that we have been 'looking' at players coming in during the transfer window, but have subsequently been told that we have to pay stupid amounts of money for them.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1995829,00.html

Club's are well aware of our situation, and are therefore now trying to bend us over a barrel. Still, i think it must aggrevate Mourinho nevertheless, as we seem to be dawdling, and Kenyon does'nt really seem to be overly worried about the prospect of not signing anyone?

"For some reason it hasn't happened. I'm never allowed to do what I want to do! I'm the manager, I'm not the owner, the chief executive or the chairman, I'm just the manager. I give my opinions to the club and the club tries, if they want to, to give me what I think is good for the team. The market is open for another 10 days but it has been open for 20 days and if we didn't already get a player then I don't see why we should get one now."

"I'm not criticising anybody. At the end of December, I gave my opinion as always and I was saying: 'In my opinion, we need two players - a central defender, because we are in this position, and an attacking player. Joe Cole is out for the rest of the season, and also because Robben is injured a lot and, when he's injured, it's never for a small period. It's always for a long time.

"So in my opinion we needed something. I gave my opinion, and the club sometimes tries to do the best they can. But I am the first to agree that, even if we need players, you can't go into this crazy game and pay what people want. So you must be pragmatic, understand the reality of where we are."

It does'nt bode well....

I think the days of us paying silly money for a player are well and truly over. We need enthusiastic younger players , not over the hill , been there done that....... has beens.

Whilst we are the richest club in the world paying silly money will always be an option we may have to look at. Yes I agree that we need young, hungry, talented players, but we also need world beaters of proven ability and they will always demand a large transfer fee or wage demand if they are a free agent.