Who would you buy?

Yes.

I expect Messi to sign a new deal (hugs and kisses 1 year on from last summer) and them to sell some other players (which is no easy task of course).

I think Barca have some clauses with him that protects them in coming years.

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I think the main argument against that is Laporte is back. He has been critical of the way decisions in his absence have been made and his newness gives him a certain degree of flexibility to make tough decisions and blame the short term effect of them on the old regime. To be honest, I think the moves they are trying to make this summer are quite smart, they are just so back against a wall it’s going to be difficult to pull off. But they certainly seem to appreciate that one way out of their current mess is to lean on their new generation of kids that has 5 or 6 who would reasonably expect to be mainstays of the first team sooner than later.

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I went off this thread…

Barcelona’s wage bill is 110% of its total income, and in case of exceeding this limit, they can only spend 25% of this income.

These savings would not be enough to register Lionel Messi, who makes the club more money in commercial income than he earns himself.

:slight_smile: crazy

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Oh yeah, their situation is absolutely bonkers. The thing is though, even without someone like Laporte who has an affinity for the Barca way, they wouldnt see raising money by selling the good kids as a way out because the issue is wages more than revenue, so losing them doesnt move the needle. It’s the likes of Umtiti, Dembele, Pjanic and Phil they need to shift and there is the prospect of them taking a huge bath on any or all of them to just get the wages off the books.

And for clarity, I’m not talking about players like Trincao nor Fernandes as part of their next generation. They’re being let go because they arent good enough, not to move the needle on the money they need to save.

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This is a waiting game with them for sure. They are moving the low hanging fruit currently, but they are going to have to move a couple big names before the end of the window. Every club knows this, so now it becomes a game of chicken. Closer we get to the end of the window, the less leverage Barca has.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Rafa try and get anything from this.

I think right now, Barca will not think of selling Fati or Pedri, not because they do not need the money but for now to register their new players they signed, they actually need to get their wage levels down and Pedri and Fati will not be contributing much in terms of wages rid and that is why they were so desperate to get someone to buy Coutinho, Pjanjic etc, these high earners so they can move on with registering their new players. And also Messi’s massive contract is dependent on them getting rid of these players. There were rumours they were desperate they wanted to terminate the contracts of some of the players but they refused. Massive shit they are in.

Coutinho to Everton is a done deal

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I would love it. Full Anfield, deep boo’s every time he touches the ball, he goes off crying with a bad back.

Bring it on.

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First of all, I’m not really expecting any new major signing but I get more and more convinced that if we do it will be someone from the last 4 of this tournament and announced in a week or so.

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Quickly on Pedri:

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My old company gave me the same excuse for several years :rofl:

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Damsgaard. Largely plays wide left but can also play as an attacking centre mid. Fills both CM and attacking attacker needs with just one player and allows Jota to play centrally more as an alternative to Firmino.

Incomings done, roll on the start of the season.

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Has he been good at all at Sampdoria and not just a tournament great? Asking cos had not known this player at all before the Euros

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What an upgrade Saul would be on Gini.

Can remember we’ve been linked with him when Brendan was in charge.

Atlético then put one of those €300m release clauses on him.

Thought he is going to stay there forever. What happened?

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Pretty sure that Man United were reliably linked with him every damn summer (as a part of their “let’s buy all the expensive players ever before City do” drive). I know he had an average 2020/21 but reading through Internet suggested that he also had a difficult 2019/20. I didn’t see it that way but I don’t watch a lot of La Liga, to be honest, though I probably watch Atletico more than all the other clubs combined. Their players never struck me as possible targets for Liverpool due to their defensive style, as well as astronomical prices of those that could have been useful.

That said, how many Spain-based players have Liverpool signed since Aspas and Alberto? La Liga hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Liverpool since Rafa left. Wijnaldum’s probable replacement has to be done right, I’d hate it if another big money central midfielder flops here and Atletico play a defensive and slower brand of football. That said, Klopp looks like he’s ready to abandon the fast approach for a controlled, grinding one.

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We have already replaced Gini with a Spanish player. What are you all talking about? :wink:

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Not in my eyes, his passport is misleading! :slight_smile:

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You’ll have to explain. :cry:

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Thiago left Spain so early in his career, having played not too many games for Barcelona, that I grew to think of him not as a Spanish player but rather a German one. :slight_smile: Also, I’ve always felt he was underutilised by Spanish national team (which I hope doesn’t change!). He’ll forgive me for thinking that.

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