Someone has commented that there are reports we are close to signing Pereira from West Brom but I haven’t seen anything
He'll probably gobble up all of the Emi money unfortunately. We need to recruit 3-4 players with what we get from this deal.
Sadly, I have to agree. Pereira would be a really good replacement for Emi and would fit Farkeball very well, but Leicester are said to be interested and we'll have little chance if that's true.
I honestly believe that Emi will live to regret this. Villa are a very average team, and I cannot see any benefits to his career with this move. No chance of Champions League to showcase his skills to the World stage. Best of luck, you are going to need it.
I think their intention is to play both Grealish and Buendia, Robbie, that's come out of the Villa press repeatedly. They don't play on the same side, even if both offer creativity. It means they're still in a good position if Grealish goes however. I would imagine Webber and the recruitment team have envisaged Buendia's departure for a while, and have planned accordingly. We'll have a list of targets for sure, and the whole window to land them. That said, this feels like a real test for the model. If we're relegated after a weak season in which summer signings again fail to make an impact, despite the biggest budget NCFC have ever had, questions will be asked of Webber. I think that would be unfair, and I don't think there's a better model for the club, but there will undoubtedly be loud complaints. That said, I'm confident they've learned lessons of previous seasons and will buy better. Buendia and Todd both managed 8 goal contributions each last time in the Prem last time, if we have Todd + a new signing make more than 10 each next season, then hopefully we'll have done a good job replacing Buendia. I think plundering WBA, Bournemouth, Swansea, etc is going to be difficult because there just isn't the value there that we'd get overseas. But that said, I'd be very happy to see Pereira, Matt Grimes, David Brooks or Danjuma in our side.
I'm still in shock (not about him going, but about us not holding out for more money and especially about him going to a mediocre club like Villa), so I'm probably not making much sense. One thing I will admit is that Webber is very brave. He must know that this really puts his neck on the line if this all turns to dust. Aarons is effectively out of the door as well, and it doesn't exactly encourage Cantwell to hang around. If the new recruits don't work, Carrow Road is not going to be a happy place next season. EDIT: I know, I'm sounding negative, and I'm sorry. It's the selling to Villa that has got to me, I think. A team we left in our wake in 18-19, who survived 19-20 only due to a ridiculous technology error, but are somehow now so far above us that we sell them our best player and can only dream of finishing above them.
It always feels a long way down when we lose our best player before the window even opens, but it's true that SW has to get it right this time. We all knew that Maddison was leaving, but it still hurt after a season where we finished in 14th. SW got lucky with Pukki on a free (he was seen as a backup for Rhodes when he was recruited). Buendia also surprised everyone and success followed largely due to those two. The dismal failure of the recruitment for the PL last time (Byram was the only bright spark) leaves me concerned about now. We will probably lose at least two of our best players, which didn't happen last time and we still ended up with a miserable 21 points. We need some positive moves soon or this season could be even more embarrassing.
Has the club made an announcement ? Do we know what the deal is worth ? Do Villa trade in a different currency to Arsenal ? How do we know how the money from this deal is going to be invested and what the result of that investment will be ? No ones been lied to. SW has been very clear from the start what the strategy is. Selling our best players is the only way we can survive as a club. We had a similar response from some fans when Maddison was sold. Really some fans need to get a grip. I know it's a bit radical, but maybe we should wait until we can see the whole picture and how things pan out before writing next season off, before it's even started.o
I've seen a cynical suggestion that the price has come out ahead of the deal actually being confirmed to try and get Arsenal to put their money where their mouth is. Webber wants the deal done at the start of the window to reduce uncertainty, and isn't prepared to wait til August for Arsenal to decide they don't want him. If it costs us £2-3m then maybe that's worth it. But realistically, I'm not sure who else has the money to spend £35m on an attacking midfielder - who can't spend £60m and get someone with pedigree. Arsenal and Athletico appear to have been priced out, Serie A is bust, he doesn't fit Bayern... At least with the deal done, speculation ends, Farke doesn't spend all summer planning for life with Emi only for him to leave. From Webber's perspective, relying on one exceptional player to keep us up leaves us vulnerable to injuries, whilst 3-4 seriously quality players who improve the squad significantly gives us a much greater chance. Got to recruit those players well though.
DH Canary said: At least with the deal done, speculation ends, Farke doesn't spend all summer planning for life with Emi only for him to leave. From Webber's perspective, relying on one exceptional player to keep us up leaves us vulnerable to injuries, whilst 3-4 seriously quality players who improve the squad significantly gives us a much greater chance. Got to recruit those players well though.[/QUOTE] Some very good points here.
Nassef Sawiris is the third richest Premier League owner worth about £6 billion . I don't think the club would force our best players to leave and Emi wants a pay raise . Without him survival is much less likely though.
it’s on the BBC who rarely have it wrong. In the current environment I think it is a decent price, if not as much as maybe we hoped. It allows us to invest elsewhere.
Michael Bailey reports that the deal is £33m initial fee, plus £5m in add-ons, and a 10% sell-on. NCFC bought Getafe out of their sell-on clause (no idea for how much), so we get all of the £33m fee.
On the plus side, Skipp has been spotted viewing properties in Duke Street, Norwich. So perhaps something there. Honestly wouldn't surprise me if the club line up an incoming deal to announce very soon after Buendia's departure.
Yes we could use some good news to soften the blow. Re: Buendia... I share Lisbon's frustration that it's Villa! It does seem a small step forward when he's ready for bigger things. As others have pointed out, it's money. We need it and if Villa are bidding just £2m more than Arsenal, that's another potential new Buendia fee in the purse. As a 'sell-to-survive' club we've got to balance the joy of seeing freebies shine and cheap nuggets develop into superstars with the heartache of seeing those superstars sold.
I agree with this and would add that in order to attract the Buendia's of the future we need to show that we are will to let our best players go when the time & money is right for the club & the individual player. £33m is a great price for an exception Championship & unproven PL player.
