Virgil van Dijk

[01cravend]

VVD was absolutely not the best CB in the league. They were 11th with him playing and finished 8th with him out. Saying he was the best CB in the league is like saying Bony was a top 5 ST before we bought him. Plenty of come out and said that CB wasn't a priority position but VVD would be considered after other targets had been locked in. There's plenty of CBs out there and everyone is available until they're not. Can't miss out on what you didn't have or bid on in the first place.

So we should buy Gary Cahill?

 

[Lancet Fluke]

Personally I think we should be buying both a forward and a centre half. Whilst Tolmie's right about the difference Kompany has made since his return, relying on him staying fit is a large and totally unnecessary gamble. Our centre halves were (and will be again) repeatedly asked to defend one on one in oceans of space last season, and very often they weren't big enough or strong enough to deal with that. Lukaku, Costa, Falcao and Wickham all scored against us after brushing aside weak challenges, Wellbeck, Kane, King, Rashford and several others did the first bit but then failed to convert. So many teams in this league employ strapping 6ft forwards and hoof the ball long and quick downfield, that more of the same is inevitable next season. No system is infallible, but Kompany is as good a safeguard as you're gonna get anywhere in the world against this bulldozing tactic. Not having cover in place for him is folly IMO. I would have welcomed Van Dyke with open arms. Big, strong and quick, with no obvious shortcomings in possession either.

Spot on IMO. If we are moving on to another target that is fine, if we aren't prioritising a centre back this summer then I think that would be madness. It baffles me when people say that our problem last season was all about our poor finishing and not about our defending, how on earth could anyone have watched us last season and come to that conclusion? The problem was very much at both ends of the pitch and we should be looking to sort out both issues. I haven't looked back but if anyone really has suggested that Stones has been a level above Van Dijk defensively over the last couple of years then IMO they are bonkers.

 

[OB1]

So we should buy Gary Cahill?

Tolimie was right that we should have bought Cahill before Chelsea did.

 

[goater1985]

VVD was absolutely not the best CB in the league. They were 11th with him playing and finished 8th with him out. Saying he was the best CB in the league is like saying Bony was a top 5 ST before we bought him. Plenty of come out and said that CB wasn't a priority position but VVD would be considered after other targets had been locked in. There's plenty of CBs out there and everyone is available until they're not. Can't miss out on what you didn't have or bid on in the first place.

have to disagree with you on that, thought he was collosus whenever i watched him last season and was all for him signing.... would walk into any side in the league for me comfortably. Just because his side didnt finish higher up, doesnt mean he cant be the top performing player in his position...

anyway, we've missed out/pulled out so we move on to the next target.

bonnucci would always have been my first choice anyway, still get a good 3/4 years out of him

 

[hammocity]

The crux of the issue is that Vinny is unlikely to stay fit for a prolonged period. When he gets his inevitable injury, you'll have Stones and Otamendi left who don't play well together.

I agree but I think 4 centre backs is overkill, better to have a utility player who can slot in at CB but again they are hard to find. As someone else said, Yaya?

 

[r.soleofsalford]

I think we could regret him not signing for us he`s a really good player. I`m not a rag who say we didnt want him anyway

 

[MillionDollarDream]

So we should buy Gary Cahill?

No we should be expanding our horizons and stop thinking about only the few that's been "linked heavily"

 

[uwe rosler 28]

I think this might just blow up in the dippers face if it doesn't come off it's far from a done deal.

 

[adrianr]

With sky and Blackburn now reporting the same thing, any chance we've leaked this out?

Kaveh Solhekol‏Verified account @SkyKaveh 5s6 seconds ago
Man City were interested in Virgil Van Dijk but don't feel deal is worth money being offered by other clubs. Southampton want more than £50m

Martin Blackburn‏Verified account @SunMartinB 11m11 minutes ago
City are looking around at CBs this summer. But kompany's return means the bar is set high - IF he can stay fit.

Well he can't stay fit, so it's irrelevant. We need to plan the defence as if he's not going to be in it.

 

[TRUE BLUE NO1]

Either all these reports are quoting the same source or we've leaked this to the press to clear up the issue over Dijk.

James Robson‏Verified account @JamesRobsonMEN 1m1 minute ago
City were not willing to meet Southampton's valuation of Van Dijk. Definite interest, but couldn't justify £60m

James Robson‏Verified account @JamesRobsonMEN 5m5 minutes ago
World record fee for a CB, without premium of being English didn't make sense. No bid placed - but know valuation & what Liverpool would pay

 

[Lancet Fluke]

I agree but I think 4 centre backs is overkill, better to have a utility player who can slot in at CB but again they are hard to find. As someone else said, Yaya?

Most people wouldn't think it was overkill to have two players for each position, having 4 centre backs is only doing that really. Assuming that we might well play 3 centre backs at times next season then having 4 centre backs in the squad would be necessary IMO. Anyway, whatever happens we need someone who can defend properly and organise things at the back when Kompany isn't there so even if 4 centre backs is over kill, getting rid of one of the existing centre backs and replacing them would be better than just assuming that we are fine as we are. I just don't see the point in spending huge money all over the rest of the pitch and still being one injury to Kompany away from being flaky as fuck and potentially losing big matches that are often tight and require a bit of steel at the back.

 

[wattle]

Had he signed for the dippers yet? No? Well theres a surprise lol. Media bull shit AGAIN

 

[Tugay One Cup]

Either all these reports are quoting the same source or we've leaked this to the press to clear up the issue over Dijk.

James Robson‏Verified account @JamesRobsonMEN 1m1 minute ago
City were not willing to meet Southampton's valuation of Van Dijk. Definite interest, but couldn't justify £60m

James Robson‏Verified account @JamesRobsonMEN 5m5 minutes ago
World record fee for a CB, without premium of being English didn't make sense. No bid placed - but know valuation & what Liverpool would pay

Sounds like us just trying to save face tbh.

 

[sky_blue]

Sounds like us just trying to save face tbh.

Sounds like a bit of both.

 

[abu13]

On the plus side it does appear that we would have been in fkf him at ghe right price and therefore we must want a CB.

 

[TonyM]

James Robson‏Verified account @JamesRobsonMEN 5m5 minutes ago
World record fee for a CB, without premium of being English didn't make sense. No bid placed - but know valuation & what Liverpool would pay

The premium of being English. Again and again and again I say don't buy English. There is no premium. It's all hype.

Buy 17 top top foreign players and pepper in the academy developed youth.

It's madness that the club buys into this "need English players" idea. What a waste of time, energy and money.

 

[Cityfan]

Sounds like us just trying to save face tbh.

We might also be letting other clubs with whom we are negotiating that we will not dramatically overpay which is probably pretty sensible when we are trying to land a lot of players.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

We might also be letting other clubs with whom we are negotiating that we will not dramatically overpay which is probably pretty sensible when we are trying to land a lot of players.

Fair point but I think we will always overpay for a few targets. On top of that, if Van Dijk ends up at Liverpool then it shows that other clubs will overpay for the top talent. As admirable a stance as it is (although a bit late in the day to start), if everyone else overpays for the top talent then we're left paying reasonable sums for mediocre talent.

 

[Cityfan]

Fair point but I think we will always overpay for a few targets. On top of that, if Van Dijk ends up at Liverpool then it shows that other clubs will overpay for the top talent. As admirable a stance as it is (although a bit late in the day to start), if everyone else overpays for the top talent then we're left paying reasonable sums for mediocre talent.

Yes and No, we have landed both Ederson (presumably) and Bernardo allowing some targets to slip between our fingers through not overpaying is probably advantageous,if the player is persuaded the club will often follow.

 

[Blue warrior]

Martin Blackburn saying city had some interest but felt for the money he would cost not HG and no CL experience not worth the risk.