Transfer Thread 10.0 - 2017 January Window

[Martial]

I don't want to rain on your parade Re; schweini so I'll just leave that be. As for your question well obviously Depay is a better value than Sterling, but I wasn't contesting your post. Just wanted to point out that that was a lot of money for Schweini at this point.

Agree to disagree.

[treiz]

I like Sterling's potential

And he's also pretty good already.

We are talking about the best English player of his generation and the richest club in the country who don't care about money. 50M is a lot, but it's not surprising.

Very true, but it doesn't make it any less ridiculous.

[Baphomet]

£49m
£200,000 a week

for Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling

Lads, what are you seeing that I'm not? As far as I can tell, he's only had one really good season, and that was the season where Liverpool were spurred on by Suarez absolutely dominating and they scored 3 or 4 goals a week. Didier Zokora would've bagged up in that system. Greatest English player of this generation? Where on earth is this coming from? Even if that were true, it's like saying Goebbels is your favourite nazi: They're still all ****.

He has pace but never fully uses it and goes to ground far too easily rather than taking the best course of action. He's either terribly misguided or has an awful attitude. His finishing is appalling. He has a small frame and doesn't seem remotely strong enough to turn it around and dominate like Bale did in the EPL. I've never once come away from watching Liverpool and thought along the lines of "Wow, what a special player this lad is". I'm racking my brains here. Sure, he has a nice touch and has a few goals and assists, but are we that enamoured with potential that we're willing to overlook glaring holes in a player's game in the hopes that they fill those with age and experience?

Is it because he played for a famous club with a big fanbase like Liverpool? Is it because he's English and the media wants to anoint any young player as the new messiah because our current crop are so utterly ****? Is he really all that better than someone like Berahino, who's only a year older and scored 20 goals last season? They're different players, but in terms of production they're not actually far off.

[Andi Obst]

Greatest English player of this generation? Where on earth is this coming from? Even if that were true, it's like saying Goebbels is your favourite nazi: They're still all ****.

[magik9113]

El Shaaraway is on Monaco. Assuming they have a real doctor, unlike Milan, this is a great move. He looked good at the end of the season when he was finally healthy. I still have hopes for the kid

[Det the Threat]

Disagree.

The guy is 30 and has been one of the best midfielders in the world for years. World class players adapt as they age. See Pirlo, Xavi, Scholes, Alonso, Gerrard etc.

Carrick has been class in recent years and he is going on 34.

30 year old Shweinsteiger at 14m is great value. he has at least 2 good years, probably more. The WC took a toll on him last year but he should be rested now.

Unlike Schweinsteiger, those other guys have been pretty healthy for most of their careers.
Schweini, on the other hand, hasn't played a full season in at least five years and seems to have chronical ankle problems as well.

So United paid roughly €20M for a 31 year old with one year left on his contract and quite the injury history.
That's not good business, even though I hope he can stay healthy because he's a good person and player.

Though, given the money from that new tv deal €20M in England is something like a €5 - €8M deal for a Bundesliga side.

[and1GS]

Look at all these sheeple spending 40+ million on transfers while Spurs have shrewdly spend 19m. Levy is just biding his time until he finds somebody willing to play lowball limbo with him - then the egg will be on your faces when we get Bobby Zamora for under market value.

#COYS

[Baphomet]

Look at all these sheeple spending 40+ million on transfers while Spurs have shrewdly spend 19m. Levy is just biding his time until he finds somebody willing to play lowball limbo with him - then the egg will be on your faces when we get Bobby Zamora for under market value.

#COYS

Don't even joke about signing Bobby Zamora. I would kill Levy. And to be honest, if teams are spending 40+ million on the likes of Sterling, I'm glad we're not a part of it, even if we can't compete with the likes of City financially.

I know you were kidding, but we're in a pretty precarious situation as a team on the periphery of regular CL football. We're a fairly attractive destination being in London and competing in European football, but don't have the spending clout that teams around us do. I know that's "cry me a river" territory for fans of non-EPL or money clubs, but it's extremely hard for us to break into that upper fold. I think we actually do very well considering how low our net spend is, but our Europa League performances need to improve.

tbf, I also think the Aldeweireld signing was good value for a good player. Southampton's goal difference last season with and without him is astonishing.

[5DOM]

£49m
£200,000 a week

for Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling

Lads, what are you seeing that I'm not? As far as I can tell, he's only had one really good season, and that was the season where Liverpool were spurred on by Suarez absolutely dominating and they scored 3 or 4 goals a week. Didier Zokora would've bagged up in that system. Greatest English player of this generation? Where on earth is this coming from? Even if that were true, it's like saying Goebbels is your favourite nazi: They're still all ****.

He has pace but never fully uses it and goes to ground far too easily rather than taking the best course of action. He's either terribly misguided or has an awful attitude. His finishing is appalling. He has a small frame and doesn't seem remotely strong enough to turn it around and dominate like Bale did in the EPL. I've never once come away from watching Liverpool and thought along the lines of "Wow, what a special player this lad is". I'm racking my brains here. Sure, he has a nice touch and has a few goals and assists, but are we that enamoured with potential that we're willing to overlook glaring holes in a player's game in the hopes that they fill those with age and experience?

Is it because he played for a famous club with a big fanbase like Liverpool? Is it because he's English and the media wants to anoint any young player as the new messiah because our current crop are so utterly ****? Is he really all that better than someone like Berahino, who's only a year older and scored 20 goals last season? They're different players, but in terms of production they're not actually far off.

He's 20. How many really good seasons did you expect him to have? He's not Rooney or Owen, but those two at 20 would have gone for A LOT more than 49M in today's market where even smaller teams can easily spend 10M+.

You mentioned Suarez's dominance in that brilliant season, but Sterling also managed 7 goals, 7 assists and **** of chances created for a team whose strikers combined for 8 goals for the whole season. If anything, his production has been pretty damn good despite the glaring holes you mentioned.

Of course a significant portion of the 49M fee (which includes add-ons) is based on the belief he'll eventually fill these holes, but you always expect young players to improve (although some do peak early). You have to start accepting that this is how much you have to pay for a young English talent who will start for a mega-rich team like City over the likes of Nasri and Navas. And really, if I were managing City, I would much rather have Sterling for 50M than two Lallana's for the same price. I'm actually surprised you've not for once thought he was special.

[Baphomet]

A mediocre player like Henderson had 7 goals and 9 assists last season in that awful Liverpool line up. Coutinho, 8 and 5. Sure, those guys are a little older and have had time to develop, but I'm not buying those stats as proof of his quality. They're decent contributions for a youngster, but they're hardly proof of his impending superstardom. He doesn't pass the eye test for me. In fact, I feel like his good performances are dwarfed by the times he's been rendered invisible or ineffective thanks to a let's say 'less-than-generous' refereeing performance. He's young, sure, but what else do we have to base it on? I honestly just don't think he's that good.

Of course, I fully expect those statistics to improve, playing for a team with a more enterprising style and a coach who isn't an idiot will help, but I don't think he will ever be the world class player associated with his hype and price tag. I understand that the EPL market's inflated, particularly for English players and teams selling to rival clubs. However, even taking all of those things into account, it is still a MASSIVE gamble in my eyes, and one that's less than likely to pay off. Luckily, City are stinking rich and have that kind of cash to throw around.

[5DOM]

Yeah it'd be a massive gamble if money mattered, but with FFP relaxed, I doubt City care. This is a club that paid 30M for Wilfried Bony and is rumoured to target De Bruyne for 50M after just spending 50M on an attacking midfielder.

[BUCKnation]

What would Kane, same age and similar position, who was actually productive, pull in for Spurs?

75M?

[treiz]

A mediocre player like Henderson had 7 goals and 9 assists last season in that awful Liverpool line up. Coutinho, 8 and 5. Sure, those guys are a little older and have had time to develop, but I'm not buying those stats as proof of his quality. They're decent contributions for a youngster, but they're hardly proof of his impending superstardom. He doesn't pass the eye test for me. In fact, I feel like his good performances are dwarfed by the times he's been rendered invisible or ineffective thanks to a let's say 'less-than-generous' refereeing performance. He's young, sure, but what else do we have to base it on? I honestly just don't think he's that good.

Of course, I fully expect those statistics to improve, playing for a team with a more enterprising style and a coach who isn't an idiot will help, but I don't think he will ever be the world class player associated with his hype and price tag. I understand that the EPL market's inflated, particularly for English players and teams selling to rival clubs. However, even taking all of those things into account, it is still a MASSIVE gamble in my eyes, and one that's less than likely to pay off. Luckily, City are stinking rich and have that kind of cash to throw around.

Quite frankly 5DOM summed it best earlier, it's just the fact that we're dealing with the financial power of a team like City who right now don't seem to have a care in the world and is just gonna go make it rain on everybody this transfer window with FPP easing up, for goodness sake they paid £30 million for Bony, Wilfried Bony! They essentially paid £30 million for a back up striker on a top team.

Liverpool have no reason whatsoever to sell Sterling and they're gonna try to get as many pennies out of him as possible. Just incredible that City actually went for it for a player who like you said had one very good season, it is a massive gamble when you're dealing with that kind of money of course it's a huge gamble when considering I wouldn't replace any of Navas/Silva/Toure for him. What makes it even more risky is his price tag means that you have to play him a lot, and his play style as well as his build makes him so prone to injuries, he's been lucky he hasn't had to miss significant time in his young career but sooner or later it will catch up to him.

[treiz]

What would Kane, same age and similar position, who was actually productive, pull in for Spurs?

75M?

Levy would definitely ask for £100 million, he got £80 million out of Bale and he's Welsh!

[MaliBrah]

What would Kane, same age and similar position, who was actually productive, pull in for Spurs?

75M?

Levy would definitely ask for £100 million, he got £80 million out of Bale and he's Welsh!

not long until we find out , I bet united make a phone call this summer

[cgf]

Yeah it'd be a massive gamble if money mattered, but with FFP relaxed, I doubt City care. This is a club that paid 30M for Wilfried Bony and is rumoured to target De Bruyne for 50M after just spending 50M on an attacking midfielder.

Difference being that De Bruyne at 50M would be a good deal. We're talking about the best 10 on the planet last season, that's a little different than the best english young player after Kane.

[5DOM]

Yeah it'd be a massive gamble if money mattered, but with FFP relaxed, I doubt City care. This is a club that paid 30M for Wilfried Bony and is rumoured to target De Bruyne for 50M after just spending 50M on an attacking midfielder.

Difference being that De Bruyne at 50M would be a good deal. We're talking about the best 10 on the planet last season, that's a little different than the best english young player after Kane.

The point is that City can spend. Bargain at 50M or not, not many clubs can spend 50M right after spending 50M.

[cgf]

Whether they have the money to overpay doesn't mean they didn't overpay drastically. It makes sense for them to massively overpay for young english talent, but that's a different question.

[5DOM]

Whether they have the money to overpay doesn't mean they didn't overpay drastically. It makes sense for them to massively overpay for young english talent, but that's a different question.

Sure. I only said it's not that big of a gamble to City regardless of whether they overpaid or not.

[DD12]

De Bruyne was the best #10 last season? Where is this nonsense coming from again?

His team got destroyed by Napoli, they couldnt win German Cup, finished the league second. So how on the earth he was the best #10?