Wouldnt surprise me if they knew about Mane’s desire to leave 12/6 months ago tbh. They obviously have contacts and conversations about contracts throughout the year and we obviously targeted diaz this summer probably for that reason. We obviously got him earlier which made it seem like was an addition but if they knew mane was likely off, then seems logical.
It does look like Diaz was Mane's replacement, but for the last few months Mane has played centrally which makes it now feel like he wasn't a replacement.
This is my thinking as well. I really doubt mane had made a decision as soon we finished the CL final. Diaz replace Mane the winger but now we need to replace Mane the striker - enter Darwin ….
Wonder if we might see Salah more centrally this season. Did it a few years ago, gives him less responsibility defensively and means he’s a bit more unpredictable.
Nope. But the language in the articles from Joyce and the athletic is clear - we will not pay over the odds, indicating we will not get involved in a bidding war with other clubs. Sounds like we know that Darwin wants us only. Which is exactly how we like to operate
the topic of how wasteful chelsea are/were with players is mildly interesting and not at all being "awkward" The fact remains they could today have a team with KDB and salah in it if they were in anyway bothered with developing talent properly. They finished behind the teams who did take them on how many times in the last 5 years?
It’s and buts. To be fair, chelsea have had their own model over the last 20 years that no other club would dare copy. Hoard young players, move them on for money, don’t give them much of a chance and buying ready made players. And it’s worked. Prob most successful English club over the last 20 years? However they’ve been able to do that because of Roman. Yea Salah, kdb, two huge examples wher emissed out on world class players but they’ve still won every trophy possible in last 6 years? Not like it’s stopped them winning. However, now with new owners, remains to be seen if they continue that model or fall more inline with the rest in which case they’ll have to be more patient with the youth players and can’t sell them for pennies then buy them back for big money etc.
this is true but in the end............ Jorge Mendes Once this guy is involved its becomes less about what the player wants and more about how many slices of the pie the agent gets. A slice of benfica. A slice of player and a healthy slice of the buying club. Now thats not to say he cannot be dealt with as we have jota and fabinho who both have him as a money grubber. the other issue is ruben nevez is also tied to him and you see the antics he gets up to keeping a story going. If we really rally want him we have to pay irrespective of bidding wars. Look at bruno fernandes. It was put about at the time that there was no way Fernandes was allowed leave sporting to go to man utd that summer due to the agent and it took til the end of the January window for utd to finally pay the agent and get their man. It was believe that spurs had tried to move in on sporting on the cheap due to their financial issues and mendes bascially blocked it totally no matter how much sporting needed the money. He got his 3 slices of the pie then too. Lets not kid outrsevles that this would be a cheap deal in any way. Benfica are passengers in it, mendes wants his pay day.
yes you are right. They WERE most successful club since 2004 but city have overtaken. in some ways however they held themselves back because of the same mad owner. they could have been bayern or juve level successful but consistently shot themselves in the foot IMO. In the past 6 years 1 league title, 1 fa cup and 1 cl. ok 1 europea but they didn't want it. Thats LFC level success for an oil doping club that could have been fielding a midifeld with kante and KDB and a forward line with hazard left and salah right but ended up with none of that. I'd content that unconstrained spending was stopped by uefa briefly for one season and they immediately went back on the random splurging and its being 1 bil in fake debt to their owner to get round ffp thats won things not strong strategy. compare to city. City have owners who while they have massive egos and engage in every dirty financial trick in the book have got out of the way of sporting side. They basically hired the entire barca director level and pep and set it to work with unconstrained finances. this means BAYERN AND JUVE level dominance. We shoudl be thankful city don't seem too pushed to replicate the chelsea hoarding and player cast off policy at cheslea. and yet... mancs etc would perfer that to LFC challenging them.
Mendes is Jota and Fabinho's agent and their transfers went seamlessly. Like others have said we don't do bidding wars. If Nunez (or Mendes) have decided on Liverpool, it will happen. The only thing that doesn't feel right is the advance warning because that isn't his usual m.o.
As much money as City have spent and the vast array of dizzying talent they have:. They still look mediocre when KDB is out injured or rested. He transforms them from 4th best team in the country to 1st best team.
A couple of names I've seen us linked with Martinelli and Gakpo. Martinelli I know from Arsenal but Gakpo is new to me. He's Dutch, 23, plays for PSV and by all accounts a promising prospect. Anyone seen him play?
absolutely. Take salah out of LFC and you get a winning team see January. Take KDB out of city and what do you get. a capitulation to real madrid. Easily the best player in the city squad. even look at the Villa game. players are chasing him and creating space. He assists the third goal driving onto the ball. thats what he brings.
