Talking of being on your own, I think I am on my own in thinking that we are still in for BOTH. I agree with you that AP is looking at either of them to drop into a particular style if he only gets one. What signing both would do for the first time is give himself a high quality plan B.

Well, we dont know what Palace's transfer budget is. Parish and Pardew will be working within that. My guess is that Palace want to sign two strikers, possibly one target man (eg Benteke) and one 'fox in the box' like Gayle only better (eg Berahino). If you added the cost of these two particular players together it would be in the order of £50m. It could be that Palace have gone for Berahino because Palace has given up up on Benteke, or it could be that they are genuinely prepared to splash £50m on both. Time will tell. My hunch is that two new strikers will come in, but its anyone's guess right now as to who! My preference of course would be for two high quality strikers like Benteke (definitely) and Sakho rather than Berahino.

Benteke and Berahino for £50 million!! Stuff of dreams that. I suspect that Sakho and Bony for £25-30 million might be more likely.

Benteke better all round striker in my opinion.

although would'nt be unhappy if we signed Bony.

what's your opinion?

Got to be honest and suggest that Bony, if not for his Swansea affinity, comes across as a more realistic target and would definitely be the striker upgrade that we require. His price and wages would easily allow us to look elsewhere to top up in other positions e.g. another striker. I just find it a tad incredulous that we are looking at Benteke priced at £33m when his goal scoring form wasn't that much different to Bony with the latter's form beset by contracting malaria and sustaining an injury last season.

It seems like I might be on my own here. But I had always assumed that offering £31 million for Batshuayi was a bit of a rouse to get Townsend and Mandanda to sign. Similarly offering £25 million (or whatever it is) for Benteke was a similar rouse to get someone else in, or to get someone else (i.e. Gayle) to drop down to the Championship - it has all felt far too public - a bit like when Elton John married Renate whatever her name was.

I have never thought we would get Benteke, but it seems to me that we have placed ourselves above Hull, Middlesborough and the other relegation fodder and alongside Stoke, West Brom and the other contenders for mid-table by trying. It has given us a chance with Berahino.

If I am wrong, and we are seriously going after either Benteke or Berahino, then each are such different prospects and neither are going to be bench warmers. I imagine that AP will have to come up with two different playing styles depending upon which one comes in - and this would mean two different transfer strategies depending upon which one we sign.

With this in mind, perhaps the offers we have made for Benteke and Berahino are all we can afford in light of the other transfers we would have to make to mould the style of play around them. It seems a bit naive to say that because we can afford to offer £23 million for Berahino, surely we can offer another £9 million for Benteke (no offence).

Certainly I don't think it is right to say that Berahino is a panic buy. I think that Wickham, Cabaye, Townsend, Zaha, Jedinak, Bolasie etc. etc. are pretty good quality. This summer is just another in the step away from the bottom of the Premiership and I reckon we are making a fairly good fist of it.

Maybe we're still learning the alphabet and are yet to discover the joys of...bring on Sesame Street...the next magic letter that is C

We are not going to pay £50 Mill for two forwards.Just add-on the wages of these players and other add-ons and consider the overall cost.

You scoffed a few months back when I said we will be spending over £20m in the summer. I wouldn't rule anything out. Seems to me the Board are serious about upgrading the quality in the team and the money is there.