We could try, but I just don’t think Dortmund would listen. They seem to stick to their plan on these big sales.
I guess they have their limit, if things get silly, but Liverpool aren’t the ones to go there. I’ll be very surprised if Bellingham goes this summer.
The summer we bought Alisson we were the highest overall spenders. Obviously partly influenced by the Phil money, but was also a big net spend, even more so given virgil’s purchase 6 months prior. I think what this points to is the nice balance between a manager who is supported as needed with a manager who understands the value of organic development and spending prudently. I didnt want to jinx it, but it did feel like a decent spend was upcoming after he signed his extension.
It doesnt. It’s just that where the value typically is.
You cannot deny that for the quality he has and the impact hes had, the opportunity to bring him in for that price represented fantastic value, That his profile was unusual was not that it didnt fit the model, but that you dont get players like him very often aligned with the model.
Wasn’t it fully funded by Coutinho?
It’s often presented that way, but not really. It’s complicated creating a simple picture by the more or less simultaneous Virgil purchase the previous window and the interestingly structured Naby one in the summer, but regardless of how you factor in the Phil money it was still a densely focused period of significant spending that was only partially offset by his sale.
Not surprised in the slightest, he is absolutely brilliant and if we got him and Darwin Nunez I think I’d take a holiday from the forum until the City game
Twitter also saying we are happy to offer him higher wages than we’ve apparently offered Nunez. Which sounds like an awful lot of bollocks.
Gavi is already very good, and it is amazing that he is influencing games for Barcelona at such a young age. He is Barcelona through and through, but at some point something will crack if they can’t sort their financial issues out, and they will start to lose jewels that they wanted to build with for the next generation.
They are working frantically to try to get big earners off the books, but if I am on a fat contract I would probably want it matched elsewhere, and there’s only a handful of clubs who can offer Barcelona style wages, and at that point it comes down to their current standing (e.g. Man Utd at a low ebb, hence De Jong not thrilled about going there) or their need (how many teams will give Dembele what he wants, given the fitness and temperament record?)
Bottom line is that Barcelona are sort of stuck, financially. This is why they are trying to carve up parts of the club to sell.
It leaves an opening for a well run club like LFC to be opportunistic in going for someone like Gavi. He could be a crucial player in the next great Liverpool side that is emerging.
Sign Bellingham next summer and the midfield is sorted for years to come.
Barca can always buy him back for 150m in 5 years.
If truth be told I can’t see that Barca team going close to the CL or even La Liga for a few seasons.
It’s not so much age as it is value.
A younger player has the potential to improve and see their value increase. They also typically aren’t as expensive as ready made stars and even if they don’t hit the heights, they’ll retain a strong level of resale value to reinvest again at a later date.
Mane is the perfect example. Bought relatively young, get six of the best years of his career and then get your money back on him when either his wage demands become too high or you think he might physically be on the slide. Ox is an example where it has backfired somewhat. He was cheaper than he would have been because of his contract situation but the injuries have stopped him pushing on. Now we’re in a weak selling position.
Thiago represents value as he’s an elite player available for a bargain price. You might not get six years from him or a sell on value but you know you’re getting a world class player at a knockdown price.
There was always a question mark about the fee we paid for Ox because of his history of injuries at Arsenal.
At the time of signing Ox I had a slight raised eyebrow, but I could see the thinking. Ok the fee was not great, but you don’t usually get an easy ride in dealing with another Prem heavyweight club.
At that point what were we hoping he would bring? I seem to remember he was wanting more of a go in midfield. And it looked an interesting prospect. Use his pace, strength on the ball and turn of speed to burst through the middle, break the lines, and open up a shooting opportunity at the edge of the box.
It all seemed to make sense, and Ox did indeed show some good promise for us in the role.
And then the very unfortunate injury.
Coupled with the team improving.
So by the time Ox got back, he wasn’t quite as explosive as before and the side he was trying to get into was also a lot better.
A parting of the ways is inevitable, and I think we will accept a lowish fee, £10M ish, just to draw a line under it and allow him to move on as we look to be doing too.
He won’t leave as a legend, but he will leave with our best wishes. Just didn’t quite work out here. It happens.
Holy shit! Now that’s the unreliable rumour I came here for. Gavi’s potential is mouthwatering
I’ll be surprised if something happens with us and Gavi, I wouldn’t mind doing with Bellingham what we did with Naby.
So we are going to sign Gavi and insert a 450M release clause. Fine with me
No, the club doesnt use release clauses in our players’ contracts. 
Not even for £40m + 1?
Funnily enough, if someone said to me that they’ll win the league next season, I wouldn’t be that shocked. With all the shit they have going on, I still don’t feel like Real are miles ahead in the league. Better yeah, but that can change quickly.