Transfer Rumours transfer thread fact and fiction

Didn't your club icon not only win 0 trophies as a player, but also get you relegated when he took over as manager?

People in glass outhouses and all that...

 

I don't think Edwards would be a cheap option as Sporting are supposedly valuing him at a crazy price (though likely due to our 50% clause). I'd also like to think Conte's starting to realise that young players can actually make an impact after Gil's and Sarr's recent performances but I won't hold my breath as I'll wait and see within the next couple weeks how much he uses them once others are back fit and available. Sarr's only played through a freak situation where three other CMs have either been injured or lacking fitness and it's similar for Gil with Kulusevski, Lucas and Richarlison all being out, as Conte would've almost certainly played the latter two above him at RW if fit.

The value of players don't overly concern me because we've royally ballsed it with expensive options too, Ndombele, Sanchez, Soldado and especially Lo Celso were poor value for money and currently Richarlison has been nowhere near worth £60m so far either via some poor performances and injuries, whereas Vinicius fulfilled his backup role perfectly when on loan. But what does concern me is priority signings being treated like they're not must haves with constant haggling, I'd have understanding and sympathy if Porro was valued ridiculously but he's not, he can be got with or without Sporting's say so for £39m, should've been done on the opening of the window considering how badly we need someone proper in that role. Edwards can then be worked on in due course if he's a genuine target.

 

We don't have to care about Sporting sorting a replacement because we simply have to pay his release clause. They're not selling for less, every journalist has confirmed that so far and nor should they, we wouldn't with any of our key players if they had a certain clause so we should get it done. Longer we wait the longer we give others a chance to steal a march and it also means having Emerson/ Doherty play more than we want to see.

 

The other thing to note is that Betis (I think) just sold a RB, so we may have been waiting for the domino effect of them taking Emerson off us and then we move for Porro.

 

We should sign the player we need regardless of any other club’s situation, if Porro is indeed the considerable upgrade we hope he is on Emerson and Doherty then he should’ve already been through the door. I’m not necessarily a fan of stockpiling players but I’m also not a fan of having to persist with poor players in a position either.

There’s inclinations in recent articles that Emerson doesn’t even want to leave at the moment so we may be stuck with him regardless of other club’s needs.

 

You're missing the point

If the time where Sporting can find a replacement is also used to work out the finer points of a contract with Porro, then when the dominoes fall into place we can trigger the release clause and then basically have him sign the deal there and then

On the other hand, if we trigger the release clause but don't have anything in place, that leaves a window wide open for somebody else to gazump us - which is what happened with Willian

 

I don’t necessarily disagree with you but you also can surely see why the club might find having 4 players for one position somewhat ridiculous. We probably wouldn’t even be able to register them all because of the HG rules.

 

There is no point other than paying the release clause and signing the player, Nico Schira already suggests we’ve got things agreed with him.

What happened a decade ago with Willian is completely irrelevant to now.

 

All the more reason for one of them to have their agent find them a move if they know they won’t be registered. There’ll be an offer made eventually, whether it’s a permanent sale or a loan or a loan to buy.

Loaning out Spence will be easy too, that’s not something to worry overly worry about.

Priority should always be about improving first and foremost.

 

It isn't irrelevant, though. In fact it is more relevant than ever

If (for the sake of argument) we wanted to sign an MLS player with a £5m release clause, we'd pay the clause up front and work on a deal as the clause is chicken feed and the player likely wouldn't be on the radar of other clubs, so there is no issue

When the release clause is €45m and there's various other clubs being linked with him, plus The Sheikh Mansour team have a buyback clause for half of what the release clause in, then it's patently obvious that we need to have things sorted out in advance as that alone is a potential means for him to slip through our fingers even before the possibility of Chelsea or Barca flinging their hats into the ring

So there is a point, because tipping our hand too soon is what saw Luis Diaz snatched from under us last January

 

It's been rumoured that we may not have the cash to buy Porro and a Kulusevski/Lucas replacement, which are supposed to be our main targets this window...and that's leading to involving Edwards in the deal somehow. If they significantly overvalue him, we might get a good price for our rights on a future sale to someone else. Whether it works, is another matter but I would expect us to try it on, irrespective of our finances, but even more so, if money is tight.

I've precious little faith in Conte using young players ahead of more mature options (when available). I don't see a path for Gil to get meaningful minutes once Kulusevski and Richarlison are fit. The same goes for Sarr and to a lesser extent, Skippy once Bentancur. Hojbjerg and Bissouma are available. It just isn't what Conte does and we should have had this at the front of our minds when we appointed him. I have doubts as to whether we did.

In relation to Lo Celso, Ndombele, Sanchez, etc. They had the chance to prove whether they were up to it. Coaches tried to fit them into the team and get out of them, what we thought we had seen. They were failures at BIG money and that hurts...but they were in with a chance. Buying Rodon was a ****ing joke. Poch played an injured Trippier ahead of Aurier for a season and had to be forced into using Llorente. Those players were never wanted by the coach and their failures were guaranteed before the publicity photographs were taken.

 

Yeah I agree, if it’s the case that forcing Emerson out is the goal then there’s no easier way than having another player come and take his spot especially as I believe one of his past clubs where he’s appreciated still now need a RB. Plus as you say I’m sure there would be takers for Spence on loan at a high Championship/low PL level. That would work for the player and the club.

 

No it isn't. No transfer implicates the direction of how another will go.

Porro has a release clause, if we want him, we pay it, it's that simple regardless of how complex you're trying to make it sound.

 

Yes, one transfer does indicate the direction of how another will go

Roma fans are keenly aware of this after Malcom somehow got lost on the way to Italy and found himself signing a contract at the Nou Camp

 

The Lucas replacement is the lesser priority so the club and Conte should worry about that later and ensure Kulusevski and Porro get done, because once all forwards are fit, Lucas (or his replacement) won't get much game time anyway.

I agree with you RE Conte, that's why I've said I'd rather loan Sarr out despite his impressive performances of late as I know full well he'll be wasting on the bench once others return in a week or two. Gil I have slightly a bit more faith in to play but I'm still doubtful, he should be next in line for RW if Kulusevski doesn't play, not Richarlison and not Lucas, I think all fans would want that and Conte should know he's put in the best performances out of everyone bar Kulusevski there too, so we'll soon see within a few weeks or so if that's the case or he tries fitting square pegs again with Richarlison and/ or Lucas.

 

We're not Roma, this isn't Malcom. Past transfers involving us or other clubs has nothing to do with us chasing Porro, nothing does, every transfer is its own unique situation, nothing from the past affects it, not Willian, not Diaz, not Malcom, not anyone.

 

Not strictly true.

The reputation of Levy (specifically as a buyer)
would precede Spurs before negotiations with a
selling club ever ensued.

 

Release clause doesn't need a round of negotiations. Pay it and there is literally nothing the club can do to stop the move, as long as the player himself has agreed personal terms.

I think this is much more to do with what Huddle mentioned above - it is highly unlike Levy to want four RBs in the squad. We aren't managed by Gareth Southgate, after all. Spence needs a loan but I'd expect we're waiting for one of Emerson or Doherty to secure a move away before triggering the release clause. As others have said it's a risky game as another club could steal ahead of us, while signing him at the end of the month means he'll miss as many as four fixtures plus around twelve training sessions.

 

In general you may have a point, on this scenario though the release clause negates the need to negotiate.

 

Whilst I understand the argument about already having 3 RWB and therefore no room for 3rd if 2 aren't fit for purpose and the manager doesnt trust the 3rd then surely we just bring one that hopefully is fit for purpose and that the manager does trust. We should then be able to encourage at least one to leave even its only a loan.