[FOOTBALL] 2018 January Transfer Window Thread

[Jimmy Floyd]

That says more about him than me.

[John]

I've heard there's some German bloke hanging around called Mezut.

New signing?

[Giggles]

Like one.

[phonics]

Apparently it's still going to go ahead even if Giroud doesn't go to Chelsea. Chelsea with just find some other beanpole.

[SincereTheRebel]

Chelsea really like these big target men. I dont know if they are aware of the operation that jimmy practices on them but they should probably look to some fast pace merchant. Change up the whole game-plan.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm a bit disappointed we haven't been linked with Aristide Bancé to be honest, but there's still time.

[Disco]

You haven't seen Lee Chapman in the car park yet then.

[phonics]

I heard a rather poor ditty of 'Pierre Emirik Aubameyang' to the tune of Black Betty the other day. Be warned.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'm a bit disappointed we haven't been linked with Aristide Bancé to be honest, but there's still time.

What a signing that would be.

Sadly it seems no Africans are allowed right now.

[phonics]

You haven't seen Lee Chapman in the car park yet then.

Sounds like they'd take Mark Chapman at this rate.

[Jimmy Floyd]

What a signing that would be.

Sadly it seems no Africans are allowed right now.

The market for Africans has gone largely to places like China and the Middle East. In fact I'm fairly sure our league has quietly become less globalised in the last 4-5 years. Spain and France provide huge contingents of 30+ players each.

[Jimmy Floyd]

On an unrelated note, I saw this picture earlier on the BBC Sport page and felt a pang of nostalgia. Took me back to those happy days of Jim Rosenthal, Natasha Bedingfield and the crazy frog.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/800/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2018/1/30/f8a869ad-d794-45be-994b-71ea432b7fc4.jpg

[randomlegend]

958325279327444992

That's about £220m on defenders and a goalkeeper this season. Lol. In addition to the £65m on John Stones and Bravo 'Pep' spent the season before.

[Mazuuurk]

Lacazette played off the wing for years for Lyon and did very well. The pace and position were the main things fueling the four years of Henry comparisons.

Yeah I know, I remember from earlier FM's he used to be some sort of Inside-forward like pacey Winger. But from seeing him play in Action, it sort of seems like he's not quite pacey or dribbly enough and that he converted into a central striker for good reason - his positioning and finishing seems to outweigh his pace and creativity.

Then again, I haven't seen him much on the Wing except the odd europe game last few years maybe he could do a job there.


That formation Jimmy posted would be pure suicide. 2 people defending in that (at most).

[Jimmy Floyd]

What can Athletic even do with the money, buy a boatload of sheep's cheese? I'd have held out for more.

[phonics]

You've played enough FM to know he has a release clause.

edit: Did I hear rightly that that 16 year old from Genoa has gone to Monaco? Shame that. 16 year old, coached by his Dad who worked his way up from kitman to assistant manager, it's a great story.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I didn't know Laporte isn't an international. Surely has to go to the World Cup with France.

[SincereTheRebel]

958325279327444992

That's about £220m on defenders and a goalkeeper this season. Lol. In addition to the £65m on John Stones and Bravo 'Pep' spent the season before.

If it was attackers, we would cry about defensive reinforcements.

[randomlegend]

Huh?

[phonics]

That's about £220m on defenders and a goalkeeper this season. Lol. In addition to the £65m on John Stones and Bravo 'Pep' spent the season before.

You can support Man United or you can moan about other teams spending money. Not both.

[SincereTheRebel]

What can Athletic even do with the money, buy a boatload of sheep's cheese? I'd have held out for more.

Monreal is eligble to play for them i think.

[Jimmy Floyd]

United deserve to spend money though as they earn it selling a vast array of plastic-packaged products made from crude oil, rather than earn it selling crude oil itself.

[phonics]

958337773135712256

Shut the club down.

[Disco]

On that basis you should close down the entire sport.

[randomlegend]

You can support Man United or you can moan about other teams spending money. Not both.

I wasn't moaning about them spending money, I was lolling at the amount of 50m quid defenders they've bought over about the last five years and it still apparently requiring Guardiola to come in and do a £300m defensive overhaul. That's lolworthy whoever you are, Y'nite'd included.

[phonics]

On that basis you should close down the entire sport.

I'm *this* close.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

How was Laporte even playing for Bilbao?

[Jimmy Floyd]

How was Laporte even playing for Bilbao?

Because it's impossible to get their players off them (except, sadly, for Asier del Horno).

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Because it's impossible to get their players off them (except, sadly, for Asier del Horno).

No, I meant due to the Basque rule. He's not from there and I don't believe his parents are Basque either.

[phonics]

Born in Agen (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agen), Aquitaine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquitaine), Laporte started playing football and rugby (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_football) at the age of five, and began his development at SU Agen Football (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SU_Agen_Football).[2] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aymeric_Laporte#cite_note-2)[3] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aymeric_Laporte#cite_note-Among-3)[4] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aymeric_Laporte#cite_note-Bio-4) In 2009 he was invited to join Athletic Bilbao (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletic_Bilbao) after being scouted,[3] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aymeric_Laporte#cite_note-Among-3)[4] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aymeric_Laporte#cite_note-Bio-4) prompting debate over whether his signing met the criteria of their policy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletic_Bilbao_signing_policy) due to his tenuous links to the Basque region (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_Country_(greater_region));[5] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aymeric_Laporte#cite_note-5)[3] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aymeric_Laporte#cite_note-Among-3)[6] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aymeric_Laporte#cite_note-Butterflies-6) by arrangement with the club, he spent a season with Aviron Bayonnais FC (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviron_Bayonnais_FC)[4] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aymeric_Laporte#cite_note-Bio-4)[6] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aymeric_Laporte#cite_note-Butterflies-6) as he was too young to move outside France at the time.

[Danny]

No, I meant due to the Basque rule. He's not from there and I don't believe his parents are Basque either.

Wiki reckons greatgrandparents

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Wiki reckons greatgrandparents

Oh, so no real reason. They came up with some bullshit to get him there.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They themselves decide what the rule is, so you can't really call it bullshit.

[John]

It isn't a rule at all, it's a self imposed policy. He's from about fifty miles outside Basque country.

[phonics]

958109699777482752

lol

[Lewis]

I wasn't moaning about them spending money, I was lolling at the amount of 50m quid defenders they've bought over about the last five years and it still apparently requiring Guardiola to come in and do a £300m defensive overhaul. That's lolworthy whoever you are, Y'nite'd included.

Plus there is that weirdly persistent NARRATIVE that 'Pep' improves what he has, and only spends to polish perfection, where as Jose Mourinho needs a billion quid for twenty of his own players.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The fact that both of them have publicly pleaded poverty within the last month is the real laughable thing. Woe is them.

[Kikó]

Pep is a cheque book manager and a shameless one at that.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He's probably never had a birthday cake from Paul's.

[Kikó]

Bet he has the bald headed gibbon.

[SincereTheRebel]

Man City have bid £50m for mahrez according to SSN.
Southampon have had a £25m bid for promes rejected.

[Danny]

Reporting 50m city bid for Mahrez.

[phonics]

SSN also got done by a million other Mahrez rumors that turned out to be a fake.

Unless I see him in a City shirt, it's not happening.

[phonics]

Giroud to Chelsea for 18 million quid is done. Fuck my life. At least absolutely rip them off.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Giroud to Chelsea for 18 million quid is done. Fuck my life. At least absolutely rip them off.

Was going the other way, we had the cards because you needed Batshuayi to Dortmund.

[phonics]

Send him back. I can't see Olivier in Chelsea colours. I'll cry. Have we played you twice already? He's definitely scoring the winner with a towering header.

Such a good signing.

[Weaver]

Mahrez has handed in a transfer request at Leicester, according to Sky.

Wonder who’s turned his head?

[niko_cee]

I like the idea of this new Arsenal forward line, but can't help but think that sending Giroud to Chelsea is a major error.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Mahrez has handed in a transfer request at Leicester, according to Sky.

Wonder who’s turned his head?

He's seen how Drinkwater's career has sky rocketed since joining Chelsea and wants a piece of that.

[niko_cee]

Maybe Sané's injury is worse than suspected.

£50m sounds a bit of a steal in the current market.

[niko_cee]

You have to love this sort of insight, the kind you can only get through the collision of the twittersphere and transfer deadline day:


joshua byers warner: Mahrez will be very Niave to go too Manchester City or any of the big PL sides! Danny drinkwater and Kante are finding that out.

:cab:

[Giggles]

Yeah that bum Kante, fooling himself into thinking he could play.

[-james-]

I swear Mahrez has tried to "force a move" multiple times in the last 2 years. Should probably get one of those fancy agents and ditch his mate's dad from the farm down the road in Algeria.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Leicester don't need the money, so they should hold out for a billion pounds and put him in the reserves. Have several players in that position, including the new chap Diabaté by the looks of it, who can have a stab at the dual European entry routes of 7th and the cup.

[phonics]

Giroud will be ahead of Morata by the end of the year.

[-james-]

Giroud will be ahead of Morata by the end of the year.

u ok hun?

[phonics]

If you want a big target man that can finish you go for Giroud instead of him 97/100.

Most headed goals in the Premier League playing for a team that crosses the ball incessantly.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Wilshere pulling on the blue shirt next summer after moving on a free will finish him off. Can genuinely see that happening.

[phonics]

Wilshere pulling on the blue shirt next summer after moving on a free will finish him off. Can genuinely see that happening.

He'll go to City and I'm going to kill myself.

[Lewis]

Why are Chelsea so desperate for a rubbish targetman? And when I say desperate I mean shopping in the bollocks bin in January rather than waiting for something better to come along (or come back off loan).

[phonics]

They've just got something from the best of the rest bin. It's the equivalent of getting Cavani for 20.

[Reg]

Because they can't win the Premier League this season and the best chance of winning the Champions League is crossing to Ashley Barnes.

[Lewis]

lmao

[Lewis]

That was at the 'equivalent of getting Cavani for 20'. Mate.

[phonics]

He's so much better than he's rated. So much better. If he didn't sign for a banter club he'd be thought of as a god.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why are Chelsea so desperate for a rubbish targetman? And when I say desperate I mean shopping in the bollocks bin in January rather than waiting for something better to come along (or come back off loan).

We need someone to hold the ball up or we're useless. Costa did it, Morata mo problems does it but is injured every two weeks, Batshuayi can't hold up a golf sale sign. I imagine in the summer we'd look at someone younger/better who we won't be able to get now (or chuck a new manager in and everything changes anyway).

[Weaver]

Giroud is in the Arsenal squad for the Swansea game tonight, which I suppose doesn’t rule anything out but it might have confirmed IT’S ON if he was left out...

Newcastle have enquired about Eliquim Mangala reckon Sky - he’ll be fifth choice behind Kompany, Otamendi, Stones and Laporte now, and Fernandinho’s played some games at CB too. I don’t think it’ll happen but it looks like we’re going to start playing three at the back with wing backs, so getting another player in would suit that purpose.

[niko_cee]

Not Mangala though, who is dreadful.

[phonics]

Mangala is so crap that Tony Pulis had a choice between playing 3 at the back with him or buying a striker and went for the striker.

[Mazuuurk]

OK what's going on with Jimmy and the pre-2000's song references recently.

[phonics]

Reliving his peak.

[mugbull]

Arsenal fans are the new Liverpool fans

[Jimmy Floyd]

Emerson Palmieri signs. Just as well I spent nine hours tracking his Eurostar earlier.

Marcos the Murderer probably needs to piss off now, or play further forward.

[Giggles]

SPL heads, what's Anthony Stokes done now to get released?

[phonics]

That performance against Swansea last night has convinced Mezut Ozil to stay. He'll sign a new contract on 350k a week...

[SincereTheRebel]

That performance against Swansea last night has convinced Mezut Ozil to stay. He'll sign a new contract on 350k a week...

Thats an afful deal for arsenal if he stays. Respectfully.

[Jimmy Floyd]

lol at 'Sandro' already pissing off back to Spain on loan. Nice one Ronald.

[phonics]

Leicester have asked for 100 million quid for Mahrez :D

Should have put a release clause in there Riyadh.

edit: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DU3XxXSXUAAma-o.jpg:large

It's done. Paperworks in. Time to cancel the Giroud deal.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Sadness in his eyes.

[phonics]

Ozil contract confirmed.

The four dimensional chess minds of Twitter are saying Ozil's signed on because Yogi Love is going to bring his cardigans to the Premier League after the World Cup.

Meanwhile,


Olivier Giroud is set to join Chelsea today for around £18m but the claim from the Daily Telegraph is that the Blues want to stick to their club policy of offering only short-term deals to players over 30, so the Frenchman will be out of contract next summer along with Cesc Fabregas.

Madness.

[John]

Mesut Ozil signing on to work with an incoming perineum sniffer makes at least as much sense as any other reason you could come up with.

[phonics]

Oh and Islam Slimani has gone to Newcastle on loan which is a good bit of business for them I reckon.

[Lewis]

I can already see Yogi Love sitting there looking clueless as West Brom put a fourth past his useless defence.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Who's going to Bayern then? I refuse to believe that Hoffenheim child could possibly do it.

[John]

Gary Cotterill has just produced an absolutely blinding bit of mumbled, tripped over wordplay about Chelsea missing out on Giroud. It was based on the fact that he has the same initials as 'own goal'.

There was real fear in his eyes as he got halfway through and it started to spin out of his control.

[phonics]

Who's going to Bayern then? I refuse to believe that Hoffenheim child could possibly do it.

The bloke who Dortmund sacked a couple of years back, Tuchel.

[John]

Whoever this fucking dork Sky have presenting at the moment is has just showed a tweet to the camera on his phone before posting it and asking Dennis Wise to retweet it for him. They're now filling the time with pictures of people's children watching television. Bilge.

[Lewis]

Has Oezil simply BOTTLED IT, or has 'Alexis' going to United shut the door on him doing likewise?

[Jimmy Floyd]

The bloke who Dortmund sacked a couple of years back, Tuchel.

He'll also get eaten alive. The only people who succeed there are Pep and old panzer commanders.

[phonics]

Has Oezil simply BOTTLED IT, or has 'Alexis' going to United shut the door on him doing likewise?

We met his demands so it sounds more like we bottled it.

[Byron]

We've sold Sakho, sold Ayew and are looking to bring in Jordan Hugill from Preston.

I expect nothing and I'm still disappointed.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

City have made a cash plus player offer for Mahrez apparently.

Player not known (Mangala must be prime candidate, maybe they've given up on Bernando?) but it's a £65m total deal apparently.

[phonics]

https://i.imgur.com/YV622H4.png

Refreshingly honest. Could have done with Sanchez saying, 'Sorry about all that, I just think you're a bit shit and they're going to pay me loads.'

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Bet a crazy boy loves bants.

[John]

You'd have been advocating firebombing his house if he'd put that statement out.

I do like Aubameyang's inclusion of 'I'm a crazy boy, hahahaha!' in his parting statement though. He might aswell be reading the transcript of a Big Brother application tape.

[John]

We're in for Oliver McBurnie on loan, apparently, which presumably means another bid came in for Morelos and it's good enough to consider. I'd rather we kept him, but anything north of ten million with a sell on clause and I'll live with it.

[phonics]

You'd have been advocating firebombing his house if he'd put that statement out.

I do like Aubameyang's inclusion of 'I'm a crazy boy, hahahaha!' in his parting statement though. He might aswell be reading the transcript of a Big Brother application tape.

Sanchez taking some personal responsibility would be a first in his Arsenal career.

Apparently the reason Chelsea haven't ANNOUNCED GIROUD is because we're legitimately looking at getting David Luiz instead of cash. Just what the defence, that conceded 3 to a team that'd scored 15 in the previous 24 games, needs. :facepalm:

[niko_cee]

Isn't it mandatory to refer to Dortmund as 'BVB'?

[Waffdon]

We're in for Oliver McBurnie on loan, apparently, which presumably means another bid came in for Morelos and it's good enough to consider. I'd rather we kept him, but anything north of ten million with a sell on clause and I'll live with it.

As if the amounts being shouted out aren’t completely false.

[niko_cee]

Giroud to Chelsea for £18m is BBC official.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I've just seen a twitter video with him tapping the badge. Someone check on phonics.

Ollie Giroud is a blue
Is a blue, is a blue
Ollie Giroud is a blue
HE HATES ARSENAL

[SincereTheRebel]

They have sold to chelsea, liverpool, everton and man utd within the past 6 months. Only man city and tottenham left for arsenal to do deals with. My prediction is wilshere to spurs and bellerín to man city within the next 12 months.

[John]

Giroud will be a terrific signing. At least eight goals by the end of the season.

[AyDee]

Giroud. :drool:

Great signing.

[phonics]

Chelsea are going to finish above us due to a scuffed flick of a header and I'm going to cry.

[Waffdon]

They’re about to be 11 points ahead, so I doubt that’s going to be the case.

[niko_cee]

City making mugs of themselves over Mahrez as well I see. What do they expect? Teams to just give them their players? £95m may sound a lot, but when you factor in 4 or 5 years worth of wages that probably works out at a transfer fee of about £40m-£50m, which doesn't really seem unreasonable (and talk of exchanging players makes it seem even moreso). I suspect they couldn't really say no to Sanchez on financial grounds and then go and spaff more on Mahrez a week later.

[SvN]

This transfer "package" thing that the media seem to be adopting to inflate numbers needs to stop.

[Jimmy Floyd]

99% of what the media report on transfers needs to stop, but unfortunately they're just doing what gets clicks and (online) fans are far more hungry for transfers now than results or trophies.

[Lewis]

The 'package' figures are balls anyway when players pay back to the club just to work with 'Pep'.

[Lewis]

Which I've just realised is their new version of when they used to get signings to claim everyone in Manchester was a City fan.

[John]

Man City have pulled out of the Mahrez deal after he's put another transfer request in. :lol:

[Disco]

Are all these Mahrez stories made up like last year?

[John]

Enjoy Cribari, Waff. He's hilarious.

[Waffdon]

Enjoy Cribari, Waff. He's hilarious.

Stephen Thompson is going and we’re about to be taken over by the fat lass that won over £100m a few year back. We good.

[SincereTheRebel]

Wolves have secured jota on a permanent basis. He has been on loan. He has been my player of the season for wolves so far.

[John]

Stephen Thompson is going and we’re about to be taken over by the fat lass that won over £100m a few year back. We good.

You've still signed Cribari, and he's hilarious.

[-james-]

The 37 year old Cribari whose last club was Rangers in 2014, or is there a different one?

[John]

That's the one. It seems I've been stung by the most pointless fake Twitter image ever though. How disappointing, I was looking forward to seeing him again. The most uncoordinated man ever to play a sport professionally.

[phonics]

After about a year of 25-30 million rumors we go and do this on deadline day.

958777465639526405

You have to laugh.

[Bam]

That's the one. It seems I've been stung by the most pointless fake Twitter image ever though. How disappointing, I was looking forward to seeing him again. The most uncoordinated man ever to play a sport professionally.

:facepalm:

[Magic]

That's the one. It seems I've been stung by the most pointless fake Twitter image ever though. How disappointing, I was looking forward to seeing him again. The most uncoordinated man ever to play a sport professionally.

:harold:

[SincereTheRebel]

Mahrez will try and take Leicester to court over their actions.

[ScousePig]

We secured the MASSIVE signatures of Lee Camp and Ashley Fletcher after the window had slammed shut last night.

Both on loan, meaning we have seven of them now, and only five permitted.

[Shindig]

Heh. Mitrovic's last minute loan to Anderlecht fell through as he was in Brussels. So an even later deal to Fulham was made. Rolando Aarons playing in Italy would be something, if he was ever fit to play.

[Magic]

We secured the MASSIVE signatures of Lee Camp and Ashley Fletcher after the window had slammed shut last night.

Both on loan, meaning we have seven of them now, and only five permitted.

Fletcher not bad. Doon, though.

[Jimmy Floyd]

What can Mahrez possibly moan about? Some chumps have come in 24 hours before the deadline and his team don't want to sell because they can't replace. Shouldn't have signed a contract then should you mate.

[Max Power]

Apparently there was some sort of “gentleman’s agreement” between Mahrez and the chairman in the summer that if they got a £50m+ bid rather than the £30mish enquiries from Roma and others we would sell. However the market has changed and that £50m isn’t his value anymore when Coutinho goes for £140m and Van Dijk £75m so the Kings Of Duty Free have changed the price.

[Jimmy Floyd]

lol at the leaked emails showing the Dildo Brothers' racist transfer policy.

[Byron]

The general feeling is that the email has been deliberately leaked to try and take away from the fact that we have a wafer thin squad and pissed off most of our alleged transfer targets by not making any serious bids.

Either way, just another day in the circus that is West Ham.

[Lofty]

After about a year of 25-30 million rumors we go and do this on deadline day.

958777465639526405

You have to laugh.

Not just the offer but Pardew said last week anyone wanting to buy him needs to give WBA time to find a replacement.

[Spikey M]

Theo ‘the Next Henry’ Walcott, actually showing some ability the second he’s left Arsenal. :harold:

[phonics]

Yeah he never scored for Arsenal in his whole career. Walcotts problem was never getting on the end of things, it was doing literally anything else ever.

[SincereTheRebel]

Reading the history on aubameyang. He sounds like balotelli's half brother. Wenger does not come across as a manager that can control bad behavuour. Surpirsed he would even go in for a player with his history. Also he has some little teeth that are shapped like monopoly dice which for some reason, freaks me out.

[John Arne]

I just assumed the Aubameyang signing came from the Mislintat, with the knowledge that Wenger is leaving in the summer.

[Spikey M]

Yeah he never scored for Arsenal in his whole career. Walcotts problem was never getting on the end of things, it was doing literally anything else ever.

2 in half an hour?

He’s lucky to get that a season for your lot.

[phonics]

He scored 7 this season (apparently? that seems high but the Europa is a blur at this point), 19 last season, and I think but am not sure that he scored 21 the year before that, and 25 the year before that.

[Spikey M]

exageration dear boy.

[SincereTheRebel]

I just assumed the Aubameyang signing came from the Mislintat, with the knowledge that Wenger is leaving in the summer.

Thats a good point.


He scored 7 this season (apparently? that seems high but the Europa is a blur at this point), 19 last season, and I think but am not sure that he scored 21 the year before that, and 25 the year before that.

Only league goals should count when judging players in this scenario.

[Disco]

Are monopoly dice drastically different from other dice?

[phonics]

I missed Lookman going to RB Leipzig. I'm really loving this new wave of English players going abroad.

[SincereTheRebel]

300k is what they are giving bug eyes over the next 3 years. He does not justify that salary imo. Yes he has brought arsenal gold trophies since he arrived but they have yet to win any platinums. Second highest wage in the league according to reports. Madness.

[Shindig]

I missed Lookman going to RB Leipzig. I'm really loving this new wave of English players going abroad.

Rolando Aarons in Serie A.:halm:

[Weaver]

Joe Cole: A Trailblazer

[Yevrah]

Aubameyang is possibly the most pointless signing Arsenal have ever made.

[Reg]

Yep. I think this quote sums up Arsene Wenger:


“Do I regret not getting a defender? Yes, because our defensive numbers are not good enough and that’s where we needed some possible strengthening,” Wenger said. “What I wanted to do [in January], we have done. But I couldn’t do everything. I wanted to do more.

“Defensive strengthening is a huge problem for everybody. Everybody looks for a defender. You look again at Manchester City – they bought again a defender [Aymeric Laporte]. How much money have they spent on defenders in the last three years?”

[Jimmy Floyd]

Things have clearly been taken out of his hands, although I'm not buying the idea of this ex-Dortmund mong being the transfer guru that Arsenal Twitter seems to think/hope he is. So far he's brought in some nobody from Panionios (sorry but Greeks - just no), and two players on huge money that he's worked with before. Aubameyang smacks of said transfer mong being desperate to establish himself at the club early on. You wouldn't buy him on top of Lacazette if there was any kind of real strategy.

[Adramelch]

(sorry but Greeks - just no)

He's a defender though. That's like, the only reliable thing we produce. Although going from a mid-table team in the Greek league (with 20 official games to his name) to Arsenal is not how it typically happens.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I should clarify. Greece - maximum respect. Greeks - no.

[Ian]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/5494885/chelsea-transfer-news-joe-hart-thibaut-courtois/

It's a pity this won't be true because that would be hilarious.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Well, it was nice being a top club for a while.

[phonics]

A player with one year left on his contract? WHAT A SHODDILY RUN CLUB I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY'RE RUNNING IT INTO THE GROUND.

[Ian]

I wanted to make some joke about you replacing Hazard with some over-rated chancer of an attacking midfielder but the club have beaten me to the joke by signing Ross Barkley, so...

[Jimmy Floyd]

Marina won't see the point in paying Joe Hart's wages when we could get in a G4S contractor on £12/hour.

[niko_cee]

In fairness, she'd probably be right in that instance.

[Lewis]

Well, it was nice being a top club for a while.

Is it too late to junk the stadium plans?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Is it too late to junk the stadium plans?

We/Abramovich have just won a long running battle with some nimby cunt in Fulham who was claiming the cranes would block their source of natural light, so probably is. Still, all the west London derbies with Brentford should draw a crowd.

[Lewis]

He probably needs more direct local assets/investment to completely rule out ever being extradited.

[randomlegend]

961586600256909312
Lewis

:drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

All the PSG fans were enjoying les vacances in the Dordogne in August, so won't have been able to access whatever the French use for internet connection to frantically retweet and like Neymar. Fake news.

[John]

A quarter of those were Phonics coming to terms with it.

[Raoul Duke]

Neymar to Utd: confirmed

[Lewis]

961587086401986560

There are loads of Chelsea/City fans ('Oil Clubs': Harold Bishop) inexplicably seething in the replies to these.

[Yevrah]

The seething is no doubt self-reflective as Man Utd just do this sort of shit miles better than anyone else.

[Lewis]

https://s10.postimg.org/sm1fuxtex/DVh_CRga_X4_AA0ae_Q.jpg

[randomlegend]

http://www.thesportsbank.net/core/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ed-woodward-manchester-united-executive-vice-chairman.jpg

[Kikó]

https://s10.postimg.org/sm1fuxtex/DVh_CRga_X4_AA0ae_Q.jpg

I love that picture is over the actual trophy we won.

And these quotes, as vomitous as they are, are to shareholders on a revenue call. They're not said normal humans on a serious level.

[Jimmy Floyd]

There was a time when United fans didn't need to point these things out, they were just a given. It's like that Thatcher quote about being a lady. If you need to tell people you're still the dominant force in English football, you aren't.

[randomlegend]

I don't think anyone was pointing these things out to prove we are the dominant force in English football...the 13 points we are behind Man City does a fairly good job dispelling any notion of that.

They are just something to lol at.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They do it in the same sentence as pleading poverty because City spend £57 million on a defender though (who needs defenders anyway).

[Ian]

Human beings in selective hypocrisy shocker.

[Lewis]

Has anyone actually pleaded poverty in relation to City? Their spending only gets mentioned because the way people carry on you would think United were the only side throwing money around.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Jose Mourinho has.

[Disco]

I would bet that Wenger has too.

[Lewis]

I wouldn't read all that much into Mourinho spouting off right before the transfer window opens.

[Kikó]

City spend loads of dirty money and Guardiola is loved by the media (see the guff about how he was going to save England from Winter).

Mourinho is playing the dark arts as usual and getting Woodward to spend the money we have. Rather than the usual talking about how we're the richest club, prove it. Example Perisic who we haggled out of for 5m.

[Lewis]

That was a long-con MIND GAME putting Italian poverty clubs on notice in case they go after that Lazio midfielder.

[randomlegend]

I think it was right to haggle over - and ultimately pull out of - the Perisic deal.

Spending a squillion quid to get a player like Neymar would be worth it, but if you start paying whatever a club asks for a 28 year old 'good but not amazing' winger then before you know it you're getting absolutely fleeced on every single transfer. You have to draw the line somewhere on a transfer like that.

[Kikó]

You're either a rich club and need to sign players or not. Haggling over a few quid when it's a player the manager wants is miserly.

[phonics]

M'Bappes move to PSG has been made permanent today after they mathematically avoided relegation this year :D

[Giggles]

Deadline here soon.

Never mind that he doesn't score many goals, he has a nice exotic name (if there was ever a name that screamed Italian Nigerian). God knows what he'll make of Dundalk town.


966322982653169666

[Baz]

Who’s this Arthur that Barcelona have spent €40M on from Gremio? Apparently the perfect Iniesta replacement but as far as I can tell that just means he’s very small.

[randomlegend]

Who’s this Arthur that Barcelona have spent €40M on from Gremio? Apparently the perfect Iniesta replacement but as far as I can tell that just means he’s very small.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=arthur+goals+and+skills

Come on mate it's not hard.

[Spoonsky]

Good point, why post anything on TTH when we could just google the answer.

[Raoul Duke]

He's the most Dutch-looking Brazilian I've ever seen :cab:

Also, seems legit:


Gremio, which own only 60 percent of Arthur's rights, had initially been asking for €50m. The rest is shared between investor Celso Rigo and Arthur's family, the latter of which has has agreed not to demand any fee, a source said.

[randomlegend]

Good point, why post anything on TTH when we could just google the answer.

"Goals and skills".

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

This board would be nothing without Andrew.

[randomlegend]

Obviously.

[Baz]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=arthur+goals+and+skills

Come on mate it's not hard.https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/arthur/images/5/51/Muffy%27s_Soccer_Shocker_12.JPG/revision/latest?cb=20170614071421

[SincereTheRebel]

It appears that usain bolt is about to sign for a team in south africa. I call trolling.

[Weaver]

Atletico Madrid have agreed to sell Nicolas Gaitan and Yannick Carrasco to Dalian Yifang, a newly promoted Chinese Super League team, who signed Jose Fonte last week too.

No official transfer fees but I would imagine Carrasco’s is pretty big.

[John]

Waste of a quality player.

[Mazuuurk]

What a waste. Carrasco has always looked like he is quite good to me, and he's only 24 still, seems way too young to end his carreer like that already.

[John]

I think he's the first good player from a proper team to go there before he was half dead.

[Lewis]

Nicolas Gaitan moving again and where is Ed Woodward? Tosser.

[Giggles]

Didn't realise Fonte was gone. That really didn't work out at West Ham, though he probably got a good signing bonus.

[phonics]

I think he's the first good player from a proper team to go there before he was half dead.

Harsh on Oscar.

[Disco]

I was going to say, Ramires and Oscar were/are both decent.

[Mazuuurk]

And then there was Paulinho who, admittedly wasn't that great when he left but then somehow is good now it seems for Barca and everything about that is just inexplicable.

[Baz]

Griezmann to Barca for €100M is as good as done. :scratch:

[Shindig]

The only player that went to China half dead was wor Cheick. :(

[Kikó]

Didn't realise Fonte was gone. That really didn't work out at West Ham, though he probably got a good signing bonus.

I saw him in Canary Wharf having a coffee in the starbucks. He didn't look like he was moving to China, wonder what happened.