That’s where you seemed to be going.
Newcastle probably feel £110m isn’t enough, would like £150m, but would accept £130m.
We’ll want to be at the bottom of that range, Newcastle will want up at the top - that’s a negotiation.
As @Kopstar says, they’ll want to get the most they’d hope for. We’ll want to pay the minimum they’ll accept.
Unless your living somewhere there isn’t a housing crisis(lucky you), you offer what they ask and end up paying more because so many others have offered the same.
Regarding Isak, I’m happy to walk away at 110 as I don’t think he’s worth 150.
So had we offered what they wanted they would have sold him because that’s the price they wanted. I’m glad that we didn’t offer it
Isn’t that pretty much what I exactly said?
It could also be as much an issue of time as money. Maybe they accept 110 later in the window if whatever they are doing now fails to convince him to stay. Maybe if they land Wissa or someone like Kolo Muani it takes one spinning plate out of play and make them willing to accept a reasonable offer, maybe something like 110, to allow them to deal with their one remaining spinning plate.
The Isak thing is starting to make less and less sense to me. He is, no doubt, a great player, arguably the best all-around #9 in the league. To pay a 2nd English transfer record in the same window for him seems mad given we have Ekitike. How do you get them on the pitch at the same time? If the answer is, “you don’t…it’s for rotation”, then I have a problem with it. You don’t spend nearly 70M for a backup #9. I think I’d rather get another #9 to rotate with Ekitike and then get a Rodrygo-esque, verstaile forward.
I’m ok if we don’t get him this window. It just might open up 1st team opportunities for younger guys.
I was making the point what ever fee is agreed is ultimately what the selller wanted.
The reporting on our interest in Ekitike said we saw him as someone who could play on the left (I know he has rarely ever played there, but its obviously possible to identify an ability of a player to do a different job than the one you’ve seen him in by observing his traits and abilities). Newcastle were reported to have been willing to pay big money to pair him with Isak.
Isnt the obvious answer that smart football people do see a high likelihood of them being able to play together?
Of course that’s the answer, but it’s fun to talk about and what this forum is for!
It will be in the range of what they wanted, but it might be at the bottom end rather than the top.
No, it isn’t.
I believe the point @RER is making its still something that they want. Still the sellers amount you couldn’t say here is 20m less than you want we are taking player X you would get told to fuck and laughed at.
I think we’ll sign Isak, sooner or later. I don’t think we’ll look for alternatives, or that Slot is even considering it. Slot has shown he’s not taking risks; yesterday he didn’t dare to use Chiesa or Rio. I don’t think he’ll give any new young players regular playing time either. He’ll only rely on experienced players, which I find disappointing, but it is what it is. Maybe we will bring someone in late in the window, who will barely play, if at all.
Jackson said Newcastle is his favourite destination there’s your second one.
I have a feeling that if we sign Isak… then Ekitike will be pushed out wide left, with licence to cut in, and it will be Gakpo that becomes the bit part player
We have a guy on the right that, even though he’s the fittest guy in world football, is creeping towards his mid 30’s and into his twilight years. Ontop of that, we have no depth. If we need a different option, right now our option is to bring a 16yo off the bench.
We desperately need a quality player. If anything I see Hugo as the ‘for rotation’ guy. But I’m not seeing it like that anyway. This is about preparing for the future, for Salah leaving, for Gakpo to potentially have a dip in form. It’s the smart move from the club. Any of those front three could become ‘the rotation’ if their form isn’t up to par.
I’m a bit surprised that anyone thinks we should have entered negotiations with a straight up £150m offer. You can guarantee that will mean Newcastle trying to get £170m out of us. It’s also nothing like the housing market. You don’t accept whatever the seller is asking; you accept what the market dictates. If you are in the market and you are fighting 10 other people and some have cash offers, then you’ll probably need to offer overs.
But we aren’t really in competition with another buyer. We have a free run at Isak. £110m should have been considered a good starting position from Newcastle but it seems their ego got the better of their owners.
I reckon they sign Wissa and Jackson, and we sign Isak late in the window for £130M + 10M add ons. A bit more than what we want to do and a bit less than what they want. All’s well that ends well if that’s how it pans out.
It is. You should read it.
“We await the opportunity to negotiate”
Apparently, Isak will only “reintegrate” himself with Newcastle if LFC inform him directly that a transfer is not possible this summer. Not from a reliable source. It’s in the BBC gossip page.
So, he’ll be reintegrating after the transfer window has closed as we won’t say anything to him directly and his club is unwilling to negotiate.
This is dragging a bit now, at the end of the day we surely have assessed what he is worth to us and clearly don’t seem terribly excited about Newcastle playing pie in the sky over what they want.
We will have other options,surely.
As I have said before,my thoughts are with the player, but Toon could wind up blowing this and having a pretty pissed off player on their hands..that rarely works either.
Close to move on time!