Wycombe Wanderers new item - Chairboys on the Net

TRANSFER GOSSIP
(May and June 2001)
Chairboys on the Net kept an ear on all the transfer gossip during May and June and this is what happened. Click here for the July gossip

Darren Currie - Wycombe's first signing of the summer

May and June were a busy two month's for transfer gossip amongst Wycombe fans, culminating in the signing of Barnet midfielder Darren Currie. The Ł200,000 deal finally went through in early July after Wycombe had out bid Leyton Orient in the race to sign the former Shrewsbury and West Ham trainee.
Currie signs for Wycombe for Ł200,000 - full story

Lawrie Sanchez

The news of Currie came shortly after Wycombe had a bid for Bristol Rovers hotshot Nathan Ellington turned down. Wycombe were thought to have made an offer of around Ł400,000 but Rovers rate the former non-League player at over Ł1m. Ellington, who will be 20 in July, joined Rovers in February 1999 for Ł150,000 from Walton and Hersham and has bagged 23 goals in just over 100 appearances for The Gas Heads, with 18 of those goals coming last season.

Also in the days leading up to the signing of Currie, Lawrie Sanchez had been stunned by the hiked up transfer fees and excessive wage demands of some of his targets. Readings's 29 year old striker Jimmy McIntyre was a non-starter after he priced himself out of a move to Adams Park. The Scotsman is a free agent and is now sitting it out for the best deal he can get.

Sanchez called on the fans to be patient but he seemed to lose his own patience after taking the views of a miniscule minority of fans on Internet message boards to heart. Speaking to the Bucks Free Press he said "If they think I have been sitting at home sunbathing then they should come and sit here with me and see how busy I've been". Sanchez is asking fans to be confident of his ability to bring in the right players and also added that one or two triallists could be on show when the players resume training on 5th July, including a player from Cameroon. "I could sign three people tomorrow just to keep the fans happy but I would rather make sure we sign people who are going to improve us" added the Wycombe boss.

Earlier in June, Sanchez also said "If there is nothing in our price range that is better than what we've got, then I'm not going to spend the money just because it is there" Sanchez knows the fans will be disappointed but added "If we start with the squad which finished last season plus Jermaine McSporran, Andy Rammell, Paul Emblen and Mark Rogers, who will be fit again, I'd be reasonably happy"

Lawrie Sanchez

Amongst the host of other names that cropped up since the end of the season were Port Vale veteran striker Tony Naylor. The 34 year turned down an improved offer with Vale during June and is now available on a 'Bosman Free'. Since then Vale Manager Brian Horton has moved quickly to replace the contract rebel by snatching 20 year old Stephen McPhee on a three year contract in a free transfer from relegated Coventry City.
Lawrie Sanchez, who is a fan of experienced strikers, has since ruled out a move for Naylor due to wage demands. Naylor has been with Vale for seven seasons, scoring 90 goals in close to 300 apperances and finished last season as top scorer with 21 goals. Northampton Town are also said to interested in the Vale Park favourite while released Vale midfielder Tom Widdrington has also been connected with moves to Wycombe, Cambridge United and Colchester.

The biggest surprise of the close season was the news that former loan striker Sam Parkin has joined Northampton Town on a season long loan. The Chelsea striker was at the Villa Park semi-final before completing the season on loan at Oldham and was thought to be heading either to Boundary Park or back to Wycombe. His decision to move to Sixfields indicate that Wycombe must have lost interest in bringing the 20 year old back to Adams Park.

According to the Non-League Paper on Sunday 27th May, Wycombe are 'keeping tabs' on Yeovil Town's 22 year old midfielder Nick Crittenden. Yeovil are expecting a player exodus after their Conference promotion failure and Southend and Brentford are also said to be showing an interest in the Ł100,000 rated ex-Chelsea trainee. Crittenden has been ever present in the Conference for Yeovil since he was signed by Dave Webb in August 2000, scoring six goals and also got the winner against Blackpool in the FA Cup 2nd Round victory back in December. Yeovil have since issued a statement stating that no player will be allowed to leave Huish Park until a replacement is found for Manager Colin Addison who walked away from the Somerset club at the end of the season.

Also on the speculation short list was Swansea's Welsh under 21 international Stuart Roberts. The midfielder was also said to have attracted interest from Oxford United, Grimsby and Stoke but it was promoted Rotherham who finally came in to take him on trial.

Danny Invincibile - picture Paul Dennis

During May Wycombe had a bid of Ł50,000 turned down for Swindon midfielder Danny Invincibile according to the Swindon Evening Advertiser. Swindon boss Andy King described the bid as an "insult" and "derisory" and added "Moving to Wycombe would be nothing more than a sideways move for the kid"
The 22 year old Australian scored ten goals for Swindon last season but was often criticised by King which led to Sanchez showing an interest after the LDV game at the County Ground in January. However, King told the Swindon Evening Advertiser "I think Lawrie Sanchez misinterprets my comments about Danny. I am very open and honest about the player. I have criticised him on occasions this season but perhaps Lawrie thinks this means I don't like him. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have great hopes for Danny Invincible. But he should aspire to the First Division and the Premiership, not Wycombe Wanderers Football Club."
It turns out that Swindon still owe Wycombe around Ł7,000 gate receipts from the LDV Vans tie and Sanchez's offer was made 'tongue in cheek'. Swindon's precarious financial situation means that club's are queuing up to take advantage but King says he will not be bullied into action. The Ł7,000 has since been paid.

Brentford skipper Paul Evans has been to be linked with a possible move to Wycombe according to some news sources. The 26 year old midfielder is said to have been watched by Wycombe scouts towards the end of last season but Wanderers will face stiff opposition from newly promoted Cardiff City. Evans has made over 100 appearances for The Bees since a Ł100,000 move from Shrewsbury Town in March 1999 and has scored 20 goals, including his 'half-way line goal' during the 1999/2000 season.

Mansfield Town

Another player in the frame for a possible move to Adams Park was Mansfield striker Chris Greenacre. The 23 year old finished top scorer for The Stags in 2000/2001 with 19 League goals and is being touted for a move to higher division club after John Deardon's team finished mid-table in Division Three.
5'11" Greenacre joined Mansfield on a permanent basis in January 2000 after a two month loan spell from Man City where he scored five times in ten games. The former trainee at Maine Road also had loan spells with Cardiff City, Blackpool, Scarborough and Northampton before his move to Field Mill. Greenacre is contracted with Mansfield until the end of the 2001/2002 season, so chasing clubs would have to part with a fee to prise the Wakefield born player away.

Ex-Nottingham Forest defender Steve Chettle was said to thought to be another player on Lawrie Sanchez's short list of wanted players. With the loss through retirement of Jamie Bates, 6'1" Chettle could fit the bill to play alongside Paul McCarthy or Jason Cousins. Chettle has spent the last 18 months at Barnsley where he made over 60 appearances and was made Club Captain by former Tykes boss Dave Bassett. 32 year old Chettle is best remembered, however, for his 13 year spell with his home town club Nottingham Forest where he made over 500 apps.

And the gossip continues into July

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