Transfer Rumours The 2015 Summer Transfer Window Thread
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What constitutes "a disproportionate amount of money", though? At current, we spend less between wages/fees than just about anyone save for the newly-promoted clubs. We're likely entering year three of being quite profitable indeed, and we're a year away from a windfall of 35-50m annually, depending on how the overseas rights work out.
I'm all for financial responsibility, but if VVD is the final transfer of this window, we've gone some distance beyond that.
When VVD comes in, it will bring our overall spend to £43 million ish, and a net spend of £4.5 million ish. Think people get too caught up about net spend etc. I'd highly doubt we'd spend £60 odd million this Summer with £70 odd million spent last Summer.
Net spend matters when we're taking into account money available. We heard last summer that all of the money from those transfers were to be spent on players...unless they were taking into consideration wages (but not the wages of the players sold), that does not appear to be the case. And a PL side these days with a net spend consistently at or around zero and low wages is going to be enormously profitable; the question is whether we ought to be congratulating ourselves for our fiscal responsibility while being outspent by mid-tier clubs that are still maintaining very healthy finances. Many of us, myself included, tut-tutted West Ham's high wages and spending upon returning to the Prem...and yet, in 2013-14, they turned a profit of 10m. That's the current environment.
They've publicly stated that there are no plans to do so, though; they don't think that a larger stadium could be filled consistently. It's possible, but doesn't appear likely.
But because of the amount of transfer fee's that we have received over the past 2 seasons, our net spend hasn't been needed/is very high. We've outspent a lot of clubs in this window, just not in terms of net spend. I'm not surprised at all tbh.
Fair enough. I must have missed that statement. If that's not the plan then I don't know what's going on.
We have absolutely spent money in raw terms. But when the funding to do so comes exclusively from selling off our best players, it's incredibly difficult to sustain progress.
Put another way: there are three things that most seem to agree on. One, we have money now; we can afford to add a significant player without causing any real financial difficulty. Two, have no money woes looming next year; the whole of the PL will be receiving a major boost in revenues, and most seem to expect 2-3 more sales of major players. Three, we are still short on quality, though opinions differ on what we're most lacking (with a playmaker or striker headlining most lists).
No one should want or expect us to spend until it hurts, but given the above, I do think that it's worth a raised eyebrow if we stop after VVD. We have a need; we have the means; we have no compelling reason not to, beyond profit maximization.
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Got to remember too that Clasie and VVD are absolutely premium players. That's two premium players that in theory could get into all but probably two of the teams in this league. You wouldn't ever expect more than that from Saints - ie. it's a decent haul, plus the rest. I know we've yet to see how they handle the PL, but on paper that is the idea. Any premium player can go tits up in practice - see Twatbeard.
Sorry Pelletron, but see Clasie as a 'premium' player - not yet convinced that VVD is yet the finished article which Toby was. More 'work in progress' but with good potential. Overall, I do not believe we have substantially improved the squad over last season. (Note the underline before I get criticised for stating not improved). We seem to have backfilled the depth of the squad that was needed, but have slight concerns that the academy players will have fewer opportunities as consequence in the short term.
Not too far different to you, I was slightly more optimistic with 8-12. But then I had assumed Toby was 'a given' before that transfer debacle.
£40m spent on the training ground
Wages wouldn't be that different. For example Bertrand is likely to be paid more than Shaw was, so I doubt we've made any savings.
We've also suffered significant losses on Osvaldo & Gaston.
I have no problem if the Liebherrs don't want to spend masses of the money and try and do things with some prudence. They saved this club from extinction and I'm not going to quibble about being out spent by some other clubs just a few years down the road. Their money saved us and if they think they can make it work this way, I am prepared to back them.
Even if they decide to take out large dividends, fine by me.
Never forget.
Even if they decide to take out large dividends, fine by me.
Never forget.
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I agree FLT. This has nothing to do with money spent for me, it's scouting and recruitment that's the issue.
Yoshida has gone from fourth choice to first team regular. (Yes I know we have injuries) we appear to have bought full backs that aren't up to it. We could have easily bought a young English known quantity instead of dross like Cuco martina. I hope he improves, but honestly he looks like an awful transfer at this moment.
Yoshida has gone from fourth choice to first team regular. (Yes I know we have injuries) we appear to have bought full backs that aren't up to it. We could have easily bought a young English known quantity instead of dross like Cuco martina. I hope he improves, but honestly he looks like an awful transfer at this moment.
Need a cb and a striker minimum. Still haven't got a striker to play through the middle when pelle inevitably goes on his laboured 2-3 month spell.
I per my comment above Osva - the transfer objective seems to have been to fill out the squad, presumably not just for the EPL but our 'tilt' at Europa League. The overall quality of the squad has not been improved. Juanmi is someone who hopefully will come through given time, but to date, for me, we have not replaced Morgan or Toby with 'like for like' or traded up. If we sign VVD - he, like Juanmi is work in progress. Hence my other comment that, close-season,I thought we finish 8-12th but now possibly a little lower on the basis of what I have seen from this squad so far - maybe 12-14th position, even with the return of the injured players.
At the moment our stadium isn't filled for every match...some of that may be due to poor take up by visiting fans, but part may be due to the inability to get tickets together, especially when combined with being televised. It's a shame because a larger stadium provides an opportunity to do ticket offers for youngsters (the next generation of fans). However, it would be incredibly expensive to enlarge SMS, especially when ticket sales are not as important to a club as they once were (with so much money coming from Sky and the EPL). I bow to the number crunchers who have more info than we do. Enlarging SMS is obviously a thing for the future.
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