Sometimes the fiasco is worth it.
Virgil…6 month wait.
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I also doubt he’s worth 150 million; all he has to show for himself are goals for a mediocre team and a trophy.
Did I miss anything? Afaik He hasn’t got anything else to show for himself, or has he ever shown whether he can function under pressure? Personal awards, played in finals, Champions League, international matches?
I understand that we see an opportunity because no one else is after him, so we’ll probably go ahead with it now, even if it has to be in January. We’ve already come too far to back out, I think. But I’m also not convinced he’s even worth the whole drama. I’d rather have a defender atm. We’ll have to wait for Newcastle to somehow manage to sign a replacement anyway.
It’s starting to get on my nerves a bit tbh.
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Whatever happened to the lost art of seduction?
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unfortunately we dont hsve that luxury…Jotas passed, Diaz gone, Nunez will go and so to Chiesa…leaves us Salah, Gakpo and Ekitike (doesnt know league yet). We need Isak ASAP
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It has only been three weeks, too.
Let’s just enjoy the thrill of the chase.
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I think this is a good question. A big part of our success has been due to the work the recruitment team do persuading the players to come to us - that must surely include a big commitment on our side that cant be walked away from so easily.
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I think you can strip some of these out using common sense - as the sources arent reliable. Of the others they arent necessarily contradictory.
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He doesnt have a clause we can activate, and the reporting largely suggests it is the club owner at Newcastle refusing to deal. It’s also not unexpected for them wanting assurances they can bring in replacements before allowing him to leave.
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I’ve been trying to read between the lines all summer when it comes to our transfer business. Paying attention to what is and isn’t being said by fairly credible sources, considering our history and the principles involved, and trying to make some fairly reasonable assumptions.
In this case, my assumption is that Isak and Liverpool have an accord; that Newcastle is the obstacle; that they’d probably sell if they can source a replacement; that Liverpool feels strongly enough about Isak that they’re willing to wait to see if Newcastle will bargain.
The problem from Liverpool’s perspective is that they cannot control Newcastle’s piss poor ability to recruit. And they know if Newcastle cannot source a replacement, they will not sell Isak even if it means dragging him to matches.
If Liverpool sell Nunez/Chiesa, they’re left with three senior forwards - Salah, Gakpo, Ekitike. Even with the possibility that Wirtz can play up front, I don’t think you can go into September without adding at least one forward.
So how long to we wait to see if Newcastle can get their shit together before we start targeting others?
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I think we will close the Isak deal. The biggest hurdle is Newcastle, and how they view themselves. At first they saw themselves as our rivals. They deservedly beat us in the Kangaroo cup (never mind the PSG hangover) and they qualified for the CL, so they see themselves as marching up the hill.
But hang on a minute!
We are the Premier League Champions, we pay more, we are globally so much bigger, we can expect to fight for the biggest prizes during the prime of Isak’s career and we have had an amazing transfer window to set us up for the next cycle.
Isak, rightly, wants to be a part of that.
We know the score. Newcastle, reluctantly, need/needed some time to get there. All the bile is part of the process.
I think it is all but done. What remains is for Newcastle to sign a striker, then for the fee to be agreed. Still a couple of hurdles, but we are closing in.
It is a great time to be a red! Isak we be ours soon enough.
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Actually all the noise are coming from Newcastle, tabloids, the media, the ITKs, and fan forums like this. Not sure what the club has contributed to this “fiasco” but as far as the club is concerned, they made a bid, rejected and will bide their time before deciding on the next move. I am sure Isak is not worth the price of 150m. Not even 100m. But to me, the club wants him, the club is willing to pay a certain price for him and the club has a strategy to negotiate or even a hard stop if our valuation is not accepted. Let the club do its job, so far they have been quiet, so not sure where the fiasco is coming from except from the external noises that we are allowing ourselves to be affected by?
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Agreed, Newcastle have all the problems and we are a solution, but only on our terms
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(post deleted by author)
Whether he is ‘worth’ x amount or not is to some point the incorrect way to view it, imho, especially when it comes to football. Liverpool as an entire Club was sold for 300 million just 15 years ago and and since then we sold a player less than 7 years later for almost half of that and bought a player for 40% of that. In such a mad environment, it comes down to what a player is worth to both buying and selling club, is that amount doable, is that amount financially sustainable in the long run and how would it affect future business with regards to funds available and needs of the team.
As it stands, we are going to have to replace about 30 goals and 20 assists when Salah calls it a day here, that day is fast arriving whether we want to admit it or not and that’s a fuckload to replace, no two ways about it.
We can go oj about needing a CB more than we need Isak but I’d argue it would be relatively easier to replace Virgil two years down the line than look for a cheap and effective alternative
to Salah, in terms of numbers contributed to the team, in twelve months time. It’s a gamble to assume that:
- It would be cheaper
- There is someone available on the market
- Cheaper + available means effective
I understand that Isak might not be effective either but all things considered, I think he’s more likely to be so than anyone else out there that is available.
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The above post certainly shows the canyon of cash a Premier League team has become. However the owners still appear prudent in relation to cash, obviously a couple of slim transfer windows but still a premiership.
.
While it’s not my money I would have serious reservations about a player who would dump his team and mates, to push through a transfer.
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We’re also a bit spoiled lately.
There’s no way we can get all things done smoothly and quickly.
We’re doing some big business this summer, had a terribly unfortunate and rare event and part of our incoming moves also depend on players moving out, some of which also takes time.
We have less than a month left, so let’s see. Most of it is done and we might end up buying anything between 1 and 3 more players. I think we will get at least 1 more.
The whole “saga” thing with Isak doesn’t bother me (I do have questions whether it’s smart to go so big for two strikers who I struggle to see for now how they play together). Of course, ideally you want them in as early as possible, to have as much training as possible.
Whether it takes us 3 days or 3 months to get a player in, the absolutely most important thing is that it’s the right player and the right move for us. But that’s just my opinion.
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What if that player was told he would be part of an exciting future, with major signings due? And that his personal terms and conditions would be improved? When this hasn’t materialised, he finds out a club that can match his ambitions, professionally and personally want him to sign?
Loyalty is of no importance in football at the moment. If it was, we would be snarling at the club for selling Nunez. A fan favourite, loved by his teammates. Instead we see his sale as integral to our next business. I think Diaz showed little loyalty in his move to Bayern. PL chanpion, again, loved by the fans. But he left and in some quarters its acceptable that he has thought of his career above the club. Nothing about him making eyes at Barcelona and settling for second best.
Alas, the days of Phil Thompson et al are gone. We have to embrace the commodity of the modern player. If Isak signs its because the club wants him. That will do for me.
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Regionally aggravated thigh syndrome (RATS) is no laughing matter, He can train in Spain but it flares up on the plane.
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Nothing that a good dose of fresh mountain air can solve
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