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12 Aug 2024 20:51:33
Zubimendi has now done a complete U turn, and will not be leaving RS.
Next.
MERCADO DE FICHAJES.
1.) 12 Aug 2024 21:01:49
Bout right standard lfc window.
2.) 12 Aug 2024 21:02:05
That went well. We’re either getting no one or ending getting dross like Rabiot out of desperation. Standard.
3.) 12 Aug 2024 21:06:30
Great now we can move on. Fair play to the guy, not much loyalty left in football, I’m hoping he becomes a club legend for them. Personally think as soon as he was unsure, we should have moved on, but hopefully done now and we can do so.
4.) 12 Aug 2024 21:08:43
It’s been given the Paul Joyce dagger.
5.) 12 Aug 2024 21:11:22
Also reported we won't go for a holding midfielder now. Ed002 - I may sound like I'm spitting my dummy out but is that us done in terms of incomings? No progress made in other areas, so possible we stick with what we got.
6.) 12 Aug 2024 21:11:46
How much time and energy have they wasted on trying to sign someone who had already knocked back 4 big clubs. This window really is going well!
7.) 12 Aug 2024 21:18:27
There were rumours that we weren’t going to make any signing this summer at the start of the window, reckon that’ll be true now.
8.) 12 Aug 2024 21:20:35
I mean it’s Man Utd levels of pathetic now. What the heck is Hughes doing. Out of his depth.
9.) 12 Aug 2024 21:23:11
If Zubimendi said to his club that he wants to leave, then the club said to him you'll have to buy yourself out, they've screwed him over. Could have cost him the chance to play for a big club. He my move somewhere next year but at the same time he could get injured an miss any opportunity of playing fir a big club and winning things. Seems a bit spiteful from the club that supposedly love him.
10.) 12 Aug 2024 21:16:34
We’ve waited 3 years for a DM. What’s another year right?
11.) 12 Aug 2024 21:17:30
Ah, I mean I’m not surprised but this is such a bad look for us after the past couple of years of transfer fails. Our credibility in buying players is hit again. No point treading on it though, let’s get out there and get Slot some players for his debut season.
12.) 12 Aug 2024 21:26:52
It was just so obvious, we shouldn’t be disappointed because we never thought it would happen. 4 in a row D’s turned us down. Embarrassing.
{Ed002's Note - It is far from embarrassing.}
13.) 12 Aug 2024 21:29:12
So much for the stealth that Edwards return was to bring to Liverpool's transfer dealings.
Well known for some time the areas we need to strengthen. The next 2 weeks will be key - are we a team with serious ambitions and investing to achieve those? If not, what sort of message does that give to TAA, Virgil, Salah or any players thinking about joining us?
{Ed002's Note - You are compleetely missing the point.}
14.) 12 Aug 2024 21:29:57
Well, that was a waste of time. Thought it was basically done in the first couple of days it broke. But as it dragged I knew it would go this way. Now can we move on to targets that want to come and don’t need convincing.
15.) 12 Aug 2024 21:38:05
You’ve to appreciate the effort the club put in to keep their star player. Gerrard almost went to Chelsea before he made a U turn and he didn’t win the premier league but he became a legend.
Hope we have a plan B. It’s a last resort but Plan B works just fine as long as long you do it in time.
16.) 12 Aug 2024 21:24:22
No second target?
Given his word, you say?
No matter how good the transfer team, you can't account for ones love of their hometown club and loyalty.
17.) 12 Aug 2024 21:24:24
The most worrying thing about this, if its true the club will no longer go for a No 6 this window then i fear that's Trent, VVD and Salah definitely off next summer. Why would you wait around at the end of your career for ownership/ management that has no ambition? Especially Trent going into the most important years of his career with Real Madrid courting him. Even VVD was calling for signings in the media yesterday. Longer season next season with extra CL games and club world cup, what a disaster, embarrassing start for Richard Hughes.
18.) 12 Aug 2024 21:25:23
Leelad, Ed025 said that standing still was moving backwards in the premier league and he is right. That’s what we’re doing.
{Ed025's Note - i can see the problem for Slot VV, the Euro,s and Copa America has left the guy in the lurch a bit, but you do need to freshen up the team a bit mate as it gives the whole squad a boost, VVD did not seem a happy bunny when quizzed about it i must say, someone at the club needs to take the reins and stop all the faffing about imo, still time yet though i feel and the domino effect will happen in the next couple of weeks but whether you are a part of that i dont know, you still have a very good squad of course but for a club of Liverpool,s stature you should be in the thick of any top players plans...heres hoping..
19.) 12 Aug 2024 21:42:44
Are people really surprised? Summer after summer we haven’t been able to land a big target. The club are clearly inept and they thought it was appropriate to go for a player who’d turned down everyone else a week before the PL season starts.
20.) 12 Aug 2024 21:42:02
We’re the only club in league not to sign anyone this summer, the only set of fans that constantly gets told it’s impossible to improve the squad every summer despite us not winning the league or CL in over 4 years. And now the journalists are saying we’re unlikely to sign any other midfielders, when this has been a problem position for 3 years which we’ve constantly failed to address.
I know we need to take what journalists say with a pinch of salt and there’s plenty behind the scenes that we don’t see or don’t know exactly what’s happening, but I think it’s fair for the fans to be pretty annoyed at times like this when it seems we don’t have the same ambition as other clubs around us.
21.) 12 Aug 2024 22:39:31
Ed025 my man, I think we’ve left it too late. Teams aren’t going to want to part with their best players this close to the start of the season.
{Ed025's Note - i still believe something can happen VV but the price will obviously be at a premium, results will be everything of course because if you play well and get good results then it will all be water under the bridge, but a couple of bad ones early on and the native,s will be restless and the blame game will start mate..
22.) 12 Aug 2024 21:50:11
Ed we are supposed to be a top 5 club in the world competing for the the PL and CL. VVD has already said the squad needs additions and help. We have our 3-4 main players yet to sign and we can’t get a first choice DM in and we constantly don’t seem to do any forward planning. Thhis squad will really struggle to get top 4IMO they need help.
04 Aug 2024 17:25:29
Liverpool REJECT £15 million transfer for Fabio Carvalho from Premier League club Southampton.
1.) 04 Aug 2024 19:38:11
And rightly so, very promising youngster and a serious low ball offer, he's minimum of 30m for me.
2.) 04 Aug 2024 20:12:31
Very interesting if true. Are we simply after more money or is it possible he will provide cover for the 10 and left wing positions this season if Diaz leaves? I certainly wouldn't be against giving it a go.
3.) 04 Aug 2024 20:24:29
Carvalho 15m
CLark 8m
SVB 9m
Endo 12m
Offers rejected for above.
4.) 04 Aug 2024 21:00:32
Fancy someone trying to low-ball a transfer fee.
5.) 04 Aug 2024 21:15:45
I'd rather we keep these players and allow them to progress in cup games or on loan rather than sell to them for peanuts.
6.) 04 Aug 2024 22:12:40
If we keep all the players we have we won’t have space to buy the new players that most people want. We already have a big squad.
7.) 04 Aug 2024 22:39:58
All of these low offers are embarrassing
?.
8.) 04 Aug 2024 23:07:14
Did post this the other day but I heard Kaide Gordon loan move to Blackburn will be confirmed on squads return to UK. Seems like a sensible move to me. Hopefully he can develop like Harvey Elliot did when he went there.
9.) 05 Aug 2024 02:12:13
Not sure it’s low balling for the first three mentioned. None of them have played more than ‘five minutes’ in the PL.
Endo is the wrong side of 30 and we didn’t pay much more for him.
As has been said, clubs are going to try and get the best value they can.
10.) 05 Aug 2024 08:24:46
Endo is clearly worth more than £12m in today's market where CDMs are going for big money.
Clark was regularly coming off the bench for Klopp, we would be stupid to sell him for £8m when in one season he might be with £50m.
Look at Quansah's value/ reputation between now and this time last season.
11.) 05 Aug 2024 09:15:11
That’s the fun of it all though @Skezza,
Quansah actually did it, Clark only looks like he might. If we keep Clark for another season and he doesn’t have the big breakout year he may have contributed to us not achieving what we could have by filling a squad place that could have been given to a new signing.
We paid just over £16m for Endo who will be 32 this season (next February) . I have to say I’m struggling to think of a CDM who has been sold for big money in this window. I’m not saying that I’d accept the bid for Endo but I can’t see his value increasing at his age.
03 Aug 2024 18:09:47
Bobby Clark to RBL with Pep for 12m. Guess he wants game time now but surely a loan is best.
1.) 03 Aug 2024 20:01:52
The best is to sell at a good price and put a buy back clause + sell on percentage.
2.) 03 Aug 2024 22:05:31
Clark’s a top young talent, but he’s intelligent. He’ll know that Elliott is ahead of him in his best position. He’ll be able to see that Bajcetic and Nyoni are better than him in the other midfield roles in the team. So logically to progress he needed to move on. I had hoped for a loan too though mate. I think £12m will turn out to be a bargain.
3.) 03 Aug 2024 22:18:16
That’s a fifa/ football manager move right there.
4.) 03 Aug 2024 22:32:55
I thought RBL were wanting Morton?
5.) 03 Aug 2024 23:30:15
Gotta agree with MK here. I like Clark a lot and think he will turn out to be a good pro but we are overstocked. Think a permanent move is the right one.
6.) 03 Aug 2024 23:42:17
OP meant RB Salzburg, WDW. Presumably a typo.
7.) 04 Aug 2024 00:06:36
Does anybody know if Clark actually wants to leave?
8.) 04 Aug 2024 00:29:07
WDW, I’d imagine Bobby Clark might know.
9.) 04 Aug 2024 02:36:23
So that’d be the two of you then @Victor?
10.) 04 Aug 2024 06:39:01
Sorry, RBS, yes. Could he not rotate with Elliott for a season?
11.) 04 Aug 2024 08:31:45
Vango, I think Szoboszlai and Carvalho are probably ahead of him as well as Elliott for AM. Probably Jones and Mac Allister as well even though I think they’ll play mainly as the two 6’s. Clark is too good for u21 football but we are so well stocked in his position.
12.) 04 Aug 2024 09:22:26
I imagine we’d sell either Carvalho or Clark. Tough decision as they have both shown glimpses of excellence at times. Glad its not my decision to make.
13.) 04 Aug 2024 09:49:55
Selling him would be really daft when we could loan him. If he turns out good he'll be worth more money next season or ready for more games with us.
14.) 04 Aug 2024 20:27:25
Sell with First option, 3 years buy back for double amt and sell on percentage to any transfer.
Or 2 year loan.
15.) 06 Aug 2024 02:36:24
Slow down @bhav mate, some of us find transfers hard enough without release / sell on / buy back clauses and the tricky world of finances.
22 Jul 2024 06:44:31
According to. japanese sport news source, Kubo will be joining the reds to (eventually) replace Salah.
1.) 22 Jul 2024 08:33:56
Hoping its true! But don't know about their reliability level!
2.) 22 Jul 2024 09:05:59
I like this rumour.
If we pick up Kubo and Inacio to eventually replace Salah and VVD and then re-sign TAA that will be a successful window for me.
3.) 22 Jul 2024 09:31:24
I've never seen Kubo play? Anybody got any insights how he plays? I'm assuming fast and likes to cut in on his left foot, but would be interested in anybody's thoughts.
4.) 22 Jul 2024 09:34:39
He is a superb player with a top attitude, very hungry to be the best, also very well liked in the changing room, he has been through adversity and is now a fan favorite, he does love sociedad and the fans love him though, so I’m taking this rumour with a pinch of salt.
5.) 22 Jul 2024 09:40:34
Almost completely agree Ron. The only thing I would add is an extension for both VVD and Mo, even just an extra year in case, gob forbid, Kubo or Inacio end up horridly bad.
6.) 22 Jul 2024 09:51:55
Good player MK, similar to mitoma. Seems more of a creator than a goalscorer though so not an out and out salah replacement.
7.) 22 Jul 2024 09:59:52
MK same mate, i just had to google him to see who he plays for.
8.) 22 Jul 2024 10:48:18
Anybody else just here for Viktors assessment?
{Ed025's Note - yeah me Stuie, he is the all seeing eye..the oracle and assessor to the footballing world....oh and every player is crap...i love him.. :)
9.) 22 Jul 2024 11:17:34
MK, he is a super technical player but also very direct, loves picking the ball up deep and driving at the defense or going on a dribble into the box, has an outstanding first touch and great vision picking out runs into the box, good finisher with good first time technique but scoring goals isn’t his forte necessarily, a lot of sociedad’s attacking play goes through him even though he might not get the final assist or goal, he is also very very hard working and presses well (sociedad are the most aggressive pressing team in the whole of la liga and he leads from the front) . Of course he is far from the tallest player but he is extremely hard to get the ball off of and almost
Impossible to press. Magnificent player, hope we get him.
10.) 22 Jul 2024 11:45:24
For anyone who doesn’t know who this lad is or has t seen him play before, do yourself a favour and don’t watch his ‘ skills, goals and assists’ clips on YouTube, the creators of the vids either really doesn’t like the player or the video is accurate but should have been titled ‘ Kubo runs around bouncing off other players with a football close by’.
Obviously I exaggerate but is this link legit, €65m?
11.) 22 Jul 2024 11:47:06
Happy to take on the Viktor mantle for this one then chaps ;)
I wouldn’t be over the moon with kubo signing, he is a long way off Salah in terms of ability.
Output wise last season he was marginally better than Harvey Elliot for G/ A combined and is 2 years older I think.
He wouldn’t be my pick personally as I would prefer the club to target someone with better numbers. He’s also very small physically which can be a hinderance in the PL due to the physicality of the league I think.
I find it interesting that some posters didn’t think Gordon was good enough but do think Kubo is good enough, despite Gordon scoring almost twice as many goals and assists as Kubo (combined) last season in a harder league.
12.) 22 Jul 2024 11:53:45
Cheers Brummy and PB. Sounds a decent player.
JK23, I had heard of him from ED002's comments, but never seen him play. I hate Spanish football and stopped watching it about 5 years ago. Most difficult watch of all of Europe's top 5 leagues in my opinion. La Liga is rife with racism, petulance, diving, play acting, violence etc. And I'm not saying other leagues don't have some of those same issues, by Spain seem to let these kinds of character fester more than the rest. El Classico is an embarrassment to football more often than not. I hate it when we draw a Spanish team in Europe because you just know it will be anti-football. Saw that of the 4 minutes added on in the Euro final, the ball was in play for about 50 seconds. Sums up Spanish football.
13.) 22 Jul 2024 11:56:04
Looked on YouTube (I know) . Looks to have a low centre of of gravity and very direct also looks hard to shake off the ball.
14.) 22 Jul 2024 12:31:13
people need to stop comparing RW with Salah nobody in footballer from the wing has matched or compared to his output, you'll never get a like for like replacement in that department just impossible.
15.) 22 Jul 2024 12:39:54
Considering the other names were linked with, he’d be a better option than any of them because of his age, relative experience in a top class league (La Liga is far tougher than Bundesliga or the Turkish league and he can handle the rough stuff), his end product is ok, and probably would have been higher last season were it not for the Asian Cup, he’s got a decent injury history and seems like he has a ceiling to develop to, since there’s absolutely no chance of the likes of Kvaratskhelia or Williams, then I’d say he’s the best option available to us, I’d far rather we went for Kubo than Neto (sicknote), Olmo (sicknote), Yilmaz (coming from a very weak league), Sane/ Coman (too old and in Coman’s case, old and injury prone) or the others within our range.
16.) 22 Jul 2024 12:51:07
that article also rekons he's coming on wages that work out to around 240k/ week lol.
I have no idea who is the right person, but I'm thinking that a big part of what would work best is having a player come in with an attitude prepared to compete for a starting spot knowing that they're likely going to be rotating / backing up an established starter.
17.) 22 Jul 2024 13:04:30
Kubo is like if Bobby could finish consistently. He's not particularly quick but he's skillful, has a great eye for a pass, excellent close control. He can also shoot. He would be a very good signing in my opinion. Whoever said he'd be on 200k+ is smoking crack it would be far less.
18.) 22 Jul 2024 14:24:12
Looks a good one if we can get him in. Can’t compare him to salah now, there’s 9 years between them but great for him to learn from salah as who better to show him how it’s done. Seems to be liked by some big players xavi and zidane both fans.
19.) 22 Jul 2024 14:27:07
Liverpool Fan in Japan has talked about him for a while and does a bit of a breakdown on him. He syas that the Japanese media usually get their info fairly spot on in regards Japanese player movements.
20.) 22 Jul 2024 14:45:08
We await the upbeat, joyful synopsis of VVV AKA the footballing Yoda, before we can truly know.
21.) 22 Jul 2024 15:15:22
I think he looks like carvalho all over.
22.) 22 Jul 2024 15:36:10
Never had a real chance at Madrid but the general consensus is he's good enough to play for an elite club.
23.) 22 Jul 2024 17:02:00
Must admit, really disappointed with Victor's response. Wanted a "Ceaser weak, Kuba weaker".
24.) 22 Jul 2024 17:48:27
Staff at madrid, including Carlo all rate Kubo very highly. The player doesn't really want to return to Madrid as he doesn't see any opportunities for game time.
25.) 22 Jul 2024 18:31:41
Cheers everyone. Watched some clips online after all the high praise earlier. Looks similar to Bernardo Silva how well he shifts the ball to beat a man, turns on a sixpence to beat a press, and protects it with his whole body when under pressure. Scores a few beauties too doesn’t he. At 23 years old, assuming you’re all correct about him, he’s got to be worth a punt if the deal works for us financially.
26.) 22 Jul 2024 23:58:09
“Assuming we’re all correct” ???.
27.) 23 Jul 2024 09:12:15
You've lost me Ron. For a start that's not even a direct quote, as I said "you're" not "we're". Have I somehow offended you by believing you (and others) that Kubo is a good player?
28.) 23 Jul 2024 09:24:00
To the poster asking why would a Liverpool fan want kubo over Gordon despite having supposedly inferior numbers, Gordon thrives on having space ahead of him to attack at pace and is an excellent player in transition, but it still remains to be seen whether he can operate in the half spaces breaking down a low block.
kubo on the other hand can be like a 10 starting out wide, he has exceptional ability manoeuvring through small spaces, playing one twos, threading through balls at the right time, ghosting into the box to get on the end of chances himself. He is very quick but not the sort to play off the shoulder of the last defender like Gordon, rather he provides a spark of genius and vision to play in the final third. Kubo, salah and Darwin would be a fantastic combo imo.
29.) 23 Jul 2024 11:44:55
"Gordon thrives on having space ahead of him to attack at pace and is an excellent player in transition, but it still remains to be seen whether he can operate in the half spaces breaking down a low block. ".
And this is one of the reasons I don't want Gordon at LFC. He is more like a Martinelli type player. Give him space to run into and he looks boss. Playing vs a low block with no space to run into and he is neutralised. Sorry, I don't want such players at LFC.
As for Kubo, saw him play a bit a few years ago (with Isak and Januzaj at Sociedad) and looked a tidy player who ran at the fence playing on the right with a good eye for a pass. Not seen him since so I defer to those on here who have done so on a regular basis.
30.) 23 Jul 2024 15:16:20
@Patrik Burgher
It was my reply above on the Gordon/ Kubo points.
You raise a good point on Gordon thriving on running into space and using his pace rather than being a tricky player in tight spaces. He’s definitely a different type of player to Kubo. Kubo might be better suited to low block teams.
Equally, Salah and Mane always managed to make good use of their pace in previous seasons and had good success from it, I would prefer if we don’t setup tactically just passing the ball around in front of the opponents defence nullifying these in behind threats. I think that is as bigger problem as any. Haaland runs inn behind for city and seems to get plenty of goals despite low block teams.
I think it’s a leap to say Gordon wouldn’t work out at Liverpool because most teams play low blocks, depending on how Slot sets us up it could suit Gordon to a tee, we don’t know yet.
Anyway, there were posters saying Gordon wasn’t good enough at the time and my reply was more in response to that.
Appreciate the discussion mate??.
31.) 23 Jul 2024 17:18:03
Navy, we have Darwin to do that. Kubo, salah and mac allister feeding Darwin, who doesn’t have to be as involved in build up, will work a treat.
18 Jul 2024 21:35:51
Per Ornsteins column on the Yoro deal, Liverpool decided to not pursue a move due to not being to guarantee game time to Yoro, as he would be essentially 5th choice. Liverpool viewed him as a long term project and didn't want to fast track him.
1.) 19 Jul 2024 03:23:32
5th choice for that sort of money? Bold move.
2.) 19 Jul 2024 05:15:37
I haven't seen the lad play but by all accounts it seems like a great signing for united.
That being said, we have an excellent young cb in Quansah and I wouldn't have wanted to go into week 1 with this 18 year old from the French league as a starter for us. We are in a vastly different situation from united and I think its fair to speculate that while this may be a good signing for then I don't think it was the right move for us.
Good luck to the young lad, a tough place to go at his age and the level of expectation that will undoubtly be placed on him.
3.) 19 Jul 2024 06:56:16
Liverpool obviously decided to step away. Whether that was to do with upsetting players like Quansah by paying an unproven lads sky high wages or because they felt that he would want to jump ship to Madrid the first opportunity he gets, I don’t know.
Never seen him play tbh, but I’m wondering if a young Yoro would be a better servant and asset to us over the next 3 years over someone like Inacio? Because with Madrid sniffing around, that’s maybe all the time he would spend with us.
4.) 19 Jul 2024 07:18:27
5th choice?
I’d he another right footed left winger or something?
5.) 19 Jul 2024 09:50:43
For that money I’d be going all in for inacio however I’d prefer svdb given a try and more game time for quansa.
6.) 19 Jul 2024 09:59:17
If Edwards and co rate Inacio higher, and have more data to back him up as a signing, im all for it.
He looks fantastic.
{Ed002's Note - Would he also be fifth choice?}
7.) 19 Jul 2024 13:12:26
Inacio signing would perhaps see VVD leave? Seems like Inacio would bee his replacement.
Maybe Inacio and SVB next season with Quansah and Konate?
8.) 19 Jul 2024 17:39:14
I doubt he’ll be first choice for United. They’ll get De Ligt to play with Martinez.
Vango's banter posts with other poster's replies to Vango's banter posts
06 Sep 2024 20:12:22
100M for Wharton? Discuss.
Inflation is normal and usually addressed across a long period of time. Hyper-inflation is just a cancer that kills it's host. I know that success and freedom tend to go hand in hand. It's certainly best practice to leave markets alone as much as possible. Except when it's about to collapse of a cliff.
Player transfers are classed as 'Intangible Assets'. Here is one major issue. Because there are strictly enforced and regulated accounting standards for 'Fixed Assets' valuation to account for the difference between it's 'net-book value' and the 'market value' (fair value) . However, the accounting standards for Intangible Assets are extremely subjective and almost industry specific. That categorisation is supposed to cover things like; Software, IP and Patents, Entertainment product names (music, film etc. ), collectors cars, paintings and antiques. And unfortunately, the very limited accounting standard applied for valuing these items is simply to look at the recent history of similar items sold and form an aggregate.
This is a serious issue. Because some of those industries above see items sold for more than their worth because they're bought at auction. Some are bought due to commercial potential and reputation. Football has tried to form a correlation here due to similar behaviours seen in how players are bought. BUT, there are metrics available to us that we as fans use to judge which players are simply 'better' than others. that don't apply when comparing paintings, vintage cars, music or films. Age, injury records, appearances, goals, assists, disciplinary record, international caps. You can even combine some of these to form ratios like 'age/ appearances'
The Football industry is infected with something that's ironically called an 'agency problem'. Agents. They're the one's who just by a snowball effect, picked up on the principles of intangible asset valuation and went to the moon with it, making it arbitrary. "You want Anthony Gordon? Well, Grealish went to City for £100m so let's start there". Meantime, Jack Grealish had 3 goals and 3 assists after that move. That's why these bad deals keep F-ing the rest of us. And I'm all for leaving markets alone as much as possible. Except when they're heading for a deadly cliff. Football valuation needs regulation, pronto.
1.) 06 Sep 2024 20:39:07
Can you explain it again please? ?♂️.
2.) 06 Sep 2024 21:08:39
I think you explained it very well Vango and thanks for taking the time. What an original post.
I guess the problem is that anything is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Yes- The oil clubs have pushed the prices up for the rest. But- fans clamouring for new shiny things every window doesn’t help either.
3.) 06 Sep 2024 21:37:30
In the quiet words of the Virgin Mary.
Come again?
4.) 06 Sep 2024 21:43:57
No thanks! Better value to be found in the market for sure!
5.) 06 Sep 2024 22:14:11
Cracking football banter at its best. It’s no wonder we all talk drivel when the transfer window hovers into view.
6.) 06 Sep 2024 22:25:46
A player is only worth what someone is willing to pay.
He might not be worth 100 mill to any club in football but Palace only need him to be worth it to one for them to do a deal.
Personally I couldn’t see it but as they say Football is a funny old game.
7.) 06 Sep 2024 22:42:41
The problem is that we are dealing with human beings. You can sign a wonderful player with great stats and all the right attributes that you have targeted for your team.
Next day they can put their feet up and see out a long contract on the sidelines. Equally you can sign a relative unknown and they up their game, as we have seen over the years there are no sure things in football and even less in people who come to work for your team.
Sometimes you are better to take a punt on a young hungry academy player than the Naby Keitas of this world.
As for agents, they are bloody sucking vipers with nothing to lose and all the money in the world to gain.
8.) 06 Sep 2024 23:24:43
In football, when teams buy and sell players, they treat players like "intangible assets, " which means they are hard to put a price on. With things like buildings or cars or rare, collectable (finite) paintings, it’s easy to figure out their value. But with players, the value can be really hard to pin down, so people just look at what similar items have sold for recently.
The problem in football is that agents have started using past transfers to set the prices of current players, often inflating the prices. This makes player prices go up without much reason.
The big issue is that football teams are spending way too much money on players, based on inflated prices, which can hurt the sport. While we usually let markets run on their own, football transfers have become so out of control that some rules are needed to stop this before it causes more problems.
West Derby Wanderer3- I need an emoji to express my joy at your response.
JK23-He might not be worth 100 mill to any club in football but Palace only need him to be worth it to one for them to do a deal. (Exactly, and when you add financial doping into the equation, it is easy to see how far reaching the effects of clubs like City could reverberate through the whole sport and cause all kinds of disparty and chaos)
9.) 07 Sep 2024 00:36:35
Prices also get inflated when teams don't want to sell. If they were happy to let him go im sure Wharton would go for half of that.
10.) 07 Sep 2024 05:12:47
The idea that markets should be left alone is a capitalist myth peddled by those looking to exploit the market for personal gain. And it also ignores the fact that markets are regularly controlled and regulated by governments. Strict regulation is the way to prevent things like rampant hyper-inflation, not allowing speculating persons free rein (as 2008 and other notable crashes have proven) . And the idea of too big to fail is just a slap in the face for anyone who has ever paid a penny in tax. Free market, but on our terms, isn’t a free market, it’s a monopoly.
11.) 07 Sep 2024 06:02:51
I was thinking during the last window, how nice it was to seemingly have seen the back of these exorbitant transfer fees. Hope it continues
Also this always cracks me up about the market - “ It's certainly best practice to leave markets alone as much as possible. Except when it's about to collapse of a cliff”. Let them fall off the cliff mate lol.
12.) 07 Sep 2024 08:33:32
We could learn a lot from other sports except football is far too arrogant for that.
Look at NFL, plenty of money swirling around in that but teams have the same salary cap. Not for individuals (that would be illegal for us) but for the team. Sure you can give Salah £500k a week, but you’ve only got £1m a week left for the rest of your squad.
If it was up to me, I’d taper your teams salary cap based on last years league position. So City would have the lowest salary cap for their playing squad this season.
13.) 07 Sep 2024 09:28:12
Mbwell77, Exactly. It may only take Nyoni or Baj 2 seasons to be at a similar level to Wharton. Undoubtedly Wharton currently looks like a generational talent, he is fairly local and would not have problems settling in to L4, and yet 100m for someone with as few games as he has played is still risky. Caicedo at 115m was a punt that may well work out, but the way our youth system is shaping up, anything is possible.
14.) 07 Sep 2024 10:02:42
That's why if you are not willing to pay whatever it takes to get the player his club does not have to or does not want to sell then, keep it moving.
15.) 07 Sep 2024 10:25:44
Manu deliberately drove up prices (Rooney, Ferdinand etc) as they knew no one else could compete with them and kept them further apart from others trying to catch up.
Chelsea changed all that and now there are a number of teams using the same tactic to keep themselves at the top eg Grealish for £100m etc.
You could say teams before like Forest with the first £1m player and Liverpool in the 80s did this but the difference now is at scale and like most areas of life increasing from rich to poor.
02 Aug 2024 09:14:05
Im leaning towards Baj, Endo and Morton as the DM, at least for the first 6 months of the season to see how the youngsters develop.
Endo's stats were very good for last season.
1.) 02 Aug 2024 09:38:14
I would agree with you there Vango, use the players who are used to the club and the system where possible.
However the shiny toy brigade will be out in force to say that we will finish outside the top 4 if we don't buy a CDM.
I haven't seen Morton play regularly, nor Baj since the start of the 22-23 season, so who's to say that they are not as good as, or better, than the latest shiny toys?
2.) 02 Aug 2024 09:43:38
Gawd help us if you're right, Vango.
3.) 02 Aug 2024 09:57:50
Reports saying Slot is looking for a ball playing No 6.
Obviously those reports might be wrong.
4.) 02 Aug 2024 10:23:09
Zeddicus they will have us down for relegation mate and fsg out flags/ plane banners, also walk out protest.
5.) 02 Aug 2024 10:35:45
No shiny toy, no shiny toy, no shiny toy. Let’s make no signings. We are a special club that doesn’t need to indulge in such frivoloty.
6.) 02 Aug 2024 10:48:20
Context matters. If we play the same crazy football that left us needing cross breed hybrid of Usain Bolt, Mo Farah and Xabi Alonso as our CDM then I can buy into the clamour for a CDM right this second.
But so far under this style and structure I can see any combo of Macca, Endo, Baj, Szobo, Trent and Jones working well together in that role.
7.) 02 Aug 2024 10:53:45
Didn't we buy Bajetic and Endo once upon a time?
They might not be new or shiny but they fall into the we bought them category.
8.) 02 Aug 2024 10:59:54
I love an academy kid coming through more than anyone but c'mon. Endo was bought as a stop gap and did well but don't think Slot rates him, Morton has next to no Premier League experience and Bajcetic is obviously very talented but the lads been out for 15 months, people have wrote Gordon off completely for being out that long. I don't think we win the league this year without signing a starting midfielder to play with Mac! Nothing wrong with signing players, as Pelican says we are not different to any other top club.
9.) 02 Aug 2024 11:09:35
This time last year we had people clamouring for Caicedo, Lavia, Thuram and the other young lad (was it Kone) . Seems we dodged a few bullets. I watched my niece’s little lad, a two year old, open his birthday presents recently. He was more interested in the shiny wrapping paper than what was actually wrapped up.
10.) 02 Aug 2024 11:29:08
We need a DM to come in. Tyler Morton (especially) and Baj aren't coming back from such a long time away.
11.) 02 Aug 2024 11:32:09
It’s not about shiny new toys, if you don’t strengthen you stagnate. Top teams strengthen every year, fergie was excellent at it and that’s why they were dominant for so long.
12.) 02 Aug 2024 12:00:53
Don't be daft FPF. Unless you are a coach at the club, how do you know what our players (especially the youngsters breaking through) are like?
Would I like us to be stronger in certain areas compared to last season? Of course
Would I like to see any departing first teamers replaced? Of course
Do I know that our academy players (remember, we spent a sheep load of money on our academy that reopened 3-4 years ago, yes the tight-bottomed FSG shower spent money to save us future transfer fees) are any better or worse than players we are being linked to? Of course not, and neither do you.
Let's just see what transpires.
Or do you think we can't win anything with kids?
13.) 02 Aug 2024 12:01:47
Reports saying Slot is looking for a ball playing No 6.
Is Bajetic not a ball playing 6? Ends helps out when a rest is needed?
14.) 02 Aug 2024 12:16:51
Because Ferguson got a great crop of kids 30 years ago doesn’t mean it’s a regular occurrence Zed. It’s a bit of a nonsense statement really.
15.) 02 Aug 2024 12:17:59
Bajcetic has played less than 2 games as a DM in the PL.
16.) 02 Aug 2024 12:18:49
Squirsey Baj has only ever started 2 league games for us in his career at DM mate so its hard to answer that question.
I did say reports are saying he's looking for and not wanting to sign one so that does mean the current squad are an option.
On another note it Looks like our starting line up this season is going to be
Kelleher, Bradley, Quansah, Rhys Williams, Chambers, Morton, Trent, Jones, Gordon, Danns and Koumas.
Not a single once upon a time shiny new toy in there.
Imagine how good our bank balance and wage bill would be once we sell the rest of the squad.
17.) 02 Aug 2024 12:26:20
@Peleg, why can’t we strengthen from within? Surely we should have confidence in the coaching staff to improve the players - in particular the youngsters. Of course bringing people in can (and sometimes does) improve the team, but not always and what the club is doing at the moment is presumably taking stock of what we have and if there are areas that the club think can be improved and who can be brought in to do the improving. A lot better than spending a billion and ending up in mid-table.
18.) 02 Aug 2024 12:50:53
I can’t name one player that is realistically obtainable that is guaranteed to make us better for cdm . Therefore I understand why the club haven’t just bought some random player just to appease restless fans . I’d rather we wait aswell until there is a player available that significantly improves us not someone to be just another squad player there is zero point and it’s a waste of resources from the club .
Patience is a virtue. We still have a great team and squad.
19.) 02 Aug 2024 12:56:14
Hi IR - that’s 2 games more than most of the names being linked.
On a general point, I think Baj is quite shiny even if he’s not new.
20.) 02 Aug 2024 13:04:47
Wdw do Man City promote from within, have arsenal? No they strengthen I’m not saying we can’t compete with what we’ve got but if we want to compete and win we need to strengthen.
{Ed001's Note - Man City promote from within all the time - this season their one 'signing' is just promoted from one of their feeder clubs. You are forgetting that all those clubs exist solely as giant academies for City. Not sure that Arsenal are relevant in this conversation until they start actually winning something.}
21.) 02 Aug 2024 13:10:15
I may be wrong here and it is still very early days, but Bajcetic and Morton only got the last 20 minutes against Arsenal. That's despite us being missing Mac Allister still, who I think is a shoe in to play in one of the two 6 roles (as Slot and the players have described it) . Jones, Szoboszlai, Endo and Nyoni have been Slot's preferred midfielders so far in pre-season as the "two 6's". So if Bajcetic and Morton can't get decent minutes whilst our best midfielder is away, or even ahead of a 17 year old, I don't think we'll be relying on them during the season; at least not initially or regularly.
The way I see it playing out is Morton leaves (Leipzig maybe), Bajcetic spends a lot of next season in with the u21's recovering properly and probably playing alongside Nyoni, Gravenberch gets sold or loaned out and we sign a new No.6 more suited to the way we want to play. Leaving us with Mac Allister, Jones, Endo + A. N. other (with Baj and Nyoni coming in for cup games) and Szobosali, Elliott and maybe Carvalho competing for the no.10 role and also providing competition/ depth for the wide positions as well.
22.) 02 Aug 2024 13:38:34
WDW get what you’re saying mate but our current first squad is (guesstimating here) about 90-95% bought and 5-10% brought through the ranks.
I fully agree that it’s nice to see players come from the academy but the evidence shows that the majority of players are purchases.
I’d even argue that’s the case for most top flight clubs.
23.) 02 Aug 2024 13:42:36
In all seriousness, we have an excellent squad that needs only a few tweaks. So let's make those tweaks and not repeat what we did in the last few years by going into seasons with squad gambles.
24.) 02 Aug 2024 14:13:07
Wr may not win the league even if we do sign a midfielder.
25.) 02 Aug 2024 14:49:27
That made me laugh out loud @Faith. Just imagine buying a DM and a LCB and not winning the league - it will take us ages to figure out who to point the finger at ???.
On a separate note it’s true that there aren’t many youngsters who have made the step up from the Academy into the first team squad but that’s the beauty of the work that’s being done at the revamped Academy. We are actively going out and targeting the best youngsters available with the result that the kids who are being taught to play in the same style as the Men’s team are finding it a smoother transition. last year we had Bradley - an exceptional talent bought in as a 16 year old and Quansah who joined Liverpool as a kiddie making the break through. We also have Elliot (ripe old age of 21) who we brought into the Academy and Jones who is a local lad and still in his early 20’s. Nyoni who we brought in last year (and perhaps Nallo) and Doak and Baj may get their chance this season and I suspect that we may see more HG kids coming through internally in the coming years. Again, I’m not saying we shouldn’t go out and buy ‘the right player for the right price’ but hopefully we don’t need 4 or 5 of them every couple of years going forward.
26.) 02 Aug 2024 15:07:13
WDW, exactly that mate.
BTW, to Pegleg, regardless of Man City's wider "academies" they have Phil Foden who has come through their academy.
Other recent players from their academy (who they have either sold or have left on frees) that are worth €10m+ (per Transfermarkt) include Eric Garcia (Spanish CB now at Barcelona - €20m), Brahim Diaz (Spanish midfielder, sold to Real Madrid for €17m now worth €40m), Rico Lewis (RB still at City worth €38m), Angelino (Spanish LB, sold to Leipzig for €17m) and many many more.
So yes, other teams do bring players through their academy and also use academy player sales to fund other growth.
I would rather get the fresh blood to try in the EPL from our own academy than teenagers from other leagues, even if they join the academy later (like Elliot, Bajcetic, Gordon, Clark and so many others)
27.) 02 Aug 2024 16:05:24
Good posts Wdw and Zed.
I think buying talents from other academies and then a having them as home grown players and claiming it’s all the work of our academy is slightly bending the rules though ?.
But in this day and age you’ve got to push the boundaries to get ahead.
28.) 02 Aug 2024 17:16:10
I think the idea that Endo, Bajcetic and Morton would be enough at number 6 to make us title challengers is pie in the sky.
Endo, although decent, isn’t top class, good squad member and cover but not good enough as a first choice, Bajcetic has had a very very long time out and he’s only played maybe two or three games as a defensive midfielder, so there’s not a lot to go on there, as for Morton, he’s not a particularly defensive midfielder, he’s neat and tidy on the ball, but there isn’t much more than that, nothing particularly special about the lad, reminds me of Joe Allen in a way, he wasn’t a stand out midfielder in the championship, he did ok but not much more than that.
As for jones at 6, that’s just a bad idea.
Personally I think it’s the one position we do need to absolutely go for the best player we can on as it makes a difference, look how much of an impact Fabinho had when he came in. I’m not convinced we need to buy a central defender as VDB was a stand out defender in the Bundesliga last year so why not try him. I’m not convinced we need a forward unless Salah or Diaz was going (I’d be tempted to move Salah on because of his age though) .
29.) 02 Aug 2024 22:31:00
We conceded 41 goals in 38 league games last season. apart from Arsenal, who conceded 29 and City who conceded 34, everybody else in the league conceded at least 10 more than us. I’m not necessarily convinced that there is an urgent need, or rather a priority, on buying a DM.
08 Sep 2024 15:11:00
Janmo76. With Nivea?
07 Sep 2024 20:03:12
Have you been looking at guff sites via news now? Is it that Dave OCP or whatever he's called? Its worse than the news of the world headlines.
They put a headline like that, and then say he's just signed a new deal with a shampoo brand or other such absolute drivel.
{Ed025's Note - well he is "head and shoulders" above the rest Vango.. :)
07 Sep 2024 13:02:13
Retirenment in the desert can wait until the 50's. The Saudi's would probably start an ex pro pensioners league if it bought them some kudos.
07 Sep 2024 09:21:07
FSG made a mistake with one of their baseball stars by not renewing, as i recall. Hopefully they have learnt from that and will reward the very best players with longer, higher valued contracts. Some players can maintain the highest standards to 35+. Chiellini went on to 39.
Bottom line, Virgil may have 3/ 5 years left at the top level, if rotated and parked in the garage for milk cup games.
05 Sep 2024 06:57:25
Ed025's Franenstien had a heart at least. That would have made Dicks and ruddock look like the crankies.
{Ed025's Note - good point Vango..
14 Sep 2024 17:00:27
We could have done with some young, raw hunger today. Thugball turned us over once again.
07 Sep 2024 09:28:12
Mbwell77, Exactly. It may only take Nyoni or Baj 2 seasons to be at a similar level to Wharton. Undoubtedly Wharton currently looks like a generational talent, he is fairly local and would not have problems settling in to L4, and yet 100m for someone with as few games as he has played is still risky. Caicedo at 115m was a punt that may well work out, but the way our youth system is shaping up, anything is possible.
06 Sep 2024 23:24:43
In football, when teams buy and sell players, they treat players like "intangible assets, " which means they are hard to put a price on. With things like buildings or cars or rare, collectable (finite) paintings, it’s easy to figure out their value. But with players, the value can be really hard to pin down, so people just look at what similar items have sold for recently.
The problem in football is that agents have started using past transfers to set the prices of current players, often inflating the prices. This makes player prices go up without much reason.
The big issue is that football teams are spending way too much money on players, based on inflated prices, which can hurt the sport. While we usually let markets run on their own, football transfers have become so out of control that some rules are needed to stop this before it causes more problems.
West Derby Wanderer3- I need an emoji to express my joy at your response.
JK23-He might not be worth 100 mill to any club in football but Palace only need him to be worth it to one for them to do a deal. (Exactly, and when you add financial doping into the equation, it is easy to see how far reaching the effects of clubs like City could reverberate through the whole sport and cause all kinds of disparty and chaos)
28 Aug 2024 15:27:35
I agree Murf. I get the feeling that there are a chain reaction is about to set off, and that all kinds of transfer chaos could occur.
28 Aug 2024 15:26:51
If he comes on as a sub and does the business, he will surely be kept. The issue is his pace, although he is more productive than Dom.