flush with hard working quality up front

[ScouseFox]

I reckon this could be the owners wanting an Asian player to promote their brand back home.

Surely we'd get some random Thai fella for like 50 grand just to sit on the bench but take loads of photos of him in club gear if that were the case.

[blueonyou]

Sheer lazy journalism. There's nothing to this other than we tried and failed to sign him last time round, it's just a filler

[Number 6]

Appreciate that Nige will be focussed on the remaining games but also suspect plans for next season will be well under way, whatever division. After last summer I am expecting us to try and do business early this year.

[LCCFox96]

Whilst I agree that another striker is not a priority I wouldn't turn my nose up at him. I've watched a few Mainz games since we were linked in January and he's looked decent from what I've seen. 12 goals in a mid table - struggling Bundesliga side is by no means shabby either. 

 

Given, in the current system, we have 3 starting places, an additional signing would give us Ulloa, Vardy, Nugent, Kramaric, Mahrez and another (hypothetically Okazaki as a ST). With 2 starters as ST's we would use Ulloa, Vardy, Kramaric and Okazaki there and have 2 players for 1 CAM position in Nugent and Mahrez. I don't think that would be tough to maintain happiness and regular football, particularly as we need to better in the league and cup competitions to progress as a club should we survive. Whether Okazaki is worth £8mil, as people have said, is another matter entirely!

[MrSpaM]

I think people need to take into consideration the possibility of Kram leaving at the end of the season, I know he's not exactly set the world on fire but it was pretty obvious when we signed him we were being used to get him accustomed to the league before he moved on to bigger things

[ealingfox]

I agree it seems very unlikely that Pearson would be spending his time doing deals whilst we are far from safe and with enormous games coming every Saturday.

 

In fact if he'd spent a second of his working hours this week doing anything except preparing for Sunderland I think we'd have the right to be pretty pissed off.

[LukeyZade]

Thanks but no thanks. I beleive vardy ulloa kram nuge can do it again next time around. cb n cm please

[Bamba's Babes]

Get rid of Nugent.

[Stevosevic]

Depends how much we are looking to spend this summer and develop the squad.

 

If we're going to spend £20 million again, i would question whether we should spend 40% of this on a striker.

 

If we're going to spend £40 million or so, it won't impact us bringing in more quality in defence and attack.

[Max Power]

I agree it seems very unlikely that Pearson would be spending his time doing deals whilst we are far from safe and with enormous games coming every Saturday.

 

In fact if he'd spent a second of his working hours this week doing anything except preparing for Sunderland I think we'd have the right to be pretty pissed off.

Pearson doesn't 'do deals' does he? He certainly doesn't schlep around Europe watching players or faxing transfer offers down to Germany.

[Silverdaz]

The owners want someone from their part of the world so they can sell more shirts i.e Yuki Abe

[desertfox2]

I think people need to take into consideration the possibility of Kram leaving at the end of the season, I know he's not exactly set the world on fire but it was pretty obvious when we signed him we were being used to get him accustomed to the league before he moved on to bigger things

Doubtful. He hasn't played enough yet for anyone to offer more than we paid for him. We won't sell him at a loss so I can't see how kramaric will be going anywhere.

[Finn Claw II]

I'd rather spend 8 million on a CB or CM. Unless we adopt a 5-0-5.

Lazy Journalism I reckon.

[Christoph]

Ulloa has hit double figures in his first season, Nugent has shown himself to be one of our most effective, creative players, Vardy has once again become an integral part of how this side functions and Kramarić is a obvious skilful creator and known prolific goalscorer when in form.

Is another £8-10 million striker really necessary with these proven players available? I am not convinced.

 

I kind of agree with you but there was a pretty long period when the above 3 were not cutting it for us and we were sinking deep at the bottom. 

 

Still agree with you though because I think we need more in defence and midfield than upfront. 

[Haydos]

If we're going to punt £8-10m on a striker I'd rather we set our sights on someone like Hernandez.

[MGLCFC]

^{I suppose buying anyone will depend how Pearson see's the potential of any player fitting into the squad.}

[theessexfox]

Kramaric, Ulloa, Nugent, Vardy and also Mahrez for the CAM position is plenty at the moment for me, particularly as I think we're yet to see the best of Kramaric and we've seen how influential the other 3 can be in the last few months. 

[Claridge]

Ulloa has hit double figures in his first season, Nugent has shown himself to be one of our most effective, creative players, Vardy has once again become an integral part of how this side functions and Kramarić is a obvious skilful creator and known prolific goalscorer when in form.

Is another £8-10 million striker really necessary with these proven players available? I am not convinced.

Absolutely neccessary

Ulloas scored more that the other 3 put together. Nugent is not good enough. Looked far better in the last few weeks without him. Goodish sub but that's it

[Guest]

I agree it seems very unlikely that Pearson would be spending his time doing deals whilst we are far from safe and with enormous games coming every Saturday.

 

In fact if he'd spent a second of his working hours this week doing anything except preparing for Sunderland I think we'd have the right to be pretty pissed off.

You don't think it's NP that does all the leg work do you?

 

We have trained professionals to do that.

[Babylon]

rather spend 8 million on a quality left back

 

With James being out for the rest of the calendar year (at least) and Konchesky being Konchesky, we should prioritise different areas of the team and maybe come in for Okazaki later in the summer.

 

It really doesn't make sense to me, the back end needs some additions before we look at strikers. I think this is just the press making something out of very little.

Left back!

 

People do know we are capable of scouting, bidding for and signing more than one player at a time aren't they?

 

 

 

I'd rather we went for Darren Bent on a 2 year contract if we are that keen to get another striker in. Safer bet.

 

Yeah... he fits the type of player Pearson would go for. Errrrm not.

 

 

I agree it seems very unlikely that Pearson would be spending his time doing deals whilst we are far from safe and with enormous games coming every Saturday.

 

In fact if he'd spent a second of his working hours this week doing anything except preparing for Sunderland I think we'd have the right to be pretty pissed off.

That's why we have Walsh, Neville and a shed load of scouts.

[MC Prussian]

I don't know why this story is getting rehashed.

 

At present, we have attacking options in Vardy, Nugent, Wood, Ulloa and Kramaric.

 

I could only see us pursue Okazaki if one of the aforementioned would be leaving the club this summer.

 

Other than that, £8m buys you two to even three more than decent left-backs.

 

Still, can't wait for this transfer summer getting started. If we manage to stay in the Premier League, the guessing game will be close to unbearable.