But we are paying 15m for someone no way near as accomplished in the premier league. Look at man united they spent 30m on someone who wasn't even ready to be a premier league defender and will probably play in easier UCL games and cup games for the first half of the season. And even then might not make it with them At least you know what you get with Evans
My first contribution to this thread but I had to after I saw these two names in the same sentence - Manchester City, Jonny Evans. That has to be the strangest potential marriage I've seen for years.
Man City turning into the new Chelsea. Evans is a good PL centre back, but will be 4th choice for them. He will cost far more than £18m as he is one of WBA's best players and this late on in the window will add more, so say £25-£30m for a 29 year old 4th choice CB. City invested **** loads in their academy a few years ago and have a lot of promising youth, why not give one of them the 4th spot? Or that bloke who is a full Belgian international who went out on loan to Sunderland last year, Denayer (I'm not sure if he is still at City tbh). Chelsea are the most short sighted of clubs, tied with Barca, but City are showing signs of emulating them.
I was initially wondering where the Chelsea link came in but then you mentioned the young players. It is made that Chelsea have sent out loads of young central midfielders , sold matic and are now short in the position and being quoted 40m for drinkwater. Surely chalobah or loftus cheek have every chance of a reaching drinkwaters ability and are more than adequate replacements
Yeah very short in CM now, can only think of Fabregas, Kante and Bakyoko they have now, probably missing someone obvious. CB aswell, sold Ake, released Terry (probably the right decision on that one) and loaned out Zouma only to splash £35m on Rudiger who has looked pretty average the few times I have watched him. Again it would seem he is going to be 4th choice at best with Christensen still there aswell, surely they could've convinced Ake to fill that role for a year or not loaned Zouma out
Zouma needed games after a long injury It is becoming increasingly obvious that the Chelsea academy is just a profiteering factor - a larger scale version of ours , minus the intent for the players to break into the team Although it would be interesting to see if it is as profitable as it seems when you factor in things like: - having to buy back players like Matic - high wages of even their academy players - the young players squad players being taken by expensive new signings on even higher wages
Throw in the fact that they generally get pretty crap fees for the players they sell and it is a dubious policy in my view. At least they apparently are starting to put buy back clauses in the deals if/when the player fulfils the potential that got him to Chelsea in the first place
Palace trying to sign Olly Burke for €20m from Red Bull Leipzig. Always looked decent when I saw him at Forest but hasn't had much opportunity at RBL, be interested to see how he does if this goes through
Where does he play? I assume he replaces Townsend/puncheon? Heard some interesting analysis about how Dutch style wide players (so de boer's) system are required to be the most trchnical and adaptive players on the pitch and that palace's current runs just run and try and get a cross in. Wonder if Burke is any different
That's a bit harsh on Andros. He just likes to cut in and balloon 98/100 over the bar, waiting for the one or two that fluke into the top corner!
Messi will always be number 2, unless he comes here & does it against Stoke on a weds night in Jan. Do it.
