IMO for those wages, this would be a terrible deal. He has looked out of sorts this year, and we need someone with more presence, fitness, long term future and re-sale value.... I'm looking at you MR BEN Tekkers TEKE I don't think we will shift Ade, so may as well keep him as a squad player. End of the day, if Villa deal hinges on us getting Champions league, he doesn't reeeeaaallly want to play for us. Not like Verts did.
If we don't shift Ade, the striker we bring in will be distinctly average due to the wages that Adebayor eats up. We have to shift him if we want to stand a chance of signing what we need.
Verty is younger, so moving to Spurs is a good "shop window" strategy. Villa is coming to the twilight of his career. But Spurs cannot afford "pension player" wages.
Monaco have been linked with both Adebayor and Assou-Ekotto, with even Gallas getting a whisper. Newly promoted and billionaire backed, it seems that they're trying to push for the title in their first season back in Ligue 1. Lots of other names on the radar though, so I wouldn't put too much stock in any of it. Don't be surprised if all three leave WHL, though.
Just seems like going back to the days of buying liverpool caste off's. Buying young, hungry up-and-coming potential has served us well: THud Daws Lennon Bale Walker Naughton etc
With any luck (i.e. Monaco overspending) we'd get the best part of £25m for the three of them - that would be a nice boost to the summer kitty. Going by the latest players we're linked to and the values quoted in the articles, we need to spend... Moutinho - £20m Benteke - £20m Leandro - £16m Negredo - £15m Villa - £13m Shaw - £8m (plus £7m worth of add-ons) Tello - £8m Sergi Roberto - £7m
£25m? Gallas is out of contract, I think, and the other two might raise about £15m for the pair, if we're really lucky.
Monaco are liked to silly money bids with plenty of players, so it isn't beyond the realms of possibility that Levy would set prices along the lines of £10m for Benny and £15m for Ade. Or is that realms of possibiLevyty? PossiLevyty?
If Leandro could be sorted out so easily, that would be done in time for Monday's edition of Pointless.
The bottom 3 and perhaps Rebic would be Comolli-esque in manner (young, emerging English, a Croat etc) .
I assumed that Croydon didn't mean all of them, Spurm. Not sure how any squad would accommodate Villa, Negredo, Benteke and Damiao.
I'm not saying the whole lot of 'em! As the £8m + add-ons has been quoted for Shaw that seems a very Levyesque signing, and from that standpoint Roberto, Tello and Rebic (£5m) all sound the same as the prices offer potential for either the money being recouped or a large profit to be made, and that would amount to £28m...although expect that to come down to £22m or less when Levy gets through with them (I'd half expect a £10m double swoop for Tello and Roberto with £5m worth of add-ons, for example)
HBIC, if we get £25m for Ade and Benny, Levy is a genius. like pnp says, £15m if we're lucky, and i'd say we've done well with that sum to be honest. We just need Ade off the books to make way for someone who's gonna score more than 4.
Villa is class, but I wouldn't go for him. The probable top level football life of a 31 year old striker is probably around 6 months--if that. Even if he does have a brilliant season or two, we'll have to figure out how to replace him from the moment he arrives. Finally, whether we like it or not, we're the kind of club that's had success finding the next very good young player. I can't see making an exception here.
Tello won't leave Barca this summer. The rumours are all rehashed from last year. He's had a good season. Young, Spanish, Barca through and through. They're looking rid of Villa and possibly Sanchez. Tello is staying. Even if he was to go he'd cost more than £5M. He's worth £7-8 and would probably take over £10M to prise away.
