Gary Hooper off on loan?!

[CanaryNath]

Twotter is going a little bit crazy with rumours of Gary Hooper heading to Nottingham Forest on a season long loan.

Can only imagine this happening if we've secured a replacement already. 

 

[KeiranShikari]

He's been linked to every club in the country this summer.

 

[Wiz]

If this happens I'm going to be a tad upset. :angry:

 

[Canaryboy]

Have people seen what Hooper retweeted on the 18th July?

"Couldn't understand why we didn't play @HOOP588 regularly. He was always a threat. "

So perhaps he wants to move to play more, and this is why he's being linked to clubs, could always be his agent feeding these stories to the press. 

 

[KeiranShikari]

Yeah, I had seen that.

If he goes I think it'll be a proper transfer, not a loan. Would certainly rather we kept him though, has proven he can score score goals at a good level.

 

[Indy_Bones]

Would certainly rather we kept him though, has proven he can score score goals at a good level.

But just like with RvW, Hooper simply doesn't fit the current style of play and lone striker formation that AN clearly prefers to use.

I'm sure there could be an argument made for him to play as a no10 behind Jerome/Grabban, but similarly you could argue that RvW, Howson, Andreu, Dorrans, Redmond and even E.Benno can play there as well...

I don't see the point of a loan however, unless we have already made arrangments for a replacement to come in, which could mean that good news is on it's way (or it could be someone like Mbokani who I just don't rate).

 

[brhdodds]

A loan seems an odd one to me, doesn't his contract run out next June so could leave on a free afterwards?

If he doesn't fit the plans, which seems like it's the case, then surely sell him?

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

But just like with RvW, Hooper simply doesn't fit the current style of play and lone striker formation that AN clearly prefers to use.

I'm sure there could be an argument made for him to play as a no10 behind Jerome/Grabban, but similarly you could argue that RvW, Howson, Andreu, Dorrans, Redmond and even E.Benno can play there as well...

I don't see the point of a loan however, unless we have already made arrangments for a replacement to come in, which could mean that good news is on it's way (or it could be someone like Mbokani who I just don't rate).

This discussion is why I chose to start the 'Celtic fans on Hooper' thread. Some interesting opinions on there

 

[Canaryboy]

A loan seems an odd one to me, doesn't his contract run out next June so could leave on a free afterwards?

We've got a one year option to extend to summer 2017.

I agree that loaning him out for the year is pointless though. Unless the club thinks that he'll increase his value by scoring a lot of goals?

Either he's wanted here or he isn't really. 

If you were Gary Hooper would you think that being a rotation player / often a sub at a Premier League club and grabbing a few goals is more attractive than playing 46 games in the Championship and scoring perhaps 20, being a hero with one clubs fans, but not gaining much by way of national/global recognition?

Its a tricky one. I can see why he'd be attracted to being the main man somewhere and getting on with doing what he does best, but on the other hand the chance to make an impression in the Premier League may not happen again, and by settling for the Championship you are waving goodbye to whatever slim chance you have of playing for England (very unlikely as a Norwich player, but still more likely if you can hit a run of amazing form in the Prem than it ever would be as a Championship striker).

I think I'd probably choose sticking around and seeing how many chances I got, treating this as the last chance to make it in the Premier League, ask for a loan in January if it just doesn't happen for me, then leave next summer to whichever club wants to give me regular football if it proves another frustrating season.

The alternative is leaving now, not making it back to the Premier League, and then wondering whether things would be a bit different if you stuck around and gave it one more shot. If he doesn't get much football the Championship is still going to be there for a player of his quality in a years time, and its inevitable that he'll end up back at Celtic for another goal fest and hero worshipping at some stage. 

He's probably got 6 or 7 more years of being able to score goals at that level, but much less time to get a chance to make an impact at this level. 

I think that Hooper should give it one more year here, if Alex Neil wants him to, and with the one year option we can afford that too as we can extend and sell in the summer. 

For the sake of the, what, £4m that we could get for him from a Derby or Middlesbrough? Chipping in with a few important goals is easily worth that £4m in this league. 

Its annoying that I've just given so much thought to what is probably just a load of tabloid tosh, I don't think he's going anywhere this summer personally.