Dean Ashton

[Fionn]

I know it’s proper etiquette to discuss these matters in the rumour section but I thought this story may have more credence than the usual due to teamtalk.com’s affiliation with the club.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis has stepped up his efforts to get his transfer activity underway, with West Ham striker Dean Ashton his new top target.

The Potters are yet to begin their predicted summer spending spree but Pulis is now back at the club after three weeks off and he is believed to be in talks with a number of players and their agents.

Pulis is looking for additions in every area but he is particularly keen to add quality in the final third and TEAMtalk understands England hitman Ashton has jumped to the top of his shopping list.

The Potters boss enquired about Portsmouth's Peter Crouch before the season finished, while an offer is believed to have been lodged for Marseille's Djibril Cisse who wants a move back to the Premier League.

However, Pulis has been alerted to the surprise availability of Ashton and is ready to take a risk on luring him back to the North-West.

Stoke are happy to meet West Ham's asking price for the former Crewe star, while wages will not be a problem, but the move rests on the injury-plagued 25-year-old passing a medical.

Ashton actually started his career with Stoke, playing for one of their youth teams Stone Dominoes, but it was with local rivals Crewe where he really made his name.

Sixty one goals in five years at Gresty Road earned Ashton a £3million move to Norwich and further success for the Canaries saw West Ham pay £7million to take him to Upton Park.

An impressive start to life with the Hammers then saw Ashton called up by England, but he suffered a broken ankle away with the national side that saw him ruled out for the entire 2006/07 season.

He scored 11 goals the following season and looked set to be a key part of Gianfranco Zola's plans when the Italian took over in East London in September last year.

However Zola saw Ashton pick up another ankle injury in his first ever training session and is willing to cash in on the player rather than risk him suffering a further setback and missing more action.

I for one would be absolutely brewing if this had any truth in the matter.

[west ham15]

Give deano one last chance

[Matt of iron]

Wouldn't be remotely upset if he left and we recouped our money.

[Zola4ever]

once fit his going to score goals, so i want him to stay but if we get a bid of 5 mill then accept

[Fionn]

Still think he is by far and away our most talented footballer. Would loath to see him leave at a cut price. Zola and Clarke could work wonders with a fit Dean Ashton.

[Matt of iron]

Still think he is by far and away our most talented footballer. Would loath to see him leave at a cut price. Zola and Clarke could work wonders with a fit Dean Ashton.

That's the critical point Fionn.

[Fionn]

once fit hsi going to score goals, so i want him to stay but if we get a bid of 5 mill then accept

What difference does it make if we get 30 million for him, it's not like we're gonna see any of it.

I want to retain our best players at this club as I want to see the best players at the club. And Ashton is the best we have.

That's the critical point Fionn.

Very true Matt but I'm prepared to give him another chance at least, purely for the potential he can offer.

[Matt of iron]

That's the critical point Fionn.

Very true Matt but I'm prepared to give him another chance at least, purely for the potential he can offer.

At what point do we cut our losses though? He had a terrible ankle break but that was getting on for 3 years ago now.

[MS in the West]

Let Ashton go??? when we've finally got him fit ???

Why on earth would Stoke be bothering if they didn't have some intelligence that he was likely to be fit?

Thankfully there are people who know one way or another (a) his likely fitness (b) his capacity to play in the way currently required by the team (especially with Cole) and (c) how much he's worth. They'll make the decisions........

[Matt of iron]

Let Ashton go??? when we've finally got him fit ???

Why on earth would Stoke be bothering if they didn't have some intelligence that he was likely to be fit?

Thankfully there are people who know one way or another (a) his likely fitness (b) his capacity to play in the way currently required by the team (especially with Cole) and (c) how much he's worth. They'll make the decisions........

Because Stoke have to get who they can, they took a gamble on a half decent gambling addicted left winger in January too.

[MrBen]

The Stoke lot seem exited;

http://oatcakefanzine.proboards.com/ind ... read=83618

My two-penneth worth;

Sell if the price is right and an adequate replacement is found.

None of that Bellamy >>> Savio malarkey.

[Chippenhammer]

From Still Hack of ITBS.

I was told they allowed Ashton to miss the end of last season so they could get him 100 per cent for next season.

And word is, Ashton is in the best shape he's been for ages.

I take that to mean he'll start the season as our No1 striker.

[Georgee Paris]

15 million +

[Voronin]

Can´t believe all of you saying we should take the money and run, we won´t see a penny of them invested in new players anyway. Surely you must all have realised that by now. Ashton is a special talent allthough he´s often injured, when fit he´s the best player in our entire squad if you ask me.

[il_martello_di_genovesi]

Selling Ashton would be a mistake. He's the best striker we have at the club...on top of that, we hardly have any strikers at the club.

Stoke are a bit of a nothing club really, Dean Ashton probably wouldn't even want to go there...why do they think they could attract Ashton. What worries me is that it means we'd be prepared to sell him, so even if we accept and he rejects Stoke...Someone like Tottenham will come along.

Would be an absolute ridiculous sale IMO...

[Tel The Hammer]

Sell if the price is right and an adequate replacement is found.

That's pretty much it for me on this matter, too.

It's just such a mixed bag on Ashton for me. Yes, he's a blinding player, who's in a different league to Carlton Cole when fit. But, we've had Ashton returning from injury at the start of the season for the last few years now, and each time it's ended up with him being a bit-part to our season at best each time.

If I had the magic power of hindsight, and knew he was going to feature in at least twenty games for us this season, I'd be absolutely livid if we sold him. He's the best player at the club when fit.

[Chrissieboy]

I do hope he stays but maybe they will let him go if they aren't sure about his fitness still. Of course word from the camp is going to be he is better than ever either way.

[smuts]

No way.......as knowing our luck, we'll only get about £5 million for him tops, probably replace him with a loanee while he bangs in the goals for someone else, goes to the WC and get's sold on for £25 million!

[PrawnSandwich]

Let Ashton go??? when we've finally got him fit ???

When did that happen and how long will it last?

[Georgee Paris]

I guess he'll be flying back from Honeymoon to sort all this out?