I see the Spanish & Portuguese leagues are contesting the ban on 3rd part ownership.. mainly because half the Portuguese league use them and a lot of Spanish small teams. Will have huge implications if it comes in... can only see the gap widening at the top of Spain with the rich 4 or 5 being able to still buy players while the lower teams struggle even more. Wonder what it'll mean for those players currently under 3rd party ownership, the club has to buy half their rights or else they become free agent and able to speak to other clubs (although you have to buy the rights from that 3rd party). Not sure if there is anyone decent like that but could mean a few become available from those 2 leagues next season.
3rd party is just plain wrong... i dont mind two clubs owning 50% par se but it'd be similar to a big club buying a player and loaning to a small club for 5 years... what i hate is some kid in effect being owned like a slave by some agent. you should have a contract of work with a club for mutual benefit... not be signed up to be sold like flesh on the slave block as many kids are using this system....
I'm guessing this would include shared ownership too? If so, I'm surprised the Italians aren't complaining too. Edit: scrap that, thought you were talking purely about situations like what happened with Tevez & Mascherano at West Ham
Liverpool begin transfer talks to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan Liverpool have re-opened transfer negotiations with Borussia Dortmund over a summer move for midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is apparently desperate to land the player as he seeks a long-term replacement for Steven Gerrard who is joining LA Galaxy at the end of the season. And German tabloid Bild are claiming a deal is currently being thrashed out for the Armenian international. Mkhitaryan’s agent Mino Raiola has previously hinted that he expects the midfielder to leave at the end of the season. Rodgers originally tried to sign Mkhitaryan in the summer of 2013 when the 25-year-old was playing for Shakhtar Donetsk. Dortmund won the race for his signature then, and the player shone in his maiden season in Germany, scoring 13 goals in 45 games as his side finished second to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga table However, he has failed to reproduce that form this term and it is believed Klopp is now ready to listen to offers for the player he paid £24million for just 16 months ago. Scored 13 last year and probably cost less than the £24m they paid for him after his not so good season this year... Still only 25 and would add goals from the midfield, something our current crop don't offer.
He wasn't terrible last year.. or while at Shaktar, only had a bad season this year, but then so have all the Dortmund players?
Wasn't absolutely amazing last year either, just decent. And although 9 goals wan't bad, he's still a player who, like the rest of Liverpool and Dortmund, is a pretty wasteful finisher. Add to that the fact that he's not exactly showing the most maturity and fight in the situation...not sure he's really what we need to be honest.
He's not good enough. Too lightweight, gives the ball away a lot. And we'd end up paying over the odds for him. Has the markings of an Aquilani all over again tbh
Meier from Frankfurt, doing well this season (not sure he would fit your style though) Whoops, just realised his age 32
Bundesliga is where we should be shopping - criminal that we don't target enough players from there. Incredible talents in that league - Brandt, Meyer, Rodriguez, Sakai, Bender, Firmino. To think, we could have got Shaqiri for £11m.
I wouldn't be rushing to take any players from Dortmund atm. Mentality is more important than technical ability, and Dortmund's performances this year have been utterly atrocious, and none of their players have stepped up to guide them out of their dire situation.
Totally agree. Desire, heart, mental toughness and work ethic should be key to signing any player. No player should be signed just because they possess those attributes but no player should be signed that doesn't have them either.
