Keane Confirms Stead Out But Scotland On Way Today
Monday, 23rd Aug 2010 09:34

Boss Roy Keane says Jon Stead’s move to Bristol City is set to be confirmed today and that the Blues also expect to sign a new striker, Wigan’s Jason Scotland. Town and the Robins have set a £225,000 fee for Stead, who agreed a three-year deal at Ashton Gate last week.

Keane said: “I think that’s going to be done today. Steady’s gone down there and we’ve agreed a deal. I spoke to him yesterday and he’s agreed personal terms, so that looks like it’s done and dusted.”

“He goes with our best wishes because he’s done well for us in recent weeks when we’ve had a lot of injuries and one or two other strikers leaving the club. We wish him well, we’re disappointed to lose him, but that’s the situation we face at the moment.”

The Blues boss says he is hopeful that there could be a replacement, Wigan’s Jason Scotland, arriving this afternoon: “We hope to get one in today. We’ve given the thumbs up for Steady to go to Bristol, so I’m pretty sure that that deal will be done and dusted later today, otherwise we’d have held on to Steady.

“That’ll be three strikers out and one in, but we hope to maybe get one or two in over the next few weeks, probably loan deals and we’ll just go with what we’ve got.

“The international week gives us a couple of weeks to try and get some of our injured boys back. The way we were doing on Saturday we’re getting away with it, but over the course of the season any more injuries and we’ll be in trouble, but fingers crossed, so far the players are doing well.”

Town and the Latics recently agreed a £750,000 deal for Scotland but the move was put on hold while Wigan looked for a replacement for the 31-year-old Trinidad and Tobago international.

The Blues manager dismissed weekend reports claiming he was about to make a £4 million last move for Cardiff's Michael Chopra.

Keane says that Darren O’Dea will be OK to face Crewe on Tuesday, but is yet to decide whether Grant Leadbitter will be involved having returned more quickly than expected from his ankle injury.

Photo: Action Images

Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.

Page:
1
2
3
4

tractorboynathan added 11:22 - Aug 23 Totally agree souperjim! Spot on mate!
0

Seasonticketsteve added 11:47 - Aug 23 Roy Keane press conference at 12:30 to announce new signing....
0

hollywoodginge added 11:49 - Aug 23 woodbridgeian - or it may be that its well documented ME is minted and players/agents are trying to demand over the odds wages and taking the pi$$ and the club are sticking to their principals of a wage structure in the best interests of the club. dont get me wrong it could very well be any of the points you raise, i however suspect a less sinister reason.
0

Bluroo added 11:56 - Aug 23

Someone explain?!...

If Stead is in the final year of his contract and is on the rumoured £15K he will cost £780K in wages. So if we sell Stead we will save the £780K in wages and bring in the transfer fee income of £225K. Therefore we'd be £1.05m better off.

Scotland will cost £750K and lets say he agrees to £8K per week that will cost £416K so a total of £1.16m for a years football.

That means we are not saving any money in year one it is actually costing us and in year 2 we can renegotiate Steads contract or he can go on a free.

Why are we doing this? Scotland is not better than Stead.

Legend added 11:58 - Aug 23

Lets face it Stead was in his last year and he would not be given a new one so it makes sense to let him go.
Scotland is quality at this level.
Do some fans think we can just go out and buy any player we want?
We had to balance the books, R Wright, Pabs, & Stead were very big earners from Magiltons time.
Id rather see us with a smallish squad and have good finances than have a massive squad with massive debts. Cardiff will go tits up wait and see!!

stinkiusminkius added 11:59 - Aug 23

Woodbridgian

4 - there are hold ups due to the selling club (eg wigan and Scotland)
5 - keane is identifying players that are too expensive. ( all the talk is wages, and Scotland being a Prem player will be on lots. Also I imagine chopra would be on a hefty wack. Maybe he should identify some targets from lower leagues or abroad that are cheaper, but he doesn't seem to have many irons in the fire).

StowTractorBoy added 12:02 - Aug 23

I agree with most on here that Stead has been excellent over the past few weeks but if we want to progress he is not answer as a prolific goalscorer. I am a bit sad to see him go as he has given his all for us right up to Saturday. There is obviously something missing with Stead in other managers eyes as well as Keanes otherwise he would not have been moved on by so many other Clubs.
In defence of Evans what you have to remember is that Keane has wasted over £3m on Martin and Priskin so I fear that the Walters income is to counteract those very poor purchases. It is ludicrous to suggest Evans is offsetting ITFC cash with his other businesses as his company reported huge profits last year.
We all want more players and know that we need them but we have to back the owner who wants success as much as we do. Lets not forget we have a lot to thank Evans for so lets support him.

haynes_is_a_ledgend added 12:05 - Aug 23 you have wanted shot of him since you came keane
0

PimsNumber1 added 12:06 - Aug 23 All this talk of Stead in his last year , wages etc and alan lee is going to huddersfield for at least 300k with one year left on his contract . I i wouldnt think his wages are vastly lower than steads and he is at least 31 maybe 32 ! And a 3 year deal !
0

HadleighBlueBoy added 12:09 - Aug 23

To be honest I'm not sure what is going on behind the scenes and I doubt many other fans are either.

What I do know is that one striker in (Scotland) is a hell of a lot less than we need if we are to stop what is a far more promising season than I expected turning into something else. We can get away with a threadbare squad for half a dozen games or so but once injuries and suspensions really kick in, plus we will be playing two league games a week a lot of the time, it will be a real struggle.

Whatever it is that Clegg and Evans have planned - they had better do it now!

ernie added 12:11 - Aug 23

"we'll just go with what we've got"- pretty inspiring stuff Keane. Scotland, at 31 is not worth the risk.. He may cut it for one or two seasons in the championship but not over the long term or in the prem as has been already proven. Stead is not a 20 goal a season striker but his hold up, commitment and attitude has been first rate recently.

The whole Stead move stinks of being engineered. The money for Walters has clearly gone and is not going to be spent on rebuilding the squad. Here is a player who clearly wants to stay, is playing well and is going for peanuts. Which idiot agreed his high wages in the first place?

BlueJewells added 12:12 - Aug 23 quick quick quick
0

Woodbridgian added 12:13 - Aug 23 Could the "mystery" man be Jason ROBERTS not Scotland ?
0

hollywoodginge added 12:16 - Aug 23 expect the unexpected......
0

Seasonticketsteve added 12:23 - Aug 23 Stead has gone http://www.bcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10327~2131681,00.html
0

hollywoodginge added 12:30 - Aug 23 jason scotland passed medical - brian swanson, skysports news HD
0

onlybluesandhorses added 12:34 - Aug 23 I think the rationale may be that Stead is on high wages so to get a small fee and his wages off the books is good. However, unless Wigan pay low wages, you might think that Scotland as a Prem player will be on high wages. It sounds like there are financial pressures and given the money spent by RK (in the last year) that seems sensible.
0

WorcesterBlue added 12:37 - Aug 23 Scotland signs - feel much more positive now. A much better choice than Chopra for a ridiculous fee so with any remaining funds lets get some creativity in midfield and a quality RB.
0

WorcesterBlue added 12:37 - Aug 23 Scotland signs - feel much more positive now. A much better choice than Chopra for a ridiculous fee so with any remaining funds lets get some creativity in midfield and a quality RB.
0

JayITFC added 12:44 - Aug 23 1 year contract though!?
0

Blue4life added 12:50 - Aug 23 Skysports.com understands Ipswich have landed Wigan striker Jason Scotland. YIPEEE!!
0

Blue4life added 12:52 - Aug 23 Scotland is thought to have agreed a two-year deal with the option of a further 12 months after passing a medical and agreeing personal terms. So its a 2 year with option of a 3rd good deal age considering :D
0