Saint Gaston!

[TheSecondStain]

"Nothing is ever certain" I said, but I believe this is pretty close.

Cortese has a reputation for being stubborn and acting capriciously, but he's also proven that he is a shrewd businessman. No-one with half a brain would go to the considerable trouble of convincing a player like Ramirez that his future lies at Southampton, offering him better terms than anyone else, travelling back and forward to Italy and inviting Bologna officials over just to fall out over the timing of payments.

Equally, the Bologna chairman has a similar reputation but he's not an idiot either and must realise this is his best option. Their people are not going to travel to England for a maybe. They are also desperate to sell him so they can get a replacement before the transfer window shuts. However it is clearly in their interest to talk about other teams being interested. It's a negotiating ploy. Newspapers will happily grasp this and run with it because it makes for a good story, but the only team that has made a concrete offer and agreed terms with the player is Southampton. 95% of the work has already been done, both clubs and the player want this to happen.

On the other hand, as much as the papers talk about Liverpool, there has been no contact reported between them and Bologna or Ramirez. Spurs have flatly denied interest and are reported as having other targets. Inter either can't afford him or don't think he's worth the money it would take to get him. This makes sense, he wouldn't be a key player for them in the same way he would be for us, so all things being equal we would naturally be willing to offer more money.

So picking the bones from that, I just don't see how it can go wrong.

Well, as you wrote, nothing is ever certain. However, if Cortese wants Ramirez here enough, he's going to get him. The top 6 clubs, who have the spare cash, don't want him enough, in my opinion, and nobody else will appeal to Ramirez any more than Saints. I suspect we're into the fine details of the negotiations, and I'd love to be a fly on the wall. Also, I'd love to see Mark Lawrenson's reaction when Colin Murray tells him he is wrong.

 

[- Doing The Lambert Walk]

I'm fairly sure Inter are skint. Like the rest of Italy.

Only club that seems to be buying more than it's selling is Juventus.

And they had to sell Melo et al to do that!

 

[pass the football]

Strong points on the surface but it relies on the premise that things are being exaggerated by every media source in the world. Obviously the media sensationalises everything, nobody will deny that but to fully believe everything in your post you have to assume that they've fabricated every "falling apart" story. Possible? Yes. Certainty? Of course not.

Bologna want to sell him but there's no point selling him for terms that don't suit them. It's not a shocker to see a team not be desperate to throw away their star player. I find it very hard to believe a team like Inter isn't prepared to make some sort of approach.

I don't know, I want to have faith but too much can go wrong. If we keep trying to grind out the best deal for us, then what's to stop them going "**** this, not wasting any more time, let's go try to pimp him out to teams like Inter"?

I just think there is a time in these transfers between 'bid made' and 'offer accepted' where there is no news and it's very easy to turn 'no news' into 'problems with negotiations'. Remember Everton gazumping us for Rodriguez? And slightly more credible are the ones that take 'some (quite easily surmountable) problems' and turn them into 'big problems, look at these other teams we can include to sell papers to their fans too'.

Bologna and Ramirez have got into a position where they really need to sell him, and as more time passes they will become more desperate. Unless another party shows it is willing to match our offer, which none have come close to doing so far, then we only have to wait for the phone to ring. While that's the case, the deal is far from 'dead' as many are reporting.

 

[- Doing The Lambert Walk]

Further confirmation from Bologna journalist @DL_Corriere:

we guess bolognafc chairman wants so much that money and he will be so upset if ramirez stays



Someone then asked if Guaraldi wants to sell:

@Zoggers87 more or less.. but he cannot say it


Nixon said this too. They want to sell, we know the terms...deal to be done.

 

[- Doing The Lambert Walk]

Article:

Guaraldi and freezes all back, "Ramirez?'s Not over yet"
​

Negotiations with the Southampton jumped sigh of relief from the fans rossoblu, but coming back from holidays, Guaraldi disassemble the enthusiasm with a few words: "It is not over yet." It is clear that the company will try to sell all but Gaston, as is also clear that against Chievo Pioli can not deploy the Uruguayan playmaker and lacks even a hint of value. A beginning immediately uphill for technical native of Parma will have to do with the little available, at least in Verona, waiting Floccari.

 

[Piri Weepu]

Thank god I kept the receipt for the Justin Bieber album.

 

[SFCJordi]

Further confirmation from Bologna journalist @DL_Corriere:

we guess bolognafc chairman wants so much that money and he will be so upset if ramirez stays



Someone then asked if Guaraldi wants to sell:

@Zoggers87 more or less.. but he cannot say it


Nixon said this too. They want to sell, we know the terms...deal to be done.

So it's in our hands?

 

[ollysaints1]

It sounds as if we have pretty much been offered Ramirez for €15,000,000. down to whether we can afford the upfront payment now.

 

[Joe!]

This sounds good.

 

[olddellboy]

I can confirm that I have absofeckinglutely no idea what is happening in any transfer dealings. And these Italian translations aren't helping!!

 

[pass the football]

So it's in our hands?

What are you asking him for? Work it out for yourself!

 

[Jose Fonte baby]

This is nearly as on going as the Fabregas transfer!

 

[- Doing The Lambert Walk]

Work it out. Nixon remains adamant.

Said "they don't come to you unless they want to sell".

Cortese is not going to panic, he will play the game and run the clock down. We will be their only offer as it stands, and Spurs and Liverpool's interest no longer exists.

 

[pass the football]

Negotiations with the Southampton jumped sigh of relief from the fans rossoblu, but coming back from holidays, Guaraldi disassemble the enthusiasm with a few words: "It is not over yet." It is clear that the company will try to sell all but Gaston, as is also clear that against Chievo Pioli can not deploy the Uruguayan playmaker and lacks even a hint of value. A beginning immediately uphill for technical native of Parma will have to do with the little available, at least in Verona, waiting Floccari.

For those who are confused:

Chievo Verona are the team Bologna open their season against at the weekend. Pioli is the Bologna manager and the 'technical native of Parma' the quote refers to. Floccari is the guy they have earmarked as Ramirez's replacement, currently on the books at Lazio.

 

[Dan]

I just think there is a time in these transfers between 'bid made' and 'offer accepted' where there is no news and it's very easy to turn 'no news' into 'problems with negotiations'. Remember Everton gazumping us for Rodriguez? And slightly more credible are the ones that take 'some (quite easily surmountable) problems' and turn them into 'big problems, look at these other teams we can include to sell papers to their fans too'.

Bologna and Ramirez have got into a position where they really need to sell him, and as more time passes they will become more desperate. Unless another party shows it is willing to match our offer, which none have come close to doing so far, then we only have to wait for the phone to ring. While that's the case, the deal is far from 'dead' as many are reporting.

I suppose. I just can't imagine that there are no other teams willing to come in, that's where I see the problem being. Who knows, no point stressing. If he signs, great, if he doesn't never mind. At least Bologna are talking to us, unlike Blackpool.

 

[SFCJordi]

What are you asking him for? Work it out for yourself!

It was slightly rhetorical.

 

[fran-MLs little camera]

No reason for Blackpool to talk to us if they don't want to sell a player. Seems a good ploy.

 

[pass the football]

I suppose. I just can't imagine that there are no other teams willing to come in, that's where I see the problem being. Who knows, no point stressing. If he signs, great, if he doesn't never mind. At least Bologna are talking to us, unlike Blackpool.

The key really is that the intersection of teams who can afford him and teams that consider him a big enough improvement on their current squad to merit spending that money is extremely small. It might well just be us.

Blackpool are financially stable and don't want to sell, a very different proposition to Bologna. As I said right at the beginning, I don't see £6m as enough for them to part with Phillips, unless he forces the issue.

 

[S-Clarke]

I think this is a fair assessment of where we're at..

1) - Gaston wants to sign for us
2) - He's agreed terms and contract length
3) - Bolonga want to sell
4) - He has a value of around £15m euros
5) - Previous suitors, Liverpool and Spurs, have either signed an alternative or are pushing for an alternative.
6) - He's burnt his bridges at Bolonga, their chairman himself has said this
7) - Bolonga are trying to line up a replacement player, but cannot until they have the money
8) - They need the money.

So basically, there is a deal to be done, it revolves around minor problems in terms of payments and how they will be paid. Once we get closer to the window, Bolonga will realise that they have no other alternative than to accept our offer as I'd expect it to be the only one on the table. What we've offered is already more than Spurs (in terms of terms to the player).

So sit back, don't get stressed over it and trust that our club know what they're doing. If it gets to a stage where it really isn't going to happen, they're not stupid and they will move on with enough time to sort an alternative. But in my opinion, not an in the know opinion, but an opinion based on what I've read is that it will happen. We just need to hold our nerve.

 

[Dan]

The key really is that the intersection of teams who can afford him and teams that consider him a big enough improvement on their current squad to merit spending that money is extremely small. It might well just be us.

Blackpool are financially stable and don't want to sell, a very different proposition to Bologna. As I said right at the beginning, I don't see £6m as enough for them to part with Phillips, unless he forces the issue.

I was encouraged that as well as him saying he loved our contract offer, he pointed out how he wants to be a starter. That's something that puts us in an even smaller section of the "can afford, want player" Venn diagram.

Doesn't matter if £6m is enough or not if they won't even discuss it!