Lafferty doesn't excite me much, but with that said he's got a decent record and he's a big lad so wouldn't be a bad second option to change things up if we're playing with a smaller striker as first option. Wouldn't want to see a lot being spent on his wages though and at 34 I wouldn't want to be giving him more than a one year deal if we do make a move for him.
I'm on the fence with Grigg. His age isn't a concern, since at 29 we'd get three good years out of him, and he's not horrifically injury prone. My real concern is one of expectation. He did well at the back end of last season but he was very poor at Sunderland. If we give him a 3 year deal and he doesn't perform, he'll be a big slice of our wage budget for a long time. I'd also be a bit worried that he could potentially be getting in the first team because of who he is rather than what he's actually delivering, which could prevent the likes of Lang getting the minutes he thoroughly deserves. That said, I really like Will and if sentimentality comes into it I'd love to see him back... Good old fashioned head vs heart debate there.
Jack Whatmough looks like a great signing for us, and I wonder if his arrival is why we weren't willing to push the boat out further for Johnston. Signing both could have left us with too many players in the same positions, all taking good wages with some rarely being used, which wouldn't be good for the club or the players. If Whatmough is going to be first choice, then Johnston could have become a very expensive bench warmer. I really want to see Curtis Tilt back though: I thought he was an absolute rock at the back end of the season once he was in a settled partnership and is definitely captain material. I think he be well worth paying good money for.