Don’t want to suggest an unfounded rumour here but most of our signings tend to be players not discussed beforehand in Transfer Talk at wearying length, whereas statistics show only two-seventieths of discussed potential transfers subsequently develop successfully; so why aren’t we considering players we’re not looking at and looking at players we’re not considering? Or aren’t we? There must be literally some players we wouldn’t even think we might not consider not looking at, who might or might not come to us. But will we sign them? No-one seems not to know. Has anyone not heard anything?

As a woman, I can step aside, or step up my game...

Not really sure if this is the case

Summer:

Wickham - discussed at length the previous season
Cabaye - discussed at length
Sako - not discussed as a likely signing prior to transfer
McCarthy - rumoured and discussed
Bamford - rumoured and discussed

January 2015:

Souare - discussed at length the previous summer
Mutch - out of the blue
Lee - rumoured and discussed prior to transfer
Sonogo - rumoured and discussed
Ameobi - cannot recall but probably rumoured
Zaha - known about for months as a permanent signing

Summer 2014:

Hangeland - cannot recall
Campbell - rumoured and discussed at length
Kelly - cannot recall but believe there was some talk of this but got lost with all the chatter about Pulis
Zaha - rumoured and discussed at length as a loan signing

January 2014:

Dann - rumoured and discussed
Ledley - rumoured and discussed at length
Hennessy - rumoured and discussed at length
Puncheon - was here on loan but not sure if a permanent deal was rumoured although probably was

I think around 2/3rds or more of our signings are discussed on TT before the players actually sign.

However we sign less than 0.01% of the players discussed!!!

The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made. Groucho Marx