Soccer 2013-2014

Springbok

Karen
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Didn't even realize I was posting in the old thread.

Re: Suarez - the more I think about this "bid" the more annoyed/perplexed I am. 30m doesn't scratch the surface of his value, so if you're really interested in the player - the bid is an absolute joke.

If, as theorized on twitter & elsewhere Arsenal are bidding simply to "force Perez/RM's hand" - its even more of joke. As someone whose interested in Suarez, Perez knows Suarez' valuation as well as anyone - and a 30m bid for the guy isn't going to do anything but make the man chuckle. There are from what I can tell 5 really good strikers available right now (or psuedo available - in order of most valuable to least).

1: Cavani - PSG all but done, 55m
2: Lewandowski - Probably staying/Bayern next season anyways
3: Suarez - Probably leaving, cost of at/near 50m
4: Rooney - Not sure - but will cost around 30?
5: Higuain - Probably Arsenal, around 25m

There is only one guy on that list Arsenal can afford - and EVERYONE KNOWS IT. Just fucking pay Real Madrid the extra 2-3m and be done with it. Dickering around with players you can't afford seems absolutely childish to me. After those 5 guys, there just aren't many appealing options available really. Wish the fucking season would roll around and start again - summer is the worst.
 

Asshat Brando

Potato del Grande
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I've tried to stay away from saying much as most transfers won't mean shit in the end but I would guess at this point Suarez will be an LFC player this year. Madrid wouldn't pay 52m for Cavani and LFC is going to want close to 50m for Suarez, so why would RM then pay what they would have for Cavani instead for Suarez? The Arsenal bid is definitely a joke, instead of it forcing Madrid's hand I see it more as being able to tell the fans you at least tried but nobody would sell as Sanogo ends up being their main signing. Dortmund already confirmed Lewandowski will go to Bayern next summer.

In real news, great bit of business by A. Madrid in picking up David Villa for only 2m euro's to start with. Amazing deal even for a striker on the wrong side of 30.
 

Springbok

Karen
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Barca paid 40m for Villa, sold him for 4m. Arsenal was willing to shell out 12m on him 6 months ago. Well done.

Unreal deal for Atletico - man have they had some fucking brilliant strikers. Forlan, Torres, Villa, Aguero, Falcao.... You know its the silly season when Dwight Gayle cost twice as much as David Villa in the xfer market.
 

faille

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Would love to see Liverpool stick it to Arsenal for trying to play games by dealing Suarez to Madrid for Higuin + 30m.
Gives us a ready made replacement for the next couple of years along with cash to invest in youth and denying a rival a obvious upgrade. Benteke probably a good option, especially since he's handed in a request.

Would have also liked to see Villa or Gomez given the prices they went for even if they are past their prime and won't have any resale.
 

Ashin

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Dortmund done some excellent business reinvesting the money from Gotze in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Now if they can just get two more class signings, a defensive mid and perhaps another attacking mid, they'll challenge Bayern next season imo.
 

Neki

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Ashin_sl said:
Also the theory that this is gonna be just another summer of excuses from Arsenal. "Oh we tried to get the best players but their clubs didn't want to sell. Look heres gareth barry!"
I thought you were joking at first but then I saw this on the BBC Sport rumour page -GARETH BARRY has opened talks with Arsenal over a possible ?4m move to the Emirates.

Wow, really Wenger? Gareth fucking Barry?

Springbok_sl said:
There is only one guy on that list Arsenal can afford - and EVERYONE KNOWS IT. Just fucking pay Real Madrid the extra 2-3m and be done with it. Dickering around with players you can't afford seems absolutely childish to me. After those 5 guys, there just aren't many appealing options available really.
Looks like the move is now in doubt since Arsenal hasn't even submitted a fucking bid yet lol

Gonzalo Higuain switch to Arsenal in doubt after Real Madrid claim the Gunners have not even made a bid for the striker

Gonzalo Higuain's move to Arsenal has been thrown into doubt after Real Madrid president Florentino Perez claimed the Gunners were yet to make a bid for the striker.

Perez also claims Real Madrid do not want to sell the Argentina international...

...during an interview with Univision, Perez insisted: "We don't want Higuain to leave. What's more no-one from Arsenal has come to us and made us any offers at all for him. There are no offers on the table."
 

Springbok

Karen
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Barry.... imagine that is the only incoming player this summer. Don't know why I get so invested in this bullshit - working a multi-million dollar oil deal, and I find myself ducking out to refresh twitter every hour on the hour. Fuck me......
 

Dyvim

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Still think Arsenal should have made a bid for Gomez, they could easily pay more than the 17M of Florence and hes a good striker for the next say 2-3 years so they would have time to go for another by then.
 

Asshat Brando

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Not sure why this is surprising, Wenger blames ManC and Chelski for ruining his well laid plans with their big money and not his own shortcomings. He's not going to change and Kroenke is just fine collecting the money in the background along with all the other Arsenal directors. It's a bit like the Cubs, why spend money when you're going to sell out every game anyway?
 

Decado

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Gareth Barry? That is fucking pitiful. One of the most overrated players I can remember
 

Springbok

Karen
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Thiago looking likely to end up at Bayern. Seems like nobody really fancies a move to England at the moment, as I was reading his move to Manc was all but assured.

It would be surprising for The Arsenal to not sign any established players this summer because this is the only summer I can recall in recent memory where the club (Gazidis in particular) have made a point to explain exactly how much cash they have to spend on transfers. It makes absolutely zero sense to expose that, "fake bid" for players to appease the fans, and then do nothing. Zero. If they don't spend $20m on a player this summer (at least 1), the cacophony of noise at The Emirates next season will be deafening - and AW will be in Paris a summer from now. I still think Higuain is going to happen, and I'm perfectly happy with that. Still need another MF, and Julio Cesar will make it a positive summer. Suarez to RM for Higgy +cash won't happen - No CL.

Mkhitaryan looked fantastic for BVB today. BPL missing out on some real quality so far this summer.
 

Decado

Golden Knight of the Realm
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Wilfred Bony to Swansea for ?12m, might not be a bad deal that. Looks as if he scores pretty consistently with a good record in Holland, could do quite well in the EPL with the style and players Swansea have available
 

Springbok

Karen
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I think the Bony deal is a great deal. Laudrup is a really impressive guy with a good nose in the xfer market.

Read that Real were still sniffing around Bale - I just don't see them paying the kind of cash that Spuds are asking, and Bale doesn't strike me as a guy to force his way out. Tottenham were really clever to hire AVB, if for no other reason than his relationships with his players. Spuds still need a decent striker - Benteke would be a great signing - Still short of fighting for the league, but top 4 would be a realistic possibility (depending on other clubs' comings and goings this summer). The question is, if Spurs somehow keep Bale and somehow finish in the top 4 - would Bale bolt next summer? He's young, but every year he spends in London is a year he doesn't spend in Madrid - developing, getting attention (in a way he never would at Spurs), and playing with the very best players in the world. Will be interesting, as he seems to have his heart set on Madrid (if he in fact moves).
 

Neki

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I'm not that impressed with Benteke to be honest.

How many one season wonders have we seen? He looks like a decent striker but more in the mould of being a slightly better Emile Heskey. He need to consistently score goals over 2-3 seasons to justify a ?25M price tag. I personally won't pay anything more than ?10M for him at present time and won't be too bothered if he doesn't come. We certainly need another striker but I am sure you will be able to find better deals elsewhere.

Heck, Gomez - ?17M, Villa - ?5M, Higuain - (reportedly ?25M) and Benteke - ?25M? Okay, he is young but you pay for being proven goalscorer and Benteke after 1 decent season is not that yet. Adebayor scored tons of goals 2 years ago and look at him last year.
 

Asshat Brando

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If there is anything you can count on with Spurs it's that Levy undervalues everybody else's players and overvalues his own, there is no way he'll pay anywhere near 25m for Benteke so the argument is pretty moot. They'll find someone on the cheap and hope it works out, same thing they have done every year prior.
 

Springbok

Karen
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Agreed that he's not on that top tier yet - maybe never will be... but losing out on Villa (who everyone seemed to think was a "lock"), and with the market the way it is currently I think it'll be tough to grab a decent striker for $20m. Also surprised no English clubs tried to land Gomez - interesting to see that Real Madrid/Ibra might be something... if that happens, what happens to Suarez? Pool fans are ripping the guy apart on twitter/message boards - and frankly, they have a right to. While I would love the guy at Arsenal, he has handled the situation really poorly. Not sure he'll like what he finds (reception wise) if he stays at Pool next season, and if Madrid bring in Ibra (a long with the talent they have coming up) I don't see where he would play anyways. Thought all along he would be a great fit at Bayern, but they are so deep right now its almost unbelievable. Even Thiago doesn't make a ton of sense with the players they have and have purchased this summer. Thiago is good enough to force his way in, but at whose expense? Hoping that means Gustavo is on the way out - too good a player to sit on bench.
 

Ashin

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Agree with that, can't see Tottenham getting a striker in this window unless Adebayor or Defoe goes, even then though, there's no obvious upgrades they can make for less than ?15m. Gomez would have ripped the league apart against the smaller teams. Surprised Chelsea didn't bring him in to mentor Lukaku for a season or two. Disagree with Ibra/Madrid, just can't see that happening especially as Ibra is the wrong side of 30, would command at least ?20m, AND probably be on ?10m a season. Can actually see Guardiola trying out Goetze as a false #9 with Thiago in the hole, and Kroos/Schweinsteiger behind.
 

Dyvim

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We will see G?tze play a false 9 often. He did in his youth teams alot and also did in the national team once or twice (despite L?w being a dumbfuck).
Guardiola reportedly wanted Neymar at first but ended up with G?tze as 2nd option, which makes sense with Dante, Rafinha and Luiz Gustavo allready having 3 Brazil and non european players possibly on the field.
 

Asshat Brando

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There's no way Suarez will go to Arsenal as you'd have to pry the amount of money it would take for LFC to say yes to that out of Wenger/Kroenke's cold, dead hands. I think in the end he's not going to have anywhere to go, Madrid knows they can't afford any slip ups to stay with Barca and having Suarez sit for the first 6 games after spending 45m plus on him is just retarded.

I actually think the LFC heirachy would be fine with Suarez leaving at this point as would most fans, just not to any EPL team. Bayern isn't going for him nor is Madrid most likely, that basically leaves no team that could actually afford him sans Anzi which would be hilarious.