Transfer Rumours The 2015 Summer Transfer Window Thread

Krueger said recently that there was no immediate plans for stadium expansion etc and investing on the pitch(squad) was most important.

I believe cash flow has to be a consideration as the club have shown in the past that they're not comfortable with taking out loans. I clearly have no idea about our bank balance, but it's possible that we don't have the immediate cash to pay for Toby and Jordy without money coming in the opposite direction.

Any short term finance will still come with significant interest charges even if they're settled quickly.

I also think it's prudent for us to keep money in reserve. Just because it's there doesn't mean we should spend it.
As our standing in football increases then it could be that a £15m-£20m player might want to come here, so we need to make sure we have the funds and wage cap ready for such move that could take the club up another peg.

 

We had enough cash on hand at this time last year, per our accounts, to cover both transfers even if every cent were do up front, which they would not be. There is no reason to believe that we have less money now...in all likelihood, we have much more as quite a bit of the money for the training ground was spent prior.

 

Just to add to the funds debate - we are rated the 18th wealthiest club in The World - appreciate that has much to do with TV income - but the issue of limited transfer budgets is a thing of the past. Wanting to be fiscally prudent is, of course, another matter, but there should not be an issue with finding funds to purchase players outside of the 'super club' wage structure. As Schad has mentioned the infrastructure seems complete and the next phase would be a larger stadium but frankly we do not generate the attendances to justify that for the time being at least.

 

18th wealthiest is not as great as it might seem when you consider how many Premier League Clubs are at the top.

Fiscal responsibility will also constrict our spending somewhat when you consider how many of the top teams spend like idiots. And the rules aren't equal. The traditional big clubs can run up ridiculous debts and their leagues will support them as they are "too big to fail." It is different for outsiders. Portsmouth learned that the hard way. As did we, really.

But KL deserves our support. I think she has the club's long term interests at heart. The money we earn will be available for player investment, and to the extent it isn't it is because we do not wish to over leverage ourselves according to best practices.

We may not have the money of some other PL clubs, but I honestly wouldn't trade our owner for any of them, and that is what is most important.

 

Those days are effectively over. The increased revenues are such that it takes serious effort to lose money...in '13/'14, only five teams in twenty managed after-tax losses, and only one of the 'big clubs' (that being City). The 'idiotic' spending of the big(gish) six saw them post a combined profit of more than £90m. Every single club in the league posted a positive EBITDA, and the days of teams running wage-to-turnover ratios approaching 1:1 are over; all but two teams in that year, us included, fell between 50-67%.

And it's only going to get more difficult for teams to post losses, because we're thirteen months away from another massive increase in TV money...about £40m a year for a club finishing where we finished. The Football League still dances on the knife's edge of mass bankruptcies, absolutely, but in the Premier League one must now be absolutely atrocious in their dealings to lose substantial sums of money.

 

Rather than sign the 10-15m player who likely wants to come here and is called Jordi Clasie? I don't understand your logic there, sorry. What your proposing is less financially prudent.

Don't spend 10-15m incase we need to spend more?

 

EBITDA is only part of the equation. The amount of debt matters as well. FFP seems to have had the desired effect of reducing wages and increasing financial health although it probably has not done much to equalize the competition. But as a result, thee PL clubs (other than QPR, obviously although they are no longer PL) are not in immediate threat of bankruptcy.

But they are walking a pretty fine line. They have no safety net. Like many sports teams, they are currently enjoying the fruits of a TV bubble, but that may soon burst as consumers cut the cord and find new things or new ways.

 

I was answering the question from Brixham in regards to why we might be spending less on transfers in than we've received over the last two seasons.

In regards to Clasie, it could be he won't come here until Morgan has gone or we think signing him first could effect negotiations with Man Utd or it might be short term cash flow

 

I'd be concerned if we didn't have a larger squad than last season. So far, Forster, Clyne and Duricic have been replaced. Elia too if you count Jay Rod. In that case we need a CB to cover Toby, or to sign Toby, a CM for Morgan, and then IMO still another striker winger and CM in order to be as competitive with Europa games added in...

 

Rodgers also mentioned near the end of last season that our long term intention is to pay some of the money we owe KL back. Won't be everything she has paid in as some was converted to equity, but some was a loan. Finance people have to keep a lot of balls in the air....what happens on the pitch is the most important, but doesn't mean we will overstretch ourselves. Other bills to pay than just the players. From what I've seen over the last few years, we are after players that are good fits for us...buying in the odd superstar just isn't our style. And Osvaldo and Ramirez (to a lesser extent, bless him) may have taught us a lesson.

 

Oh I reckon they should give the fan base a go then we'd soon see who could lose some money.

 

Fans generally want to cut negotiations short by throwing money at it, so they can then point out what a waste of money the player was the very first time he shins a ball into the stands.

 

Great signing for Utd if it happens.

 

I had three aims for this summer:

1. Replace players who leave. As you say, we appear to have done that with Soares coming in for Clyne, Josemi coming in for Djuricic, and effectively Jay for Elia. And if Morgan goes, then we've made it clear that Clasie is an option to replace him. And no doubt we'll replace Toby too, if he doesn't return.

2. Expand the size of the squad. A little bit more work is required here, given that only Martina falls into this category. Although if Gaston stays, then that's a second player who will have expanded our squad size.

3. Sign a top goalscorer. Work also required here, although there is always the possibility of Jay and/or Mane stepping up and scoring 15 - 20 PL goals. Both will surely only improve with age.

 

So who does everyone think we should sign to replace Toby, if he does go to Spurs?

Van Dijk still hasn't left Celtic. He seems like a good fit.

 

Van Beek.

 

Feyenoord are going to love us.

 

I know what you mean, but I think this is par for the course for Dutch clubs. Someone else posted a while back that they are accustomed to clubs from the richer leagues in Europe taking their best players every summer.

 

Van Beek and Clasie double bid.

 

Seems very likely if Morgan goes.