Wishlist

Charlton have agreed a loan deal for an attacking player, says Karl Robinson, but played down reports linking them with highly-rated Crystal Palace winger Jason Lokilo. 

Pirate, can’t afford him too many letters on the shirt!😂 unless he s happy with Thor!

Crusaders manager Stephen Baxter has warned any clubs thinking about making a move for his wing wizard Gavin Whyte to put up or shut up.

Whyte, whose deflected winner dealt another significant blow to Linfield's title defence at Windsor Park on Saturday, is arguably the best player in the Danske Bank Premiership on current form and if he keeps producing the magic his career could move to a higher level.

Cross channel scouts are monitoring the 21-year-old's progress but Baxter isn't interested in speculation or any clubs threatening to waste his time.

"Gavin deserves to play at a higher level but I can't as a manager walk into another club, hand pick a player and say I'll have him," said the Crues boss.

"We are not having any clubs make derisory offers and unsettling the player, perhaps offering a third of what I'm offering an Irish League player to sign.

"If you go to the shops and like the diamond ring you buy it, if you don't, don't buy it.

"We are trying to be professional and win things without having unsettled players.

"Clubs interested in any of my players should be serious about it and not waste my time."

The Crues have nurtured Whyte since he was a raw, fresh-faced teenager and he now has a talent and value that any interested club must respect.

Another magnificent performance in the 2-1 win over Linfield underlined his growing confidence and maturity.

“We undersell ourselves in this country when we talk about not standing in a player’s way of moving on,” said Baxter.

“We have developed Gavin since he was 15 and grown him to the stature he is today. He’s the most wonderful kid, he eats out of your hand and he’s focused on doing well with Crusaders. We will look after him and always will. He won’t be devalued, only helped in his career and if I was the manager of a club a few levels up I’m surprised my phone hasn’t rung 50 times in the last month because that’s how good he has been.

“He looks sensational but these things aren’t in my control. Football people can see the talent and they should talk to us without wasting our time. A year ago my time was wasted for six weeks answering questions about Gavin and dealing with idiot scouts on my telephone.”

m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/irish-league/crusaders/crues-boss-we-wont-sell-star-whyte-on-the-cheap-36448055.html

Despite a poor return this season, I still think this lad is a good player. Perhaps he needs a fresh start?

www.iron-bru.co.uk/fleetwood-leading-the-race-to-sign-iron-striker-madden/

This is a great indicator of the muddled business world that is football;

1. Baxter doesn't want derisory offers but hasnt put a value on the lad. So his analogy of the diamond ring is nonsense.
2. If we offer £20,000 in the absence of other offers that's his value. Like the snakes value was £300k because no one offered anything more.
3. He doesn't want the lad unsettled but then described his extensive qualities and he can't believe his phone hasn't been ringing off the hook.
4. Baxter work out what you think he's worth, stick a price tag on him then sit back shut up and see if anyone comes in for him.
5 This us a good example of the amateurs being involved in multi million pound sport.

How much?

Another player available on a free is left winger Sören Rieks after his contract expired in Sweden on the 1st January. Another player that is probably a bit unrealistic, but like I said with Jantscher, you never know...

Free agent former Blackpool, Marseille and France U21 Elliot Grandin worth a trial? Looked decent for Ollie in the Championship and the Prem, still only 30-years-old. Spent part of last season playing in the Cypriot top flight scoring 3 goals and creating 2 assists from 7 starts and 6 sub apps.