Source: FFT

Unhappy in the Middle East and has returned to West Brom who don't want him.
Can qualify as an aussie marquee.

Inaugural A-League marquee.

Apparently Melbourne's population has swelled by >10k dual Greek-Australian nationals in just the past 12 months.. Good business.

With the economic situation there I'm sure that will continue, too.

Would be an awesome signing for Melbourne City.

surely samaras has some serious europe left in him for a few years?????


he would be big for MCFC. they would pick up a few supporters with him on the books.

Would be a big signing. A top level player. I can see the city group pulling this off. If he impresses in the a league he could go to any other of the city groups clubs,.

I wonder if Avraam Papadopoulos could also be lured to the HAL. He's probably on too much at Shanghai Shenhua though.

Apart from these rumors, has there been anything more substantiating? Good that would only add to the crop of top quality signings so far for City.

No. We having been making stuff up here then safros writes an article about MC trying to get him. It's complete bs.

Georgios Samaras among West Brom trio facing Hawthorns exit
22:00, 2 JULY 2015
BY BILL HOWELL

Greek striker could be heading to Australia while Cristian Gamboa and Sebastian Blanco also look likely to depart

Georgios Samaras could be set for a move Down Under as three unwanted West Bromwich Albion players look closer to the exit door.

Albion are hoping that Everton come in with a bid for Cristian Gamboa having nicked in ahead of the Goodison Park club last summer.

And Sebastian Blanco is also set to end his Hawthorns stay with a permanent move back home.

All of this will free up funds for Tony Pulis to make headway in the transfer market.

Pulis is hoping to complete a £7m move for QPR’s Matt Phillips and also wants Charlie Austin for around £12 million .

Pulis is in Austria with Albion but wants a big money move finalised before Albion fly to America in two weeks.

Nigel French/PA WireAlbion's Sebastian Blanco battles with Hull's Maynor FigueroaSebastian Blanco is closing in on a switch to Argentine side San Lornenzo
Samaras’ return to the club has caused one unnecessary headache for the boss.

The Greek international’s fruitless six month loan at Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal came to little.

The 30-year-old is due around £1.5 million on his contract and has been told to find a new club.

That led to his agent teasing at a return to Celtic on social media.

Now Melbourne City have come forward with an offer that may just force the striker’s arm.

Samaras’ father Ioannis was born in Melbourne and moved to Greece at the age of 13.

Samaras was treated like a rock star on his previous trips to the country with Greece ahead of the 2006 World Cup and with Celtic in July 2011.

Melbourne City are aware of the huge Greek support that would welcome the player.

Albion are waiting for a formal approach from Everton over Costa Rican wing-back Gamboa.

He joined Albion last summer for £1.8m from Rosenborg but never made the grade for Alan Irvine and disappeared out of sight under Pulis, although he did make the bench for the final game of the season at Arsenal.

Blanco is close to tying up the loose ends to his move to Argentine side San Lornenzo after a six month loan in January.

That leaves Pulis looking for buyers for Victor Anichebe and Stephane Sessegnon, both of whom have one year on their contracts. Brown Ideye has two years on his and Sebastien Pocognoli is also up for grabs.

Samaras has not gone to Austria with Albion as he is nursing a back injury. Albion arrived on Thursday and were immediately put through their paces on a bike ride through stunning scenery. Their tough fitness work will start on Friday.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/georgios-samaras-among-west-brom-9578011

Edited by Krusen: 8/7/2015 10:20:41 AM

now i believe it

lololol

-PB

Lel.... I saw him in Melbourne last week with two o,der women... I'm assuming his mother and his aunt? Bloke is f***ing massive!

Was speaking to a Greek construction work and he said the deal was done.

Samaras was fairly shit in his final year for us and has spent a year faffing about with west brom and the arabs. Would be a ordinary signing.

18 JUL 2015 - 8:16AM
Samaras linked with Melbourne City move

Georgios Samaras has been linked to a move to A-League club Melbourne City after his West Bromwich Albion contract was terminated by mutual consent.

The Greece striker joined Albion on a two-year deal last August, but was restricted to just eight appearances for the Premier League club in all competitions, all off the bench.

Samaras spent the second half of last season on loan at Al Hilal, and has now agreed to leave The Hawthorns, with a possible return to Celtic mooted as well as a move to Melbourne City, the city where his father was born.

The 30-year-old enjoyed a trophy-laden six years at Scottish champion Celtic, netting 71 goals in 243 appearances.

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2015/07/18/samaras-linked-melbourne-city-move

Another article about Samaras being "linked" to City without any source or anything at all :lol:

-PB

Since when can you let facts stand in the way of a good story?

Speaking of #facts, don't see much from the Sloppy Sausages nowdays?

-PB

Don't know how JVS scouting is but if he likes a Kennedy type player who is Asian who has just been in playing Holland but now Finland and has a contract finishing the end of August.....

[youtube]Rii8c7-A_gw[/youtube]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Havenaar

Apparently seriously considering a move to the New York cosmos, they are offering him 1.7 mill, sampdoria also want him but looks like he may take the money in America.

If Mel City want him they could offer him $2 million, or whatever they want. Money's no issue if he's a marquee, and they could pay out Koren if they wanted too

This is wrong.

MC don't have a bottomless pit if money, their owners do. If they had those kinds of funds available they wouldn't have signed Koren.

Samaras has an Australian passport so they don't need to pay out Koren.

And plus even if they did there are still other players on the pitch that matter.

-PB

I think they thought Koren would be a bigger signing on the field for us than he was. If we want Samaras and don't get him its not cause he's too expensive. There's certainly an a lour to living in NYC Melbourne can't offer.

With the 2 international marquee rule seemingly inevitable I'm not sure we'd bother though

Edited by tbitm: 3/8/2015 03:45:32 PM

No more word? He's still available!

The Dual-International rule is now in-place, albeit he has Australian heritage anyway as people have discussed.

City have signed Fornaroli within the cap, but he seems more a support striker through his career, with his lack of goals, size and even nickname, 'Prickly Pear'. With players like he, Novillo, Williams and Koren about, they still need that guy at the apex to fill the role Kennedy, Sibon and the like have left. Tactically, he suits. Granted, they just re-signed Mooy as their second Marquee recently - could they still re-negotiate his terms and slip the under-performing Koren under the cap - is that an avenue? :-k

90% of people on the forum have absolutely no comprehension of how money and budgets work. They seem to be living with their head in Football Manager.

As far as his availability, I hope MCFC can nail him. WOuld be great to have him her for 12 months.

What a load of crap. A club is as rich as it's owners are. Just depends how much of their fortune they want to spend.

A cash strapped club would hardly be building a state of the art training complex.

If MCFC wanted to splash the cash they could. Same as they do for NYCFC.

With Mooy on $1million+ per season he won't go under the cap. Koren who knows. Doubt City would have enough players eligible for loyalty/junior cap allowances to do it, assuming he's not on a million either.

Mooy on a million a season? Source...

Clubs are certainly not as rich as their owners. You understand how parent companies treat subsidiaries, yes? MCFC do not have a direct line to the oil fields.

You are prefacing everything you are saying with "If they want". Well they don't 'want' to so we might as well discuss signing a fucking unicorn that farts rainbows.