So Many Questions, Too Few Answers

over the Green & Carson situation. So here are the answers. West Ham have been interested in Green for a number of weeks but were dithering over an official bid. However, at the beginning of last week negotiations began between themselves and Norwich. Norwich, realising they were soon to lose their first choice keeper contacted Charlton over the availability of Stefan Andersen, either on a permanent basis or on loan. Charlton, having already lined up Scott Carson for the problematic goalkeeping position, saw this as an opportunity to possibly sign a goalkeeper, Robert Green, who could be a long-term solution to the problem as opposed to Carson’s short-term solution. Having recently signed a new five-year deal at Liverpool it seems there is no chance of it becoming a permanent deal whereas Green could be the ideal solution. So talks began between Charlton and Norwich over both Green and Andersen. Andersen’s wage demands of around £12k per week were a problem as was Green’s fitness. Norwich, in their infinite wisdom and quite underhandedly, decided to release the news that negotiations had been entered into over Robert Green’s possible transfer. West Ham, desperate for a keeper to challenge Carroll, dramatically stepped in and agreed a fee of around £2m. Despite rumours of Green failing a Charlton medical, it is my understanding that things never got that far and that no medical was taken. The bottom line is that Charlton, with Carson already lined-up, suddenly saw Green as a long-term solution to a problem position and would have pursued it if the right deal could be struck. Ultimately it couldn’t be, and so Iain Dowie was more than happy to conclude the Scott Carson deal immediately. West Ham have got their man too, albeit at a higher fee than they originally envisaged paying due to Charlton’s untimely intervention. So all’s well that ends well. Or is it ? Andersen seems unlikely to move to Norwich on any basis unless he drops his wage demands but an exit to another club is surely on the cards. I hope that he goes on loan, get’s a full season under his belt, and returns in the summer so that next season he is the long-term solution to the goalkeeping position.