Transfer Rumours The January 2015 Window

Agree with this, he's already an international with fantastic pedigree and he's widely known to have visited a number of the top academies in the world and carefuly considered his options before settling on Madrid.

They've shown with young players they've bought in the past (like Varane, Ramos etc) plus obviously those who have come through (Raul, Casillas etc) that it's actually a pretty darm good place to be if you are good enough!

 

Simon Peach has spoken to someone at QPR - who says they have no interest in signing Dani Osvaldo.

Says he will ask Koeman about Dani's future.

 

Thought he was back in training, so Mancini said.

 

Based on nothing but a gut feeling, I would estimate that all major football leagues have a highly competitive second or lower division. Simply because the particular division has the greatest number of players of similar skill.

 

And what about if he isn't quite..?

 

Then he's probably not quite good enough for us then either

 

He'll be loaned out a few times and then sold to a big, big club with a huge sell on fee.

 

Yes, very good.

Sounds like a stable career path.

 

He's only 16 so not sure what we're quite expecting here right now. I imagine he will get loaned, much like Delafao etc from Barca. Will just have to wait and see if he develops well.

 

How is it not? What if he went to us and wasn't good enough? He'd end up in the Championship or lower.

 

You're not quite getting this, are you.

 

No, I do not understand what point you're trying to make.

 

This lad isn't Fredy Adu, lets be clear. This is a child who has already been a standout performer in competitive matches against full-grown professionals with beards and tattoos trying to kick him in the shins. He's played extremely well in a competitive full international appearance to boot, he's no joke. He looks to be a once in a generation talent right now and the watching world believes it too.
If he doesn't come on, it isn't necessarily his fault for going to Madrid, or Madrid's handling of his development, many young players peak early and don't progress. Rare ones stand out from a young age and become phenoms in adulthood. Time will tell.

 

I take your point James G, and everybody's point about players going to the biggest clubs, but the football world is littered with phenomenon youngsters, or even established players, who careers went nowhere because they went to the wrong club, and generally, the fault has been that they went to a club that was too far a stretch for the player at the time.

Yes, I have seen footage of the nipper, and he is very impressive. But it is Norway. Not to offend, but it isn't the highest standard in football. By comparison, look at Sadio Mane. There are various articles abounding that he has been compared to a young Messi, and will possibly be even better. And looking at his videos from RB Saltzburg, you might agree. But has he looked like a world beater yet..? He's in a team and a league which is possibly just the right stretch for him. He may come on to be the world beater he's been touted to be.

 

But then I don't think the right idea is to say he's doing the wrong thing. What aspiring professional athlete is taking the track of "Oh I don't know if I'm good enough to play for them in the next few years"? Especially one who's already a full international. He's chosen a club with great coaches, facilities and he'll be mentored by one of the best players who ever played the game. The situation is not that he needs to make the first team this year or he's a flop, he's a child and his development may continue, it may not, no-one can know, but he must approach his career with the confidence that he will succeed.

 

Not saying he's doing the wrong thing, per se. He's doing the obvious thing, which is where lots of players careers have stalled. It's no shame to take a career step-by-step. Perhaps he really is that good..? We'll find out in a few years.

 

Fredy Adu took his first step from being a prodigy at youth level to DC United. Baby steps.

Last played for Serbian SuperLiga club Jagodina. No-one can know the best course to take.

 

Apart from 'go to Southampton' of course.

 

The source has gone to Pompey. Or should do.

 

He's on £80,000 a week so in one sense he's already made it. Madness.