Two from West Brom in on loan
My phone was humming like a my dentist this morning at silly o’clock here in Key West. Early transfer activity at Sparrows Lane to calm us all down on transfer deadline day.
Both Sam Field and Jonathan Leko were hidden away in a hotel near Eltham last night as Steve Gallen put the final pieces of their season long loans into place.
Firstly Sam Field, a 21-year old box to box hard grafting midfielder. Strong, athletic and described as having a peach of a left foot. England international up until U20’s
Steve Gallen said: “He’s got a very good left foot, a good physique, he’s tall, quite elegant, athletic, he can play, he’s been at a very good club since he was a kid so I think everyone will recognise he’s a good player.”
Next to be announced was Field’s Baggies’ teammate Jonathan Leko. A year younger than Field. Looks a little more raw. He gives us pace and sounds skillful, but Bowyer will need to work on him, but potentially a useful addition to the way Bow likes us to play. An England International up to U19’s.
Steve Gallen said: “Lee and I have been saying the squad lacked a little bit of pace, so it was important we got someone like Jonathan in. Jonathan is very athletic, very quick, very strong. He wants to take people on, he wants to get after people.”
West Brom are overloaded with players and those not in the first team picture is the aisle we are shopping in. However Gallen is nothing but genned up on young talent.
That’s four loans now – Gallagher, Cullen, Field and Leko. Leaves space for one more. A permanent or two would be great, if as suggested Bowyer has a few quid of the Djiksteel money to use. More importantly we need no one leaving. At all.
Chicago Addick 
Two great signings on top of the Cullen wowser yesterday
90 mins to go and 4 bids rejected for LTB, fingers-crossed, hopefully 2M is enough for our beloved benefactor this window
Well went out to hit a few golf balls after the euthoria of the two Baggies signing and preceded by the return of Josh, fingers still crossed that we would hang onto Lyle, of course, so got home and went round to my local and just had the two, got home from the pub and thought I would check the transfer news, you can see what an intense life I lead, anyway now I am concerned because I thought I’d read that Charlton had offered £4M for a striker, now I had only been drinking Peroni, think I’ll give that a miss in future.
Happy with Cullen and Field but fear that Leko may not be as good as Lapslie and Morgan. No extra strikers and no replacement for Dijksteel. Still severely short on numbers if we get injuries in the strike force.
Great work by Steve Gallen over the last few days, I suspect he’s wrung his contacts book dry over the last few days. We needed another striker and midfielder at least but now have plenty of cover especially with Cullen returning and in getting in the two Israeli’s we have some solid experience at this level in the house.
My only gripe is with Djiksteel going and not being replaced, perhaps though that’s a sign that Bow isn’t going to play 4-4-2 all that often? We have cover with Chris Solly for when he does, but if he plays 3-5-2 as he did in some matches towards the end of last season then we have the midfielders to make it work.
Only one Israeli Shadow. At least at present unless you have good intel.
Think we will see more 3-5–2, but Bow did say today that they will try to add a free agent right back. Gallen’s work isn’t done yet!
Yep, sorry I thought Tomer Hemed was a done deal as well, it seems not. A bit curious that one, he is out of contract so surely he’s a free agent and yet BHA still seem to hold his contract? Anyway the deal is not dead yet and the word is that things will get settled after the weekend.