RUMOUR - Harper to Middlesborough

[readingfc13]

I personally would wager money that no one is leaving this transfer window. It's all just rumour and speculation!

[Woodcote Royal]

Sky Sports says so. Fairly reliable.

And I'm the Queen of Sheba.

We were wondering where you'd got to..................

[Wycombe Royal]

Sky Sports says so. Fairly reliable.

And I'm the Queen of Sheba.

Until Sky News report it I won't be believing that.....

[georgerob]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 57,00.html

[Deathy]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 57,00.html

Yet Southgate has just been on SSN claiming it is very unlikely anyone else will arrive at Boro before Monday's deadline.

Harper is either there for a medical or he aint? One of them is fibbing, and Sky Sports run both stories. At least one of the stories will prove accurate.

I don't think it would be the end of the world if we lose Harper, but you just don't sell your captain at this stage of a promotion campaign! Or bloody well shouldn't.

[Geekins]

The only source i believe it the BBC Sport. Because they only print the facts except in the paper rumours section... which is self explanatary really. They are also quite quick to update their news, so if they say Harps is having a medical, then i expect that is true.

[gazzer, loyal royal]

its the same sky sports that claimed that Everton had bid for Hunt in the last transfer window, which was just a big lie

[Deathy]

its the same sky sports that claimed that Everton had bid for Hunt in the last transfer window, which was just a big lie

Was it? Or was the bid just lower than the release clause, and so as not to create hype and a distraction to the player, the club just did what it still does, remains silent on transfers.

[Stranded]

its the same sky sports that claimed that Everton had bid for Hunt in the last transfer window, which was just a big lie

Was it? Or was the bid just lower than the release clause, and so as not to create hype and a distraction to the player, the club just did what it still does, remains silent on transfers.

Reading stated they had no bid from Everton
Everton stated they made no bid for Hunt.

The only people who reported a bid were Sky who were fed the story by Hunt's agent.

[dobcheck]

If it does not come from the club then its not worth bothering about and dont get me started on Sky 'our source tells us' Sports News the tv equivalent of a tabloid paper gossip section.

[Ian Royal]

its the same sky sports that claimed that Everton had bid for Hunt in the last transfer window, which was just a big lie

Was it? Or was the bid just lower than the release clause, and so as not to create hype and a distraction to the player, the club just did what it still does, remains silent on transfers.

Reading stated they had no bid from Everton
Everton stated they made no bid for Hunt.

The only people who reported a bid were Sky who were fed the story by Hunt's agent.

I'd give up, he's convinced we always lie about transfer bids.

[Deathy]

Am I?

[Archie's penalty]

The boredom of late 20 somethings exchanging words on HNA on a Friday night in. Ho hum.

[TheLawnMowerMan]

And I'm the Queen of Sheba.

In that case you need a new avatar!

[Geekins]

its the same sky sports that claimed that Everton had bid for Hunt in the last transfer window, which was just a big lie

... and Shorey leaving in a car at Upton Park Good for football, just not speculation.

[IMAMATEOFJOVSKY]

Bugs re-reads Harpers contract and finds an oversight!



However, talks have stalled over the size of the initial payment after the existence of a sell-on clause in Harper’s contract persuaded the Royals to demand an increased first installment from Middlesbrough.

Boro are understood to be willing to pay around £2m up front, but Reading have demanded almost all of the total transfer fee because of their obligations to Harper’s former club, Arsenal.

The 28-year-midfielder was a trainee with the Gunners, and Arsenal are due to receive 40 per cent of any subsequent fee paid for his services.

Reading had hoped to stagger their payments to Arsenal to reflect the truncated nature of the deal they were hoping to strike with Middlesbrough, but the London club have refused the offer.

Therefore, the Royals would be forced to hand over almost all of Boro’s down payment, something they are extremely reluctant to do.

Talks aimed at securing a compromise have failed, and with the transfer window due to close at 5pm on Monday, Southgate, who denies any interest in Aston Villa full-back Nicky Shorey, is resigned to making no further additions to his squad.

“It’s unlikely that anything will happen between now and Monday,” said the Middlesbrough manager, ahead of this afternoon’s relegation battle with Blackburn. “We’re three days away from the window now, and I wouldn’t really see any additions coming in from this point onwards.

“You look at different players and try to strengthen if you can, but there are so many hurdles to cross before you sign a player. You have to get things right with the selling club, then you have to deal with players, agents and everything else that goes around that.

“You have to remain quite relaxed about it because you can only do what you can do.

You work as hard as you can to get deals done, but my view was always that if we could add something that would be great, but keeping what we have was always going to be the priority.”

[Stranded]

As if the club would suddenly forget the existence of the sell on clause.

[glass half full]

Does Harper have 'a cold' this close to transfer window end?

[Ian Royal]

3 predictions for me. I'm getting good at this.

[PieEater]

I don't understand how these clauses in contract perpetuate.

If it was in Harpers original contract, surely it would only have been valid for the duration of that contract. Once he signed a new one then the clause would go. The only exception would be if he kept extending the original contract on better terms, in which case someone screwed up.