The bidding begins Woke up this morning to find the follow headline on one of the Dutch news websites: 'Fiorentina bids for Jordy Clasie'. My first thought: here we go, the circus begins. Every year around March and April the preliminary bidding rounds start to shake up the Dutch football market. The transfer season is still 2 to 3 months away but the tugging and pulling from foreign clubs on youngsters usually starts in early spring. Hot prospects, young talents and players playing in international squads are tempted by clubs from all over the world to play for them. Now Jordy Clasie is on of the hot prospects in combination with the international squad. Dutch Team coach Louis van Gaal has selected him a couple of time since the disastrous EURO 2012 and so far he has done extremely well for both Feyenoord and the Dutch national team. So no wonder Fiorentina is keen on picking up the 21 year old midfielder. Now this is just one case. Rumours and bids will start to come in the next few weeks and most of the deals will fall through. The early round of bidding and poking around is crucial for the clubs to see what the value of the youngsters, prospects and top class players will be in the summer.To set an example, last year VFL Wolfsburg, a club from the Bundesliga, bought Bas Dost from Heerenveen in May after a series of bids from other clubs in March and April. The next couple of weeks will be vital for the Eredivisie youngsters as the way the clubs start bidding usually is the tone for the Transfer Market in the Summer. In the past couple of years the Eredivisie has seen mild bidding, clubs were not aggressive in their bidding and not many talents were sold in the summers afterwards. But now with most prospects in the Eredivisie reaching the age of 23/24, the likelihood that a flood of Eredivisie players will move to other leagues is quite big this year. So here is a list of prospects that clubs will likely bid on in the next few weeks or in the summer: Club: Name(age) Ajax: Siem de Jong(24), Toby Alderweireld(24), Kenneth Vermeer(27), Viktor Fischer(18), Christian Eriksen(21), Daley Blind(23), AZ: Jozi Altidore(23), Adam Maher(19) FC Twente: Leroy Fer(23), Dusan Tadic(24, Nikolai Mikhailov(24), Nacer Chadli(24) FC Utrecht: Jacob Mulenga(29), Nana Asare(26) Feyenoord: Erwin Mulder(24), Stefan de Vrij(21), Bruno martins Indi(21), Jordy Clasie(21), Jean Paul Boëtius(18 on 22nd of March) Tonny Trindade de Vilhena(18), Graziano Pellè(27) SC Heerenveen: Filip Djuricic(21), Alfred Finnbogason(24), Jeffrey Gouweleeuw(21) PSV Eindhoven: Jeremain Lens(25), Dries Mertens(25), Kevin Strootman(23), Ola Toivonen(26), Erik Pieters(24) Vitesse Arnhem: Wilfred Bony(24), Jonathan Reis(23), Renato Ibarra(22) Now these names should cover about 80% of the bids and transfer rumours for the next couple of weeks in the circus of the players market.
Clasie's supposed to be one of our target's too, isn't he Cove? Eriksen's contract situation has been suggested as a way for Levy to get him in on the cheap, as well. Martens and Lens would bring us versatility in our wide positions and I know that we were linked with a move for the Belgian in the last two windows. De Vrij was mentioned recently in the media. Liverpool and ourselves, I believe. Basically we're looking at everyone on your list!
About 10 EPL clubs are looking at least 2 of the players on the list. Tottenham are still keen on getting Eriksen, don't know why with Dembele and Dempsey, and Jordy Clasie. Thats why I posted the article on your board.
Dempsey hasn't really worked out for us this season, but I don't think that he or Dembele would be in competition for a place with Eriksen, from what I've seen of the Dane. The former thrived at Fulham by playing in a wide role, so he might slot into the space on the left that Bale's vacated with his new role, whereas the latter plays in a deeper role for us. Bale's taken up the position that he'd best suit and we've also got Holtby there, so it does seem an odd one. Clasie would be fighting for Dembele's place, I think. We desperately need someone to do that. More of a Modric-style player, from what I've seen of him, but he's not afraid of the physical game, despite his slight frame.
Eriksen has been a bit invisable at times this season for Ajax, but he always has an effect on the game even when he's not on the ball. Clasie is the opposite of Eriksen. He demands the ball, wants to be a general on the pitch, taking command of the game. Though Eriksen is the more technical and tactical gifted of the two, Clasie is the one who has been in form in the recent months.
I don't expect Dempsey to be here next season if we miss out on the CL and if he does stay he'll be on the fringes I'd expect. Holtby and Sigrudsson would be the players that I'd see as scuppering a deal for him although we do need another quality, creative midfielder.
Quite a few, Spurm. The only one that we were linked with was Bony, who's a big, physical goalscorer, though I think Tuivonen was suggested ages ago. Best prospect up front is probably Fischer, but he's very young and hasn't scored much recently. Breakthrough season for him.
Viktor Fischer is incredibly talented. I can see him ending up at somewhere like Madrid/ Barca/ Bayern within the next 2-3 years. Eriksen and Maartens are two players I really want/ wanted at Spurs. Wouldn't mind taking a punt on Bony, good goal record since his Sparta Prague days and pretty much a 1 in 3 (5 in 17) record at international (according to Wiki).
apparently we are being offered Diego Capel for 5m I remember when Ramos was apparently going to sign him! That is what we need though, fast, technical players that can change a game. Neither Dempsey nor Holtby can do that yet, and Siggy is not a natural winger.
I've had the displeasure of watching Altidore stink up the pitch for the US. The only thing he does at a Premiere League level is dive.
RWAEB What happened to that young Black American kid, that was going to be one of the best in the world? Did he get some bad injuries or something?
You mean Freddy Adu I think. Last I heard he was playing in the Turkish second division, though Wiki tells me that he's now playing for Bahia, a Brazilian side. No, me neither.
I don't know if you're talking about Altidore or going way back to Freddy Adu--or maybe someone else. I guess I shouldn't be so harsh on Altidore. He definitely has a certain amount of talent. He's big and imposing, and can score against some defenses. If he had a good attitude he might be good for some PL teams, though even then I don't think he's good enough to start for Spurs. It's just that I've seen him put in a lot of disappointing performances playing for the US, while throwing in some outrageous dives, and thought he's exactly the kind of player you don't want on your team. As for Adu, I don't know really, but have always chalked it up to a secondary problem of weaker teams trying to get better: you may have the best thirteen year old in the world, but keep him playing against your own second rate youth players and he won't be the best sixteen year old in the world.
Is Altidore the guy who scored 1 goal in 28 games while at hull city? Now he has 30 goals in 60 games in holland. The dutch league has some talent, no question, but the defending is comical and allows medicore players to make a name for themselves. The trick is to avoid the next Alfonso Alves and find the next Ruud or VDV.
Viktor Fischer got an impressive double in their 4-1 win over NEC yesterday. The first was a lovely piece of typically Ajax football and the second was a delightful finish. [video=dailymotion;xymjeh]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xymjeh_ajax-nec-fischer_sport#.UVmqR5MWJjk[/video] [video=dailymotion;xymkwz]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xymkwz_ajax-nec-wow-fischer_sport?start=10#.UVmptJMWJjk[/video] NEC's goal was scored while the Amsterdam side still seemed to be congratulating themselves in the young Dane's finish, fairly amusingly.
Dempsey? Na, cove... Nor do I! PNP - that Fischer goal was stunning wasn't it?! He looks absolute class!
