Sancho is so good playmaking in a team structure where teammates are in sensible locations. United either need to become such a team or he'll need to find a loan / sale to such a team after a few dreary years.
The Arms (Errr, Legs) Race: 2022 Summer Transfer Window
- Thread starter Morgan's Magic Snowplow
- Start date
Yes, I'd disagree with some also. Someone has done one for Everton now and same thing - overall putrid but many I'd rate differently.
Like Everton, one thing it shows is that ManU has not settled on a uniform approach. When managers change, styles and philosphies change, and you get stuck with a bunch of parts that don't mesh.
What's most damning to me about that red list is the players who have gone on to be good to great elsewhere. Di Maria, Lukaku, and to a lesser extent Depay and Blind have all shown themselves to be high quality at other major clubs. Perhaps Lukaku should be docked for being successful in Italy but unsuccessful again upon his return to Chelsea, and you could make a similar argument for Memphis and ADM succeeding in France (and Spain for Memphis) as opposed to England, but those guys played at Inter, PSG, Barca, and Lyon--title-winning sides. Blind went straight to Ajax and was a prominent part of 3 Eredivisie titles too.
I think it's unfair to paint Sancho and Varane with any brush as they've only had one season. DVdB only has one other. Finally, other players listed there haven't been utter failures and I think they'll do well once they leave. Players like Dan James, AWB, and probably even Pogba.
That does leave plenty of pu-pu platter to go around, but IMO the problem is clearly with the club and sporting project, as opposed to the players.
A player like Wan-Bissaka is a perfect example to me. Coming from Crystal Palace, he had obvious strengths and weaknesses in terms of his impressive defensive tenacity and his rawness on the offensive end. If you make an enormous transfer out of that guy and declare him your starting RB, you should have a team concept that takes advantage of those strengths and minimizes those weaknesses, perhaps having him be more stay at home along with an aggressive, expansive RW.
Instead, the setup seems to mostly be dumping him at RB and just saying “uh, play RB I guess”, also with a weird pu-pu platter of RCBs who neutralize some of his defensive quality with their shittiness.
The whole Man U exercise of the last 10 years is about choosing random shiny parts and also making the team less than the sum of those parts.
Instead, the setup seems to mostly be dumping him at RB and just saying “uh, play RB I guess”, also with a weird pu-pu platter of RCBs who neutralize some of his defensive quality with their shittiness.
The whole Man U exercise of the last 10 years is about choosing random shiny parts and also making the team less than the sum of those parts.
Not to derail the thread, but compare this with what I expect Conte will do on the right flank at Spurs. Romero is a terrific ball-playing RCB but he's out injured for a couple of weeks. I expect Dav Sanchez will fill in for him. Dav is a good defender, but limited with passing. At RWB, Emerson has been the favored player, but he is like AWB in that he's defensively stout and can run the touchline, but doesn't offer much in attack. I expect Conte will deploy a better outlet at RWB to balance Dav's limitations. Although it's worth mentioning that Spurs have a slate of seemingly easier matchups coming up so Conte may just work on his best XI which likely means Emerson stays in.
Some rumors on twitter Pulisic was not at training today. With Aubamayeng seeming destined for Chelsea, it seems they will move Pulisic. Maybe there is a deal in the works there?
Really hoping for Juve, but Newcastle would be fine. If he goes to Man-U, that seems less than ideal. Some rumors Boehly wants to sell and not loan.
Really hoping for Juve, but Newcastle would be fine. If he goes to Man-U, that seems less than ideal. Some rumors Boehly wants to sell and not loan.
There are a few stories I saw today suggesting that Palace and ManU were near a deal to send AWB back to Palace for £10 million. Between that and what they did with Zaha, well that’s about £50 million for a couple years of effective loans.
When looking up what Zaha cost (£15 out, £5 back in - way cheaper than I expected), I found this article, which didn’t age well.
https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2457920-why-manchester-united-will-not-come-to-regret-selling-wilfried-zaha.amp.html
When looking up what Zaha cost (£15 out, £5 back in - way cheaper than I expected), I found this article, which didn’t age well.
https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2457920-why-manchester-united-will-not-come-to-regret-selling-wilfried-zaha.amp.html
Looks like £25 million upfront plus up to £17 million in potentional add-ons. Wonder how attainable the add-ons are?
Yup.
Ding ding ding.
I've seen that movie too, and it sucks.
I honestly think that Everton has gotten a clue. The acquisitions this summer have been modestly priced, with the exception of Onana, who fills a position of need, has huge upside and seems like a class dude also. They fit a common style. Some more attacking ability is desperately needed but that's in addition to the solid business already done.
Let's hope anyway.
A report in Spain claims Casemiro is set for a medical with ManU tomorrow . €70m fee. Lord knows the wages but they must be astronomical.
https://getfootballnewsspain.com/casemiro-set-for-manchester-united-medical/
https://getfootballnewsspain.com/casemiro-set-for-manchester-united-medical/
FBref’s third comp for Casemiro is Tchouameni. No doubt Ancelotti’s plan was to bleed in the young’un while running it back with last season’s veteran core. But if United are offering to pay what’s been rumored, I don’t see how Casemiro or Perez can say no.
Ancelotti might be a little salty, but Madrid with cash burning a hole in its pocket is a dangerous thing…maybe a massive winter signing?
They’ve been rumoured to have a strong interest in Bellingham - which is bad news for Liverpool - or any other PL clubs with the pockets deep enough to afford the £100m
AS says that Real will target Bruno Guimaraes as a replacement, which makes me want to shit my own poop. Real don't really even need another MF, but "need" is a slippery concept for the very biggest clubs.
I do think they will need a 6 for sure if they sell Casemiro. They have Tchouameni and he wasn’t inspiring in his one and only match so far. Obviously he is a fine player, but he’s likely a far cry from Casemiro (who isn’t???) and there will be growing pains. I’m not convinced Ceballos is really a long-term option either, though I’m biased against him for non-soccer issues. Either way, I don’t think anyone is convinced that either are Real level players at the moment. In a year with a condensed schedule- again- and in the age of Covid, squad depth is absolutely essential. Guimaraes does make sense but is also a level below Casemiro and I’m skeptical Newcastle would sell him anyways.
Whatever the case, there are 19 teams in La Liga that would be happy if Madrid sold Casemiro and didn’t immediately bring in a replacement.
They will struggle to assimilate that many players . I think teams that have just come up have an advantage of cohesion, these guys went through the meat grinder of getting through the Championship and tge bonding experience of promotion. To have so many who weren’t around each other for that, it’s different than filling positions of need.
View: https://twitter.com/paddypower/status/1560254153091325952?s=20&t=CLZzHOVfa0WbVmKnczSvrg
I can’t believe we’ve gone from pining for a number six for ten years to panic buying quite possibly the worlds best.
I can’t justify it tactically, except for maybe ten hag likes how he and Fred combine for Brazil.
It’s mind blowing though. Reports are we’re still bidding for Antony. I’d rather that money go to SMS for a complete midfield overhaul but I doubt either will happen.
I can’t justify it tactically, except for maybe ten hag likes how he and Fred combine for Brazil.
It’s mind blowing though. Reports are we’re still bidding for Antony. I’d rather that money go to SMS for a complete midfield overhaul but I doubt either will happen.
Casemiro is still a very good player and you need those but it’s a surreal and very short sighted transfer. At least for once it’s in an actual position of need although I did also see you linked to Gakpo (and approximately 30 other players) so this seems more accidental than a solid shift in transfer dealings
Agreed 100% on the accidental part. I had this discussion with friends of mine yesterday. He was saying it is a stupid transfer because we need to be rebuilding. And on one hand I agree. But on the other our board for years have shown that they are incapable of having a long term vision so if this was the move they were going to make its at least for a position of need.
I’d rather Gapko than Antony simply because of price but it looks like the latter skipped training this morning so maybe he’s trying to force the move.
Casemiro - Fred (or Eriksen) - Bruno should be a good midfield but we’ll see. If Bruno doesn’t turn back the clock to two years ago I could also see Eriksen replacing him.
I’d rather Gapko than Antony simply because of price but it looks like the latter skipped training this morning so maybe he’s trying to force the move.
Casemiro - Fred (or Eriksen) - Bruno should be a good midfield but we’ll see. If Bruno doesn’t turn back the clock to two years ago I could also see Eriksen replacing him.
Casemiro instantly makes United better, and you will see significantly improved performance from everyone around him. I've always thought that Maguire was unfairly maligned, and I bet you see a renaissance from him with some world class screening from Cas.
For Real, this is an insanely sell high move. This side was a bit in flux regardless, and while Barca looked rocky in their first match, I think it's fair to say Barca have a better squad this season. Real need to begin turning over the squad (although TBF I've been saying that for 2-3 years already) and this is a nice kickstart to that. As for who starts at DMF, it seems like between Tchoua and Camavinga for big matches. But since Madrid are usually so far superior to their opponents, they can toy with Valverde there as well, or have Kroos serve as a regista against a bunkered in side.
For Real, this is an insanely sell high move. This side was a bit in flux regardless, and while Barca looked rocky in their first match, I think it's fair to say Barca have a better squad this season. Real need to begin turning over the squad (although TBF I've been saying that for 2-3 years already) and this is a nice kickstart to that. As for who starts at DMF, it seems like between Tchoua and Camavinga for big matches. But since Madrid are usually so far superior to their opponents, they can toy with Valverde there as well, or have Kroos serve as a regista against a bunkered in side.
Looking at that graph of United busts; it does make me think how effective the big money transfer moves really are. It's been a common saying that big-money transfers rarely work out, but just looking at the Top 20 record transfers on Transfermarkt, you have:
1. Neymar (Barca to PSG)
2. Mbappe (Monaco to PSG)
3. Coutinho (Liverpool to Barca)
4. Joao Felix (Benfica to Atleti)
5. Ousmane Dembele (Dortmund to Barca)
6. Griezmann (Atleti to Barca)
7. Grealish (Aston Villa to City)
8. C. Ronaldo (Real Madrid to Juventus)
9. Hazard (Chelsea to Real Madrid)
10. Lukaku (Inter to Chelsea)
11. Pogba (Juventus to Man U)
12. Bale (Tottenham to Real Madrid)
13. C. Ronaldo (Man U to Real Madrid)
14. Higuain (Napoli to Juventus)
15. Neymar (Santos to Barca)
16. Maguire (Leicester to Man U)
17. FDJ (Ajax to Barca)
18. de Ligt (Ajax to Juventus)
19. Sancho (Dortmund to Man U)
20. Lukaku (Everton to Man U)
Given the lofty standards, I would categorize the developments of those transfers into the following categories:
1. Clear successes
- Mbappe to PSG
- Ronaldo to Real Madrid
- Neymar to Barca
2. Somewhat successful
-Ronaldo to Juventus
- Bale to Real Madrid
- Higuain to Juventus
3. Busts
- Neymar to PSG
- Coutinho to Barca
- Dembele to Barca
- Griezmann to Barca
- Hazard to Real Madrid
- Lukaku to Chelsea
- Pogba to Man U
- Magurie to Man U
- FDJ to Barca
- de Ligt to Juventus
- Lukaku to Man U
4. Too Early To Tell
- Felix to Atleti
- Grealish to City
- Sancho to Man U
(All three of these are trending towards bust category, FWIW)
That seems like a pretty bad success rate. Maybe that is to be expected given the nature of who the massive transfer moves tend to be for; either for superstars who are about to hit the wall and teams are selling at the right time, or for younger players who haven't proven their success yet and struggle adapting to a new league/different team.
1. Neymar (Barca to PSG)
2. Mbappe (Monaco to PSG)
3. Coutinho (Liverpool to Barca)
4. Joao Felix (Benfica to Atleti)
5. Ousmane Dembele (Dortmund to Barca)
6. Griezmann (Atleti to Barca)
7. Grealish (Aston Villa to City)
8. C. Ronaldo (Real Madrid to Juventus)
9. Hazard (Chelsea to Real Madrid)
10. Lukaku (Inter to Chelsea)
11. Pogba (Juventus to Man U)
12. Bale (Tottenham to Real Madrid)
13. C. Ronaldo (Man U to Real Madrid)
14. Higuain (Napoli to Juventus)
15. Neymar (Santos to Barca)
16. Maguire (Leicester to Man U)
17. FDJ (Ajax to Barca)
18. de Ligt (Ajax to Juventus)
19. Sancho (Dortmund to Man U)
20. Lukaku (Everton to Man U)
Given the lofty standards, I would categorize the developments of those transfers into the following categories:
1. Clear successes
- Mbappe to PSG
- Ronaldo to Real Madrid
- Neymar to Barca
2. Somewhat successful
-Ronaldo to Juventus
- Bale to Real Madrid
- Higuain to Juventus
3. Busts
- Neymar to PSG
- Coutinho to Barca
- Dembele to Barca
- Griezmann to Barca
- Hazard to Real Madrid
- Lukaku to Chelsea
- Pogba to Man U
- Magurie to Man U
- FDJ to Barca
- de Ligt to Juventus
- Lukaku to Man U
4. Too Early To Tell
- Felix to Atleti
- Grealish to City
- Sancho to Man U
(All three of these are trending towards bust category, FWIW)
That seems like a pretty bad success rate. Maybe that is to be expected given the nature of who the massive transfer moves tend to be for; either for superstars who are about to hit the wall and teams are selling at the right time, or for younger players who haven't proven their success yet and struggle adapting to a new league/different team.
As a Barca fan, you’ve got to be licking your chops here. Yes, it’s an insane amount of money, but it will impact how others at Real play. Anyways, just to make it official, we have “here we go”
View: https://twitter.com/fabrizioromano/status/1560616579070582784?s=21&t=0oftyNP_0qTYdFjAyGSS4g
Bale to me has to be a success, even if he never lived up to the mantle of being Cristiano's heir. That's a club that cares about the CL more than anything else and he scored 20 goals and 17 assists in about 4400 CL minutes in his career, including the decisive goals in two finals. He is like the Julian Edelman of recent European football, you can't evaluate his impact on regular season stats (ie, La Liga) alone.
I would put Pogba to United in the "somewhat successful" category. He was a very good player for his first three years there, it was only really after he suffered some injuries and they bought Bruno (who he just wasn't compatible with in the same midfield) that it turned bad.
Cristiano to Juventus to me is a failed transfer. He scored goals and they won Serie A twice but the team overall got worse after his inclusion, he crippled them financially, and they didn't come close to winning the CL, which was the whole purpose of bringing him in.
I would put Pogba to United in the "somewhat successful" category. He was a very good player for his first three years there, it was only really after he suffered some injuries and they bought Bruno (who he just wasn't compatible with in the same midfield) that it turned bad.
Cristiano to Juventus to me is a failed transfer. He scored goals and they won Serie A twice but the team overall got worse after his inclusion, he crippled them financially, and they didn't come close to winning the CL, which was the whole purpose of bringing him in.
de Ligt went to Juve for £77m and, after 3 quality seasons, was sold to Bayern for £60m. Amortize the £17m over three years plus wages and is a decent outlay for a CB at a megaclub.
Lukaku cost United £76m. He racked up 42 goals and 13 assists in 96 matches before moving to Inter for £66m. Again, for £10m and 2 years worth of wages, that a really good return.
Many of these guys are seen as busts in relation to the massive, near unobtainable expectations. Parsing the actual costs and contributions shows a more complicated picture.
Lukaku cost United £76m. He racked up 42 goals and 13 assists in 96 matches before moving to Inter for £66m. Again, for £10m and 2 years worth of wages, that a really good return.
Many of these guys are seen as busts in relation to the massive, near unobtainable expectations. Parsing the actual costs and contributions shows a more complicated picture.
Lots of noise on Antony to Man United for 80m euro plus 20m in add ons.
This is another absolutely bonkers deal, they're just lighting money on fire to try to save Ten Hag from immediate failure and to stave off the fan protests. At the very least he is a good looking player with obvious technical quality and the right age profile. But the guy scored eight goals in the Eredivisie last year, a league that mediocre players routinely tear up. He is realistically a 30-40m player.
This is another absolutely bonkers deal, they're just lighting money on fire to try to save Ten Hag from immediate failure and to stave off the fan protests. At the very least he is a good looking player with obvious technical quality and the right age profile. But the guy scored eight goals in the Eredivisie last year, a league that mediocre players routinely tear up. He is realistically a 30-40m player.
And I have no idea why they’re chasing wingers. They’ve just spent all that money and 2 transfer windows on Sancho. They see Rashford as a winger. It’s one position they’ve overinvested in and now they’re gonna pay a kings ransom for another? Do they really think Casemiro fixes that midfield?
Yeah, I wasn't trying to be too scientific with it. I guess the standard I was using was "Was this person one of the best players in the world for at least a few years after they were signed?" because at that price, you would have to expect that. Pogba had his moments, but also had the weird feud with Jose (not necessarily Pogba's fault) and his play became really inconsistent over his time with the club.
West Ham appear about to sign their first LB signing for actual money in.... ever?
View: https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1560705022479974401
I don't love Emerson, but he's a decent enough LB and it's a tough spot to get talent.
View: https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1560705022479974401
I don't love Emerson, but he's a decent enough LB and it's a tough spot to get talent.
yeah. Eredivise success is way sus.
Everton had Davy Klaasen bomb out. He got hurt but Donny VdB didn’t impress either.
So no Everton are linked with attacking midfielder/forward Mohammad Kudus of Ajax. It’s happened very fast. Don’t even remember seeing his name and now its supposedly dine
View: https://twitter.com/phadarpero/status/1560703422457856003?s=20&t=7Ql82X-NKDPUY1IJdOBRiQ
Supposedly he’s had a falling out with the club.
Numbers don’t look all that impressive even for the Dutch league so I’m skeptical but many folks going off about how he’s a thrilling young talent. We desperately need attackers.
Yeah, the EPL seems like an aggressive move for a player that’s still more potential than product. He’s Ghanaian and is a lock for the squad in Qatar, though he’s only been starting about half their matches (which is pretty damning given how weak Ghana’s team is these days). Nonetheless, he’ll miss out on all that development time with the squad.
He had a great season in Denmark at age 18, which brought him to Ajax’s attention. His first season at Ajax started with a knee injury, but he came on strong during the back half of the season. Last year was a mess for him with an ankle injury and then a broken rib.
Kudus has definitely shown flashes of being a top level player, but you’d really like to see him tear up a smaller league for a full season before bringing him into an EPL side. Maybe it’s a knock down price too good to pass up for Everton?
Dayum. Newcastle agree to terms with Sociedad to bring over budding Swedish star striker Alex Isak for (E)$70M! FWIW, TM has his value at $30M. Good biz from Newcastle--only half kidding!
22 years old, he broke out as a young teenager in '18-'19 in the Eredivisie for Willem Tilburg with 13 goals and 7 assists. He went to La Liga, put in 9 goals in his first season, 17 in '20-'21, and had 6g 2a last season. He also put in 3 goals in 6 games in UEL. He also has 9 goals in 37 appearances for the Sweden NT.
22 years old, he broke out as a young teenager in '18-'19 in the Eredivisie for Willem Tilburg with 13 goals and 7 assists. He went to La Liga, put in 9 goals in his first season, 17 in '20-'21, and had 6g 2a last season. He also put in 3 goals in 6 games in UEL. He also has 9 goals in 37 appearances for the Sweden NT.
Newcastle signs Alexander Isak for £60m from Sociedad
Excellent business
https://theathletic.com/3534157/2022/08/24/newcastle-alexander-isak-transfer/?source=user_shared_article
Excellent business
https://theathletic.com/3534157/2022/08/24/newcastle-alexander-isak-transfer/?source=user_shared_article
Yeah, this is the first panic-adjacent move this summer. Callum Wilson came out of last weekend with a hamstring issue, meaning Chris Wood was in line for a start and the backup would probably somehow end up being Andy Carroll again. They were poking around Isak very early in the window, concluded he was overpriced, sniffed around about 10 other attackers, and are now just going ahead and meeting the overvaluation on Isak.
All that said, I remember him looking like an absolute unit during the Euros, so fingers crossed.
This made me chuckle as he's consistently listed at 6'4'' (190-192 cm) and ~160 lbs (70-74 kg).
Hey guys, minor Alexander Isak expert here.
Isak originally burst onto the scene with an incredible stint as a 16 year old at Stockholm's AIK, really electrifying the Allsvenskan, and scoring 10 goals in 24 matches and being sold to Dortmund 8 months after he debuted.
Despite the fact that he was going to what many would consider the ideal club for developing a young attacking player, Isak was almost immediately lost in the shuffle at Dortmund and never really cracked the rotation. He found his footing during a loan spell in the Eredivisie at Willem II, scoring 13 goals in 16 games, and he was still only 18 years old.
He then was sold to Sociedad and has been up and down, at times he has looked incredible but also has looked lost at other times (his performance for the Swedish National Team has been similar).
From a young age he was compared to Zlatan for obvious reasons, and there is a little bit of that Zlatan flair to his game; he will attempt some really ambitious stuff with the ball and thinks he can score from anywhere on the field. He's tall but lacks the strength and muscularity of Zlatan, he doesn't have those big shoulders to muscle guys around in space and hold on to the ball. I worry about how that will translate into the modern EPL, if he has the strength to be a consistent presence as a #9 and to hold off defenders and make plays in tight spaces.
He is kind of like a poor man's Haaland in that he is very quick for a player of his height and he can run in past defenders and finish. He's got great feet and moves super well for his size. I just worry about his consistency and his physical strength playing in the EPL. I'm really excited to see him in the league, he could do great things.
Isak originally burst onto the scene with an incredible stint as a 16 year old at Stockholm's AIK, really electrifying the Allsvenskan, and scoring 10 goals in 24 matches and being sold to Dortmund 8 months after he debuted.
Despite the fact that he was going to what many would consider the ideal club for developing a young attacking player, Isak was almost immediately lost in the shuffle at Dortmund and never really cracked the rotation. He found his footing during a loan spell in the Eredivisie at Willem II, scoring 13 goals in 16 games, and he was still only 18 years old.
He then was sold to Sociedad and has been up and down, at times he has looked incredible but also has looked lost at other times (his performance for the Swedish National Team has been similar).
From a young age he was compared to Zlatan for obvious reasons, and there is a little bit of that Zlatan flair to his game; he will attempt some really ambitious stuff with the ball and thinks he can score from anywhere on the field. He's tall but lacks the strength and muscularity of Zlatan, he doesn't have those big shoulders to muscle guys around in space and hold on to the ball. I worry about how that will translate into the modern EPL, if he has the strength to be a consistent presence as a #9 and to hold off defenders and make plays in tight spaces.
He is kind of like a poor man's Haaland in that he is very quick for a player of his height and he can run in past defenders and finish. He's got great feet and moves super well for his size. I just worry about his consistency and his physical strength playing in the EPL. I'm really excited to see him in the league, he could do great things.
Thanks for adding your expertise here! I was very impressed with Isak's finishing and ability to beat players when playing downhill. As you said, he's wire-thin and that will make hold up play nigh impossible in the EPL. I imagine with his speed and good instincts he's good at running in behind--any thoughts on that? While he's one of those rare forwards who actually likes to start in the middle, it seems like his best chance for success in the EPL will be to use that as a starting point when in possession and then try to find some space to either drag the defense out of shape or get the ball in a position to take on defenders. Does he come right in and start over Wilson?
I don't think he will come right in and start over Wilson; Wilson is an experienced EPL player with a good track record and is averaging a goal every other game since coming to Newcastle. He's not a natural passer, although that is a skill that can evolve over time. His best case scenario in the EPL is like being a tall Jamie Vardy, that kind of blitzer behind the lines with a clinical finishing streak. His workrate has been up-and-down during his career which is one of the reasons I think his form (and playing time) has faltered during his time at Real Sociedad, and would be the biggest difference between him and a player like Vardy.
Excellent stuff--thanks. Wilson is also not a great passer, because he is more of a classic poacher. (I have often thought that we need to "find" him an American relative or spouse, because he is exactly the sort of player the USMNT is missing given its superabundance of creators and lack of finishers.) I remain skeptical, maybe n part because the last time NUFC broke its transfer record it was also for a guy who had physical skills but hadn't actually scored that many goals recently, and he went on to several scorned, goalless years. But that guy is now our second-best midfielder, so who knows.
I think the big takeaway is that Newcastle now think that they have a shot at a European slot this year. I still disagree--Isak is fun but inconsistent, and the MF is still shallow--but the expected timeline seems to have been bumped up a year.
I think the big takeaway is that Newcastle now think that they have a shot at a European slot this year. I still disagree--Isak is fun but inconsistent, and the MF is still shallow--but the expected timeline seems to have been bumped up a year.
It's a lot of money, and Isak is the kind of player that could go totally bust because he has some things, like an inconsistent streak and a lack of physical strength that make you wonder about him in the EPL. The big difference if you are Newcastle is if the Saudi's are just going to spend a ton of money, things like this Isak investment will not be the kind of crippling deals that a player like Joelinton might have been.
Be afraid ... be very afraid … Howard Webb to return to the EPL as Chief Refereeing Officer of PGMOL
Referee Howard Webb announces Premier League return as he makes VAR promise
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/premier-league-howard-webb-var-24843458
Referee Howard Webb announces Premier League return as he makes VAR promise
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/premier-league-howard-webb-var-24843458
Haven’t we known this for months? There were jokes about it being ManU’a signing of the summer. I swear I even posted an article.
View: https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1563142129932959746
West Ham sign Paqueta according to Romano.
West Ham sign Paqueta according to Romano.
View: https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1563088231264321536?s=20&t=ZiMkopiLTeSJnhK04sCM4Q
Good business. High work rate and a bit of snide. Toffees need to be less nice.
Not a one-to-one replacement for Richarlison, but similar in style, and then there's this:
View: https://twitter.com/MagooMr12/status/1563050457655676929?s=20&t=ZiMkopiLTeSJnhK04sCM4Q
As any FPL player knows, however, Maupay is wasteful and a bit of a tease.
Good business. High work rate and a bit of snide. Toffees need to be less nice.
Not a one-to-one replacement for Richarlison, but similar in style, and then there's this:
View: https://twitter.com/MagooMr12/status/1563050457655676929?s=20&t=ZiMkopiLTeSJnhK04sCM4Q
As any FPL player knows, however, Maupay is wasteful and a bit of a tease.
Paqueta's a fine player, but I was underwhelmed watching him for the Brazil NT. That doesn't say much about his abilities in the club game, but for a side looking to qualify for European competition again, not sure he moves the needle much unless Moyes is looking to build more depth. The fee is reported to be around (E)$60M (!!), and TM has his value at $35M (closer to what I would've expected).
Barca and Lecce agreed to a loan for Umtiti yesterday, with Barca apparently paying most of his wages. I'm just happy for the guy as he was a world class CB at such a young age and knowingly wrecked his knee for WC glory with France.
Spurs seem close to finalizing a deal to send Tanganga to Milan on loan. Another young player I'm happy to see get an opportunity. He seems like a tweener of sorts, not quite a CB nor a FB, but capable at both. He did a terrific job shutting down Sterling last year in one of the MANC games. I also heard that Spurs are getting close to a deal sending out Bryan Gil, presumably to Valencia again. Reguilon has been linked with Nottingham Forrest (who hasn't). Hojbjerg has been linked with Madrid, but that doesn't make much sense to me for either club or the player.
I was also surprised by Arsenal's decision to loan out Nick Pepe to Nice. Perhaps some of our resident Gooners can share their thoughts and insight on that one.
I think West Ham has to overpay because they are West Ham (and also because AC Milan had the sell-on clause so Lyon was only getting part of the total), but also, I think TM is wildly off there, Paqueta grades out as basically a little bit better version of his national and former club teammate Bruno Guimaeres who sold for basically the same amount, and they're easy to comp since they played a decent amount of time in the same league and even squad.
If memory serves, Guimaeres is more of a DMF and ball-carrier, whereas Paqueta is a CAM. But I'm sure there are others here who can confirm or debunk that. No doubt there's an EPL tax going on here, but even if Paqueta's market value is $40M, a tax should bring it up $5-10M, not $20M!
But you're basing it on a 35M number that's both just made up, and not in line with what similar players get. The base should be Bruno because they are both around the same age, both play for Brazil, and Lyon, and honestly I'd expect the attacking player to be paid more. I'd say the value on Paqueta is probably 50M or so if you're willing to walk and have other options, you pay a tax for being a non-top 4 PL team, and maybe a bit more because of Milan.
I'm also seeing it reported as "up to", so who knows on structure. I think it's a high but not particularly unreasonable fee to pay.
Edit- I'd also say, don't pay any attention to Transfermarkt in terms of "value" unless a player was just transferred, they are almost always off by a huge amount from what players actually get sold for, like Isak went for 77 they said 33 was his value, Caseimeiro 77 vs 44, Gibbs-White 32 vs 12. Their system for market valuing guys is like if your realtor said "ooh a 3 bedroom Condo in Cambridge... you could definitely get $300k for this, maybe $350k.
Antony to ManU for €100 million looks like it’s just about done:
View: https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1563958811777552385
Fabrizio Romano
@FabrizioRomano
Antony to Manchester United, here we go! Agreement in principle with Ajax, €100m fee. Contract until June 2027 with option until 2028. To be signed tomorrow. #MUFC Contracts being prepared, it’s Eredivisie historical record fee — Antony will be in Manchester next week.
View: https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1563958811777552385
Fabrizio Romano
@FabrizioRomano
Antony to Manchester United, here we go! Agreement in principle with Ajax, €100m fee. Contract until June 2027 with option until 2028. To be signed tomorrow. #MUFC Contracts being prepared, it’s Eredivisie historical record fee — Antony will be in Manchester next week.