The Jude Bellingham Summer 2023 Transfer Thread

[Waffdon]

1692140091752304931

Threatening court because someone paid a release clause you tried to hide :lol:

[Waffdon]

Palace chairman just tweeted he’s signed a new contract. Why is every Chelsea transfer a opera :D

[Lofty]

Did he not know release clauses mean nothing? FSG proved that.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Probably because we're run by a bunch of cowboy fucks who don't have the first clue what they're doing.

[niko_cee]

Lavia to Chelsea's BBC Official (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66539123) for £53m [rising to £58m].

Next up, Brennan Johnson?

Where does this end?

[Waffdon]

Hopefully that one blows over. Signing anyone else from England is pointless as the English tax is no joke.

Just get Kudus in to replace Olise not joining.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Yeah, outside England our spending has been the picture of modest prudence. Boehly has a real eye for a bargain.

£53 million for a player with 29 games for Southampton is fucking top business let me tell you that right now. I've hailed cabs in SW6 for less.

[niko_cee]

It's alright, Liverpool are about to spend more on someone with 34 games for Palace and the host of Takeshi's Castle, assuming Chelsea don't step in, natch.

[Gray Fox]

Reminds me a lot of that season on FM when you finally get a big budget and so you go and sign as many wonderkids as you can based off their first scout report.

Another sign of the game moving on though and it's not just Chelsea at it. Any sign of a player being high potential or being young and having one good season and they're snapped up. It used to be your Southampton would get a few years out of a talent like Lavia, but not now.

Teams are circling the wagon after 20 games now. No matter the fee.

[Don]

Andros Townsend and his 353 Brexitball appearances available for free too.

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/65355273/?search_identifier=065f2b2241c2f5345e7f5b3af1ff616 5dce88777554ed5b363d05856a7508fff

You could buy this 8 bed house in Kingston and 12 more houses like it, or you could have Romeo Lavia play defensive midfield for your team. Tough one.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The putting green :cool:

[Baz]

It's alright, Liverpool are about to spend more on someone with 34 games for Palace and the host of Takeshi's Castle, assuming Chelsea don't step in, natch.Some fan from Japan made a 20-minute video about him (and thankfully a brief write-up) and he's basically the second coming of Yaya Toure, except he'll talk about manga with Konate at half-time. I'm all aboard. He's number 3 for Stuttgart too, it couldn't be more perfect.

[Don]

Yeah, I watched a short compilation vid and he does look like he shits on Rodri.

[Gray Fox]

Obviously we've signed the best DM in the world here.

There's talk of being back in for Gravenberch as Bayern need some money for some reason. For the mooted £20-25m it'd be daft not to.

It would also leave money for a good CB to come in too. I fear if Palace quote £70m+ for Doucoure now we'll just walk away.

[phonics]

Everyone knows the defensive level of midtable Bundesliga is only second to peak Italian Cantenaccio so he must be good.

[Lofty]

Do Liverpool realise the man from Japan will be absent for January?

[Ian]

Chelsea will have bought him by then so it's not really their problem.

[niko_cee]

Upgrade on Arthur Melo regardless, who was 'absent' for the whole of last season [also most of the other dearly departed midfielders].

[Ben]

Chelsea letting Hall go is a weird one.

[phonics]

They need the money and academy players are 100% profit. It's when they start running out of the family silverware to flog off a season or 2 from now is when it becomes an issue.

[Waffdon]

That’s where the Brazilians come into play.

They’re definitely also going to abuse the fuck out of Strasbourg - even more so if they finish in the European places or higher.

[Jimmy Floyd]

'Moving prospects' is straight out of the baseball playbook, you basically only grow them in order to trade for win-now pieces later. And yes, in baseball they do routinely refer to human beings as 'pieces'.

[Waffdon]

I’ve noticed Chelsea now release injury updates before every match. Seems v American

[Gray Fox]

In American sport you are bound by the rules to disclose injuries, even when players miss practice and why they did so.

[Dark Soldier]

Can't wait til he finally implements his 443 and crowns Chelsea world champions for winning the FA Cup

[phonics]

If we manage to swindle 30 million quid out of Forest for Nuno Tavares I'll suck Edu's toes.

[Waffdon]

Sounds like Paqueta might have been to the Ivan Toney school of arts. Probably why Man City have pulled out of a deal for signing him

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Sounds like Paqueta might have been to the Ivan Toney school of arts. Probably why Man City have pulled out of a deal for signing him

If Twitter is to be believed he was on card betting :drool:

What a fucking don.

[Clunge]

So we've got Zaniolo in. I recall him being touted as a huge deal a couple of years ago, but I don't quite understand the sideways career move to Galatasaray (although he did win the league the season he was there) after being shit hot for Roma the season before... busted flush vibes, but we'll see.

[Adramelch]

He had a massive falling out with the club and Turkey was probably one of the best places where the transfer window was still open if memory serves me well.

[Waffdon]

If Twitter is to be believed he was on card betting :drool:

What a fucking don.

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[Don]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/aug/18/chelsea-sign-romeo-lavia-mauricio-pochettino

Why must they sign relentless shite, you ain't going nowhere fast with Sanchez as number 1.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Quite a few of my card accas have included him.

He's not listed on the card markets on Betfair and Unibet (unless I'm blind), he is on Bet365 @ 3.1...

[Baz]

1634910520431001601

The video of the yellow is in the replies.

Presume it was such short odds cos he (and his hombres) had a giant bet on it and moved the market?

[Shindig]

I'd like to think Chelsea's recruitment process is a home run derby.

[Waffdon]

Aye, I’m guessing so. That’s the date in question anyway so the fact he was that short shows they must have lumped on.

Why wouldn’t you just go round local bookies and hammer it that way?

[-james-]

The Paqueta thing will almost certainly be bollocks, like the Xhaka one was last season. Occam's razor.

[Waffdon]

Xhaka was never investigated by the FA, was he? Was that not just Twitter rumours?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Xhaka is just a violent mong.

[Lofty]

The Paqueta thing will almost certainly be bollocks, like the Xhaka one was last season. Occam's razor.

Apparently a load of accounts linked to Paqueta's acquaintances opened on Betway on the same day, put max deposits in and all bet on a double card for him and Luiz Henrique for Betis.

[-james-]

Apparently a load of accounts linked to Paqueta's acquaintances opened on Betway on the same day, put max deposits in and all bet on a double card for him and Luiz Henrique for Betis.

Yeah fair enough if that's true then he's a massive mong lol. The only two ways it works are a) he tells all his friends and family b) organised crime

[John Arne]

I can already predict his response.

'Some crime organisation in Brazil threatened to kidnap my family, I was so scared".

[Jimmy Floyd]

You absolutely should not be able to bet on cards.

[Gray Fox]

Reports in Brazil reckon Liverpool bid £25m for André of Fluminense and it was rejected. He has a £34m release clause and the thought is they'd be willing to deal him cheaper in January, but it's release clause or nothing right now because they want him for their Copa Libertadores run in.

Ties in with Bad News Pearce reporting that Liverpool are not after a specific CDM type now. They believe they have that covered with Endo and Bajcetic. Now what they want is a progressive ball carrier.

I can't wait for it to end in a failed £110m bid for Doucoure next summer.

[Don]

RedditLesbo has been very quiet recently so please allow me to keep you all informed on Utd's latest transfer activity...

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[Spikey M]

Chelsea should be all over that.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He looks fun.

[Don]

City close to Nunes signing. Him and Kovacic, ridiculous business.

[Waffdon]

I’m starting to think Pep is offski and he’s deliberately signing okay players to make him look better when the next person takes over

[Don]

Brah, the only thing ordinary about them is their former employers.

This has killed me though.

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[Waffdon]

Doku, Nunes, Silva and Kovacic all starting would be hilarious. Lovely dribbling and vibes but not much end product.

[niko_cee]

Wolves have set a vastly inflated fee you say?

Someone call Todd.

[John Arne]

Gabri Veiga off to Al-Ahli.

[Don]

And it begins :drool:

[Baz]

Gabri Veiga off to Al-Ahli.

He’s 21. Can probably retire at 26 and never work another day of his life.

[Waffdon]

Gabri Veiga off to Al-Ahli.

I assumed he was off to Napoli as ‘Fab’ doing his ‘here we go’ schtik for him last week. He’s had an absolute mare this summer

[niko_cee]

He’s 21. Can probably retire at 26 and never work another day of his life.

He could probably do that being a top division footballer in Spain if he wanted.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Deferring the World Cup bid to 2034 a smart move by the Saudis. They could naturalise a load of these before then.

[Don]

If we get 9 figures for Salah and see the back of him :drool:

[Don]

Nunes bid rejected and Eze on their shortlist according to BBC. My guy thinks he can coach the blacks all of a sudden :happycry:

[Baz]

If we get 9 figures for Salah and see the back of him :drool:

Ben Doak is ready. :drool:

[Don]

It seems we're not willing to negotiate which is a strange position to take against an infinite pool of resources. Or is it the only correct one? I wonder how much would literally make it an offer we can't refuse. We're sitting pretty in terms of depth and replacements so it really isn't even that big of a loss but surely we can't say no to £150m+, can we?

[Gray Fox]

See they're viewing the PL as competition as they'll no doubt end up in the CL at some point. So they're trying to be coy on fees but dump all of the money at the feet of the player. The player then kicks off as they want the endless riches but the selling club don't see it, but essentially have to sell the player.

For someone like Salah the cogs must surely be turning. He may yet win the PL this season(doubtful) but the CL he wont have a shot at winning until he's 33 now. Would he go and demand the move? It's rumoured they want to give him millions per week and we know how much he was desperate to earn the big bucks here.

The problem here is you want this money at the start of the window. You want to choose your target, not choose from who is left. This lesson they should have learned only a week ago too.

Fwiw I think if one of them hits near Coutinho money again we'd sell. But I don't think they'd get away with not bringing someone big in as a replacement.

[Ben]

Tierney has gone to Sociedad. Didn't see that one coming.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Ryan Bertrand to United apparently :lol:

[Shindig]

Sweet Jesus. :D

[Lewis]

This season feels like a write-off already, and I can see 'EtH' being questioned by the end of it.

[Dark Soldier]

I can see him fucking off of his own accord unless Qatar get the club. He'll fucking love that, already shown with Greenwood he has zero morals.

[-james-]

Romano constantly using "told" as an abbreviation for "I'm told" is so jarring.

[Kikó]

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1695531127669191124?t=sQ-J06qFWlkjKKRliKw0Mw&s=19

Lol Jimmy Floyd

[Adramelch]

How much do we reckon Chelsea would have to pay United for the loan?

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1695531127669191124?t=sQ-J06qFWlkjKKRliKw0Mw&s=19

Lol Jimmy Floyd

Lolololol

[Don]

This guy seems like the sort of monster that will work well in EPL:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66644536

They even made the poor kid believe Eto'o played for them which is some going.

[Waffdon]

1696548271617986873

:drool:

Aubameyang, Cucurella, Lukaku, Ziyech, Azpilicueta, Mount, Havertz, Kovacic, Kepa, Koulibaly and Pulisic all gone in one window. Tuchel’s reign of transfers hell has nearly been completed eradicated. Offft.

[Gray Fox]

Time for the rumour mill to go into overdrive now. Main two we seem to be linked too are Doucoure and Gravenberch. The former will apparently cost close to £70m get him this late in the window and the latter doesn't make much sense. He wants to leave Bayern because he wants to play more, yet Szoboszlai is surely going to be starting every game he's fit with how good he seems to be.

And the need for a CB goes on.

[Luke Emia]

1696548271617986873

:drool:

Aubameyang, Cucurella, Lukaku, Ziyech, Azpilicueta, Mount, Havertz, Kovacic, Kepa, Koulibaly and Pulisic all gone in one window. Tuchel’s reign of transfers hell has nearly been completed eradicated. Offft.

As has all of the experience within the squad. This isn't Football Manager.

[niko_cee]

Cucurella's an upgrade on Fatty Shaw, he'll probably do pretty well away from the crushing expectation that came with that ridiculous price tag.

[Waffdon]

Romano is making out Chelsea are trying to keep tabs on a ‘superstar’ for in attack that will be bought before the end of the window.

Leao or Musiala pls :drool:

[Don]

With Lukaku out, surely you're looking at a CF? Felix?

[Gray Fox]

I'm sure they could get him in on loan. That'd be a great idea.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We could always buy Havertz back from Arsenal.

[Don]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F4sPnEjXAAAy2yv?format=jpg&name=medium

I love this game.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Welcome to private equity vultures running the show.

[Lewis]

That makes it sound like coach travel is subsidised to the tune of ten pounds per passenger per game. If so that reads like quite a dramatic response to what must equate to a single figure increase in your average Chelsea fan's budget for supporting them.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It cost the club £250k per year to do it, so I don't know why as a fan you wouldn't be insulted by the brazenness of it when the same sum is currently going on paying Lukaku to sit in his pants for a week.

[John Arne]

Opportunity for the players get get a PR win.

"Chelsea players donate $250k to fan bus campaign"

Drop in the ocean for the club, seems such a weird decision. No doubt it will be reversed soon.

[Waffdon]

Romano is making out Chelsea are trying to keep tabs on a ‘superstar’ for in attack that will be bought before the end of the window.

Leao or Musiala pls :drool:

Or…Palmer.

Man City’s own KDB moment. We move.

[Waffdon]

Are Man Utd skint? Loan offers all over the gaff. £2m loan offer for Amrabat who they can buy for £20m odd. Christ.

[Ben]

Still reeling from putting together £130m packages for clowns such as Antony.

[Lewis]

They spent loads of money in 2021 and 2022 and have barely sold anyone, so there probably is some sort of accounting squeeze.

[Lewis]

Why are Wolves accepting barely more than they paid for Matheus Nunes a year ago?

[Gray Fox]

Are Man Utd skint? Loan offers all over the gaff. £2m loan offer for Amrabat who they can buy for £20m odd. Christ.

Ten Haag has about the same net spend in 1 year as Klopps entire Liverpool reign. They just can't seem to sell anyone.

[Luke Emia]

Ten Haag has about the same net spend in 1 year as Klopps entire Liverpool reign. They just can't seem to sell anyone.

Don’t start on net spend again. It’s mostly to do with the massive wages they give people it makes them nigh on impossible to sell.

[Waffdon]

Why are Wolves accepting barely more than they paid for Matheus Nunes a year ago?

They’ve also accepted a 50%(!!!) sell on fee for a bloke they got for £5m as part of the deal. Mental

It also sounds like PSG were correct when they were insinuating Chelsea/Sporting had some kind of ‘connection’. They’re trying to add them to the ‘Multi club model’. Sporting seem a bit too good to be apart of that shenanigans.

[Lewis]

Harry Maguire is on the sort of money you would expect to be on if a club spends eighty million on you (obviously a wider problem than just the salary), but the silly cunt could always just take a pay cut and actually play some games elsewhere with his England future on the line.

[Luke Emia]

Harry Maguire is on the sort of money you would expect to be on if a club spends eighty million on you (obviously a wider problem than just the salary), but the silly cunt could always just take a pay cut and actually play some games elsewhere with his England future on the line.

I’d be more concerned by the silly cunt who thought he was worth eighty million quid.

It’s not just him though. They are never getting rid of Wan Bissaka or Lindelof for example and you can guarantee if he could get rid of them he would do.

Martial is another one absolutely no idea what he has done to still be at United after 8 years they should have cut their losses 3 or 4 years ago but they must have given him another contract since that point?

[Shindig]

Phil Jones got 12 years. Admittedly, he spent the latter half of it knackered. Everton should sign him up.

[Ian]

The tl:dr version is Woowar piling on further contracts to protect a theoretical transfer fee that the big contracts would prevent from ever happening.

[Gray Fox]

They also went through several years of wanting a new forward, to find out the audacity of the club they play for actually want a fee for them. Can't possibly pay said fee and so Martial will have to stay.

[Waffdon]

Ansu Fati joining Brighton is mental. What a league.

[Lofty]

Harry Maguire is on the sort of money you would expect to be on if a club spends eighty million on you (obviously a wider problem than just the salary), but the silly cunt could always just take a pay cut and actually play some games elsewhere with his England future on the line.

How long is his contract? He'd be deemed a sillier cunt if he moved to for a pay cut and had a career ending injury shortly after. Like when Sunderland tried to appeal to Jack Rodwell over him bleeding the club dry and him just lolling at them as he drove off to presumably bang some more high class prostitutes.

[Manc]

Ansu Fati joining Brighton is mental. What a league.

His knees are completely fucked.

[Waffdon]

He played in over 50 games last year so he can’t be that badly affected

[Don]

A player who has never registered on my vast radar, the output doesn't look great though and that Amad Diallo physique ain't made for EPL. Brighton have really fucked up this summer unless Baleba comes good.

[Spikey M]

I mean, he was "the next Messi" a little while ago and now he's going to Brighton. He might be a bit fucked.

[Don]

But did he ever do anything to warrant that tag or was he just riding the wave of desperation and racial inclusivity that was so fashionable at the time in Barca/Spain? He's just another Assulin-esque worthless piece of shit.

[Waffdon]

He’s 20 :D

Give him a bit of time eh

[niko_cee]

I mean, he was "the next Messi" a little while ago and now he's going to Brighton. He might be a bit fucked.

:D

Didn't Barcelona sign him to some ridiculous release fee contract at the height of his first season impact? Presumably he's not completely terrible, so a worthy understudy for Solly March.

[Don]

He’s 20 :D

Give him a bit of time eh

See Messi/Doak numbers post for a reality check.

[Spikey M]

:D

Didn't Barcelona sign him to some ridiculous release fee contract at the height of his first season impact? Presumably he's not completely terrible, so a worthy understudy for Solly March.

I don't know the terms of the loan, so... sure. But considering Barcelona are skint, I think it's likely that Brighton are covering a decent percentage of his wages and considering they are Barcelona wages... I don't get it. This is not a cheap loan deal.

[niko_cee]

I was more lolling in agreement.

I have no idea what this deal is.

[Ben]

Tottenham fans were making "Welcome to Spurs" videos for him yesterday morning.

[Spikey M]

It's mental. 14 million in wages + a £x million loan fee, no option to buy unless there's also a buy back clause for the same amount.

What's the point?

Either he's shit / perma-injured and he spends all year sat on his arse, or he's great and he ends up back at Barcelona in a couple of years.

The best you could hope for is that he's good, but not too good.

Baffling.

[Raoul Duke]

People who are cash rich and time poor make different decisions. If they hadn't spent so long fumbling around with Chelsea's bra straps for Caicedo they might have done something else

[niko_cee]

Yeah, they're real mugs in the transfer market, I'm sure this is a terrible deal.

The Colwill loan pretty much benefitted all parties, so hopefully this goes the same way.

[niko_cee]

Thought today was DEADLINE DAY but it seems that's tomorrow.

[-james-]

It's mental. 14 million in wages + a £x million loan fee, no option to buy unless there's also a buy back clause for the same amount.

What's the point?

Either he's shit / perma-injured and he spends all year sat on his arse, or he's great and he ends up back at Barcelona in a couple of years.

The best you could hope for is that he's good, but not too good.

Baffling.

If it is a 14 million deal (are they covering all of the wages) then that seems pretty cheap. That's pretty much what Adam Lallana's contract and fee will cost them over three years (or half of Joao Pedro's fee alone). They've had a pretty mega year financially and presumably have a bit left over and no primary targets left to go for (after Kudus didn't happen). Fati could go tits up but he goes back after a season so it's not like it's a huge risk that'll end up stuck on their books. If he's mega and helps land them Europe again it's clearly worth it.

[Spikey M]

If it is a 14 million deal (are they covering all of the wages) then that seems pretty cheap. That's pretty much what Adam Lallana's contract and fee will cost them over three years. They've had a pretty mega year financially and presumably have a bit left over and no primary targets left to go for (after Kudus didn't happen). Fati could go tits up but he goes back after a season so it's not like it's a huge risk that'll end up stuck on their books.

The £14 million is just his wages from what I've heard. There will be a loan fee on top of that.

[niko_cee]

Why are Wolves accepting barely more than they paid for Matheus Nunes a year ago?

Yeah, I wondered this. I guess Wolves probably have little to no say over such matters. How does Lavia quadruple in value after one season if this guy who is also good and has that year of experience barely moved the needle? You could also compare Palinha at Fulham.

[Baz]

Seen he’s off to Bayern, once Liverpool get Gravenberch. That’s Fulham going down, surely.

I’d rather have Palhinha, also.

[niko_cee]

53m for Nunes. I suppose that is a nearly 50% uplift on what Wolves paid.

What happens to Phillips now, as he's clearly not going to make the grade there?

[Ben]

That’s Fulham going down, surely.

You underestimate the amount of shite in the league this year. Their floor is about 15th even without Palhinha.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Luton and the chip sandwich lot may well go (not so sure about Luton just yet) but 18th is very much up for grabs.

[Ben]

Luton, Sheffield United, Wolves, Everton and Burnley are all a lot worse than Fulham minus Palhinha, I'd say.

[Gray Fox]

I'm sure it was reported at the time Wolves signed him that is was on the proviso that he left this summer for a fee that was only a smidge higher than what he signed for. Supposedly all part of the Mendes shady business.

As for Phillips I reckon they need him for CL quota so he's up shit creek without a paddle if he wants playing time. If they don't, he has hastily arranged deadline day loan deal at 9pm written all over him.

[Luke Emia]

Luton and the chip sandwich lot may well go (not so sure about Luton just yet) but 18th is very much up for grabs.

From what I have seen of them it has to be Everton. They look absolute bilge the only saving grace for them is if they can get half a season out of Calvert-Lewin they might just get enough goals to stay up. That's a massive if though.

[Spikey M]

Yeah, it's a shite off between the current bottom 4. Everton are probably the best of an absolutely terrible bunch though.

[Gray Fox]

Everton will likely stay up. They always seem to just manage it.

[thommo]

I'm dreading the next 30 hours or so. I know the relegation places seem locked in but I genuinely see us going down or at least in a desperate battle if Palhinha goes. He's that good.

Hopefully this is all a lot of hot air from the FC Bayern mouthpieces in an attempt to appease their fans/Tuchel that they tried to buy a CM this summer.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66639575

Lukaku back with Mourinho.

[Spikey M]

Geezer gets passed around like the clap.

[Lofty]

So when Tuchel said 'that's your dad' he wasn't joking.

[niko_cee]

Gravenberch seems to be on his way to Liverpool* according to SSN. Is he any good?

*subject to future interest from unspecified rivals.

[Gray Fox]

He can't get a game at Bayern, which makes this move a bit odd. He strikes me as one who made his big move too quickly. He could have used another year or two at Ajax.

I can't see his game time improving at Liverpool either. Once(if) Thiago is fit, he's about 4th choice as the attacking CM. Unless Klopp thinks he can make him play from deeper.

[Raoul Duke]

I'm surprised Utd aren't in for him. He came through under Ten Hag and we have banter players like McT and Donny skunking the place up

[Waffdon]

Gravenberch hasn’t even completed 1 Bundesliga game for Bayern so I’m not sure he’s much of an upgrade

[Jimmy Floyd]

Cole Palmer has been here-we-go'd. Another baseball signing.

[Spikey M]

He looks very good, but I'm struggling to think of a worse destination for him than Chelsea. He's not going to get the gametime he needs

[Jimmy Floyd]

Who cares when we can sell him on to Spurs next year for slightly more and claim victory.

[Ian]

Cole Palmer is clearly a backup quarterback for a mid-level NFL team.

[Manc]

Just three players remaining from the squad that won the European Cup in 2021.

[Waffdon]

He looks very good, but I'm struggling to think of a worse destination for him than Chelsea. He's not going to get the gametime he needs

He will get plenty. He’s not got much ahead of him with Chukwuemeka and Nkunku out until October and January respectively.

[Don]

Signed Fabinho's 21 year-old regen for fuck all. #FSGIN

[niko_cee]

Champ manager me says Liverpool should accept £150m [if that's what it genuinely is] for Salah.

Be interesting to see which worldview wins out this season, Liverpool's ostensible received wisdom approach [assuming they don't sell] or Chelsea's much more champ managery buy loads of hot prospects and chuck them at senior football approach.

[Waffdon]

If Salah stays, Liverpool should easily finish top 4. Well, on the assumption the defence holds it together outside of the ‘top 6’ teams.

[Waffdon]

The PL is utterly hilarious. Got relegation threatened teams throwing £40m around like it’s nothing for players in the CL.

[Giggles]

There's a very good chance Liverpool will be in the running this year with City after being depleted.

[Gray Fox]

If Salah stays, Liverpool should easily finish top 4. Well, on the assumption the defence holds it together outside of the ‘top 6’ teams.

England almost nailed on for the extra spot for next year so you'd expect top 5 will be enough.

I expected doom and gloom, but 7 points from 3 opening games including 2 tough away ones and playing half the time with 10 men has me optimistic.
I reckon top 3 for us would be grand, assuming he doesn't go mad and go full strength in the Europa.

The team has been made very suddenly a lot younger and so I reckon it could use this season to bed in. Also gives a year to plan for Salah to go if this does come back next summer.

[Waffdon]

£45m being the going rate for gimps like Brennan Johnson is hilarious

[niko_cee]

Making sense of transfers went out of the window long ago.

For example I have no idea what the deal with that Cole Palmer transfer is all about. If he was genuinely worth spunking £40m on as an almost completely unproven player, then surely City would keep him?

The Saudis aren't finished pursuing Salah. Improved offer inbound. The transfer window differential is going to be a major headache.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It makes more sense if you stop looking at the players as footballers and start looking at them as market commodities. 40 barrels of Cole Palmer might be worth the current price of 70 barrels next year, if he has a good season and someone needs a homegrown-qualified forward. Even if it doesn't work out that way, then you've still got the barrels and either you can feed bits of Cole Palmer into your aga to heat the place for the next eight years, or at worst you can cut your losses and get a man (Neil Warnock) around to pick up the barrels for scrap.

[Waffdon]

10 million loan for Amrabat when you could pay 20 to buy him. lol what

[Gray Fox]

Making sense of transfers went out of the window long ago.

For example I have no idea what the deal with that Cole Palmer transfer is all about. If he was genuinely worth spunking £40m on as an almost completely unproven player, then surely City would keep him?

The Saudis aren't finished pursuing Salah. Improved offer inbound. The transfer window differential is going to be a major headache.


The needle has moved. Your £20m average player transfer 5 years ago is now £40-50m. If City are willing to let him go at all it suggests to me he might not be all that. I'd like to think Guardiola is a better judge of player than whoever is pressing buttons at Chelsea.

This Salah stuff is really going to test FSG. A £150m or £200m fee for him would be Coutinho-esque for them, only this time I dont think there's a VVD and Alisson combo to make it work out.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

10 million loan for Amrabat when you could pay 20 to buy him. lol what

So dumb.

We'll probably buy him for £20m-£40m next Summer.

[Waffdon]

The needle has moved. Your £20m average player transfer 5 years ago is now £40-50m. If City are willing to let him go at all it suggests to me he might not be all that. I'd like to think Guardiola is a better judge of player than whoever is pressing buttons at Chelsea.

This Salah stuff is really going to test FSG. A £150m or £200m fee for him would be Coutinho-esque for them, only this time I dont think there's a VVD and Alisson combo to make it work out.

City have the same philosophy of Chelsea. One of the best academies in the world solely for getting that FFP money in. Well, they’re much worse. Chelsea at least play academy players. Foden would have been world class by now if he wasn’t at City.

[randomlegend]

So dumb.

We'll probably buy him for £20m-£40m next Summer.

What with the loan including a £17m option(/obligation depending who you listen to) to buy, I suspect that's relatively unlikely

Price for a permanent move this summer was always €30-35m.

It's essentially €30m transfer witb €20m of it kicked down the road for FFP.

[Lofty]

Making sense of transfers went out of the window long ago.

For example I have no idea what the deal with that Cole Palmer transfer is all about. If he was genuinely worth spunking £40m on as an almost completely unproven player, then surely City would keep him?

The Saudis aren't finished pursuing Salah. Improved offer inbound. The transfer window differential is going to be a major headache.

As has been alluded to, big clubs are horny for selling academy players because that is pure profit on their balance sheet that can make their FFP figures look better when spunking similar cash on similar players.

[Lewis]

Liverpool can't replace Salah now, and the Arabs will be back in for him next year (albeit for slightly less), so they are right to turn it down.

[Lofty]

The Arabs can sign him after our window SLAMS SHUT can't they? They'll just nobble him into a sulk asking why he isn't coming for a million quid a week and a harem of blowjob slaves in his free mansion.

[Gray Fox]

Palhinha to Bayern is apparently off.

Keep Gravenberchs' phone away from him.

[Waffdon]

He didn’t get a game for them so it makes literally no difference.

Did Bayern forget their deadline was earlier the the UK?

[Gray Fox]

It seems so. No other reason to get him over there and do the medical and photos.

[thommo]

1697643332816490876
:drool:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Forest signing Origi.

[Baz]

They should have signed Lukic that West Ham got in January.

[niko_cee]

Isn't the most likely reason for the Pahlinha to Bayern move failing because Bayern were well short on what Fulham wanted in terms of fee? There's all the replacement talk, but realistically that's it isn't it, £15m plus short and deadline day isn't the time for fannyimg about or making clever offers.

That's some good seethe though.

[Shindig]

I always figured the bid was sorted before they sent any player off for a medical. Don't ask me why, though. Maybe that's just FM/CM logic running wild in my head.

[Lofty]

Odemwingie was probably doing his own medical with a blood pressure machine outside the ground that time.

[thommo]

We gave him permission to fly out and do the medical while we looked for a replacement, but we were only ever going to accept a bid if we had one ready to sign. I think we did a lot of that to appease Palhinha too, he's obviously going to want a move to Bayern but it was always going to be impossible for them to meet the cost and for us to replace him at such short notice.

Feels like we let him go to Germany, told Bayern we were searching and just flicked the phone off the hook while occasionally giving the media a name to claim we were pursuing. :D

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That's FM logic.

In the real world clubs will usually ask to negotiate directly with a player first and do all the admin before then agreeing a fee.

[Gray Fox]

Felix to Barca just to get rid of him for a year seems daft.

[Waffdon]

Sounds like, just like he did in January when joining Chelsea, he’s extended his contract as well :D

[Giggles]

Omobamidele to Forest. Dunno, he'd have been better at Norwich another couple of years.

[Lofty]

Greenwood on loan to Getafe :uhoh:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1697724952315646054

:cool:

Wanted him at United since the World Cup.

[Lofty]

1697720656584937616

[Gray Fox]

So in the end it was Henderson, Milner, Oxlade, Keita and Fabinho out. With Alexis, Szoboszlai, Endo and Gravenberch in.

It's a shame we got caught up in the Caicedo and Lavia business, but considering Oxlade and Keita were never fit to play that's quite a shift in midfield talent. I would love to have kept Milner or Fabinho for a bit of PL experience but you can't always get what you want.

[Don]

Why is Greenwood still on the books at Utd? Absolutely buzzing to get that Getafe shirt with his name on the back now.

[Don]

1697732477446418824

Insert that adding chips into frying pan meme.

[Don]

Andy Carroll to Ligue 2 Amien :drool:

[Shindig]

:nod:

Show them how it's done, Andy.

[John Arne]

What on earth are Man Utd playing at?

Greenwood doesn't have his contact terminated, but leaves on loan... That's pretty fucking grim.

Are they expecting him to score 15 goals and then be welcome back?

[Ian]

They're not prepared to take the PR hit of playing him or the financial one of properly binning him. Doing the sort-of right thing in just about the worst way.

[John Arne]

Also, I say let Salah go for 200m. We've got Jota, Doak and Gakpo who can do a job on the right.

Salah is sensational, but £200m for a 31yr old, plus his salary savings. No brainer, for me.

[Baz]

Didn’t realise you paid his wages.

[Gray Fox]

Can't go letting your better players go when you think you're in a position to compete. All of the noises coming from Klopp seems to suggest he thinks they can.

If it were the start of the window and the same sums were being knocked about there'd be a question to be asked.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

You're in a position to compete?

[Waffdon]

Exactly my thoughts :D

Attack isn’t any better, defence is worse and midfield has 3 new signings who do basically the same thing. Top 3/4 is the best this lot will do.

[Gray Fox]

Until City piss off 20 points down the road, yes.

I think we're back to being best of the rest personally.

Midfield refreshed, with Mac and Szobo looking especially bright already. Attack has plenty of options and has always been good. We still have the best keeper in the world but it is a bit disappointing to see beyond half hearted attempts at Colwill, no defensive additions.

Last years team took the first 28 games off and still nearly crept up on 4th. Newcastle will struggle not having a week off every time, United are still a fair bit worse than us and Chelsea are as unpredictable as ever. I think it'll be us and Arsenal for 2nd, a little bit off City but quite clear of the others.

[Don]

Exactly my thoughts :D

Attack isn’t any better, defence is worse and midfield has 3 new signings who do basically the same thing. Top 3/4 is the best this lot will do.

:lol:

14 game unbeaten prem run but ThE mIdFiElDErS dO tHe SaMe ThInG.

[Lofty]

There's a reason the only season Liverpool managed to win the league in recent memory was the covid season, and I don't anticipate that changing.

[niko_cee]

They'd won the league before covid happened, try harder.

They were terrible in actual covid football.

[Lofty]

Covid happened in March, Liverpool weren't mathematically champions until the end of June. By that metric Arsenal won the league last season.

[niko_cee]

Yeah, OK mate, what were they 18 points clear when things stopped? 19 apparently. In the balance.

[Giggles]

Winning it in empty grounds was probably better than them never winning it.

If they win it this year the fans will change the narrative to that it didn't really count anyway.

[igor_balis]

Covid happened in March, Liverpool weren't mathematically champions until the end of June. By that metric Arsenal won the league last season.

What the bloody hell are you on about

[Don]

Maupay back at Brentford took me by surprise. The lols if they get him firing.

[Baz]

£215m for Salah being banded about. What tier are these sources, RL?

[John Arne]

ITK, In The Kaaba.

[Gray Fox]

If that's all upfront FSG are going to have a hard time saying no.

Ideal scenario if he does leave is to get £150-200m now and loan him back to us for either 6 months or until the end of the season.

[niko_cee]

Logically Liverpool were mad to turn down the 150 [if it was that and not some Xm per ballon d'or business] and you'd say the same about any larger sum.

The only thing is that [famous last words] Salah has been absolutely bulletproof over the however many years he's been there and the rest of Liverpool's forward options were out for extended periods last year. If they were lucky they could probably cobble by without him and not suffer too much [unless you expect them to be contending with City] but if they sell him I would expect serous injuries to Jota and Diaz to follow in short order.

[John Arne]

I reckon Salah could actually want to stay in Liverpool for family reasons. His missus and kid must be dreading having to move to Saud.... they are probably living pretty in some nice leafy Cheshire mansion, going to a decent school and not being forced to live under the stairs.

[niko_cee]

Weekly burglaries notwithstanding.

[John Arne]

I said Cheshire, not Liverpool.

No scallies round 'er lad.

[Gray Fox]

He'd be in Formby at best.

In a similar vein apparently the done thing is to officially reside in Bahrain and travel in, if possible. The laws there are a bit more relaxed than in Saudi.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Bahrain is where the rich Saudis all go to get boozed up at the weekend, iirc.

[niko_cee]

Helicoptering into training every day. What could possibly go wrong?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Spinning his dick as he walks in :cool:

[Shindig]

Jamaal Lascalles is allegedly on his way to Saudi Arabia. What a delightfully above board deal that must be.

[Dark Soldier]

Hearing the fee is about 95mil up front.

[Gray Fox]

Michael Edwards apparently in talks to come back once this release clause merchant is gone.

[Offshore Toon]

Jamaal Lascalles is allegedly on his way to Saudi Arabia. What a delightfully above board deal that must be.
You talk way too much shit to not be posting sources mate.

[Shindig]

https://www.teamtalk.com/newcastle-united/exclusive-newcastle-captain-jamaal-lascelles-targeted-saudi-pro-league-side-al-shabab

Team Talk appear to have broke it.

[Don]

1699053022209249409

Fucking loving this content. Thoughts and prayers with her and the Rubiales family for having their lives wrecked by these latte-drinking Ukraine-supporting terrorists.

[Offshore Toon]

https://www.teamtalk.com/newcastle-united/exclusive-newcastle-captain-jamaal-lascelles-targeted-saudi-pro-league-side-al-shabab

Team Talk appear to have broke it.
Seems they're not reliable.

[Shindig]

It does seem like nobody proper's picked it up. Just the locals and nufc.com.

[Lofty]

How long do we reckon before the sulking lot who want to go to Saudi and trouser that sweet blood money but their clubs wont let them, realise they could legally challenge the way their contracts work to get out of them? I've heard it said before that everyone in football sort of turns a blind eye to the fact in any other field you would be able to quit your job if contracted.

[niko_cee]

Isn't that sort of what that weird handball person EU ruling was about? Or was that Kolpak? I'm sure there was one about being able to buy yourself out of your contract which never seems to have filtered through.

Wouldn't it have to be a challenge to the whole transfer/registration system which probably gets special dispensation from strict application of whatever law on the sporting integrity basis. You want to be FIFA/UEFA/whoever registered, then you have to play by their rules. You're free to go to wherever if they want to exist outside of that [ie the SUPERLEAGUE].

[Lofty]

FIFA are in Saudi's pocket now so I assume that wouldn't be an issue.

[John Arne]

So, which "big" names still haven't got a club?

- Jesse Lingard
- David de Gea

Others?

[Ben]

Eden Hazard.

[John Arne]

Oh, transfermarkt have a page for this...

https://gyazo.com/137204ae8d94df394437cc8b14515c38.jpeg

Reggie Canon :)

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Eden Hazard.

Retired.

[Spikey M]

So, which "big" names still haven't got a club?

- Jesse Lingard
- David de Gea

Others?

Hugo Lloris.

[niko_cee]

Isn't he still at Spurs or have they released him?

Aiden Huzzah retiring would be a bit sad.

[John Arne]

I believe Loris is under contract but Spurs are willing to let him leave for nowt.

[Spikey M]

Oh, he's still at Spurs, just not in the squad and free to go wherever he likes. I thought De Gea was in the same boat (despite being better than Onana).

[phonics]

Mum: We've got Granit Xhaka at home.

Granit Xhaka at home:
https://i.imgur.com/NjZ5dfU.png

[Dark Soldier]

That's some top tier content

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Post of the year 2023 sewn up.

[John Arne]

Close the board, we're done.

[Boydy]

What do these players even do with themselves at the minute?

And surely someone would sign them? Are they just demanding wages that are too high for the level of clubs that'd be interested? Surely you'd be better off playing for a club you'd consider beneath you than not playing at all? You're probably already loaded from your big earning days and even with lesser wages you'd still be very rich in the grand scheme of things.

[John Arne]

What do these players even do with themselves at the minute?

And surely someone would sign them? Are they just demanding wages that are too high for the level of clubs that'd be interested? Surely you'd be better off playing for a club you'd consider beneath you than not playing at all? You're probably already loaded from your big earning days and even with lesser wages you'd still be very rich in the grand scheme of things.

Yeah, it's bizarre. David de Gea "apparently" asking for silly money, which on one hand is hard to believe (given he is a multi-millionaire), but what other reason is their? These footballers surely can't be that greedy.

[Lofty]

Isn't Lloris an alcoholic?

[Spikey M]

First I've heard of it, but it would explain why he turned down the Saudi's.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He's French, ofc he is.

[randomlegend]

De Gea is just shit, it's not some conspiracy.

[Kikó]

He isn't shit really. But he probably is pricing himself out of a move.

[Yevrah]

They want what they think they can get/believe they’re worth. Now those numbers might be delusional, but they don’t suddenly think I’ll settle for less than I believe I’m worth just because I’m already absolutely loaded. Nobody who found themselves in that situation would.

[randomlegend]

He isn't shit really. But he probably is pricing himself out of a move.

He is. He has none of the traits of the so-called modern keeper, but he at least used to make up for it with insane shot-stopping. Now that his shot-stopping is completely mediocre he is pointless. Yes he occasionally makes an absolutely bonkers save, but he's equally likely to get beaten by something meh or drop an absolute clanger.

[Kikó]

I'm not saying he should be playing for your Real Madrids, your Al-Ittihads, your Bayern Munichs but he's definitely still good enough to hold down a place for someone like Sevilla or pushing CL places.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'd take him over the impostor we currently have guarding the onion bag.

[Boydy]

They want what they think they can get/believe they’re worth. Now those numbers might be delusional, but they don’t suddenly think I’ll settle for less than I believe I’m worth just because I’m already absolutely loaded. Nobody who found themselves in that situation would.

But is being without a club and not playing for what, a season, half a season, not worse?

I googled and De Gea was on 375k a week at United. That deal was probably signed at the peak of his career but surely someone would be willing to pay him like 100k a week? That's still a lot of money and surely it's better to be playing than not? His bargaining power will decrease if he's out for too long, no?

[Jimmy Floyd]

If you're his agent, you're probably trying to get him one more huge contract so are probably willing to hold out for a while longer until someone with the means for that is desperate, rather than cutting your losses and tying him down to less.

[Boydy]

Ah, of course, agents. I forgot about them.

[niko_cee]

Has the Saudi window slammed shit yet?

[Lofty]

I think that's still illegal there.

[niko_cee]

An apposite typo.