Oh I Wish There Could be Transfers Everyday

[randomlegend]

It's time for a January Window thread.

Going in a wild direction by kicking things off not with a player rumour, but with murmurings of Dan Ashworth to Manchester United as Director of Football.

[John Arne]

Lloris off to LAFC.

[Giggles]

Now that Ferguson has gone to shit, any chance of a loan to the Championship in this window?

[Gray Fox]

Conor Gallagher to Spurs for around £40m seems lol for all involved.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Terrible deal for Spurs, also a terrible deal for us as despite his various shortcomings he's the only person in the current team who shows any form of leadership or energy most of the time.

However as we know, FFP budgets for investing in Ligue 2 youth is the more important consideration than anything on the field.

[Manc]

Todd simply can't resist that pure profit. Presumably James, Colwill & Maatsen will be out the door in the summer.

[Gray Fox]

Speaking of simply cant resist. Sir Jim has extended Lindleof another two years.

[randomlegend]

Lindelof is fine as a backup CB.

[Don]

:harold:

[Waffdon]

Todd simply can't resist that pure profit. Presumably James, Colwill & Maatsen will be out the door in the summer.

Todd isn’t even in charge. It’s Eghbali that’s the main man.

[niko_cee]

Now that Ferguson has gone to shit, any chance of a loan to the Championship in this window?

Absolutely not.

Bit harsh to say he's gone to shit as well.

Everyone just had expectations that were wildly too high after last season/that hattrick against Newcastle.

[Giggles]

Absolutely not.

Bit harsh to say he's gone to shit as well.

Everyone just had expectations that were wildly too high after last season/that hattrick against Newcastle.

He hasn't scored since has he? The manager was even slating him the other day too, unless he's a handful in the background or something.

[niko_cee]

I think it's a number of things.

He's not as mobile as that role sometimes needs for Brighton, and I don't think he's been 100% fit much this season. He's only young so it could be a growing thing. Pedro has also been playing particularly well, but with both Mitoma and Adingra out for a while I would expect to see more of Ferguson.

[Lofty]

Bin Bag wants to give Jonny Evans a new deal too :D

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

:drool:

Glorious.

[Gray Fox]

Those bastard Glazers at it again.

[Don]

Jonny Evans is fine as a backup CB.

Gahahahahaha

[Gray Fox]

We've recalled Fabio Carvalho and Owen Beck from their loans. Carvalho wasn't getting any game time in Leipzig. I suspect there's an attitude problem at play. He scored a very late winner against Newcastle for us and then vanished from match day squads. We sent him to Leipzig and then immediately activated Dirty Doms release clause, so they maybe a little salty over that, but I think attitude problem is more likely.

Owen Beck is a left back that has been apparently smashing it for Dundee. I suspect he'll play the cup games to rest Goe Jomez. Tsimikas is out for quite some time and Robertson has recently been ruled out of all of January.

Oh and #Mbappe2024 or something.

[Waffdon]

Yeah, he’s been the best full back in the league by a mile. The cunt.

[Baz]

Isn’t he related to Ian Rush?

[Luke Emia]

Isn’t he related to Ian Rush?

I think he’s his nephew. Wonder if they’ve done what they have done before called him back to see through the next month or so and then send him back to the same place once everyone is fit.

[Gray Fox]

Likely with a sweetner fee for the annoyance.

[niko_cee]

What's that Scotch rightback Liverpool bought up to these days?

[Kikó]

Robertson? He plays every week.

[Gray Fox]

What's that Scotch rightback Liverpool bought up to these days?

Calvin Ramsey. Died of injury last year. Then this year went out on a seasons loan to Preston, where he promptly died from injury.

[SincereTheRebel]

What happened to that other one. That Cafu one?

[niko_cee]

Neco Williams? He went to Forest.

Although I'm not sure on the Cafu comparison.

[Gray Fox]

The Scouse Cafu was Jon Flanagan, who battered his Mrs and pled guilty to it in 2018. Club quickly shuffled him off to Rangers. Went to Belgium, then Denmark after but has retired citing persistent knee troubles.

[SincereTheRebel]

The Scouse Cafu was Jon Flanagan, who battered his Mrs and pled guilty to it in 2018. Club quickly shuffled him off to Rangers. Went to Belgium, then Denmark after but has retired citing persistent knee troubles.

This lad

[Baz]

I think he’s his nephew. Thought so. I work with a Beck who insists her son is the second coming of Messi so I asked if she was related to Owen Beck and she was like nah that’s Rush’s. At least she’s not completely full of shit, I guess.

[thommo]

Liverpool have ruined Carvalho, and it was obvious it was going to happen. Could have stayed with us and got first-team football consistently in the Premier League but has instead been left on the fringes, barely getting game time and being played out of position.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The smart ones avoid moves to big clubs too young. Very few footballers are smart, they/their agents just want the money right now, but look at Aaron Hickey going to Bologna and Brentford for game time, and fitness permitting he'll probably end up at a big club anyway and actually be ready.

[Don]

Yeah, fucking idiot choosing Liverpool over the notoriously rich harvesting ground for youth talent that is Fulham FC.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Ryan Sessegnon did the same, of course. They just can't resist dooming their careers.

Maradona had 206 games in Argentina by the time he went to Europe.

[Don]

Sterling and Elliott did it too to much more success whereas had they been plying their trade at their dogshit clubs instead, they'd have stalled their career a la Olise, MGW, etc. The jump to making it at top clubs is probably easier if you're already excelling as a teenager than if you want to earn that move in your 20s.

[Waffdon]

Yeah, Harvey Elliot has been really successful being a 5th choice midfielder behind Jones, Endo and even Slobz

[niko_cee]

He's what, 20 and regularly featuring for Liverpool? Not sure you can really put him in the total failure bin. Would probably be further ahead in his development without that bad injury he got as well. The idea that 19 and 20 year olds are going to be breezing in to clubs at elite level is daft. Yeah, fine, maybe at midtable failurefests like Chelsea or United, but at the sharp end those players are rare.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The success rate from such a move is probably 20%? These guys all believe they will be part of that 20%, because that self-belief is part of what's made them that good in the first place, but the reality is that most will fail and are better off staying at mid-tier clubs and playing regularly. Call it the tragedy of the elite, or something.

Tell you who's a wonderful example, actually: Mo Salah.

[niko_cee]

Like you say, the belief they'll succeed, plus presumably the financial side, plus the fact that there is no guarantee you get picked up in 2 years time after slogging it out wherever all make the decision a no brainer even if cold hard logic is against you.

Salah was good enough when he went to Chelsea first time around.

[Kikó]

Reguillon has been sent back in shame to Spurs.

[Boydy]

Your career could end/be fucked with one unfortunate injury. Why not take the big payday when you have the chance?

You could also argue at a bigger club you'd be training with better players who you could learn more from.

[Waffdon]

Like you say, the belief they'll succeed, plus presumably the financial side, plus the fact that there is no guarantee you get picked up in 2 years time after slogging it out wherever all make the decision a no brainer even if cold hard logic is against you.

Salah was good enough when he went to Chelsea first time around.

Don’t be rewriting history now.

[Waffdon]

He's what, 20 and regularly featuring for Liverpool? Not sure you can really put him in the total failure bin. Would probably be further ahead in his development without that bad injury he got as well. The idea that 19 and 20 year olds are going to be breezing in to clubs at elite level is daft. Yeah, fine, maybe at midtable failurefests like Chelsea or United, but at the sharp end those players are rare.

I didn’t say he was a failure. I’m not sure he’s better off at Liverpool though.

[niko_cee]

Don’t be rewriting history now.

He was though. He was great for Basel and if he'd gone to another club where players under the age of 25 were trusted by the manager maybe he wouldn't have had to spend 3 years dossing about or whatever it was.

[Lewis]

That was a pretty good Chelsea team, so being a great tricky winger in Le Tobleronoi doesn't mean much.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It was a classic example of going to a big club being the wrong move. Big club managers generally don't trust the youth. Even Klopp only does because it's cheaper for Fenway or because there are rules about squad lists and homegrown players. If it was down to Klopp he'd have all kinds of 28 year old German legends doing the running around instead of Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones.

Haaland did it right. Odegaard wrong.

[Yevrah]

Jude Bellingham is another cracking example of getting it right, although he may prove to be so good that he'd have got into any first team whatever his age.

[randomlegend]

Jude Bellingham is another cracking example of getting it right, although he may prove to be so good that he'd have got into any first team whatever his age.

He surely already has.

[Lewis]

Ole Gunnar Binman would have had him running around like a headless chicken covering Paulp Ogba or sitting on the bench because 'You know Scholesy didn't play every week until he was...'

[Yevrah]

On that point then there's Sir Gareth deciding that Bellingham needed to be tried on the left wing for fear of breaking up whatever pedestrian three were in favour with him in central midfield at the time.

Maybe there's a thread in that - one thing managers do that tells you they're not up to the job. Fuck it, more freds > less freds I'll post it.

[-james-]

The Scouse Cafu was Jon Flanagan, who battered his Mrs and pled guilty to it in 2018. Club quickly shuffled him off to Rangers. Went to Belgium, then Denmark after but has retired citing persistent knee troubles.

Has an England cap. :cab:

[-james-]

Isn't young players not moving to big clubs and doing shit all a good counterexample to all the young players that move to big clubs and do shit all? It's just easier to point at the latter and go HA.

[Ben]

The Athletic (lol) reckon Man Utd are chasing Choupo-Moting and Müller, both 34. :harold:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why would Thomas Müller make that move? Like Angela Merkel becoming mayor of Salford.

[niko_cee]

He probably gets a chemical works in the Ruhr or something out of it.

[randomlegend]

The Athletic (lol) reckon Man Utd are chasing Choupo-Moting and Müller, both 34. :harold:

On a six month loan to provide cover up front until the summer, due to both FFP restrictions and not planning to make major signings whilst the ownership transition is going on.

[Lofty]

Alright, Sir Jim.

[Kikó]

Signing an aging German superstar from Bayern will only result in one thing, a great song and cult status but not much football.

[Luke Emia]

Don’t worry lads you are being linked to Barclays goal scoring legend Timo Werner now.

[Adramelch]

That's Champions League winner Timo Werner, so he must be a god.

[randomlegend]

Sancho off to Dortmund on loan for pittance. He is such an idiot. Clearly has absolutely bags of talent and is pissing it away with this attitude.

I guess he'll go and cry into the 8 years worth of my salary he's made this week.

Martial set to be released on a free.

Ratcliffe also continuing to make all the right noises. Seems they want a team of Blanc as CEO (already done), Ashworth as DOF, and Mitchell as head of recruitment to run the footballing side.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Laurent or Raymond?

[randomlegend]

Laurent or Raymond?

Jean-Claude sadly. Raymond would obviously have been the optimal choice.

[randomlegend]

Bayern are trying to buy Eric Dier :cab:

[Waffdon]

Thomas Tuchel special. No club should ever let him decide on transfers

[Boydy]

Maybe Kane is lonely.

[niko_cee]

Is there perhaps a German version of Gogglebox that they are appearing in?

[Gray Fox]

Our promising youth keeper off on loan to St. Patricks Giggles.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Maybe Kane is lonely.

If Dier's his best mate or something, then it's probably worth whatever outlay on Dier for a happy Harry.

[Giggles]

Our promising youth keeper off on loan to St. Patricks @Giggles (https://www.thethirdhalf.co.uk/member.php?u=26).

Send Kelleher.

[Dquincy]

Sancho off to Dortmund on loan for pittance. He is such an idiot. Clearly has absolutely bags of talent and is pissing it away with this attitude.


Alternatively, the Man Utd hierarchy have failed to manage the situation very well. Dortmund seemed to manage it ok prior to his move.

[Lofty]

If Dier's his best mate or something, then it's probably worth whatever outlay on Dier for a happy Harry.

Like when Boro had Merson's brother on the pay roll to keep him company because his wife wouldn't leave London.

[niko_cee]

Alternatively, the Man Utd hierarchy have failed to manage the situation very well. Dortmund seemed to manage it ok prior to his move.

It's a little from column A, a little from column B isn't it? City essentially letting him go tells you something, a bit like Fergie not being that bothered about Pogba going, there's obviously an attitude problem there, but there is also a talent which is limited to a select few, so it's a bit daft for the manager/heirachy to allow what has happened over the past few months to happen. I would imagine, were 'Ineos' to give fairly unequivocal support to the manager, then there should be scope for an enforced reconciliation. When a manager appears weak, or in any sort of at risk situation these dickheads 'advisors' are all over poor schmucks like Sancho. Him running off back to Germany also probably seals his fate as a not top level player, so it's not really in his interest either.

[Dquincy]

Agreed, Sancho certainly comes across far from a saint in all of this. Him potentially being a unruly prick aside, I do wonder if Man Utd will regret not resolving the issue. Especially if he ends up at Dortmund and finds his form again.

[Ian]

I don't really think "on no he's doing well in THE BUNDESLIGA!!!" will be too much of a concern when there's literally everything else still to try and fix.

[Shindig]

If he finds his form, he might as well stay at Dortmund.

[Don]

Mad falloff for Sancho because we were told by reddit he was one of the top talents in world football upon signing for Man Utd.

[randomlegend]

He was and is.

[niko_cee]

Who remembers that 10 years of England's forward line sorted of Greenwood, Rashford and Sancho? Up there with Piers 'best front 3 in the world' Morgan levels of unfortunance.

Bit like that fatman Shaw 10 year plan.

[Lofty]

Some journo reckoned Southgate and the England coaches were unhappy on how Sancho's attitude negatively affected the squad so as much as I like an excuse to lol at United it does seem he is just a clown.

[Lewis]

Within weeks of him signing there were stories coming out about him being lazy and rude to staff. Maybe Ronaldo was criticising him instead of/as well as Mason Greenwood.

[Waffdon]

Who remembers that 10 years of England's forward line sorted of Greenwood, Rashford and Sancho? Up there with Piers 'best front 3 in the world' Morgan levels of unfortunance.

Bit like that fatman Shaw 10 year plan.

Shaw is easily one of the best left backs in the world though. Not that there’s a huge amount of competition

[Don]

Shaw is easily one of the best left backs in the world though. Not that there’s a huge amount of competition

Yeah, one of the best left backs by 90s football standards.

[phonics]

Shaw is easily one of the best left backs in the world though. Not that there’s a huge amount of competition

He's not even one of the best left backs on the Island.

[Waffdon]

Phonics and Taz like brothers in arms embarrassing themselves again.

[Don]

Brother, Van Dijk has more career assists than fatboy.

Also, I was watching Rudiger the other day, must be top 5 CB in the world. Don't make me bring up your campaign of terror on him.

[Waffdon]

Frank Lampard tax.

Turned into a monster when Tuchel came in

[Kikó]

I hope united will cope without Sancho and his game changing performances.

[randomlegend]

Don’t worry lads you are being linked to Barclays goal scoring legend Timo Werner now.

He's going to Tottenham.

[Manc]

I see the vultures are circling for Summerville. Leeds can wave goodbye to promotion if he moves on.

[niko_cee]

Reading he was Dutch has blown my mind slightly.

[Ben]

Villa and Brighton most likely destinations apparently. He'd be great for either of those.

[niko_cee]

Probably just paper talk but there seems to be quite a lot of discontent among the various soul sellers, and other decent folk, who have taken up residence in the land of the sand.

Henderson and Firmino to Brighton for a pittance a week. :drool:

[phonics]

Our transfers in the last couple of years have been pretty nails but recently they’re so many duds and if we end up going after Solanke as rumoured I’m just going to have to brand the entire project a failure.

Linked to fucking Andre Onana ffs.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Amadou you spoon.

Who would be incredible for your team.

[Spoonsky]

Who you calling Amadou

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67920954

Werner to Spurs is official.

[Mike]

Probably just paper talk but there seems to be quite a lot of discontent among the various soul sellers, and other decent folk, who have taken up residence in the land of the sand.

Henderson and Firmino to Brighton for a pittance a week. :drool:

Part of me hopes the Saudi clubs just refuse to sell, they’re all stuck there on long contracts.
Does Saudi have rules about employers needing to issue a visa to leave the country? I know Qatar did/used to.

[niko_cee]

Even if they did, I'm not sure holding a bunch of millionaire footballers hostage is the best look for the whole sportswashing business, even if it might play well with the masses elsewhere.

[Mike]

Apparently they don’t, but returning to the UK means huge tax bills.

[Ben]

Yeah you have to stay out the country for >270 days to avoid the tax. A guy I worked with has just gone out there and has rented a place in Cyprus to chill out at and fly his family over to.

[niko_cee]

You also have to be gone for a full tax year to start with so Jordan's not even started his time yet.

[Don]

All 191cm of Dragusin to Spurs. They are cooking something big :drool:

[Gray Fox]

1745045322550706457

[Jimmy Floyd]

As the oily stench of machined brine bricks wafts across the freezing training ground from the dense smog clouds over the Humber (sorry I haven't been to Hull so using poetic licence), do you think he might wonder whether he might have taken a wrong turn at some point?

[Kikó]

That's high end usage of photoshop.

[niko_cee]

As the oily stench of machined brine bricks wafts across the freezing training ground from the dense smog clouds over the Humber (sorry I haven't been to Hull so using poetic licence), do you think he might wonder whether he might have taken a wrong turn at some point?

In my mind Leipzig is an industrial hellhole so maybe it's an improvement?

[Spikey M]

1745045322550706457

Art.

[Jimmy Floyd]

In my mind Leipzig is an industrial hellhole so maybe it's an improvement?

Leipzig is actually picturesque but I agree, basically any German city sounds to the semi-trained ear like it's a steaming shitwipe on the Ruhr.

[niko_cee]

Chelsea are interested in Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson, 19, but Brighton will demand a fee in excess of £100m to sign him.

Hold me.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I was thinking the other day we should probably have a crack at ruining him. For king and country.

[Waffdon]

He’s looked pretty hopeless this season tbf. The reverse operation

Not that he’s signing. Oshimen is already done. Another black man, another Chelsea fan.

[Giggles]

Ferguson looks like a lad that will be more likely dropping down the leagues than anything, the manager has completely lost confidence in him and hung him out lately. Running out of chances there - Aaron Connolly mkII.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why the fuck Osimhen would sign for us is anyone's guess, but it'll be a real test for the surgeons if so.

[Yevrah]

Why the fuck Osimhen would sign for us is anyone's guess, but it'll be a real test for the surgeons if so.

I might be seriously out of whack here but I'm gonna go with £££££££££££££.

[Lofty]

Yeah basically get offered a guaranteed millionaire lifestyle in London for the next decade seems to swing it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Yeah but isn't he the level of player who could get that same offer but for a good team? I dunno, maybe it's not about that these days, I feel like a confused old man with most of this stuff.

[Waffdon]

Chelsea don’t hand out huge contracts anymore. Well, relatively speaking. None of the signings in the last year are on over 160k a week.

The club are just massive to these African and South American kids who grew up in the 2000s. Chelsea in 10th place and you have one of the most in demand strikers twerking for them in interviews and on Twitter

[Lofty]

You still hand out long contracts, you just can't amortise the fee with them.

[phonics]

Waff struggling to get round the idea that 300k a week over 4 years and 150k over 8 years are the same number. It's why he's so impressed with Todd's accounting work.

[Waffdon]

Cry more junkie boi

[randomlegend]

Waff struggling to get round the idea that 300k a week over 4 years and 150k over 8 years are the same number. It's why he's so impressed with Todd's accounting work.

Is the player playing for free for the 4 years after their 300k a week contract expires in this scenario?

[niko_cee]

Is the player playing for free for the 4 years after their 300k a week contract expires in this scenario?

They're playing for the value of the contract, over its stipulated length. However many million guaranteed is however many million guaranteed. An 8 year deal for the same total amount as a 4 year one is absolutely worth the same to a footballer. I mean, who actually sees out contracts without renegotiation at some point anyway? So either you're good and you renegotiate for more money down the line/leave/also get paid your loyalty bonus etc or you're shit and you've got your set for life contract anyway. Feels like a bit of a house of cards business move generally.

Bit like all those options to renew the Glazers we/are so fond of. Have any of those ended up being anything other than tying a player you don't really want to the club for more time at inflated wages? Come on down Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Anthony Martial, Victor Lindelhof . . .

[Don]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/jan/11/newcastle-may-have-to-sell-key-player-in-summer-after-73m-loss

More FFP wins. Bruno's £100m release clause and Miley both looking real tasty.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Miley to Man City was something I thought the first time I saw him play, although Man City may not be the long term play for a talent like that anymore so perhaps it would be someone else.

[Spikey M]

Waff struggling to get round the idea that 300k a week over 4 years and 150k over 8 years are the same number. It's why he's so impressed with Todd's accounting work.

.... mate.

[randomlegend]

They're playing for the value of the contract, over its stipulated length. However many million guaranteed is however many million guaranteed. An 8 year deal for the same total amount as a 4 year one is absolutely worth the same to a footballer. I mean, who actually sees out contracts without renegotiation at some point anyway? So either you're good and you renegotiate for more money down the line/leave/also get paid your loyalty bonus etc or you're shit and you've got your set for life contract anyway. Feels like a bit of a house of cards business move generally.

Bit like all those options to renew the Glazers we/are so fond of. Have any of those ended up being anything other than tying a player you don't really want to the club for more time at inflated wages? Come on down Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Anthony Martial, Victor Lindelhof . . .

What a load of shit.

If you get a 300k a week contract over 4 years you are guaranteed that money over 4 years. Even if you then turn to shit, you can camp out the remainder of the contract and you're still going to get a contract somewhere earning an amount of money afterwards. If you do well and the team wants to keep you, or another team wants to buy you, you have massive leverage to ask for a contract at least equal to the terms you are currently on. Even if you retired, you've made the same amount of money in half the time.

If you sign an 8 year contract on 150k a week, then even in your scenario where you renegotiate because the team wants to keep you, your starting point is 150k rather than 300k.

Your earning potential over the 8 year period is clearly drastically higher on the 4 year contract.

[Spikey M]

I for one would much rather earn £100 over 8 hours than over 4 hours.

[randomlegend]

That's before you even factor in the huge impact of compound interest on earnings made earlier in your career.

[niko_cee]

Yes, perhaps I wasn't clear enough. I wasn't specifically endorsing phonics' it's the same line, more trying to make the point that offers of long contracts absolutely are a financial incentive, and are the sort of thing that somewhat undermine the 'lol he's only on *insert shit overpaid player* money' if said money is being paid for the next decade, as opposed to a normal contract length. Which, in turn, feels like a dangerous game as the financial side of things isn't the same as in baseball, where this idea is clearly very prevalent.

If you were a 21 year old footballer offered two contracts, one for X per week over 4 years, and one for 0.75X over 8 years, which would you take?

[niko_cee]

For example, what do you do when you've signed Marc Cucurella to a 6 year £175,000 a week contract and then found out he's shit?

I mean, they literally pioneered the Bogarde rule.

[randomlegend]

Yes, perhaps I wasn't clear enough. I wasn't specifically endorsing phonics' it's the same line


An 8 year deal for the same total amount as a 4 year one is absolutely worth the same to a footballer.

I mean you explicitly did endorse it.

[niko_cee]

It is worth the same.

There is no guaranteed new contract in 4 years.

When you sign both contracts you are guaranteed the same amount of money from both [on those facts although clearly, given the choice getting it quicker is preferable]. Let's not worry about interest or investment strategies or whether Keir Starmer's Labour Party are going to reintroduce the 99% marginal tax rate.

[randomlegend]

Let's not worry about interest

Given it makes the 4 year contract worth millions more than the 8 year contract, I think perhaps we should worry about interest.

[phonics]

Considering the whole point was from the clubs books perspective not the players I'm going to just have to mark you down with the L and ask for you to shuffle off somewhere else.

[niko_cee]

It's still not exactly the same from their perspective, but obviously the substantive point was that [from either perspective] the overall value of a contract is of relevance as a counterpoint to a claim that "Chelsea no longer pay mega wages" or whatever it was, when they manifestly do, but just spread them over much longer periods allowing for the per week jargon to allow for such arguments.

[randomlegend]

Considering the whole point was from the clubs books perspective not the players I'm going to just have to mark you down with the L and ask for you to shuffle off somewhere else.

From the club's perspective I refer you back to: Is the player playing for free for the 4 years after their 300k a week contract expires in this scenario?

[niko_cee]

Whilst this is clearly a stupid argument now, isn't that exactly how certain baseball contracts work, albeit with the pro bono bit up front?

[Gray Fox]

Ohtani signed the big one a few weeks ago, 10 years for $700m. Though he "only" get's $2m a season of that paid. The rest will be paid at $68m per year from 2034-43. Also a way to work around the books.

He can get sponsorship to top him up and then get his further payday down the line. Club gets to fiddle the system.

[Spikey M]

I would spend every day after 31/12/33 looking over my shoulder for the hit man they're clearly sending for me.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Presumably having to pay a completely past it Ohtani, after 12 Tommy John surgeries and not worth his place in the team, $68 million a year until he is 48 years old is a problem for Future Todd to deal with.

[phonics]

I always found the Bobby Bonilla story interesting, then finding out that they'd financed the deal off the great year-on-year returns they were getting from Bernie Madoff was perfection.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67978836

Hannibal on loan to Sevilla, sadly it's also with an option to buy.

[niko_cee]

This transfer window has been flat out rubbish so far. Boo!

[Manc]

Bow down to to the FFP overlords. The PL really haven't thought this one through.

[Shindig]

What good is oil money if you can only spend it on workmanlike Englishmen. :(

[thommo]

Henderson has agreed to terminate his contract in Saudi Arabia and is apparently about to join Ajax.

[Don]

Euros starting spot secured :baz:

[John Arne]

Hendo will look gorgeous in that Ajax shirt, too :wub:

[Gray Fox]

1747538319326495206

[niko_cee]

Apparently they might want Thiago to replace him.

:happycry:

[niko_cee]

Liverpool retain an interest in Chelsea's 20-year-old England defender Levi Colwill despite his signing a long-term contract last summer.

Should definitely be dangling some sweet sweet pure profit transfer money under Todd's nose. He won't be able to resist.

[Luke Emia]

Apparently they might want Thiago to replace him.

:happycry:

Would have been better if he had gone in the summer. How much longer is he injured for?

I see Lord Webb has confirmed it should have been a penalty in the Arsenal game as well. No shit Sherlock. I'm not some kind of mad conspiracy theory type person and I don't watch as much football as I used to but that's three decisions which have been 100% confirmed as wrong so far this season for Liverpool alone. It feels like the standard is just dropping further and further when you would think if anything it should be getting better as the refs get fitter and have more access to technology. How are they getting it so badly wrong when Fifa seemed to have it pretty much spot on during the World Cup?

[Gray Fox]

If FSG keeping the books tidy finally comes home to roost it will be glorious.

A lot of talk of the likes of Villa and Newcastle needing to sell to buy in the summer. Surely Chelsea are close to the limit too.

[Ben]

I see Lord Webb has confirmed it should have been a penalty in the Arsenal game as well. No shit Sherlock. I'm not some kind of mad conspiracy theory type person and I don't watch as much football as I used to but that's three decisions which have been 100% confirmed as wrong so far this season for Liverpool alone. It feels like the standard is just dropping further and further when you would think if anything it should be getting better as the refs get fitter and have more access to technology. How are they getting it so badly wrong when Fifa seemed to have it pretty much spot on during the World Cup?

Four minutes to rule out that Villa goal at Everton the other day typifies the whole VAR thing. They're so shit scared of being wrong but are so far down the rabbit hole with it that they scrutinise every motion and every millimetre even though the naked eye confirmed within five seconds what the decision should be. Referees have become well paid (no bad thing) and some of them even have personalities (bad thing) and they're obviously so afraid to jeopardise that position that they won't put their neck on the line and make a conscious decision. When was the last time something wasn't overturned at the monitor? Then on the other hand, so much has been invested into VAR that it has to be a success, yet they still manage to cock up decisions despite taking several minutes to check every angle. All I heard during the FA Cup weekend was how refreshing it was to not have VAR and players and fans can actually release their emotion when a goal goes in rather than waiting for some spotty cunt in an office 100 miles away to draw his Photoshop lines. The VAR concept should be a positive thing to reverse howlers but they lost sight of that within weeks of its introduction and now it's just wall to wall seethe from every club, so who is actually benefitting?

There's no conspiracy, it's just that everyone involved with it is absolutely wank.

[niko_cee]

Webb now saying that was a penalty is interesting [no fucking shit] seeing as PGMOL rushed out a "why we were right to not give it" piece almost instantly after it happened.

[Don]

I've always veen against it but proper use and adequate training makes VAR fairly inoffensive as things like World Cup/Asian Cup show, it's just it takes a long while to overthrow the gammonati who prevent it all in this country.

[niko_cee]

It's use isn't fair or reasonable in either of those contexts, there have been plenty of shit decisions in the World Cup, the penalty against Croatia in the 2018 final to kick things off, it's just in a much smaller sample of games you are less likely to get the really cracking fuck-ups that 380 games will eek out over time.

[Waffdon]

If FSG keeping the books tidy finally comes home to roost it will be glorious.

A lot of talk of the likes of Villa and Newcastle needing to sell to buy in the summer. Surely Chelsea are close to the limit too.

Gallagher and Maatsen are still there to be pawned off and £30m due for Lewis Hall. If the selling is as good as last year I can’t complain. (£140m for Havertz/Mount/Kovacic :drool:)

[Gray Fox]

Webb now saying that was a penalty is interesting [no fucking shit] seeing as PGMOL rushed out a "why we were right to not give it" piece almost instantly after it happened.

Brave considering we're in the OFFICIAL CLUB STATEMENT era now.

[Waffdon]

Klopp playing victim every other month is one of the most boring things in football. You’d think he has the budget of Brentford with the way he speaks.

His club definitely didn’t spearhead the Super League or take advantage of the Saudi league buying duds. Absolutely not. Squeaky clean.

[Gray Fox]

Henderson now official at Ajax.

Neymars deal has also apparently now been terminated.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Neymars deal has also apparently now been terminated.

1748077124303351900

Fake news.

[niko_cee]

Hasn't Neymar been injured for Mardi Gras/his/his sister's birthday every year since he left Barcelona?

[Gray Fox]

His sisters birthday is I believe in March, so he's got it in very early this year. I don't think he'll be dancing much though.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Hasn't Neymar been injured for Mardi Gras/his/his sister's birthday every year since he left Barcelona?

It even happened at Barca.

Since 2013 he's missed 9 of the 10 (will be 10 of 11) matches that have been around her Birthday.

[Waffdon]

Chelsea recalling Casadei seems a bit odd. He was hardly impresssing at Leicester.

Ugochukwu and Lavia must be absolutely fucked

[Max Power]

He’s rubbish - not even close to being good enough for Chelsea.

[Waffdon]

He definitely didn’t suit your style of play. He’s better off playing for a Crystal Palace or something like Gallagher did.

Would suit a Dyche team. Big unit who is mobile. Definitely his ceiling though

[Giggles]

Very few players from here will ever make it going across the water, but Sheffield United have got some steal in Sam Curtis.

[randomlegend]

1748768740336918706

:drool:

What a signing.

[niko_cee]

Looks like Cantona's retarded cousin.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Speaking of signings, I'm hearing rumours of Brobbey.

Another Ajax player, yay!

[Gray Fox]

Derek Cantona

[Ian]

Speaking of signings, I'm hearing rumours of Brobbey.

Another Ajax player, yay!

That's Mr Brobbey to you.

[randomlegend]

Speaking of signings, I'm hearing rumours of Brobbey.

Another Ajax player, yay!

Plettenberg is an absolute waffler.

[niko_cee]

I enjoyed the story the other day that United were planning a major defensive overhaul if they received significant offers for Maguire and Lindelhof.

[Ian]

I'd argue anybody offering anything for Lindelof would be quite significant.

[Waffdon]

1748768740336918706

:drool:

What a signing.
Maybe he knows city are fucked.

[Kikó]

Omar don't scare.

[randomlegend]

Maybe he knows city are fucked.

In all seriousness I obviously had no idea who he was until I saw that tweet, but apparently he was their head of sponsorship for a while. You'd imagine if City are going down he'll be going down too.

[Shindig]

Javier Manquillo heading to Celta seems concrete. Tripper to Bayern less so.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I haven't seen a single signal thus far, other than general cynicism, that City aren't doomed.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68072836

Kalvin Phillips is going to West Ham on loan.

[Waffdon]

Oshimen says he’s already decided his next move. Assume Chelsea have him lined up then. Makes sense as to why he’s looked horrible in AFCON

[Shindig]

I'm sure we're just waiting on Atletico's £80m bid for Wilson before we bring him in. :uhoh:

[Ben]

As far as I'm aware there's no rule in place to stop it (yet), so why don't PIF get one of their mug teams to buy Almiron for £60m? FFP sorted.

[Shindig]

Presumably it's too flagrant to really do. I also think there's a level of scrutiny Newcastle might be getting on account of the Premier League really, really not wanting the takeover to happen in the first place.

[Gray Fox]

As far as I'm aware there's no rule in place to stop it (yet), so why don't PIF get one of their mug teams to buy Almiron for £60m? FFP sorted.

There is. See Juventus.

[Ben]

Isn't that a bit different? They did a swap deal.

Newcastle can just point at Antony and say there's the evidence Almiron is worth at least £60m.

[niko_cee]

Presumably Newcastle are holding out for a bit more money as I can't otherwise see why shifting an ageing and increasingly useless Trippier for decent money is not something they'd want to be doing. Don't they already have Livramento as a replacement or is he permanently injured?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I would guess Howe loves having Trippier around, seems like a manager's player.

[Gray Fox]

Isn't that a bit different? They did a swap deal.

Newcastle can just point at Antony and say there's the evidence Almiron is worth at least £60m.

Their problem was they kept an actual fucking book with what they considered the real transfer fees in them. Of course the authorities found it and it was game over.

It's admittedly a tough one to prove when as you say, smaller clubs are chucking £90m at freestyle merchants, but I would imagine the recent fuck yous towards Everton have teams being more cautious than maybe they would have been before.

[Don]

Someone on Football Weekly said Bayern want Trippier as a leader and influential voice in the changing room. Fuck off :D

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Someone on Football Weekly said Bayern want Trippier as a leader and influential voice in the changing room. Fuck off :D

Harry wants him because he gives the best handies.

Got to keep Harry happy.

[niko_cee]

As far as I'm aware there's no rule in place to stop it (yet), so why don't PIF get one of their mug teams to buy Almiron for £60m? FFP sorted.


Newcastle midfielder Miguel Almiron is a target for Saudi Arabian club Al-Shabab but the 29-year-old Paraguay international has told the Magpies he does not want to leave. (Mail)

:sherlock:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Ben confirmed a Saudi.

[Ben]

Villa signing Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough for £16m. We bought him for £1m six months ago.

I dunno, he's not even that good to be honest. Incredible business. We've done great work rinsing bigger clubs in recent years (Adama Traore, Djed Spence, Chuba Akpom). Of all those, only Tavernier at Bournemouth has even close to justified his fee. But now we're truly in that rut of having our better players stolen away before they can get us promoted. Too long in the second tier kills you these days.

[niko_cee]

Are Sky even going to wheel out Jim and all the yellow for this? Worst window ever! :thbdn:

[Ben]

FFP has ruined the game. Designed to gatekeep for the big clubs and starve us of Odemwingie moments.

[Gray Fox]

It does just seem like everyone is terrified of being Everton'd.

[SincereTheRebel]

Villa signing Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough for £16m. We bought him for £1m six months ago.

I dunno, he's not even that good to be honest. Incredible business. We've done great work rinsing bigger clubs in recent years (Adama Traore, Djed Spence, Chuba Akpom). Of all those, only Tavernier at Bournemouth has even close to justified his fee. But now we're truly in that rut of having our better players stolen away before they can get us promoted. Too long in the second tier kills you these days.

Adama was £18m to Wolves. He had a hot two years with his dribbling and excitement. Cunt left for free and his hamstrings are done

[SvN]

I remember Adama bullying our entire backline a few years ago. He looked unplayable when he was on it.

[niko_cee]

Sounds like Fati's career destiny. I'd completely forgotten he existed until someone mentioned him to me the other day.

[Baz]

Oi fatty!

Ah yes, remember Ansu Fati?

[phonics]

He was always crap. Even when he was 'bullying' defenses he stil wasn't actually passing the ball to anyone or scoring afterwards.

[Spikey M]

Adama Traoere is who Usain Bolt would have been if he'd made it as a footballer.

You'll never catch him. You'll never stop him. You needn't bother trying anyway. Goalkick.

[Jimmy Floyd]

When I was 13, a Chinese lad arrived at the school who was the size of a fucking house. Like, he was well clear of 6 foot and could have eaten the whole rest of the class and had room for spotted dick afterwards. The excited games teacher decided that this was a rugby prodigy and immediately put him in the rugby team, even though he'd never played before. They told him 'pick up the ball, run over there and then put it down'. He proceeded to score about 8 tries in the first game just by doing that. Adama Traoré always reminded me of him.

I just googled the Chinese lad's name to see what he's up to these days and found he'd been sent down for assaulting a taxi driver in Hong Kong. lol.

[randomlegend]

You'll never catch him. You'll never stop him. You needn't bother trying anyway. Goalkick.

Beautifully crafted post.

[Yevrah]

When I was 13, a Chinese lad arrived at the school who was the size of a fucking house. Like, he was well clear of 6 foot and could have eaten the whole rest of the class and had room for spotted dick afterwards. The excited games teacher decided that this was a rugby prodigy and immediately put him in the rugby team, even though he'd never played before. They told him 'pick up the ball, run over there and then put it down'. He proceeded to score about 8 tries in the first game just by doing that. Adama Traoré always reminded me of him.

I just googled the Chinese lad's name to see what he's up to these days and found he'd been sent down for assaulting a taxi driver in Hong Kong. lol.

Appart from the unfortunate assault incident, exactly the same happened in year 9 at my school. I vividly remember four of the other bigger kids hanging off him in an effort to take him down and it didn't even touch the sides. :D

[Ben]

You'll never catch him. You'll never stop him. You needn't bother trying anyway. Goalkick.

You couldn't be more correct. I felt it's all I ever watched from him in his two years with us. We definitely sold him based on his YouTube clips of sprinting past defenders, conveniently cutting it before he kicked the ball. Amazing he got five full seasons (with a Barcelona loan in there for good measure) out of Wolves.

[thommo]

I have one memory of him in particular at Boro - we turned up at the Riverside for a January game in 2018 sitting in 10th in the Championship. Traore has everyone on toast for pace and power throughout the whole game yet can't create a clear cut chance. When there is an opportunity, Tomas Kalas just wrestles down the Boro striker and nothing is given. We go up the other end and snatch a 1-0 win with a dubious 95th minute penalty. Lovely stuff.

And now he's on our books, eternally injured. :D

[John Arne]

Amazing future proofing.

1752946688371695716

[Gray Fox]

Dortmund loaning Sancho in to loan Gio Reyna to Notts Forest probably says a lot about the latter. If you're not getting chances at Dortmund maybe your parents shouldn't be trying to take down the USMNT manager from the inside.

[niko_cee]

Wait, so today is deadline day? What?

[Ben]

It's quite common for deadline day to be 1st Feb/Sep. Fuck knows why.

[Manc]

West London Blue giving the Super League one final go in 2030.

[Gray Fox]

Seems Notts Forest have kicked into gear with the loans.

[Jimmy Floyd]

West London Blue giving the Super League one final go in 2030.

That's far too optimistic a schedule. Teal League champions 2034, and ready for a proper crack at Dark Green a couple of years after that.

[Don]

Some interesting action nontheless.

Alcaraz loaned to Juventus by Southampton.


That Alcaraz would be worth £350m given another 6 months at a stable club like Brighton. Bella-Kotchap, Mara and Edozie could also be worth a pop if they manage to avoid the rape cases (the latter absolutely won't).

Cherki to Fulham possibly :drool:


Cherki has come on here with the biggest big-dick energy I've seen for a long long time. We're talking possible Zidane regen levels here, the vision is ridiculous.

Refugee back to German asylum centre.


Brighton are gonna have to put that £100m+ to serious use. Milner is playing in a back 3 alongside a gangly Aryan accident waiting to happen with Estupinan doing his usual abandonement of defensive duties. The Syrian refugee is not cut out for this level either and they have nothing in midfield as a result. Lucky they're facing a champ side.

Leicester sign a 28 year-old first teamer and Italy international from Inter and Forest stave off relegation by replacing Turner.

[niko_cee]

Dahoud has been persona non grata since he got that red card, the silly twat. You couldn't be more wrong about Van Hecke, lad is absolutely mega.

De Zerbi, Joao Pedro and Van Hecke to Liverpool in the summer. :drool:

Not sure I'm looking forward to seeing Brian Hill on the south coast.

[Ben]

Hill would fit in great in Liverpool tbf.

[Manc]

He reminds me of Yossi Benayoun.

[Gray Fox]

Liverpool rejecting £15m for Kelleher from Notts Forest. I would guess Adrian being unable to play in the Europa in case of an Alisson injury is the reason as otherwise it's bonkers to turn it down.

[Don]

They using Man Utd's scouting system or something? Jesus.

[Baz]

Can we all stop saying Notts Forest?

Notts County, Nottm Forest :dc:

[Pleb]

Why are Notts Forest suddenly trending on X Baz?

[Gray Fox]

What's wrong with Notts Forest?

[Giggles]

Liverpool rejecting £15m for Kelleher from Notts Forest. I would guess Adrian being unable to play in the Europa in case of an Alisson injury is the reason as otherwise it's bonkers to turn it down.

I do have to lol at all the journalists here saying he needs to get out of Liverpool (same as Idah needs to get out of Norwich). Why? Like Idah, the clubs would be well rid, he's shite.

[Jimmy Floyd]

What's wrong with Notts Forest?

Notts is the county, whereas Forest see themselves as being of the city. Or something like that.

It's also just wrong on the ear, like calling Aston Villa simply 'Aston', or something.

[Giggles]

Notts is the county, whereas Forest see themselves as being of the city. Or something like that.

It's also just wrong on the ear, like calling Aston Villa simply 'Aston', or something.

It's like Shamrock Rovers here too. Shamrock probably sounds right everywhere else but you never hear it without the Rovers ever here and the short one just sounds weird.

Sligo Rovers being Sligo or Derry City being Derry? Fine, but it's always Shamrock Rovers.

[Spikey M]

I visited a friend in Ladywood (https://www.business-live.co.uk/economic-development/ladywood-birmingham-poorest-place-uk-3946885) when I was at Uni and it involved going though Aston on the bus. What an absolute shithole. Teenage gangs roaming round with bandanas wrapped around their faces, the works.

If anything the "Villa" makes it sound too nice.

[Gray Fox]

Notts is the county, whereas Forest see themselves as being of the city. Or something like that.

You can literally throw a stone from the ground of one and hit the other though.

We can either have both as Notts or both as Nottm. A mix of them seems wrong.

[Mike]

Surely just Forest will do, I don’t think we’ll get them mixed up with anyone. Not much chance of them and Forest Green going in for the same players.

[Spikey M]

Gump.

[Luke Emia]

I visited a friend in Ladywood (https://www.business-live.co.uk/economic-development/ladywood-birmingham-poorest-place-uk-3946885) when I was at Uni and it involved going though Aston on the bus. What an absolute shithole. Teenage gangs roaming round with bandanas wrapped around their faces, the works.

If anything the "Villa" makes it sound too nice.

That’s like a list of my childhood to be fair. My great Nan lived in Hodge Hill and I thought it was quite nice.

I always find it quite weird going back to Brum now. Where we used to is now classed as one of the best parts of the city but I always remember it being a right shit hole.

[John Arne]

Jessie Lingard off to FC Seoul. Barcelona must've pulled out at the last moment.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He'll last about three minutes in that society.

[Shindig]

Mat Sels is back. :cool:

[Trancemeister]

Lucas Bergvall to Spurs in the summer.

[Lofty]

He'll last about three minutes in that society.

Reminds me of a workshy mental schoolmate who was always getting sacked for various indiscretions (highlights include eating his manager's lunch and keying his manager's car after a dressing down - seperate jobs). He got a job contracting in Holland and was giving it the big status on facebook about how he would miss his family but had to go and earn a crust etc etc. Was back by tea time the next day :D

[niko_cee]

Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, 23, is considering leaving Chelsea just one year after joining the club for 121m euros (£107m) on an eight-and-a-half year contract. (FootballTransfers.com)

Chelsea players have complained that coaching by Mauricio Pochettino and his staff on tactical elements is limited, while new arrivals have expressed regret over their long-term contracts. (Athletic - subscription required)

:happycry:

[Baz]

Sign him up Jurg. Parting gift.

[niko_cee]

No thanks.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Dickheads should have thought about that before signing the long term contracts, shouldn't they.

https://media.tenor.com/4d-hay3atfsAAAAe/mr-burns-dont-forget.png

[Ian]

Hardly fair, Jimmy, that the fabulously wealthy should also be accountable for their actions.

[Waffdon]

Football transfer.com as a source. Nico is reliving his teenage years. Next up: Metro and Daily Star.

[Luke Emia]

If it's true and let's face facts it's not as if he has done anything whilst at Chelsea which would warrant them selling him for anywhere near what they paid for him he's going to find out just how hard it is to get away from these long contracts if the club don't want to sell. By the same token Chelsea could be about to find out how much of a millstone these contracts are for them if a player suddenly decides they don't fancy it. Suppose he could just Bogarde it for the next eight years.

[Luke Emia]

Football transfer.com as a source. Nico is reliving his teenage years. Next up: Metro and Daily Star.

Regardless of how spot on it is there's obviously briefings going out against not just Pochettino but also the club at the minute in terms of how things are going.

[niko_cee]

Hardly fair, Jimmy, that the fabulously wealthy should also be accountable for their actions.

It was just off the BBC gossip page and I thought you'd like it.