We’ve found it hard enough to move squad players on and I suspect the likes of Sissoko and Winks are earning less than City’s squad players. Of course they’re likely better but it’s all relative because richer clubs would look to move for their filler players than ours.
Agreed. The choice is very simple: continue trying to patch growing holes inadequately with veterans, or commit to youth and rebuild. The first option is in the Arsenal guide to declining steadily over the decades. The second is the one Spurs used to go from mid-table to the CL final. Regarding Kane and CIty: "Romano states that the overall value of the bid was £100 million, while Manchester City offered player/s as part of the fee, and not in addition - such as £100 million plus a first-team player." So City get the player who led the PL in goals and assists last year, and in return Spurs will take some of City's deadwood with unshiftable wages off their hands. Sounds like a sweet deal.
So you mean to say if City include enough deadwood, they will receive the best striker in the league for free? Sounds like a magnificent deal that we should be biting their hands off for.
The obvious issue with The Sheikh Mansour Team's offer, other than them pleading poverty is downright ****ing insulting, is the offer really isn't as good as it first appears Let's put aside the £85m for Harry Kane...no, seriously, let's put it to one side, preferably the side which happens to be where the paper shredder is, and look at the other part: first refusal on a batch of players Has anyone spotted the obvious problem with that part of the deal yet? Simply put, here is the issue with that part of the agreement (figures from last year's Football Manager) Nathan Ake - £100k (****ing hell...) Joao Cancelo - £140k Gabriel Jesus - £90k Aymaric Laporte - £120k Riyad Mahrez - £160k Bernardo Silva - £150k Raheem Sterling - £200k Long story short, part of the supposed agreement either sees our wage bill balloon overnight, or begin negotiations by suggesting that some of those wages really do need to come down just a tad - and by "a tad" I mean, with the exceptions of Jesus and Laporte, we're talking £40-50k a week Seriously, £100k a week to Nathan Ake?
Nearly £1m a week on 7 players some of whom are no more than squad players. Rhymes with clucking bell!!!
Not Even Trying Watch The Pathetic report that a "mystery player" is ready to join us, with all the Ts & Cs agreed and all it needs to go ahead is a manager to sign off on the deal Does anyone else get the feeling that The Pathetic has run out of ways to run our manager search into the ground so had to invent a player in order for another go-round?
Arsenal look like they will sign Ben White for £50 mill, again I think we may be missing out on a great young English CB. I know at £50 mill you're paying over the odds. But if we could sell Sanchez + Dier for a similar amount we are bringing in a great long term partner for Rodon and a long term replacement for Toby. I think not having a manager is really holding us back in a time when we need to rebuild.
Totally agree about the manager. Not sure White is the player we need right now. In Tanganga and especially Rodon, we have two young prospects who are currently learning their trade from one player who is past it and two more who are simply an embarrassment to elite football. Right now we need a player at or about to be at their peak; someone who can slot in and make a difference from day 1. Which is why IF Kane goes to City, the only player it makes sense to include in a part exchange is Laporte. Him plus an old head like Ramos to tutor our youngsters would be a dream. Arsenal spending that much on another promising youngster is a damning commentary on the recruitment that already brought in Saliba, Pablo Mari and Gabriel.
Jules Kounde the latest CB to be linked. 22 year old highly rated French CB, currently part of the French Euros squad, plays for Sevilla and knows Reguilon as they won Europa in 2020.
Haven’t seen much of him but if he gets in the France squad and plays for Sevilla then he must be good right? Oh wait, somehow Sissoko is in the France midfield
I doubt they will bother. Started off ok but towards the end of the season, he didn’t play well and was making mistakes for fun.
Portuguese Rando Watch Record (the Portuguese one, not the Scottish one) have linked us with Sporting DM Joao Palhinha, who is busy at the Euros...being third-choice DM behind Danilo and Willem Carvalho, although he did play the second half of their match against France Fiorentina Bring & Buy Sale Watch Opposite ends of the scale here On the one hand we're being linked with a big money move for their striker Dusan Vlahovic, while at the other end we're being linked with a not-so-big money move for their GK Bartlomiej Drągowski Drągowski seems the more likely signing, given he's 23 and was their first-choice last season so there's ever chance we're eyeing him as a long-term replacement for Hugo - while Vlahovic sounds like obvious agent sabre-rattling given he tonked in 21 goals last season which realistically has to be said is the main reason they didn't get dragged into a protracted relegation flight
They’ve also confirmed that Marcelo is staying and will be club captain now Ramos has gone. And Mendy seems highly rated there. So I doubt they’ll go for him. Maybe next year we’ll have to look over our shoulders if he can stay injury free and recapture his pre-injury form.