Why not compete for the likes of Alves? The worst that can happen is the he says no! We need to be challenging for these top players not as trophy signings, as we are now (hopefully) past that stage, but as a way forward!

Nugent, Jagielka, Drenthe and Saviola were all, in my opinion, attainable targets that would have improved the team yet all seem to have been signed by other clubs.

The signings we have made have been good so far, but we need more if we are to challenge for Europe. Mort, Ashley and Sam will have to sign more quality players if we aren’t to just tread water next season.

Distin like Ben-Haim would of been a good option for free but, Ben-Haim chose Chelsea over us like 90% of the players would if we went head to head with a club like Chelsea for a players signature. Distin had gone before Sam was officialy in so that’s not Ashley’s fault.

Sam says £11m might be better spent on a CH with Premier league experience rather than Barzagli. Curtis Davies has 1 season of PL experience and has been valued near £11m by the Baggies, but there’s no way he’s even close to being as good as Barzagli - the only Italain CH under 30 that went to the World Cup after Lippi picked him as the 4th CH he helped Italy to win that WC.

If Ashley wants to make a statement he could do no wrong in my eyes by paying big money to land 4 top european defenders, offers that the clubs couldn’t refuse, players like Barzagli and Zaccardo of Palermo wanted by all the top Italian sides but the Palermo chairman wants top dollar for his two best players something surely Ashley could offer ahead of Italian clubs, who would also struggle to match the wages we could offer were Ashley prepared to help cover the costs of those wages.

Chivu of Roma has been trying to move to Madrid or Barca but they won’t/can’t pay him big wages, maybe if we offered a big fee to force Roma to sell and offered him big wages it would be surely worth it more than gambling on crap like Queudrue.

Finally the much sought after Sevilla RB, Dani alves, is again being chased by a host of top clubs but could again Ashley use his financial clout to land such a player, with the Seville chairman playing hardball with Chelsea over the fee, I know it means taking on Chelsea but it would seem even Abramovich has a limit on what he will spend these days???

The key in my opinion is clubs like Palermo, Sevilla and Roma despite being big clubs are not always flush with money and history suggests they will sell their best players for big money.

Surely the £60m Ashley could spend on someone like Ronaldhino would be better spent on 4 top defenders???

Imagine a back four of… Alves/Zaccardo/Barzagli/Chivu, or 4 players of that class lining up in NUFC shirts next season.

I’d rather we spent big, even overpaid for a back four like that than spunked a huge load of money on another trophy signing.

Allardyce believes all the activity surrounding multi-millionaire Mike Ashley’s takeover at St James’ Park may have “slightly stalled” his drive for new signings “”

Interesting that Big Sam seems blames the arrival of Ashley for the slow down in signings.

I also believe that the fact we finished 13th and have no europe is a problem as to why perhaps we cannot sign or signings are taking a little longer, then again if Freddy was in charge he would simply offer the players £100,000 a week, buy them for £20 million then give them a release clause of like £2 million.

All in all can’t wait for the new season and am hoping we can buy a few more defenders ASAP.

Many of us are still ecstatic to see the back of Businessman Fat Freddy. At least Ashley isn’t a few bricks short of hod, and is rich enough to not devote his life lining his family’s pockets at the club’s expense.

Let’s hope that the boys from the Met can nail FF, which would be a result.

It is disappointing we have not signed anyone for 10 days, and the endless press speculation is a bit wearing. It would be best if they just shut up, but in tradition of British football journalism, if there is no news - they just make it up. The News of the world leading the charge linking us with the likes of Ronaldinho/Raul/Deco, and any other galactico that isn’t nailed down.

It is tough to get players to move this far north, to club with no recent silverware, no European football, and a growing reputation for dodgy deals.

Big Sam is signing players that will do a job for him, and get us into a European place. After that we can start to buy the best younger talent to develop the club long term, - that will be expensive, and will require Ashley’s millions.