The Daily ITK Discussion Thread - The Weekend Edition 3/4 August 2013

[Indisguise]

When leaving work yesterday my workmate decided to drop some info that he has a family member who works for the FA as a lawyer putting an eye over all contracts before they are approved. Mostly the job is apparently just checking that there are no sneaky third parties getting paid and everything is straight forward but it does make him privy to a huge amount of info.

Whilst he refused to name names due to not wanting to lose his job he sometimes gives clues e.g. someone big is about to move etc. Anyway, yesterday the news was that there are a number of dominos stacked up, a number of x-fers have been put to the FA but with the note not to be submitted unless another move goes through. No idea which club (so probably isn't spurs), but figured it belongs in this thread as it is 'itk discussion'.

Hmm, this ties in with what Ryan said yesterday. If Ronaldo moves to United it puts a very different spin on everything. Slightly unsettling this.

Edit: wavered for a second there, but "fuck it", it could be Rooney or Suarez. Staying optimistic!

 

[Mullers]

Re Bale, I think there is some serious burying of heads in sand going on. I was reasonably confident that he would stay for one more year until AVB's demeanour and rhetoric completely changed when answering questions about Bale. He went from stating we would not sell Bale for any amount or under any circumstances to saying, 'so sorry, I can't comment on speculation' and looking pretty downbeat about it. I don't think that's a coincidence and if the same situation was occurring at another club I think we'd all see the situation for what it is. Tabloids will just regurgitate Marca's bilge but the BBC and pretty much all the broadsheets have said he wants to go, and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't state that in black and white without very solid sources in the Bale camp. The only scenario I can now see him staying is if Real can't/won't stump up the cash.

I'm the last person to bury my head in the sand. I'm a realist, I know that he will go but just not in this transfer window until I see some solid info, then to me, he isn't going.

 

[meursault]

sell Bale and the calibre of player that we could attract with the money automatically drops several notches

playing alongside GB would be one of the reasons players would come

 

[Third Kit '87]

I must admit I didn't realise that, I stand corrected.

It seems to me like a massive gamble for the buying club though.

Yes I agree- am not entirely convinced this is really workable either but it may be a comprise of sorts to appease all parties. In the Ronaldo case, Fergie gave Ronaldo a guarantee he would allow him to leave after one more season and that's what happened- money changed hands the season before as some form of 'deposit' IIRC.

 

[dagraham]

Nice idea, but don't think it could ever really happen. I don't think any club would agree a deal now for a transfer next year. What if he goes off the boil? What if he breaks both legs in a car accident or training ground collision with Sandro? What if Spurs win the league with a record points tally and become odds-on favourites for the CL title the following season, and GB decides he wants to stay?.

I could go on, but in summary, I'm afraid this is wishful thinking

Yeah, agree that's not going to happen. Best compromise we can make is have a release clause for a non PL to be able to sign him next summer.

I hope this idea is being considered and we can persuade Bale to sign it.

What's starting to really concern me is having another Berbatov situation on our hands. We cannot afford this to drag on more than a few weeks, it will completely destabilise our season (if it hasn't already).

I can't believe that Levy is so naive to think that Madrid would just go away, so I hope that he will stick to his guns and not sell for any price. Because imo if we were always prepared to sell if Bale expressed a desire to leave then we should have already began negotiating with Madrid before pre season.

 

[bigfrooj]

But we have been goal-difference and then one point away from making the CL in past 2 seasons- hardly as though we're miles away (like Liverpool for example). If Bale were to stay, factoring in Soldado's arrival and the returning Kaboul and Sandro, I would honestly say we are favourites to finish in the top 4.

Yes we are very unlucky not to have qualified for the Champions League in the last two seasons, but even with my Spurs-tinted glasses on (and believe me I am an eternal Spurs optimist) never believed that we would actually win the thing. And for the record I think if we keep Bale we will do better than qualify for the CL, we will challenge for the title with the players we have at the moment. We have a team of good players, some very good, but the likes of RM, Barcelona and Bayern are in a class above. If we had the Bale money we could swap our one superstar for another three very good players; this equals a team ready to challenge at the very top.

 

[Guntz]

Yes we are very unlucky not to have qualified for the Champions League in the last two seasons, but even with my Spurs-tinted glasses on (and believe me I am an eternal Spurs optimist) never believed that we would actually win the thing. And for the record I think if we keep Bale we will do better than qualify for the CL, we will challenge for the title with the players we have at the moment. We have a team of good players, some very good, but the likes of RM, Barcelona and Bayern are in a class above. If we had the Bale money we could swap our one superstar for another three very good players; this equals a team ready to challenge at the very top.

This. Look at dortmund, not based on one individual but a coherent set e.g a team. they aren't doing too shabby are they?

 

[Flashspur]

has anyone confirmed the Spanish article yesterday that said he was going next season and the deal had been done?

 

[Danners9]

When leaving work yesterday my workmate decided to drop some info that he has a family member who works for the FA as a lawyer putting an eye over all contracts before they are approved. Mostly the job is apparently just checking that there are no sneaky third parties getting paid and everything is straight forward but it does make him privy to a huge amount of info.

Whilst he refused to name names due to not wanting to lose his job he sometimes gives clues e.g. someone big is about to move etc. Anyway, yesterday the news was that there are a number of dominos stacked up, a number of x-fers have been put to the FA but with the note not to be submitted unless another move goes through. No idea which club (so probably isn't spurs), but figured it belongs in this thread as it is 'itk discussion'.

could easily be one big outgoing from Spurs and several incomings to Spurs.

Or just as easily a series of moves based on one that kicks it all off. I just hope that whatever happens we aren't left with loads of money and no time to spend it.

 

[thejames]

sell Bale and the calibre of player that we could attract with the money automatically drops several notches

playing alongside GB would be one of the reasons players would come

It's Catch-22 then. Because if we can't afford them, it's moot.

 

[mill]

could easily be one big outgoing from Spurs and several incomings to Spurs.

Or just as easily a series of moves based on one that kicks it all off. I just hope that whatever happens we aren't left with loads of money and no time to spend it.

Or that after the sale the replacement (s) don't go the way of caulker/vlad

 

[Indisguise]

has anyone confirmed the Spanish article yesterday that said he was going next season and the deal had been done?

Allow me: I can confirm that yesterday's Spanish article was total codswallop!

 

[Flashspur]

its all getting silly now - papers saying that Saurez will join Bale at RM

'With a deal for Bale expected to be finalised by Tuesday, reports the Daily Star, Real Madrid are set to follow up the Welshman's signing with the capture of Suarez. The paper "understands" that Liverpool expect to receive a formal offer from Madrid next week, and should a deal go through, it would allow the Spanish giants to cash in on Ronaldo, who is stalling on signing a new deal at the Bernabeu and is the subject of an £80m bid from United.'

 

[Bendo]

It's Catch-22 then. Because if we can't afford them, it's moot.

Arguably we don't need much if we keep Bale, other than an LB/CB which we can probably afford with whatever we get for Caulker, Dempsey and other outgoings. If we sell Bale the only options we'll have are dumb moneyball signings like Hulk. There are literally no upsides to selling Bale now, apart from a big bunch of money we won't be able to spend on anything useful.

 

[Flashspur]

sorry should probably put that in the Bale thread

 

[carpediem991]

I really would favour a good deal now with Coentrao included and Bale leaving 2014.

If we want to have a chance to win the title, next season...

 

[Third Kit '87]

Yes we are very unlucky not to have qualified for the Champions League in the last two seasons, but even with my Spurs-tinted glasses on (and believe me I am an eternal Spurs optimist) never believed that we would actually win the thing. And for the record I think if we keep Bale we will do better than qualify for the CL, we will challenge for the title with the players we have at the moment. We have a team of good players, some very good, but the likes of RM, Barcelona and Bayern are in a class above. If we had the Bale money we could swap our one superstar for another three very good players; this equals a team ready to challenge at the very top.

Thats a fair point, but with Bale onboard we have a genuinely world-class player who could get into any other team in the world. There's always the chance the Bale income would be reinvested poorly (e.g. Bent, Bentley) whereas Bale is proven PL quality- the best player in the ENTIRE league last season. I do agree with you overall in term of competing with the RM's B.Munich's, Barcas etc of the world, but we could firmly establish ourselves as regular CL qualifiers- essentially replacing the Goons. As an aside, and I know this is an over-simplification of matters, but why, when the crazy Steaua Bucharest chairman tells us their defender is not for sale, do we all accept the deal is 'dead', 'collapsed' etc without question, yet the idea of us taking a similarly robust stance re: Bale is somehow seen as unthinkable? Why?? I know the financial figures are vastly different, but the principle is the same- their lad even publicly expressed a wish to join us- something (despite the best efforts of the gutter-press) Bale has yet to do!! The situations are pretty damn similar as far as I'm concerned- maybe we should take a leaf from the Romanians book on this matter

 

[nicdic]

I really would favour a good deal now with Coentrao included and Bale leaving 2014.

If we want to have a chance to win the title, next season...

Why would you agree to him going in a years time now. It would be gutting to win the league and then lose our best player.

 

[Hitch]

its all getting silly now - papers saying that Saurez will join Bale at RM

'With a deal for Bale expected to be finalised by Tuesday, reports the Daily Star, Real Madrid are set to follow up the Welshman's signing with the capture of Suarez. The paper "understands" that Liverpool expect to receive a formal offer from Madrid next week, and should a deal go through, it would allow the Spanish giants to cash in on Ronaldo, who is stalling on signing a new deal at the Bernabeu and is the subject of an £80m bid from United.'

The Star writers just make stuff up. It's not merely a case of twisting and exaggerating as with most of the tabloids. They literally invent massive stories out of thin air and stick them on the back page.

 

[Blake Griffin]

why did we sell caulker without getting the chiriches deal wrapped up first? answer me this itk