The Transfer Rumours Thread

[MMH]

Obviously they didn't show the ones where they called him a cunt, But there were a fair few Evertonians who seemed enthused by the signing yesterday on SSN.

Its been a long time. A lot of them wouldn't have been old enough to old enough at the time to form opinions like this.

Fact is he is here now so we have to get on with it and pretend its all OK. I hate that thought process, if a club doesn't have standards and principles then it has nothing for me. Tht said he will be playing in China next year as he is finished. If not then we will benefit I suppose and I will seethe quietly. He could be brilliant, I will never like him.

[Peter Griffin]

Most of them were middle aged blokes mind, I understand your point though.

[MMH]

Most of them were middle aged blokes mind, I understand your point though.

Park End fatties with no soul probably.

[Chris Scott]

Its been a long time. A lot of them wouldn't have been old enough to old enough at the time to form opinions like this.

Fact is he is here now so we have to get on with it and pretend its all OK. I hate that thought process, if a club doesn't have standards and principles then it has nothing for me. Tht said he will be playing in China next year as he is finished. If not then we will benefit I suppose and I will seethe quietly. He could be brilliant, I will never like him.

You think your manager really really wanted him? Or has it gone higher than him in hoping you sell shit loads of shirts?

[RuneEdge]

It does not matter how much you try to justify it, how much common sense or logic you put forward, it wont change a damned thing! Football is an emotive sport. We wanted him to stay at least for a bit because we are Everton fans, like he is supposed to be.

To use the old tired cliche its like your missus saying she loves you an then fucking off with a richer man first chance she gets. She may be happy and gets more out of life but you still resent her for fucking off when you had big plans with her. I don't get why its so had to understand. You keep coming back with stuff that we all know already and nobody is denying. Why? It wont change our perception of him!

Its that bold part I'm questioning. He's not "supposed to" do anything. And it's not like the tired old cliche either. This would be more like you hooking up with an 18 year old girl that was way out of your league, assuming she won't find someone better than you, and then being upset when she does. You either hold her down by proving you're worth it, or run the risk of her finding someone better than you.
Quit being the dude who sits at home sobbing while the ex is getting her ass pounded by the big rich dude with the huge dick.

[MMH]

Its that bold part I'm questioning. He's not "supposed to" do anything. And it's not like the tired old cliche either. This would be more like you hooking up with an 18 year old girl that was way out of your league, assuming she won't find someone better than you, and then being upset when she does. You either hold her down by proving you're worth it, or run the risk of her finding someone better than you.
Quit being the dude who sits at home sobbing while the ex is getting her ass pounded by the big rich dude with the huge dick.

You are doing it again!

Its how WE as fans think. We think he should want to stay here because he is supposed to be a fan like us. As thats what we think we would do.

Its unreasonable and has no basis in reality but the feeling is still there, you coming up with all sorts of thing does not change that, what do you not understand about this?

Personally I "hate" him in football terms because its what I should do as a fan of our club. Believe it or not I dont hate Liverpool players either in real life (except Aldridge, he will always be a twat) but in a footballing sense I do hate them as they are the opposition. In the same way Rooney will always be a footballing rat to me. Your viewpoint of football here is taking all sense of emotion out of it which is not how football (in my opinion) should be. Its a vital part of the game and a grudge should last forever.

[MMH]

You think your manager really really wanted him? Or has it gone higher than him in hoping you sell shit loads of shirts?

Koeman wanted him. I have no doubt about that.

It will make zero difference to shirt sales. And even if it did we are set to a certain amount from Kitbag anyway.

[Peter Griffin]

What did Aldridge ever do?

[MMH]

What did Aldridge ever do?

He is known as TCA. That Cunt Aldridge.

His biggest crime for me was ruffling Brian Laws hair after an own goal in the replayed Hillsborough game which I thought was a disgusting act.

Beyond that it is mainly parody stuff, he wont mention Torres by name for leaving them (at least I call Rooney by his name!), recently said that Van Dijk should go on strike to force a move to Liverpool.

He is just a nasty hypocritical drunk git really. His twitter account is a sight to behold.

[The Rosk]

This is like if Delph were to come back to the Villa. Snake cunt. I'd feel the exact same way that MMH does.

[son_of_foley]

Its that bold part I'm questioning. He's not "supposed to" do anything. And it's not like the tired old cliche either. This would be more like you hooking up with an 18 year old girl that was way out of your league, assuming she won't find someone better than you, and then being upset when she does. You either hold her down by proving you're worth it, or run the risk of her finding someone better than you.
Quit being the dude who sits at home sobbing while the ex is getting her ass pounded by the big rich dude with the huge dick.

You're a wee bit of a robot about this mate.

[son_of_foley]

I find it a little weird that they haven't announced Lukaku yet. I guess they are filming a vine with Paris Hilton to make it official

[Romford Pele]

I can see why MMH is annoyed about Rooney. What is he going to do there really? He has been crap for years.

[RuneEdge]

You're a wee bit of a robot about this mate.

Look, I get that things didn't work out in the ideal way. But here we are, talking about being upset with a departure that happened over a decade ago. And people get caught up in this fantasy that the players are just as big of a fan of their club as the die hards in the crowd. As if something like £200k a week isn't going to factor into their career decisions, or the attraction of playing for the biggest club in the country, playing alongside the top players in the top competitions. That's just silly. And to top it off, we're questioning the loyalty of a 18 year old. The kid wasn't even alive long enough to build that kind of strong bond that would turn down a big move. How much can you reasonably be upset about losing a player you yourself only had in your first team for about a year? And again, I'll point out that sure its not nice, but I'm only asking this because we're talking about still being upset with something that happened over a decade ago.

Maybe it's the thought that he's come back to the club that's brought these feelings back, I dunno. And I'd totally get that. But I was talking to MMH specifically about him leaving to United back then and he thinks he shouldn't have because he's supposed to be a fan.

[Beefy]

You have to take any footballer's platitudes about the club that he supports with a massive pinch of salt. They come from a completely different perspective than a fan does. That said, Rooney has been fairly synonymous with Everton since breaking through there and is support for them would definitely be one of the more known player/club loyalties.

Football fans are also incredibly fickle. If he scores three goals by the end of August they'll love him. Many Manchester United didn't want to sign him (KMH said on here that he'd never cheer for Rooney) and that lasted 45 minutes into his debut.

[MMH]

Look, I get that things didn't work out in the ideal way. But here we are, talking about being upset with a departure that happened over a decade ago. And people get caught up in this fantasy that the players are just as big of a fan of their club as the die hards in the crowd. As if something like £200k a week isn't going to factor into their career decisions, or the attraction of playing for the biggest club in the country, playing alongside the top players in the top competitions. That's just silly. And to top it off, we're questioning the loyalty of a 18 year old. The kid wasn't even alive long enough to build that kind of strong bond that would turn down a big move. How much can you reasonably be upset about losing a player you yourself only had in your first team for about a year? And again, I'll point out that sure its not nice, but I'm only asking this because we're talking about still being upset with something that happened over a decade ago.

Maybe it's the thought that he's come back to the club that's brought these feelings back, I dunno. And I'd totally get that. But I was talking to MMH specifically about him leaving to United back then and he thinks he shouldn't have because he's supposed to be a fan.

I give up. You have ignored everything I have said and tried to break it down into a black and white argument telling me stuff that I already know!

For the final time, there is no logic in these feelings. It doesnt matter if it made sense for him to move etc etc, fact is that a lot of our fans will not forgive him. The ins and outs of it do not matter. Its just a fact. Why are you trying to change that or make any sense of it? Its an emotion caused by football, thats all. Fans do not sit down and think about stuff, they just boo or whatever and its an important part of football to me because if you dont have that then you have nothing.

[Beefy]

MMH is a bit of a weirdo. People need to remember that.

[MMH]

Im the only one with any backbone!

A GRUDGE IS FOR LIFE!

[RuneEdge]

I give up. You have ignored everything I have said and tried to break it down into a black and white argument telling me stuff that I already know!

For the final time, there is no logic in these feelings. It doesnt matter if it made sense for him to move etc etc, fact is that a lot of our fans will not forgive him. The ins and outs of it do not matter. Its just a fact. Why are you trying to change that or make any sense of it? Its an emotion caused by football, thats all. Fans do not sit down and think about stuff, they just boo or whatever and its an important part of football to me because if you dont have that then you have nothing.

I haven't ignored anything. I was responding to someone else's post.

[Simon]

I have a lot of respect for MMH basically admitting that he's wrong but saying that he's sticking with his point of view anyway. It's the perfect debating technique because there's no way of arguing against it

[Romford Pele]

I think most fans will in their heart of hearts know that 99% of players will move for one or both of 2 things:-

Winning top level trophies
Money

The only example I can even think of in the past where that did not happen is Le Tissier. Not Shearer (went to Blackburn for cash, and Newcastle were a top side when he went there), not Adams (won almost the lot), Maldini (won it all), Giggs (ditto). Hell even Gerrard won the CL.

What fans cannot stand is the bullshit, such as Rooney going on about coming home, my club etc. If he had just come out and said, "I went to United to win stuff, they dont want me now and I dont want to move house or take in salary so I came back here", people would respect him.

Also, Simon mentioned Sol Campbell a few pages back. Yes, it was a cunty thing to join Arsenal for free, but why did Spurs not try and sell him the year before elsewhere?

[Simon]

Because he had said explicitly that he was going to sign a new contract. That would be a snide thing to do nowadays but back then that sort of thing didn't really happen, at least at the elite level, so I don't really blame the board for taking him at his word rather than trying to get shot of him.

[MMH]

I haven't ignored anything. I was responding to someone else's post.

I know but you were talking about our conversation.

Stuff like saying . "How much can you reasonably be upset about losing a player you yourself only had in your first team for about a year? And again, I'll point out that sure its not nice, but I'm only asking this because we're talking about still being upset with something that happened over a decade ago." I already explained it that it is an emotive feeling with no logic applied to it.

[MMH]

I have a lot of respect for MMH basically admitting that he's wrong but saying that he's sticking with his point of view anyway. It's the perfect debating technique because there's no way of arguing against it

Ha, Im not saying I am wrong! I am saying that hatred in football and hatred in real life are two totally separate things. So in a footballing sense I will always, always hate Wayne Rooney as in footballing terms he is an absolute rat. In real life he is probably really nice.

[RuneEdge]

What fans cannot stand is the bullshit, such as Rooney going on about coming home, my club etc. If he had just come out and said, "I went to United to win stuff, they dont want me now and I dont want to move house or take in salary so I came back here", people would respect him.

But he's not going to say that, is he? I mean who does?
You see many top class players move to lesser teams at thr end of their career. Some move to countries kike Turkey and Qatar. Do any of them say these things?
Lukaku just said he's joining the best team in the world, a few years after claiming Chelsea were the best. Does anyone really take his comments seriously? Does anyone even give a shit?

[MMH]

Because he had said explicitly that he was going to sign a new contract. That would be a snide thing to do nowadays but back then that sort of thing didn't really happen, at least at the elite level, so I don't really blame the board for taking him at his word rather than trying to get shot of him.

A gentleman's agreement where one side is not a gentleman.

Actually Sol Campbell is another one I hate in a none football way. Campbell and Aldridge, another 9 and I will have a solid starting 11.

[MMH]

But he's not going to say that, is he? I mean who does?
You see many top class players move to lesser teams at thr end of their career. Some move to countries kike Turkey and Qatar. Do any of them say these things?
Lukaku just said he's joining the best team in the world, a few years after claiming Chelsea were the best. Does anyone really take his comments seriously? Does anyone even give a shit?

Its slightly different when talking about the team they support I reckon.

Lukaku is an interesting point actually because he has never hid the fact that he was using us as a stepping stone.

[son_of_foley]

I think most fans will in their heart of hearts know that 99% of players will move for one or both of 2 things:-

Winning top level trophies
Money

The only example I can even think of in the past where that did not happen is Le Tissier. Not Shearer (went to Blackburn for cash, and Newcastle were a top side when he went there), not Adams (won almost the lot), Maldini (won it all), Giggs (ditto). Hell even Gerrard won the CL.

What fans cannot stand is the bullshit, such as Rooney going on about coming home, my club etc. If he had just come out and said, "I went to United to win stuff, they dont want me now and I dont want to move house or take in salary so I came back here", people would respect him.

Also, Simon mentioned Sol Campbell a few pages back. Yes, it was a cunty thing to join Arsenal for free, but why did Spurs not try and sell him the year before elsewhere?

Shearer is a newcastle fan not a southampton fan and would have won more at United.

Gerrard could have gone long before the chelsea stuff etc but didn't.

Think about how Arsenal feel about Fabregas. A player who left to rejoin his childhood club and then was bucked out and went to Chelsea as no offer was forthcoming from Arsenal. There are plenty of people who hate him. Hate him for having a barcelona shirt forced on him by Pique during that victory parade with Spain etc and he was going back to his childhood club.

If he had identified as an Arsenal fan could you have imagined the anger.

I mean everybody seems to accept West Ham fans hating Paul Ince or Lampard but this apparently confuses people.

[RuneEdge]

I know but you were talking about our conversation.

Stuff like saying . "How much can you reasonably be upset about losing a player you yourself only had in your first team for about a year? And again, I'll point out that sure its not nice, but I'm only asking this because we're talking about still being upset with something that happened over a decade ago." I already explained it that it is an emotive feeling with no logic applied to it.

Right, and now I was making my point to someone else. I get where youre coming from. I dont agree with it but I get it. If I continue to make my point, especially to someone else, it doesnt mean I no longer see where you're coming from.

[Romford Pele]

But he's not going to say that, is he? I mean who does?
You see many top class players move to lesser teams at thr end of their career. Some move to countries kike Turkey and Qatar. Do any of them say these things?
Lukaku just said he's joining the best team in the world, a few years after claiming Chelsea were the best. Does anyone really take his comments seriously? Does anyone even give a shit?

Then dont say anything. But this bollocks about coming home is just treating the fans like cunts.

[Romford Pele]

Shearer is a newcastle fan not a southampton fan and would have won more at United.

Gerrard could have gone long before the chelsea stuff etc but didn't.

Think about how Arsenal feel about Fabregas. A player who left to rejoin his childhood club and then was bucked out and went to Chelsea as no offer was forthcoming from Arsenal. There are plenty of people who hate him. Hate him for having a barcelona shirt forced on him by Pique during that victory parade with Spain etc and he was going back to his childhood club.

If he had identified as an Arsenal fan could you have imagined the anger.

I mean everybody seems to accept West Ham fans hating Paul Ince or Lampard but this apparently confuses people.

Newcastle had finished 2nd in 96, and were well in contention to win trophies at that point. If this was today, no way does he choose Newcastle over Man U.

Gerrard won it all aside from the league.

I think most Arsenal fans dont mind Cesc actually.

[RuneEdge]

Then dont say anything. But this bollocks about coming home is just treating the fans like cunts.

So the next time a player signs a contract and someone sticks a mic in their face asking how they feel about the move, they supposed to say "errr...it's probably for the best that I didn't say anything."?
The only thing we as fans can do is not take it seriously. Paul Pogba's come back and said stuff about how he's "come back home" and "it felt like he was only away on holiday", etc. Our fans aren't buying it. We know at the end of the day he worked out a big fat juicy contract for himself with the help of his super agent.

[son_of_foley]

Newcastle had finished 2nd in 96, and were well in contention to win trophies at that point. If this was today, no way does he choose Newcastle over Man U.

Gerrard won it all aside from the league.

I think most Arsenal fans dont mind Cesc actually.

A lot don't like him though and didn't when he moved to Barca. If they had been in the same league playing against you all the time the feelings may have changed.

He does get stick as well.

It's weird you keep saying Gerrard won it all...I know he did but he could have done that elsewhere too. You seem to be assuming that Rooney wouldn't have won anything at Everton. He's now saying that winning something there would be the pinnacle for him. Ok mate if that's your pinnacle why did you fucking leave in the first place? it's this narrative that's blue through and through and that it pained him to leave. It's not true. He wanted out. He wanted to play for United fair enough but stop pissing on their heads and telling them it's raining.

[Simon]

I don't think Fabregas did anything wrong in wanting to leave Arsenal for Barca. Maybe a little out of order in choosing Chelsea when he came back. But he is a massive cunt in general, the classic coward who snides his way into aggro then tries to get the opposition player sent off.

[Romford Pele]

Fabregas plays for Chelsea so he will get stick from us, but having been to a couple of those games since he went to Chelsea, he got polite applause aside from a smattering of boos.

If you seeing the idiots on Arsenal fan tv and internet warriors burning shirts, well that doesnt give the overall picture.

[Romford Pele]

I don't think Fabregas did anything wrong in wanting to leave Arsenal for Barca. Maybe a little out of order in choosing Chelsea when he came back. But he is a massive cunt in general, the classic coward who snides his way into aggro then tries to get the opposition player sent off.

In fairness to him, we didnt go in for him and his wife wanted to go back to London, what other option did he have? Your lot would have been even worse.

Most Arsenal fans understood him leaving for Barca, as they will when Bellerin goes there (just hope it isnt this year!)

[Andy]

Yeah it's not like we were in for Fabregas and he chose Chelsea. I think if we went for him he would've come back which we should've done.

[Romford Pele]

I believe the thinking at the time was that we had Cazorla and Ozil and didnt need him

[RuneEdge]

Wenger flat out said, he only didn't sign him because he felt he had enough midfielders.

[Simon]

Which is true as long as you're doing a general body count rather than taking into account whether or not they can actually make it onto a pitch. I wish Fabregas had resigned for Arsenal, would love to see that cunt''s career ended by medical negligence.

[Romford Pele]

Haha you really dont like him do you?

Lukaku deal officially done. Jose just cant resist a dig can he?

[RuneEdge]

[Simon]

Haha you really dont like him do you?

He is the worst of all worlds for me - a snide coward who puts in dirty tackles but gets upset when people do it to him, and on top of that he''s played for Arsenal and Chelsea. In my defence I would hate him even without the rivalries - I've gone on before about how much I hate Jordi Gomez who is the exact same, a sneaky, dirty player who manages to steer clear of that reputation because he''s exotic and skilful.

[Romford Pele]

Sergio Ramos is worse than both of them.

[MMH]

Marcelo for me.

Uber snide.

[_me]

I always enjoy reading about people's irrational hatred of people/things. I am totally the same so it is nice to see other people get caught up like that. Irrational might not be the right word but where something just gets under your skin and you can't let it go even years later.

[RFF Champ]

He is the worst of all worlds for me - a snide coward who puts in dirty tackles but gets upset when people do it to him, and on top of that he''s played for Arsenal and Chelsea. In my defence I would hate him even without the rivalries - I've gone on before about how much I hate Jordi Gomez who is the exact same, a sneaky, dirty player who manages to steer clear of that reputation because he''s exotic and skilful.

All I can relate to Gomez is the amount of beatings he's taken for being so snide

[Simon]

I remember that Zamora one was live on Sky, I was so fucking happy.

[Andy]

I'm sure that Henry one was too. One of the most ridiculous tackles I've ever seen.

[Murphy]

Dier to United rumours appear to be gathering pace.

[Simon]

We've priced United out of any move for Dier apparently, £50m. Walker to City likely to happen for around £45m, possible replacement is Ricardo Pereira from Porto...never heard of him until 10 minutes ago, £20m+. Also likely to spend £10m-ish on an Argentine defender called Juan Foyth, again never heard of him. Everything else is pretty quiet at the moment, looks like we are keeping faith with Janssen for now.

[Simon]

Sigurdsson to Everton looking likely, £45m. Looks like those fluff articles you see on F365 asking how well a team made up of the best players outside the top six would do might actually be investigated next season, Everton are doing a fantastic job of hoovering up the cream of the mid-table and below with Pickford and Keane already signed and Sigurdsson and Benteke both looking likely.

[MMH]

I dont know if we will go for Benteke purely because Koeman prefers a workhorse big man up front who puts himself about.

[son_of_foley]

Surely they need to be involved in CL qualification now. Obviously they would be joining 5 others so you couldnt guarantee if but with the investment surely the expectations rise

[Simon]

I'd say spending that money only elevates them to around the chasing pack of Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool...the other three have just as much spending power as Everton plus a much stronger starting base, so there's no reason to think Everton are well-placed to do any better. Crazy to think that there should be seven teams competing for the CL next season though - given how much it helped Leicester and Chelsea in the past two seasons, you could easily now end up with a very good team finishing seventh one year and then being much better placed to do well the next season with no European football getting in the way.

[Simon]

Walker to City likely to happen for around £45m

Make that £50m rising to £53m if you'd have told me three years ago that Kyle Walker would be the most expensive defender of all time I'd have spat directly into your arsehole.

[son_of_foley]

I know it's a bit cliche to say it but the money is going fucking mad.

Makes Will Hughes look even more of a bargain for Watford in my eyes.

[RuneEdge]

Imagine there being a top 7, and Leicester, the champions from two years ago not being a part of it. That's the level of competition we could be looking forward to.

[Simon]

Imagine there being a top 7, and Leicester, the champions from two years ago not being a part of it. That's the level of competition we could be looking forward to.

And yet there will still be no team getting beyond the quarters of the CL

[RuneEdge]

And the semis will be three Spanish teams and a German team.

[The Rosk]

I dont know if we will go for Benteke purely because Koeman prefers a workhorse big man up front who puts himself about.

Benteke is great. Seriously I still believe in him being a real asset for someone.

[RuneEdge]

His goal tally at Palace suggests he hasn't really done any worse than his days at Villa. Yet people look at him as a player who's apparently declined.

[MMH]

Benteke is great. Seriously I still believe in him being a real asset for someone.

Yeah I am a fan myself but Koeman likes his hard working strikers.

[Simon]

His goal tally at Palace suggests he hasn't really done any worse than his days at Villa. Yet people look at him as a player who's apparently declined.

That happens whenever a player is deemed to have flopped at a big club, even if it's not their fault as in his case. Carroll had the same treatment.

[Peter Griffin]

Gerard Deulofeu officially back at Barca, I know Spanish clubs do this buy back thing a lot, But in this case I can't exactly see him getting first team football and is anyone going to buy him for more than they have paid to bring him back? What's the end game here?

[BBF]

he'll be at ac milan by january

[Beefy]

They can probably sell him back somewhere in England for twice what they've just paid for him. It's an artificially low price

[Peter Griffin]

The Hudd

[RuneEdge]

Here's a question I hope someone here could answer and clear up. I tried google and I'm not sure I'm understanding it correctly.
Would someone who's played in either the CL or Europa be cup tied for the other competition? I read some examples where players couldn't play in both after a winter transfer, but then read that it could be because the previous team finished 3rd in the CL group and then dropped into the Europa (meaning both clubs were at one point in the same competition). I'm also reading something about UEFA making an exception for clubs but only for a maximum of one player registration, with Madrid having an example in '09 where they signed two cup-tied players (Diarra and Huntelaar), and had to choose one to be registered to play for the new team.

Reason I'm asking is regarding Alexis Sanchez. Apparently Arsenal's stance on Sanchez is that they'd rather hold onto him for a year and let him leave for free next summer, than sell him for £50m. The Guardian says something about how using Sanchez to secure CL football would be more valuable in the long run than the transfer fee they'd expect to receive. But then it got me thinking about the likelihood of them being more open to a transfer in January. If we reach the halfway point of the season and Wenger doesn't feel keeping Sanchez has been worthwhile, it would make sense to try and flog him. But if he's already played for Arsenal in the Europa League, can any CL team buy him in January and register him for the competition?

[son_of_foley]

Here's a question I hope someone here could answer and clear up. I tried google and I'm not sure I'm understanding it correctly.
Would someone who's played in either the CL or Europa be cup tied for the other competition? I read some examples where players couldn't play in both after a winter transfer, but then read that it could be because the previous team finished 3rd in the CL group and then dropped into the Europa (meaning both clubs were at one point in the same competition). I'm also reading something about UEFA making an exception for clubs but only for a maximum of one player registration, with Madrid having an example in '09 where they signed two cup-tied players (Diarra and Huntelaar), and had to choose one to be registered to play for the new team.

Reason I'm asking is regarding Alexis Sanchez. Apparently Arsenal's stance on Sanchez is that they'd rather hold onto him for a year and let him leave for free next summer, than sell him for £50m. The Guardian says something about how using Sanchez to secure CL football would be more valuable in the long run than the transfer fee they'd expect to receive. But then it got me thinking about the likelihood of them being more open to a transfer in January. If we reach the halfway point of the season and Wenger doesn't feel keeping Sanchez has been worthwhile, it would make sense to try and flog him. But if he's already played for Arsenal in the Europa League, can any CL team buy him in January and register him for the competition?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cup-tied#cite_note-uefa-1
Indicates at the bottom that yes they could

UEFA's own site seems to back that up http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionslea...d=2277105.html although to clarify you can only register 1 player. Apparently real madrid had a situation on signing Huntelaar and Lasana Diarra and only were able to register one http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...na-Diarra.html

[RuneEdge]

In that case the Sanchez transfer saga could potentially go on for quite some time.


And also in other news, Chelsea have signed Morata.

[Simon]

City apparently spending £26m on Danilo from Madrid. How bad must Walker have been in training over the past five days

[son_of_foley]

Spurs really taking this 'new arsenal' thing to heart in signing no outfield players and selling their fullbacks to rivals

[RuneEdge]

City apparently spending £26m on Danilo from Madrid. How bad must Walker have been in training over the past five days

The rumours about Danilo I think started around the time when they were still linked with Walker. I was under the impression it's one or the other. Can't see why they'd sign both when there's other areas in their squad they need to strengthen.

[Simon]

Well there are real questions over whether Walker can play twice a week (this was part of the unravelling of his time at Spurs, as Poch started leaving him out for games whenever we had to play midweek) so it makes sense in that regard. I just don't know why you'd A) spend a fortune on both, and B) spend £50m on a player who can't play every week in the first place.

FWIW I suspect Walker might be found out at City - Pochettino has a track record of making full backs look great when they didn't look that good before him, after him, or both. Not only Rose and Walker, who were both pretty ropey before he joined Spurs, but Clyne and Shaw at Southampton too, neither of them look close to how good they looked at Southampton. I don't remember Trippier looking that good at Burnley either, although I didn't see as much of him and obviously the players we was playing alongside weren't as good. I don't particularly hope Walker flops as he was a great servant for Spurs and seemed like a good lad, but I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't look half as good as he did in Poch's system.

[son_of_foley]

Trippier was amazing at Burnley and I think Clyne has been great again this year. I think his tactics help as they are a focal part Southampton were a bit of a mess this year tbh

[RuneEdge]

City have had a £44m bid for Benjamin Mendy rejected. Sky are claiming Monaco told them he should be worth more if Walker was bought for £50m.

This is basically how transfer windows are going to go now. If English teams are going to be continue to throw stupid money at each other for players like with Walker and Pickford, the rest of the world are going to want a piece of the TV deal money for their transfers.
Its sort of what Mourinho was saying at a press conference yesterday I think. Other European teams don't really need money like they used to, so they don't have to sell their top players any more. If you want their attention, you're going to have to offer £50m+, which they know we have now.

[Simon]

Mendy is absolute class from what I've seen. It's so irritating seeing quality teams get asset-stripped like that. Monaco were sensational last season, and now half the players that made up that side are either gone (Silva, Bakayoko) or going (Mendy, possibly Lemar and Fabinho too). That's before you even consider Mbappe who has only been playing for six months and is basically just biding time before he goes. It's so depressing that teams like Monaco, Dortmund, even Atletico (and sadly Tottenham) can only realistically hope to be a successful feeder club at best - the best case scenario is that you continually scout the right players/coach your youngsters well, and can compete at the highest level while still knowing you'll lose your best players when the top sides come. And that's the best case, like Dortmund and Atletico...the worst case scenario is that you simply get stripped every time you do notably well, spaff the money away on fucking Paulinho and Chiriches and take a step back for every step forward. I know this is not new information and it's unrealistic to think it will change, it just strikes me as absolute ballbags that that Monaco side were kept together for one successful year before the vultures circled.

[RuneEdge]

Saw this on twitter.



Madness.

[Peter Griffin]

https://twitter.com/SkyKaveh/status/889087220963037184

Neymar.

[RuneEdge]

Should've just bought Neymar.

[son_of_foley]

Have they finally overtaken United? Pretty sure I read last week that since Ferguson left United had spent the most of all the teams in the league

[RuneEdge]

I'm sure City have spent more.

[son_of_foley]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-ze...-587m-10767452
So if the add-ons happened for Lukaku could be 600m. Not sure if the recent City purchases would have pushed them above this

[RuneEdge]

Yeah, we've spent loads in the last few years. More than the next team by quite a margin. But City have still spent over £100m more than us since Fergie left.

[Romford Pele]

Whatever happened to FFP?

[RuneEdge]

Clubs are finding ways to get around it. The owners of teams like Man City and PSG use their own companies to "sponsor" the club. Apparently FIFA/UEFA are supposed to be working on making tighter restrictions but as of now, its easy for rich owners to get away with it.

[son_of_foley]

Yeah, we've spent loads in the last few years. More than the next team by quite a margin. But City have still spent over £100m more than us since Fergie left.

Wow so it's only been this summer then?

[son_of_foley]

Whatever happened to FFP?

City has restrictions on who could be registered in the CL. That's about it. I'm not sure anyone has come up with a workable way around it. Fine them and redistribute the money? Cool we'll just inflate fees/wages even more.

There could be a hard limit to the number of senior players that can be registered toa club including those out on loan. That would probably do more for leveling the playing field more than most.

[Simon]

Bit mad that we still haven't signed anyone. Dunno if anyone saw the game against PSG the other night (staying up til 3am to watch a pre-season friendly is a new low ) but despite the win, the youngsters we had out were pretty poor - Carter-Vickers in particular but my boy Kyle Walker-Peters had a tough time as well. Obviously it's only one game and I still think KWP is going to be class, although I've yet to see anything that suggests CCV is as good as his reputation suggests, but it's a bit of a worry when it seems as though we will be leaning heavily on the youngsters this season.

That said Onomah did well in his preferred centre mid role, it was good to see Winks back and the established first-teamers were all bang at it; Dembele looked sharper than I've seen him in ages, looks like he is finally clear of the hip problem that was troubling him last year. PSG were dog shit though.

[Romford Pele]

Edit double post

[Peter Griffin]

Brilliant Avatar Rom.

[RuneEdge]

Wow so it's only been this summer then?

City had been spending big for a few years before Fergie retired, during which time we only went into the market for a few positions here and there. If you're strictly talking about the time since Fergie left then yeah, City have only just overtaken us. If you go back and add in another few years prior to that, it looks even worse from City's perspective.
Its a crazy amount from both clubs but IMO it's not surprising since they've had a few managers come and go in that time who all naturally would've wanted to restructure the team into their own vision of how it should play. Which in some ways probably explains why Wenger doesn't feel the same need to go and buy 5-6 new players every year like his rivals do. I think the idea for any manager would be to come in and initially spend whatever it takes to create the foundation that lasts for years to come, and hopefully not have to spend so much later. The problem is these managers don't last long enough to see this plan out.

[Beefy]

Ross Barkley "wants another challenge" according to Ronald Koeman. Aren't you supposed to have conquered your existing challenge before moving onto a new one?

[Murphy]

He's going to end up at Spurs, isn't he?

[Simon]

Suspect he will end up at us. Not overwhelmed at the thought tbh, although as I mentioned a few days ago Pochettino has a history of getting the best out of players who have historically proved too thick to reach their potential.

[Beefy]

Where does he fit in at Spurs without elbowing Deli Alli out of the way?

[son_of_foley]

Coutinho move is a weird one if it happens.

Hard to see Liverpool turning down 100m but then what's next. Aubameyang and then drop Firminho into the 3 with Lallana and Salah?

The Liverpool squad feels weird with Ings and others there.

[Murphy]

I don't know where he fits at Spurs either.

I have no problem with Barkley being signed exactly, but he's hardly a player in a position we need and he'll likely be the highest earner at the club, which is crazy. For someone that's not exactly needed, that doesn't see wise.

It'd almost be a panic buy really, as we've signed nobody else.

[Chris Scott]

Coutinho move is a weird one if it happens.

Hard to see Liverpool turning down 100m but then what's next. Aubameyang and then drop Firminho into the 3 with Lallana and Salah?

The Liverpool squad feels weird with Ings and others there.

I bloody hope so. Already got my ahead around he's going instead of getting hurt like Torres and Owen.