Transfer Rumours Summer Transfer window

I spoke with some of the Italians I work with on this. They do get frustrated by the money advantage of English clubs but they respect the Premier League as a competition and the fans of the clubs. That’s the fundamental difference.

It’s great that the Inter, AC Milan and Juve fans now pay an interest and know what’s going on with SAFC. One of the lads has a season ticket at Como so has promised he can take me to a game which will be fantastic.

Signing Xhaka genuinely shocked them: The AC Milan fans would have happily had him there.

 

I would kill to live in that area of the world.

 

Funny, bet they weren’t complaining when they had all the money in the 90’s.

That said, that era set Italian football back years and the PL needs to remember that.

Mind, the PL is the best marketed and developed league in the world, could argue one of the best marketed businesses full stop.

The reason the PL bubble isn’t gonna burst, like some say it will, was obvious during Covid when other leagues started early and we had to watch them.

It IS the best top league to watch by a distance (not as good to watch as the championship overall), and it will always be watched worldwide.

Spanish football is slower with less goals, Bundesliga is like PL at a slightly slower pace and level, French is too defensive, Italian is rather predictable.

Also, we complain about a big 6 at times but it does have shock moments. Spain is Real & Barca with one team possibly joining Athletico for a flirt every few years.

Germany is just Bayern. Leverkusen had their year.

France is a closed shop.

There are 4 genuine shouts for the PL this year, with United and Spurs improving, clubs like Forest having a right go, then anywhere up to 10 clubs that can go down, maybe more.

The PL is a genuine competition and that’s why it’s loved.

If us and Leeds stay up, that will only enhance that by stopping the ‘closed shop’ question.

 

Pretty vital for the PL that all three don't go down I'd say. Selfishly of course we all want this trend bucked,( particularly by us!), but the PL cannot stand a cemented in seventeen for too long.

True that there are more shocks now. This is the "middle" being better run and getting stronger. But the top two or three will not change IMO. They might not get 100 points again or as easily, but they'll still be there.

 

100% mate, it’s the one threat to the leagues status.

Most fans don’t want a super league. PL is in danger of becoming one.

 

This for me says Everton are as desperate as the Scum, if not as unattractive to top players.

 

He could be McNeil 2.0. It’s a crazy fee:

It COULD become a bargain though same token, I just don’t see how a winger thrives in a shoddy defensive side that’s gonna be pegged back a lot.

 

Good luck to the lad, hopefully moyes doesn't affect his career to much

 

I've told you a million times stop exacturating.

 

Or his mental wellbeing having to look into his face on the daily..

 

Any good as never heard of him

 

Great to hear this, but Serie A was the Premiership of the 90's I remember teams spending ridiculous sums of money 14m on Lentini if I recall. Then the arse fell out of Italian football.

 

Was expected to be a really big player when was a kid at Porto.

Got a few injuries at wrong time and ended up with a bit of an odd slightly nomadic career.

Very useful defender and left footed. Hasn’t played enough games due to the injuries, but he’s class in the air and his passing is excellent.

Wouldn’t have been a shock link earlier in window.

 

My grandad did, years ago back in the 40's

 

He's a hard lad to place really. I like watching him as he clearly doesn't play by numbers and will need a team to show him some slack. It could work with Moyes, but it is impossible to see one of his teams having both this lad and Grealish in the same side.

 

It’s a beautiful part of the world. I have the perfect mix of Italian scenery and culture with the Switzerland infrastructure and benefits.

Like anywhere though there are drawbacks and I do miss England. I have loved seeing the development of Sunderland on the coverage of both SAFC and the Rugby WC over the past week. The city has been shown in a great light and looks like it is really improving and thriving.

 

Its all a bit Xhaka isnt it

 

Sadly for him to leave he’d end up getting a divorce