Rodrigo Moreno

[Manny]

Gartside has confirmed we've been back in for him but Benfica don't want to sell.

If we rate him that highly then why the hell did Coyle never give him a chance last season?!

Bolton chairman Phil Gartside has confirmed he has failed to agree a deal to bring Rodrigo Moreno back to the Reebok Stadium.

Shortly after completing a move from Real Madrid to Benfica, Rodrigo joined Wanderers on loan and made 21 appearances for the club last season.

Trotters boss Owen Coyle was keen to secure a permanent deal for the Spain under-21 international in the summer but a move failed to come to fruition.

Rodrigo has been in fine form for Benfica this season and Gartside has revealed he has tried to bring the player back to England, only to see his attempts rebuffed by the Portuguese club.

"I have tried everything to push through a deal for Rodrigo but the president of Benfica says he is not for sale at any price," Gartside told O Jogo.

"President (Luis Filipe) Vieira says it not a question of money and that his decision is based on sporting factors.

"Benfica do not want to part with this player because they have high hopes for him.

"If Rodrigo had been with us this season, I am convinced that our situation would be different. Bolton need his goals but it is not possible.

"I am convinced that, in a few years' time, Rodrigo will be a global star."

http://www.burndenaces.co.uk/news/gartside_confirms_rodrigo_talks_2166

[H. Pedersen]

Is this some kind of a joke?  "Bolton need his goals?"  What, the one goal he scored last season? 

Gartside has gone fcuking senile.

[xmiles]

If I was Moreno I wouldn't want to come back. How many starts did Coyle give him?

[Wiggy]

A Chelsea mate of mine said Josh Mceachran was offered first to come to the Reebok but he did not want to come,preferred Swansea

[H. Pedersen]

I would prefer Swansea at the moment too.

[Manny]

Maybe he didn't fancy a relegation battle. Just another overpaid Chelsea player who doesn't want to get stuck in.

[H. Pedersen]

Coyle's record with loans this season will hardly have inspired confidence.  Kakuta couldn't get a game and Boyata was the first player Coyle has ever called out - but certainly not the first to deserve it.

[azreal88]

Is this some kind of a joke?  "Bolton need his goals?"  What, the one goal he scored last season? 

Gartside has gone fcuking senile.

Or he was talking about the fact that Rodrigo has scored 5 goals in 4 starts for Benfica in the league, and got off the mark in the Champions League.  To go with his 3 in 4 games at the under 20 championships and the other 4 he knocked in in a couple of U21 games.  So what's that, 10 competitive starts and 9 goals, plus a couple of assists.

I don't often defend Gartside, but come on.  A kid come here with no experience and is worked in gradually, in the hope we can keep him long term, and that's meant to reflect directly upon his ability?  The lad clearly has ability in front of goal, along with good general ability; quite right that we worked hard to try and get him in.  It's a lot better than splurging 8mil on someone like Elmo, who had no resale value.

[aarons2009]

If Benfica said ''ok we will sell but at this price'' does anyone really think we would be able to afford the transfer fee if Benfica rate him that highly.

Unless the club were ready to splash some major money this month there is no way we could afford him IMO.

[azreal88]

I could see them funding a deal that offered significant profit.  We have the ability to raise funds if a deal offers to produce returns, it's not like we're bankrupt.

We need to become more of a selling club than we have been in the past, if we're going to build a successful future.  Deals like this one would make sense.  Added to that, "I'm not selling at any price" usually means "I'm not selling at any price you can afford".  If someone came in with 20mil he'd be sold very quickly.

[Cheekybwfc]

Is he getting much game time at benfica then ??

[azreal88]

Is he getting much game time at benfica then ??

He's been behind Saviola and Cardozo, but he's started getting games ahead of Saviola and have played more than Sav in the CL now.  I think he's now officially their 3rd striker.

[Manny]

I've not really followed him but I thought he was scoring for fun at the start of the season and had turned into a regular.

Saw him playing against United in the Champions League and couldn't believe he was the same guy we had a few months previously.

[LightningBolton]

Something's not right about this.

If we wanted him so badly in the summer & put a decent offer in but he didn't want to come/they wouldn't sell why the hell would it be any different now?
He's now starting Champions' League games, playing well, scoring goals & we're a much less attractive proposition than we were.

Just smacks of more posturing from Fartside. Talking of trying his best to bring in players he knows we have no chance of getting so when we end up with 4 MLS/Championship players who we pay a combined total of £100 a week he can say, "Don't have a go at me. Look how hard I tried to get Hoilett & Moreno. I offered millions. Its not my fault they didn't want to come & we ended up with shite."

[bigsamsarmyusa]

Something's not right about this.

If we wanted him so badly in the summer & put a decent offer in but he didn't want to come/they wouldn't sell why the hell would it be any different now?
He's now starting Champions' League games, playing well, scoring goals & we're a much less attractive proposition than we were.

Just smacks of more posturing from Fartside. Talking of trying his best to bring in players he knows we have no chance of getting so when we end up with 4 MLS/Championship players who we pay a combined total of £100 a week he can say, "Don't have a go at me. Look how hard I tried to get Hoilett & Moreno. I offered millions. Its not my fault they didn't want to come & we ended up with shite."

That's my thinking too.

[ShootNaka]

Something's not right about this.

If we wanted him so badly in the summer & put a decent offer in but he didn't want to come/they wouldn't sell why the hell would it be any different now?
He's now starting Champions' League games, playing well, scoring goals & we're a much less attractive proposition than we were.

Just smacks of more posturing from Fartside. Talking of trying his best to bring in players he knows we have no chance of getting so when we end up with 4 MLS/Championship players who we pay a combined total of £100 a week  he can say, "Don't have a go at me. Look how hard I tried to get Hoilett & Moreno. I offered millions. Its not my fault they didn't want to come & we ended up with shite."

Well Ream is supposed to be getting £20,000 so they're not exactly coming cheap.

[bwfc_wilson]

It's always the case with our ex players at the moment. They all seem to be performing so much better than they ever did for us. Rodrigo, Helguson, Nolan, Vaz Te.

[Jamster26]

I doubt whether he would be have a bigger part to play, than the first time he came to us. I don't think he's needed to be honest, despite how much potential he has. We're covered on the wings, and Coyle doesn't see him as a striker, so; no big loss.

[H. Pedersen]

It's always the case with our ex players at the moment. They all seem to be performing so much better than they ever did for us. Rodrigo, Helguson, Nolan, Vaz Te.

Well Rodrigo is a young player and is going to improve, while the others only performed better because they went down a division.

[Manny]

Helguson seems to be having a decent season. It was a shame injury seemed to stop his career taking off with us because I've always had him down as a half decent player. He's not going to get 20 goals a season but he's always known where the net is.