Hello, I'm Alex Ferguson. I'd like to offer you £2.68 and a packet of Smarties for Demba Ba. If he makes 100 appearances for us I'll throw in a signed picture of Rio Ferdinand.

You're rejecting my offer? Fine. No, don't worry, the papers already know. Turning his head, you say? Oh don't be so oversensitive...

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Thanks for the response Matt R and I can see where you are coming from but I think there is a difference between making a ridiculous offer like in your example (Demba is worth at least 3 packs of Smarties! :p) and making an offer slightly short of a clubs valuation.

If the figures being quoted are correct then we have offered a deal worth 2 million and Watford want a deal around 4 million - hardly a million miles apart in this day and age.

As I have said I can understand Watford not wanting to sell but I just don't really see the fuss being made, if the offer isn't acceptable then reject it.

You can't tell me that a player, who is currently playing for a team down towards thte bottom of the Championship, will ignore all the speculation linking him to a Premier League club unless that club actually makes a bid? Whether we make a bid or not he is going to have heard the speculation surely?

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Two points. My example was obviously an exaggeration, but was no less silly in effect than the offer which Newcastle are reported to have made. It's not an offer that would ever have been accepted, way short of any sensible valuation, so it's sole aim is to destabilise the player.

No, a player's not going to ignore the speculation but there's a difference between paper talk and an actual bid being made. Case in point is one Mike Williamson, who signed for us in January 2009, was fantastic, and then when Pompey came in in the August and we turned them down he went on strike, forcing our hand. We sold him on the last day of the transfer window. That's not a professional way to do business. We laughed quite a lot when Pompey decided that they couldn't afford to pay him, obviously.

Not pretending that Newcastle are unique in this, or the worst perpetrators. But you're kidding yourself if you think it's as simple as "if it's not enough, turn it down and carry on". It's an offer designed to stir sh**.

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I do see where you are coming from Matt but I do think you are ignoring to a degree the part players play in all of this. Players get linked with clubs all of the time but at the end of the day if a player starts trying to force a move through by going on strike or whatever then really thats down to them and their character.

Im not doubting that Newcastle's bid for Mariappa isn't slightly sinister in trying to unsettle him but at the end of the day if he now does a Williamson and starts trying to force a move thats his call and the point im getting at is he could/can do that whether we actually make a bid for him or not or no matter what the size of that bid is.

To be fair to Newcastle, as much of it is probably simply about getting him for as cheap as possible as Fat Mike doesn't like spending more than he has to!

Transfers are never going to go along the lines of "we want to buy player x, how much will he cost?", "X million pounds", "ok deal done."

Buying clubs are always going to try and get the best deal for them and the selling clubs are going to do the same.

Anyway what are your thoughts on Mariappa, how much do you think he is worth and hypothetically do you think he would make it in the Premier League?

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Yeah, sure. If the player strikes he's an idiot. Doesn't mean that a club turning his head (or planting stories in the paper) isn't acting unreasonably. Which was the point of my original post.

Mariappa is a Prem defender, and won't be with us beyond the summer I wouldn't think, even if we hang on to him for the next week. He reads the game very well, is extremely quick and has a good leap on him. He's also good in possession - he's played full back and even midfield occasionally.

He's small though, for a centre-back; under six foot, and not massively built. He could get bullied. WHat's he worth? That's as much down to his contract as anything else. In terms of quality, he's 25 and a top flight defender. I wouldn't sell him for less than £3m.

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As I say mate I totally get where you are coming from, we have been on the receiving end ourselves from other clubs but my point is what is the difference between us bidding 750k or say something nearer to your valuation like 3 million?

Either way they don't meet your valuation and are possibly going to turn the players head - what are we to do, say clubs can't bid for players just in case it turns their head?

Anyway from a Newcastle point of view it all sounds quite positive - sure there will be some more twists and turns before the end of the window.

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No, sure. But there's a difference between a cheeky bid - going in low, an opening gambit which is fine, part of the process, you don't go in high after all - and something that the bidding side know is out of the question. I don't believe that Newcastle ever expected the bid to be accepted, it's way short of any sensible valuation. As such, it was provocative and unprofessional.

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I suppose at the end of the day its hard to keep everyone happy. The selling club are always going to be reluctant to let a good player go and the buying club is always going to look to get the best price.

If it does go through then I do hope it is a good deal for all parties as I think its vital for the game that the smaller clubs are rewarded from bringing these kind of players through.

If he does go do you have cover or is there anyone in particular you are rumoured to be looking at as a replacement?

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