See the Rabiot thread.With de jong off the table now does that mean we’ll move onto our next target?
AbsolutelyWith de jong off the table now does that mean we’ll move onto our next target?
What does that even mean?The truth will out. I recall Toby being described as the overated B side to Vertonghen.
He's not actually a "top talent" though is he? He's looked really good for a season and a half in the Dutch league.
What's happening here is that the teams with more money than God have decided to start cutting out "middle-men" like ourselves because they are now so wealthy it doesn't matter if the players they buy fail to develop into actual "top players".
In this reality, Modrić, Bale and Eriksen never play for us.
At last, we can now move on from a player we were never in with a chance of signing!With de jong off the table now does that mean we’ll move onto our next target?
Then we (and other clubs like us) might as well pack up and go home. There's definitely someone on here (could be @Lilbaz as he's the FFP guru, although it might have been old Bus Conductor) that's always maintained that the real purpose of FFP is to enable the traditional top clubs (plus a few oil-moneyed upstarts who got through a crack in the door as it closed) to shut up shop for good. If a player that might be the world's best CM in his late twenties is now the second most expensive player ever in that position, it's hard not to feel that the cartel has got it sealed up.
They can flash their knickers at all of them though. Sorry if I seem a bit morbid but I just feel as though the market we used to shop in (that has served us so well) no longer exists. In fact, the purchases of Aurier and Lucas and the alleged interest in Rabiot, James etc. rather suggests that the club believe that as well and are trying to adapt.They cannot buy all the talent. We are in I would say the top 15 clubs in the world so we are in for the top 50 players for midfield, top 30 for strikers etc etc. we must be able to purchase what we need. My only concern is the ability of some clubs to buy the cream and then loan them out.
Part of the problem is that the mega clubs have a lot more money than UEFA, and will strongly fight any significant punishment with legal action. UEFA basically have to look like they're in charge through largely nominal sanctions, and the mega clubs don't really suffer.Not me. Ffp was voted in by the majority of clubs. They did that because 40% of clubs in europe were facing financial ruin.
A side effect was that for the bigger clubs it maintained their status and limited new cities and psg's coming on the scene. But it wasn't the main aim and isn't really designed for that.
It's not perfect by any means and needs work and backing by eu etc... to stop big cases rotting in courts.
All those deals are classic spurs. Classy players that other big clubs either can't manage or don't want as they have the next shiney thing. See vdv, alderweireld from Athleti, as other examples.They can flash their knickers at all of them though. Sorry if I seem a bit morbid but I just feel as though the market we used to shop in (that has served us so well) no longer exists. In fact, the purchases of Aurier and Lucas and the alleged interest in Rabiot, James etc. rather suggests that the club believe that as well and are trying to adapt.
We tried in the Summer he was holding out for Barca. Our hope was they wouldn't follow through with their interest. For me this is good news because hopefully we will move on now. Fwiw we were willing to go big to get him, but as soon as Barca showed interest they were all he was interested in.Poch is probably pissed because we prob could have got him last summer.
And you know this..... how?Poch is probably pissed because we prob could have got him last summer.
We tried in the Summer he was holding out for Barca. Our hope was they wouldn't follow through with their interest. For me this is good news because hopefully we will move on now. Fwiw we were willing to go big to get him, but as soon as Barca showed interest they were all he was interested in.
We need to move quicker to sign players before they become stars like De Jong. Once they've made it big it's too late for us because we can't compete with the top clubs. Just look at Alli as an example of what we have to do. I would move fast for players like Berge before they become a big star too. Forget the big names that everyone can see is great already. While all the top clubs are chasing the Werners and Ndombeles we need to find the next big stars.
As a fan of Barca I am looking forward to see what De Jong is all about. I will say that watching Barca at the weekend that it was mentioned they have to sell Malcom to fund the signing. I'm not sure when they have to pay for De Jong (now or in the summer) but I would like to think we could put an offer in for Malcom now. He's another player who could potentially become a big star, it just seems his move to Barca came a bit too soon. He needs a club like us to build him back up again.